"This is disgusting!"

Sonic, Sally, Sonia, Manic, and Antione were traipsing alongside some rather vile sludge in what seemed to be a sewer system of some sort. Tunnels with streams of grimy water and sludge ran for what seemed like miles with little end in sight. No-one in their right mind short of engineers or laborers would so much as set foot down there. Which was making Sonia question her sanity.

"Calm down, cuz," said Manic. "We're not walking through it, right? What's there to worry about?"

"There's plenty to worry about! What if we fall in?! I just had my hair done a couple of days ago!"

"Methinks," said Antione, "that this is not very much a big deal. As it were."

"Is it to me!", said Sonia. "If a girl doesn't have her looks, what does she have?"

Manic rolled his eyes as though he couldn't believe a word of this, but for now, this was just something they'd all have to put up with. In the meantime, Sonic and Sally were at the front, with Sally leading the way with Nicole in hand.

"Are we there yet?", asked Sonic.

"NEGATIVE," said Nicole. "STUDIES SHOW THIS IS THE THIRD TIME YOU HAVE HAVE ASKED THIS QUESTION. IF I WERE A MOBIAN, I WOULD SAY THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY ANNOYING."

"She's right you know," said Sally.

"So?", said Sonic. "We've been walking here for what feels like ages!"

"It's been twenty minutes Sonic," said Sally.

"I know, and it's killing me! If you'd let me just speed you all over there, we would have been there and won this already!"

Sally started to wonder if she needed Sonic as much as she thought she did. "We can't just speed over there without knowing exactly where it is, and with just how this works, we won't know for sure until we get close enough. Remember the tent? If we don't figure out where we're going first, we could end up traveling towards who knows where until doomsday, which I don't think either of us wants."

"Yeah, but I don't know. I'm used to just zipping over wherever I need to go and getting out of there in five minutes pat. Go in, get her done, get out. Easy peasy. Except this ain't easy."

Sally continued looking at Nicole, as though she couldn't bear to look at the most obnoxious thing alive. "It is easy. It just takes time. And self-control. These sewers are the only way in and out of Robotnik's lab without getting caught, and that's what's important right now."

"All I'm saying is, for you, this might not be that long at all, but for me, it feels like forever! I need some action, a chance to move, to let the lead out! And this doesn't feel like letting the lead out."

"We could have always sent Mina along instead you know. For all her insecurities, I don't think she'd have a problem with this.

"Eh, I wasn't gonna let her get the credit. Sides, there's only room for one fastest thing alive, and that's me."

"Did anyone ever tell you you're insufferable?"

"My Uncle Chuck did, all the time. My folks weren't always there to look after me, always going on trips and stuff, so my unc always came over and made sure I wasn't getting into any trouble. Not that it mattered. I'm the same guy today as I was back then!"

"And that's what scares me the most," said Sally, as flatly as flatbread.

"Which means what exactly?"

"I shouldn't even have to answer that. "Sally starting to lose her patience like someone getting fed up with their pet dog. "In any case, we're here. Or at least according to Nicole's map anyway."

"Sweet! Uh, where's here?

"Right here," said Manic, finally butting in. He began to feel his way along the wall much to everyone's confusion and bafflement, as though he were attempting to crack a safe to get to the treasure that lay hidden safely inside. And in short order, he found it.

"Bingo! Ladies and gentlemen, I do believe this is the entrance you were looking for?"

"Excuse me," said Antione, "but what entrance? There is nothing there but a brick wall."

"What's one man's brick wall is another man's doorway. Observe!" Manic pushed in one of the bricks ever so gently and backed away so fast that one could almost believe he was supersonic, not that this was the case. They could all hear a faint rumbling from the wall, and almost like magic, it slowly moved back one good layer and slid over to the side, revealing one spiral staircase in its' place."

"Magnifique!"," said Antione.

"Indeed," said Sally. "Magnifique. Castle Acorn has had secret entrances upon secret entrances since its' inception, but its' been so long since anyone's had to use them that they might as well not exist. That is to say, no-one knows where they are."

