A/N: Hey! It's us!
Sword: Hi!
Shush! Pen's on the prowl and I think he knows we've escaped. We'll be in touch, but for now, enjoy the story.
Sword: Oh, Robotnik and all related material belong to Sega. The story belongs to the author. And me and Pen belong to him too!
At least I still hope. Anyway, have fun reading.
Chapter 5- First Encounter
Robotnik was on edge all day. The end of his shift could not come fast enough. When work finally ended, he raced home. Once there, he checked and double-checked his machine and the Moto Bug. Everything seemed to be in order. The new hands on his machine could solidly grip objects, the weapons deployed automatically for the tiniest hint of trouble, and the Moto Bug zipped around easily.
Since work had not been busy, he had had time to select a target: Hampton Bank. It was larger than the other locations so far, but he knew its layout. There was a vault in the center, ripe for the picking, with enough money to last for months. He had built a special compartment into his escape pod on the machine for holding all the loot he intended to take. He may be able to even give up this lifestyle for a while.
Security would be tough though. Last he recalled, several guards regularly patrolled the place at night.
He went to his closet and rummaged for his dark clothes. While searching, he happened upon a red jacket, stitched with golden, octagonal pieces. The pieces and arms were trimmed with white lines and the arms ended in two dull yellow cuffs. It was his grandfather's ceremonial jacket. Gerald had worn it when presented with a prestigious award for his scientific efforts early in his career. Since then, it had become a family heirloom and was passed down to Robotnik when his parents died.
Robotnik took the jacket out and held it up to himself. It was about his size, although he did not feel like he deserved to wear it. Maybe one day, he thought, putting the jacket away. One day when I make you proud.
He grabbed his black clothes and changed into them. Then he fetched Gregory and put the hedgehog into the Moto Bug. The sun was setting, so Robotnik ordered Gregory outside. The Moto Bug had a little trouble descending the steps outside the door, bouncing down to the ground clumsily. But it was relatively unharmed when Robotnik inspected it.
As the night fully took over, Robotnik settled into his machine. He turned it on and took out his microphone. "Ready, Gregory?" he asked. The Moto Bug moved back and forth a little. Robotnik checked that he had his tools and that the machine was running smoothly.
"So, it is true," Clarissa said. Robotnik turned the lumbering machine around. She stepped out from behind a tree in her yard, Petey perched on her shoulder. "You're the Eggman."
Great. He was caught. There was no way out, so he hung his head and nodded. "Yes, I am. I didn't mean for you to find out."
"I thought about it last night and your story about the money smelled a little rotten. But this. All this time." She shook her head. Then she held up a wad of money, her mouth twisted. "So the money you gave me is a score from your heists?"
"I was trying to help," he said.
"I don't want your kind of help," she said bitterly, throwing the money at him. "Keep it." She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "I trusted you."
He gaped at the money, then at her. She turned to leave and he reached out. "Clarissa, wait."
Petey flew toward him, chirping angrily. "Petey, no!" Clarissa said. She ran after him as he pecked on the chassis of Robotnik's machine. Suddenly, two slots opened in the torso and a pair of barrels appeared. Oh, no, was all Robotnik could think before jets of fire erupted from the barrels, engulfing Petey.
"Petey!" Clarissa screamed. The fire caught her arm and head. She cried in agony, falling to the ground and rolling around.
Robotnik quickly switched off the weapons and climbed out of the machine. "Clarissa!" He fell to his knees beside her, patting the fire and throwing clumps of dirt and grass on it. After what felt like hours, the flames died and her screaming stopped. She just laid there in the yard, clutching one side of her head. Her arm was a deep red and she refused to open her eyes. She simply cried, moaning at the slightest movement.
"Clarissa?" Robotnik asked. She murmured something unintelligible. He helped her sit up and propped her back against his leg. He had seen some bad injuries, but this was one of the worst. He shook, his mind scrambled on what to do. "Don't worry. I'll call an ambulance."
"Don't…" She said, mumbling again.
"You need one. You're hurt bad." He tried to lift her up, but she pushed him away.
