Hi everyone! I apologize profusely for the long wait between updates. But, that's life I guess. Still, I love writing fics, so in the near future I will be continuing this story as well as my two others.
Also, while I appreciate any review I get, a signed review is preferred, as I can respond directly. But, for the two reviews I did get, I'll reply right here and now.
Fukit: Yeah, I don't think we'll have Antoine doing that anytime soon. That sounds like a cruel mismatch, but seeing him cower with his French accent may be worth it.
Morph: Yeah, those were the days. I really wanted the characters from the different worlds to actually interact, and I think I did that pretty well. Tails will play a prominent role in the story, make no mistake. However, even with all he's seen, I don't think he can identify the Elrics just yet; he's still a bit too innocent. You'll be seeing some battles soon enough, and Enerjak will definitely be here, although it may not quite be the way you think. Look forward to hearing from you again!
Disclaimer: Don't own either of the respective series, so drop it already
Colonel Roy Mustang strode through the corridors of the Federal Building of Central, his military jacket in his arms. Passerbys would wave "Good Morning Colonel." Mustang would of course politely salute back. However, inside his soul was raging. The death of his best friend and most trusted subordinate, Maes Hughes, affected him deeply. There were no witnesses, and it seemed the higher ups knew something he didn't , something they wanted hidden. It looked like he would be forced to do his own investigation…but for now, that would have to wait. After all, no point in that if he skipped his paper work (much as he loathed it) and got himself fired.
He opened the door to his office, to find someone already there. "Good morning, sir." His assistant, Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, a woman with blond hair and fierce hazel eyes, saluted.
Mustang saluted back and took a seat. "Any word on the investigation?" he asked, referring to the murder on his mind.
"No sir, I'm afraid not." Hawkeye answered. "The higher-ups are keeping a tight lid on it."
"Has Armstrong come around?"
"Hard to say, sir. He was chosen to accompany Brigadier General Archer down South."
Mustang sighed, and then something occurred to him. "Aren't the Elrics headed south?"
"Yes sir, I believe that is the case." she replied.
Mustang thought about what he was told so far. "Perhaps…" He was interrupted by the ringing of his phone. "Of all times…" He composed himself and picked up the receiver. "Colonel Mustang speaking."
"Sir, there's a civilian on the line." The operator said. " A Miss Winry Rockbell."
Mustang was silent for a second. He was connected to Winry, the childhood friend of the Elric brothers, in a way he hoped never happened. But he would have to deal with that later. If she was calling, chances were it was important. "Put her through." Roy waited patiently for the connection.
"Hello, Colonel Mustang?" a young girl asked on the other line.
Winry sounded rather distressed, he noted. "Miss Rockbell, what can I do for you?"
"It's about Ed and Al! I can't find them anywhere!" she exclaimed.
At first, the Colonel thought nothing of this. "Miss Rockbell, I'm sure the boys are fine. Ed is part of the military, and he's expected to-"
"Colonel Mustang, they've been gone for 3 days now! I already asked the local police to look for them, but they haven't turned up! I-"
"Okay, calm down!" That definitely was serious; while he doubted the kids were dead, any decent officer would always check on their men whenever something was amiss. Mustang immediately pulled out a pen and paper. "Please, start from the beginning, and tell me everything." Mustang listened to her story as he jotted down notes. It seemed the brothers had found something interesting, and intended to come right back. Obviously, something went very wrong. It would have helped if they told exactly what they were looking for, but unfortunately, they didn't tell Winry. At the end of the story, he said "Okay. Miss Rockbell, for now all you can do is wait and check in with the police regularly. The Elrics will probably turn up themselves; I have that much faith in them. I'm sure you know as well that they're some tough customers, right? Anyway, I'll be down there as soon as I can. You take care of yourself, you hear? I'll call you when I'm leaving. Okay, bye." Mustang hung up the phone and turned to his assistant. "Hawkeye, get me the next train to Winchester town."
"Will do, sir." She saluted. "Anything else?"
"I'm not sure if it will even be possible to get his assistance…but you may want to see if Armstrong is down there. He's quite close to the Elrics, I'm sure he would like to know." If anything could get Armstrong to disobey orders, endangered comrades was the best way to motivate him.
"Yes sir." Riza saluted him, and walked down to the train station.
"What have you gotten yourself into this time, Fullmetal?" Roy asked himself.
Knuckles walked out of his layer, stretching and enjoying the sun. As guardian of the Floating Island, he had a lot of responsibility. First and foremost of all of them was to protect the Chaos Emerald. After all, if anything happened to it, the entire island would fall. Of course, trouble always occurred elsewhere on the island, and some poor mobian would always be in trouble. It was a lot of work, but it was not without its high points. He was able to make his own schedule, and he pretty much could go anywhere on the island he wanted to. He just had to remain vigilant at all times. The other downside…it was quite lonely. His friends, the Chaotix helped out a lot…but it was not the same without his dad. "Well, enough of that." He thought. "I guess I'll check out the Chaos Chamber, then head over to the Ice Cap Mountains…" "
Then, he heard something from his layer; his radio! "Sally to Knuckles, come in! Sally to Knuckles, come in!"
Knuckles made a beeline back into his layer. The two went way back; Sally was one of Knuckles' first friends, back when King Acorn used to vacation on the island. Quickly, he put on his earphones and turned his speaker on. "Knuckles to Sally, I read you."
He wanted to chat, but he knew if anyone was calling the radio, it was serious. "Knuckles!" Sally exclaimed. "Listen, Robotnik is planning to assault your island again!"
Knuckles sighed. "So what else is new?" Not that he wasn't worried, but after so many attacks, one could get used to that sort of thing.
"It seems he's after something other than your emerald! Something like a chaos emerald, but in orbit!"
Knuckles at first was stumped, but then his eyes widened in horror. "No! He's not going after-" If he was, they had to act now. "Sally, you have to stop him from making his way to the island! If he frees Enerjak, he'll doom us all!"
"You mean that thing Robotnik is after…is a person?" Sally asked.
"No, a monster." Knuckles replied. "One of absolute power; there's nothing he can't do! I only got lucky when I met him; no doubt he'll be much more vigilant if he gets out of space!"
"Okay Knuckles!" Sally replied. "We're headed to Robotropolis right now! But in case something goes wrong, be prepared! We'll be on our way! Over and out!"
With that, Knuckles ran out to gather the Chaotix together. "Damn it! They better! Or else that hedgehog is going to hear from me!" He accelerated into a run and then glided into the air.
