-Chapter 278-
The Top Secret Origin of Tundra the Walrus
Robotropolis: The Day of the Einherjar Invasion
High in the highest heights of Citadel Robotnik, in the heart of his personal laboratory, Dr. Ivo Robotnik was in the midst of a horrific, heart-wrenching ordeal…
"But Brad, what will I do without you!?"
Lindsey Faire's latest tragic romantic blockbuster.
"Brad, no! Don't do it, Brad!" Robotnik pleaded at the monitor. "So what the Duchess doesn't approve!? Who cares what the court says!? You love her! That's all that matters! If you walk away, you'll regret it for the rest of your life!"
But to the doctor and Lindsey's character's horror, Brad turned around and walked off.
"Brad, no!"
"No… No! What are you doing!?" Robotnik grabbed the monitor, shaking it violently. "Get back there and profess your feelings this instant! You coward! YOU COWAAAAAAARRRRD!"
He broke down crying, mirroring Lindsey's character to a tee. Suddenly, the door slammed open, startling Robotnik and prompting him to turn the movie off. Rushing to save face, he wiped his eyes and put on a stern face.
"Don't you people ever knock!?"
"Uncle!" Eggatha's voice snapped.
"Agatha!? Don't startle me like that! You nearly gave me a-"
Robotnik was caught off guard by the sight of his niece glaring at him with more hatred and vitriol than he ever thought possible in such a tiny person. She stormed right up to him, eyes brimming with rage to the point that they were black on red.
"A-Agatha?"
"You promised me!" she shouted. "You gave me your word that there would be no more meaningless slaughter! No more massacres! That's what you swore to me!"
"I did! What's this all about, dear?"
"Don't play stupid."
Robotnik turned to the door to find Beauregard walking in, his hat covering his eyes and his hands in his pockets. The sight put the doctor on edge.
"You know damn well what she's talkin' 'bout, Julie ."
"Beauregard…" Needless to say, Robotnik was confused. "What are you–?"
"We saw the files. EB-02 Secret Log."
Robotnik's eyes widened in shock. "H-How–?"
"Eggperial Chief of Staff, remember?" Eggatha snarled. "And I'm a mother-fugging Kintobor. Now you're gonna tell us exactly what you did!"
Realizing he couldn't lie his way out of this, or deny any longer, Robotnik switched to pleading his case.
"Agatha, please! You have to understand, I didn't have a choice! Tundra's not like the other Egg Bosses. He's too...valuable."
"Valuable enough to let him slaughter half of Artika?!" Beau exclaimed, stalking forward with the gait of a man poised to kill. "Enough to torture his soldiers 'til they die of exhaustion or become psychotic, bloodthirsty wrecks!? Enough to pull an Animal Sematary on one of yer best friends?"
Eggman swallowed nervously. "Y-You...?"
Beauregard nodded, gaze cold.
"Yeah, we know. Hell, I figured it out the minute the bastard walked into the meeting. I know you ain't exactly in yer right mind, Julie; but how could you do that to Sherman!?"
Robotnik couldn't help but cringe. "It wasn't ideal, but he's alive!"
"He's an Aurora-damned monster!" Robotnik flinched as Beau got right in his face. "You took one of Mobius' greatest heroes - one of our friends - and turned him into...into...!"
"The greatest warrior in all of Mobius."
Time seemed to freeze as everyone felt their blood run cold. In almost perfect sync, the three turned to see Tundra the Walrus towering in the doorframe. His blue parka was stained red, and his fists seemed to be completely covered in it. Behind his shades, there was a manic gleam that reminded the three of a homicidal lion they knew.
"Tundra..." Robotnik swallowed nervously.
"Doctor, Staff Officer..." His eyes narrowed as he turned to Beauregard. "Rabbit."
"Sherm..." Beauregard slowly stepped forward, smiling nervously as he held out his hand. "Sherm...it's me, Beau. Buckshot?"
"Get out of my way."
Tundra put his hand on Beau's face and swatted him off to the side and into some nearby lab equipment.
"Sorry I'm late," Tundra said as he advanced toward the Robotniks. "Had to drop off our latest haul. But, I'm happy to report that phase one is complete. The Bifrost has been opened and we've more than enough slaves to pick up the slack from Zan's failure. We should be back on schedule within the month."
He sighed in disappointment.
"Sadly, my future Valkyrie managed to elude me. But, I'm certain I can collect her at my leisure during our next bout."
Eggatha and Ivo grimaced as Tundra chuckled to himself.
"Additionally, you'll be happy to know that I managed to claim several members of the hedgehog's ragtag band of misfits. Including your grandfather's creation."
"Sh-Shadow?" Eggatha froze. "Wait... is Hope with you?"
Robotnik gave him a steely-eyed glare. "Tundra, I swear, if you laid one purple sausage finger on her-!"
"Your wayward niece eluded me as well, Doctor," the walrus interrupted. "But rest assured, next time we cross paths, she will be dealt with."
"DEALT WITH?!" Eggatha shrieked in horror and outrage.
"Are you mad!?" Robotnik shouted.
"She is a traitor to your Empire. She works with your sworn enemies. She is a stain on your honor and must be dealt with as such."
"She's my niece!"
"And what difference does that make?" Tundra questioned, as if Robotnik had just told him the sky was blue.
"Let me make myself perfectly clear, Tundra," Robotnik began coldly. "You can ignore my summons, belittle your fellow Egg Bosses. You can pick fights, throw insults, whatever. I really don't care, in the end. But if you try - no! If you so much as think about touching my family-!"
"You'll what? Crack me?" Tundra sneered, glaring at Robotnik with an air of superiority. "I'd like to see you try."
Tundra's mouth curled upward into a twisted grin and immediately, Robotnik felt a chill up his spine. He was no stranger to evil grins, he saw them in the mirror and the visors and chassis of his soldiers and Badniks every day. The grin of an evil mastermind plotting his next scheme. The grin of a conqueror preparing to lead his armies over the map, dreaming up cities named after him and giant statues of himself proclaiming his genius to the world forever.
But Tundra's was different. This wasn't the grin of a conqueror or a genius. This was the grin of a ravenous wolf eyeing a freshly caught rabbit.
The grin of a killer.
"Well?" Tundra asked, pulling the doctor out of his thoughts. "What are you waiting for?"
He leaned in closer.
"I'm disobeying a direct order."
He could smell the walrus' rancid, fishy breath.
"I'm challenging your authority."
He could see the bloodshot veins in his eyes.
"Threatening your loved ones."
Feel his thick, filthy whiskers brush against his own.
"Shouldn't you be making an example of me…?"
He pulled away, just enough to let him see that sick, demonic grin.
"You little worm?"
Robotnik's eyes widened as the last word echoed in his mind. It was just a whisper at first, but with each second, it grew louder. Then, harsher. Then, more numerous. Soon, dozens of Tundra's were shouting in his head, all saying the same thing.
Worm…worm….WORM!
Then finally, everything went quiet, and Robotnik SNAPPED.
"HOW DARE YOU!?"
Robotnik raised his hand into the air, making a fist and raising his thumb; a gesture that had become synonymous with death in recent months. Without a second thought, he pressed down his thumb and watched as Tundra screamed in agony and fell to his knees as blue electricity crackled and danced across his body.
Robotnik grinned viciously, enjoying every moment of his traitorous subordinate's torment. However, that moment of victory was short-lived. The cries of agony gave way to laughter. His pained grimace morphed into a smirk and he slowly got back to his feet.
"So, that's where it is."
Robotnik and Eggatha raised their eyebrows in confusion.
"I'll admit, you've got bigger stones than I gave you credit for, Doctor," Tundra praised as he reached into his pocket. "But you made one mistake…"
He pulled out a knife. At the sight, Beau grabbed Aggie and pulled her behind him. Robotnik stepped back too, but Tundra didn't seem to care.
"You didn't put it in deep enough!"
The sickening squelch of metal cutting through flesh sounded through the room, followed by a roar of agony.
"Sweet, 'lil baby Aurora…" Beauregard uttered in shock.
The blade sliced through the neck, spraying blood everywhere.
"Uncle Ivo…" Eggatha whimpered in dread.
Finally, the knife fell to the ground, its grisly work complete.
"Gears and starters…" Robotnik Julian Kintobor whispered in horror.
"Julian…"
Tundra's breathing was labored as he clutched the bleeding wound in his neck.