"I don't want your help!" she said, groaning and inhaling sharply. She winced and rolled aside, still holding onto her head. He could see that only small patches of hair remained on that side of her scalp. She stood up wobbly and bent down to scoop up what was left of Petey's. The remains were charred and reeked of a horrible stench.
"Clarissa, wait."
"No!" She rounded on him, dropping her arm. The upper right side of her face was burned bright red and glossy in the moonlight. "You're a criminal!"
He came forward. "I'm only trying to help."
She turned around and walked away from him. "You don't help. You only kill," she said, looking down at Petey. "Don't ever talk to me again."
With that final note, she was gone. Robotnik stood in his yard for the longest time, unsure if he should follow or not. He wanted to see if she was alright, but she had probably called the cops by then. If she had, he would need to run and find another place to live.
For that, he needed money. I'll hit Hampton, come back, get my things, and split, he thought as he climbed back into his machine. He glanced forlornly at Clarissa's house. I'm not a killer. She's wrong. Then he said to Gregory, "Come on. We have work to do."
The Hampton Bank was in the middle of the street, muscling aside the neighboring apartment buildings. That was the one aspect that Robotnik had not liked about this particular outing. There was a higher possibility for witnesses. Someone could call the police at any moment. Or maybe they had already answered Clarissa's call and were on their way. He spun around quickly, expecting Clarissa to step out of the shadows and thrust her burns in his face.
Robotnik shook his head. Get it together. Focus. There was a significant chance the police would be called, so he had to move fast when things started.
Inside, he saw the guards walking to and fro. They were thorough in their patrols, covering every inch of the place. Robotnik would not be able to quietly take a few out as he had hoped. He would have to go in loud.
"On my mark, Gregory," he said. The Moto Bug wheeled forward beside his feet. Let's do this. "Now."
Together, they rushed toward the bank. Robotnik punched open the front door, setting off the ringing bell alarms on both sides of him. He ripped the alarms off the wall and hurled them at two guards. They fell and their guns went off.
"It's the Eggman!" a guard shouted.
Really hate that name. Robotnik picked up the screaming guard and threw him into the teller's booth. Two more guards shot at him from nearby. Robotnik pressed a button on his console and electricity crackled in the air around him. Suddenly, a net of blue lightning arced in an encompassing sphere, with Robotnik in the center. Then the net expanded outward, shocking the two guards. They fell in a bundle of spasms and violent shaking on the ground.
He checked his console. The electric field had to recharge for a few minutes after each use. There was my freebie.
The two that had the alarms thrown at them tried to stand, but fell to their knees behind some desks. "Agh! What is that?" one shouted.
"It sliced me! It sliced me!" the other said. "Watch it!"
"Good work, Gregory," Robotnik said. "Keep going."
The guard from the teller booth ran up to Robotnik, firing his pistol. Robotnik picked him up and held the struggling guard before the ones who were no longer shaking on the ground. Planning to use him as a shield?
He shivered. I'm not a killer. "Drop your weapons," he said.
Reluctantly, the guards complied and Robotnik turned to Gregory, who had scared off the others. "Gregory, take their weapons." The Moto Bug sat there, staring at him. Robotnik growled and shouted, "I said 'Take their weapons'! Now!"
Slowly, the Moto Bug wheeled over and flung the weapons away. Robotnik threw the guard into another and knocked out the remaining guard. Now the vault was his.
The vault's large column sat in the center as he remembered. He deployed a small welding torch, burning through the large metal hinges of the door. When the hinges were melted, he pried off the door and entered the vault.
As he had thought, oodles of money was inside, waiting to be taken. He hopped out of his machine and loaded his cockpit up with money and other valuables. "Gregory, come in here and help me!" he called. The Moto Bug stood next to the doorway, watching him work. Robotnik grumbled and stowed some of the money in the Moto Bug's shell. "You could be helping me. This benefits you too." He stared at its glowing eyes and waved it off. "Forget it. I'll do it myself."
When the vault was completely raided, Robotnik climbed back into his machine. "Time to go," he said to Gregory.