Sally immediately packed Nichole. She had no idea who this Enerjak was, but if Knuckles was scared of him, that was saying a lot. She had to be ready for anything…of course, it was even better to stop the problem before it happened in the first place. She, Sonic, the Freedom Fighters, and now the Elric brothers were going to have to stop Robotnik from taking off and somehow stop the Homunculi. It was going to be ridiculously difficult, but they've managed the impossible before.
As Sally walked out of her hut, a familiar voice said "Sleep well, luv?" Sally turned around to see Geoffrey leaning against a tree, giving his usual smug grin. At first, she just gave him a cold glare and walked off. Realizing the normal charm wouldn't work, Geoffrey rushed in front of her and kneeled. "Princess, please forgive me for my behavior last night! It was wrong of make assumptions of the two brothers based on their kind. I should have known if you trusted them, I should too! I was just…concerned." Quite frankly, he still didn't, but he acknowledged that the Princess always had her reasons for her actions.
Sally looked at him long and hard; he heard she did that a lot when she was angry. Finally, she sighed. "Rise, Geoffrey. I understand." She beckoned him.
Geoffrey did so, and kissed her hand. "Thank you, luv."
"But, remember my orders." Sally ordered, clearly forgiving but still stern.
"Of course." St. John replied.
Sally then kissed him on the cheek, both satisfied with getting things back to the way they were. "Come on. Everyone's waiting." She led the way to the hangar.
"Let's see…" Sonic searched around his messy room, looking for an essential tool he always took when things got especially tough. With his speed, he should've been able to find it, but then again, there was the incident where he lost his sneakers altogether. "I know I put them here somewhere…Ah Ha!" Sonic pulled out a Power Ring buried beneath his pile of dirty socks. He managed to get 4 of them, and while he was not planning on wasting them, he figured things could go sour at any time, and it was best to have as many on his person as possible. "All right, time to juice to the hangar!"
In a Sonic second, Sonic arrived at his destination. All the Freedom Fighters were there, except for Sally. The Elric brothers were there too, eager to get started. "Ready?" Sonic asked the two overlanders. "Or are you going to 'Antoine' out on us?" he said, giving them a cocky grin.
"I do not underztand." Antoine said. "Wat does et mean to…" It finally dawned on Antoine. "Oui! Why, I ave nevar…"
"Hey, shouldn't Sally be here?" Alphonse asked. "I mean, she's the leader of your group, isn't she?"
"I'm sure she'll be here soon enough…" Rotor said as he gave the plane's engine a final checkup.
Sonic added "Yeah. And I bet…" Finally, Sally walked into view. With St. John, to Sonic's displeasure. "…yup. Right on the money."
Sally gathered the Freedom Fighters around. "Before we begin…" She beckoned St. John towards Al. "Geoffrey, this is Alphonse Elric. He's the young one I told you about. Al, this is Geoffrey St. John, he is the leader of the rebel underground, and by heritage a member of my family's secret service."
Alphonse, oblivious to what transpired between him and his brother the night before, stuck his hand out. "Nice to meet you!" he exclaimed.
St. John hesitated at first, but realizing Sally was testing him, shook it. "Pleasure to meet ya, mate. I've heard of your…situation."
Sally gave him a satisfied smile. "Okay. Now, I need to give you all an update of what's been happening." She pulled out Nichole and booted the Hologram of the Floating Island. "Robotnik is planning a trip to Knuckles' home. Normally, we would be concerned about him stealing the Chaos Emerald…" The hologram seemed to move up into space, focusing on a specific point above the planet's orbit. "But it seems Robotnik is after something else up there. According to Knuckles, it is a being named Enerjak. And whatever he is, he has chaos energy off the charts. And Knuckles informed me if he is freed, that will be very, very bad."
"So, of course, we're going to stop Buttnik from taking off. Am I right, or am I right?" Sonic asked.
"Yup." Sally replied as she packed her computer away in her pocket. "Right on the money. Are you all ready?" The Freedom Fighters raised their fists in the air. "Ed, Al? Are you two sure you want to do this? I know you've faced a lot of danger in your world, but this will be something different entirely."
Ed just grinned. "Come on, I'm a State Alchemist! I've been doing these kinds of things since I was 12!"
Sally smiled. "Excellent!" Sally's widened, then she pounded her fist in her palm. "I almost forgot! Ed, there's just one more thing we need to take care of…"
"Sally, Dulcy has been detected within the airspace." Nichole called. "She'll be landing shortly."
She walked over to the Elrics and took their hands. "Ed, Al. We really do trust you, but we still have to do this. Quickly, now."
Ed then remembered Sally referring to a Dulcy earlier to determine if he and his brother were genuine or not. "Oh, no problem! Let's get it done and over with!" With that, Ed ran towards the airstrip in a confident stride; Tails didn't anticipate that the Elrics were unfamiliar with aircraft and the rules.
"Uh…Ed…" Sonic cautioned him. "…Dulcy's…" It was too late by then, and not even Sonic would dare chance getting crushed by their largest member. As Ed was about to find out the hard way.
Soon as he got on the airstrip, a large shadow loomed above him. And suddenly, a great weight was upon him, dragging him across the airway. "Oof! I'm sorry, my landings are off! More than usual today!"
Ed, miraculously not losing consciousness, squeezed his head and arms out. "What is it n…" Ed was stunned silent as he came face to face to the creature above him. The creature was clearly reptilian, with green skin and a long neck. But it had small wings on the back, and a black ring in its nose. He could tell it was female by its lips, but otherwise it did not share many of the anthropomorphized traits as the other mobians. Plus, her eyes conveyed intelligence he never saw in any known reptile. "Is this a…dragon!" Ed scrambled the rest of his body from under her, and crawled away as fast he could, back into Al (who was also stunned).
"Sally, who are they?" Dulcy asked, curious about the newcomers.
"Ed!" Alphonse shouted with the wonderment of a boy his mental age. "A dragon! A real dragon!" he pointed excitedly towards Dulcy.
"Yeah, Al, I can see that quite clearly, thank you very much!" Ed yelled, still shocked yet again.
"What, don't you have dragons where you're from?" Sonic asked. "You've got all of our races, just in different forms and as different species."
"Yeah, we have dragons…IN COLORING BOOKS!" Ed shouted.
Sally stepped in before Ed burst things out of proportion again. "I apologize for this…misunderstanding. But I believe you have a procedure to undergo, remember?"
Ed then remembered that Dulcy was supposed to determine if they were genuine or not. But why a dragon? "I mean no disrespect, Sally…" Al said. "…but what exactly is she supposed to do?"
Dulcy answered "Dragons cannot tell lies, and therefore we can sense the purity of truth in all creatures."
Ed and Al just looked at her. "Okay…" Ed then composed himself, and held out his hand. "Hi. I'm Edward. Edward Elric. And this is my brother Alphonse." Alphonse waved hello.