"Consider this…"
He plunged his massive fingers into his neck, fresh blood staining his already reddened gloves as he felt around his insides. After a few seconds of searching, his eyes widened.
"My resignation!"
There was a sickening ripping sound as he pulled something bloody and electric right out of him. Wires snapped and sparked as Tundra grit his teeth, then screamed in pain and pure determination as he pulled the object out of his body.
Ten seconds later, it was over. Tundra stood before a horrified Robotnik, Agatha, and Beauregard, panting and grunting in pain as blood seeped out onto his shoulder from a rapidly closing wound. But that wasn't what had them scared, no. What terrified them wasn't that Tundra had stabbed himself in the neck, but what he had pulled out of it: a microchip, still sparking with electricity in its torn wires.
Beauregard's jaw dropped. "Is that…?"
"The Crack Circuit…" Eggatha whispered in disbelief. "The control chip for all the fail safes in the Egg Army's implants!"
"And now…" Tundra said. "It's garbage!"
He threw the chip to the ground before crushing it beneath his boot, grinding it to dust for good measure.
"H-How?" Robotnik asked, unable to process what he'd just witnessed. "How in all of Mobius did you–!?"
"Because you're weak." Robotnik froze at that, Tundra's words making him shake. "Too afraid of hurting the shell of your old friend that you couldn't leash me properly. The same reason you keep losing to a bunch of pathetic children."
Tundra narrowed his eyes at the doctor.
"Do you know why my Einherjar are the strongest branch of your precious Egg Army, Doctor? How we managed to seize control of half the continent and keep it?"
He steps forward, Eggman stepping back. Tundra grinned.
"Because I carve out any weakness in their hearts! I crush it beneath my boot and push them until they're the best of the best! Because I don't let useless sentiment, empty morality, or worthless filial ties blind me to who my enemies are! If somebody gets in my way - whether they're man or Mobian, being or beast, or even women or children - I smash their limbs, rip out their hearts, and snap! Their! Necks! "
His grin redoubled.
"Just like I did your brat niece's pet whale."
At that, Eggatha paled
"Akhlut... What did you do to Akhlut?!"
"Why don't you ask him?" Tundra turned to the door. "Frazil! Berg!"
At that, Frazil and Berg walked into the lab, dragging Akhlut behind them by his legs.
"Here we are…Master Tundra!" Frazil panted, the penguin visibly struggling to haul the massive cetacean. "Whew! Dear Odin, he's heavy…"
Eggatha looked on in horror at the sight of Akhlut's condition. He was covered from head to toe in cuts and bruises and had several sharp shards of ice jutting out of his shiny, black skin, which had been darkened with blood; along with a good chunk of his vest jacket and jumpsuit, which sported several prominent tears. He was missing a boot, part of his dorsal fin implant had been broken off, and his psystone had been cracked. Fortunately, from the sound of his groaning, the orca was still conscious; but that was of little comfort to the young Eggperial COS.
"Akhlut!" she screamed, rushing to his side as the two Einherjars dropped him.
"Aga…tha…" Akhlut uttered weakly. "I'm…sorry…I failed…"
Tears streamed down Eggatha's cheeks as she clenched her fists and gritted her teeth.
"You…!" she shouted at Tundra. "What the hell did you do to him!?"
"He brought this on himself," the walrus chided. "The blackfish insulted my honor in front of my men; no doubt so he'd have an excuse to kill me." He turned to Robotnik. "I'd tell you to skip the middleman and do it yourself, Julian, but..." He gestured to the bloody, broken Crack Circuit.
"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do. Frazil, Berg!" The Einherjar snapped to attention. "Prepare the ship. We have a world to conquer."
"Yes, Master Tundra!"
With that, the trio headed for the door. The Eggs were frozen, unable to do anything but watch.
"So, what's our next step, Master Tundra?" Berg asked.
"Well, first–" Tundra stopped as the click of a gun greeted his ears.
"Not one more step, asshole," Beauregard ordered, his Waco Wilder aimed right at the walrus.
Tundra sighed in annoyance, not even bothering to look at him. "Put that peashooter down, rabbit. You'll hurt someone."
"Yeah." His aim remained steady. "You."
"Have you forgotten that I'm bulletproof?"
"Those fancy nanomachines may make our skin tough to break, but we ain't no Optimen." Beau narrowed his eyes. "Now, put yer hands in the air and–"
"I'm not talking about the nanites," Tundra interrupted.
"What?"
"Arid Sands, three hours east of Shamar."
"The hell are you…?"
"When we first met Pharaoh. We were ambushed by a patrol of medjed. I jumped in front of a machine gun aimed at you."
Beauregard perked at that.
"Or how about that skirmish with the Spice Lords in Adabat? We went undercover as slaves. They tried to blow my heart out with a rifle."
Beauregard began to sweat.
"Oh! And let's not forget what happened in Mazuri."
"Y-You...You're just spoutin' nonsense!" Beau snapped. "Stuff ya read from the files! Y-You don't actually remember–"
"Clemont and Scarlet Rabbot." Tundra looked him right in the eyes, his wide grin returning. "Area 72."
Beau tried to respond, but all that came out of his mouth was horrified, garbled gibberish.
"Go on," Tundra said. "Pull the trigger, rabbit. Waste your bullets. Give me a reason to crush you like a grape and steal you from your wife and niece for real."
Beau's hand was shaking. He did his best to stay strong, but no matter what he did, he couldn't pull the trigger. The gun fell out of his hands and hit the floor, and after that, his knees joined it.
"Hmph...that's what I thought," Tundra sneered.
The walrus turned and walked away, but before he left, he stopped at the door one last time.
"Enjoy what little time you have left, Doctor. Because once I erase the Freedom Fighters…" he turned around, giving them one last evil grin. "Robotropolis will be next."
"The rings of Saturn?"
"Hm?" Tundra turned to Beau.
"The rings of Saturn…when do they shine brightest?"
Tundra regarded Beauregard for a moment; the rabbit looking right at him, desperately hoping for an answer. Instead, Tundra turned away and walked off with his subordinates, leaving Beauregard crushed and Robotnik and Eggatha standing in fear.
"By Aurora..." The doctor fell to his knees. "I've created a monster."
-X-
Sometime Later…
Akhlut grunted and groaned on the medwing operating table, gripping the sides as Robotnik did his best to tend to the orca's wounds.
"Hold still, you damn dolphin!" Robotnik snapped. "The nanomachines in your blood may boost your healing rate and immune response, but even they have limits."
"Rrrrrgh...yes, Doctor," Akhlut gritted out before roaring in pain as the doctor applied a swab coated in burning, stinging iodine.
"Akhlut, what happened?" Eggatha asked. "Why did Tundra do this to you?"
"It's exactly as he said," the orca replied. "I insulted his honor and we fought."
"Guessin' he did more of the fighting than you," Beau snarked, earning him a glare.
"You're lucky I'm injured, Rabbot. Otherwise, you'd be getting the burning, stinging iodine treatment with me. YEEEAGH!"
"There, that should do it," the doctor said as he went to dispose of his gloves, Akhlut growling at him behind his back.
"Akhlut, you were supposed to make sure Tundra didn't go rogue, not provoke him! What the hell were you thinking!?" Eggatha shouted.
The orca looked away. "I told you, that's none of your concern, Agatha."
"Our strongest Egg Boss has gone rogue and is about to conquer all of Mobius and baptize his new Empire in blood because you didn't do your job, you idiot!" the young Robotnik massaged her temples. "Seriously, you could've done something! Stopped him! Instead, you challenged him to a fight and got your ass handed to you!? Why would you do that!?"
"I swore an oath," Akhlut stated. "That's all you need to know."
"You-!"
"Kid," Beau interjected. "Don't. That ain't somethin' ya need ta be gettin' mixed up in."
"But–!"
Beau just shook his head, making her reluctantly relent. Once she backed down, the rabbit turned his attention back to the Orca.
"Tell me something, Blackfish… did you recognize him too?"
"You think I wouldn't recognize the one Mobian I respected transformed into the antithesis of everything he stood for?" Akhlut scoffed. "I've known ever since I met him during my training sabbatical after Meropis."
Eggatha perked. "Hold on, is that why you keep flipping out every time someone brings him up? Because you knew he was Sherman–?"