"Why not stick around for a while? I could use the practice."
Robotnik looked toward the destroyed entrance. Standing against the light pouring in from the street lamps was a blue hedgehog standing with his arms crossed. "You," Robotnik said.
"It's Sonic!" one of the guards said.
"The one and only," the hedgehog said, rubbing his nose. He eyed the guards picking themselves up. "Why don't you guys get out of here? I'll handle this. So you're the Eggman, huh?"
He grumbled. "Step aside, hedgehog. I don't have time for you."
Sonic shrugged. "I can make this quick then. Unless you're willing to put the money back."
Robotnik looked down at Gregory. "Get him!" The Moto Bug bolted forward, slashing its arms. Sonic jumped aside, but Gregory turned on a dime. He came again, swiping at Sonic's legs. Again, the hedgehog dodged the attack.
"I'll take that as a 'no'," Sonic said. He jumped into the air, curled into a ball, and landed on the Moto Bug. It rumbled and dizzily wobbled around. Then Sonic aimed for Robotnik. As he neared the doctor, the electric net appeared. The shocking field stopped Sonic cold, making him fall and spastically flail on the ground.
"So much for that," Robotnik said. He walked over to Gregory and tapped his shell. "Come on. Let's go."
"Gotta say, I'm pretty 'shocked'." Sonic was up, his limbs twitching. "Haven't had a decent challenge in a while."
"Persistent little pest," Robotnik muttered. He dashed into the street and checked his console. His electric field had barely recharged. He would have to try another tactic. He's fast, but cocky. Maybe I can use that.
Like the wind, Sonic rushed by Robotnik and blocked every which way the doctor tried to run. "Come on, Eggy. Is that all you got?"
Robotnik stopped and faced Sonic. "You know, I'm actually disappointed. You don't seem like you're as good or as fast as everyone says. I bet you can't even hit me." In his microphone, he whispered orders to Gregory. "Get behind Sonic. Around ten yards and raise your arm high."
"Oh, you better believe I'm that fast," Sonic said.
"Then try to hit me." Robotnik grinned as Sonic crossed his arms, head tilted indecisively. "Or are you too afraid to fight me?"
"Nope, but you can shock me if I get too close."
"Oh, but surely you can get by me if you try."
In the blink of an eye, Sonic was speeding toward Robotnik in a curled ball. The hedgehog hit the machine's chest hard, throwing Robotnik off-balance. Immediately after, a section of the chest popped out, repelling Sonic. He flew through the air, heading straight for Gregory. The Moto Bug's sharp arm slashed Sonic's leg and he collided into the ground. He hissed and held his leg to his chest.
"Hurry! Take him down!" Robotnik shouted to Gregory. "Don't let him get up!"
The Moto Bug wheeled over to Sonic, curiously watching him. Sonic gritted his teeth and stood up, leaning on his good leg. "Get him!" Robotnik ordered. Yet Gregory refused to act. He turned around, sitting there like an inobedient child. "Fine. I'll take care of him!"
There was a sudden whirring of sirens behind Robotnik. Several police cars were pulling in quickly. He lurched for Sonic, but the hedgehog rolled around on the ground. "Stay still!" he said, reaching for him. He deployed his flamethrowers, cutting off Sonic's escape. When the hedgehog tumbled back in surprise, Robotnik snatched him up and held him in front of the machine with both hands. The police had their guns trained on Robotnik. Sonic struggled in his grasp, jerking back and forth wildly.
"Put him down and surrender!" a cop on a megaphone said. "You have ten seconds to comply!"
"Could really use your help," Robotnik said to the Moto Bug. It refused to move, stubbornly sitting there and gazing up at him. Robotnik fumed and held Sonic with one hand, facing the cops. "You want him? Take him!" He punched Sonic square in the face, dazing him, then threw the hedgehog at the police. Sonic disappeared behind a squad car.
The police were distracted long enough for Robotnik to make his move. He rushed forward, flamethrowers blazing and setting cars on fire. He swatted aside cop and vehicle indiscriminately. He hurled the cars into storefronts and punched the officers into walls.
