Chapter Thirty-Seven:
The Final Egg Puzzle Pieces
It took great effort and teamwork to pull through anything. Sonic, Classic Sonic, and all of their counterparts along with Silver, Tails, and the others smashed away every last enemy that stood in their way, breaking Badniks and striking down monsters, while protecting Jim Robotnik and avoiding the traps that cropped up as the heroes made their way through each level.
Jim nearly fell into a spike-filled pit that suddenly opened on one level, and Movie Sonic rescued him quickly with Manhog Sonic's help, despite the hedgehog's prior misgivings with his own version of the mustached scientist.
With some assistance from Tails, the lanky Robotnik pinpointed where some of the traps were and utilized his tech prowess to find a way to disable them.
By this point, Sonic and the others were getting closer to the highest level of Castle Eggmandorf, as Tails studied a map on his Miles Electric, and the group could see more Eggman-themed banners strewn across the walls. Even creepier statues were cropping up, and some seemed to come online, revealing themselves as robots, and attacked the advancing heroes.
"Those guys don't have any chance against us!" LEGO Sonic cried confidently.
"We'll shred 'em hard!" Classic Knuckles quipped, punching his fists together.
"Have at 'em, lads!" Fleetway Sonic punched the air, and rolled up into a ball, then the British-accented speedster smashed a pair of the statues to oblivion with a well-timed spin dash homing attack.
Sonic, Tails, their Classic selves, and their alternate counterparts dove in, and engaged the robotic statues head on. Tails and Sonic linked hands in a tag-team maneuver, and the twin-tailed fox tossed the blue hedgehog at the head of one of the robot statues. Sonic rolled up, launched a homing attack, and smashed the robotic head in a single strike.
"I predicted Eggman would weaponize the statues and turn 'em into robots one day!" Sticks said loudly, "And this badger doesn't need to give you an 'I told you so' dance for a situation like this!"
"Save the dancing for when Eggman's beat." Boom Amy told her BFF.
A few more statue robots remained as the heroes smashed every last enemy in sight. Sonic and Boom Sonic partnered up with Boom Knuckles, and they took out the bulky Badniks in one spin dash-knuckle punch strike that shook the hallway. All that remained was the door to the fortress' sanctum, and Tails could detect their enemies were on the other side with the Amys.
Boom Amy stepped forward, and swung her large hammer, smashing the doors down without resistance, paving the way for the heroes to head inside the last room to confront their enemies.
The League of Sonics and the Tails Squad rushed through the broken door with Manic, Sonia, the Freedom Fighters, the Knuckles Brigade, Rouge, and Silver, Sticks and Blaze. Jim Robotnik was the most reluctant, but an odd stare from Manhog Sonic made him change his tune.
Everyone took in the scene of the large chamber they'd entered, which appeared to be a massive antechamber filled with flashing lights, active battle-ready Badniks, and armed monsters, all prepared to strike on their master's orders.
The layout of the room gave off the vibe of a laboratory mixed in with a sinister throne room with sinister Eggman banners lining the wall, each more demonic than the other banners. And waiting for them, smiling with sinister glee, was Doctor Eggman, Classic Eggman, Eggman Nega and the other members of the Eggman Alliance.
A dark-colored emerald that was half the Master Emerald's size floated above them, and the heroes spotted Amy chained to a wall with Princess Amy #1 and #2.
"We've been waiting for all of you and your friends, Sonic!" Eggman announced with glee.
"Playtime is over now, Eggman!" Sonic retorted, "You and your buddies are about to lose royally, and we're saving the world from your madness!"
"Boast all you want, irritating rodent!" AoSTH Robotnik shouted, "Our hatred unites us, and it is you who will fall today. All of you will perish, and we will receive prrromotions to Supreme Egg Emperor of the world and all of the other universes. The fateful hour has arrived, and you shall both be egg-sterminated!"
"Behold the Black Emerald!" Eggmandorf boasted, gesturing to the glowing dark emerald, "It shall give us the ultimate power to finally bring about our glorious victory! And I can see the bearer of courage is here."
"Been a long time, Eggmandorf." Myrule Sonic held his sword confidently, "Let the princesses go."
"I don't think so, fool!"
A loud poof carried through the room, and a towering red-eyed entity who reminded Sonic of the Erazor Djinn made his appearance. He held out his hands, and seven recognizable multi-colored gemstones made themselves known. Dread filled the heroes' hearts; The Eggmen had all seven Chaos Emeralds with the Black Emerald.
Metal Sonic appeared, his eyes locked on Sonic, and Eggman laughed maniacally again. "Eggs-cellent work, Lord Doom, predecessor to Eggmandorf!" The doctor crooned, "Now that we have everything and that we're all here..."
"It's time for the final phase of my grand plan with Eggmandorf to begin!" Sat AM Robotnik declared.
"WHAT?!" Classic Eggman cried.
"What?!" Boom Amy exclaimed.
"Blimey!" Fleetway Sonic stammered.
"Bummer manjores!" Underground Sonic, Manic, and Sonia yelled.
"I didn't see this coming!" Boom Eggman cried aloud, "The alliance is being hijacked! A mutiny is taking place!"
"I saw that comin' a mile away..." Morpho remarked.