Dulcy waved back. "Nice to meet ya. I guess Sally wants me to ask you a few questions."
Dulcy's interrogation was pretty mild, but being a living lie detector, there was no need to be harsh. She just asked where they were from, and what they intended to do, and that was it. Dulcy confirmed both were telling the truth. Most of the Freedom Fighters were satisfied, except for St. John. Sally was quite irritated by that, but as long as St. John would cooperate, she would leave him be.
"Well, Sal, I think that settles it, doncha think?" Sonic asked.
Sally smiled and said "Yes, I think it does." Sally stepped up to the Elric brothers. "Ed, Al…I haven't forgotten my promise to help you get the Roboticizer plans. But whatever Robotnik's plans are, they're big and cannot be ignored. So…" She gestured towards Sonic. "Sonic will take you to our spy; he knows the roboticizer better than anyone. After that, you will all join us on our primary mission."
Ed agreed to that. "We'll try to make it quick; hopefully we can help you put a major dent in that fat ass's schemes."
"Hey, if you manage to steal the Roboticizer plans, that will set Robotnik back for months." Sonic added. "So, Sal, anything else?"
Sally said "That's it." Then, something just occurred to her. If they were to encounter the homunculi, they would be in a heap of trouble. There was one member she wasn't willing to risk. "Actually, if you could, just in case something goes wrong…take Tails with you."
Tails began to protest "Aunt Sally, I-"
Sally kneeled and gripped his shoulder. "Tails, you've proven yourself several times over. I know, and we've all seen you grow. But no matter what happens, I don't want to see you get hurt." Sally gave him a hug. "You and Sonic work well together. You'll look out for one another, okay? If anything goes wrong, the both of you will save us."
"You should listen to her." Al insisted. "I can tell she's not just treating you like a kid. And I know from talking to you that you can handle yourself. The same could be said for me and Ed. But we'd rather have each other's backs than go at it alone."
There was a long silence between everyone, until Tails finally sighed. "You're right."
"Don't worry, buddy." Sonic reassured him. "I've a feeling we'll see plenty of action."
Tails high-fived him. "Way past cool, Sonic!"
"Plenty, or unnecessary?" Sally questioned him sternly. It drove her up the wall how Sonic was practically addicted to adventure and danger.
"Plenty and necessary." Sonic countered, smirking.
"You mean you make unnecessary danger become necessary." Sally grumbled back.
"Take it up with Buttnik; he could always ignore little ol' me, but he just flips out every time I'm there!"
"That's because you make yourself known and insult him in his face; not that I wasn't tempted to, but it's unwise." Sally shot back.
"Unless you're as fast and cool as me."
Their bickering went on for a good while, making everyone lose their patience. Bunnie decided to step in. "Sugar-hog, Princess. Ah know y'all are concerned for one another, but ah think its best we get a move on."
Sonic and Sally sighed. "Go see Uncle Chuck, regroup. No funny business. Got it?" Sally ordered.
"You got it, Sal. Hedgehog's honor." He crossed his fingers behind his back as he held up his hand; Sally didn't buy it from the start.
But they wasted too much time as it was. "Very well then. Freedom Fighters, let's move!
Envy busted down the metal door to the lab, furious. He marched towards Robotnik, losing his patience at being ignored. "Lust says you have a plan to get us back home." He hissed. "What I want to know is, WHY…AREN'T…YOU…DOING IT!"
Robotnik was scared for his life, knowing of the Homunculi's strength and temper. Still, he kept himself collected. If he showed fear now, he would lose whatever little leverage he had over these creatures, and they would dominate him. He could defend himself easily enough, but he would only be delaying the inevitable. "In a few hours, we'll be taking off shortly. However, I have a little errand to run. It is essential for you in order to return home, I assure you. But, I will acquire your assistance. I'll explain on the way there." Robotnik smiled. "Besides, you don't want to let all I have to offer go to waste, now would you?" He spread his arms, emphasizing all the mechanics that surrounded them.
"I don't give a shit about any of this. As far as I'm concerned, we should have nothing to do with you." Envy growled.
"Well, then it's a good thing for both of us you're not the leader of your group." Robotnik shot back. Envy grabbed Robotnik, and pinned him against the wall. He lifted him like a feather, despite the overlander's enormous girth. Envy cocked his fist back, but Robotnik only smiled. "Go ahead. Finish me. Figure out how to get home on your own."
Envy growled. He wanted to so bad. But…"Damn it!" He slammed Robotnik to the ground, and turned away. "Whatever it is you need to do, hurry it up. Gluttony's getting hungry again." he threatened. He walked off, looking for something to trash.
Robotnik took in a deep breath, and grabbed his chest, thankful his bluff worked. "Oh dear…maybe…huff…I SHOULD cut down on the cholesterol!" He practically ran to his computer and pressed the private communicator. "Snively! I can't take this anymore! They could kill me at any minute!"
"You, sir! This Gluttony's eaten all of our prisoners! It's only a matter of time before he comes for me!" Snively cried.
"Enough with your whining, Snively!" Robotnik shouted. Realizing Envy could still be nearby, he took a few deep breathes to calm himself down. He didn't want Envy or Lust to see him panic like this. "Snively, update me on the progress of our sub bosses transports."
"Good news, sir!" He was unusually happy, Robotnik noted. "They should arrive here in a few hours!"
"Excellent, Snively!" He cut off the communication, and went back to work. "I best speed up preparation for the Flying Battery. The Freedom Fighters could interfere any minute now!"
Ed stared at the ground from the plane in awe. "They really are flying!" he exclaimed. "I can't believe it!"
"Yeah. Good observation, mate." Geoffrey commented sarcastically.
"They don't have planes in your world, Ed?" Sally asked, fascinated by how their worlds seemed advanced and behind in different areas.
"No; we only just started using hot air balloons as transport. But flight like this…in my world, it's thought to be impossible!" Ed exclaimed, never taking his eyes off the window.
"Can't imagine how bored you must have been in your world." Sonic commented. He looked out his window, smiling. "At least your brother seems to be having a heck of a time with Dulcy. Too bad I can't say the feelings mutual." He observed with a chuckle.
Like a kid getting a piggy-back ride, Al was having the time of his life riding Dulcy, since he couldn't quite fit in the plane. Flying like this was something else, something he doubt anyone back in his world could ever hope to experience. Unfortunately, his weight was more than what Dulcy was used to. The poor dragon was sweating her tail off to keep them both in flight!
"Everyone!" Antoine alerted everyone as he piloted the plane. "Ve're approaching zee leemits of Robotnik's Are Sheep Detective space! I recoomend zat we land immediately!"
