One

I awoke in some sort of room that appeared to be made entirely of crystal. It felt like some time had passed, maybe a few hours, or even a few days. Though, I couldn't quite remember what had happened just before I found myself here.

I attempted to move myself about but found that I was restrained by a pair of crystal braces holding me fast to some sort of gurney. I chuckled to myself knowing that my robotic arm could easily break though the crystal, but suddenly I discovered that I was in a lot of pain, which up until now, had been unnoticed because of the wonderment at my surroundings.

I braced myself for any pain I might feel and went to snap the brace that that was holding my robotic hand in place. To my amazement instead of the brace snapping, and new shockwave of pain penetrated my body.

"Augguhh!" I cried out.

Suddenly a most familiar face appeared over me. "Greetings, Doctor, I see you've found my housewarming gift."

"N-Naugus" I whispered.

"That's right," he took a deep breath "Doc-tor. Welcome." He said indicating with his claw our surroundings.

I could utter a response "Am I... are we in …?"

"Yesss Doctor " said Naugus pacing around the crystal room. "We're in the Void."

My body jerked in a natural reaction at the mere mention of that word. The straps help me back. I winced in pain.

Naugus snapped his fingers and several objects he had taken from me appeared in mid-air… my microcomputer, which I used to communicate with Snively, and my rocket boosters, which I used to move around quickly. "It won't do you any good to try and escape from here Doctor." He suddenly became very solemn. "Without the hedgehog's speed…"

"The hedgehog!" I resisted another natural jerking reaction. Suddenly it all came back to me, the Doomsday project, the power stones. Damn that hedgehog!

"But –I – you see Naugus - I should be…" I found myself stuttering.

"Dead?" said Naugus finishing my thought as he snapped his fingers. "Oh yes, Doctor you should be dead." My stolen objects disappeared.

"Then why am I sill alive?" I asked. "How did I end up in…" I shuddered inwardly. "…the Void?"

Naugus was pacing again. "Oh it's quite simple Robotnik. He turned back and came to look at me. "You see, I opened the portal and pulled you in just as the Doomsday Project was being destroyed." He stared pacing again. "Sonic Hedgehog and the Princess believe you to be dead."

Now I was extremely confused. "But why? Naugus after I..." I didn't want to admit it, but things couldn't possibly get any worse, "…betrayed you, why would you want to save me?" Either Naugus was a fool or he had something sinister up his sleeve.

Naugus sighed. "You see, Robotnik you are a creature that deserves a fate worse than death. I will be the one to give it you, heh heh heh" he laughed.

I resisted the urge to shudder again.

Naugus snapped the fingers on his right hand and suddenly the crystal braces were gone.

"You are free to roam about the Void, Doctor, but should you try anything funny…." He snapped his fingers and suddenly my head become that of a bull complete with a ring in my nose. I snorted in protest. He snapped his fingers again and I was, thankfully, returned to normal. "Now," said Naugus "I have …other things to do."