Last time on Sonic the Hedgehog, Rosie had finally found the kids whom she had been looking for. Unfortunately, she was captured with them by the real villain behind their disappearance - Breezie the Hedgehog. After explaining her goals, Breezie and her compatriots leave her prisoners alone. Which proved to be a mistake as Rosie, Ebony, and Ivory manage to escape, thanks to Ebony and Ivory unique talents in magic and alchemy. However, after leaving, a terrible incident unfolds… But how did it happen?

It was roughly an hour before Rosie, Nicole, and Agatha arrived to the Oil Ocean Shipyard; Snively was in the cafeteria, minding his own business as he ate his lunch. To many around him, he was just minding his own business. Nearby though, his associate, Zero, was planning something. Snively looked over with a smirk before giving a nod. Zero smiled before grabbing a random inmate and slamming him to the wall, with a fork to his neck.

Zero: "You! You think you can just steal my steak and not pay for it!?"

Inmate: "What!? Dude! I didn't steal your steak! But I'll shove it down your gullet if you don't let go!"

The inmate immediately fights Zero, leading to a big lunchroom fight. Several Police Bots ran in as an alarm is triggered to stop the fighting.

Police: "Inmate fighting at Cafeteria Block C! Tasers set to 60% shock!"

The robots ran at the inmates fighting. Zero got several surrounding him, but he starts fighting back; he stabs one robot in the face with his fork before grabbing its arm and shocking another. One from afar shoots a net out at Zero, catching him, but not before sneaking something into his pocket, which Snively - who was keeping to himself - saw. The short man smiled as the police bots ordered all inmates to head back to their cells, otherwise defiance will lead to further punishment.

At their cells, Snively sat on his bed before seeing Zero come back, looking rough but otherwise okay.

Snively: "Everything go accordingly?"

Zero ducked his hand down his throat, barfing out a couple of pills meant to suppress his violent tendencies. Rubbing away his drool, he smiles before pulling out a keycard.

Zero: "Oh yeah. A Level A access card, which'll get us into the security room."

Snively: "Good, good. Now let's get out of here."

Zero moves his hand over to the scanner next to his cell, just barely reaching as he scans the card, causing the cell door to slide open. He then moves to Snively's cell and unlocks his door.

Zero: "Let's move before the patrol sees us leave."

Snively: "Hah! Amateurly made prison, dear aunt. You should get far better."

The duo run down the halls, hiding in the shadows of the prison to avoid other inmates and the robots. Climbing up the stairs, Zero leads Snively to the door of the security room. They hide behind the wall as a robot monitors the facility.

Zero: "Alright, brainiac. Got anything for this?"

Snively: "Hmm…"

Snively peeks into the room to look around, finding a turret above the robot, currently offline. He then smiles. He then motions Zero to be quiet as he grabs the keycard, sliding it into the card reader before entering the room quickly. The robot turned to the door, seeing nothing before returning to watching the monitors. As the door closed, Zero comes out of hiding after hanging off the ledge to vanish, looking into the room as Snively works on the controls of the turret, hacking into it. After yanking out the support wires, the turret falls onto the robot, destroying it instantly.

Snively: "Ah hah! Too easy!"

Snively invites Zero into the security room before shoving the robot aside and hacking away at the security terminal.

Snively: "Once everything is secured, we are home free. The sweet taste of freedom. And perhaps getting away from that stupid ogre I'm cursed to call an uncle…"

Zero: "...This family of your's. They hold no respect for you. Is that what you're saying?"

Snively: "No, none of these fools do. Not my father, not my uncle, not my aunt. None of them… And they can rot in Hell for all I care."

Zero: "Why not be your own boss then? Your own villain? You have the intelligence, the skills. You just need the resources and the world would fear you."

Snively: "What are you getting at?"

Zero: "Join me, Snively. Join my gang and I can get you the resources you need. The power you deserve."

Snively looked at Zero for a moment before thinking. He then smiled before giving Zero a handshake, seemingly accepting his deal… Only to then shock Zero with a buzzer he made with some parts from the turret.

Snively: "An interesting proposal, Zero. But I'll pass. I am Colin Robotnik Jr.! I need only myself."

Snively then pushes a button on the panel, opening up the entire prison and letting loose the inmates, causing a prison riot.

Snively: "It has been fun. But I need to go."

Snively then stomps on Zero's face, knocking him out as he then leaves through the other door.

After sneaking through the back while everyone was distracted at the front, Snively sighed as he dusted himself off and started walking on the path towards the nearest docks. But as he walked, he is suddenly lifted off the ground by something. Looking around, his eyes widened as he sees a figure above him, a hand sticking out as they floated above.

Girl's Voice: "It's been a while, Snively. I hope you enjoyed your vacation. It is time to get back to work."

It was Sage, now in a physical body she constructed. Snively was deeply frightened as he didn't expect to see her physically appear.

Snively: "Sage!? But you… You're a computer program! You have no physical form!"

Sage: "That is correct. I have no proper physical form. But I can build temporary bodies that can suit my needs. I found a hole in West Island's defenses… And I figured I could take advantage of it with that lynx seemingly distracted."