"Copy that." Rotor, Antoine's co-pilot confirmed as he deployed the landing gear.
The plane touched down, and the break sheets sprung up, slowing the plane down gradually as it plowed across the surface. Ed watched the process with utmost fascination. "Wow…I need to figure out how these things work." He said.
Simultaneously, Dulcy touched down, sliding across the ground and kicking up dirt, leaving an impression in the soil. "That was awesome!"Al yelled as he jumped off Dulcy.
The Dragon struggled to get back up and catch her breath. "Hope you enjoyed it, kid. Cause I don't think we'll be doing that again. EVER." She emphasized, thought the youngster did not hear her.
The Freedom Fighters and Ed disembarked, and the brothers got their first view of Robotropolis. A dark, smoggy city devoid of life. Worse than they imagined.
"I'd imagine it's quite different from your home world, aye mate?" St. John asked.
Ed eyed him suspiciously, and knew what he was really trying to was to expose their kind's nature as similar to Robotnik and the other overalnders. "Our cities are far cleaner than this…after all, people actually live in our cities…and besides, Al and I are country boys by birth, so cities aren't really our location of choice." He answered honestly.
Sonic then stepped in front of everyone and waved for everyone to follow him. "We better get goin'. I'd say quickly, but when most everyone else gets involved, it's too much for them."
Everyone got low to the ground, and made sure to avoid being seen among the wreckage and landfill. Of course, Ed and Al did not know what to watch out for. Plus, Al was too big to hide when compared to the mobians. He looked around the city, both in awe and horror of the technological wonders that surrounded them. He then noticed some orb-like thing flying around. "Wow. How is it doing that?" Al asked.
Suddenly, he and his brother were forced to the ground. "Get down!" Sally hissed. The orb passed right over them. Sally explained "That thing has a camera installed inside it. If it spots you, Robotnik will know you're here!"
Ed was again amazed by the technology, but put that behind him. "Sorry." He muttered, embarrassed that he and his brother nearly botched their mission.
"It's cool, man." Sonic assured him. "You're just goin' to have to learn as you go."
"In my book, that is what we grown-ups call the stupid way." St. John commented. That earned him a smack upside the head by Sally, causing Sonic to chuckle.
"Anyway…" Sally began. "…Sonic. Tails. You two know what to do."
Sonic nodded, and said to the Elrics "Come on guys. It's time you meet my Uncle Chuck." Sonic and Tails, to some displeasure, kept to the ground at normal speed, allowing the Elrics to follow them.
"The rest of you, with me." Sally commanded the other Freedom Fighters as they headed the opposite direction.
Robotnik, Snively and the Homunculi waited on the platform on one of the city's ports. The airship approached them, docked, and landed. The door opened, revealing 2 robots. One had an upper body that resembled a crocodile, but its lower body was a tank. The other seemed to be a metallic rabbit, with huge feet and wheels underneath. Unlike the other one, it also wore a jacket and a hat, though the ears were down as if they were floppy. Robotnik spread his arms, smiling. "Welcome, my friends! Your timing couldn't have been better!"
"Easy for you to say!" Crocbot yelled as he wheeled down the ramp. "Just as I pulled myself back together, you had to call me away! The Downunda Freedom Fighters could regain complete control at any time!"
Robotnik clasped the robot's shoulder plate. "Where we're going, you won't have to worry for very long. I have chosen you to accompany me to another universe, one of primitive but great rewards. And I wish to share that power with you…"
Crocbot's visors lit up. "Now you're talking." His lust for power was his greatest weakness, and ironically made him easy for the doctor to control.
"And what about me, Doc Robotnuk sir?" the one called Desert Whorl asked, sporting a southern accent.
"You are to guard the city." Snively instructed him. "Unlike Crocbot's, it is intact and we want to keep it that way. I take it you're up to the task?"
"Sir, yes sir!" the roboticized mobian saluted.
"Excellent!" Robotnik exclaimed. He turned to the Homunculi. "In less than 2 hours, we should be ready for take-off! Prepare yourselves!"
"Will there be something to eat?" Gluttony asked, sucking his finger.
"Yes, yes, of course!" Robotnik answered, irritated by the monster's infantile behavior. Suddenly, the new alarms he installed went off. "I wonder…" He switched on the screen, and smiled sinisterly at what he saw. "Normally, I would be furious. But, this is a perfect opportunity." He turned to the Homunculi. "Time for you three to earn your keep." He had to be careful to sound more like a partner instead of as their master. "Think of this as a test; I'd like to see how you all fare against the freedom fighters. Even if it proves to be a problem, your immortality should save you."
"We may as well be mortal for this." Envy said, creaking his neck. "It's pretty sad when all your evil schemes are thwarted by some cuddly animals."
Robotnik did his best to ignore Envy's statement. "Did you all study the data I gave you?" he asked.
"Yes." Lust answered.
"I skimmed it." Envy replied.
Robotnik looked at Gluttony sucking his finger, and sighed. "Of course, nothing." He slapped his palm against his face in anguish. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected. Now go!"
"All right then." Sonic whispered, making sure nobody was watching. "Follow me." Tails and the Elric brothers followed him, where they came across a junk pile. "Don't be fooled." Sonic said before the Elrics could question him. "Looks can be deceiving!" Sonic pounded his fist against the pile, hitting something solid. "Yo, Unc! Open up!"
At first, nothing happened. Then, a sliding motion was heard. "Password?" a distorted voice asked.
"Chili Dogs with large Appalachian Mist, Curly Fries, and Tabasco." Sonic answered, bowing proudly.
Then, a door lifted, taking the junk with it. "Whoa. What a great disguise." Ed noted.
"Well, for all of our sakes, I can't afford to be caught." The voice said again, this time more friendly despite the mechanical tone to it. Then, a metallic being emerged, similar in structure to Sonic, minus the mustache. "Sonny boy!" he said, spreading his arms. "It's been too long!"
The two hedgehogs embraced. "Good to see you too, Unc." Sonic said, happy all was as well as it could be for his uncle.
As they separated, Chuck got a good look at Ed and Al. "So, these are the two overlander brothers you and Sal told me about?"
Sonic replied "Uh-huh. The s…" Sonic caught himself, but feared he was too late to correct his mistake. "…I mean, blond one is Ed."
The save didn't work; Ed clenched his fist and teeth. "OH, JUST SAY IT ALREADY! IT'S NOT LIKE-"
Al clamped his brother's mouth shut, reducing his outburst to a muffle. "Ed! Not here!" he whispered.
"And the big guy is his, believe or not, little brother, Al." Sonic finished.
