Yo! Back at it again with another update! Thanks for making it this far, really means a lot to me to see people express their interest in my story, hopefully it means I haven't lost my luster yet. I'm sorry for keeping you waiting, but I also try to take my time these days, I'm no spring chicken anymore. I also don't want to exceed a certain length capita per chapter, so while some things addressed in "Pilot, Part 1" won't be spoken of here, rest assured, mysteries will be solved in the future. Without further ado, I hope you enjoy this new installment!

"Dr. Robotnik… No. No, it couldn't be. He's been out of practice for so long... How could someone like HIM get a hold of the Emeralds, let alone you?!"

Uncle Chuck seemed in total shock with the scenario presented. His nephew wasn't sure how to respond to his reaction. Nicky never knew about the man before the incident but knowing that his uncle did is sure to raise some surprises.

"What do you mean out of practice?! Did you know the guy?" Nicky asks, but his uncle was even quicker to retort.

"… Unfortunately, yes, very much so. He and I have had… history." Uncle Chuck starts to grimace against the word "history," he seemed in visible pain as his mind recounts uncomfortable memories of his own past with Robotnik. Scooting up his chair against the dining table, he looks at his nephew with a look of both genuine curiosity and concern. "But I'd rather you go first. What you've been through is far more recent, and therefore my biggest concern."

Nicky was tense to agree to such a term, but his uncle wasn't the only one that wanted to know what he'd been up to. He nods, ready to explain.

"It all started just when summer vacation was about to begin…"

SONIC THE HEDGEHOG

-= PROJECT: GENESIS =-

"PILOT, PART 2"

The sound of the alarm bells rings out across the academy. It was only just briefly drowned out by the loud cheers of the students around school, music and footsteps echoing the halls of North Green Hill High. The fresh summer breeze smacks against the smiling faces of teenagers all ready and waiting for the months long break after a grueling experience.

"An internship, huh?" In the soundwaves, a question enters the ears of one such student as it exits from the mouth of another. Nicky, the brown hedgehog, looks to his friend Porker Lewis, watching him stammer on as the two friends trek the halls. "I-I dunno, Nicky, I never thought you'd want to take up something like that so soon… You only just got through a year…"

"It's never too late to take up opportunities, Porker. Besides, I'm always up for doing something exciting," the hedgehog responds to his buddy. "Especially after the garage band gig I had back in middle school kinda went south… fast. Poor Vector's vocal cords were never the same after he tried to hit that high note at the talent show."

"Didn't you win second place that time? What'd you do with the money?"

"I got these bad boys."

Nicky points down to his boots. They were supposed to be red and white, but Nicky's excessive use of the shoes brought some dirt into the whites, giving it a more muted brown color.

"They look kind of worn out... S-sorry," Porker watches Nicky's boots, worried about the state they're in.

"No worries, buddy. Besides, you're right, but new shoes just don't cut it for me. Nothing that comes out these days seems to handle my speed as much as these ones do. Which is why I'm taking up the internship."

"To get new shoes?"

"Yeah, maybe help out wherever I can around the house, too," Nicky reaches his arms back against his head, never minding the spines. "My uncle's out on some important stuff somewhere in the United Federation, so it'll just be me for a bit. Figure I could do something to keep myself busy that isn't just running around all the time."

"You're still gonna be running around though…"

"Tch, no duh. It's what I do! Besides, maybe this might even be an opportunity for me to run more. This 'Eggman' guy did seem like he wanted to 'bring out my best potential,' if I get to paraphrase that email he sent me."

"Sounds cool… But I hope something like that is safe," Porker began to worry, he stops in his feet as the thought of this all being something more than just an internship began to rise. "I just don't want him to hurt you or anything… because what if he does? W-what if he-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there, Porker. I'm not going to let you start one of your tangents," the hedgehog student cuts off his friend, worried of what he could say. "If I do that, I start getting those ideas in my head, even after I've convinced myself that everything about this is 100% safe and at least 90% legal. The other 10% ain't my problem."

Porker was still concerned about all of this, the thought of someone potentially trying to prey down on students as enough to get him to quiver, but Nicholas was right. The more he dwelled on it, the more he'd start blurring the lines between fiction and reality. And he already knew his own imagination was more than capable of running off the rails.

