Outside the safety of the Great Forest, just a few miles down the path leading away, a great battle was underway. The tyrannical Dr. Robotnik was planning a very direct approach of destroying the Great Forest to find Knothole Village. However, upon ordering his army, he was intercepted by the Freedom Fighters led by Sally Acorn and Sonic the Hedgehog. As the Freedom Fighters deal with the army of Badniks, Sonic proceeds to engage in her old enemy in a battle… But will it be a battle of the ages?

Sonic: "Fat chance."

Robotnik: "Sonic the Hedgehog! Today is the day I finally find your hidden village of Knothole and raze it all to the ground!"

Sonic: "So do you practice this speech a lot or do you just memorize it? Cause I swear I hear this every other attack now."

Robotnik - insulted and a little humiliated - presses a button on his Egg Mobile console and brings out a mace attached by chains. He then swings it at Sonic, but the hedgehog dodges.

Robotnik: "Fine. Let me skip the preamble and just get to beating you down! Once I've roboticized you and your friends, Mobius will be mine!"

Sonic: "Gotta hit me first, sumo boy!"

Sonic starts dancing around Robotnik's attempts to hit her, dodging each strike and - unknown to Robotnik - causing him to destroy more of his army.

Tails: "There Sonic goes again. Playing Robotnik like a fiddle."

Sally: "Hey, as long as it gets results, right?"

As Sonic dodges the mace, she starts some wise cracks.

Sonic: "You know, Robotnik, I'm having an absolute ball dancing around you. But you oughta fix your aim - it's h-orb-ble!"

Robotnik: "Stop it! Your orb jokes aren't funny! They're way too well-rounded… Gack! She's got me starting…"

One final dodge and the bored hedgehog runs up the chain before leaning on Robotnik's console.

Sonic: "And my jokes are what make the world go-round."

She gives a wink while sticking out her tongue. In a fit of anger, Robotnik aims a fist at Sonic, but she jumps away, causing Robotnik to hit his console instead. And no less, the 'Retract' button.

Robotnik: "...Oh no…"

The mace's chain retracts way too fast than it was meant to as it slams right into the Egg Mobile and ejects Robotnik right out of it.

Robotnik: "I HATE That hedge…"

Robotnik's voice fades away as he's sent flying right in the direction of Robotropolis, crashing into it with enough force to cause it to visible shake.

Sonic: "Now that's what I call a screwball."

Sonic turns to her friends, who've just dealt with the last of the Badniks.

Sally: "Nice going, Sonic. Thanks to you, we thinned the herd much faster than we planned."

Sonic: "What can I say? I love finishing first."

Antoine: "Oui, but you could have done wit'out zee puns."

Sonic: "Jealous, Twan?"

Antoine: "As eef."

Rotor: "Well, we still have time for the game tonight. It's the Southern Crocs VS the Leapy Leopards!"

Tails: "Go, Team Crocs!"

Sonic and her friends continue chit chatting as they left for Knothole Village, their voices fading out as they entered the Great Forest.

In Robotropolis, Robotnik is seen laying on the floor of his office, his cape on his face but with clear signs of seething underneath. Snively walks in, hands behind his back as he looks at his master.

Snively: "Another failed attempt at destroying the Freedom Fighters… again, sir?"

Robotnik: "Snively, the next words that come out of your mouth better be either praise or something worth my time. Or I will turn you into a folding chair!"

Snively just shrugs as he gives the most half-hearted cheer he could.

Snively: "Robotnik, Robotnik. He's our Lord of Lard. Our Maestro of Malice. If Mobius isn't his, it isn't anyone's."

Robotnik gets up, flipping his cape behind him as he moved behind his desk.

Robotnik: "Your cheering is lousy, but everything you said is true. Mobius will be mine and those Freedom Fighters will not stop me!"

Snively: "But, sir… Your win-loss ratio, when it isn't biased, tells me otherwise. They seem to have bested you a lot more recently."

Robotnik grabs the statistics from Snively before he just fudges the numbers.

Robotnik: "They've only been lucky! But their luck will run out! Sonic isn't invincible… She will fall. And when she does, no one will stand in my way of total domination!"

