'I kinda regret taking that nap now.'

Now in the corner of the storage room I squatted in, back in the Eggman Empire, I couldn't help but feel disconcerted at the task before me. At the deepest possible point in Robotnik's holdings I would have to try to plan a method of escape. There is a reason why Robotnik openly controls land he calls his Empire and no one has booted him off of it, that reason being a steel tide of death led by his chief enforcer, Metal Sonic. It was one thing to consider escaping Robotnik in the heat of the moment, it was quite another to actually be in the heart of his power and look over those miles and miles of autonomously surveillanced defense grid. It would have been a far more likely task to accomplish in his Eurian outposts.

'Only Sonic can get this deep with any real hope of getting out safe and sound.' Shaking my head I leaned back against the wall. 'I'm getting nowhere, it would be easier to think after some sleep.'

That nap earlier was definitely something I regretted now as it meant that I wasn't really all that tired despite it being late now. Course now I'd just be getting less sleep in general unlike the lucky majority who went to sleep late and woke up late.

All that was left to do was to stew in my aches and pains from a very eventful three days and wait to pass out.

My right eye was still swollen, and having access to the rest of my supplies I had stowed away back here didn't change what I could do about it. It throbbed continuously even days later and touching it brought a burning pain. The holes in my ears were little better, the little tears had at least clotted over by now but the bigger holes would likely be there for a good month or two, depending on how well I took care of them anyway. Aches were all over my body in unexpected places along with a good number of scrapes and cuts, the tumble I took off the motobug must have been harsher than I thought.

All of that was at the very least bearable compared to the worst damage so far.

My gloves were battered and dirty, tears and loose threads were littered about. The visible hair and skin of my hands felt hypersensitive, something I knew to be psychosomatic but were troubling all the same. I had a little maintenance kit so I could stitch together or over the tears, it likely wouldn't look as well as it used to but it wouldn't be torn anymore which was far more important. If the worst came to pass I at the very least had a spare pair stowed away.

I felt ragged and beaten down, what a sight I must be. It was almost too tempting to find a mirror or polish a spare piece of metal to take in the damage.

"So this is where you've made your den!"

Jolting up straight atop my makeshift bed I turned to see Robotnik stroll into the room, hands clasped behind his back. He looked around the room like it was a strange and unsightly place, not part of the megastructure he had definitely designed and overseen the construction of himself.

'Like you don't have surveillance equipment giving you twenty four hour constant updates on what I'm doing at all times.' I thought in retort.

Then again maybe he didn't? Even being his first willing flesh and blood minion was I really worth maintaining watch of at all times? I doubted it yet I also wasn't stupid enough to rely on this. There would be no questionable moves on my part so long as I could help it, no convenient little tell all journal encoded with a cipher I thought was clever. Either I came up with an escape plan in the safety of my own mind or didn't bother at all. It would be just like Robotnik to find out my plan from a code in some personal day to day journal and to wait for me at the most costly step in said plan.

'And then I'd spend my last moments having to put up with his obnoxious gloating before dying horribly.'

"How very much like a rabbit to make itself a burrow in some dark isolated corner." Robotnik commented as he slowly strolled about the room. Reaching out to a crate he ran a finger over the surface. When it came back black with grime he shot me a disapproving and disappointed look.

What?! It was a storage room that very much was in constant use as things were packed and unpacked on the daily. I was happy enough to see that the bots hadn't obliterated my little corner after shoving it full of material in my absence.

Sigh… What would be better? To make excuses or continue to sit silently through this? Well excuses are excuses and I doubt trying to say it was in fact an explanation for why the space was dirty would change anything. Might as well sit at attention until he says something that sounds like he wants a response, that would probably be for the best.

"I know this doesn't come naturally to you, animal." Robotnik began as he held up the dirtied finger.

Immediately a small flying badnik that was little more than a head, a buzzing rotor and a pair of arms zipped into view. It rapidly cleaned his glove and gave a cheerful tweet upon finishing before zipping away.

"But I expect you to hold some pride in yourself and your surroundings." He continued as he strolled closer. "I understand that your kind are… content with living in the wild. For each generation to live the same as the last, barely changing and doing slow monotonous work with hands alone. That in such environments dirt and muck is part and parcel and to be accepted. You have already begun the worthy task of rising above this but you must go even further!"

As he punctuated that with a finger dramatically raised into the air I found myself unable to figure out what he was going on about. Sure there was the typical anti-mobian crap I've heard before though in more words and washed off me like water on rock but the rest? Was he really encouraging me to take better care of myself and my personal space? What? That was completely out of the character of the human, clearly there was some trick in play or some other factor I wasn't considering.

"After all you represent more than yourself now, rabbit." Robotnik said as he suddenly motioned around himself. "You now represent something far greater than yourself. You represent the Eggman Empire now! And most importantly, you represent me."

Ah, it was so obvious I really should have guessed it. Doctor Robotnik hadn't started caring about me, he just cared about how it would look on him if his minion was a dirty slob. Well if my life was on the line because I didn't pretty myself or my space up I'd might as well put in the effort. Still, it was odd he was caring about this now when he very much hadn't cared that I lived like this practically since day one in his employ.