" That THING is NOT Sherman Walrus! " Akhlut pounded his fist on the side of the table. "Sherman Walrus was the one person on this Gaia-forsaken rock that could fight me to a standstill! We didn't see eye to eye on many things, but we respected each other as warriors."
He looked at the ground, his eyes filled with anger and - surprisingly - sadness.
"Sherman was one of the strongest men in Mobius, in body, mind, and spirit. No matter what the world threw at him, no matter how powerful the enemy, he never backed down. Even if it meant risking life and limb. Even if it meant moving mountains. Even when it would be easier - smarter even - to throw away his morality and compassion, Sherman Walrus would look adversity right in the eye and tell them...No."
His gaze then turned into a hard glare and he turned to Robotnik.
"So you can imagine my absolute disgust when I saw what you turned him into."
Eggman grimaced at that.
"Believe me, Akhlut. I'm not happy with this either."
Suddenly, Akhlut grabbed Eggman by his collar. "Then you should have let him rest in peace! Instead, you defile his honor, his spirit! And for what!? Answer me, Ivo!"
Eggman looked into Akhlut's eyes. Though literally glowing with rage, the doctor could make out something hidden by the blackness of his sclera. Something he had never seen in the orca's eyes, until now.
Tears.
Robotnik turned to Beauregard, then his niece. Both were glaring at him with cold eyes, but he could also tell they were holding back their own waterworks.
Realizing how badly he had messed up, Robotnik sighed.
"Alright," he said, removing Akhlut's hands from his jacket. "I'll tell you everything."
He pulled up a chair and took a seat.
"It all started shortly after the Chaos Incident..."
"When you made a stop at Snatch's Emporium," Eggatha interjected. "Clever to do it while I was still in a coma, knowing I'd protest otherwise."
"Figures you'd know about that." Robotnik shook his head. "I was out gathering test subjects for my Cyberization experiments, as well as some new help in the labs. And while I was there…"
Flashbacj
Snatch's Emporium - Shortly after the Chaos Incident
In a secret harbor hidden away in a deserted, seaside cove, a shady figure in a purple, hooded cloak was barking orders to his henchmen as they hauled several crates off a ship.
"Careful you idiots!" the figure shouted. "If any of that merchandise is damaged, you'll be replacing it! You hear!?"
"Yes, Mr. Snatch, sir!"
"We'll be careful!"
"You'd better be," Snatch growled. "I have a very important guest arriving soon and I want everything to be absolutely–!"
He was interrupted by the sound of a jet engine high above them. Everyone looked up and saw the Egg Carrier flying overhead.
"Perrrrrrrfeeeeect…" Snatch whispered with wicked glee.
The Carrier fired its tractor beam, allowing its commander to float down to the surface, a squad of SWATBots accompanying him.
"And here he is, the man of the hour, Dr. Robotnik!" Snatch cheered as he stepped forward. "And how are you today, sir?"
"Zip your lip, Snatch," the doctor snapped. "I'm not in the mood for your flattery."
"M-My apologies, sir!" Snatch groveled. "I just wanted to make my favorite - and only - customer feel extra welcome."
"In that case, skip the bootlicking and get to the part where you show me your merchandise."
"R-right of course!" It was then that Snatch noticed that someone was missing. "Um...Sir, may I ask where your niece–?"
"Only if you want the cops to be finding your body for months." The Doctor didn't even look at him as he gave his threat.
"Eh heh...under the weather, got it." Snatch cleared his throat. "Moving on!"
With that, Snatch sped off into the cove, Eggman following.
After a while, the pair found themselves in a large, cavernous chamber that resembled a cross between a car show floor and a wine cellar. But instead of vintage automobiles and pipes of fermented grapes, there were large, glass capsules, each containing humans and Mobians. The capsules' occupants varied wildly in size, shape, species, sex, and age, but all of them had three things in common: they were filthy, they were scared/angry/crying, and all of them were outfitted with high-tech collars.
"So, dear Doctor," Snatch began. "Is there anything you're looking for in particular?"
"I need some test subjects for a…project I'm working on," he replied.
"In that case, I'll prepare the usual variety pack for you. Fifty or one hundred?"
"Hundred. Send the bill to Grimer."
"Very well." Snatch pulled out a notepad and began writing. "Anything else? Anything specific you're looking for."
"Well, the Badnik Army Repair Functionaries have been pestering me for more manpower..."
"Ahh, a craftsman! Worry not, sir! I have just the man for you!"
Snatch led Robotnik over to a capsule containing a Mobian orangutan with shaggy orange fur. He wore a tie-dyed sleeveless shirt, brown boots, short, tan-colored cargo pants, and rose-colored sunglasses. His fur and clothing were filthy and in tatters.
"Dr. Robotnik, let me introduce you to my latest acquisition and finest engineer: Grease the Orangutan!" He turned to his captive. "Say hello to the nice man, Grease." (1)
Grease just scowled at the two, not even bothering to utter a sound. Snatch twiddled his thumbs, looking side-to-side before clearing his throat.
"I said, say hello, Grease."
But Grease remained silent, much to his captor's annoyance.
"Dammit, you overgrown literal grease monkey, say something!"
"Something," Grease replied, causing his collar to glow and give him a painful shock. The orangutan twitched and spasmed in pain for a moment before collapsing in a heap on the capsule floor.
"I swear, the mouth on some of these people." Snatch shook his head, softly tsking. "Anyway, Grease is quite the handyman. Perfect for lab work, Badnik maintenance, or just organizing your tools."
Robotnik looked down at Grease, a glimmer of something in his eyes that Snatch couldn't quite recognize.
"I'll take him!"
"Excellent choice, sir! I'll have the bill sent to Grimer, as usual."
Robotnik nodded. "Swatbots, load him up!"
"Yes, Doctor."
Two of the SWATBots marched over to Grease's capsule, lifting it and flying out of the cavern.
"You're not gonna get away with this, you hear me!" the orangutan shouted. "Sonic's gonna bust your face in and get me outta here, and everyone else too!"
His speech was rewarded with another painful shock, this one strong enough to knock him out.
"Sorry about that, sir," Snatch apologized. "What say we move onto–"
Snatch paused as the sounds of sniffling filled the room.
"Oh great..." he groaned. "Would you excuse me, please? I'll be right back."
Robotnik watched as Snatch stormed off, grumbling under his breath as he did. Curious, the doctor followed him and found the dealer yelling at his subordinates.
"What the hell's going on here!?" he yelled. "I'm trying to make a sale here!"
"We're sorry, Mr. Snatch!" one of the goons pleaded. "But one of the prisoners started crying and–"
"Then just zap them until they stop, like we always do."
"Well sir, about that…"
The goons step aside, revealing a capsule containing a little Mobian raven girl in a white dress. Seeing her made the dealer scoff in disgust.
"Great, this one again."
Snatch walked over to the girl, who yelped and tried to hide.
"Dammit, you insufferable, little soot-pigeon!" Snatch said as he raised his hand. "I thought I told you to be–!"
Just as he was about to do something, Robotnik's metal arm grabbed his shoulder.
"I'll take that one too," he interjected.
"Doctor! Um…" Snatch looked around nervously. "Well, I'm terribly sorry, but little Morella here's uh… not for sale. Her Ma owes me quite a few Mobiums and-"
"I'll take that one too," Robotnik repeated, tightening his grip and eliciting a yelp from Snatch.
"V-Very well, sir! I'll send the bill to Grimer."
Robotnik nodded. "SWATbots!"
The bots stood at attention.
"Take this one too. Protocol AR-113."
"Yes, Doctor."
"Wh-What!?" Morella cried. "No! I don't wanna go! Help! Momma! Mom–!"
Morella let out a shriek as Snatch shocked her.
"Uuugh...Momma, Momma, Momma!" The dealer groaned in exasperation. "Good Gaia, you're like a broken record! Hopefully, you'll be less irritating as a Robian, you–"
Suddenly, Eggman smacked Snatch, knocking him to the ground.
"No disciplining my purchase!" He turned his attention to the SWATBots. "Take her."
The SWATBots obeyed.
"And as for you..." Robotnik grabbed Snatch by his cloak and got right in his face. "Are there any other children in your inventory?"
Snatch swallowed nervously. "N-Nope! Sh-She was the last one."
Robotnik's grip tightened. "I want a full list of your sales records on them. Who they are and who bought them."
"B-But I can't just–"
"Your body. Months. And it won't be as a robot."
Snatch swallowed hard.
"Yessir!" And with that, Robotnik dropped him.