"I-I'm sorry, Nicky… I just… I'd just hate to lose one of my only friends."

"Trust me, bro. You won't. I'll make sure of that."

With the promise made, Nicky sees Porker leave the building as the two wave and make their separate ways. The hedgehog remained one of the last students to stay in the building, as he makes a turn towards the stairs, heading to the upper levels.

From there, Nicky heads towards one of the science labs currently in use. He hears something break.

"Blast it all! What good is the lousy equipment here if it can't handle a little bit of stress?!" A gruff voice boomed out of the room, even audible from the hallway Nicky was in. Curious, he peeks inside, silently opening the door as he watches what happens.

"I'm sorry, sir, it's just that this school can only do so much with our supplies! We get so little funding, and…," another voice speaks up, this one softer and much more familiar to the student. Nicky gets a closer look to see that it's his science teacher, Ms. Doris, a rather meek anthropomorphic ferret in a lab coat. She looked to a human man about twice her own size, towering over her as she watches him move around the lab.

The human, a bald-headed man with a mustache reaching beyond both ends of his cheeks and a beard just under it, wearing glasses under his protective goggles and a suit covering his lab coat, walks around the room as he reaches for something resting on a table nearby…it appeared to be a large, egg shaped… thing?

"Nonsense! Save your excuses, Doris. I know full well of the faults of your educational system," he grabs something from his coat: a remote. Pressing a button, the thing that looked like an egg appeared to lift itself into the air, if only slightly. Nicky watches it, amazed.

'Holy heck… that thing's flying! How?!' Nicky stands by the door in thought, watching it move about the room.

"It's bound to crack under pressure at any given moment, held together by duct tape and the hopes and dreams of whatever lies in the great beyond. Just about even the slightest misfortune to it could cause industries both public and private to collapse. Long before I was even the age of your students did I understand this was true then, and still true now," he presses more buttons as he speaks, guiding it over to the mess made by the accident. "Nevertheless, I've learned how to clean up my own accidents. I'll pay for the damages as well."

The floating "egg" positions itself over the chemical hazard, an odd, blue liquid that seemed to bubble from the sheer heat it was exposed to. But in a matter of seconds, a laser light zooms from the core of the "egg" reaching from the highest point of the mess, and the lowest. After that… it was gone. The broken glass, the spilled chemical, all gone in an instant.

Ms. Doris claps, amazed. Even the eavesdropping Nicky was amazed by the machine's cleanup work.

"W-wow, Mr. Eggman, this technology of yours is incredible! I'm amazed you've decided to stick with veterinary work of all things! You look like you'd earn a Nobel Prize award!"

"Hoho! Genius as great as mine goes duly unrecognized, fellow science associate," Eggman smiles, appreciating the compliment. "But please, call me Dr. Eggman."

"Of course, sir. P-please… if there's anything else you need…"

"No, no, that should be all. I believe I'm expecting someone in a moment's time."

"Really? When will they-"

An alarm buzzes in the room, coming from the egg-shaped device. It found something- no, someone right by the door.

"INTRUDER IN PREMISE," it bellowed, unlocking its sides to reveal active tasers on two ends, approaching the intruder in question, Nicky.

"AAAHHH!" The hedgehog screamed, zipping his way face first into the wall behind him. He lands some feet away from the door, completely in shock. The door behind it slowly opens out further, the two adults in the room at the door. Plastic hits the floor as Nicky's glasses stumble off of his face, his mind in a daze.

"… Oh! It's just Nicky," Doris sighs, happy to see a student of hers. "He's a student of mine. He wouldn't hurt a fly. Why would it label him an intruder?"

"This drone is still a prototype," Eggman spoke as he grabbed the drone, returning it to its default mode. "It detects heat signals, not individuals, so just about anything could be an intruder to its lousy detection systems. It's a bit of a pet project of mine, so working out the kinks is still my goal. But I wouldn't dare leave without it. It's multipurpose!"

"Are you alright, Nicky?" The science teacher asked as she looked down, concerned.

"Hah…," Nicky pants, reaching for his fallen glasses while looking at the two adults. Ms. Doris he was completely familiar with, and as such had no qualms with her, but the bald man before her was a total mystery. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine… Sheesh, give me a heart attack why don'tcha…? I thought that thing was gonna kill me!"