"Except me," said Manic. "Let's just say I did quite a bit of, uh, exploring back in the day. I know places like these like the back of my hand."

"And that's the problem, isn't it?" Sonia had folded her arms and was looking at Manic rather sternly, like a mother on the verge of admonishing a naughty child.

"Well," said Manic, suddenly a bit skittish, "the less said about that, the better. Let's go, shall we?"

"Just one thing," said Sonic. "I hate to ask, but this isn't Castle Acorn, is it?"

"Quite right," said Sally. "But there was an old warehouse that also had a secret entrance or two, and it just so happens that Eggman's lab was built right over where it used to be. With any luck, it should still be there."

"That's music to my ears! Though you know, I do wish lil bro was here. He would've loved this!"

"I was not going to let Tails fly straight into the heart of an evil genius' lair!"

"And why the hell not? He's smart, isn't he? You said so yourself!"

"He is also twelve years old! And I'm not going to have a child's death on my conscience."

"Oy, fine. I guess we're not gonna be here long enough for it to matter anyway. We go in, get the king, beat up Eggman, and get out. Easey peasy. Now, if you don't mind me, I'm gonna get moving. Later!" In a flash, Sonic was off, racing up the stairs like a speeding blue bullet.

"Oh no." Sally put a hand to her forehead to cradle the oncoming headache. "I should've brought Mina. Mina's calm and responsible. Mine would have listened to whatever I had to say. Mina wouldn't have gone running off halfcocked like a brazen lunatic!"

"That's our cuz," said Manic. "Don't worry about too much about it, Sally. Cuz always goes off to do his own thing, but he also doesn't have much of a sense of direction. At least when it comes to places like this."

"Which means what?"

"Which means," said Sonia, "the second he realizes that he doesn't have a clue where he's going and that we're the only ones with the map, he'll be running back here sooner than I can say…"

And sure enough, before they knew it, Sonic came back running. "Uh, ahem, sorry about that. Anyone got the map?"

"…succotash."


"We are not amused."

King Acorn was sitting across from Eggman in the most luxurious prison cell one had ever seen. There were jewelry and baubles spread across the drawers, and the carpet consisted of the most eloquently woven plaid the King had seen in his lifetime. The ceiling was a beautiful gold and so were the walls, and a nice shiny egg-holder stood tall in the center of the mahogany table. Both Eggman and the King were seated in comfy velvet chairs, and they looked at one another as if the other were going to turn their heads just enough for one to beat some sense into the other any minute now.

"Then what does amuse you?" said Eggman. "Because to be perfectly honest, absolutely nothing seems to do the trick.

"And why should you care one whit about my well-being?", said the King. "You did stick me in that overgrown orange tumor after all."

Said 'overgrown orange tumor' was standing in the back of the room, keeping a close eye on the proceedings. "Hey!"

"That I did. But the fact is that you could be a most useful commodity. Someone the people can rally around, calm the populace, get them on my side."

"And why in Gaea's name would I do such a thing?", said the King, as blandly as wet cardboard.

"Because if you don't, then I'll have no choice but to, shall we say, tie up some loose ends. And you would be first on the chopping block.

"I see. How so?"

Eggman smiled as though he were just about to cook himself a very nice and tasty omelet. "Let's just keep that a surprise for now, but suffice to say, I don't think you'd appreciate it all that much. At all really." He then got up from his comfy chair, admiring the egg holder for a moment before getting back to business. In any case, I'll give you an hour or so to think it over. This may be cliche, but I do hope you'll make the right decision. For my sake."

"Just one question."

"If it will at all amuse you."

"Why?"

"Why not?" Eggman pushed back his spectacles as he leered out from under them like a man who couldn't give two figs.

"That's it? You desecrated my nation's capital, attempted to take my daughter hostage, took ME hostage, and just because you thought 'Why not?'"

Eggman sat back down in his chair, folding his hands together like a skilled CEO. "It's also business. You see, there are only two types of people in this world. Those who are ruled, and those who rule. I am determined to be among those who rule, and if that means ousting you from that lofty position to reach it myself in the long term, then so be it."

"You had no right!", yelled the King.