"Okay..." Snatch got up and dusted himself off. "Now, what say we get back to shopping and..."
Suddenly, there was a loud crash.
"Oh, what now!?"
Snatch ran outside to find some goons panicking over a huge crate.
"What the hell is going on here!?" he demanded. "I told you idiots to be care–!"
Upon seeing the crate's contents, Snatch froze, his eyes widening in horror.
"Ohhhh no…."
"W-We're sorry, sir!" one of the goons pleaded. "We didn't mean to drop it! But he's so heavy we–!"
"Save me your excuses!" Snatch barked. "Just get him out of here before Dr. Robotnik sees him!"
"Before I see who?"
Snatch let out a high-pitched scream as Dr. Robotnik walked over behind him.
"D-Dr. Robotnik!"
"Snatch, what the hell are you…do…ing?"
Dr. Robotnik stopped cold.
"No…it couldn't be…"
Inside the crate was a large chunk of ice, and inside that chunk of ice was the last thing he thought he'd see: a large, hulking Mobian walrus with purple fur, prominent scars on his head, thick, bushy white whiskers and eyebrows, and a blue captain's jacket.
"Sherman!?"
Robotnik walked over to the ice and put his hand on it, looking at its sleeping prisoner in awe. Curious, he pressed a button on his mechanical arm, releasing a beam that scanned the captive walrus. A few seconds later, a holo-screen appeared, displaying his vitals. Upon seeing them, the doctor nearly fainted.
"Gears and starters…he's alive! He's alive!"
A huge grin spread over Robotnik's face. But this time, it wasn't one of diabolical plotting or wicked glee. This was a smile of pure joy. However, that joy was short-lived when something caught his eye.
"Eh, what's this?"
He looked over the crate and noticed a piece of paper nailed to the side. Curious, he examined it and found that it was a label; "FOR CHU DAIZIN'S AUCTION" written on it in permanent marker.
"Auction?" Robotnik read before slowly turning to the Emporium workers. "SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATCH!"
Snatch attempted to run off but was intercepted by SWATBots, who grabbed him and dragged him back to the doctor.
"Dr. Robotnik, I can explain!" the dealer pleaded.
"Oh yes, Snatch. Please explain to me why you were plotting to sell one of my closest friends at the biggest slave auction house in all of Yurashia!"
"Well…"
"Where did you even find him!? Talk!"
Snatch screamed. "W-We found him drifting in the middle of the ocean in Artika! We didn't know he was friends with you!"
This did little to mollify Robotnik, who merely growled at him and raised his hand in rage.
"Doctor, please! You have to understand!" Snatch pleaded. "Ever since you forced me into this damn exclusivity pact, I've been struggling to make ends meet! It's only one guy! He's legally dead anyway!"
Robotnik punched Snatch in the face, then proceeded to get right into it.
"Here's what's going to happen, Snatch. I'm taking Sherman with me, along with all the slaves I purchased from you today, and the information I demanded, for free!"
"What!?"
"And if I find out you're violating our contract or laying so much as a finger on another child…"
He raised his mechanical arm, summoning a plasma blade from his wrist, and proceeded to slash Snatch across the face.
"My eye! MY EYE! MY EYEEEEEEEE!"
With that, Robotnik threw the slaver onto the ground, leaving him to roll about in pain, clutching his now vacant eye socket.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
With that taken care of, Robotnik made his way to Sherman's icy prison.
"I can't believe it..." he said as he touched the ice. "I thought you were gone forever, but you were here all this time."
A single tear was shed from the doctor's eye.
"Don't worry old friend, I'll fix you…One way or another."
Flashback Over
"So that's why Snatch only had one eye the last time we shopped there," Eggatha said.
"Bastard..." Beauregard cursed as he absently fingered his gun.
"Now you know why I forced him into that exclusivity deal," Robotnik said. "Anyway… Once I'd acquired Sherman, I immediately got to work reviving him."
Flashback
Robotnik's Lab
A few days after he met with Snatch, Robotnik was back in his lab with the S-6, hard at work on his latest project: reviving Sherman. His first step, freeing him from his icy prison.
"Wowzers!" Coconuts exclaimed. "That is one biiiiiig walrus!"
"He kind of looks like that Sherman fellow you used to know," Decoe noted. "The one from the Great War?"
"Hold on," Bocoe cut in. "Sherman? Like, Sherman 'Tank' Walrus? The wrestler? The one who died?"
"Hey yeah!" Coconuts squinted his optics. "Guess that makes him a ' dead ringer ', eh?"
That earned him a bop on the head from the doctor.
"He's not a 'dead ringer', you idiot!" Robotnik snapped. "He is Sherman!"
"WHAAAAAAT!?" the dumb-bots shouted.
"T-T-Tank the Walrus, in the flesh!?" Grounder shouted in disbelief.
"Oh my gosh! That crazy, homeless man on the train was right!" Scratch screamed. "We gotta get his autograph!"
"First, we need to revive him," Robotnik said. "Cubot, throw the switch!"
"Yes, Maaaaster," he said in a raspy, nasally voice.
Cubot threw the switch, causing a pair of mechanical arms to emerge from the platform the ice block was resting on.
"Attention. Stage 1…" the computer began. "Laser Cutting, beginning."
Plasma cutters emerged from the arms, which immediately got to work shearing away most of the ice from Sherman's body.
"Laser Cutting, complete. Stage 2…"
The group watched as a larger mechanical arm dropped down from the ceiling and lifted Sherman. The platform he was resting on opened up, revealing a deep pool of orange liquid.
"Stage 2: Warm Liquid Goo Phase, beginning."
Robotnik and the S-6 watched as the arm slowly lowered Sherman's frozen body into the pool until he was completely submerged.
"Grounder, the Chaos Emerald," Robotnik ordered.
"Chaos Emerald?" the drill-bot asked. "What Chaos Emerald?"
"The one we picked up on the way back from Snatch's, you dolt!"
"Ohhhhhh!" Grounder reached into his chest compartment and pulled out a blue Chaos Emerald. "Here you are, Your Wickedness!"
Robotnik swiped the gem from his hands and placed it into a slot on the machine's console. He then pressed a button next to it, causing blue Chaos Energy to flood the machine.
"Stage 3: Reanimation, beginning."
The Chaos Energy coursed through several, large wires that led right to the tank, flooding it and causing the liquid to flash; prompting the S-6 to shield their eyes.
"Reanimation, complete."
About a minute later, the glowing stopped, and the pool began to drain. Once it was done, the platform began to rise, allowing Robotnik and his robo-cronies to see their handiwork.
"Did it work?" Cutbot shouted. "I can't see!"
"Settle down, you blockhead!" Orbot snapped. "We'll be able to see in a…my word!"
A watery moan echoed through the lab, followed by a cough. Sure enough, the process was a success. Lying on the platform, dripping with slime, was Sherman Walrus.
"It's alive…it's alive! It's ALIIIIIIIIIIIVE! " Cubot screamed to the heavens.
"Oh great," Orbot groused. "He has a Sylvanian Mad Doctor chip now…"
Suddenly, the footsteps echoed through the lab. Robotnik and the S-6 turned to see Sherman shambling toward them; and at a surprisingly alarming rate, no less. The massive Mobian moaned and groaned, his hands reaching out for the doctor, who cowered in fear at the sight. But right as he was getting close, Sherman stumbled and tripped over his own two feet and fell flat on his face; splattering warm, liquid goo all over the floor…and everyone in the lab.
"Ewwwwww!" Coconuts squealed.
"And I just got this chassis polished!" Decoe shouted.
Robotnik growled as he wiped the slime off his glasses. "Get Grimer in here and tell him to bring a forklift." He looked at the slime-coated walrus and floor and sighed. "I wonder what Snively's up to."
-X-
One shower and clean-up later, Sherman was lying on an operating table with several machines hooked up to him to measure his vitals and brain activity. The walrus hadn't woken up since his unfreezing, allowing Robotnik and Grimer to study him.
"I don't believe it..." Grimer uttered in awe. "This shouldn't be possible! You said he's been stuck in the ice for how long!?"
"About two years," Robotnik replied.
"He's been stuck in ice for two years, but his body's in near-perfect condition!" Grimer exclaimed. "Even taking into account his Mobian physiology, he should've undergone severe muscle atrophy and cognitive deterioration! But his scans show nothing of the sort! How is this possible!?"
