District 13, the capital

Miles felt the shuttle land. He'd been trying to sleep, but he never could these days. It always took more effort than it was worth. He'd spend hours just to find a place where he didn't feel like he was being watched, and by the time he would fall asleep, it'd be almost time to get back to work. And that was why he was here. Work for them.

Zazz
"Hey, ya little punk! Time to get up!"

The fox opened his eyes and looked towards the voice. It's source was a tall, thin creature with long, sharp teeth and a crazed look in his eyes. Zazz. Miles pretended to wake up and stood from the small metallic bench. The two turned toward the shuttle door as it opened to reveal a somewhat rundown lab, with many areas covered in a layer of dust from lack of use. Miles began to walk out before being pushed out by Zazz, who chuckled as the fox nearly tripped.

Zazz
"Come on, ya freak!"

Freak. He'd heard that name thrown at him for years now. He glanced back at his twin tails, the source of so much misery over the years. He'd been bullied for them ever since he was little, and even now as one of the empire's most important scientists, he'd feel the shocked stares of any civilians that managed to catch a glimpse. And the biggest bully of them all was Zazz. Sometimes he thought the only reason the Zeti had let him live was so Zazz could torture him for fun. Just thinking about it made the scar on his chest sting a little.

Zor
"Oh...you're here. Took you long enough."

There was a smaller Zeti waiting for them, with pale skin and eyes that signified that he was annoyed by basically everything.

Zazz
"Shuddup, runt. Here's the little rat. Just make sure ya don't rough up my favorite punchin' bag too much."

Zor
"Whatever."

Zazz punched Miles in the shoulder before turning back to the shuttle.

Zazz
"See ya later, Tailsy boy!"

The magenta Zeti cackled loudly as the shuttle door closed behind him, and soon it flew into the distance. Miles felt a sense of relief as he realized he was free from Zazz, at least for a little while. He had no idea what Zor's deal was, but he couldn't be nearly as bad as Zazz, right? The pale Zeti gestured towards a door on the other side of the room.

Zor
"You're supposed to be working on Zavok's little science project, right? Just go through there and get it over with."

Miles wanted to respond, but refrained from doing so out of fear of being attacked. He knew it was probably illogical, but he'd been beaten up so many times it'd gotten ingrained in his mind. He silently nodded and walked through the hallway. Eventually he made his way to another lab, which was in slightly better condition than the other one. There was a tall, overweight human typing on one of the computers while furiously muttering to himself about something.

Miles
"H-hello?"

The man lifted his head, surprised by the noise by a noise that wasn't either machinery or Zor's high-pitched drone. He pushed his dark half-rimmed glasses up his bulbous nose.

The Man
"Who are you? Can't you see I'm working here?!"

Miles
"My name's M-Miles. I'm the other scientist for the project."

The man looked at Miles for a moment, as if he couldn't comprehend the idea that a child was competent enough to work alongside him. Eventually he just waved his hand dismissively and got back to his work.

The Man
"Whatever. Just check the computer over there and get yourself caught up."

Miles walked over to the computer and got started. He was honestly impressed on how much work the man had gotten done so far. He tried to keep focused on the screen, but his eyes kept drifting to the man. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about the man was awfully familiar. His bald head was contrasted almost comically by his huge moustache. Even if he weren't drawn to the man's appearance, he wouldn't have been able to work consistently anyway. The angry muttering from the man was a constant distraction.

Miles
"So, umm...What's got you riled up?"

The tension that had clearly been brewing exploded.

The Man
"I MAKE HUGE ADVANCEMENTS IN CYBERNETICS AND IT TAKES THEM THREE YEARS TO EVEN THINK ABOUT DOING ANYTHING MORE WITH IT! THEY DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT SCIENCE!"

Miles
"Cybernetics? D-did you work on the original Roboticizer?"

The Man
"Of course I did! I INVENTED IT!"

Oh.

Oh no.

That's where he knew the man from. He was Ivo Robotnik, the former dictator of the world. Even after the Zeti's take over, his face remained plastered on plenty of old tech and architecture. And of course, the giant metal sphere that haunted the sky.

Robotnik
"I was once the ruler of this world. I was a king, A GOD EVEN! Now look at me. A mere lackey for those clowns."

Miles was still in shock that the man before him was the very same one that had scourged the planet, had mercilessly destroyed his home. The flashbacks of Emerald Hill burning were awkwardly intercut between the old doctor's heated ramblings. The fox was surprised at how...oddly pathetic he was, and yet still had the same fury he'd seen all those years ago.

Robotnik
"What are you looking at?!"

Miles
"U-uh, nothing! I was just surprised that…"

He awkwardly searched for the words, looking only to keep Robotnik from redirecting his anger at him.

Miles
"...someone as great as you c-could ever fall to anyone."

The old man scanned Miles' nervous face, as it was obvious the child was just sucking up to avoid getting in trouble somehow. Eventually he sighed and turned his attention back to the computer.

Robotnik
"It's a long story, and I don't feel like reliving it. Now, get back to work so I can get out of this dump!"

The two worked near endlessly for days, only taking an occasional break whenever Zor felt like letting them, constantly moving between their computers and panels and the hulking machine that would very likely be the cause of more destruction than all previous versions combined. The two worked, hardly ever speaking to each other unless it was related to the project, until eventually, it was nearly completed. All that was needed was a few major parts, and then it'd be complete.

Miles
"Just one more shipment, and we'll be...done."

He gave a sigh filled with exhaustion. He was sad to be nearly done, not only because of the machine's terrifying implications, but also because he'd have to go back to Zazz soon. He shuddered.

Robotnik
"Of course, assuming that little punk even cares enough to get us the parts."

The two looked over at the Roboticizer prototype for a little longer, one in bitterness, one in fear.

BWAANNN BWAANNN BWAANNN BWAANNN

The lights of the room quickly became a deep red, flashing on and off as sirens went off.

BWAANNN BWAANNN BWAANNN BWAANNN

Robotnik
"WHAT IN BLAZES?!"

Robotnik ran to the monitor as Miles stood there, panicked. He punched a few codes and soon enough, the screen flashed the words "INTRUDER ALERT" in large text, before switching to the security cameras, showing an Armadillo, a Bat, and...something else that only showed up on the screens as a blue blur.

So with that, I've finally managed to get the next chapter out. Let me tell you, this year has not been kind to my motivation to write. I don't know when I'll get to the next chapter, but hopefully I'll be in a better state to write after this whole thing blows over. Toodles.

Next time: Sonic attacks!