Westside Island

A normal person would take an hour to climb that hill. For Sonic and Tails, it took no time at all. It's a wide view up there, the pair able to view a good chunk of Emerald Hill. The lavish plains, the innocent chirping..everything a hedgehog could ask for. Fortunately for them, natures still intact on this side of the world…except for another certain island.

The hedgehog plucks a flower, and gets a good whiff of it. "THIS is what he's after?" Sonic asks. His companion takes a seat next to him. "..what's wrong?"

"I don't get it. Why do you gotta fix what isn't broken?"

"Me?"

"I'm talkin' about egg head." Sonic clarifies, getting a laugh from Tails. "Egghead?"

"It just came to me. He's bald, his ego probably cracks easy..but that guy's cookin' up a weird plan." Sonic vents. "Aren't there hotter places to take over? Like Japan? You'd think the 'greatest genius' to ever live would go for a place with more money, power, all that."

"As far as he knows, we don't really have that." Tails notes. "If he's after the emeralds, he just wants the power."

"Weirdo's obsessed with his machines.." Sonic says, but has to take it back after seeing the hurt look on Tails' face. "That's not BAD, he just uses them to cram his whole 'genius' crap down our throats." Hedgehog has to choose his words better.

"Yeah..he's really mean." Tails opens his bag and digs through. "You know, I've been looking into that myself. I've been working on this drone back in my lab."

"You have a dead drone in your home? Why wouldn't you tell me earlier?"

"…"

"Oh I get it."

"Sorry for lying. I didn't want to freak you out.." Tails admits.

Sonic pats him on the back. "You could show that drone the time of it's life. If it's loving it, are your fixes really that bad?"

Tails shakes his head. Sonic's a coach at this point, pushing Tails even when he doubts his abilities. If he plays into them, he could definitely be something more. Right now, he's just a kid, even with his crazy intelligence. He would have met a cruel fate if Sonic never warned him in the last hunt.

Sonic doesn't see that age."You do you, and it'll do..it. Is it a boy or a girl?"

"..drones don't have genders, Sonic."

Sonic freezes. "Well then…it can just pick. I guess. I don't really know how any of that works."

Egg Bunker

Robotnik's staring at a holographic blueprint, sipping a latte. He cringes a little based off the taste alone. "How does Stone craft this beverage with such finesse? He can barely make a Wellington."

The doors behind him slide open, and there's Stone. Shirts tore up, skin darker, and a frown.

Robotnik rolls his eyes. "What happened?"

"The hedgehog.."

That unrolls the doc's eyes. "Excuse me?"

"THE HEDGEHOG."

"You don't have to say it louder!" Robotnik snaps, cornering his assistant. "I'm well aware of that rodent's survival. He couldn't even escape a NET. So tell me..how did you lose?"

"His speed, sir..it made him unstoppable."

"Did you try to STOP him?"

"Yes." Stone nods. "One second I was shooting him, and the next I was blind. It's like he had—"

"Super speed. Yeah, we know that." Robotnik says, sliding a hand up Stones chest. "Here's my problem with this blue blur. He rips through my forces like paper. They can take on any animal except for this ONE. This rodent that could wreck my plans if he felt like it! Guess what, Stone?"

"He feels like it?"

"HE FEELS LIKE IT." The Doctor grips Stone's jaw. "So we need to pick apart any and every weakness he has."

"Well..he DOES have a friend." That answer loosens his boss' grip. "A flying wolf. Trying to get one was enough..but they are a force together."

The Doctor laughs in his face. "The kid? He's Sonic's little mascot."

"Did you watch our fight? He can fly.."

"I had my drone over there." Robotnik looks off to the side, staring at his blueprint while pinning his assistant to the wall. "Admittedly, Sonic gets a boost whenever he activates his, oh so pathetic power of friendship. If we can remove one variable from the other, we box the pest in, and take it home..."

"That's a great plan..but how are you going to pull it off?"

"Hm-Hm-Hm-Hm.." the Doctor wags his finger. "It's elementary, my dear Stone. Use my heaviest hitter. That freakshow won't know what hit him..and the turd blossom will have no choice but to take the bait. I can rip him off too! Give him some false hope that the freak will stay alive IF, and ONLY IF: he surrenders his emeralds."

"That's..a genius tactic."

"I've been plotting extortion for months now." The Doctor admits. "I was barred from it in the States..but now there's no laws to stop me."

Stone removes himself from the wall. "Doctor, if I may ask.."

"This criticism better be worth it."

"What if..this animal doesn't buy in?"

Robotnik holds up two fingers. "Then we eradicate the hedgehog, steal his emeralds, and show his Fox what real fear is. It doesn't matter how hard he fights either. With each encounter he has, I'll be analyzing every crevice of the energy. He thinks he can run WiLd and FrEe." he mocks.

The Doctor moves the blueprint to his big screen. It's a massive robot, with a metal recreation of Robotnik's face, a massive body with slots at the center, and big fists that can turn into anything. Stone blinks in awe! "Like it? I've been building this for five years."

"Doctor.."

"I know, you're paralyzed. I'd freeze too if my opposition took this stallion into war." Robotnik admits. "But that's the grand finale. I need a good warm up.."

Westside Island

Sand Shower Zone

The rocks are massive in the area. It's either walk on those, run in the rough sand. People can pass a cactus every minute. Sonic's too busy juggling both emeralds to care. They claimed another one (another zone back), and that routine was the exact same. Watch for the mines, crush the UFO, and so on.

While he juggles, Sonic looks at the scraps dangling from his pal's backpack. "What are you gonna build? A new robot? A tower? OOO, a time machine?"

"Well.." Tails scratches his chin. "I could use more companions! I'll see what I can do about new drones..or maybe a better saucer! There's so many choices.." The lights back in those eyes, geeking out about what he could make.