"Maybe it has something to do with that shiny pebble he has," Cubot pointed out.
Robotnik and Grimer blinked.
"Pebble?" they asked in unison.
"The one in his hand."
Cubot pointed to Sherman's left hand; which had white light shining through his fingers. Curious, Robotnik walked over and tried to pry open Sherman's fingers, only to find they wouldn't budge. With a sigh, he reached over for the side of the table, grabbing a crowbar. He jammed it in and pried the fingers apart, allowing the "pebble" to drop to the ground. When it did, the room got visibly colder, and frost began to gather around where it had dropped.
"Wh-What just happened?" Scratch asked, shivering.
"It feels like a freezer here!" Coconuts added.
"What in the world is that pebble!?" Cubot chimed in.
"I'll tell you what it is," Robotnik said as he carefully picked it up with a pair of tongs, revealing it to be an icy blue, golf ball-sized power gem. "This 'pebble' is an Ice Diamond."
Everyone in the room froze (metaphorically) and gaped in awe.
"Uhhhh…what's an Ice Diamond?" Cubot asked.
"What's an…are you stupid!?" Coconuts snapped. "An Ice Diamond's a…actually what is an Ice Diamond?"
"The rarest of all Power Gems and the most powerful of them all," Robotnik explained. "They possess a unique energy signature that allows them to generate cold!"
"But sir, that's impossible!" Orbot stated. "Cold can't be generated. It's an absence of heat."
"That's because Ice Diamonds don't actually generate cold, Orbot," Robotnik continued. "Heat is produced by the vibration and movement of molecules caused. Ice Diamonds produce a field that inhibits and eventually stops these vibrations, which creates cold. That's how Sherman was able to remain in such pristine condition."
Sherman groaned.
"Well...physically at least."
"Indeed," Grimer continued. "His brain tissue may be in perfect condition, but his mind is a mess. His brain activity remains at the bare minimum for survival."
"Wow! Does that mean I'm smarter than him!?" Cubot asked excitedly, earning him a bonk on the head.
"No, you dolt!" Robotnik shouted. "His brain's just lagging! He needs a good jolt. Some kind of physical or emotional stimuli to get his neurons charged."
"Ooh! I know!" Scratch climbed onto Sherman's body, scratching his feet over his chiseled, yet blubbery belly. He cleared his throat, and then…
"Cock-a-doodle doo!" He crowed. "Cock-a-doodle-!"
"That ain't gonna work!" Grounder shouted, shoving Scratch off. "Let me show you how it's done!"
He grabbed Sherman by his cheeks.
"Wake up, Mr. Walrus! Stop being unconscious now!"
Grounder slapped Sherman around, but the walrus remained out like a light.
"Quit it!" Coconuts barked as he stomped Grounder's head into his body. "I got this!"
The robo-monkey's hands turned into a pair of cymbals, which he proceeded to clang together loudly.
"Rise and shine, big guy! Up and at 'em!"
Then, Cubot shoved him off and took a shot.
"Sherrrrrrmaaaaaaaaan!" he shouted, his voice suddenly Brettonian (2). "Wakey-wakey! I got a nice cuttlefish for you when you wake up!"
"Enough!" Robotnik shouted, silencing them all.
"These clearly aren't working," Grimer mused, stroking his chin. "If you want to wake up a coma victim, you need something very personal to them. The smell of their favorite food, the sound of their favorite song, the voice of a loved one!"
"That's stupid!" Decoe shouted.
"Ooh! Let's use dynamite!" Bocoe suggested, pulling out a lit stick.
"NO!" Robotnik grabbed the explosive and shoved it into Grounder's compartment, letting it blow up harmlessly inside him.
"I know what'll wake him up."
Eggman pulled his smartphone and began going through his files.
"Come on, come on…Aha!"
Once he found what he was looking for, he pulled out a pair of headphones and plugged them in before placing them over Sherman's ears.
"AAAAAand play!"
Robotnik pressed the play button, and the phone sprang to life. Curious, Grimer looked over his shoulder, causing his jaw to drop.
"Sir," he began. Is that–?"
"Yes," Robotnik replied. "Now, shut up."
Everyone watched the sleeping walrus in nervous anticipation; but so far, nothing was happening.
"Sir, I don't think it's working."
"It will, Grimer," Robotnik said. "It has to."
"I dunno, Your Nefariousness," Scratch began. "I think this one's a…"
Suddenly, the machines began beeping.
"...dud?"
"My word!" Orbot exclaimed. "His brain activity is spiking like crazy! I-I think it's working!"
"Nggggh…"
Everyone turned to Sherman, who was beginning to stir from his slumber.
"Everyone, he's coming to!" Decoe called out, prompting them all to gather around the operating table.
"Hurry, Beau…fas…er…" Sherman's fingers twitched as his feet shifted from side to side quickly.
"Go, Tank, go!" Cubot cheered.
"Come on, Sherman! You can do this." Robotnik pleaded quietly. "Think about your sons!"
Sherman perked. "My…sons…"
"Yes," Robotnik nodded, a smile spreading over his face. "Rotor and Skeeter, your boys. Don't you want to see them again?"
"My…boys…Ro…tor…Skee…ter…"'
"They both miss you, dearly; and I know you do too. Rotor will especially be happy to see you again. You'd be proud to see how much…he's…grown…" Robotnik paused; his joyful smile immediately turning into a nervous frown. "Oh dear…"
Robotnik grabbed his phone and immediately shut off the video. As soon as he did, Sherman's brain activity (and his body) began to slow down until it finally stopped.
"Whew!" Robotnik exclaimed, wiping sweat from his brow. "That was a close one."
"Hey! What was that for, Doctor!?" Decoe exclaimed.
"Yeah, he was just about to wake up!" Bocoe chimed in.
"Sir, why would you do such a thing!?" Grimer demanded.
"Because we can't wake him up!" Robotnik said, to everyone's confusion. "Do you have any idea what would happen if we did? What would he do?"
"Uhhhh…thank us?" Scratch offered.
"He would be unaware of your transformation," Orbot continued. "Ergo, thanking you is plausible."
Orbot yelped as Robotnik leaned right in his face. "And what do you think he's going to do after , hmmmm?"
"Well…"
"I'll tell you what he'll do!" the doctor shouted. "First, get out of the city and go looking for his son. Then, he'll have his son take him to Knothole…where Sonic is. Then, he'll fill him in on what's been going on since his 'death'; including my rise to power as Mobius' future ruler! Then, he'll ask if they need any help fighting us off. And then, he'll piledrive us all into the ground!"
The thought alone was enough to make the S-6 and Grimer gasp in horror…with Scratch even passing out.
"Sherman Walrus is one of the most powerful men on the planet," Robotnik continued. "The man once caught an artillery shell fired from a tank mid-flight and threw it right back at the tank in one motion! He's got enough blubber and muscle to block bullets! The ground shakes whenever he steps! He can do pull-ups with his tusks !"
"That sounds painful," Cubot chimed in with a wince.
"Bottom line!" Robotnik shouted, startling Cubot into his block form. "Sherman Walrus is not somebody we want to have as an enemy. So…" Everyone shuddered in horror as the doctor's smile returned…his evil smile. "We need to make him an ally. Grimer?"
"Sir?" the green man asked.
"Prep the Cyberizer."
Flashback Over
"After that, I erased the nincombots' memories and all evidence of Sherman's acquisition to ensure there wouldn't be any leaks," Robotnik continued. "The only people who knew about him are myself and Grimer, and I knew he would never tell a soul."
"Grimer..." Eggatha whispered.
"Later, Aggie," Beauregard told her. "Right now, I wanna know how Sherm became Tundra."
"I think I have an idea," Akhlut cut in, turning to the doctor. "Tundra isn't just a random name Sherman pulled out of a hat, it's his original name. His birth name . And the cruel, bloodthirsty personality he has now, it's similar to how he was when we were younger, only turned up to eleven. A long time ago, Sherman - then Tundra - went missing after we accidentally caused an avalanche during a skirmish between our tribes. I didn't see him again until many years later, and when I did, he was completely unrecognizable. He'd mellowed out considerably; his bloodlust, completely suppressed. He'd even taken a new name. It was as though he threw away his old self completely."
Akhlut tapped the edge of his cracked psystone.
"But I recognized him. Tundra - or Sherman as he called himself - never threw away his old self, just chained it and buried it deep within his mind…until somehow, it got out."