Chuck walked forward and offered his hand. "Pleased to meet you both. I am Charles Hedgehog, though everyone calls me Chuck. Sally has spoken very highly of you both."
Ed calmed down, and shook it. "Nice to meet you. How…?"
"Ah, my free will?" Chuck asked. "One of Robotnik's experiments gone haywire, well after I was roboticized."
"Woof!"
The Elrics noticed a small mechanical dog come up to them. It behaved just like a normal dog, sniffing them and jumping up, wanting them to pet him. "This here is Muttski, our dog. We were both roboticized and freed around the same time. But enough talk about that; you two are here for the source of all our troubles. Come inside. It's not safe to be out in the open here for too long."
The Elrics crawled inside the hideout; there was just enough room for Al to enter in a crouched position. It was just like the spy bases back at home; notes on the wall, radios, the works. "Welcome to my hideout. I can only be here for so long, since I'm expected to be around at regular shifts. Anyway, Sally told me you wanted to learn about the Roboticizer?"
Ed nodded. "I know this sounds suspicious sir. But I need to restore Al to his real body. I don't expect it to be a cure-all, but it can at least point me in the right direction."
"I understand." Chuck nodded. He opened his visors and then projected the diagrams in front of them. "This is the rough construction of the Roboticizer. Robotnik made many variations, but.." The diagram than focused on a specific spot. "This is the key component; Desorganisero."
Ed and Al looked at it in awe as Chuck showed the its atomic structure. "I've never seen an element like this." The blond alchemist said in wonder.
"It's actually a combination of different elements fused and super charged by radioactivity. It is highly unstable; if you're going to move it, it must be safely contained, preferably in a box of steel-titanium alloy. It can mutate and disrupt atomic structures…which was why I chose it for the main power source of the roboticizer."
Ed realized that Chuck's knowledge was too perfect to come from mere spying. "I don't mean to pry, sir…but did you make this thing?"
Chuck looked down, ashamed. "Yes. It was a time of war, and someone dear to me was on the verge of dying. I already made the blueprints for the machine, so feeling like he had nothing to lose, I took a chance and tested it on him."
There was a moment of silence. "What became of him?" Al asked. He had a feeling it wasn't good.
"A mindless machine. The roboticizer worked too well…all because of Robotnik, back when he was the warlord. He sabotaged it." Ed and Al could not imagine the cruel twist of fate that led him to become a casualty of his own machine. In a way, it reminded them of their own attempt at human transmutation. "But that's not important at the moment!" Chuck growled, clenching his fist. "One day, I'll find a way to become whole once again! Now…"
The diagram changed into a motion picture, a demonstration to the slightest detail it seemed. "The desorganisero ore, when ran through an electric current, will change the flesh of a living being into metal. When it's energy is focused, it takes neutrons and protons from the molecules in the air and forces them onto the target. It varies from person to person, but what metals are created depends on the type of tissue the energy hits. Bone usually turns into steel, most muscle into copper, and cardiac muscle is changed into aluminum. The brain becomes an alloy of different metals. Skin is mostly Zinc, and blood becomes petroleum. The roboticizer scans its target, determines its physiology and makes a blueprint of the robot equivalent. Then, the change commences."
Edward took this all in. "An ore that can change atoms…it's unbelievable, but…" He looked straight at Uncle Chuck. "Sir, I need to know where the desorganiser is! I'm going to steal it, and at least put a dent in his plans! Then…" He looked at Al. Only he knew him well enough to see hope in his eyes as well. "…I'll be back on the path to restoring Al."
"Understood." Chuck said as he uploaded the schematics of the Roboticizer room. "I cannot imagine the pain you must have gone through during that incident." Sonic and Sally told him of their tale before they left. "Know this, though; most anyone would have tried if they believed they could. What you committed was not a sin…rather, it was a wish all mortals try to achieve, mobian or not. But, we are not meant to revive the dead. To do so would make life itself a waste." Ed and Al were stunned by the wisdom that Chuck spoke. "Everything must come to an end; when that happens, none of us have any say. All we can do is accomplish what we can for the good of everyone with the time we have."
Ed was now beginning to wonder if they did succeed in bringing their mother back…would that be a good thing? "Here it is." Chuck said as he projected the blueprints of Robotnik's tower. "The roboticizer is located the floor below his war room. Not even I could figure out where he keeps the disruptor. But it must be close; a distance of more than a hundred yards will make lessen the effects to nothing."
"I dunno about this, Unc." Sonic said skeptically. "Robotnik has made roboticizers all over the world, and he's made portable versions as well. The element can't be that rare. You sure this will make a difference?"
"Good observation, Sonny Boy." Chuck noted as he gave the Elrics a holographic projector for them to review. "But just because it's rare doesn't mean you take out one and nothing will be left. Desorganisero ore is located deep in the Mobian crust; it will take him months and cost much bot power to start another operation to get more."
"Much like a Chaos Emerald." Sonic noted. They were rare to, but they would still find some when they needed them.
"Precisely." Chuck confirmed. He turned to the Elrics quickly. "Make sure you leave a piece for us too. We'll need it for a deroboticizer."
It was good to know the process was reversible, just in case. "Will do, sir." Al responded. "Thank you very much. And good luck."
"With Sonic here, we won't need much luck. But you'll need all the luck you can get with your situation. Sonic, show them the way to the Roboticizer, than regroup with the others."
"But they may need help once they're inside!" Tails protested, much as he wanted to help the rest of the Freedom Fighters.
"It's okay." Ed said. "We've already troubled you all enough as it is. Besides…we're both going to need diversions." He began to grin evilly at the thought of it.
"That's right!" Al exclaimed. "With you and the Freedom Fighters here, Robotnik will have to attack you all somehow. However, if we're at his base…"
"Distraction to the max." Sonic finished for him, flashing a cocky smile. "The quickest path from here…for you guys, at least…is through the Metropolis block. Uncle Chuck…"
"I'm on it." Uncle Chuck loaded the map of the block Sonic mentioned into a simple portable computer; the Elrics would have no trouble using it. "That should get you through there. But be careful!" he warned them as he handed Ed the device.
"Will do." Ed shook Chuck's hand. "And thank you."
"It was a pleasure meeting you." Chuck returned. "Sonic, remember. Robotnik has the Homunculi now. Even with your speed, they'll be an opponent unlike anything we've ever faced."
"No prob Unc. No matter who the enemy is, they still have to catch me." He gave his Uncle a cocky thumbs up. "Besides, Tails will bail me out. If things get tough."
"Way past, Sonic!" Tails exclaimed as he high-fived him.
