In the halls of the castle, Sonic took a detour away from Manik's room, hoping to find the Royal Archives again. Her curiosity following her parents' story got her even more eager to see if she can learn more about any of their past adventures.
Unfortunately for her, she had not made note of the room since last she was at the castle and struggled to find it.
"Was it here?" Sonia wondered, zipping around. "Maybe in here." She zipped again, "Is this it?" Sonia continued running around at high speeds, trying to find where the room was. "This castle is too dang big, I need a map!"
She continued speeding around, but couldn't find it anywhere. The girl groaned in annoyance, having little to no luck finding this room.
"It's a big room, how'd I lose track of it?" Sonia wondered. "Eh, I'll keep looking around, maybe I'll find it on accident again."
As she searched, she passed by the room belonging to her brother. She skidded to a stop and walked backwards toward the door, glancing right at it.
"You know, I should see how Manik is before I go find those archives, if he sees that I came to check on him, it might make him happy," Sonia said, then began mimicking her brother's voice. "Phooey, I'm never happy. I'm super angsty. Foolish peasant." Sonia shook her head as she returned her voice to normal. "No way, Manik's not like that. Even he's capable of smiling once in a while."
Just before Sonia knocked on his door, she heard some giggling inside the room. This wasn't her brother's giggle, he never giggled after all. This was a girl's giggle.
"What in the...?" Sonia knows this voice. "Melody?"
"You're quite the pro Manik," Melody said. "Try to go easy on me though, it's my first time doing this after all."
"Hey you're doing well enough," Manik said.
"...Good thing I know better, otherwise I'd have thoughts about things I shouldn't even know at my age," Sonia said. "Funny what you can overhear when adults think you're not around, or when you're one of Aunt Sal's bitter old friends who doesn't give a crap."
A mischievous idea popped into Sonia's head. This was a golden opportunity to see her brother with a girl, and she had to make full use of it.
"Time for my not totally secret but everyone seems to forget that I can do it move..." Sonia said, then focused her powers to turn invisible. Carefully she opened the door, being sure not to alert her brother or his guest.
Once inside, she carefully closed the door behind her and tip-toed by Manik's bed, glancing from the corner to see her brother playing a fighting game with Melody.
"I can never figure out the inputs to games like these," Melody said, mashing on the controller. "Aren't there easier fighting games to play than this?"
"Those games offer no challenge, just pressing the same button is lame," Manik said. "A true pro knows the game and all its secrets."
"Isn't there a game we can play together?" Melody asked. "You and I work better as a team than rivals."
"Sure, I got plenty of games for us," Manik said. "I have a big collection. One of the benefits of being a prince."
"Yeah, being a prince makes you super rich," Melody said.
"Aren't you rich? Your mother's a pop star," Manik said.
"She hasn't been in the spotlight much, so she doesn't make a whole lot of money," Melody said. "It's been a bit of a struggle lately."
"Wow, I had no idea," Manik said.
"It's fine, we'll get by," Melody said, nestling against Manik's side. "It's sweet that you care."
Manik turned away, rubbing his nose a bit, "Don't get the wrong idea, I'm just asking out of basic curiosity."
Melody took the boy's hand in hers once again, bringing his attention to her as she greeted him with an affectionate smile. Manik's face stayed red, despite his attempts to reel in his emotions.
"Did you want to play that other game now?" Manik asked, trying to distract from the awkward feelings he was going through.
"You can be so shy sometimes, did you know that?" Melody teased.
"Me? Shy? I am the Prince of Mobius, I am far from shy," Manik said, awkwardly turning away again.
"Manik," Melody faced him back toward her. "You know I would never judge you."
"Well...good, you shouldn't judge your prince," Manik said.
"Beyond that, I won't judge you because I care about you," Melody said. "You mean a lot to me. Just being around you makes me feel happy. I can't wait to see how well you do as King."
"You might be waiting a long time, my mom's far from ready to give up the throne," Manik said. "That's why I need to prove myself now, so she can give it to me without regrets."
"You'll get there, in my mind, you already have the qualities of a King," Melody said. "You're strong willed and very brave. After all, you faced off against Ixis Nagus without fear."
"I sure did," Manik said. "I got grounded for it but still."
"I bet you can face off against Robotnik too," Melody said. "I don't think there is an enemy that can stand against you."
"Got that right," Manik said. "I'm going to be a mighty king, all enemies beware."
"If I were in danger, would you come to my rescue?" Melody asked.
Manik sheepishly rubbed his head, "Well..." He turned away again, not willing to look her in the eyes. "Yeah, of course I would. I couldn't let you get hurt."
"You're sweet," Melody said, kissing Manik's cheek, earning a blush from the boy.
The two exchanged eye contact, Melody's gaze getting more affectionate while Manik slowly became comfortable around her. The boy gained the courage to take her hand, not removing any eye contact.
"Melody..." Manik began.
"Yes, Manik?" Melody asked.
"I...well..." Manik struggled to speak. He did his best to maintain eye contact, but between her gaze and how cute she looked, Manik had trouble talking without freaking out. "I think you're...that you're quite..."
"Yes...?" Melody asked.
"I think...that you're very..." It was at this point that Manik Sonia's wide-eyed stare from right by his bed, the boy immediately freaking out. "CRAP!"
"Crap!?" Melody shouted, slightly offended.
"Not you! Behind you!" Manik said, gesturing to his sister.
Melody turned around and saw nothing. Then turned back to Manik, "There's nothing back there."
Manik furrowed his brow, gritting his teeth as his face turned red from anger, "SONIA!"
Despite her attempts to hide, Sonia knew that it was pointless since Manik knew she was here. She thought about running but if she did, he'd just get angrier. Not to mention her mom might find out and scold her for her behavior.
Sheepishly she peaked her head out from behind the bed, "Hey bro? How's it going?"
"Sonia?" Melody asked, the girl looking very annoyed. "Where'd you come from!?"
"The door," Sonia awkwardly said.
"Little smartypants..." Melody lamented. "More importantly how long were you here?"
"Yes, sister, how long were you here?" Manik asked in an eerily calm voice.
"Oh boy, he's mad. Like really mad..." Sonia had to act quickly, fortunately she knew just what to do. "Well...I just came by a second ago. I really missed you Manik, and I wanted to come and see you."
"So, you misused your powers and snuck into my room while I had company over?" Manik asked. "Then you proceeded to eavesdrop on me and Melody!? Haven't you ever heard of privacy!?"
"I get that you're mad, but it's alright, because I have a gift that will cheer you up," Sonia said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out the seashell. "Ta-dah!"
Manik was very much bemused, "What the hell is this supposed to be?"
"A seashell, I found it on a beach," Sonia said. "You know, these can bring good luck. My mom told me herself."
"Right, that nuisance of a woman," Manik said.
"...Kind of mean but you're still in a bad mood, so I can forgive that," Sonia said. "Still, do you like it? I picked it out especially for you, big brother."
