Man in the Mirror

Written by Ceara Ivory

Robotnik hears some hard truths from Bartleby and is forced to resolve the inner conflict that makes him the monster that he is. Will he be able to change and earn the forgiveness of the people of Robotropolis? Will Aleena become queen again? Will Bartleby finally get his happy ending with Sonia?

Prologue

Bartleby sat in front of his television as he watched yet another of his godfather's factories burning to the ground thanks to yet another bomb from the resistance. He rolled his eyes. He only watched long enough to see a pink hedgehog fleeing the scene. He was getting really tired of the war. How much longer would it go on? When would the city be peaceful again?

He looked up as a knock came at the door and he went to answer it. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Dr. Robotnik. "Come in sir." He saw singe marks on the man's clothing and burns on his face. "I saw that they got another one. Are you hurt?" He asked.

Robotnik shook his head. "I'm almost insulted that you think they could injure me, boy." He said as he entered with his hands clenched. "I want you to know that your fiance is pushing me to my limit."

The mink froze a bit but recovered. "She's not my fiance anymore, Godfather. She dumped me." He admitted sadly. "I thought you knew that."

The old man sat down as Bartleby dutifully fetched him a cup of tea and a pastry. "Loretta made her beignets today."

Robotnik accepted the confection. "I am sorry that she dumped you. I never wanted you involved in this war. Let me guess, she gave you the ultimatum of joining them or choosing me?"

Bartleby shook his head. "No. She just said that we couldn't be together anymore… Not until the war is over." He sighed. "Godfather, can't it be over yet? Does it really have to keep going?" He asked.

"Until Queen Aleena is found and she formally surrenders the throne to me, yes, it must," Robotnik replied. "This is the price of power my boy. You don't want Queen Aleena to get the throne back."

"But couldn't you handle it differently? Does it have to be with bombs and robot soldiers? Can't you try getting the people on your side? Make them want you?" Bartleby suggested. "Picture it… Lower taxes for all. Improve conditions in the city. They don't want the factories, take them down or convert them so that they're not producing dirty air. There's an interesting challenge. Find a way to pull the smog and pollution out of the air and clean it before putting it back out." He could see Robotnik considering the idea. "Restore the gardens and the pretty things people enjoy. Like Dresden. You turned my province into a veritable paradise and the people here love you. Why can't you show that to the rest of the city?"

Robotnik sighed. "You know it's not that easy… The resistance wouldn't let them see me as anything but a monster. So that's what they get."

Bartleby shook his head. "You make it harder than it has to be. If you show them the great man that raised me and not a vicious beast that they need to fear then the resistance wouldn't be able to blind them. You're only proving them right this way. Can't you try? Just try. What's the worst that could happen?"

Robotnik sighed again as he heard the logic in his godson's argument. "I could become like King Solomon himself and Aleena would not let it rest."

Bartleby shrugged. "Then if that's the case, you fight back and protect the people. Godfather, the point is, if you were the greatest king they could ever want, she could do nothing. The resistance would no longer have the moral high ground. Godfather… I can't keep doing this. I can't keep watching the news and praying that the next bombing doesn't cost me either of you. I'm so afraid, I have nightmares that Sonia will one day come to me and tell me you were killed. Or that she is killed. I can't keep doing this. Just think about it, please. You can't keep this going forever. Neither side can. But if we let the war run its natural course… There's only one natural course in a war!" Bartleby slammed his fist against the table beside him, his hand trembling and his body sweating, gasping for breath as his throat closed up in his anxiety.

Robotnik lept over and put a hand on the mink's shoulder. "Calm yourself, boy. You know you can't let yourself become too agitated." He pulled a small item from his pocket and handed it to him. "Use your inhaler." He patted him on the back while he took his medicine.