Eggman glared at Sat AM Robotnik and Eggmandorf. "What do you mean 'your grand plan'?!" He demanded, "Where am I in all of this?! I'm the leader and founder of the Eggman Alliance. ARE YOU HIJACKING MY PLOT AT THE HOUR WHEN WE'RE ABOUT TO ACHIEVE ULTIMATE VICTORY OVER THE HEDGEHOGS?!"
Eggmandorf cackled, and so did Sat AM Robotnik. Mama Robotnik, who was standing near AoSTH Robotnik, was quite surprised, but fascinated by where this was going. The dark lord Eggmandorf grinned evilly, and his eyes beneath his glasses gleamed an eerie shade of red.
"Oh, how one can be easily manipulated, Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik..." Eggmandorf intoned, "The alliance was your idea, your plot, you say? Yes, you considered it for years, but do you remember that dream you had that 'inspired' you after your last defeat. The plan was MY idea, and, before you summoned us, I reached out to my friend, Doctor Robotnik of Mobius, over here.
"We'd begun to collaborate, even before the day you reached out through time-and-space to bring all of us here, fueled by frustration and desperation to defeat Sonic. Everything that happened since we all arrived here was all according to plan, and you were the perfect means for me to get my hands on the Black Emerald, the top ingredient needed for our ascension.
"As for how I reached out to you, and subtly manipulated you in the first place. You all know by now that I, the Demon King of Evil, have sought domination over Myrule, and starting with the battle between Sonic and my predecessor, Doom, I have been defeated throughout all of time.
"Following a successful takeover of Myrule's kingdom, and as I sat on the throne of a conquered castle, I knew that luck wouldn't last and the cycle of defeat would happen again. So, in the hour after taking Myrule Castle, I looked beyond the veil of reality and saw the multiverse, seeing everything... and my plan for domination over everything began to take shape.
"But don't worry, Doctor Eggman. Your dream of destroying Sonic and ruling the world unopposed will be realized, but not as a single individual. We will destroy and conquer together... AS ONE EGG ENTITY, AS ONE HYBRID, AS ONE BEAST THAT WILL BRING ABOUT A NEW ERA FOR THE WORLD, AND THE COSMOS, AND EVERY UNIVERSE AND ALL OF TIME-AND-SPACE!"
Sat AM Robotnik's eyes gleamed menacingly as Eggmandorf floated into the air next to the Black Emerald. "We planned it all out, right down to this moment, when our true colors were revealed..." The dictator purred, "...and everything in the end will be just as we all planned. Every creature will be crushed or roboticized, and we will be one unified conqueror."
"AND IT BEGINS WITH THE BLACK EMERALD, AND THE CHAOS EMERALDS, AND THE TRICHAOSFORCE!"
Eggmandorf held up a fist, and the unmistakable mark of power gleamed on his hand. The Chaos Emeralds began surrounding the Black Emerald, and the fortress began shaking while Doom, the Erazor Djinn-looking Eggman, floated with Eggmandorf and began cackling.
Sonic moved fast, and smashed the chains holding Amy to the wall, while Myrule Sonic sliced the two princesses free from their chains. The heroes faced the Eggmen, and Doctor Eggman shrieked with fury, "MY PLAN IS FALLING APART AGAIN! I'VE BEEN BETRAYED, BACKSTABBED, AND HOW DID I NOT SEE THIS COMING?! GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
"It's happening, it's the hour!" Jim Robotnik yelled, "...And this is where I run for it!"
The lanky Robotnik variant ran from the room, and the heroes braced themselves, all backing away slowly, as they watched the emeralds' gleam get brighter and more sinister. Eggmandorf laughed, and Myrule Sonic winced as he watched his mark of courage and Princess Amy's mark of wisdom join with the mark of power, the 7 emeralds, and the Black Emerald.
Eggmandorf and Doom raised their arms, and Sat AM Robotnik laughed as he hovered into the air with rockets in his boots, then an aura surrounded him. Lord Eggman cackled as his feet left the ground, and Mama Robotnik cried, "I MIGHT BE PROUD OF YOU ALL!"
"SCRATCH, GROUNDER!" AoSTH Robotnik yelped, feeling his feet leave the ground, "DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS!"
"Bounty hunters! Sleet! Dingo!" Underground Robotnik barked, "HELP ME!"
Scratch, Grounder, Sleet and Dingo, who were waiting by a wall, ran towards their superiors, only to be flung off their feet and into the ceiling. Grounder's head popped off, and smashed to the ground, while Scratch smashed into a flying Egg Pawn. Metal Sonic hovered next to Eggman, who was lifted off of his feet, and was shrieking with fury.
Eggmandorf cackled loudly. "NO LONGER SHALL WE CRAVE FOR POWER SEPARATELY, WE SHALL CLAIM POWER AS ONE, AND A NEW ORDER BEGINS!" The dark lord declared, "Come, Robotniks, and Eggmen, for we are the Eggnikbrid!"
Classic Eggman, Eggman Nega, Fleetway Robotnik, and Lord Eggman along with several Swatbots and Trooper Badniks all found themselves swirling around the vicinity of the Black Emerald and the seven Chaos Emeralds with the other Eggmen. More Badniks joined the mix, and the Black Emerald's glow became more dangerous, and rubble fell from the ceiling.
Chaos engulfed the fortress as Badniks crumbled, and eerie auras surrounded every single variant of Eggman. Sonic looked at his friends, and yelled at them to take cover as the rumbling intensified, and Eggmandorf laughed in unison with Sat AM Robotnik as a roar filled the room...