"No, no, of course not!" The doctor attempts to reassure the student. He gives the egg-shaped machine a soft pat on its surface. "Killing is never part of its programming. It'll just jolt enough of a voltage to knock anyone out at its highest level, is all. It's my security drone!"

"That's not very reassuring…," Nicky gives a heavy sigh, finally calm. As he climbs back up to his feet, he watches the doctor laugh heartily.

"Hoohoho! Trust me, dear boy, it'll never hurt you so much as long as I'm around," Eggman fixes his glasses, looking at the hedgehog. He reaches his hand down to him for a handshake, smiling wide. "My name is Dr. Eggman. I'm certain you've heard of me?"

Nicky hesitated for a moment, finally realizing who he was dealing with. This is THE Eggman that he applied for. Without wasting another second, he brings his own hand to meet the doctor's.

"Only for about a week and a half, sir, but it's a pleasure to finally meet ya!" The two hands shake in a firm, friendly grasp. Eggman's grip was noticeably weaker than Nicky's, but the doctor still seemed just as eager. "You already got my name, doc."

"I believe it was Nicky, wasn't it? Wait…," Eggman ponders for a moment, taking a try at remembering Nicky's full name. "Ah, yes! Nicholas Needlemouse! The one student brave enough to take up this opportunity! A pleasure to have you aboard!"

"Pleasure's all mine! I'm always up for something new, so I'm as psyched for this as you are!"

"Yes, good, good! Ms. Doris has told me much of you. You already live up to that attitude I've heard so much about! So youthful and ambitious… I'd love to explore it further." Eggman lets go of Nicky's hand, ending the handshake as he once again fixes his glasses. "But I'm afraid we'll have to do it elsewhere, at my own offices. I want you to know what you're dealing with for this program."

With a nod from Nicky, it was his signal to the doctor that he was more than ready to start the program. But before he was ready to leave, his science teacher spoke up.

"Wait just a moment, s-sir!" This gets the doctor to stop in his tracks, also ready to leave. He and Nicky wait to listen to what she has to say.

"I've already given you Nicky's emergency contact information, right? Be sure to call that number if ever something were to go wrong… O-or you could call here, too. Much of our school staff are already pretty well acquainted with Nicholas. He's never too much of a bother and seems to enjoy helping out."

"C'mon, teach, you don't gotta give him my life details or anything…," the hedgehog runs a hand through his spines, a little embarrassed. He decides to give his teacher a thumbs up and his best smirk. "But trust me, I'll know what to tell him, and what to do whenever something goes wrong."

"I'm certain you will. Have a good summer, Nicky! Be sure to tell me all about your experience when you get back!"

Nicky waves his science teacher goodbye, as he faces the doctor, waiting against the wall. Eggman simply gestures a hand forward on the path ahead, smiling.

The two exit the school building, Eggman doing his best to keep up with the teenage hedgehog. He started to sweat a bit as he raced behind the student, the distance between them growing as the leave.

"N-Nicky, wait! Hold on! Good grief… the youth these days…"

"Yo, what's with the slow-mo act, doc, I wanna get started!"

"Not without knowing where you're going first, you- …bright young scholar." He catches his words as he catches his breath. Nicholas swore he meant to say something else but opts to ignore it.

"Here, I'll get us our ride."

Eggman digs through his pockets to grab the remote that powered the drone. Pushing buttons, he seems to activate something. It remained a mystery to Nicky… until he hears something that sounds like a rocket in the air, whizzing past the roof of the school building.

Slowly landing on the ground, the rockets blare louder as something lands on the ground. It was a gray machine, almost in the shape of an orb. The machine looked like nothing the hedgehog's seen before, not without it being behind a television screen. Whatever it was, it resembled a spaceship from the way it looked alone, with rockets on the back, wings on both ends and a singular glowing light at the front. But a closer inspection revealed what it was in better detail. It had a seat, a steering wheel, and a cup holder. Nicky comes to the logical conclusion that this is the ride Eggman was referring to.

"Huh… Cool car… I think?"