Robotnik begins to laugh, his laughter echoing throughout the citadel.

At Knothole Village, the Freedom Fighters convene at Uncle Chuck's chili dog stand, each getting a plate of some kind of hot dog from the old hedgehog; Sonic, of course, getting a huge plate of chili dogs.

Charles: "My goodness, lass, you must have been hungry."

Sonic: "Listening to ol' blubber butt can work up an appetite. By the time he's done talking, it's already past brunch time."

Sally: "How do you not get sick from eating all those chili dogs, Sonic?"

Rotor: "Very high metabolism, Sally."

Sonic: "I run a lot, I stretch, and I tend to do a lot of shadow boxing. I move around, Sal. Course I need big meals. Maybe you oughta run with me."

Sally: "Pfft. If I could run half as fast as you do, I think I could fight half of Robotropolis on my own."

Sonic shrugs before the group hear the familiar barking of one certain yellow furred canine companion.

Sonic: "Muttski! Here, boy!"

Muttski: "Arf!"

Muttski jumps onto Sonic before starting to lick her face. She pets him on the head before smiling.

Sally: "Hey, Muttski. Have you been getting your runs in?"

Muttski: "Arf arf!"

Charles: "He sure has! Boy never sits still when Sonic's not around!"

Tails: "That just means Sonic's cool attitude is rubbing off on him!"

Sonic: "Pfft. I just think he was cool with attitude before that, lil' bud."

Antoine looked a bit frightened of the dog. While Muttski loved everyone in the group, the dog didn't seem to really like Antoine as much. And it wasn't from a lack of trying either…

Sally: "It's surprising how close you and Muttski have gotten, Sonic… Especially since how we found him."

Sonic: "Yep. Found ol' Muttski abandoned around Furville years back. He was just a puppy then, alone on the streets. I just couldn't leave him alone like that when I was passing by. Though I do remember you were against taking in a stray, Sal."

Sally: "It's not that I was against the idea; I was completely for it. It was just the lack of room in the hideout is all."

Charles: "And that's about when I was called in to take care of Muttski. And to be honest, he's been the best part of my days since!"

Sonic: "Uncle Chuck - chili dog genius and tamer of regular dogs. I guess he's got that dog in him."

Muttski turns to Sonic with a disapproving growl.

Sonic: "Oop… He he… Okay, that was a bad joke… Sorry…"

The Freedom Fighters laugh it off as they enjoy their meal. The game came on as told by Rotor through a radio, with the Crocs winning the game by a landslide. Even in times of war, it was nice to unwind and just relax.

As Charles closes up his stand, Sonic approaches him with a question.

Sonic: "Yo, Uncle Chuck? Why don't you just stay in the village? We have plenty of lodging and all."

Charles: "It's quite alright, Sonic my girl. I do enjoy my time in the village, but my little shack at the side of the Great Forest is a bit more my style. Simple and quiet. Well… Aside from this fella."

Muttski: "Arf!"

Sonic: "I just get worried is all. What with Robotnik on the hunt and all…"

Charles: "I get your concern, but I'll be fine. But I'll tell you what… How about you and your friends come over and we'll go hiking up the mountain trail? Ol' Mount Mobius isn't going to conquer itself."

Sonic just rolls her eyes with a smile before nodding. She hugs her uncle before petting Muttski as she waves them good night. However, on this particular night, it would be more like 'good bye'.

As Charles slept, a bright light swept past his window. It got into his face for a moment, causing him to stir before he let out a yawn.

Charles: "Morning already? Feels a bit ear-"

But Muttski started growling as his ears perked up. It wasn't morning… Outside the shack, three Swatbot patrol vehicles land. They were patrolling a little past their usual patrol route tonight due to Robotnik's orders. It was here that they found a shack that seemed too nice to be abandoned.

Swatbot 1: "Strange housing found near the Great Forest."

Swatbot 2: "Could it indicate the presence of Knothole Village? If so, it is worth reporting to Lord Robotnik."