"Might makes all the right. If you disagree with that assessment, take it up with Dingo. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to discuss things with you on that point. If you have nothing further, then that will be all. Have a nice day, your highness."

Eggman then got back up out of his chair and left the room, with the only thing the King able to do being to glare at Eggman like a man possessed, all the while muttering under his breath…

"Oversized omelet."


"Porker. Porker! Get up!"

Porker Lewis sat up rapt with attention after an initially groggy start. He slept like a pig, but seeing as he WAS a pig, that was only proper. He saw Tekno sitting at the opposite end of the cell, not that it was a very large cell to begin with. "Tekno? What's going on?"

"Someone's coming this way," she said, having difficulty keeping eye contact as usual. " Probably Grimer. Can tell by his footsteps."

"Grimer?" He crawled up to the cell, desperate to get a closer peek. Sure enough, someone was coming around the corner, and all Porker needed to see was that slimy green skin to know who it was. As he marched closer, he could see that Grimer was carrying a tray on each hand as he walked through the grey steely corridors, smiling with vim and vigor as he did so.

"Rise and shine!", said Grimer, tapping the bars to Porker and Tekno's cell with his foot as he finally arrived. "Breakfast is served." He placed the two trays down upon the ground like a born waiter even though he likely never waited a single day in his life, and pushed them underneath the bars via the small opening that was just large enough to shove them through. "Bon appetit!"

One of the trays was full of birdseed with a small dish of water, apparently meant for Tekno. As though she were conducting a science experiment, she picked up one single seed and held it for a moment, staring it down as though it had provoked her in some way before unleashing her hold and letting it drop down into the sea of birdseed below. "Not hungry," she said.

The other tray, presumably meant for Porker, might as well have been a sick joke. It was none other than eggs and, well, bacon. Arranged in just such a way to make one big old happy face no less. Porker was not amused. He picked up the tray and hurled it against the bars, the food and the tray dropping to the ground like crumbled up paper.

"My dear Porker," said Grimer, "what seems to be the trouble? Was the bacon not crispy enough for you?"

"It was crispy enough alright. And that's the problem! How'd you like it if I cooked you some meatloaf made from whatever the heck you are?"

"They weren't made from Mobian pigs, were they?"

"It's the principle of the thing."

"Well, rest assured, I perfectly understand where you're coming from. Believe me, this was the master's idea, not mine."

"Still just do whatever he tells you," said Tekno. "Trained lapdog. You might as well be just that."

Grimer was starting to get unnerved by Tekno's stunted sentences and accusations. "I just so happen to believe without a shadow of a doubt in Doctor Eggman's goals, and if the means to achieve those goals involves following his commands and stepping on a few puppies along the way, so be it."

"Grimer," said Porker, "you worked with us for weeks. For months. We were starting to see you as more than just our boss. You were one of us. So now we're expected to believe you were just faking it the whole time?"

"Oh no, not at all! Believe me, that was the intent. But over the months, I did come to care for the both of you, truly.

"Still betrayed us," said Tekno, picking up and dropping another speck of bird seed. "Can't expect us to just forgive that."

"Oh, that's such a harsh word. I prefer to see it as backing the right horse myself. You two simply backed the wrong one. Why, I'm not sure you even betted on a horse in the first place."

"Talking about non-literal horses, right?", said Tekno, with complete and utter sincerity. "Just so we're all on the same page." She received a couple of funny looks from both Porker and Grimer alike, as the both of them wondered why she would even need to ask such a question.

"Yes?" Porker shrugged his broad shoulders like a man who wasn't sure whether one should point up or down.

"Oh, good. Sorry about that. Just needed to know!"

"You need to know a lot of things," Porker cared for Tekno, but there were times when he wondered if maybe he should just be done with her, especially when she was like this. And any time he thought that resulted in nothing less than shame and self-loathing. Best to move on.

Just then, a series of loud steps like someone banging a crowbar on a metal plate could be heard around the hall, as if announcing their arrival. "Oh yes!", said Grimer. "As of this morning, you have two new cellmates."

"Two?", said Porker.