"This is no mere car, Nicholas. This… is my personal Egg Mobile! My number one vessel of transportation! Pretty sleek, eh?" He gives the vehicle a fine slap on its side. "This baby can do it all! It's modular, so it serves just about any purpose I want to give it! Deliveries, construction, it even has a built-in adaptive wheel hydraulic system!"

"Oooh, sounds like you wanna be a hit with the ladies! You ever got their attention?"

"No… No, I… no." The doctor sighs, his mustache appearing to droop a bit. "… Nevertheless, let's not delay this any further. We're off!"'

Eggman jumps into the seat of the Egg Mobile. Starting it up, he hears the engine purr. Nicky stands by the custom automobile with a curious look.

"Hey, doc? This car's only got one seat. Where do I sit?"

"Sit?"

Something grabs on to Nicky… a large crane claw pops out of what would best be described as the trunk. It adjusts itself, then moves towards Nicky, picking him up by the chest, with a firm grip. Nicky yelps as he's lifted up and dragged closer to the side of the car.

"Sorry, but I haven't made a second seat function yet," Eggman looks to Nicky as he fumbles about against the claw's grip. He pays little mind to it, however. "Never thought I'd needed to, and I'm not much of a fan of sharing. Still, I won't let you die, so just hang on tight!"

"WOAH!" Nicky firmly grips onto the claw that binds him as he and the doctor zoom off into the horizon, flying into the air. He was far less panicked about being in the air than he was the doctor's somewhat reckless driving, zooming his way through high rise buildings and railings.

"Lousy airborne obstacles… how do you live with these things everywhere?!" Eggman looks back at Nicky, still holding on for dear life.

"Watch where you're goin', man! Your driving's all over the place!"

"Relax, I know what I'm doing!"

"Hey, hey, eyes in the skies, doc- WATCH OUT FOR THAT FLICKY!"

"AAAAHH!" The doctor pulls his vehicle up in the air, gaining altitude. He just barely avoids a bird flying towards his direction, with the flames of the exhaust just nearly catching its feathers. Eggman sweats as he looks behind him, the Flicky safe and sound.

"Stupid good for nothing bird…," he mumbles to himself under his breath, just before speaking up louder for Nicky to hear him. "Enough of this. I see now that this level of altitude is perhaps the safest way to travel about. We'll be there shortly."

'Some genius this guy is… Okay, okay, maybe that's a bit too harsh. But I hope his plans aren't as reckless as his driving.'

With the breeze of the skies enough to calm the duo down, the two begin to make their way towards the mountainsides of South Island.

A large overhead door opens, the shining light of the sun basking its way into the entrance of a large facility. The area itself seemed to also light up as the roaring engines of the Egg Mobile thrust their way through the sounds of automated machinery working around the place.

Dr. Eggman lands his vehicle safely in a carefully placed parking spot. With no need to drive any further, the doctor shuts the engine off as he leaves the Egg Mobile safely. He grabs his belongings and releases Nicholas from the crane's grip.

"Well, that certainly was an experience…" the doctor grabs his car keys and presses the lock button as a glass seal covers the driver's seat. The Egg Mobile gives the signal of its current state with a pair of beeps. "Collateral damage was avoided, so that means I won't have to go through the efforts of making a tune-up or suffering the complaints of property damage. Hohoho, lazy Sunday, here I come!"

Nicholas lands on the ground, panting as the doctor spoke. He couldn't believe just what he'd been through… He would have at least thought Eggman would value the surroundings of others around him a little more but wasn't sure if that were the case or not as he got up.

"Dude, what was your deal?!" Nicky shouts to the doctor, ticked off. "You could've hurt somebody! You didn't think just for a second that maybe you should've been more aware of what's in the air?!"

"I was VERY aware, thank you very much! It's their fault for getting in MY way, NOT the other way around. I'm not going to be pushed around by a teenager, so do you want this scholarship or not?!" The doctor shouts, enraged. This brings Nicky back to his senses, becoming aware of what was at stake.

He sighs, finally realizing his error.

"… Sorry, doc. I'm still a little hot on the heels. Not used to bein' carried by a crane five hundred feet in the air and all," he shrugged, a sheepish grin forming on his face as he tries to apologize to the doctor.

"Hmph, I thought you would've liked a bit of excitement."