"...Yeah whatever, just leave it on my desk and get out of my room," Manik said.
"Manik!" Melody scolded. "Come on, I know she's annoying sometimes but she's still your sister, you gotta be nicer."
"It's fine, he's just mad, and I totally understand it," Sonia said, walking over to leave it on the desk. "You can admire it later after you cool off, I'm gonna go and see if I can find that royal archive. Mom and dad told me a cool story about the time they saved Station Square from Chaos, and I wanted to see if it was documented, especially since Aunt Sally was there."
"Station Square? Chaos?" Melody asked. "Manik, what is she talking about?"
"I vaguely remember hearing about this once, how a monster from the Master Emerald flooded a city on Planet Earth," Manik said. "It's the first time my mother met Miles Prower."
"You can call him 'Tails' like everyone else," Sonia suggested.
"Did I ask for your input?" Manik said. "If you want to find the archives, it's east of the throne room."
"Right...sure," Sonia said, awkwardly backing out. "Well, I should leave. Sorry for interrupting your date."
"It's not a date!" Manik shouted, a big blush on his face. "We're just playing some games!"
"You know, I never took you for a gamer," Sonia said. "You and I should play together sometime."
"My games are too complicated for you, it'd be a waste of my time," Manik said.
"Manik, you need to chill," Melody said, then focused on Sonia. "He's not wrong, these games aren't for little kids like you."
"Can you not call me 'little'?" Sonia said. "Also, just how close are you with my brother? You said some really interesting things."
"Sonia!" Manik shouted, startling his sister.
"I swear I won't tell anyone," Sonia nervously insisted, then flashed her big sparkling eyes. "You believe your adorable baby sister, don't you big brother?"
Manik furrowed his brow, before letting out a large sigh of annoyance, "Look, how about I take you to the archives, then can you not bother me?"
"Sure," Sonia said.
"Melody, do you mind waiting a quick second?" Manik asked.
"No problem, I can wait," Melody said.
"Let's go Sonia," Manik said, then felt Sonia grab his hand, the little hedgehog smiling at her brother.
"Lead the way," Sonia said.
"Good grief," Manik said, leading his sister out of the room.
Melody kicked back and waited, "Wish I had a little sister, or brother."
Meanwhile in the throne room, Sally had begun her explanation about what had been happening to her four new guests. "Over the last couple of weeks, this Kingdom's had its fair share of trouble. Eggman's robots have been spotted around the city's limits as of late. We've been able to hold then off, but no sign of Eggman himself."
"How dangerous were the robots?" Sonic asked.
"Nothing too bad, they were basically those generic throw away models that even those without powers can handle," Sally explained. "For now at least."
"Well it's good to know everyone's been able to fend them off," Amy said.
"Unfortunately it sounds like Eggman has plans for this city again," Tails said.
"Not alone, Nagus is with him too," Sally said. "Manik had a run-in with him the other day."
"Manik ran into Nagus!?" Sonic shouted in worry. "Is the little guy alright? Nagus didn't hurt Manik, did he?"
"Bunnie was there to protect him," Sally said.
"With Tangle by mah side," Bunnie noted, gesturing to the Lemur.
"Bunnie's the one who chased him off," Tangle said. "I tried following but he gave me the slip."
"As long as Manik's alright," Amy said.
"Yeah, thanks Bunnie, I owe you for protecting my son," Sonic said.
"You don't have to owe me anything, sugarhog, I'd do anything to keep Manik safe, he's special to me," Bunnie said. "Not that ah need a reason to save someone, you sure as heck wouldn't need one. You'd save anyone regardless."
"I just do what I can," Sonic said. "But seriously, it's a relief to know you're looking out for my son. I'd hate it if something happened to him. How did Nagus even get to him? Did he sneak into the castle?"
"No, that sneaky son of ours thought it'd be funny if he snuck out and went to fight the dangers on his own," Sally said. "The dumb kid thinks he's a hero."
"Easy Sal, he probably wanted to help," Sonic said.
"Funny, that's what he told me, he sensed danger and went out to do something despite being in over his head," Sally said. "Really takes after you in that regard, Sonic."
"Uh...is that meant to be a bad thing?" Sonic asked.
"It shouldn't be a bad thing," Bunnie said. "Ah know he shouldn't have snuck out, but it just means he cares, like his father does."
"It's reckless, I'm trying to teach Manik to be better than someone who acts without thinking," Sally said.
"Did you ask him if he had a plan?" Sonic asked.
"I don't need to ask him, I told him to stay in his room," Sally said. "If he really thought things through, he knew I'd be ticked off that he snuck away."
"Well to be fair, you yourself didn't tell him to stay in his room, Whisper did," Tangle said, earning herself a glare from Sally.
"Mind repeating that, Tangle?" Sally said, a hint of venom in her voice.
Fortunately Whisper stood before her friend, glaring at Sally. "That is what happened, Queen Sally."
"Well...next time be sure to give him much clearer warning! I ordered you to-" Sally pulled back once Whisper slightly opened her eyes. "Look, this is just semantics. Fact is that Manik shouldn't have snuck out."
"Is that why you grounded him?" Amy asked.
"It was to keep him safe," Sally said. "My son's safety is always top priority after all."
"Are there others involved or is it just Eggman and Nagus?" Tails asked.
"There's belief that Sleet and Dingo are part of this operation as well," Sally said.
"Sleet and Dingo are here too!?" Sonic asked. "Eggman must be busy."
"We're kind of worried he might be raising an army of allies," Tangle said.
"It's too early to tell though," Bunnie added. "But this little group isn't exactly a normal combination."
"Yeah, Eggman and Nagus aren't exactly buddies, I'm surprised they might be working together," Sonic said. "Sleet and Dingo don't surprise me too much, their loyalty is equal to whoever pays them the most."
"Hopefully it's just them, unless Eggman's made more friends that we don't know about," Tails said. "There's no sign of anyone else right? Like maybe other members of IXIS?"
"None yet," Sally said.
"What about The Deadly Six? Or Doctor Starline?" Tails asked. "What about Scourge?"
Fiona huffed in annoyance at hearing the name of the hedgehog she thought she loved, "If Scourge shows his face, I'll make him regret it."
"Do we know if it's really them?" Amy asked. "What if it's like the Phantom Ruby situation?"
"Wow, didn't even consider that," Bunnie said. "Didn't Robotnik create a bunch of copies back when he had that Infinite fellow run amok?"
"He shouldn't have any, after we took the world back, I sent in some scouts to destroy any potential copies he would have made," Sally said. "Unless he had a few stashed away somewhere."
"Even so, Eggman couldn't really perfect it, and the original ruby left this Dimension, it should be with that other Sonic," Tails said.
"Eggman's crafty, he might have been working on it for years," Fiona said.
"Still, Nagus didn't really come across as one of those fakes," Tangle said. "Of course I could be mistaken but I feel like if Eggman really was using the Phantom Ruby, he'd have more copies of Nagus around, or someone else entirely."