During his destruction, a blue blur rammed into his legs. The machine collapsed on one knee and Robotnik nearly fell out. He turned around to see the Moto Bug approaching, arms raised. The curled ball that was Sonic aimed for the robot smashed it.
"No!" Robotnik scrambled over to the Moto Bug. Sonic revved up and took another shot at Robotnik. He did not care as Sonic drilled a hole through the lower body of the machine. He needed to get to Gregory.
"Please be alright," he said, digging in the wreckage of the robot. He found a tiny body and pulled it out. He turned around toward the destroyed cars still burning for light. Gregory was panting rapidly in the machine's hands, eyes closed and quivering. Robotnik needed to get home and help the hedgehog.
"You monster," Sonic said. He had his arms crossed and was tapping his foot. "You don't care who you hurt, do you? Animals or humans." He nodded at the injured police, then at Gregory.
"Don't presume to know me, you meddling pest," Robotnik said. He tucked Gregory into the cockpit of the machine. "I'm doing the best I can in a bad situation. You can only abuse a dog so far before he fights back."
"You're rabid," Sonic said, spreading his feet. "I need to put you down before you hurt anyone else."
Robotnik raised the machine's fists and swung at Sonic. The hedgehog ducked and revved up faster than before. Zipping to Robotnik, he sliced the machine's legs in half with his spines. The body crashed onto the ground. Robotnik tried to move the machine, but could only flail the arms.
"Give it up," Sonic said, walking towards him, "before you do any more damage."
He swung again at Sonic. "Stay back!" Then he pressed a button on his console. The cockpit detached from the rest of the body and soared high into the air. Sonic gaped at the flying, bowl-like carrier before jumping onto a street lamp. He tried to climber higher, but when Robotnik cleared the buildings, the cockpit's engines kicked in. He flew away, disappearing into the night.
At home, Robotnik hid his cockpit in the backyard, ran into the house, immediately laid out his medical supplies, and tended to Gregory. The hedgehog appeared relatively unhurt, save for minor scratches. Robotnik was thankful for that. He bandaged what he could and left the hedgehog to rest with some food and water.
Afterwards, he started to pack, gathering up all his supplies and pets. With his machine destroyed, he would need another means to move his things. He could rent a moving truck, but no place was open right now. He could borrow one and return it. Yet he also needed a destination.
He unloaded the money from the cockpit of his machine. With this, I could go anywhere and hide out. We should be fine for a while. It'll be enough to hold off until I get a better job. Maybe he could leave the country, start anew elsewhere.
His nerves were shot at the loss of his machine. He lamented it and his near capture. Nothing had gone right today. He could hardly think. Robotnik smacked his forehead. He needed to focus if he hoped to evade the police. He was surprised they had not already raided his house. But he was sure Clarissa must have called them.
Knock. Robotnik jumped, turning to the door. Who was it? The police? Sonic? "W-Who's there?" he asked. He checked the doorway, finding nothing amiss. He looked outside his peephole and saw no one there. "Must be my imagination." For safety's sake, he shoved his desk drawer in front of the door.
Tesla meowed from atop his computer. "I don't have time for you right now," he said. But the cat meowed again and hopped onto his keyboard. "Hey, hey!" He picked up Tesla and set the cat on the floor. "Shoo. Go eat or something." He had to focus. He had to pack and leave. Robotnik cursed today's draining events.
However, Tesla's jumping had woken up his computer. On the screen was his email inbox and there was a reply from one of the business he had sent the Ball-mobile proposal to. It was hardly the appropriate time, but Robotnik was so excited and needed something good to concentrate on, that he sat down and opened it.
"Dear Mr. Robotnik," he read aloud, then skimmed the rest of the lines. It was starting out like the numerous rejection letters he had already seen. Familiar phrases like "Thank you for your proposal" and "While this does pique our interest" stood out to him. But what stopped Robotnik cold in his reading was the last paragraph. The company said that the Ball-Mobile was too similar to another upcoming project, the Animal Aide.
