Notes: We've reached the halfway point

Disclaimer: I don't own Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic 2 & Sonic Chaos

Ch. 5: The adventure continues

The Chaos Emeralds led Sonic to a hidden door. On the other side was a sight to see. The entire place was made of crystal, but everything also bore Robotnik's likeness.

"Do you like it, Hedgehog? I call it Crystal Egg. It really is a masterpiece, isn't it?"

"Even the most decorative evil hideout doesn't make up for anything, Eggman."

"Then I'll leave you to it. Come and get me!"

Sonic took off in search for Robotnik, but suddenly one of the tiles with the doctor's face on it fell and almost hit him.

"He's so ugly his own pictures are trying to destroy themselves."

He also noticed a lot of spikes. The only Badniks were flying piranhas who didn't really do much. They were easily disposed of. Floating platforms assisted in crossing the spikes, as did the occasional spring. The scenery, or lack thereof was kind of pretty, but also quite unsettling.

"This place looks so…clean. Like the disturbing sort of clean."

He managed to find one of those rare invincibility boxes to get across an exceptionally long spike pit. Breaking through walls opened up more paths to explore.

"This is getting boring. I really hope I'm getting close to an exit."

Just then, the floor collapsed beneath him.

Meanwhile

"He's right around the corner. Time to say goodbye, fox boy."

"Sonic is going to win. So the only person to say bye to is you."

"You think you're so smart? Guards, tie him up and bring him out of his cell. I want him to have a front row seat at watching his friend get fried."

Two robots took a hold of Tails. His arms were tied to his sides, his legs shackled, and his tails bound together.

"That should hold you. Now before you watch the screen, observe my genius. This is only a prototype teleporter, but it still works perfectly."

Robotnik disappeared as Tails looked on.

"A teleporter, huh?"

Back

"Okay, that caught me off guard. Now where am I?"

He was in a dark room made of steel, and with only one way to go.

"Well this is more like it. Oh goody, more transport tubes."

He jumped in and it took him to a different room.

"This is where it ends, you annoying little pincushion."

Robotnik was in a control panel on one side of the room.

"Oh yeah? What are you and your little, yellow cape gonna do about it?"

The room began flashing.

"This can't be good."

"Prepare to be fried!"

"Some other time, perhaps."

Sonic jumped back into the tube, but the way to the previous room was blocked. Instead it sent him in a circle around this room. He didn't care at the moment, because being in here was better than being in the actual room, which was full of deadly electricity. The doctor couldn't keep it up forever though. Once the power died down, Sonic shot out of the tube and gave the control panel a good hard slam.

"Why you…!"

Robotnik shout out energy bolts that circled the room. Sonic responded by again using the tubes to his advantage. Electricity also shot through the room again.

"Nice going, Eggman. The tubes make all the difference."

"Note to self: always make sure you don't put in something the hedgehog can use to his advantage."

"Good luck remembering that piece of advice."

"Oh, shut up!"

It continued this way a few more times. Sonic easily wiped the floor with this machine. The final blow caused the control panel to explode. Robotnik, however, disappeared.

"How did he…? Hey, there's another tube behind where the panel was."

He leapt in, and sure enough, on the other side was Robotnik making a run for it.

"You may have beaten me, but I still have your friend."

The teleporter was ahead, and Robotnik was closing in.

Other side

Tails decided it was time to take action.

"I can't fly, but I can do this."

He swung his tails around like a mace and hit the nearest robot. This robot, in turn, hit the next robot. As they were getting up, Tails hopped as fast as he could to the teleporter.

Back again

Robotnik activated the machine and jumped in.

"Hasta la bye-bye, sucker!"

"NO! Get back here."

Base

Robotnik stepped through the teleporter and saw the robots getting up off the ground.

"What are you pawns doing? Where's the sidekick?"

Something hit him from behind. He dropped the remote for the teleporter. That's when someone else hit the button.

"Thanks for all your help, Eggman."

"The little freak is escaping? I can't believe this!"

Robotnik tried to reach for Tails, but he jumped into the teleporter.

Sonic

Sonic was feeling both mad and sad all at once.

"What am gonna do? I've gotta find him. But how? This stupid machine isn't working!"

That's when it turned back on.

"I'm coming, Tails."

Something came flying out of the machine and hit Sonic.

"I did it!"

"Huh? Tails! You escaped all by yourself."

"Is wasn't easy, Sonic. Although I owe some of it to Eggman. He let his ego get in the way."

"So what else is new? Let me untie you."

"Thanks. It's been too long since I've flown."

"I think we should get back to vacation now. Oh wait, the Chaos Emeralds. I only found six."

"I think I can help with that."

Tails pulled out the cyan Chaos Emerald.

"You had it the whole time?"

"Well I found it while we were exploring before I got kidnapped. I wasn't very well hidden. I didn't get to tell you."

"Eggman didn't bother to search you or anything?"

"For one thing, he thought I was too dumb to have or try anything. For another, I complimented his genius and he forgot about everything else."

"That's my boy."

The Emeralds glowed and teleported away.

"I hope they end up somewhere safe this time. Let's go home."

Later

"Did you salvage what you could of Mecha Sonic?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Good. I think he needs a few upgrades. What about the big project?"

"Still in progress, sir."

"I still need to buy some time. Hello, what's this?"

A blip came up on a special radar.

"I'll check this out myself."

After a while of searching, Robotnik found what the radar picked up.

"Well what do you know? A Chaos Emerald."

The red Chaos Emerald apparently didn't find a good enough hiding spot.

"I've been meaning to do some more research on the Emeralds, and here one falls into my lap."

*Shudder*

"Why'd you shudder like that, Sonic?"

"I don't know, Tails, but I've got a bad feeling about this. Postpone the vacation and let's roll…after we pick up something to eat."