Chapter 8
In the South Seas, Stripes had been spending the last couple of weeks with the natives, observing their customs.
The chieftain of the tribe dined with the tiger who had been kind enough to discard his normal clothing to even dress their way. "You say, Robotnik will pay any price for my island and relocate my people to a new home. One that can provide us food and jobs."
"Yes Chief. You see Robotnik needs this island for reasons I cannot disclose," Stripes explained. "To that end he simply asks that you name your price."
The Chief stood and looked out of his hut at his people. They were hungry. The only real food they'd had was provided by Stripes as an offering to gain a business meeting with him. "My people are hungry. The ocean no longer provides. My son… he was supposed to be chieftain after me and serve our gods, the Stone Heads. Now… I don't see what choice we have. But I know little about what our island would be worth, we have no need for money here."
Stripes considered. He could get the island at a cheap price then but to cheat these people, Robotnik would have his hide. "I think… would you accept six million möbiums? That money could then be used to fund the building of your new home. With his technology, Robotnik can make it look exactly like this. You'd actually be giving up very little."
The Chief was pleased with the offer and glad that he had given the tiger his little test. He had given the tiger ample chance to cheat him but instead the first offer was a decent price. It would suit. "I do think that would be a fair price. Tell Robotnik, we have a deal."
Robotnik paced his throne back and forth. The fight was not going well. He needed to capture those hedgehogs. Not only did they have families who worried for their safety, they could not be allowed to get in the way of this next operation." He couldn't forget the tears that Mrs. Canis had shed when he'd told them that their son had escaped again.
"I am sorry," Robotnik told them. "I thought I would have him this time for sure."
Arthur Canis held his wife, patting her back. "We knew it was possible he could evade capture again. He doesn't know we're here so he's fighting you. Please, let me reveal myself to him. He'll come to me!"
Robotnik shook his head. "It's too dangerous for everyone here, Arthur. I wish I could let you go to him but then the Resistance would know that the two of you still live and your son would be in even greater danger. Especially since I know for a fact his biological father is still alive. He cares nothing for his offspring and would see them dead in a millisecond if he thought it would further his plans."
Mrs. Canis burst into renewed sobs and clutched her husband. "There, there Valerie. We will get our son back. Someday."
"Why? Why did we ever trust that hedgehog? Why did he take our son?" Valerie wept. "I want my baby boy back!"
Robotnik looked away. He had yet to tell them the reasons but now it was time. "They wanted your son because he is the biological son of Aleena, the former Queen of Möbotropolis. They also wanted to train his speed and turn him into a weapon for their cause."
Arthur gasped. "Son of Queen Aleena? Weapon?"
"Our poor boy! How could they do that to a child?" Valerie cried. "He's just a little boy, he wouldn't hurt anyone!"
Robotnik agreed. "He doesn't know. He knows about Aleena but they have made it so that he has all but forgotten about you. He doesn't know the real damage he is doing. Neither do his brother and sister."
"Our son, he's not going to be punished for it is he? If he's hurt people, I know he should be but please… if it comes to that please give the punishment to me," Arthur begged.
Robotnik hated this part of any discussion involving the fate of their stolen children if they reached this phase of their abduction. "I will tell you as I tell the other parents. I seek to give them a way to atone for their actions if I can get to them before their crimes have gone too far. If I cannot or if they have been so deeply brainwashed to think that killing innocents is okay then… I ultimately have no choice. At that point, roboticization is the only way to ensure that they are not a danger to themselves or to others. I'm sorry. However, I am inclined to give Sonic a little more leeway in light of the circumstances."
Valerie nodded. "Thank you. We know Sonic would never knowingly hurt anyone and he'd never think it was acceptable. We taught him better than that when he was little."
Robotnik would never admit to it but listening to Arthur and Valerie talk about their son, it made him think of the child he should have had. The same child that was stolen away from him the same night he lost Maria.
Yes, he had Bartleby and certainly saw the boy as a son especially since the Montclairs died when he was only 15 and Robotnik took full custody. Robotnik had since served as his father. It helped but he still couldn't help imagining what it would have been like to hold his baby boy. Nor could he resist the small amount of envy.
"You're going out again Sonia?" Sonic asked when he saw his sister getting ready to leave the hideout.
Sonia had undergone a slight change over the last couple of weeks. On the outside, she seemed the same but the trained eye she carried herself differently. She even seemed to be smiling more, something Sonic was disturbed to find himself admitting. He recalled the trip back from the racetrack…
"Sonia what were you doing with that guy?" Sonic demanded as they rode her motorcycle back. He would normally run back but he needed answers. "I saw you kiss him!"
Sonia prepared to snap at him until Manic stepped in. "Sonic, she was only using Bartleby to keep an eye on you. She didn't mean it, did you sis?"
Sonia pretended to gag. "As if Manic. Bartleby's private box was the best vantage point and I needed to keep his interest. He'll do practically anything I say if I just pull the right lever. And I'll do anything to make sure you don't get caught brother."
He had no choice but to accept that explanation with backing her up but something wasn't right. And yet, she was happy. He didn't know if he should step in or not.
Another mystery to solve was the appearance of exactly one million möbiums. The courier that brought had told him it was his reward from the race. He hadn't cashed the check, believing that Robotnik would naturally cancel it. What was Robotnik's game? Why had he chosen to honor the reward? Out of his innate distrust, he had the money disposed of; fearful it might have a tracker attached to it.
"Yes Sonic, I'm going out again. Mindy and I are having a movie night at her place," she said.
Sonic was about to question her honesty when Manic stepped in. "That sounds like fun. Can we come too?"
"No!" Sonia practically shouted. She calmed down quickly. "No, it's girls only. Sorry guys but I need this. Not want, need. Need some girl time. Cause if I don't get it, I just might kill something."
Manic shrugged. "Okay sis. Just be careful okay." He gave her a strange look before she nodded.
"I will be Manic. I'll be back later tonight, don't really know what time, see ya," Sonia left before she could ponder the meaning behind Manic's strange look.
AN: Does Manic know something?
