Chapter five.
At Eggmans lair Sonic and Tails found the evil doctors security even more testing than usual. In addition to the usual lasers and drones he had left several large robots outside on guard duty. As Sonic smashed into a beebot he felt certain that this was a sign that Egghead was indeed hiding something.
Tails flew into a large robot to Sonics left side and sent metal flying everywhere. Behind him somewhere he heard a fiery explosion. Dash was taking out the doors. As much as Sonic hated to admit it, the small dog robot had come in handy on this mission and had taken out nearly as many of the doctors defenses as Sonic and Tails had.
As the last evil robot tumbled to the floor Sonic and Tails strode casually through the new opening in Eggmans door after Dash. They had both been inside the lair often enough to know their way around and headed straight for the doctors control room. Sonic braced himself for another attack as he entered the large echoing chamber but nothing could prepare him for the sight before him. A large, black leather clad bottom was poking out from behind the console desk. Dr Eggman was attempting to hide himself in an impossibly small crevice whist Orbot and Cubot tried to coax him out with milk and cookies. Sonic rolled his eyes and pulled the Doctor out by his feet. This was no easy task. Eggman clawed at the desk and tried to wrench himself back into the safety of the hidey hole. He was screaming like a toddler having a nightmare.
Tails turned to the robot henchman with his eyebrow raised.
"He had a bad dream." Orbot supplied by way of explanation. "He seems to have taken it rather badly."
"Yeah, he's acting like a big baby." Cubot grunted as he joined Sonic in his efforts to pull the doctor free. However the robots input had stopped Sonic in his tracks.
"So it's not him doing it." The hedgehog said, turning to his fox friend.
Tails folded his arms and shook his head. "Another dead end. Eggman, can you tell us what happened to you?" He asked the doctor. Eggman ignored him and continued quaking under the desk.
"Stop Clowning around!" Sonic scolded him, reaching out for Eggmans foot again. The doctor kicked him hard in the face and screamed.
"Clowns!" He screeched. "Not the clowns again!"
Sonic decided to leave him there. "Looks like we've reached a dead end." He said to Tails.
"Not necessarily." The fox reasoned. "Dave and Sticks weren't able to tell us what had happened to them before their attacks."
"I don't think we're going to get any sense out of Eggbreath either." Said Sonic, jabbing his thumb towards the cowardly evil genius.
"True." Said Tails. "But we might not need him. Orbot, do you have footage of Eggmans bedroom last night."
The robot stiffened. " I couldn't possibly allow you to see the doctor in his intimate moments."
"PLEASE skip any 'intimate moments' and just show us what happened when he was asleep." Sonic said. His face twisted in horror as mental images of Eggmans bedtime routine flashed across his minds eye. Orbot still looked unsure.
"There have been other attacks like this in the village." Tails explained. "We thought it might be you guys doing it but clearly not. C'mon guys. Help us stop this thing before it comes back."
Under the desk Eggman gave out another pathetic whimper. With a heavy sigh Orbot slid his metal fingers across the panel on the console desk. There was a beeping as the robot searched for the right timings and camera and beamed the footage to the screen infront of them.
A loud rumble shook the room causing Sonic and Tails to cover their ears. Orbots hands shot to the mute button and canceled out the horrendous sound of the doctors snores.
"I have a sinus issue." Eggman muttered petulantly from the floor. He seemed to have recovered his composure somewhat and had come out of his sanctuary to watch the footage with the others.
The doctor forcefully elbowed Orbot to one side and took control of the panel. The doctor played the recording at double speed until he found footage of himself tossing and turning in his sheets.
"Go back a bit." Tails instructed.
Not normally one to take orders, the doctor shot Tails a contemptuous look. None the less he wound back to before his nightmare had begun. Sonic strained his eyes to scrutinize the grainy black and white footage. He could see Eggman laid on his back. His stomach rising and falling rhythmically and then…
At midnight the papers on Eggmans bedside table seemed to rustle. In his sleep the doctor shivered and rolled onto his side. Eggmans nightmare about the clowns had clearly started. Sonic almost felt sorry for his nemesis as he watched the man writhe in his bed.
Tails muscled Eggman aside and wound the footage back again to the moment the papers rustled.
"Did you have your air con on last night?"
"Air con?" The doctor snapped. "Do you think I'm made of money?"
"Then what made the papers move?" Tails mused.
Sonic thought back to his nightmare. He was sure that he had felt a chilly wind when he had been stood on the beach. Come to think of it, he had noticed one when Dave attacked them. And again this morning with Sticks.
"Must be the ghost." Cubot supplied.
The others glared at him.
"The one from the graveyard." He added. "I thought it might have followed us back."
Frustrated Orbot rubbed his thin metal fingers into the place where his temples would be had the doctor bothered to add any to his design. "There were no ghosts." He said through gritted teeth. "That was you in a bed sheet remember?"
"I mean the one in the jar." Cubot said defiantly with his arms crossed. "Who do you think gave me the idea? The ghost said I should join it. That I should release it and it would make all of my dreams come true."
"Did you release it?" Sonic said pointedly.
"No." Cubot replied. "Well not on purpose anyway…"
"Orbot, play back the footage." Eggman ordered.
Dutifully the spherical robot relayed the recording from the graveyard onto the big screen. Everyone remained silent. When it had finished Sonic felt a shiver run down his spine.
"You need to show us where this is." He said to Eggman.
The doctor was clearly freaked out now and reluctant to help any further.
"Errr… maybe it's best if I stay here." He offered. "I'll search for energy spikes near the village to see if theres any chance of tracking the ghost."
Sonic eyed Cubot suspiciously "You said the ghost promised you it would make your dreams come true."
"If that's the case why am I still here washing the doctors socks and cleaning up after him?"
The robot was an idiot but he did have a point. Besides, if you were a ghost who had just been released from god knows how many years of captivity the last person you would choose to possess would be Cubot.
Sonic turned away from the others and fired up his communicator. Amy answered sounding frustrated. There was an angry yelling in the background.
"Sticks is awake then?" He surmised.
"Yep and she's still angry." Amy called over the chaos. "Even more so since we put her in a cage."
"It's for her own safety." Sonic reminded her. This was technically true, although it was more for everyone else's safety. "Does she remember what happened?"
Amy sighed. "If she does it's all become twisted in her brain. She's never been too great at telling the difference between dreams and reality."
"Well if anyone can help her I know it's you." Sonic said proudly. On the screen he saw his girlfriends cheeks turn as pink as her fur.
"Have you guys made any progress?" She asked.
Sonic shrugged his shoulders. "Yes and no."
Amy looked confused. "So is Eggman responsible?"
"Again yes and no." Sonic sighed. "It's a little complicated. Tails and I are going off with Orbot and Cubot to look for a ghost."
Amy really looked confused now. "Okay." She said slowly. "Just be careful."
"I will. Love you." He had said it before he realized where he was. Everyones heads turned slowly towards him, including Dash. "And Knucks and Sticks." Sonic added quickly. "I love all my friends. Love ALL my friends…. Ok bye…"
Everyone was still staring.
"Lets get going." Sonic muttered quickly and ran off to the plane.