"My team made sure to keep the Phantom Ruby in mind as well," Espio said. "We have not seen any traces either. We won't rule out the possibility, but it's still just as likely that Eggman formed a temporary alliance with Nagus and that the two hired Sleet and Dingo."
"Plus, something tells me that if Eggman were to use the Phantom Ruby again, he'd hit harder than the first time around," Vector said. "Egman isn't exactly the type of guy to repeat mistakes if he can help it."
"In any case, I can try to figure it out," Sonic said. "You all just hang back and I'll scout the area. Might bring Eggman out of hiding."
"Whoa, hold on, who put you in charge?" Fiona asked. "This is our mission, not yours. If Sally has something for you to do, she'll give it to you."
"Fiona, Sonic ain't some rookie, he knows Robotnik better than any of us," Bunnie said.
"I think I know Robotnik pretty well myself, I was a prisoner of his in my youth," Fiona said. "You remember that, don't you Sonic?"
"Here we go again..." Sonic lamented. "Fiona, I made a mistake, and I'm sorry. But you need to let it go. Ray did."
"Yeah, I don't hold a g-grudge," Ray said.
"That's because you're a nice guy, and I respect that about you," Fiona said. "Me however...I don't let things go so easily."
"Fiona, this isn't the time for your grudge. Sonic's offering to help, we'll get things done faster if he's here," Mina said, then rubbed Tails's head. "Even faster with his clever little buddy with us."
"Hey I'm all for Tails helping," Fiona said. "In fact, with Tails around, why do we need Sonic? Tails can do everything that Sonic can after all. Plus he can fly, can Sonic fly?"
"Wish you could fly home," Mina said.
"Why are you even here? What do you bring to our cause?" Fiona asked.
"You know Mina has super speed too, right?" Amy asked.
"I don't recall asking your input, Rose," Fiona said.
Sally groaned in annoyance, "For once, can we just get through something like this without all the drama?"
"Drama does tend to follow Sonic around," Fiona said.
"Excuse me, but that only happens when you're here," Amy said. "When it's Sonic and our friends, things are a lot more harmonious."
"Right, I forgot that Sonic doesn't consider anyone here a friend, because we're too slow to be important enough for him," Fiona said.
"Okay, Fiona, I'm sorry but you need to go," Sally said.
"Me?" Fiona asked.
"Yes you, go," Sally said, gesturing to the exit. "Things are tense enough as is, I don't want you causing more trouble!"
"You're seriously taking his side?" Fiona asked. "You're the one who didn't even want him around!"
"FIONA!" Sally shouted.
The red fox nervously backed up with her hands up, "Guess I crossed a line there, I should back off before I get on Sally's bad side." She began making her exit, "Fine, I'll leave for now."
Once she had left, Sally let out a large sigh, "Why does she have to be so annoying?"
"The real question is, why do you even have her around still?" Mighty asked. "She did betray us once, what if she does it again?"
"Mighty, don't even start with that," Sally said. "Fiona's a pain but she's not our enemy. Plus like it or not, she's a valuable asset to us, and she is my friend. But I should be harder on her when she acts out of line, so I will take responsibility for that."
"Fiona's still d-dealing with a lot of h-hurt, casting her out w-won't help," Ray said.
"You're only saying that because you're one of the few she actually seems to care about," Mighty said.
"Let's not talk trash about Fiona, be better than that," Tails said.
"We still have our own troubles to focus on," Amy said.
"Of course..." Sally said. "Still, Sonic. You know you're not obligated to help. I don't want to drag you into this, this isn't your responsibility."
"That doesn't mean I can't do something," Sonic said. "Have I ever needed a reason to help out my friends? Besides, Eggman did kind of make this personal when Manik got endangered. I have to keep an eye on my son."
"What about Sonia? She should be far away from here," Sally said.
"I won't let her do anything risky," Sonic said. "I'll do a quick sweep, see if I can spot old Baldy McNosehair. If I spot him, I'll trash him. If not, well I'll just stick around until I do."
"Sonic, please don't inconvenience yourself," Sally said.
"What inconvenience? Not like whatever else I want to do can't wait," Sonic said. "Contrary to what Fiona might think, I do care about everyone here, and I want to be sure everyone's safe."
"We believe yah," Bunnie said. "And Sally, you can see that Sonic wants to help. Don't worry so much about any inconvenience. He's offering his time after all."
"...Fine, it's your call Sonic," Sally said. "Hopefully you can end this soon and won't have to worry about being in a place like this."
"Geez Sal, you make it seem like this is the worst place in the world, isn't this your home?" Sonic asked.
"I also seem to recall this being your home once too Sonic! But that didn't last long, now did it!?" Sally shouted. This led to an awkward silence all around the throne room, Sally immediately regretting her choice of words. "I'm sorry...I don't know what came over me."
"Queen Sally," Lanolin said, getting her attention. "Why don't you go sit down somewhere, try to take your mind off of things. Maybe enjoy a cup of tea. I'll stay here and fill in as leader."
"Alright, just for a few minutes I guess," Sally said, quickly making her leave.
"Well...zat was kind of awkward," Antoine said, earning a couple of side eyes. "What?"
"Sorry about that Sonic, seems like Sally's just really stressed out," Bunnie said. "Not too long ago she looked like she was ready to snap at the first person who looked at her funny."
"It was really nerve racking," Tangle said.
"We totally understand," Amy said. "That's why we're here, to help Sally out and give her one less thing to worry about."
"If you ask me, she needs a vacation," Tangle said. "But getting her out of the castle is impossible. She always looks for any reason to worry. It's like she's afraid the moment she lets her guard down, the world will burn."
"To be fair Tangle, Sally is the Queen," Lanolin said. "It's not like she can just put her Queen duties aside."
"Come on, you can't seriously think this is good for her," Tangle said. "Sally overworks herself, it's stressing her out. You remember the last time she got this stressed out; she gained like fifty pounds."
"That's an exaggeration," Lanolin said. "She got a little...larger I will admit, but to be fair, that rabbit lady should not have been making her so many cookies."
"Vanilla was just trying to help," Amy said.
"On top of that, she also spent time at YOUR bakery," Lanolin said.
"Well yeah...I admit I spoiled her," Amy said. "But I helped her get back into shape."
"Something tells me we're gonna have to keep an eye on her again," Tails said, not wanting to go into full detail. "But for now, let's do what we can. While we're here, we won't even have to just stop at Eggman. We can handle a lot of her royal duties."
"Excuse me, but not anyone can handle the work of a Queen," Lanolin said. "Stick to finding Robotnik."
"Will do," Sonic said, immediately dashing off, leaving a gust behind that nearly knocked over Lanolin.
"Geez, he could have waited until we came up with a plan of attack," Lanolin said, standing back up. "You think by this point he'd know not to rush in without a strategy."
"Who says he doesn't have one?" Bunnie asked. "Sonic's been doing this a long time, he's really good at thinking on his feet."