Beauregard's eyes widened in horror, then narrowed in rage. "Just like you , Julie."
Robotnik swallowed nervously as Eggatha looked at him in even more hurt and betrayal.
"Uncle…you didn't…"
"Agatha…"
"I know that we kidnap and brainwash people. We're the bad guys, it's what we do. But recreating the ROCC Incident!?"
"I didn't!" Robotnik shouted, silencing his niece. He took a deep breath, calming himself. "I didn't recreate the ROCC Incident…at least, not directly."
"What do you mean, 'not directly'?" Eggatha asked.
"When the ROCC exploded and bombarded me with all that dark energy, it did something unusual. Somehow, the blast made a copy of my brainwaves and burned them onto a Power Ring."
"Seriously?" Beauregard asked.
Robotnik nodded. "The Freedom Fighters used the ring to monitor my activities for a while. I believe they called it the 'Kintobor Computer'."
Eggatha couldn't believe it. "How did you–?"
"I rummaged through Princess Sally's handheld when I had her and the others captured on my second Death Egg. I found it among the data she kept on it."
"How fascinating," Akhlut deadpanned. "But what does this have to do with your bastardized resurrection of Sherman?"
"Because that's the method I used to bastardize it."
Robotnik reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. He opened it up, and the air in the room suddenly grew thicker and heavier.
"By Aurora!" Eggatha cried out.
"What in tarnation is that thang!?" Beau demanded.
"It's a Ring," Akhlut replied.
Sure enough, resting in the box like a wedding band was a single, tiny Power Ring. But unlike the shiny, golden rings they were used to seeing, this ring was a wicked-looking black and purple. It gave off a faint, sickly light not unlike the kind seen on radioactive materials, and every second, it let out a strange, eerie buzzing noise, followed by a low ba-bump; like a heartbeat. All in all, the ring felt…wrong.
"Everyone," Robotnik began. "I give you the Dark Ring. My most…unorthodox invention to date."
"I think I'm gonna be sick," Akhlut said, clutching his gut.
"Uncle, just what the hell is that!?"
"It's how I created Tundra, Agatha." He adjusted his glasses. "Like I said, Sherman Walrus isn't someone I wanted as an enemy. He's too strong, too tough; but, most of all, too stubborn. Even with Cyberization and all the protocols and safeguards, it wouldn't be enough to make him work for us, no matter how unwilling. And brainwashing is useless; he'd break free before that Kent boy could even think of pulling out a ring. If I was to make Sherman my soldier, I needed to do more than control his mind. So...I overrode it."
"Overrode it!?" Beau asked incredulously.
"I used Chaos Energy to copy Sherman's brainwaves onto a Power Ring," Robotnik explained. "Then, I exposed it to some leftover Negative Chaos Energy I'd collected from Sonic to darken it, twisting it into who we know as Tundra. After that, I implanted it into his brain…and woke him up."
Flashback
It had been several days since Sherman had been thawed from his frozen prison. In that time, his comatose body had been subjected to an extensive makeover. The walrus lay upon the operating table, garbed in the standard black Egg Soldier jumpsuit, a blue, fur-trimmed jacket, and fur-trimmed boots and gloves. He had also undergone the Cyberization procedure; the finishing touches of which, Robotnik was in the middle of.
"And just slide it in and…done!"
Robotnik had just finished extracting Sherman's tusks; the elongated, bloody canines now lay on an operating tray, replaced with cybernetic implants.
"Magnificent," the doctor exclaimed. "Absolutely magnificent! Sherm, ol' buddy, I think you may be my finest creation yet! And I gotta say, you look good in that jacket!" He gently stroked Sherman's face. "All the better to lead my armies against Sonic and his meddlesome friends! HAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!"
"Sir!" Grimer called out. "We're ready to begin!"
Robotnik coughed into his hand as he pulled himself together. "Very good, Grimer. Throw the switch!"
"Yes sir!"
Grimer pressed the play button on Robotnik's smartphone, then turned his attention to the monitors.
"Subject's brain activity at 25% capacity."
Sherman stirred and groaned; his hands and fingers twitching.
"35%!"
"Come on, Sherman!" Robotnik whispered. "Wake up! LIVE!"
"50%!"
Sherman's movements became more animated; he gritted his teeth and clenched his eyelids as his head flailed back and forth.
"65%, sir!"
"Just a little more! Come on! Think about your son!"
Sherman paused. "My…son…?"
"75%...80%!" Grimer was beginning to sweat buckets. "90…95…97…!"
"Come on, man!"
With a mighty roar, Sherman rose, breaking free from the metal bands holding him down. The brainwave scanner began beeping rapidly; the sounds growing faster and more high-pitched as it began to smoke and spark. Finally, it let out a loud bang and shorted out; unable to keep up with the sheer amount of information.
"My word!" Grimer exclaimed as he ran away from the overloaded device.
"We've done it, Grimer!" Robotnik cried out. "We've actually done it! Sherman Walrus lives again!"
Robotnik laughed like the mad scientist he was; reveling in his triumph.
"Now, let's go say hi!"
Robotnik walked over to the table where Sherman was sitting, being sure not to make any sudden movements. The walrus panted heavily; his deep voice as loud as a jet engine.
as Sherman sat on the table, panting heavily.
"Hello?" Robotnik whispered cautiously. "Sherman, can you hear me?"
Sherman didn't respond.
"Pssst…Sherman!" Robotnik gingerly tapped the walrus on the shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Suddenly, Sherman grabbed Eggman's hand, eliciting a cry of pain from the doctor.
"Sherman, what are you–!?"
Robotnik froze as the walrus turned to face him. Sherman's eyes widened as he bared his fangs, letting out a feral growl.
Robotnik swallowed nervously. "Uhoh…"
Without warning, Sherman hoisted Robotnik into the air; spinning him over his head like a lasso for a few seconds before throwing him into one of his machines.
"Sir!" Grimer cried out as he drew a blaster. He aimed at Sherman, but before he could fire, the walrus spun around and charged at him, laying the green man out with a clothesline.
Sherman let out a roar of victory, then stopped when a groan greeted his ears. He turned to where he had thrown Robotnik and found the doctor getting up and rubbing his head. Furious that he was still alive, he trudged over to the egg-shaped man and grabbed him by his jacket, lifting him so they were at eye level.
Robotnik chuckled nervously. "Morning, Tank."
The walrus growled.
"No, wait, please!" the doctor pleaded.
"Who the hell are you? What is this place?" Sherman demanded.
"What are you…" Robotnik perked as he realized what was going on. "Ahhh, I see…your memory must still be scrambled from your long sleep."
He cleared his throat. "Allow me to…reintroduce myself, my good walrus. My name is…Julian Kintobor." He seemed to gag as he said his old name. "But, most know me by the name of Dr. Ivo Robotnik! Evil genius, master of robotics, future ruler of the planet Mobius…" He turned to Sherman. "And your new master. Ring any bells?"
Sherman's response was to slam Robotnik into the floor.
"Gonna take that as a no…"
"You, my master? Ha!" the walrus scoffed. "Nobody is my master! Especially not some fat, bald, pathetic human weakling like you."
"Fat!?"
Robotnik yelped as Sherman grabbed and threw him again; this time, right onto the operating table.
"Uuuugh…now I know how Sonic feels when I throw him around with my robots," he groaned. "Dammit, I gotta–!"
Before Robotnik could do anything, a dark shadow overtook him. He looked up and saw Sherman standing next to him, carrying a heavy piece of machinery over his head and grinning like a madman.
"H-Hey now, careful with that," Robotnik warned. "That machine is very delicate!"
Sherman didn't respond. He just pulled his arms back and let out a roar as he prepared to slam the hunk of metal onto the doctor.
"Sherman, no! Please!" Robotnik pleaded, his arms raised defensively. "It's me! Julian! Your friend! We fought together in the Great War! You helped teach me how to fight! I-I helped deliver your son!"
Then, right as Sherman was about to throw the machine, he stopped. The wrecked computer slipped from his hands, landing harmlessly behind him with a loud thud.
Robotnik blinked; confused as to what was happening. Sherman just stood there, his expression vacant. His gaze, unfocused.
"Sherman?"
"Gah!"
Sherman doubled over, clutching his head in pain as he fell to his knees. He panted heavily, sweat pouring his face in buckets. His eyes darted about rapidly, sometimes appearing to look in different directions.
