Chapter Two
"What do you want now?" Merciless asked with an attitude.
"Don't you dare get feisty with me! I'M THE ONE IN CHARGE! Have you found out about what's damaging the city?
"Nothing yet but whatever it is, seems to have you all riled up."
"Of course, because that thing has knocked out Silver."
"Of course he did. Nice going."
"WHAT?"
"Sorry, loud thought."
"Hmph! Merciless, you are checking the sonar detectors right?"
"Yes."
"Then did you pick up what I just said?"
"Uh…No…?"
"FOOL!" shouts D.R. aggressively. "You're not DOING YOUR JOB! If I catch you slacking off again I'll contact the boss and ask for permission to kill your son. And you damn well know that he'll grant me EVERY permission in the world to do it!"
"Tyrant! You wouldn't!"
"Is that really what you see me as? I'm just enforcing the rules!"
"And do you believe you were always like that?"
"What are you talking about?"
"I'll tell you only if you promise not to get mad and tell the good boss doctor or ANYone else."
"Hmph! It depends, you mind as well tell me now or I'll break you for the information."
"Well, I've been nosing around in Dr. Eggman's documents."
"WHAT!?"
"Hush and listen. He mentioned something about you being described in a legend."
"A legendary hedgehog? Me? You're joking."
"I knew that's how you'd take it but I went a bit off topic mentioning that. As I was saying, you weren't always the way you are. This was not too long when you were separated from your brother."
10 years ago, The Egg Carrier's main hall.
D.R. is beamed on board. His eyes dart around the room as there are many E-1000 robots surrounding him with their guns aimed at him.
"April's fools is two months behind so cut the crap and release me." he demands.
"I'm sorry, your highness!" says Eggman as he bows then emerges from the crowd of robots. "I never meant to disrespect the legendary prince." Merciless, too comes into view with a rail gun in arms. D.R. focuses his sights on her. "However, I thought I'd ask you for your help first since you are very ideal to my plan especially with that golden emerald of yours."
"How did you learn about the golden emerald?" Eggman gets upright and shows him a broken mural of a red baby hedgehog holding a yellow emerald. Under it is writing in a never before seen language.
"I'm perfectly sure this legend describes you but there are pieces missing to it and I can't read the inscription on it because it's in ancient hedgehog language and it's not the whole thing."
"…"
"So, do you mind helping me out?"
"I ain't helping anyone! Release me!"
"You will help him out right NOW!" demands Merciless as she takes aim. D.R. spin dashes through all of the robots destroying them all quickly. "Huh?" He went pass her so fast she didn't have time to react.
"STOP HIM!" shouts Eggman as he points to the circular elevator. The hedgehog gets away. "Shoot!" The elevator comes back down. "Follow him!" Merciless jumps onto the elevator following him to the deck. D.R. looks around; not knowing where to go.
"Hold it right there, hedgehog!" D.R. turns around and faces Merciless with his fist clenched. Merciless jumps off the elevator and the two circle around each other defensively. "We can avoid this, just come quietly and do as I say."
"…" The dark red hedgehog doesn't respond.
"Come. Please?" The dark red hedgehog spin dashes in place. "So that's how you want it huh?" The two rods extend from the gun and build up electricity. D.R. releases his spin dash as Merciless fires volts of electricity out her weapon. D.R. is too quick; he made it under the shot and uncurls to jump and uppercut her to the ground.
"…"
"Damn. I didn't expect your hits to hurt so much." says Merciless as she rubs her cheek.
"..."
"Look, I have to bring you in for a great cause." Merciless sits up. D.R. gets ready for another attack. "Wait, my son is being held captive by this guy; I'm forced to help him out but it involves me having to ruin other people's life and that's something I don't want to have to deal with anymore. I just want to get back to my country so can you just let me capture you for now and I'll help you escape later?"
"…" After a moment of silence D. "That's your problem." D.R. jumps and kicks but Merciless rolls out of the way.
"Ugh! You should know how I feel, you were separated from someone just a moment ago!"
"…" D.R. cups his hands together forming a ball of white energy that is gathering energy.
"This is really how you want it... Fine then!" Merciless gets on one knee and aims her over sized rifle at D.R. The rail gun begin charging up massive amounts of electricity as the energy in D.R.'s hands began sparking rapidly. "I'll fire when you fire."
"…" The energy in his hand turns blue.
"Ready?"
"HEDGEHOG BEAM!" shouts D.R. as he thrusts his hands forward releasing a blue beam towards the gray fox.
"RAAA!" Merciless pulls the trigger releasing massive amounts of electrical energy directly at the beam. Upon collision a white flash occurs. When it dies down, no damage is done. Metal Tails is in the middle with its red orb sparkling then it stops. "It absorbed our attacks..."