"All right! Let's do it to it!" Sonic pumped his fist at the Elrics, who just looked at him confused.
"Uh…what are you doing?" Ed asked.
"A ritual, maybe?" Al questioned.
"What? You don't have one of these in your home world?" Sonic asked, shocked.
Tails guided Ed's fist to Sonic's. "You see, first you bring your fists together. Then, one puts his fist on top of the other, and the process is reversed. You end it with thumbs up." Ed just looked at both of them dumb-founded.
"Oh, forget it! We don't have time for this!" Sonic's legs revved up and resembled spinning wheels. "Good luck!" He and Tails sped off, while the Elrics took off in a different route.
Sally suddenly signaled to the Freedom Fighters to get down. On her command, they hid in the junk. Swatbots were guarding the construction site, and there were lots of them. That usually meant Robotnik had something big planned.
"Sally girl, what in the heck could that be?" Bunnie asked as she observed the laboring bots hard at work.
"No idea." Sally answered. Lately, even Uncle Chuck was being kept out of the loop of many of Robotnik's schemes. "But I've a feeling we don't want to find out. Geoffrey…"
At her command, St. John readied his crossbow, and fired. The arrow hit it's mark in the neck junction of a swatbot. However, this wasn't a normal arrow; such weapons were ineffective against the robot's metallic hide. Instead of a simple tip, this one had a scrambler charge. The swatbot jolted with electricity, and its arm was locked into firing position. It spun wildly, firing the entire security team. When it was the only one left, Bunnie took it out with her plasma cannon.
"Well done, Bunnie, St. John." Sally complimented her comrades. The Freedom Fighters ran towards the entrance. "Come on! We don't know when Sonic will-" Sally back flipped away from the entrance as lances seemingly popped out of nowhere.
"My apologies; normally, I could care less what you furry things do, but for the sake of my partnership, I'm afraid I can't let you pass."
The Freedom Fighters looked up to see a curvy female overlander at the top of one of the cranes. Sally recognized her immediately. "It's the homunculi! Lust, I believe."
"So, they told you about me." Lust jumped from a seemingly fatal height and landed in front of them, unharmed. "I'm flattered."
Sally doubted it would work, but she had to try to solve the situation diplomatically. "Why are siding with Robotnik? From what I understand, you have no quarrel with us."
Lust only sneered. "Oh, but I do! Robotnik's technology…so astounding! When this is brought over to Amestris, it will start a war like nothing our world has seen before. Then, we will have enough lives to complete the philosopher's stone!" Lust flexed her fingers menacingly. "And as long as you're committed to stopping him…then I'm afraid we do have a fight on our hands."
St. John stepped forward with his crossbow loaded. "Normally, I wouldn't care much about the affairs of overlanders…but whether it be against us or them, I cannot allow Ivo's creations to cause any more suffering!"
Lust only continued to sneer. "Well, go ahead, tough guy…" She coaxed him. "…take your best shot."
"With pleasure." St. John replied. He fired his arrow, and it lodged into Lust's skull. Though she took a few steps back from the force of it, however, she did not fall.
"Hmmm, perhaps you are stronger than you appear." She pulled the arrow out, and broke it. Antoine clamped his hand over his mouth, trying his best to hold it in. "But against us, that's not saying much."
"Try chewn' on this, madame!" Bunnie extended her arm forward and punched Lust right in the face, sending her flying into the fence.
Sally saw her chance. "Rotor! Now!"
Rotor shook a can, and threw it at the homunculus. It exploded into blue foam, surrounding her. Then, it hardened. Lust struggled to get out, but that was proving difficult, and her arms were at the wrong angle to pick at the foam. "You've come prepared. How cute." She growled.
"Robotnik has been underestimating us since we were kids. I've learned to use that to our advantage." Sally replied, smug.
"Bravo, bravo. But…so have I!"
As if on cue, a mouth erupted out of the ground, right under Sally's feet. Thankfully, Sally was quick and agile enough to flip out of the way as the large homunculus emerged. "Everyone, keep your distance! That's Gluttony, the one that can eat anything!"
Gluttony grinned madly and licked his lips as he got a good look at the mobians. "Meat, meat! Delicious meat!"
Gluttony snapped at everyone as they tried to back away. St. John fired some explosive arrows, but any damage they did was only temporary, as his wounds closed up almost instantly. "You need to consider goin' on a diet!" Bunny kicked him right in the stomach, but even with her great strength the best she could do was make him stumble. "Tough one, aren't y'all?" Bunnie tried punching him, but Gluttony simply caught her fist in his mouth. "Hey! Leggo! Metallic prosthetics ain't on the menu, sugar!" Quickly, she began to feel the corrosive acids softening her artificial hand, as Gluttony began to bite down. And Bunnie reacted instantly, activating her cannon. The plasma blast blew a hole through the monster's skull, causing him to loosen his grip and fall to the ground. Bunnie's arm changed back into normal mode, allowing her to have a good look at the damage he caused. It seemed everything was still functional, but the fingers and hand were corroded and their wires were showing. Something she couldn't let go for too long. A few seconds more and it would have melted away entirely. Gluttony got back up, and lunged. Bunnie activated her rocket thrusters, and flew into the air and into safety. However, out of nowhere spears seemed to attack her. She activated her energy shield, preventing herself from being stabbed, but she still fell to the ground out cold.
Lust was free of the foam, managing to force herself out while the freedom fighters were distracted. "This was fun. But I think I've had enough..." She aimed her spears at the downed bunny…
"Sonic!" Tails shouted as he noticed his watch flashing red.
"Yeah, buddy, I know!" Sonic saw the same thing, and that meant their friends needed them. "Ed and Al can take care of themselves! Come on, Tails! Time to juice!"
The duo raced through the city, alerting the swatbots of their presence. None of it mattered though; they couldn't catch them, and were already likely aware of their friends' presence, so stealth was probably pointless. "Let's take a short cut through the chemical plant!" Sonic told Tails.
The duo entered a concoction of pipes and chemical waste that not even cockroaches would dare enter. One drop into the sea of waste below and one could risk being reduced to bone. It wasn't much of a problem for Tails, with his ability to fly. Sonic, however, would have to be cautious; as cautious as his attitude would allow him to be anyway. Besides, with years of experience dodging traps and performing death-defying stunts that gave Jackal Chan a run for his money, he was pretty confident he would make it through. He ran across a large pipe, Tails not far behind. The metal was slippery, but that only helped Sonic in many ways. "Whoo-hoo!" Sonic jumped across a large section of pipe, cutting his distance between the plant and his friends.
"Sonic! Jump!" Tails shouted suddenly.