Swatbot 1: "Negative. We must confirm whether or not that is the case. Begin by interrogating those living in this shack."

Swatbots: "Roger roger."

The Swatbots approach the house, Charles counting six total robots, two for each patrol. He gritted his teeth as he moved to grab a laser pistol. He was a veteran of the Great War; even if he isn't as young as he used to be, he can still defend himself. The door is kicked open and the first Swatbot is shot at. However, these models of Swatbot were far sturdier than the ones that invaded Mobotropolis years ago; refitted with a more streamlined design with a saucer-like head and humanoid body shape. The laser pistol's blast bounced off the Swatbot's armor, leaving only a slight dent.

Swatbot 1: "Unroboticized Mobian detected. Male. Weapon detected. Hedgehog. Potential relation to Sonic the Hedgehog. Stun fire engaged."

Charles: "You are not entering my house, tin cans!"

Muttski starts to bark at the intruders, soon lunging at them. But he is shot and stunned, causing him to convulse in pain; Charles tries to run to Muttski's side to check on him, but he too was shot, stunning him to the floor. The Swatbots surround the two before one of them picks them up under his arms.

Swatbot 2: "Shack has been scanned. No other life forms detected."

Swatbot 1: "No clues of any village either. However, our prizes may pique the interest of Lord Robotnik."

Swatbot 2: "Very well. Returning to Robotropolis."

Swatbots: "Roger roger."

The robots leave the house, taking Charles and Muttski with them as they flew off towards Robotropolis…

The next morning came as Sonic and Sally walk towards Charles' home, Sonic explaining their plans for the day.

Sally: "Really? Mount Mobius? Man, what an old person thing to do."

Sonic: "Hey, don't knock it till you try it, Sal. Besides, it's about having fun, right?"

Sally: "Right. And I do intend to have-"

Sonic: "Wh-What?"

Sonic and Sally freeze in shock as they see Charles' shack. The door had been kicked in, the walls and floors had signs of shooting. And the place looked abandoned.

Sonic: "Uncle Chuck!? Muttski!? Are you here!? Where are you!?"

Sonic, starting to get frantic, called out as loud as she could for her family, zipping around the area as she did. Sally, on the other hand, started to investigate the scene. She found indents in the ground, indicating something big and heavy walked up to Charles' house. She then spotted three even larger indents just a little ways away.

Sally: "Sonic. I think your uncle is in trouble."

Sonic: "How so, Sally?"

Sally: "Call it intuition… But Swatbots may have veered a little farther off their patrol route and spotted your Uncle's home. Let's go get the others and figure out a plan to-"

But before Sally could even finish, she hears the sound of something moving fast as a strong but brief breeze blows past her. Sonic had left… for Robotropolis.

Sally: "Sonic! Wait! Oh no… She's not in the best frame of mind… But I can't leave her behind either."

Sally, though initially wanting to get the others, decided it best to follow Sonic and help her out where she can. Though she feared they may be too late.

At Robotropolis, Robotnik was busy finalizing his latest weapon against Sonic - a basic rocket that detects and locks onto non-robotic hedgehogs.

Robotnik: "With this, Sonic will be reduced to nothing but ashes on the grounds of Robotropolis! Or at least too hurt to resist roboticization… I'm not picky either way."

As the flabby dictator starts to chuckle to himself, Snively soon runs into the lab in a panic.

Snively: "Lord Robotnik! The hedgehog has breached through our defenses, sir!"

Robotnik: "Ah right on time too. I was expecting that miserable rat after last night's greatest news. Hehe… Get our latest 'guest' ready, Snively."

Robotnik's confidence did seem to calm Snively down as he smiled and did as he was told. On the streets, Sonic had just torn through some Swatbots that was trying to block her way. Despite their best efforts, the robots stood no chance against a very angered hedgehog. But as she approached the citadel, she was greeted by a stage at the front of the entrance - very hastily made as it was quite bare with nothing but a few Swatbots and red tarp around some kind of box shaped thing, which Robotnik and Snively stood beside.

Robotnik: "Sonic the Hedgehog! Welcome to my city, Robotropolis! If I had known you would willingly surrender yourself, I would've rolled out the red carpet."