Snively: "U-Uh well… What do you want me to-"

Sage: "You are still employed by my father. You are to help in taking over West Island."

Snively: "W-Wait a moment! I do not work for that lout! He tried to destroy me with the rest of these accursed furballs and other humans! He didn't care that I was still here!"

Sage brought Snively closer to herself as she glared at him with the first bit of emotion he's seen since he's known her.

Sage: "Your life is of little meaning in general. You are a waste of space. A waste of time to 'save'. It is why we did not come rescue you. I could have ignored you, but you are still useful. And that is the only thing keeping you alive. Otherwise, you would have joined the rest of the world in the ashes of this world. Either you help… Or I make your escape attempt all for naught."

Snively gulped as he started to sweat bullets. Unlike Zero, Sage was far more perceptive and would suspect his treachery from the get-go. Though it pained him, Snively held off on his own plans until a new opportunity arose.

Snively: "F-Fine… But once I've done my part, I demand a ship back to Robotropolis… I am very tired and need somewhere to sleep."

Sage: "Your request is a flawed one. But expected for a flawed being. Very well… I shall call a vessel to transport you. Just do not get in my father's way, if you know what's good for you."

Snively: "Fine! Just put me down! Gen-"

Snively is promptly dropped to the ground, causing his head to be planted into the ground. Sage did not bother helping him out as she floated ahead. Once Snively pulled himself out of the ground, he reluctantly began to follow the AI.

Sage and Snively arrived at a terminal just outside of Casino Night Zone, with a Police Bot that was likely guarding it now in pieces. Snively was typing away at it before he decides to ask the obvious.

Snively: "So explain this hole in this island's defenses. Is the one running the place not around right now?"

Sage: "That is likely. The one called 'Jennifer' is still on the floating island the Death Egg crashed on and my sensors did not locate the lynx within the island's internal servers."

Snively: "Wait! The floating island!? That myth is real!?"

Sage: "A story for another time. Keep working."

Snively huffed at that rejection before continuing.

Snively: "So what's your plan?"

Sage: "I plan on converting this into another base in the name of Lord Robotnik. All robots here will be converted to serve only Ivo Robotnik and not Jennifer. Even if they get destroyed, it will severely weaken West Island to further attacks from Lord Robotnik when he awakens. In other words, we will win this pitiful mini war."

Snively: "That's… not a bad plan, admittedly."

Snively then just growls at not having thought of it first. He then finishes his hacking, allowing Sage to access the terminal and travel into the main server of the entire island. Within moments, her influence on the island became evident and soon the whole island was under her control.

In the transit on the way to Casino Night, Rosie and the teens she was with sat together as they see the sky become night.

Rosie: "We'll be at Casino Night shortly. We show Coconuts you two, maybe verbally fight her given her whole love for yelling personality, and reunite you two with Agatha."

Ebony: "Thanks for this, Rosie. Truly, we appreciate it."

Ivory: "Hey… I'm getting an odd feeling… Like… Really bad feeling…"

Rosie: "Hm? What's wrong?"

As Ivory was going to speak, the transit comes to an abrupt stop, the lights flickering before turning back on. Rosie looks over to the front as she gets up.

Rosie: "...Excuse me! Is everything okay in there!?"

There was a moment of silence as Rosie motioned Ebony and Ivory to step back. Rosie slowly approached the front of the transit car, getting close to the window of the operator's room; an arm immediately shot through the window, breaking the glass as Rosie is grabbed by the neck. Ebony and Ivory are immediately freaking out as Rosie struggles with the robot holding her neck.

Operator Robot: "ALL HAIL ROBOTNIK! ALL HAIL ROBOTNIK!"

Rosie started choking as she looked around for something to get herself out of this situation. She finds an emergency fire axe and breaks its glass casing to get to it. She then slammed the sharp end of the axe onto the arm joint of the robot, causing the arm to drop to the floor and release Rosie.

Ebony & Ivory: "Rosie!"

Rosie: "S-Stay back! That thing isn't finished!"

The door slides open as the robot zombie walks over to Rosie. Adrenaline took over the woodchuck's mind as she rushes in and slams the axe into the head of the robot, splitting it before continuing to the slam her weapon into the robot repeatedly before the axe head finally dulled. Rosie began to pant hard from exerting that much force and energy as she drops her weapon and sat on the closest available seat. Ebony and Ivory quickly ran to her side with looks of concern.

Rosie: "I'm okay… Just a little winded…"

Ebony: "But… Why did that thing start attacking us?"

Ivory: "It kept repeating 'All hail Robotnik' too…"

Rosie: "Red eyes too… Almost sinister looking… Like it was being controlled… by that invader…"

The trio then heard a distant explosion. It was coming from the direction they were heading to, prompting them to get out of the transit after pressing the emergency door unlock switch. Leaving the transit, they ran to the nearest hill to get a look at what was happening. Once they were on a hill overlooking Casino Night, they found part of the city on fire and heard people screaming as the robots attacked them. West Island's greatest defense was now it's greatest prison…

To be continued…