"You're taking too long." said Eggman as he comes off the just arriving elevator. Metal Tails faces D.R. who glares back. "Don't worry about him, Metal Tails, just take care of the problem in front of the ship; I have to quickly get to the Cyber-Net building." Metal Tails flies off to the front of the ship. D.R. blasts water from his hand towards the ground to lift himself up to the top pillar. "Merciless, capture him. Do not fail me!" Eggman goes into his room.
"I don't have time for you." says D.R. sternly. "I have to find my brother."
"Wait!" cries Merciless. "I can help you!"
"I don't need your help." he spin dashes off the ship.
"Damn it, he's not an easy one." Merciless slides off the ship along the wings and they both land on top of a building.
"…" D.R. glares at Merciless.
"WHY WON'T YOU LISTEN! I'm not interested in hurting or capturing you. I promise once I deliver you to Eggman, I'll help you escape and find your brother." D.R. folds his arms.
"…" He doesn't reply; he takes an offensive battle stance.
"There's no reasoning with you at all, is there?"
"…"
"Fine then. I won't hold back this time." BANG! In what seemed to be a quick flash second, D.R. draws out a Magnum and fires at Merciless' arm, tearing off a chunk of flesh. "This guy isn't playing at all. I CAN'T BELIEVE HE REALLY SHOT ME!" Merciless collapses to one knee and hold her wound. The barrel of D.R.'s gun begins charging up blue energy.
"Magnum Beam Attack!" D.R. pulls the trigger, releasing a blue and white beam. Merciless can only block with her rail gun but the attack is too strong, the beam hits her hard and pushes her off the roof. Pfft! After a few second D.R. hears a slightly faint crash indicating that she landed. Satisfied with his victory, he twirls his gun around and places it back in its well-hidden holster. He goes over to the edge she fell off at only to be kicked by a pair of legs. D.R. falls back and quickly rolls to his feet. Merciless is back up but without her weapon. "Nice counter." She rushes at D.R. on all four feet and leaps directly over him. D.R. turns back to see nothing. He looks up to get kicked in his face. Merciless grips D.R.'s neck with her legs, reaches for the floor and flings D.R.'s head hard into the ground in an acrobatic flip. "Ugh…" D.R. tries to get up but his vision is too blurry and he's too tired. He goes down for the count.
Present.
"Whoa, hold up, I don't remember anything like that happening. Even if it's true, do you really expect me to believe that you kicked MY ass? MY ASS! Ha...haha! I'm supposed to believed that I got knocked out? HAHAHA! C'mon. Let's be real here. I'm like a bazillion times a million times your strength." said D.R..
"Just let me finish." sighs Merciless.
"Ok, go on since you have my interest."
The view is black.
"So, did you really beat Sonic after all?" Merciless' voice asks.
"Yes and no, you have Metal Sonic to thank for that." says Eggman's voice.
"Now, you're sure that this is the legendary dark red hedgehog that's depicted on the mural piece? I'm pretty sure there are many dark red hedgehogs around."
"Our source sniffed him out and he had the golden emerald so I'm sure of it." The view opens up like eyes to show a laboratory room. Merciless and Eggman's backs are facing the opposite direction of the view. Eggman is typing on a computer.
"How come I've never seen it?" Eggman points to the left where the view looks also. A golden chaos emerald is sitting on a table with wires attached to it. Merciless walks over to it and lifts it up, examining it.
"I'm trying to extract energy from it but form some reason computers get their signals bounced back from it." Merciless sits it back down. "I'm afraid to say it but he's probably the only one capable of using it, assuming it's usable." Merciless looks at D.R.. "He's awake."
"Hm?" Eggman gets up and turns around. "Ah, and how are we feeling today? Wait now, I drugged you so the part of your brain that allows speech is disabled. I can't risk you using any attacks and ruining my precious laboratory." The view is now third-person again. D.R. tries to speak but no words come out.
"What are you going to do with him?"
"Why would you ask such a silly question when the answer is obvious? Convert him of course! Using the same method I used to convert your dear friend." Merciless clenches her teeth in anger. "Your reasoning with him didn't work so we'll have to do things the hard way. He'll forget his ways and most of his old life just to worship me. It's an awesome privelge from the newly created empire."
"How will he benefit from this?" Merciless asks almost sarcastically as she turns her attention to Eggman.
"Such little faith, Merciless. I've thought this out to my advantage." Eggman turns his attention to her.
"Go on."
"Once converted, they'll gain the ultimate strength. They'll then be known as my Elite fighters, who are almost nothing more than mere weapons."
"You plan on turning people into fighting machines!?"
"Is there a problem?"
"No, sir..."