"So what are we supposed to do then?" Lanolin asked.
"Well, yer the leader, and if yer gonna lead a mission with Sonic, then you best plan around him," Bunnie said. "Sonic's strategy is usually scouting an area, sometimes drawing out an enemy. If Robotnik finds him, he's going to send robots after him. The best thing we can do fer Sonic is to lighten his load. Keep the enemies off him while he goes for the big guys."
"...Right, that makes sense," Lanolin said.
"Bunnie's quite the strategist herself, Sally should have left her in charge," Tails said.
"Really appreciate that, sugar," Bunnie said.
"Well Queen Sally didn't pick Bunnie! She picked me! I'm just as good of a leader! Sally wouldn't pick just anyone to lead the Freedom Fighters after all," Lanolin said. "And as leader...we'll just do what Bunnie said, but only because I happen to agree."
"Sure, whatever makes ya happy," Bunnie said. "All ah care about is keeping mah Kingdom safe."
"I shall join you, mon cherrie," Antoine said. "You and I will check ze north side of Mobotropolis. Tangle and Whisper can search the South."
"Just leave it to us, Ant!" Tangle shouted, placing her arm around Whisper's neck, the wolf girl looking a little sheepish.
"As for ze rest of you-" Antoine continued before Lanolin cut him off.
"Ahem, did you forget that Sally left me in charge?" Lanolin asked.
Antoine sighed in annoyance, "Very well, what is your order zen?"
"Well since you kindly volunteered yourself and your wife for the north, then volunteered my old teammates for the south, I will allow that to stick," Lanolin said. "Tails can check the skies, I take it you brought your plane."
"Sure did, the X-Tornado at your service," Tails said.
"That's the plane that holds four seats, right?" Lanolin asked. "So you can bring three teammates."
"I can join him," Amy said.
"Me too!" Mina volunteered.
"Great, and I'll go too," Lanolin said.
"What about Cream?" Amy asked.
"She can stay here with Rotor and watch over the castle, and Sally," Lanolin said. "Ray, Mighty, you two search the east while Team Chaotix takes the west."
"Sure thing, boss lady," Charmy said.
"On it," Ray said.
"Everyone has their communicators, right?" Lanolin asked. "Even our guests?"
"I don't have one, and neither does Sonic," Amy said.
"I have a spare for you," Lanolin said, handing one over to Amy. "Keep it on at all times. If anyone finds Robotnik or one of his allies, call immediately."
"You got it," Tails said, taking his radio. "Freedom Fighters, Roll Out!"
"Ugh, that's supposed to be MY call!" Lanolin lamented as she joined the others.
Around the city, Sonic was dashing all around, keeping an eye out for any sign of danger. As he did, he came across a group of robots that seemed to be gathered around.
Sonic quickly hid behind a tree, listening to some instructions they were being given.
"Don't worry about how much damage you do, just try to get Princess Sally into a frenzy," Came the voice of Eggman. "The more she panics, the more likely she'll make a mistake. That's when we strike, bringing down her entire Kingdom. Even better that blue menace takes notice, her breakdown is the ultimate bait."
"So that's your plan? Seems simple but I guess even simple works sometimes," Sonic thought to himself.
"If you happen to see Prince Manik, try to take him in alive, I could use a hostage," Eggman said.
"Okay, that's going too far," Sonic said, focusing on the robots.
"Over and out," Eggmna said, disconnecting his call. Within seconds, Sonic had immediately obliterated the robots present.
"Well I know what his plan is at least, still feels kind of basic," Sonic said. "Sally can be panicky but no way even Eggman will think something like this will be that easy. Guess he's becoming senile in his old age."
Sonic immediately dashed off, looking for more of Eggman's robots.
Inside the castle, Sally was seen sitting at her desk, taking a moment to calm herself from what happened prior. She kept glancing at her wedding picture, the smile she had that day being one of the only times she felt truly happy in life.
Of course, she wasn't alone in this picture. With every wedding, there is usually a bride and a groom. She took a look at the groom in the picture, that being Sonic, and the smile on his face.
"Were you truly happy? Or were you just trying to humor me?" Sally wondered aloud as she gently dragged her hand across the picture. "I can't even tell anymore."
Outside the room, Cream was listening in. She didn't mean to eavesdrop but while she went to check on Sally, she peaked in and saw that she looked sad. Truth be told, Cream wanted to help and do something nice but Sally's situation was very delicate, and Cream didn't want to make things worse.
"Things looking bad in there?" came Fiona's voice, the woman standing in front of Cream now.
"Oh, Fiona," Cream greeted. "Sally's just...well..."
"Moping?" Fiona asked.
"I think so," Cream said. "She sounds really sad."
"Well yeah, her husband left her for another woman, any girl would be upset about that," Fiona said. "Imagine if Tails left you for Marine."
"Marine? That's an oddly specific name," Cream said. "Still, Sonic didn't leave Sally to be with Amy. Sonic isn't the type of guy to do something like that."
"Hey all I'm saying is that the moment Sonic and Sally split up, in comes Amy Rose to whisk the speedy jerk away," Fiona said. "Imagine being Sally and still having to rely on him. Kind of hard for her to move on when she can't just get rid of the guy."
"Sally doesn't need to get rid of Sonic to move on. There's no reason the two can't still be friends after all," Cream said. "Also, Amy didn't 'whisk' Sonic away. He and Sally just split up and Amy married him a year later."
"Yeah, all it took was a year for him to get with someone else," Fiona said. "Seems kind of fast if you ask me. Sonic probably never even loved Sally in the first place. Leading a girl on like that, making her feel special. You're so lucky you got Tails, he would never do that to a girl, so you never had anything to worry about. Sally however suffered one of the biggest heartbreaks in recent memory. While Sonic and Amy are off having the time of their lives, Sally's here wishing she could come close to what she had with Sonic."
Cream looked back at Sally, she couldn't exactly deny that the Queen was definitely still feeling the sting of her divorce. But she also knew Sonic well enough to know he never would have done what Fiona is insisting.
"I can't agree with you," Cream said. "Sonic would never have hurt Sally if he could help it. But it was important that they realize that their love wasn't mean to be. Sally is sad, and I can see why. She's a single mother, just like my own mom. But unlike my mom, Sally has plenty of support, even from Sonic. If he really didn't care about her, he wouldn't be here today. He loves Sally, just differently than he loves Amy."
"What is it about Sally that Sonic didn't love exactly?" Fiona asked. "Is it because she can't run as fast as him?"
"If you're that curious, why don't you ask him yourself?" Cream pointed out. "You're quick to say these mean things about Sonic, but did you ever consider things from his point of view? I can tell you that Sonic was just as sad about the divorce as Sally was, because he does care about her."
"If he cares, then why did he leave?" Fiona said.