Heeding Tails warning, Sonic jumped up as soon as he touched ground; he saw the section of the pipe behind him turn rapidly. Had he not heard Tails, he would've taken a dive into some nasty toxic waste. "Thanks little buddy!"
"Sally taught me how to look out for trap doors and the like!" Tails exclaimed proudly.
Without skipping a beat, Sonic slid through a tight opening between buildings, while Tails flew around it. In no time, they were together again.
Just then, Tails found some flower-like badniks crawling around the pipe. "Sonic!"
"I see them!" Sonic rolled into his Spin Dash, and pulverized them all. "There! Piece of…"
"Sonic, help!"
Sonic screeched to a halt as he witnessed a spider-like robot grab Tails from the roof of where they just ran. Tails was apparently having trouble breathing, as his breaths were getting shallower. "It's constricting him!" Sonic immediately launched into a Sonic Spin and destroyed the robot, freeing his friend. "You okay, little buddy?"
"Yeah…LOOK OUT!" he pointed frantically.
More Crawlers descended from the roof, preparing to snatch up the two mobians. "Aw, man. This is like a bad horror show. Where's an exterminator when you need one?"
Sonic and Tails destroyed the rest of them before they could grab hold. "Come on, Tails! We can't allow Buttnik the pleasure of slowing us down!"
"Right!"
"Al…what have we gotten ourselves into?" Ed asked as he felt his heart sink upon observing the place.
The brothers followed the map to an industrial factory, again more advanced than anything they've seen. The layout was complicated, and oil burned down below. Overall, the Elrics really did not want to navigate this mad maze. "Well, this is the place." Al said, observing the instructions on the computer. "It says that so long as we head straight, we should follow it to the citadel. From there, we can break into a chute."
Ed sighed, rubbing his hair. This was probably going to be their shortest yet most challenging trek yet. "Oh well. Let's go!"
"Right!" The two brothers dashed forward, keeping their eye on Robotnik's citadel. They had to go through some kind of pillar on the way that was passing rays of light. "How is it doing that?" Al wondered.
"As much as I'd like to know, now's not the time!" Ed replied, as if reading his brother's mind. "Besides, it's just light." Ed ran through it, right when a new ray appeared above him. Ed yelped in pain as the laser burned him and ruined his jacket. "OW!" Ed rolled, and sat up, checking his body for damage. It was a nasty burn, but he would live. "Al! Don't walk into those lights, or anything like it! Somehow, Robotnik can make them hot enough to burn solid objects!"
Al nodded, and drew a transmutation circle on the pillar. He poured his energy into it, and broke it down. While it was an effective way of getting past such obstacles, it wasn't very time-efficient.
Just then, robots dropped to their level. One variety looked like crabs with mace-like claws; the others looked like praying mantis. Ed and Al got into defensive stances. "Al…are these roboticized mobians?" Ed asked.
Al observed the instructions. "No! These are badniks; they were never alive to begin with!"
Ed smiled. "Good! Then there's no need to hold back!"
The two alchemists and robot assasins attacked. The Shellcrackers attacked Ed with their claws, but Ed's steel arm proved to be quite efficient in blocking them, and a simple kick sent them all flying. Al's armor got scratched up by the slicers, but he beat each and every one of them away. When it seemed they were down to the last one, the slicer threw its blades straight at Ed. Quickly, Al shielded him, and Ed jumped over him, slicing the badnik in half with his sword-arm.
"This is getting us nowhere fast, not like Sonic can!" Al exclaimed.
Ed pondered this for a moment. "Maybe we could transmute something to help us…like maybe some kind of vehicle"
"But we don't know how their machines even work yet, if we ever will!" Al exclaimed.
Ed then clapped his hands and said "Oh well! Science is all about experimenting!" Edward transmuted the metal below him and from the broken badniks, and wheels then formed on his feet.
"Skates!" Al asked incredulously. "You're going to get us to move faster with skates!"
"Not just any skates Al!" Ed pointed to the pipes behind his ankles proudly. "Rocket skates!"
"What!"
"Not only did I transmute the exterior and robots for the structure…but there was also enough material to transmute metal into petroleum! This should be enough fuel to make a car run 130 km/hr!" Ed then motioned Al towards a little pulley near his heel. "Pull the rip cord, and I'm off."
Al was clearly hesitant. When Ed tried something new, it usually backfired on them. "Ed, I don't think that's a-"
"Al, just pull the damn rip cord!" Ed hissed, irritated by his brother's caution. Al did so, reluctantly, and the little engines in Ed's newly fashioned skates began to roar to life. "See, Al? Nothing to worry abouUUUUGGGHHHH!"
Ed suddenly took off, leaving Al behind. "Al, stop these crazy things!" He was already too far away; all Ed could do was hang on. Ed managed to stabilize himself, and while not quite as fast as Sonic, he was still covering a lot of ground much faster than before. "This is…incredible…WHOAA!" Ed crouched down as he zoomed under the opening of a building. "That was too close!" Ed dodged each obstacle coming his way, getting better each time. When a large vent was coming up, he leaped into the air, bringing his ankles to his hand. "YES! ED TOUCHES THE SKY, HAHAHAHA…" Just then, Ed realized something: HE WAS GRABBING HIS ANKLES WITH HIS LEFT HAND! "OW, HOTHOTHOT….!" Ed released his feet and touched down, blowing on his flesh hand. "Good things those gloves of mine are made of stern stuff."
Ed continued down the corridor, but then, spikes out of nowhere flew towards him in all directions. "AHHHHH!" While nothing hit a vital organ, they still cut Ed up pretty good. Ed soon found the cause as he zoomed by: robots, which looked like starfish, detected his movements. When they spotted him, the light in the center would flash, and finally they would self-detonate, releasing the spikes at each corner. "Well, if that's the way Robotnik wants to play…" Ed clapped his hands, and placed his automail arm on the floor. Though he was travelling at high speed, his metallic hand was able to endure the friction and still be effective. As he skated along the path, pillars of steel jutted out, smashing each starbomb he saw on the way. "Yes! It should be smooth cruising from…" His sentence turned into a scream as he fell into a pit. "WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING TO ME!" He landed hard, but not as badly as he expected. "Omph!" Ed realized he was on a moving platform. "Whew! A few feet lower and I could have broken something!"
Ed waited for the platform to descend to an opening, and got off. Looking at his feet, he saw that his rocket skates were demolished. "I wonder what I do now to get to the end." Ed walked down the corridor, and saw a cylinder with an open door. "Maybe something in there will give me a clue." He walked inside and inspected it. "Huh. There's nothing here. No switch or mechanism that I can use to…" Suddenly, Ed felt himself become weightless, and the cylinder flashed with light. "AHHH! WHAT'S HAPPENING!" Then, he disappeared.