"Yeah, when I know I can walk out of it alive…," the hedgehog groans, watching Eggman make his way towards a number pad on the wall. Pressing a combination of numbers, he stands back as a door slides open, revealing an elevator.

"Nevertheless, I accept your apology, Mr. Needlemouse. I suppose I should be more mindful if I want my vehicle to remain in tip-top shape." Eggman walks inside of the elevator, turning to face Nicky again. "Come with me. We have much to discuss about our future together!"

With a nod, the brown hedgehog follows the doctor into the elevator.

"So, where we headed?" Nicky asked.

"To the rest of the facility. I'll give you a little tour of my own personal headquarters… on this island, anyway."

Nicky seemed bewildered by the thought that this was his own base of operations- one of MANY, in fact. But before he could say anything else, the elevator begins to move down after the push of a button. It dragged its way down from story to story, passing large rooms filled with boxes and heavy machinery.

"Woah…"

Nicky stared at everything passing him in bewilderment, just amazed by the sheer technology at disposal here. He almost started to question if this guy was really a veterinarian at all but was interrupted by Eggman speaking up to him.

"Impressive display of my tools, isn't it?" The doctor smiled. "But you'll get an even better look behind you."

Slowly, the hedgehog teenager does as the doctor suggested, and the amazement before grew triple. He began to realize that this wasn't just a simple factory. It was a whole fortress, bigger even, filled with the machines seen from before, working around the clock. The whole setting still seemed to be a work in progress, with scaffolding and steel bars all over. But as soon as Nicky blinked, patches of what were once unfinished sections were completed in an instant.

"Wh… what IS this place…?"

"Welcome, Nicholas… to the Egg Brain Zone! A work in progress."

Nicky glances as he drew closer to the glass window of the elevator, hands and eyes pressed firmly against the glass. He's no techie, but even he couldn't help but admire the view and every little trinket doing their part to make this place a reality.

"I've only just given this place a name, you see. It took me a few tries, but I've managed something I'm proud of. Much better than the name 'Clockwork Zone,' of which was the running project name, mind you."

"Dr. Eggman, you're freakin' awesome! How long did this take to build?!"

"Just little under a month. It's a lot of elbow grease and hard labor, but it's amazing what you can do with technology at your side, isn't it?"

The elevator continued further down the facility until it reached a stop. The doors open to reveal a conveyer belt just some feet away from them, functioning as a moving walkway. The doctor steps on it, and motions for the teenager to come with him. Nicky steps on the walkway to follow Eggman but pauses.

His ears twitched. He hears something. It sounded like something hitting against metal… banging? It was loud and distinct, completely different from everything else moving about in the facility…

"…Hey, doc. Did you hear that?"

"Me? No, nothing out of the ordinary, at least."

"I swear I was hearing something hittin' against something else… like it's getting punched or something. What was that?"

"It's 99 percent likely to just be part of the ongoing construction work. Come along, now, we don't have a moment to lose."

Nicky complies in silence, but his mind still thinks.

'…Could it really be my imagination…?'

The walkway activates, and the pair move onwards through Eggman's base, sliding from hall to hall. Eggman clears his throat as he watches his machinery

"I suppose now that we're together in my own chambers, I should properly introduce myself. 'Dr. Eggman' is merely a moniker for my business duties."

"Wait, so it's not your real name?" Nicky looked to Eggman, quizzically as he raised an eyebrow.

"Ohoho, heavens, no! My real name is Ivo Julian Robotnik. I've simply chosen 'Eggman' as a public identity because it… bettered personal morale." The veterinarian chuckled, fixing his glasses. "Sticks and stones and whatnot."

"You mean people used to make fun of you with that name?"

"… Unfortunately," a sigh escapes his mouth. "But it's given me plenty of insight over time, with years of thinking, planning, and finally, understanding. But first, a question for you."

With the press of a button, a translucent screen travels down beside them. From one side of the hall, a projector kept a similar pace, showing a slideshow of sorts to the other side. On it, a picture of an egg in a cup.

"What ARE eggs? Do you know?"

Nicky was incredibly perplexed by the sheer unexpectedness of a question like that. Dumbfounded, even. He turns to the screen, then back to the doctor, then back to the screen again, just absolutely confused about what Robotnik could've had for breakfast to make him ask a question like this.