"Like I said, you'd need to ask Sonic yourself, it's much better than assuming things," Cream sternly stated. "Fiona, regardless of what anyone says, I think you're a great lady. It's not just because of Miles that I think that, I can tell you're a lot nicer than you act. But when you behave like this, it really doesn't do you any favors. Please, be better than this."
"...No promises," Fiona said, then rubbed Cream's head. "I do appreciate that. I'm glad Tails picked you as his wife, I don't think he could have gone with anyone better."
"That means a lot to me," Cream said.
"So cute too!" Fiona said, bringing Cream in for a noogie. "You're just about the most adorable little Rabbit!"
"Please do not noogie me!" Cream urged.
"Hey it's your fault for being so cute," Fiona said. "My cute little bunny rabbit, I could just about steal you away from Tails."
"That wouldn't be very kind to him," a somewhat distraught Cream said.
"Ahem..." Sally said, the Queen opening her door. "How long were you two out here? Also, Fiona, what are you doing to Cream?"
"Oh nothing," Fiona said, releasing the girl. "Just some girl to girl, bonding."
"That was a weird way to bond," Cream said, rubbing her head.
"Cream, when did you even get here?" Sally asked.
"Oh um..." Cream dusted herself off and bowed to the Queen. "Forgive me, I just came to check on you."
"I'm fine, no need to worry about me," Sally said.
"Are you sure? I can make you some tea if you want," Cream said.
"I have tea, thanks," Sally said. "Though...I don't suppose you brought any cookies from your mother?"
"Sally..." Cream said, wagging her finger. "You know you're not supposed to eat sweets."
"Eh, worth a shot," Sally said.
"Hey Cream, since Sally appears to be good, could you get me some coffee?" Fiona asked.
"What's the magic word?" Cream asked.
"...Please..." Fiona said.
"It would be my pleasure," Cream said, once again bowing to the Princess just before leaving.
Fiona chuckled to herself, "Don't you hate when your friends bow to you?"
"Normally yes, but Cream bows to all her friends, it's her way of saying 'hello' and 'good-bye'," Sally said. "It reminds me of when I was in Japan, that seemed to be the norm there. I'm grateful that Cream shares a bit of her culture with me. It's something I want for Manik. If he's going to be King, he needs to understand the world."
"Kind of hard considering that kid's always in the castle," Fiona said. "Just like his mother was."
"What are you getting at?" Sally asked.
"Sally, you want so much for your son, but you really don't do much to make it a reality," Fiona said. "Deep down you're way too nervous about the idea of sending your son out on an adventure."
"It's not that, Fiona. You know as well as I do that Manik has breathing problems, he can't go fast without getting short breathed too fast," Sally said. "Any physical activity he does could result in a shortness of breath for him."
"You let him fence with Antoine," Fiona pointed out.
"That's because I trust Antoine to know what to do should Manik overdo it," Sally said.
"Then find someone you can trust," Fiona said. "My suggestion, Tails. He can fly Manik around the world, let him see all different sights. One day if you're gutsy enough, you can let Tails bring Manik to Earth or something. If he goes to Earth, he can see some of those superheroes."
"It will be a long time before I'm comfortable with Earth, even if Tails is there, even if Amy is there," Sally said.
"Fine, just start small," Fiona said. "But the kid needs this. You really want him moping around the castle all the time? It's no wonder he's miserable. Each day he as a constant reminder that he doesn't have a father around to give a damn about him."
"Fiona..." Sally nearly growled.
"Look, I know I crossed a line earlier today, but you know it's your honest feelings," Fiona said. "Better than pretending you're fine when you're not!"
"I...really don't want to get into this," Sally said.
"Sally," Fiona placed her hands on her shoulders, looking into her eyes. "You're a strong lady, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you. But sometimes, you really piss me off with how much you deny simple truths. Everyone esle wants to be a pansy and tell you that it's alright, well the fact is, it's not alright! So stop your damn pretending already!"
"Fiona...what do you expect me to do?" Sally asked. "You want me to say I'm not alright? Fine. I'm not alright, I'm not happy that I have to call my ex-husband to fix my problems. I didn't even have to call him this time, he came on his own. Assuming it was even his idea because for all I know, Amy strong-armed him into it like she has to do just to get him to come see Manik." Sally rubbed her temples, trying to calm herself, to no avail. "I know Sonic doesn't want to be here; I can see the discomfort in his face. Why would he return to the place where he was miserable and the girl who made him miserable!" Sally wiped a tear from her eye. "I did my best, didn't I? All I wanted was for him to be around, he made me happy, why didn't I make him happy? Am I that bad of a wife?"
"Sally, if I were a guy, I'd love to marry a girl like you," Fiona said. "Sonic didn't know how good he had it, so he went with that annoying fangirl who probably tells him everything he wants to hear, and not what he needs to hear, that being everything you had to say to him. I know the feeling, I tried wooing the guy myself once, but I wasn't good enough either, because I just wasn't special. The only reason he had interest in you was because of your crown, but beyond that, he didn't see anything special with you, because you can't run as fast as him! Screw slowing down apparently, everyone needs to keep up with him because thinks the world revolves aroudn him! He didn't even care to stick around for his own son! You have a right to be upset."
"Should I tell him to leave then?" Sally asked.
"No, let him get rid of Robotnik, if he's gonna break your heart the least he can do is keep this place safe for people who at least give a damn about you," Fiona said. "If anything, Robotnik is pretty much Sonic's main problem, so let him deal with it. The last few years have shown that aside from Robotnik, you can pretty much handle any adversary without Sonic. Nagus? Screw him. Mogul, just a chump. Starline? More like Star-Whine. Sleet and Dingo? Too much for most but nothing our best can't handle. Snivley, that guy wishes he was a thing like Robotnik."
"So...keep Sonic around, until the job is done," Sally said.
"Hey, if I were you, I'd tell him off," Fiona said. "You've held in all your animosity for years. You need to let that scumbag have it. Let him know he chose wrong. You know what would be amazing? If Ray pulled through and made Sonic look like the disgrace he is. Then just to top it all off, walk over to Ray and plant a big kiss on the guy, right in front of Sonic."
"I don't think I'll do that, maybe one on the cheek but that's it," Sally said. "Ray and I aren't even dating."
"Yet," Fiona said. "Seriously, he's a sweet guy, I hope you give him a chance."
"I don't know if I even want another husband," Sally said. "I'm too afraid to get married again."
"Hopefully that won't last, but one more reason Sonic sucks," Fiona said. "For him to destroy your self-esteem, that's low for a so-called hero."
"...Honestly, despite how I feel...I just can't imagine Sonic would willingly hurt me," Sally, pulled out the rose he gave her earlier. "Even though our marriage didn't last, there were times he seemed happy around me." The chipmunk began to blush, "Especially certain nights, just the look in his eyes when he made me feel special. It was one of many times I felt close to him, physically and emotionally. Those nights in bed with him, I will never trade those away for anything. It's only natural, nights like that are the reason I got my precious little boy, my dear Manik. Only Sonic could have blessed me with a gift like that, in the best way possible."
