Last time on Sonic the Hedgehog, Sally and her Team Freedom begin their infiltration of Robotnik Island, only to discover just what kind of base it truly was. Thanks to Nicole and Sally though, the group sneak into the heart of the base, where they find a tortured and bruised Mighty and Lam. Together, they ready themselves for a confrontation with the corrupt Ray…
Sneaking through the air ducts, Tekno finds a computer room with three Egg Robos managing it. With a sneaky smirk, she lowers Nicole down, allowing her to release an EMP to effectively destroy the robots' circuits, but avoid frying the computers. Tekno lands on the floor, locking the door behind her.
Tekno: "Well, that should keep any unwelcome robots out. Ready to go, Nicole?"
Nicole: "Affirmative."
Tekno checks the computer, sighing in relief as it turned on. She plugged Nicole into the console and begins to type away at the keyboard.
Tekno: "You brought the Tekno Special with ya, right, computer girl?"
Nicole: "Yes. Hacking application has been launched. The EggNet's internal defense system will not detect us while we are busy."
Tekno: "First things first… Where's the module to make this place go 'ka-boom'... Ah hah!"
Tekno finds exactly what she's looking for - a chemical reactor. With an evil smile, she starts to type away at it, trying to hack into the system's reactor console from and setting up a remote bomb with it.
Tekno: "How's it going, Nicole?"
There was no response, which meant Nicole was deep into the system, trying to find the files they needed to find.
Tekno: "...Oookay. I'm on my own for a bit then…"
Inside the EggNet, a cloaked Nicole lands in the cyberspace's floor, sneaking around as she sees various anti-intruder systems online. As she looks through the provided files, she finds one missing.
Voice: "Looking for this?"
Nicole: "Huh?"
Nicole turns around and is immediately kicked away by a familiar child-like program - Sage. In Sage's hand was the file Nicole was looking for. Nicole rubs her face as she glares at the AI.
Sage: "Did you really think yourself clever in using a cloaking program to sneak by even me? In case you hadn't noticed, I act as my father's security system against creatures like you."
Nicole: "Hand over that file, Sage. Whatever Eggman is planning, me and my friends intend to stop it."
Sage looked at Nicole with a stoic look before looking to the side.
Sage: "Rather than a fight, allow me to ask this question."
Nicole: "Hm?"
Sage: "What do your friends mean to you?"
Nicole is left momentarily stunned by the question, causing her to eye the girl with suspicion.
Nicole: "They are like my family. The family I lost a long time ago. I lost my original body many years ago, my original parents thought me dead… And Jenni… She was blamed for it. She is essentially my mother… And with Sonic, Sally, and the others… They act as the brothers and sisters I never had. In a way, I envy them when they talk together… But I will help them no matter what."
Sage: "Hmm… That is a good thing. So then tell me… What if your friends did something… you don't agree with? Hypothetically."
Nicole had to pause at this. She can't imagine any of them doing anything… bad. Not willingly anyway. But what if, and what would she do?
Nicole: "I suppose… If they did do something bad, I'd try, in any way possible, to stop them. I'm not sure how, but I would at least try."
Sage: "Hmm… I suppose the probability of them doing anything disagreeable would be somewhere between 0.3% and 2.9%... Yes, the probability still is there. I hope you are aware of that, cat."
Nicole: "Are you trying to rile me up!? Because I am not afraid to del-"
Sage tosses the file to Nicole's feet, silencing her. The girl then turns away.
Sage: "This conversation never happened. As far as anyone is concerned, you just got caught up trying to get the file you are looking for. …And before you think anything… No, this doesn't make us 'friends', nor do I need any. Next time we meet, it's business as usual. And I will delete you then, furball. Till then, get out."
Nicole: "I wouldn't dare think of it. You are just a machine. And what you did to Jen… I will never forgive."
Tekno: "Yo, Nicole! If you can hear me, mind hurrying it up!? I think the robots discovered their lab doors are locked!"
Nicole looks up before then looking back at Sage with a glare. She takes the file and turns her back before vanishing away. Sage looks back, her stoic expression remaining.
Sage: "...'Just a machine', huh? You are right, lynx. Yet what makes us so different truly?"
Sage then vanishes into the EggNet, resuming other operations.
Back outside the computer, Nicole comes back online, stating that she got the files she was looking for copied and ready to decrypt.
Tekno: "Good! Means I'm done in here!"
Tekno grabs Nicole and flies out through the vent she came in from, just as the Egg Robo guards bust through the door, seeing the deactivated robots and tampered-with computer. This gives them reason to alert the base of computer tampering. Tekno sneaks just out of earshot of the guards as she tries to find out where Sally is.
Nicole: "Is the bomb rigged to blow?"
Tekno: "At the push of a neat little button on your computer. Sorry, will need to close you up until we need it though. Don't wanna run the risk of dropping you and… well…"
Nicole: "Understood. I will decrypt the files while on standby mode."
Tekno closes the computer, continuing her crawl through the vents, hoping to find Sally soon.
Several arrows fly through the halls of the base as Sally and her team continue their infiltration.
Sally: "Tekno has to have done her part by now! We just need to find Ray and get out of here!"
Mighty: "Easier said than done what with these jerks everywhere!"
Rosie: "And I'm running out of arrows! Princess!"
Sally: "No point in delaying then… Lam! Mighty! Bring the roof down!"
Lam: "One roof collapse comin' up!"