"Yes. One of them you might know quite well. We caught him the other night, but let's just say we had to rough up him a bit. As for the other one, well, you'll see. In any case, they should be here just about now."

And indeed they were. Marching from around the corner were three large SWATbots. One of them was lugging none other than Marcus Coolet, general of the King's royal forces, on his shoulder like a sack of meat. Porker was mortified. However, the next one they brought in was something more of an enigma. Dragged along the ground by the other two SWATbots was a hulking purple walrus wearing a yellow cap on backward. His legs limped slowly across the floor, almost as if he weren't even among the living.

"What did you do to him?!"

"Not much. This fellow came wandering into Mobotrobolis — oh, ahem, Robotropolis — early this morning. He apparently came to see the festival but arrived just a tad late. Well, we couldn't have some outsider going around ruining things, could we?"

"Not dead?", said Tekno, almost staring into nothingness.

"Hm?" Grimer still wasn't sure what to make of her. He knew she had issues, but he had never seen her THIS bad. "Uh, ahem, no, though I'll bet he'll wish he was. He wouldn't let himself be taken in by the nice robots with the lasers on their wrists, so we had to toss him around a tad. Still, he's a hardy fellow. I'm sure he'll be right as rain in a week or two."

"A WEEK?!", shouted Porker.

"Now now, is that a way to speak to your superior? In any case, the cell should be large enough to accommodate the four of you. And don't even think of trying to escape. Lest you want to be bacon. Nothing personal, you understand."

"That just makes it even worse."

"I suppose so." Grimer whipped out his blaster from his coat as he took out a key from his pocket. He aimed the blaster squarely at Porker, who balked just as quickly as he had risen to anger. He started to stutter, his strength and vigor leaving him as though it were flushed straight out of his system.

"Uh, ahem, I don't suppose we can, uh, just forget about that whole thing?"

"You know Porker, if you ever want to move up in the world, you have to learn to stick to your guns. Case in point." He cocked his blaster, making his statement clear. He unlocked and opened the cell, making sure that everyone already in stayed put. And as Marcus and Rotor were thrown in like so much refuse, Porker and Tekno did just that. "Good boy. Anyway, you and Tekno will be expected to help further refine the roboticizer today. It's already working well enough, but there are still a few fine touches here and there it could use."

"You seriously expect us to help you? You've got to realize that's a lost cause at this point."

"I don't believe so. After all, I still have the gun. And you don't exactly respond well to pressure, do you?"

Porker didn't say a thing.

"Good. If a tad disappointing. I like you Porker, but you just don't have the guts."

"Maybe. But at least I'm not sucking up to the boss."

Grimers' trigger finger placed itself atop of, well, the trigger of his blaster, as if a grievous offense had just been made to his person had without a single act of real provocation. (Though in actuality, there was.) "In any case, I"m a very busy man. I have places to be and barely any time to get there, so," he said after locking the cell door once again, "so long! Don't be a stranger!" He walked off with a SWATbot in tow, leaving two behind to guard the cell just in case.

"Coyote," said Tekno, "and walrus. Day just couldn't be any better."

"You're telling me," said Porker.


"Oh, my stars…"

Bunnie awoke from her forcefully induced slumber to find herself in a wide glass tube, though others would know it better as the Roboticizer. "What in tarnation am I doing in this place?" She could see that she was in a large lab of some sort, with nothing else around. Wait, that wasn't right. There was one other thing. On the other side of the glass tube was the same squirrel she saw being lugged around earlier, hovering horizontally in the air over some sort of glowing platform and seemingly being unable to move. "Uh, hello? You okay?"

The squirrel didn't respond, staying still almost like a statue. Perhaps it was some sort of suspended animation?

"Uh, my name's Bunnie," she said. "If you can hear me, it would really, REALLY help if you could speak up, because blessed be my whiskers if I know what's going on!"

Suddenly, as though in answer to her prayers, the squirrel spoke. "Ah, shut your piehole!"

"Oh thank the stars! Though I gotta say, that wasn't very nice."

"What's it to you? I'm hovering over a platform from something out of some nuts' nightmares after getting knocked out by I don't even know what; being very nice ain't exactly high on my priority list."