"You know, you say that, yet in the end, he chose to give those nights to Amy Rose instead," Fiona said. "Face it Sally, he duped you. The sooner you tell him off, the sooner you will feel better about everything."
"But..." Sally shook her head. "I just can't-"
"For all you know, Sally, he could have just been thinking of Amy those nights," Fiona said. "Don't let yourself be fooled. If you can prove he actually loved you and didn't just use you as a practice run for Amy, then I'll believe you."
"Fine...I will," Sally said. "I know that Sonic genuinely loved me...I just don't know why I lost it. But I will figure it out."
Fiona then pulled Sally into a hug, confusing the chipmunk, momentarily.
"Sally...regardless of what you find out, I just want you to know something," Fiona gently stroked her head. "I love you. Even if Sonic never loved you, I do. You're one of the best things to happen to my life, and I would never trade our friendship for anything. I know it's not the love you wanted from Sonic, but I hope it's enough."
Slowly but surely, Sally returned the hug to Fiona, "I love you too. Thanks Fi."
"No prob, Sal," Fiona said.
Unbeknownst to them, Cream had overheard a chunk of their conversation. The girl didn't go too far after her hearing picked up their chatter.
"Fiona...you love Sally, and I can tell you want to be there for it's hard for one misguided heart to help another find it's way," Cream had to think of something, otherwise things could get really bad soon. "I gotta talk to Miles about this."
Meanwhile Tails flew in the skies overhead, using his binoculars to look down in the outskirts surrounding the castle.
"Things are looking great here," Tails said.
"So far, so good," Mina said, the girl directly behind him.
Even further back were Lanolin and Amy, each of them searching overhead.
"I can't see any robots, Badnkis or SWATBots," Lanolin said.
"SWATbot? Eggman uses those?" Amy asked. "Weren't they an old prototype?"
"I know that Snivley guy tends to use them still, I think Eggman borrows a few from time to time since he's the one who invented them in the first place," Lanolin said.
"Still, the view looks great up here," Tails said, admiring the castle. He turned back to face Mina. "Wouldn't you say?"
"Oh I definitely love the view from where I'm sitting," Mina said, winking at Tails. "Especially now."
"Uh...that's nice, I guess?" Tails said, somewhat confused.
"Hey Mina, how's your daughter doing these days?" Amy asked.
"Oh, she's fine, especially now, she's spending time with Manik," Mina said.
"That's nice, I bet they're really good friends," Amy said.
"Maybe more, Mina's been really fond of Manik lately, who knows what could develop between the two," Mina said.
Amy's eyes widened in excitement, "Oh my God! Are they in love! Please tell me they're in love!"
"Well Melody might be, not sure about Manik," Mina said.
"I will personally ensure those two fall in love!" Amy said.
"Amy, focus on the mission ahead of us before going off on a new one," Lanolin said.
"You say mission, I say adventure," Amy said.
"Same thing, just focus," Lanolin said.
"Heh, you really sound like Sally sometimes, Lanolin," Tails teased.
"I take that as a compliment," Lanolin said. "Keep flying Prower."
"Bossy like Sally too," Mina teased, earning a chuckle from everyone aside from Lanolin.
"How does Sally maintain her patience around such idiocy?" Lanolin wondered.
Down below, Tangle and Whisper are searching around, Tangle taking more of a high ground approach, "See anything!?"
"Not since you asked me ten seconds ago," Whisper said.
"Hey you never know," Tangle said, landing back down. "Eggman's really sneaky, huh?"
"Of course, no enemy would foolishly place himself in sight," Whisper said, holding her gun close. "Not unless it's a trap."
"Got me there," Tangle said. "On the bright side, with Sonic around, things should go much faster."
"I hope so," Whisper said.
"How do you suppose Sally feels? Knowing that Sonic's around?" Tangle asked.
"It is not our concern, nor our place to ask," Whisper said.
"Come on, I know she's the Queen but she's also our friend," Tangle said. "Also, I really get worried about her sometimes. She gets so stressed out over this stuff."
"Stressed out is an understatement," Whisper said. "She must control her emotions."
"She does her best, but you can't blame her," Tangle said. "Sonic broke her heart after all."
"Tangle!" Whisper shouted, startling her friend with her uncharacteristic outburst. Calming herself, Whisper again spoke in her normal tone, "You know there's more to it than that. Phrasing it that way starts rumors, and you know how things get when rumors start, especially when it comes to Royalty."
"Yeah, I see your point," Tangle said.
"If you are worried about Queen Sally, I worry for her too, but this is a matter she must deal with at her own pace," Whisper said. "That being said, now is not the time to discuss such matters in the first place. Our focus should be protecting Mobotropolis from that corrupt Doctor and that sinister sorcerer."
"Right, got it," Tangle said.
On the other side of the castle, Bunnie held her laser arm around, ready to blast any robot she came across while Antoine stuck close to her with his sword out.
"Not a lot of enemies here, either Robotnik called them back or Sonic took them out already," Bunnie said.
"I hate not knowing which one," Antoine said. "Still, if Sonic did take ze robots out, then I guess that's good. It means we can be rid of Robotnik much sooner, as well as that dastard Nagus."
"Well with Sonic around, things should be over soon," Bunnie said. "After he sends old Egghead packing, we owe him a nice treat. Ah know he likes chilidogs but he can have those any old time. Ah should ask Tails what sort of treats he likes. Speaking of Tails, ah should catch up with him too, kind of miss the little guy."
"When zis is done, we can bring our kids to visit ze Prower Family if you'd like," Antoine said. "I would not mind some of Cream's special treats, or that tea she makes. Magnifique."
"I'd love seeing the Prowers again," Bunnie said. "You know, Skye calls me 'Aunt Bunnie', it's just the cutest little thing."
"Lots of kids are giving you that title, even Manik, and he's one hardened boy," Antoine said.
"That boy worries me at times, he's so reckless but ah get the feeling that he wants to feel useful since he's going to be King one day," Bunnie said. "Things just are tough since well...he don't have a normal family life. We do try filling the void Sonic left behind but deep down, ah think he wishes he had a daddy that was around more."
"I do not blame him, but it cannot be helped," Antoine said. "Sonic and Sally, well zey are not together."
"Sometimes ah wish they worked things out, but it just wasn't meant to be," Bunnie said. "Sonic did his best and he gave up a lot for Sally. Most folks don't see it that way, especially Fiona."
"Sonic iz a hedgehog that I will never understand," Antoine said. "Most would love to be the husband of a Queen, especially a nice lady like Sally. All these years and zat is one thing I cannot be wrapping my head around."
"Well Sonic's a mysterious guy, but he's a good guy nonetheless," Bunnie said. "His reasons are his alone. Ah trust wholeheartedly that Sonic would not do this just to hurt Sally. Honestly, I'd dare say Sally might be just at fault, if not more."