"… W-what? I-I mean… I dunno, dude, they're just… eggs. A lotta them we eat in the morning…?" The hedgehog scratched his head, hoping the answer he stuttered out of sheer surprise was at least somewhat correct.

"Yes, yes, they've their more mundane role in our society pretty clear," the doctor handwaves the response, well aware of that answer. "We use them for all sorts of foods, drinks and delectables. But I need you to think deeper about this, Nicholas. Do you know what eggs are?"

Foot tapping on the moving ground, Nicky rubs his chin as he got to thinking… but suddenly, it hits him, snapping his fingers with the realization.

"Babies, right? Like, just before they're born?"

"Yes! Exactly! Eggs are the very first stage… of life!" Ivo grinned, getting really excited about this all of a sudden.

"Almost all things living hatch from an egg of some sort. From the greatest of dinosaurs to even the smallest of bugs, the egg is the very start of legends, of history! We care for it, cherish it, sometimes even consume it, as the egg is the great unifier! It is built to build new life, everywhere one is hatched!"

Nicky swears the man was starting to lose it. He almost wanted to say something, beginning to look a lot more worried as Ivo continued on, much to his dismay.

"It is also why I've donned the name 'Eggman' since discovering this fact of life. To understand life, I had to become this 'egghead' people have long made fun of me for. Putting my knowledge to good use to better understand these essential building blocks that make up our very reality. Because then, I realized something… If I wanted to understand life, I had to go where life is understood the most. So, I decided to become a doctor, as they go where life is needed."

"Yeah, but you're like… a veterinarian, right? The most you work with is animals and stuff."

"You couldn't be any more right," the doctor agreed. His smile grew even wider. "Helping them is a key part in finally understanding just what moves them, what moves all of us. It's not just about what keeps us alive that lets us cherish life, you know. Sometimes… it's about what doesn't. And between that order and disorder, lies balance."

Robotnik's ramblings weren't helping Nicky's favor on questioning the doctor's sanity, but all this talk about life and death and… eggs were enough to really drive it home for him: this guy's off his rocker. The sheer obsession over these topics seemed incoherent, especially to the youngster, but he's gotten on Eggman's bad side just about enough already. Risking it again would be costly.

"… But I've said enough. Sometimes I get so ahead of myself and my research that it makes me lose quite track of things a bit, hahaha!" Eggman leans towards Nicky, raising an eyebrow. "Any questions?"

'Too many.' The student thought to himself, but before he could open his mouth, he's interrupted by the immediate stop of movement.

"On second thought, hold on to them. We're here." The veterinarian motions for Nicky to follow him once more. With little hesitation, the hedgehog follows him along to yet another door, this one scanning one of the doctor's eyes. The door slides open from both ends.

"Right this way. The real work is about to begin!"

The two make their last stop in a room unlike any other. In it, a large machine stood front and center around several cabinets, a large desk with a computer, wires connected to just about every visible nook and cranny there.

"Wow," the hedgehog looks up at the machinery, his amazement still yet to falter. "What do we have here…?"

"This is my latest and greatest invention yet!" Eggman moves his hands forward to present the machine. "I call it the 'Life Egg!' Patent pending."

Looking closer, Nicky realizes the form of the machine. At its very core, the shape of an egg could be visibly seen. Large metal pieces, best assumed to be the outer shell of the doctor's contraption, were connected by plugs and wires all scattered about the floor. By far it had the most complex design of anything he's seen here, and just about everything seemed extremely intricate so far. But something else seems to catch his fancy…

Just above the machine, electrical circuits run to an orb containing something familiar. A peculiar blue gem rested inside, glowing faintly as it sits idly. It looked amazing, almost jaw dropping with its perfectly natural cut. Nicky felt compelled to get a closer look, his eyes drawing near to the crystal as he started to reach a hand out for it, almost mystified by the sheer awe of the glowing stone. He moved closer and closer, just barely making it to where it rested, as he-

"Hello?!" The snapping of Eggman's fingers brought Nicky back to reality. Eggman groaned, pressing a button near his desk. The machine shuts down, and the gem dims with it.

"Huh?"