Sonic: "Yeah right. The only red carpet being rolled out is you if you don't tell me where you took the prisoners!"

Robotnik: "Well, since you asked so nicely…"

Robotnik grabs the red tarp and uncovered what was underneath. Much to Sonic's horror, inside of a glass case - as if a trophy on display - was Charles and Muttski, now roboticized, staring blankly in Sonic's general direction.

Sonic: "Uncle Chuck! Muttski!"

Robotnik: "Yes. They are now my latest minions in my growing army of roboticized Mobians. And I figured if I had your precious loved ones here, you'd be more cooperative. That is… unless you want them destroyed."

Sonic could only glare at her enemies as the Swatbots raised the blasters on their wrists, ready to fire if the hedgehog tried anything. Just a little ways away, high on a few buildings around the citadel, thanks to Sonic's anger-induced attack on Robotnik's defenses, Sally was able to sneak onto a building and begin climbing her way to a good enough vantage point. But what she saw left her equally horrified.

Robotnik: "Now what do you say, hedgehog? Turn yourself in and become my eternal slave in my conquest of Mobius and I'll eagerly reunite you with your precious uncle."

Sonic: "If you expect me to just give in like that, then you've dialed the wrong hedgehog! We'll find a way to deroboticize Uncle Chuck and all the other Mobians you captured, Robotnik!"

Robotnik: "Oh what a shame. And here I thought we could come to an agreement. Swatbots! Prepare to fire! Even if Charles is a frozen statue, he can see his dearest niece being blasted into submission."

Robotnik and Snively start to laugh as the Swatbots readied their lasers. But then a few of them were hit by explosive pellets, destroying their upper torsos.

Robotnik: "What!? Who- When did you bring reinforcements!?"

Sonic: "I didn't…"

Sonic looks up, seeing Sally on a roof, causing the hedgehog to smile.

Sonic: "But they always have my back anyway!"

Sonic then starts bouncing on the Swatbots, hitting them hard and fast as she dodged their incoming laser fire. Robotnik's little plan had crumbled so easily, thinking Sonic would come alone.

Robotnik: "Grr… Time for Plan B then. Which really should have been Plan A!"

Robotnik pulls out a button and presses it, causing a missile to fire from the top of his citadel. Sonic sees this and realizes the missile was locked onto her. But this gave her an idea. She quickly avoids the missile as it flies by and takes a bit to readjust and follow Sonic around the streets, keeping up with her as they went. She starts running up the building Sally was on and quickly lands on the princess as the missile flies by, losing Sonic briefly.

Sonic: "Yo, Sally."

Sally: "Sonic. What are you up to?"

Sonic: "Oh just figured I'd drop in, ask you to leave the immediate area."

Sally: "H-Huh? Why?"

Sonic: "Oh… Just a hunch."

As the missile locks back on, Sonic quickly jumps off Sally and jumps to another building, leading it away from the princess. Sally doesn't quite get what Sonic's plan is, but she does as Sonic says.

Sonic races the missile out of the city, getting a firm distance away as she turns and gets into a racing start position, hands on the ground, left knee bent forwards, while her right leg was outstretched.

Sonic: "I'm no genius, but if I time my kick just right…"

The missile started coming closer and closer before Sonic dashed right into it, coming very close to colliding with it. But at the last possible second, in slow motion, Sonic slid under the missile and kicked the missile on the head, using the force of her built up running momentum to apply enough force to the kick to send the explosive into the air and return its flight towards Robotropolis while not setting it off at the same time.

Sonic: "...I can return to sender."

At Robotropolis, a slightly angered Robotnik had his remaining Swatbots clean up the mess and dismantle the stage.

Robotnik: "What a waste of time. These dopes weren't useful to me at all! You two clean my office as punishment for your uselessness! NOW!"

Charles: "As you command, Lord Robotnik."

Snively: "Look on the bright side, sir. At least your stage performance left an impression on the hedgehog."

Robotnik: "Shut up, Snively! Or I'll-!"