"Bunnie, please, do not say such a thing out loud," Antoine said. "Someone could be hearing you."
"Who's gonna hear me?" Bunnie asked. "Ah don't like playing this type of card, but given that I'm Queen Sally's best friend and basically top hero in Mobotropolis, ah can't imagine anyone would have something to say."
"Still, I'm amazed you just said it out like like zat," Antoine said.
"You know why I'm worried?" Bunnie asked. "The other day, Tangle was asking me mah opinion about Sonic and Sally, and ah could have sworn she doubted Sonic. The same Sonic she's known fer years, that we've all known. He's done more fer us than anyone, so for him to be doubted over troubles that could have just as easily been Sally's fault does not set right with me at all."
"Wow, you are quite serious about zis," Antoine said.
"Ah love Sally, she's mah best friend, and ah would do anything fer her," Bunnie said. "That don't mean that I'm gonna pretend she can do no wrong. If anything, ah should have been the one to tell her the truth about some things long ago. A good friend doesn't just tell you what you want to hear, a good friend tells you what you need to hear."
"Zat is quite ze thing to say, mon cherrie," Antoine said.
"Tell me hon, do you think Sonic did anything wrong?" Bunnie asked.
"I...do not know how to answer zat," Antoine said. "I want to think he would not hurt Sally, but I cannot imagine Sally being at fault."
"...Gee, it's like Sally has everyone under her control," Bunnie said. "Ah gotta knock some sense into that girl soon. She needs a little tough love."
Unknown to them, and many of the other teams, a bunch of cameras were scattered around various hiding spots, recording everything in process.
In his base, Eggman was seen gathered around in front a group of monitors, each one showing what the outside of the city looked like.
"Perfect, soon we'll be able to go inside as well," Eggman said. "But it looks like our plan may need to really get moving soon, after all, Sonic's around. I don't want to have to keep him waiting after all."
"You really are prepared for everything, aren't you sir?" Orbot asked.
"Of course, I want to be ready to crush Sonic and his misfit friends after all," Eggman asked. "And I won't be doing it alone."
"Yeah, you got all these friends here," Cubot said.
"Eh friends is such a...not too accurate term, more like.." Eggman whispered to the robots. "Expendable allies."
"Wow, sucks for them," Cubot said.
"Well, I should make sure they're all here," Eggman said, grabbing a list. "Alright, when I call your name, just let me know if you're here! Ahem...Walter Nagus!"
"Present and accounted for, Doctor Robotnik," Nagus said.
"Sleet and Dingo," Eggman said.
"At your presence, great Robotnkin sir," Sleet said.
"You know most people just call him 'Eggman'," Cubot said.
"Quiet!" Eggman ordered, then called out again. "Scratch! Grounder! Coconuts!"
"At the ready Doctor Eggman, sir!" Scratch said on behalf of his team.
"Bocoe, Decoe, Bokkun!" Eggman called.
"Here we are!" Bokkun called alongside his robot brothers.
"Metal Sonic!" Eggman called, hearing a quick beep. "Good, there you are. Sage!"
A voice poppd up from the computer, "I am here, father."
"How come she's the only one who calls you that?" Cubot asked.
"Because she respects the fact that I created her," Eggman said, focusing back on his list. "Next up...Zavok and his Deadly Six!"
The leader of the Zeti stood before his allies, "We are present, Doctor Eggman."
"You got the Zeti? Are you sure that's a good idea?" Orbot asked.
"Don't worry, we worked out a deal," Eggman said. "I'm giving my allies a bit more...free reign, within reason."
"Just try not to tick us off again," came the voice of Zeena.
"Yeah, sure," Eggman said. "Next up...Surge and Kit."
From nearby was the Tenrec girl, standing beside her sidekick, "Ready and waiting to take down Sonic!"
"I should hope so," Eggman said. "Next, we have Scourge."
"You called, Ro-Butt-Nik?" Came the voice of the anti-Sonic, glancing from behind his sunglasses.
"Real cute, weren't you supposed to be here with two others? Namely Rosy and Alicia!" Eggman said.
"He is," Came the voice of the anti-Sally. "But he went ahead without us."
"That's very naughty, Scourge!" Came the voice of the Anti-Amy, holding her massive hammer. "Am I gonna have to hurt you?"
"Back off, weirdo," Scourge warned.
"Next up, Team Hooligans. Fang, Bean and Bark," Eggman said.
"Ready and waiting, Doctor Eggman," Came the voice of Fang, joined by his two allies.
"Is this everyone?" Orbot asked.
"Yeah...everyone I could get at least," Eggman said.
"What about Snivley?" Scratch asked.
"And Doctor Starline!" Bokkun said.
"I tried contacting them, but no use," Eggman said.
"What of the one called Infinite?" Zavok asked.
"Let me guess, he was 'Too weak' to bring back?" Scourge asked. "Considering he got his butt whooped by a bunch of powerless Mobians his first go around, I'm not surprised he wouldn't show his face, even with that dorky mask."
"Infinite is not an impossibility," Sage said. "He can still be contacted."
"Yeah but, he's kind of hard to work with sometimes, in fact all of them are," Eggman said.
"You're the one who hired us," Surge said.
"Hey my options were limited," Eggman said. "Not like I could hire everyone that Sonic's fought. You don't see me looking for The Metarex, or what's left of them. Same with Lyric, don't want to deal with that guy either. And don't get me started on my counterpart from that other dimension, the one who just sits down all day, barking orders."
"Like you do?" Scourge teased.
"Hey, I get things done on my own!" Eggman said. "Did I ever tell you the story of the time I busted into G.U.N. HQ?"
"Don't really care," Scourge said.
"It was about seventeen years ago, give or take," Eggman began.
It was 9:02pm on Prison Island. Inside the base, an alarm was going off as a bunch of doors were shutting down while a voice alerted everyone to the potential threat.
"Intruder alert! Intruder alert! Security Breach at Gate Three! Intruder has been located in the north quadrant and is moving in the direction of the underground base! All units prepare to engage. Emergency Battle Formations! Standard battle protocols initiated. Locate and stop the intruder from entering the security area! This is not a drill! Repeat, this is not a drill!"
Entering the base was Eggman. Joined by Orbot and Cubot, the scientist was blasting his way through, "Ha! This is all far too easy!" He walked down the hall, stepping onto an elevator platform. "Time to see what my grandfather was working on. This military weapon that got shut down out of fear!"
"If it got shut down for that reason, then why do you want to start it back up?" Orbot asked.
"To use it for myself of course, it could be the perfect tool to conquer this world!" Eggman said. "Perhaps I can use it to conquer Mobius as well."
"How did you end up on Mobius anyway?" Orbot asked. "Knowing you were born in this world certainly must raise a lot of questions."
"It hardly matters to me, not like I was ever close with my family," Eggman said. "Probably didn't even care that I was gone."
"Aw, is that why you're so dedicated to conquering everything? In hopes of fulfilling that aching void in your heart that yearns for a family?" Cubot asked.