"I can't believe this! You're daydreaming before I even get to begin explaining what needs to be done! Pay attention!" The doctor sits down in his chair, arms resting in a locked position by his keyboard. "Kids these days…"

"Sorry doc, it's just… I dunno what's up with it... that rock in there. I couldn't stop starin' at it... The light it gave off, it was… it felt different. You mind tellin' me about it?" Nicky smiled, looking to the doctor as he grabs another chair, sitting in front of his desk.

"NO!" The doctor shouts as she SLAMS his fists against the table, making Nicky jump in his seat from the surprise yell. Robotnik's snap also made him come back to his senses, clearing his throat as he returns to his position prior. "That's… still a part of a personal project of mine as the Life Egg is still incomplete, much like everything else here. Work needs to be done. But that's not important."

Hands pressed on the keyboard, the doctor types and clicks away at his computer screen, bringing up an application for Nicky himself.

"What is important is you, Nicholas. You are an essential part of this program I've enlisted you for, and you've got quite the many feats to show for it."

"Well, heh, I don't mean to brag… or maybe I do. Guys like me only come once in a lifetime, y'know?" The hedgehog smirked as he shrugs, ever the gloater of his own achievements.

"… Yes, of course." Eggman stares at his understudy, absolutely impassive on that matter. Nicky's bragging was going to get to the better of the doctor, but he pressed on. "You've many talents that you… certainly have made clear about in your application. But what I'm most curious about is your ability to run."

The hedgehog perks up again. "Oh, that? Man, that's nothing, I get praised for that all the time. Even won a few titles in competitions around South Island!"

"No, no, it's SO much more than that," the doctor grins enthusiastically. "You're the missing piece that my Life Egg could very well use!"

"Really? What's a guy like me gonna do with your science experiments, Eggman?"

"Quite simple, actually. You are going to be the link to truly power this machine up to its fullest potential! I'll have to make something to siphon the required energy, something for you to run on- a treadmill. And from there, we reach perfection!"

'Wasn't this about reaching MY potential…?'

Nicky almost wanted to blurt this out, a detail that the doctor so sorely seems to be missing from his explanation, but he swears he's on thin ice when it comes to pestering him about his… odd choices. Instead, he raises a hand to ask a question.

"Sounds like a game plan, Robotnik, but are you sure something like this is the only way?"

"Oh, I've made other attempts at powering it up. But not even extreme air durability and the might of a million arms could break ground. My best hope is that speed could be the key…"

Eggman looks at the student's face. He sees worry, uncertainty. Almost as if he seemed ready to back out of this plan at any moment. That is, until he speaks up again.

"Now don't you worry. I'm not going to through you at the machine in an instant's moment. Much like you I want this to be a slow and conducted process. That's why for the next month or so, I'll simply just test your vitals after every run. Give you a few things to run around as well, just to make things interesting for you. How does that sound?"

…Nicky still wasn't sure about this. The doctor's at least making this timely, yet something… something just doesn't sit right with him. But he's come too far to back down now, and he really wants to help keep things afloat while his uncle's away. And he couldn't do that without the money.

"I'll do it." Nicholas nods.

"Thank you, Mr. Needlemouse. Your generosity is ever appreciated."

The two shake hands again. Somehow… the shake feels even looser the second time around.

"That'll be all for now, then. I'll see you next week, at the same time. Also, be sure to grab a drink and some snacks! You'll be here a while."

Gathering himself together, Nicky finally leaves the doctor's office. With nothing more than the rather difficult air to breathe through and the thoughts in his mind, he sets course to make it home. It was as easy back out as it was going in, and leaving the facility proved to be of minor issue. The silence of the facility was all that was left to accompany him as he left for the elevator.

Yet as soon as he pushed the button to leave, his ears twitched.

It's back. He can hear the banging again. But why does it feel like… there's more of it…?

TO BE CONTINUED

The doctor's one heck of a guy, but even I can't help but feel like everything he's doing is all for some greater motive... Just what is his endgame here? How vital is someone like Nicky to him, when not even Nicky himself is sure what's going on? The greatest plans of one, and the greater fears of many, shine their light in the final third and act: "Pilot, Part 3" in the next chapter!

Thanks again for reading! Don't forget to follow for the next drop soon!

[~TGP~]