"I…Wh-What? Where? How…?"
Then, Sherman's gaze grew unfocused again; his pupils shrinking down to near nothingness. A few seconds later, he threw his head back and let out an ear-piercing scream. Robotnik covered his ears, unable to tolerate the walrus' shrieking. He screamed for nearly half a minute, then went silent; just sitting there in shock.
"Ohh…gears and starters, it's over!" Robotnik exclaimed.
"Ju…lian…"
Robotnik perked. "Sherman?"
The walrus looked down at Robotnik. "Julian…I…"
The walrus clutched his head again, prompting Robotnik to rush to his side.
"Easy there, big guy," Robotnik soothed, propping the walrus up to keep him from falling over. "There, I got you."
"Julian…" Sherman said, his breaths labored. "What happened? Where am I?"
"My laboratory," Robotnik explained. "You were…in a horrible accident. I found you frozen in a block of ice and revived you. You've been gone for nearly three years."
"Three years?" Sherman grunted in pain as he clutched his head. "That's right…Iceborough…the orcas…and Georgette…" His eyes widened in horror. "She's dead…"
Robotnik winced in sympathy. "Yes…I'm sorry…"
A single tear streamed down Sherman's face. "She's gone…it's all gone…Georgette…my home…it's all gone!"
"Easy there, Sherm, it's okay…" Robotnik soothed. "You haven't lost everything. You still have your life and you still have your sons–"
"My sons?"
"Yes, Rotor and Skeeter! They–"
"Rotor…" Sherman's expression became utterly furious. "ROTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOR!"
Robotnik scrambled away as Sherman went on a warpath, smashing everything in his path.
"Sherman, stop!"
"That little bastard! It's all his fault!"
"Dammit Sherman, stop that!"
"If I ever see him again, I'll rip him in half! I'll bite his damn head off! I'll–!"
Suddenly, Sherman roared in pain as he fell to the ground; blue electricity surging through his body.
"Sherman, calm down!" Robotnik ordered before disabling the Crack Protocol. "What are you talking about?"
"My son…it's his fault…" Sherman said through labored breaths. "He's the reason I lost everything. Why Iceborough was destroyed. Why Georgette…" he took a shuddering breath before shaking it off, his gaze becoming cold and steely. "He abandoned the Herd. Betrayed his family. Sullied our honor." He turned to Robotnik; eyes glowing with hate. "And I'm going to make him pay!"
Robotnik's jaw dropped as he looked at Sherman. Part of him told him that this was wrong. That he had done something horrible and that he needed to put a stop to it before it was too late. But then he remembered what he hoped to gain from this: Sherman Walrus was his new general. One of the heroes of the Great War. One of his closest allies.
Not only that, he had recently acquired his long-time rival: "Black Ice" Akhlut the Orca! The strongest warriors in Artika, working for the Robotnik Empire! He'd be unstoppable! With the right direction, he could finally defeat Sonic and conquer Mobius!
That alone was enough to silence any and all doubts in his mind…and made him grin with malicious glee.
"Well Sherman, if that's what you want, I would be happy to assist you!" he walked over to the walrus. "I can give you everything you need to avenge your wife and city. Weapons, soldiers, robots! You name it, it's yours. All you have to do is pledge your loyalty to the Robotnik Empire and help me bring Mobius to its knees." He held out his hand. "What do you say…old friend?"
Sherman looked at Robotnik's hand, then at the doctor. Even knowing they were friends, he had nothing but contempt for the man. He was a tinkerer…a toymaker. A pathetic weakling whose only ability was building useless junk while better men fought his battles for him. The very thought of serving such a man made him wretch. But he couldn't let his wife's killer go unpunished. He needed to find his traitorous offspring and gut him like a fish, his honor demanded it! But he'd been frozen for years; the world had changed, and he needed to see how much.
So, he'd bide his time. He'd play the part of a soldier, gathering intel and resources until the fat toymaker was of no further use to him. That little trick with the electric shocks would need to be dealt with, but that shouldn't be a problem. He just needed to be patient and wait for the opportune moment.
"Very well," he said. And with that, he took Robotnik's hand and they shook on it.
"Wonderful!" Robotnik exclaimed as he helped Sherman up. "Trust me, Sherman, you won't regret this! With my brains and your brawn, we'll crush everyone who stands in our way!"
"I'm certain we will, Julian."
"Actually, it's Dr. Robotnik, now," he corrected. "Long story short, I too was involved in an accident of sorts that…changed my worldview. So, I decided to…reinvent myself, so to speak."
"I see…" Sherman nodded in understanding. "In that case, I'll reinvent myself too. Sherman Walrus died in Iceborough years ago. From now on, call me…"
A dark grin spread over his face.
"Tundra…"
Flashback Over
"And that's what happened," Robotnik concluded. "After that, I got Tundra registered into the system and gave him strict orders to keep his identity concealed until I gave the say-so."
"Not surprising," Akhlut mused. "If anyone caught wind that Sherman 'Tank' Walrus was a general in your army, it'd cause mass panic and have GUN on our butts faster than you can say–"
"Bastaaaaaard!"
Beauregard ran at Robotnik, punching him in the face with his metal arm, bloodying his nose, to the shock of everyone present.
"Uncle Ivo!"
"Odin's Beard!"
"You…" Beauregard drew his pistol, aiming it right at the doctor. "You egg-sucking son of a biscuit eater! He was our friend! Our brother! And you…You…!"
The gun shook in his hands; Beau's finger, dangerously close to pulling the trigger.
"Beauregard, stop!" Eggatha cried.
"Stay outta this, Aggie!" he shouted before returning his attention to her uncle. "Gimme one good reason not to put one 'tween yer eyes, and don't say that damn protocol. I can shoot ya 'fore you can push that button, an' you know it."
Eggman didn't say anything. He just sat there, staring at Beauregard and the gun he had against his forehead. His glasses made it impossible to see the look in his eyes, but from the way his shoulders sagged and mustache drooped, they would be full of guilt.
Finally, he took a breath and looked Beau right in the eye.
"I don't have a good reason," the doctor said.
Beau raised an eyebrow. "Say what?"
"There's nothing I can say that won't sound like an excuse. I knew that darkening Sherman's mind would have consequences, but I never expected he'd be this bad."
"And now he's much more evil than you could ever hope to be! Did you really think you could call up the Devil and expect him to behave?!"
"I wouldn't be surprised if he did," Akhlut chimed in. "He loves to try and control forces well beyond his weight class, and almost every time, it blows up in his face, spectacularly."
"Thank you, Akhlut," the doctor deadpanned, glaring at the orca before returning to Beau. "But yes, I turned one of my closest friends into a monster and grossly overestimated my ability to control him. It was stupid, it was reckless, it was wrong, and now, all of Mobius is paying for it. Which is why we need to stop him."
Beauregard paused, his eyes still narrowed in contempt; but, this seemed to mollify him as he stepped back and put his gun back in its holster.
"Yeah, we do," he said.
"Hate to kill the mood," Akhlut began. "But exactly how are we going to do that? Tundra is the strongest of the Egg Bosses, and he managed to beat me to a pulp. It'll be days, maybe weeks before I'm well enough for round two, and none of the other branches have the power to match him."
"Then we don't get the other branches." Everyone turned to Eggatha, who finally worked up the nerve to speak. "If we can't face him with our allies, we'll have to face him with our enemies."
"Agatha," Robotnik began. "You do remember how Tundra decimated Sonic and the Freedom Fighters, correct? Not to mention, captured a substantial number of their allies?"
"I know. But, even in their reduced state, they're our best chance to stop Tundra and the Einherjar…" she smirked evilly. "Especially if they knew exactly what they were up against."
"And given that some of their own got nabbed, I'll bet my hat that they're already plannin' some sorta siege or whatever," Beau continued.
Robotnik thought for a moment. "This will set our plans back even further than Zan's little mishap did…not to mention, potentially give Sonic insight into them…" He sighed. "But, if it means keeping Tundra from ravaging the world before I get to conquer it…very well."
Eggatha grinned. "Awesome! Beauregard, you're with me. Akhlut, you stay here and recuperate."
"I may not be at my full strength, but I'm at least…" Akhlut attempted to get up, but stumbled about and almost fell back onto the bed.
"No, you're not," Robotnik ordered. "Eggatha, head down to the lab and start gathering everything we need for the plan."
"Yes, Uncle!"