"I shall put forth more effort into my appearance, Doctor." I nodded with a salute before motioning to the room. "I'll get something to also wipe down this-"

"Don't bother, it's a storage room and will remain such." Robotnik interrupted before turning around and walking away. "Come."

I hopped off my bed with a wince at the various pains that briefly flared up at my action. Walking after Robotnik I couldn't help but wonder what was going on now. It certainly didn't feel like he was planning something malicious for me, especially not after that talk about how I needed to be neat and tidy so I didn't make him look bad.

We walked through massive heavily trafficked halls, badniks on patrol, carrying out some tasks and trams ferrying cargo along the ceiling. Riding up equally populated elevators I was eventually led to much more narrow and far less populated halls. Here the only badniks to be seen were the occasional guard or something more domestic looking. I suddenly found myself at a hall with large windows along it, giving a scenic view of Mother Egg-01.

Well, "scenic" if one likes the view of smog riddled soulless industry.

Even if it was a full moon out tonight I doubted there would have been any light with the constant overhang of acidic smog clouds above. From the main tower of the Mother Egg the rest of the base stretched out, twinking with various lights, the occasional flare of choking industry marking the birthplaces of Robotnik's steel legions. The view went on for miles, even beyond the visible horizon and I found myself once again looking for the scars of previous invasions.

I had by good fortune missed my chance of meeting Sonic in my official position as Robotnik's minion once. Sent away to oversee repairs of another base I had barely arrived when word reached me that Sonic had attacked the Mother Egg. He had torn right through the border guards and internal defense forces and proceeded to single handedly sack the abomination that was the city sized fortress factory, Mother Egg. The pictures were horrendous, like the aftermath of a combined hurricane and earthquake had ravaged a city. I had expected to be called back immediately but nothing came. So in absence of orders to the contrary I maintained the original mission of overseeing repair work. By the time I had returned much of the damage had already been repaired. Just scaffolds and badniks hard at work on the cosmetic stuff.

Something that would have taken a nation years to rebuild from had barely inconvenienced Robotnik for a week before it was undone.

'GUN hadn't taken advantage of the attack to press some advantage for a reason.' I thought as I once again failed to find any hint of previous damage.

Sometimes it was genuinely hard to have faith that Sonic would always win in the end when you saw Robotnik capable of things like this…

Finally Robotnik led me to a large pair of double doors facing the view of the base. They opened at our approach and I followed him in. Inside I was met with some kind of spacious living quarters. There was a large comfortable looking bed and a side door that probably led to a bathroom but much of it was barren. Beside the door we entered through a small computer terminal you had to stand at to use. A room large enough to contain the space of a comfortable home and there was barely anything in it.

'This can't possibly be his personal living space.' I thought with a frown. 'It's far too empty and DEFINITELY far too small for his ego to accept.'

"Your new quarters." Robotnik announced with a grand wave to my utter shock.

I stared at him wide eyed, for the first time losing the firm control I maintained over my expressions in his presence.

"Oh don't look so surprised, I am capable of rewarding loyalty and good work!" He grinned down at me, big and toothy. His mostly blunt and square human teeth were nevertheless giving the vibes of a predator baring its teeth. Not the good humored reassurance he might have been intending.

"And this is very much a reward for your recent work, not to mention your prescience of joining me!" He walked out of the room to look out at the view and I followed him. "I was quite honestly surprised that the first person to ask to join the Empire was a mobian! Not my fellow humans but an actual mobian joining me as my first actual flesh and blood underling! It was quite the fascinating situation, I found myself actually needing time to process it all."

'And probably hacking every database on the planet to see who I worked for.' I remarked internally. 'I doubt you found anything besides the odd report for trespassing.'

"You are the first person in this whole world to see the light, the inevitable future of the world under my power!" Robotnik punctuated the last world dramatically with a raised fist. "As the first to realize this truth that deserves a reward. As the first flesh and blood officer of the Eggman Empire you'll have respect and privilege equal to none and beholden to only one."

'Oh no…'

With his every word I felt my heart drop further and further.

"BUT! With rank come responsibilities!" Robotnik whirled on the spot, finger once again in my face but frozen as I was I didn't react. "And I expect you to excel and improve in everything that you do! You'll have a week off to yourself but this is not so you can laze about! Your quarters are almost empty, you'll be allotted a monthly budget of the base's industry capacity. Within this capacity you can request additions and expansion to your quarters as well as various objects to fill it with, you may also use it however you wish so long as you remain within the allotment. Using this budget I also expect you to train yourself to serve me better! If I find myself needing to advise you on what you need to improve I'll be most displeased, do you understand me, rabbit?"

"Yes, Doctor Robotnik!" I immediately snapped a sharp salute despite the overwhelming sense of dread filling my being.

"Good!" Robotnik nodded before pointing down the hall. "Medical is that way, get yourself looked at and make sure to clean yourself up as well! You smell disgusting."

Without another world Robotnik turned and strolled away.