"Well it should be. You should know how to treat a lady!"

"Eh, whatever. All I know that I'm stuck in some sort of horrorshow and I can't do anything but yap my jaw off, which is the only reason why I'm even talking to you by the way."

"So what's your name?" The squirrel didn't say at first as if it normally would have been something that needed to be pried out of him, but given the circumstances, he didn't see why not.

"Shorty. Shorty the squirrel. Not that it means anything."

"Charmed! Well, as far as I can tell…" Bunnie tried to smash open the glass with her large furry feet, but only succeeded in causing several hollow chinks to resound throughout the room. "…we might be in here for a while. So until we can figure out just why we're here or who's doing this, we might as well talk."

"Or we might as well not. I ain't much of a people person."

"Well, sorry, just tryin' to make conversation. Though I gotta say, it's not like you're gonna be able to do much else. And I reckon it might get pretty lonely with no-one to talk to."

This was an excellent point.

"Fine. You go first."

"Well there isn't much to tell. I came to Mobotropolis from the good old country to try and do what I really wanted to do."

"Which is?"

"Why, fashion of course!"

"Of course."

"More specifically, I wanted to be a beautician or a hair stylist, or maybe both! Just making people look good so that maybe they can feel good. You know what I'm saying?"

"Not really, no," said Shorty, who could have cared less.

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that, though with my ears, that's pretty tough to do. Anyhoo, that's what I wanted to do with myself, so as soon as I could, I headed on over to Mobotropolis and set up shop! Though I guess I might not have much of a shop anymore after this. Well, that's my life story. You?"

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"Oh come on, fair's fair! Isn't there even the little tiniest bit you've been itchin' to talk to someone about? What about your parents?"

"Like I said, I don't wanna talk about it."

"Well, alright. Still don't see why you don't want to talk about your parents. I mean, I don't wanna be rude, but did they abandon your or somethin'? Kick you out? Something like-?"

"I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT!"

Bunnie's fur stood on end, practically ready to jump. "Whoah, I'm sorry, really! I didn't think it was that touchy of a subject, honest! Tell you what, you don't want to talk about your parents, we won't talk about your parents. Everyone's got something they don't want to talk about."

"Oy." Shorty closed his eyes and knitted his brows, and if he could pinch them, he would have. "Look, it isn't you. It's just, my parents are kinda a touchy subject. My whole life's a touchy subject."

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that, believe me."

"You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but thanks. If nothing else, you did manage to get me pissed off about something else for a change. Which in situations like this is kind of a blessing."

"Uh, thanks, I guess."

Just then, through the only pair of metal sliding doors around came Grimer, fixing his bowtie and slicking back his black hair as he strolled to the center of the room. "Ah! Greeting and salutations! I trust you're all perfectly comfortable?"

"How is being tossed in a glass tube comfortable?!", shouted Bunny.

"Or being stuck floating above something out of my nightmares," said Shorty. "The glowing oval of death I calls it. Though I can tell you, there's gonna be a death or two if someone doesn't GET ME DOWN FROM HERE ASAP! UNDERSTAND ME?!"

Grimer was as unflappable as a flightless fowl. " Pefectly. But just because I understand you doesn't mean I'm just going to let you go. You must understand that don't you? Oh, I do feel sympathy for you, I truly do, but as they say, duty calls! And in this case, it's making sure that our first two subjects for our two most important projects are primed and ready to become Doctor Eggman's unwilling guinea pigs."

"What the hell are you babbling on about?", said Shorty.

"That's what I'd like to know,' said Bunnie.

"Oh, it's quite simple." Grimer waltzed over to a large nearby computer monitor and flipped a switch. The monitor stirred to life in an instant, but in a moment, both Bunnie and Short would have wished it hadn't. On the screen appeared some sort of strange contraption the likes of which the duo had never seen before. It was a metallic grey suit with black boots and gloves and red highlights, completely sealed despite such flourishes. "Let me introduce our first project: The Cybernick."

"Cybernick?", said Shorty. "What's that, some new way of stealing dough?"