And with that, she ran off.
"Huh, I expected more of a fight or fuss," Beau said.
"Tundra broke free from my control and is planning to conquer my world, Beauregard," the doctor explained. "What's more, he threatened me and my niece…both of them." His eyes narrowed. "Brainwashed friend or not, he's going down ."
Diamond Stadium, Present day
The remaining members of the FF, along with BLIZZARD, listened as Eggatha finished her tale. All of them were nursing mugs of cocoa, though they'd all gone cold at this point. Slowly, eyes drifted to Rotor and Skeeter, both of whom looked shell-shocked
"By Aurora..." the elder walrus brother whispered.
"Dad…" said the younger.
"Yeah, it ain't a purty story," Beauregard added.
"We need your help," Eggatha continued. "But, we're not without something to offer." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a vial of blue liquid. "For starters, this."
She handed the vial to Sonic, who examined it curiously.
"What is it?" he asked.
"Nanite Rejuvenation Brew," Eggatha replied.
Beauregard held up his arm, revealing circuitry lines glowing beneath his fur. "It's the stuff that powers the robots that make our bodies super tough an' keep us from dyin'," he turned to Sonic and Kat. "An' you two look like you could use some."
Sonic grimaced, clearly uncomfortable with the idea of using the contents. Kat's expression was almost identical.
"Don't worry," Eggatha assured. "They're just standard issue healing nanites. They accelerate the body's healing rate using its nutrients. You'll have a case of the munchies afterward, but other than that, you'll be ready for action."
Sonic looked at it, then at his bandaged body, then sighed.
"Fugg it."
He snatched up the vial and chugged half of the liquid, then handed it to Kat, who downed the rest. As soon as she finished, both of them cringed before gagging in disgust.
"Cào nǐ zǔzōng shíbā dài! (3) It tastes like cherry cola, raw sewage, and pennies!"
"Gah! What she said!" Sonic added. "Seriously, and I thought the Mega Mack antidote was vile!"
"Sorry." Eggatha rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "We were all out of strawberry."
"I doubt that would've made a difference, Egga…huh?"
Sonic felt his ribs and - to his surprise - the bones had mended and the soreness had completely disappeared.
"Holy crap…" he breathed. "That stuff is fast !"
Kat conjured a small flame in her hand and watched it burn brightly. She closed her fist, letting out a breath.
"My frostbite's gone too, and I feel a lot more energized."
"That's all well and dandy, but how's that going to help us keep Tundra from beating us down again?" Guntiver asked.
Eggatha turned to her other companion. "Metal, the case."
Metal nodded and pulled out a black, latched case.
"Over the past week, we've been compiling everything on Tundra and the Einherjar," the robo-hog explained. "This case contains everything you need to defeat him. Details of his operations. Profiles for his generals and noteworthy soldiers. Maps, blueprints, you name it."
"What about the Walrus himself and the Dark Ring?" Chris asked.
"When I said everything, I meant everything ."
Sally quickly took the case and opened it up. "Alright. Chris, you take the brains and start looking over the Dark Ring. The rest of us will take the other stuff and start working out a plan."
Chris nodded. "Will do, Sally! Alright, guys, let's do this!"
And with that, the Brain Trust headed off to get to work…well, all but one.
"Hey Rotor, you coming?" Keith asked.
"Huh!?" the walrus perked. "Y-Yeah, sure. Just…need a moment."
With that, he got up and walked off.
"Boomer?" Skeeter asked.
"C'mon, Skeet," Flip said as he escorted the younger walrus away. "Your bro's feelin' kinda out of it."
While everyone was focusing on tending to their own projects, Beauregard was focusing solely on Rotor.
"Metal," he turned to the robo-hog. "Get me a wheelchair."
-X-
Rotor sat off to the side, looking depressed as he thought over what he just found out.
"Need a misery buddy?"
Rotor perked, turning to see Metal Sonic wheeling Beauregard over to Rotor in a wheelchair.
"Yer pa used to ask that whene'er I just wanted to be alone and brood 'bout how things sucked," Beau clarified. "And honestly, I git the feelin' you need one."
"I... guess," Rotor admitted.
Beau plopped down, flexing his metal digits. "Still ain't used ta these thangs… One minute the world was as it was s'posed ta be. The next… Bam." He sighed. "Everythin' ya know gets blown with more holes in it than a piece of Smiss cheese."
"Yeah…"
"So, what 'bout you? You don't sound too thrilled 'bout gettin' yer pappy back."
"It's…" Rotor sighed, rubbing his face. "Everything Tundra said… It had to come from somewhere.
What he said about my mom... and the role I played in... what happened. Even if he comes back…"
"He'll still hate ya, right?"
"And why wouldn't he? I was a coward. I did run away. From my home, my friends, my family… when they needed me most, I wasn't there for them. I'm the reason my mom is gone, why Iceborough is gone, why Skeeter grew up alone. I didn't even go back for their funeral, all because I was too afraid and ashamed to face everyone. It's no wonder Dad hates me."
Something smacked Rotor in the face. He realized it was a pillow.
"Hey!" he objected, turning to Beau. "What was that for?!"
"Fer bein' an idiot," Beau said sternly. "You were a kid. Hell, ya still are a kid! If I had my way, us old men would be fightin' the good fight and not you young'uns! What wouldja have done if ya had stuck around, huh? I'll tell ya. You'd have drowned with yer ma. Maybe even got yerself skewered by Akhlut or one of his pod. Either way, ya wouldn't have made a difference. I'm sorry, but it's true.
"I still abandoned everyone," Rotor insisted. "Even if I couldn't have fought, I could've helped."
"Well, ya got me there." Beau conceded. "But let me tell ya something: from one screw-up to another. It's never too late. Ya might not have been able to help yer friends and family then… but ya can help 'em now. And as for yer pa, well… maybe once he's back, I say you two sit down, have a drink, and talk. What've ya got to lose?"
Rotor thought about that for a while.
"Rote!"
"Yo, Boomer!"
Rotor turned to see Sonic and Flip heading toward him.
"There you are!" Flip exclaimed.
"We're about to go over Aggie's notes and make a plan," Sonic said. "We could really use that big brain of yours."
"And I really wanna see what kinds of crazy stuff you whipped while you were gone!" Flip chimed in. "I bet we'll go flying even more!"
Rotor glanced back at Beau, who gestured for him to go.
"Well, I hate to disappoint. I haven't blown anything up in a long time. Unless my suit counts," Rotor managed a smile. "But...I think I bet I can come up with something you'll like even better."
Sonic and Flip grinned.
"Awright!" Flip cheered. "Boomer's back!" He grabbed Rotor by the arm. "C'mon! We got a diabolical...er, angelogical...we got shit to do."
Rotor got up, allowing his friends to lead him back to the group.
"Good luck, kiddos," Beau said as they went.
"Should we be heading back as well, Boss Beauregard?" Metal questioned.
"Nawww..." Beau shook his head. "Let the kiddos be. They know what they're doin'."
"For once... I hope you're right."
-X-
"Hey guys, we're back!" Sonic declared as he, Flip, and Rotor returned.
"Perfect timing," Tail replied. "We're working out a game plan for our siege of Artika."
"Suh-weet!" Flip cheered.
"So, what are we up against?" Rotor picked up a file, looking it over. "Whoa...whoa...okay...This is actually pretty huge."
Everyone looked at Rotor nervously.
"Break it down for us, Rote," Sally said.
"Glad to, Sally. Gather 'round guys and gals!" Rotor grinned. "This is how we're gonna save the world and get my dad back."
Author's Note:
(1): Grease is the Chief Mechanic of the Restoration from the IDW comics. His name is unofficial but comes from either a script or pitch notes revealed in a Bumblekast. Until he's given a proper name in the comics, we'll be using this.
(2): Mobian British.
(3): The "worst insult in China". It apparently means "fuck your ancestors all the way back to the eighteenth generation."
Now you know how Tundra came to be, but how can he be stopped?
Voice cast for this chapter:
*Snatch: Jim Cummings (Lord Boxman from OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes!, Skrawl from ChalkZone, Dr. Robotnik from SatAM, Pete, Darkwing Duck, Winnie-the-Pooh & Tigger)
*Grease: Ian Jones-Quartey (Wallo from Bravest Warriors, Radicles from OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes!)
*Morella: Angeli Wall (Cereza from Bayonetta)
Please R&R. Until next time!