"Good, then we'll begin immediately!" D.R. tries to move but finds his arms and legs locked onto a machine. He forms into water to escape then reforms again.
"Sir, LOOK!" D.R. grabs the emerald and dashes through the doors.
"What an inconvenience... GET HIM!" Merciless runs after D.R. through the halls of an office building, cutting through corridors and running down stairs until D.R. hits a dead end elevator. Merciless has him cornered.
"I'm just going to have to bring you down again, aren't I?"
"You can try." replies D.R. flatly as he works himself into a rapid spin. Merciless gets into defensive position. ZZZZT! D.R. spin dashes pass her then U-turns around and tears right through the elevator door like a saw through a plank.
"What? I thought he couldn't speak… and how'd he do that? When he transformed it must've purified the drug from his body. Amazing!" The elevator doors open. Merciless jumps in and grabs a hold of the cables and falls fast. "Damn it, I'll splat like this." Merciless reaches in one of her pockets, draws a hook, clicks it onto the cable and slowly descends, rappeling along the wall. When she reaches the bottom floor the door is already opened. The area looks like a big laboratory. "What's this?" She goes further in to see D.R. facing Eggman's Eggmobile. They're in front of a large machine with a door. The emerald D.R. held is on the ground next to him, shattered. "How did you get here so fast, sir?"
"The golden emerald that is upstairs is a dupe, I kept the real one down here to lure him." replies Eggman. "Aren't I a genius?"
"That doesn't answer my question but OK."
"Just give me my emerald so I can be on my way."D.R. says, annoyed. "Your games don't amuse me!"
"Oh, of course." The two doors open. "It's in there." D.R. goes into the doors and they close behind him. Merciless gasps.
"I can't believe he just walked in. What if this doesn't work?" She asks.
"Then it just doesn't. There are plenty of other subject I can use!" The doors open after some time and D.R. steps out, only thing that changed on him was now his fur is even more darker in color and now he has a more muscular build. His clothes fall off. He looks around slowly and angrily.
"I guess it didn't work." Merciless gets ready for a fight. D.R. looks at Eggman then bows down.
"How can I serve you, master Robotnik?" he asks.
"HAHAHA! Yes, excellent, it works!" shouts Eggman very happily as he jumps up and down in his machine. "Merciless, take him to get clothing, we'll begin at once." Merciless nod. "Hedgehog, what's your name."
"Dark Red, sir, but you can call me D.R. for short."
"I like Dark Red better, now go with Merciless. We still have a lot of work to do." D.R. stands up and follows Merciless.
Back to the present.
"Honestly, I don't remember any of all those events but the part where I came out of the machine." comments D.R., now sitting on the edge of the crater.
"My point is that you were once quiet and stoic, now you're all big mouthed."
"Whatever, I still don't see the point. Tell me something: how was your child captured anyway?"
"…"
"Hey, you was nice enough to lie about me so tell me about yourself?"
"Hold on, I picked up the rebels."
"Rebels? I forgot all about them. At least now I know you're doing your job."
"…"
"Where are they?"
"…uh."
"HUH?"
"The sewers."
"Don't give me an exact location, I want to surprise them by finding them myself."
"…over and out." D.R. closes he wrist comm. and sets off for the rebels.
Meanwhile, the Egg Fortress Lab Room.
Silver steps out the power chamber fully healed, he grabs a new pair of Eggman Empire clothing which are on a nearby hook.
"Feeling refreshed, huh?" asks Amy who is standing right next to the machine, right after Silver gets dressed. Silver jumps.
"What the-? WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?" he shouts.
"I just saved your life. D.R. told me to."
"Is that so?" Silver crosses his arms. "So tell me, who is the supreme rule of the world?"
"Why Dr. Eggman of course."
"HA! Another elite fighter! I don't believe it one bit! We gotta get you initiated!" Silver gets into a fighter pose.
"You want me to fight?" Silver nods. Amy closes her eyes ad breathes deeply, as if hesitant.
"Hmph! Elite fighters aren't supposed to be afraid of anything, not even a challenge from a fellow elite, I knew you were a disgrace."
"No, just looking for a nice place to fight."
"Fine, the rooftop or the Egg Fortress hangar."
"The hangar."
"Heh, was hoping roof. Fine let's go. Hey, open your eyes."
"Heart Teleport." Amy opens her eyes to reveal a pink aura around them and instantly they are both in the hangar area.
"Impressive but I'm better." SWOOSH! Silver twirls around, creating a whirlwind that lifts every machine up and lines them up neatly against the walls.
"Stop showing off and let's fight."
"Quick to get your ass whipped, huh?" Silver floats into the air using wind. "Ok, let's go!" WOOSH! He launches himself at Amy at top speed.