"No, but it is a new way of making superpowered footsoldiers. Let me back up for a moment." Grimer flicked another switch and the image on the monitor changed in a flash. In the Cybernick's place was some of roundish metal ladybug on a giant wheel and with large metal buckteeth, as well as two laster blasters attached to the front. "This is a standard issue Badnik. We call it the motobug. These badniks have gone into production just recently and there are all sorts of different kinds, but they all share one thing in common. They all require a power source. An abundant, renewable power source."

"What, like the slime on your skin? Hell, you've probably got enough of it to fuel a power plant with."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that. "Grimer then flicked another switch, and there on the screen in the middle of the motobug was the robot's center; a nice fat juicy non-Mobian piglet.

Bunnie could scarcely believe it. "My stars and garters." It was as if all the wind in the world had been blown straight out of her sails.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU PLAYING AT?!", yelled Shortfuse. "THAT'S AN ANIMAL IN THERE!"

"Indeed it is," said Grimer, "and it's the most potent energy source imaginable short of Mobians or, I suppose, humans. The animals keep the Badniks in tip-top condition without the need of providing a recharge, while the Badnik supplies the animal with enough energy to live another day. And then some."

"That is sick. Ingenious, but sick."

"It's not ingenious," said Bunnie, "it's awful is what it is!"

"I'm sorry you think so, truly I am. But it beats having to waste more of our precious energy and electricity to create these masterpieces, don't you think? Though the true masterpiece is yet to come." Grimer again flicked another switch, and the screen flipped right back to the Cybernick. "Now, this Cybernick has the potential to be more powerful than any of our run of the mill Badnicks put together. Flight, strength, laser blasts, the works. But this is a Badnick so powerful that one little normal animal just isn't enough to power it for more than thirty minutes, and from our research, there's only one thing that can."

"And what's that?" Shorty didn't take his eyes off of Grimer for even a moment, not that he could.

"A full blown Mobian," said Grimer, matter of fact.

"You're nuts!", said Bunnie. "Well, let me tell you, you want me in there, you're gonna have to make me!"

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that. The good Doctor has something different in mind for you."

"And what pray tell would that be?"

"Why, It's simple. You see that glass tube you're trapped in?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Have you wondered just what that glass tube is for?"

"Course, though for the life of me, I still can't figure it out."

"Well, let me try to put this as delicately as possible. This machine, the Roboticizer, is designed to transmute living flesh into cold, unfeeling circuitry. A robot, as it were."

"And just where does little old me figure into this? Though as Bunnie's whiskers stood on end, part of her already knew the answer.

"Why," said Grimer, "isn't it obvious? You're going to be our first Mobian test subject!"

Bunnie's eyes went wide, as though the whole world was suddenly crashing in and it took all she had just so see straight. "Say that again?"

"Let me put it another way. This machine's purpose is to turn Mobians into our perfectly unwilling robotic subjects. Free labor is the best labor after all. And you're going pave the way for all roboticized Mobians that come after you. You should be honored!"

"Honored? HONORED?!", she shouted. "BY MY WHISKERS I'M HONORED! I'M HONORED YOU'D EVEN THINK SUCH A THING!"

"Temper, temper. There's no point in getting so upset. The process is due to begin in about ten minutes or so, and at this stage, there's not much you can do to stop it. And the same goes for you." Grimer turned towards Shorty, grinning like a victor about to deliver the coup de grace. "As you may have already deduced, our furry friend over here gets the chamber, but you get the suit. Trust me, as soon as you're wearing it, you'll feel like a whole new squirrel!"

"You try and put that on me," said Shorty, "and you''re gonna be feelin' one less nose!"

"Ah, the inevitable resistance. I wouldn't have it any other way. I will say that I am sorry for what's about to happen to the both of you, and I do wish that there was some way to avoid this, but alas, all's fair in love and war."

One more press of a switch and a timer suddenly flashed onto the computer, clocking in at a solid ten minutes. Nine minutes and fifty-nine seconds. Nine minutes and fifty-eight seconds. Nine minutes and fifty-seven seconds…

This was going to be a LONG ten minutes.