The two then hear a noise coming from somewhere.

Robotnik: "What's that noise…?"

Within another second, Robotnik and Snively - as well as a few nearby Swatbots - were hit by the missile's explosion, creating a mess around the area. Robotnik lays on his stomach with his torn cape over his face, a very thoroughly angry scowl on his face.

Robotnik: "I hate that hedgehog…"

Back in Knothole, later that afternoon, Sonic sat next to the ruins of her uncle's shack, looking at the sunset in the distance as she seemed a bit… distant. After a moment of staring in silence, the sound of footsteps catches her attention as Sally approaches to sit with Sonic.

Sally: "Hey. Figured I'd come check up on you. Are you feeling okay?"

Sonic: "Yeah, I'm fine, Sal… A bit sad over losing Uncle Chuck and Muttski, but… There is a chance to save them, right?"

Sally: "I'll be honest, we don't know yet. Nobody but Robotnik has the ability to deroboticize the robotic Mobians… But if there is a chance to bring them back, then we'll find it. Somehow…"

Sonic looks to Sally before smiling. She then stands up, slamming her fist to her palm.

Sonic: "Then we'll just keep wrecking Robotnik's junk till we beat him and return Mobotropolis and Mobius at large back to the way it was. We'll save Uncle Chuck, Muttski, and everyone else who was turned into a robot. And lastly, we'll save King Acorn from wherever he was banished to."

Sally smiles before standing up, the duo staring at the sunset until the sun finally vanished. One day ends, and another will soon begin. And with it, another battle with the good doctor…

Bow to the Robotnik Empire!

Doctor Ivo Robotnik (Real Name: Julian Kintobor)
Age: 46
Rank: Maestro of Malice

Doctor Ivo Robotnik is the lord, master, and creator of his personal army of robots. Born as an Overlander within the House of Ivo, he is gifted with high intellect in technological advances, building various weapons of mass destruction. However, his life would turn when he experimented on his fellow Overlanders, got casted out, and taken in by the Mobians his people fought against. Soon taking up the position of warlord, he would ultimately banish King Acorn and conquer Mobius with barely any opposition. However, his advances have seemingly halted thanks to the efforts of Sonic, Sally, and their Freedom Fighters who vow to defeat him and free Mobius from his clutches. He typically uses his minions as punching bags when he's angry.

Snively Robotnik (Real Name: Colin Kintobor Jr.)
Age: 29
Rank: Unlucky Lackey

Snively Robotnik is the nephew of Julian, and son of Colin Kintobor Sr., who had banished Julian when his use of other Overlanders as experiments was discovered. Though his reasons for leaving Overlander society remains unknown, Snively found himself working for his uncle just before his coup. Though often silent, Snively's loyalties to his uncle are not what they seem as he has aspirations to one day rule Mobius himself - or if all else fails, destroy it and rebuild anew.

Swatbots
Rank: Robotnik's Personal Enforcers

Throughout Robotropolis and just around it, Swatbots act as the main strength and security for Robotnik's base of operations. The first models were built in secret during the coup that would raise Robotnik to power. Equipped with heavy armor for defense and wrist blasters, these walking automatons can be very lethal in large groups. In addition, they are equipped to pilot nearly any vehicle within their vicinity.

Badniks
Rank: Low Level Mooks

The classic Badniks are various robots with cartoonish designs to them. They often act as a minor threat to Sonic and her friends. Due to their relatively low threat level, they are often just sent as distractions for the real threats Robotnik uses. Otherwise, he will simply use his Swatbots for actual invasions.

Roboticized Mobians (often referred to as Robians)
Rank: Enslaved Mobians Forced to be Robots

When Robotnik began to plan his rise to power, there was one thing that ensured his takeover would be successful - the Roboticizer, originally built by Charles Hedgehog in an attempt to save his brother's life. Unknown to the hedgehog, Robotnik had sabotaged the Roboticizer to work too well, resulting in Jules' complete transformation. Since then, Robotnik has used the device as his means to enlarge his army. Surprisingly though, he never thinks to just use Robians to attack the Freedom Fighters…