Bartleby nodded and took several puffs. "I'm sorry Godfather… I just…. I had dreams. That she and I would marry and have a big family of children. And you would be there to play with them because they would have called you, grandfather. I wanted it so much. But at this rate… it'll never happen. If things go on… one of you will win and the other will lose. I'll lose one of you… and I need you both." He took another puff, hoping he was getting through. "You're in charge... You hold all the power. What is there to gain if you use it only to bully those weaker than yourself. You always told me that's not what power was for... "

The despot nodded and looked down. "So what do you propose my boy? I've tried everything with them and nothing is good enough. And I can't just forgive Aleena."

Bartleby nodded. He knew Robotnik's hate for Aleena transcended all logic. "But Sonia is not her mother. She is nothing like Aleena. Aleena didn't even raise them. She left them outside of different doorsteps like they were the morning paper. Wyndemere was even trying to get Sonia to see what I see. She saw the good. Then you roboticized her. For a crime that she didn't commit."

"How did the girl find her brothers if she didn't tell her about them?" Robotnik asked with a logical tone.

The mink sighed. "It was a coincidence. We were only out because she needed a break from planning our wedding. She found a coupon for drinks at this club and it looked like fun so we went. Sonic just happened to be playing there with Manic and she joined in. She loves the piano. Manic wasn't even a freedom fighter at the time. He was a thief. You spy on everyone though and you saw something and jumped to conclusions. If you hadn't ordered the raids, I could have gotten Manic to our side. I could have kept Sonia with us. Aleena already shot herself in the foot when she abandoned them but you cauterized the wound. We had Sonia. You pushed them to her. You roboticized Lady Wyndermere and Manic's father. You made it clear that they couldn't trust you. Thus they couldn't trust me when I wanted to defend you. Now, they're on their mother's side."

Robotnik growled. "You're pushing buttons, boy. Buttons you don't want to push... Sonia and Manic would have joined their criminal brother. He'd already bombed several factories in his first year."

"Only because his uncle bullied him into it. You knew his uncle had him since childhood. And again, you roboticized his adopted parents. Why? What did they do?" He saw Robotnik look away. "You're not the monster they say you are. I know that. His uncle was a monster but that just makes Sonic a victim. You could have used that. Instead, you just assumed that he was just like his parents. That's not fair! You have the definitive power in this war. It continues only because you allow it to continue." He quickly took another few puffs as he realized that he'd just sassed his godfather.

Robotnik stood with a sigh. "I'll take my leave." When Bartleby jumped to beg forgiveness, he held up his hand. "You are safe my boy. You have the right to say whatever you like because I know you would only speak the truth. I need to think." He explained as he left.

With a heaviness in his step, he boarded his ship. Was Bartleby right? Had he taken his hatred for the hedgehog family too far? Had he become the evil villain in this dystopian world of his. He had always pictured himself as the triumphant hero, punishing the wicked ones but was that what others saw? He needed to know.

When he returned to the palace with his shoulders hunched over slightly, Sleet ran over. "Sire, you've returned. I'm happy to report that we have found the hedgehogs' present hideout. Would you like us to raid it now sir?"

Robotnik looked at the wolf incredulously as he felt his mood lift. "Yes! Raid it and bring them to me! Finally, I'll have my victory over Aleena! Roboticize Sonia first!" Suddenly, Bartleby's face appeared in his mind. "No, wait! Strike that!" If he roboticized her, then Bartleby's prediction would come true. "No, I have another mission for you."

Sleet eyed the tyrant with suspicion but nodded. "Yes, sire, what would you have us do?"

He sighed. "I need you to find out what people are saying about me. And no, not in the same way as the Do-Bot. No arrests, don't harass anyone… but find out what they think of me. If I'm a monster… Or… perhaps you already know the answer to that question."

Sleet shook his head as he visibly trembled, fearing the answer to that question. "I'm hardly a reliable judge in this area sir. All employees hate their bosses. It's a rule." He defended himself when he realized he waited too long to answer the question. "I'll get right to it sir." He dashed off, not seeing the old man hang his head. He terrified his own bounty hunters. Something told him that he wouldn't like the results of this experiment.

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