"Cubot, what did I tell you about trying to get philosophical on me!" Eggman said as he came across more security. "Chat later, hang on tight."
"Oh boy..." Orbot lamented as Eggman began blasting his way through the halls.
It wasn't long before he arrived in a fancy room with a small pod at the end. "So this is the top secret weapon. It's a lot smaller than I expected." Eggman immediately entered the user data, "Now for the password...MA-RI-A."
"Maria?" Orbot asked. "Peculiar name."
"It's my cousin's name, Maria was the star child of the family," Eggman said.
"Oh, I bet she's nice, when can we meet her?" Cubot asked.
"I'm afraid she's no longer with us," Eggman said.
"Oh...sorry to hear that," Orbot said.
"Eh, I never really knew her so it doesn't affect me personally," Eggman said as he pulled out a white Chaos Emerald. Enough talk, we have business to attend to."
He placed the emerald in the machine and a pod began rising. Eggman was more than curious while both Orbot and Cubot looked very much worried.
Seconds later, a hedgehog was seen emerging, taking the trio by surprise, and enraging Eggman. "Is that you Sonic!? Are you trying to spoil my plans!?" Upon taking a closer look, he noticed something was off. The hedgehog was black and red rather than blue, and had white chest fur. "Wait, you're not Sonic!"
"My name is Shadow..." the hedgehog said. "Since you were so kind to release me, I will grant you one wish."
Suddenly a machine had entered the room, "This is Scorpion platoon, Hot Shot. I can confirm that the dangerous subject has been freed. En route to intercept and destroy!"
"Copy that," the voice said.
Shadow began hovering with his air boots, "Now witness my true power." He immediately destroyed the Hot Shot machine with little effort, leaving everyone else stunned by his abilities.
"Oh my..." Orbot said.
"Hahaha! Spectacular!" Eggman said. "So, you're the top-secret weapon then, Shadow? Also, how do you plan on granting me a wish?"
"Bring me Chaos Emeralds," Shadow said, making his leave. "I will be waiting for you in the Central Control Room, in the Space Colony ARK."
"Did you say 'ARK'?" Eggman asked, just as Shadow had left.
"Not much for conversation, is he?" Orbot asked.
"Hm...well then, it looks like we're going to be collecting some Chaos Emeralds," Eggman said.
"Weren't we doing that anyway? You know, to go home," Cubot said.
"Ugh..." Eggman groaned, then checked his monitor. "Bokkun, I'm going on a hunt for more emeralds, if you find any coordinates, let me know immediately! I will do some searching on my own as well."
"You got it boss," Bokkun said.
"Lets go boys," Eggman said, flying off in his Egg Mobile.
Back in the present, a proud Eggman finished his story. "It was one of my best adventures too. Things didn't go exactly as I planned but I still did some really cool stuff."
From what he could see, many around didn't seem to care. Scourge even seemingly fell asleep before 'jolting' awake.
"Oh wow, nice story Egghead," Scourge said. "So you freed that chump Shadow, big deal. Honestly I fail to see how that's good since he's a pain in the ass too."
"Exactly, screw Shadow!" Surge shouted.
"Point is that I get things done, and with all of us working together, we can finally bring down Sonic and the Acorn Empire!" Eggman said.
"Where I shall take Queen Sally's place as ruler," Nagus said. "I will be King!"
"Yeah, yeah, fine with me, it'll still be my world," Eggman said. "In time, I will be sending all of you out there. You will destroy Sonic and his friends. Then we'll go to Earth where I will destroy the rest of his friends. Like that annoying nuisance Spider-Man! That reprehensible Human Torch! That good-for-nothing Rainbow Dash! You know I just might find the home of their buddy Ryo Hazuki and crushed that place too! Then I'll go find Hyrule and The Mushroom Kingdom and-"
"Getting ahead of yourself, there" Scourge said.
"R-right, I suppose so," Eggman said. "Just be ready to fight soon."
"I'm already ready for a fight," Surge said.
"So long as you pay us well, and don't double cross is," Fang warned.
"Mind your tongue when speaking to Robotnik," Sleet said, focusing on the doctor. "But I do imagine we'll be paid well."
"Yes, yes, you'll all get paid!" Eggman shouted. "Just do your job or you get zilch!"
"You have our word..." Zavok said, sinisterly turning around and leaving. "For now at least."
"So...who do I smash first?" Rosy asked. "Sonic? Tails? Oh! How about Fiona!"
"Hey if anyone gets Fiona, it's me," Scourge said. "Better yet, I'll bring her back to our side, give her a good offer, one she can't refuse."
"Don't get any funny ideas, Scourge," Alicia said. "Last time I checked, you were supposed to be with me."
"He is?" Rosy asked. "Since when?"
"Since I had his child a year ago!" Alicia shouted.
"Right, of course, I haven't forgotten," Scourge nervously said. "Listen, I gotta have a word with the others, catch you later, toots."
Scourge sped away, Rosy looking confused, "Scourge didn't say anything about being with you."
"He wouldn't, would he?" Alicia said, glaring at Rosy. "Do me a favor, and stay away from him."
Alicia stomped off as well, Rosy playfully twisting her finger on her cheek. "Might be a liiiiitle too late for that. Oh well."
Eggman checked his monitors, "Hm, now let me see..."
"Sir, you have a call from Earth," Sage said.
"I do?" Eggman checked the monitors, beholding a nice surprise. "Wily! My old friend, how are you!?"
"Greetings Ivo, I hear you're planning a big takeover of your world," Wily said.
"That I am, it will be spectacular," Eggman said. "You're welcome to join us."
"I would, but I am a bit busy right now," Wily said. "At the moment, Mega Man is storming my base and trying to foil one of my plans before I even have the chance to show the world. Competition is so tough these days, and some heroes just attack so suddenly."
"Sorry to hear that," Eggman said.
"I thought about contacting you, seeing if you want to come back at some point and maybe we can team up again," Wily said. "But if you're busy, that's fine. I can make do here for now. Who knows, I just might destroy Mega Man this time and then I will consider helping you take over Mobius."
"That sounds like a great idea," Eggman said.
"Glad you think so," Wily said.
In his base, Mega Man had blasted through a door, running inside and aiming his weapon. "Surrender Wily! You're not getting away this time!"
"Looks like it's that time," Wily said. "I'll call you later, hopefully with good news."
"Fine by me, see you around Wily," Eggman said. "Oh, and bye to you too Mega Man!"
"Huh? Is that Doctor Eggman?" Mega Man asked.
"Hope you lose!" Eggman turned off his monitor. "Funny how much Wily and I have in common. We both are plagued by the color blue."
"And your robots are always destroyed," Cubot said.
"Oh shut up," Eggman said. "Just get ready for a fight, the Acorn Empire is mine!"
Eggman's group continued their plans while Sonic and his team were ready to protect the castle. Things were definitely starting to heat up on Mobius.