I stared after him until he was no longer in sight and even then I found myself staring blankly down the hall. Eventually with an unexpected amount of effort I tore my eyes away and walked back into my room. Briefly I considered using the computer to familiarize myself with making requests but my brain felt like mush. It was a struggle to think and try to comprehend what just happened and its implications for my future.

It was then I finally caught a whiff of my own odor. With traveling as much as I do it's not often I have the luxury of a shower or sometimes even a wet rag. The typical odor of one who has spent a while unwashed in the wild stuck to me but far more offensive was the smell of old blood. It was stale but enough of it clearly stuck to me to start rotting instead of drying.

Was it all mine? Maybe? But then… I have killed people in rather messy ways recently…

Breathing heavily through my mouth I walked over to the suspected washroom door and found I was correct in my assumptions. There wasn't too much special about it. It had a sink with a mirror, a toilet and a standing shower. The only thing that stood out was some kind of fancy laundry machine that did both washing and drying.

Morbidly curious about my appearance I walked over to the mirror. I found myself hesitating, clutching the sides of the sink and staring down its drain. Taking a breath I looked up and-

Red… so much blood… everything crimson, sticky and clinging like leeches…

A warrior's face, dying eyes angry and accusing… mouthing silent curses…

"Looter! Graverobber! Defiler!"

A younger face, barely identifiable as a face anymore… a ruin of eviscerated meat and bone… a once beating heart exposed to air…

Suddenly the mirror was gone and I found myself swallowing down bile that tried to rush up. My throat burned from the acid and I dry heaved into the sink. Looking up I saw that the mirror was now open, exposing a barren medicine cabinet. Breathing heavily I took off my soiled clothes, briefly I wondered if they were salvageable splattered with red as much as they were. I didn't want to think about it anymore and just piled it all next to the machine before climbing in the shower.

I don't know how long I spent waiting for the water draining away to no longer be red…

After putting on my shoes and gloves I went down the hall to the medical bay. It was a room filled with many advanced looking machines to do all kinds of diagnostics and treatments. The array of arms bristling with sharp implements hovering over the stretcher was rather disturbing but if Robotnik wanted me dead I'd be dead by now. A pair of badniks were stationed in the room, both had white and red coloring. One was tall and was humanoid but had a serpentine shape for a head, it also had a nurse-like vibe to it. The other was shorter but stoat and round like a ball, it had a pair of treads to move around and I wasn't sure what it would do to help as it reminded me more of an upturned cauldron.

"Reginald the Rabbit." The taller badnik spoke softly in the voice of a young woman. "Do you require treatment?"

"GONK." The other badnik added.

'He most certainly knew my name.'

"Yes, take care of all of this." I said with a vague motion to my body before an idea struck me. "Can you keep me sedated for the next eight hours?"

"Easily sir." The tall badnik answered as it fell into step beside me.

"Then do so." I commanded before hopping onto the stretcher.

"Caddy if you'd please?" The taller badnik said to the other.

"BONK!" A panel opened up on 'Caddy' and an arm with a syringe on the end shot out towards me.

It said a lot about my current condition and mental wellbeing that I didn't respond to the sudden stabbing movement of a sharp implement, not even flinching as the needle sank in at my neck and withdrew a moment later.

"It will only take a few minutes sir." The taller healer badnik assured me. "It's a very smooth concoction, it will be as if you just fell asleep. You won't remember a thing sir."

'I wish that was the case.' I thought of… everything that had happened in the last three days and more specifically the last hour.

I was now someone of importance to Robotnik. Of course not so important that he'd hesitate to kill me, of that I'd bet everything short of my life. No, I was more of a prize pet to show off to others 'Look at all the tricks it can do!' something to impress others on command and make its owner look good. Robotnik can dress it up in fancy language all he likes but I understand how things will work from here on out.

So long as I continued to impress and make Robotnik look good I'd be treated well. But if I failed? Maybe even if I failed at a task that was clearly impossible for me? All those times I saw Robotnik smash and destroy perfectly functional warmachines out of frustrated fury flashed through my mind. The fact I was flesh and blood and not one of his machines wouldn't mean a thing.

'What are the chances that he'd mutilate me and replace parts of me with cybernetics with every failure? A twisted combination of punishment and an attempt to help me, to improve me so I was less likely to fail and make me ever more dependent on him and unable to leave.'

There were plenty of stories and hearsay of what Robotnik has done, sticking mobinis in machines to serve as power sources sure but forceful augmentation? There hadn't been anything like that but it didn't reassure me. There was a first time for everything and the more I considered it the more it seemed like something he'd do.

The long end of it was that I was stuck now. If I attempted to run away after Robotnik had 'rewarded' me with what he viewed as rank and privilege it would be the worst thing I'd do for myself. It would be spitting on Robotnik's pride and an insult right to his face. The best result I could hope for after that is if he just gloated at me before killing me. Much more likely though is that I'd be regretting my actions for a very long time… much more than I already was anyway.

It was just as I began to fall away into an abyss of despair at the situation I found myself in that the drug finally kicked in.

'Took you long enough…'

-TBC-

Author Note: And there ends the first arc of this story! The next update will be an interlude from a very angry human followed by an update into the next arc: 2.1 Underboss.