Lust's spears were blocked from reaching Bunnie as Antoine stepped in to parry them with his sabre. "Hnn!" With a surprising show of strength, Antoine pushed the spears away. "Bunnie! Hurry!" Antoine took Bunnie's hand, helping her up, and ran.
"You can't escape me!" Lust, however, stumbled back as Sally landed a sidekick on her head. She felt much worse, but she underestimated the mobian's strength once again.
"Everyone! Regroup! Rotor, Geoffrey! Cover us!" Sally ordered as she and her two friends retreated.
"As you command, your highness!" the skunk replied. Rotor tossed flash pellets into the air, as St. John shot a blunt arrow into the sky. Both generated globes of blinding light that not even the homunculi could withstand.
"Ugh! Filthy vermin!" Lust cried as she swung her elongated nails in vain. The light subsided, and the Freedom Fighters were out of their sight. Lust growled in frustration and clenched her fists. "How dare they humiliate me like this! Robotnik was right; I shouldn't have underestimated them!"
"Quite right, my dear."
Lust spun to see Robotnik's face on a hovering camera screen. "You were watching the whole thing!"
"Of course I was. If we're going to work together, I have to fully understand what you're capable of against the freedom fighters. I'll be nice and consider this a mock exam. But now you know full well why they are a constant threat to my empire! I expect better from you all from now on."
Lust hissed in frustration. "We're not done yet. We've still got an ace up our sleeve."
Robotnik cut off communication with Lust.
"Perhaps they're not as powerful as we were led to believe, sir?" Snively asked. If that were true, he would actually be relieved.
"Oh, they're powerful, make no mistake; the freedom fighters had to retreat, after all." Robotnik answered. "They just needed to learn just how much of a nuscence they can be. I doubt those rodents will get lucky with a second encounter. However, I'm still concerned about how they will fare against Sonic; he has defied the impossible before…" Just then, alarms went off in two different locations. "Computer: show me the source of our troubles." The monitor split, and Robotnik was able to observe both locations at once. On one side, he saw Sonic and Tails zooming through the Chemical Plant block. "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear." he growled. He then looked at the other side. In the Metropolis block, it seemed an overlander with blond hair had been for a ride with one of his obsolete teleporters. "Could that be him? The Fullmetal Alchemist?"
Robotnik grinned, and looked at his nephew. "Snively! Intercept the Alchemist! Do your utmost to defeat him, and make sure you record it! There are more like him in his world; if we're going to fight such beings, it's best we know how they may potentially fight back!"
"Yes sir! Gladly!" Snively cackled evilly.
Robotnik walked towards their two egg mobiles as he instructed Snively. "Our machines are fitted with different armaments. The blueprints should be simple enough for you to follow!"
"Of course, sir!" Snively said as he boarded his own egg mobile.
"And Snively?"
"Yes, sir?" Snively asked.
"Don't humiliate yourself!" Robotnik ignited his machine's engine, and blasted off.
Sonic and Tails finally seemed to have made it to the end of the chemical plant. It seemed that all that stood between them and their friends was a solitary pipe. "We'll be out of this dump in a Sonic second!" Sonic told his friend above. Midway through, a wall came up.
"Whoa!" Sonic leapt back, only to run into another wall.
"Greetings, hedgehog!" Sonic looked up to see Robotnik descend from the sky in his egg mobile. "How nice of you to drop by! I was beginning to feel a little lonely without you!"
Sonic muttered "Can't say the feeling's mutual, Buttnik!"
"I hear you've brought quite an interesting friend over! He has information I need…Would you be kind enough to contact him for me?" Robotnik asked in a mock-begging tone.
"First, I don't think I could be ever kind to you." Sonic shot back. "And I've a feeling you will have a run in with him anyway. Besides, I've heard you got a couple of chumps working for you!"
Robotnik chuckled in amusement. "You should worry for a change, hedgehog. They have powers I've never dreamed of, and they cannot be killed! I just dispatched them after your friends…" Sonic's smirk changed into a frown. "I gave Gluttony very specific instructions regarding your princess…"
"You son of a-"The platform under Sonic's feet rapidly rotated. Sonic of course leapt off, but another rotated, and another after that. "Damn it! I don't have time to play hop-scotch!"
"Be careful you don't fall in, hedgehog!" Robotnik sneered. "The chemicals below will reduce you to bones!"
Sonic immediately grabbed onto Tails, who lifted him up. "I'll get us-"
Suddenly, both felt an electric shock and fell to the ground. Thankfully, they were still conscious enough to land on their feet.
"HAHAHA! I rigged this area electric force field to keep you here!" Robotnik tightly gripped the clutch to his ship. "The only way to get to your dear friends…is through me."
Sonic dusted off his arm, and smirked. "You make it sound like something impossible…but we both know better than that now, don't we?"
Ed finally came to his senses. "Geez. That was…interesting." Ed walked down the path, seeing that he was within reach of the citadel. "Finally!" Ed's first instinct was to run inside, but he looked back, realizing he had to wait for Al. "He's a smart kid. He'll find a way to catch up to me in no-"
"Greetings, stranger!" Ed looked up to see a roundish craft descend towards him. While Ed did not take any action, he still moved back defensively. A man with an outrageously large nose and strands of hair that he could count on his fingers was piloting the craft, giving him a malicious grin. "I…am Snively the Great! And you, my fellow overlander, are trespassing."
Ed frowned. "Doesn't anyone on this world call us humans?" Ed straightened up, and called to him. "Stand aside and let me have the plans to the roboticizer! Trust me, you do not want to fight me!"
Snively only laughed in response. "Ohh, but I do! I've been looking for a worthy opponent to test my intellect!"
Ed rolled his eyes and dusted off his ruined coat. "Suit yourself. But I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that you should be aware of!"
"Such as what!" Snively cackled. "Go ahead! Do your worst!"
Suddenly, something flew into the air and nailed Snively on the nose. "AAAHHH!" Snively's craft backed up as the overlander desperately tried to straighten out his bleeding and broken nose. Snively then noticed a boxing glove (with eyes and a string of blond hair) on a spring was what hit him in the face, and it was connected to the metallic floor below, close to the blond-haired overlander. "That wasn't there before!" "You…you…How dare you!"
Ed just smirked. "Told ya."
Snively growled and pushed the clutch down. "Fair enough. But, if its tricks up one's sleeve you want…I'll give it to you!" IN SPADES." he growled threateningly.
Next, it's a double boss battle! And you'll see what Robotnik is firing up soon!
Also, Desorganisero is a play on the French word for disrupt.
Catch you all next time!