Lam and Mighty get into position as they hit the wall with their strongest attacks, causing the ceiling to shake and collapse above them. Sally and Rosie move aside as the ceiling collapse destroy the robots pursuing them.
Rosie: "That… was reckless…"
Sally: "Sonic miiight be a bad influence on me."
Sally says as a joke. She and her team jump onto the open ceiling, climbing their way up to the top of the mountain where Ray was likely to be.
As the alarms blare in the base, Ray taps his fingers on his throne, looking quite impatient.
Ray: "How did those fools get past my security? And now they're wrecking everything… Tch… Never let a robot do a Mobian's job…"
He says as he puts on his helmet. Just then, the floor to this throne room explodes open as Sally, Rosie, Lam, and Mighty jump in, glaring at the flying squirrel. Not even a minute later, the air duct's grate bursts open as Tekno falls in.
Tekno: "Took a guess at where you guys would end up, and you still beat me here. I need to work on my cardio."
Ray: "...How annoying. My robot minions couldn't handle a lot like you? That angers me greatly…"
Sally: "Listen up! It'll be in your best interest if you surrender! Last thing we want to do is make this any uglier than it already is!"
Ray: "Silence! You don't get to tell me what to do! I am Rayder! A minion of Lord Robotnik! You'll become robots and become my slaves for this atrocity!"
Mighty: "Ray! …If I have to beat you down to get you to listen, then so be it! Put up your dukes, little man!"
Ray: "I… am not… LITTLE!"
Ray pulls out pole staff, swinging it around with excellent dexterity as he flies down to greet the heroes head on. He swings his staff at Sally first, causing her to dodge and, at times, block the incoming attacks with her shields. As she jumps over a low swing, she stomps on the pole, snapping it in two.
Sally: "Sorry for this!"
Sally drop kicks Ray back, tagging in Lam. She scratches the ground with her feet before charges at the corrupt squirrel, grabbing him with her horns before tossing him into the air, then flip kicking him higher into the air. Tekno then flies in and grabs Ray's tail, swinging him around before sending him to Rosie. Rosie uses a blunt arrow to punch Ray in the gut, sending him to Mighty. He takes a deep breath before he jumps, curling up into a ball, and slamming down onto Ray with enough force to leave a crater in the ground. Mighty jumps off as he looks at his weakened friend with worry.
Mighty: "I-I hope I didn't overdo it."
Thankfully, Ray stood back up, his mask falling off, showing his extremely angered face. He starts stomping his feet in pure rage.
Ray: "No fair! No fair! All of you think ganging up on me is fair!?"
Sally: "You hiding behind this island's traps doesn't seem any more fair to me. Now give up! You're outnumbered and too underpowered to face all of us."
Ray: "Not yet! I still have a back up! This island's secret weapon!"
Ray runs back to his throne and sits on it, typing in a few buttons before the throne sinks into the ground. The group think he's escaping, but then the ground begins to shake, revealing a giant red robot with large sharp claws. Oddly enough, even if they don't know it, the robot looks a lot like a red Sonic.
Ray: "Mwahahaha! Introducing the secret weapon of Robotnik Island! Project TITAN! With his strength, you all will be turned into pulp in no time!"
Tekno: "Whoa… That is big…"
Sally: "But not unstoppable! Team Freedom! Get ready! Rosie, got any arrows left?"
Rosie: "Just one… After that, I'm out…"
Sally: "Then make it count! Mighty, Lam!"
Lam: "Say no more! Let me at 'em."
Mighty: "Ray… No matter what… I'm going to save you!"
Titan lets out a mechanical roar before jumping off the platform it was on, launching its detachable arms out in order to stab the ground. Lam and Mighty hop onto the arms as they are carried to the robot, the duo hitting it at the same time, sending it back to the ground.
Ray: "Annoying… Stupid… PESTS!"
Titan stands back up as he shakes off the blunt force it just experienced. With a roar, it opens its chest and fires a sweeping laser. Everyone gets together as Sally throws up a shield, blocking the laser, but the shield breaks from the pressure, pushing Sally back. Tekno kicks Titan on the face, knocking it back a bit as she threw her feathers at the beast. As the robot is knocked back, Rosie sees her target, a generator fueling the monster with power, drawing her bow string back.
Rosie: "One shot… Make it count, Rosie old girl…"
Rosie fires her arrow, letting it fly. But then the arrow bounces off the generator, not even leaving a dent.
Rosie: "What!?"
Ray: "Hah! Idiot! Did you not think I didn't think about the flaws of this robot? I knew its generator was vulnerable… So I changed the generator to a much tougher model. Nothing can pierce it! You'd have to be a living missile!"
Rosie: "So my arrows was useless regardless…"
Sally and her friends gather back together as they glare at the monster. Their one opportunity to beat it was just squandered… Titan opens its chest again, readying a full power energy blast as Ray starts to laugh.
Ray: "This is the end for you all! Hope whatever Gods you pray to will welcome you!"
As the laser charges up, a sudden explosion gets Ray's attention, causing the monster to turn as a blue streak flies at Titan, landing a hard blow to the face, knocking it off its feet and slamming onto the ground. A hole was made in the side of the top of the mountain base, with two figures, along with the one that attacked Ray's robot, landing to greet Team Freedom.
Voice: "Yo! Sorry we're late!"
Sally: "It's you! Sonic!"
Sonic, Amy, and Julie stand ready, smiling as they turn to face Titan. The calvary had finally arrived to help out.
To be continued…