Robotnik quickly searched the internet for this new project. When he found it, his insides turned to mush. He was on his former company's website. There, sitting in the middle of the page, was his Ball-mobile design, captioned with the title, "The Animal Aide can help your pet achieve the mobility they used to have." Next to the picture was a public demonstration date for a few months from now and a projected release for next year. There was also a small press release from Hughes that delved into some of the functionality.
He turned away from the computer, his arms trembling. They had stolen his idea? But how? They had thrown him out with his things. This was his personal project. One that he had been working on at home. So how-?
The parking garage. Robotnik recalled that night and how he had dropped the Ball-mobile. Clarissa had not been able to find the device because they had taken it. Hughes. Hughes had taken it. He was the only other one there who would have known its true value.
Yet that did not explain how they were able to successfully duplicate Robotnik's work. Unless, he thought, spinning back to the computer. He searched the website for any other information on the Animal Aide. Eventually, he came across the Animal Aide's lead developer: Dean Vane. The same squat Dean who had worked beside him now beaming at Robotnik from a photograph while holding the invention. His invention.
Robotnik ran his fingers across his scalp, digging into the skin like he was trying to crack open his mind and make himself process the information. He could not. It was unbelievable. But the evidence was staring him in the face with a large smile.
Suddenly, it happened. All at once, his senses were dulled, but heightened in a peculiar fashion. All noises were muted, except a high-pitched ringing in his ears. He saw nothing before him, yet could pick up the tiniest pixels on his computer screen. He was vaguely aware that he was numb all over, but could grip his chair tightly, feeling the arm rests bend. His tongue was fat and lazy, yet tasted the cool air as his mouth hung open.
There was a muffled laugh, as if someone were outside his house. Where was it coming from? It grew louder. The person was closer. Robotnik soon realized the laughter was coming from him. He laughed good and heartily, tears pricking his eyes. He took off his glasses and wiped them away, but they kept pouring down his face. He stood up from his chair, looked at the computer, and guffawed harder.
The animals were squawking, barking, and generally confused by the laughter. Robotnik continued to experience chortles that rolled his great belly. He walked over to the table, pulled out a chair, and threw it at the computer. The monitor fell to the floor, flickering with a crack in its screen.
Robotnik grabbed another chair and smashed it into the wall. He was left with two wooden legs ending in points, which he used to raid the living room. He beat pictures, stabbed furniture, and anything else he could with the legs. He attacked his kitchen, banging on the refrigerator and stove. In the animals' room, he kicked over food and water dishes, screaming incoherently at everything. In his bedroom, he upended the bed and toppled over his dresser, seething like a wild beast. He grabbed clothes out of the closet and tore them to shreds. Nothing seemed to satisfy him.
At one point, Robotnik lost control and could not remember what further destruction he caused. But the next thing he did know was that he was holding onto Gregory and walking toward the animals' room. When he entered, he stepped carefully around the spilled water.
He took a few minutes, standing there silently in the doorway and thinking things over. They have to pay. He stroked Gregory, despite the hedgehog's spines pricking his fingers. They have to pay. He smiled. Of course they have to pay. They ended up using my invention, so I should get some kind of compensation.
Robotnik raised his head and studied the animals before him. "We're moving," he announced. "But we're not leaving the city just yet. Oh, no, no, no." He chuckled, shaking his head. "No, can't leave without getting paid. Tindell, Hughes, Dean- the city as a whole is long overdue."
He set Gregory down in a cage. "And we can't leave the city in this state. If we hope to change the world, then it must start right here, right now. There is a need for a new order. A new system that makes sure nobody is taken advantage of. To make sure this never happens again. To any of us. But we'll need some more helpers to pitch in if we're going to do it." He clapped his hands and laughed again, the last of his tears falling to the floor.
A/N:
Pen: Hey! You people have seen those other two, haven't you? I demand you tell me where they are!...Fine, be that way. Then at least let me know what you think of the chapter. Meanwhile, I have two people to search for.
Sword: *whispers from the side* Thanks for reading!