"You could give that 'Nado a squad. Poor things depressed." Sonic jokes.

Before they can dig into that, a steel, silver hedgehog hits a mean supervillain landing. His orange eyes lay on the emeralds. Despite the sharp claws, and sharper quills, Sonic just smirks at the arrival. "Back for more?"

"Well well well, if it isn't my spiky shit-spewing inferior."

"Hey watch your language, there's a kid he—" That gravely voice booming from the machine, sparks a memory in Sonic. "Oh wait. Pompous? You've gotta be the doctor!"

"You mistake 'pompous' with 'confident.' Allow Silver Sonic to test your theory. He's a model fully pre—"

"Awww..you made one just for me?" Sonic slaps his heart. "You've outdone yourself."

"Kill the rodent."

His machine obeys all orders, facing Sonic with its steely glare. Instead of throwing the first punch, he circles around tails, causing a little sandscreen! The Silver prototype runs in..but can't get any readings. No hedgehog, no Fox, no emeralds.

"Be wary. He has a tactical advantage."

Sonic climbs onto the machine's head, and drives both feet into the head! He swings around to the front, sending the prototype into a cactus. Sonic wipes his gloves off. "You love to hear yourself talk."

"Because I speak facts, hedgehog!"

"A real genius wouldn't narrate the action."

That Silver Sonic rips a cactus from the ground! It's like he never got punctured. Sonic he hurls it like a dart at the hedgehog. He sidesteps the first one, but gets tackled by the second! A burning sensation enters his quills.

Tails runs in to help get the cactus off him, but Silver Sonic lands infront of the Fox. A brutal backhand sends his body skating away!

"A real genius keeps children out of the fight. How's THAT for a "gotcha", rodent?

Sonic grits his teeth, ripping the cactus off him! He's still got those pricks in him, but he fights through it.

"Be as brave as you—"

WHACK!

The machine gets smacked across its metal skull! Sonic winces as he rips some pricks from his quills, causing slivers of blood to leak out. He flicks two pricks at the bots eyes, and hits a front flipping kick, driving the machine head-first onto the rocks! Sonic snatches the machines arm, and spikes it's head into the ground AGAIN! The machine ceases all movement.

Sonic rushes over to Tails, groaning and holding his cheek. "Hey buddy, it's ok. I'm here.." the Fox doesn't respond, and instead looks over to his loose backpack, with the shiny emeralds inside. "Emeralds are safe."

The Fox grips his cheek. His whole mouths quivering. He's had people tug his tails before, but getting hit THAT hard is a new one. "It h-hurts.."

Sonic uses a hand to get the kid back on his feet. He'd really love a hug about now, but it's not the time. They need to get their jewels and jam, this "Silver Sonic" can't be held back forever. Sonic hands Tails his backpack, which the Fox secures on his back again. "You're too kind, Sonic.."

"It'd be real shi—I mean cruddy to ditch you."

"You can swear. I know every word in the lexicon." Tails boasts, forcing a smile out.

"Not comfortable with that. YET."

Tails looks down at the red blot on Sonic's shoulder. His tails shoot up. "No no no no, please don't tell me—"

"I'm bleeding?" Sonic finally takes a look at himself. "Oh! No biggie."

"NO BIGGIE?" Tails waves his hands around, like the panicking child he is. "If we don't seal that up you could get infected, or even worse.."

"Pfft." Sonic just waves it off. "If electroshock therapy couldn't kill me, I'll be fine with a few boo-boo's."

"You need medical attention!"

The robot tackles Sonic out of the blue, and drags his face across the sand! Those sharp claws start digging in. Someone's getting more than a few boo-boo's.

The worlds flipped for Sonic, the sky on the bottom, and land at the top. Up ahead, a clear tunnel blends into the rock. Perfect. He's been down that block before. Those tunnels are wider than you'd think, but with how fast they suck you in…big damage.

Now all he has to do is abuse physics.

"Face it, hedgehog: YOU CAN'T BEAT ME!"

Sonic tips himself upside down, driving Silvers head into the sand. While his enemy's blinded, Sonic jumps from his prison, grabs Silvers legs, and hurls him into the rock above that tunnel! He bounces off it, and gets hit with a twisting HEADBUTT from the hedgehog!

Bounces off, dropkick.

Bounces off, homing attack.

Bounces again,

"LET HIM BREATHE!"

"Nah."

Sonic keeps striking the machine so hard, it cracks the rock behind him! He looks for another, but a orange bean beam shoots out a hand, striking him in the shoulder! Sonic lands next to that tunnel, looking up as a damaged Silver Sonic touches down. Even IT has to adjust its shoulder.

"For every punch you pack, I—"

Sonic dings it in the jaw, and grabs the nose. One big slam and it's sucked down the tunnel! Sonic turns to the Fox. "Guard the emeralds."

"ME?"

Sonic dives right in, following his new adversary. Tails gulps at the thought of being alone. Anything could ambush him..

.

Inside the clear tunnel, Silver Sonic has a good look of the world outside. There's a huge maze of tunnels, going who knows where. A snowy place? Another desert? Maybe even a tropical one. This complicated series of passages will take years to just break down. There's too many destinations to count!

"Keep your eyes peeled on that pest. He's hot on your metallic quills!"

The oncoming blue blur diverts its attention. He grabs the bots throat and slams its head on the tunnel! The force of that speed starts scraping chunks of metal off the Doctor's toughest machine (so far)!

Sonic balls a fist and sends it through the damaged side of Silver's head, cutting Robotnik's sight in half! They get shot up the pathway, zooming upward. Sonic pins Silvers good eye up against the tunnel, severely damaging it the faster they shoot up!

"I spent MINUTES on those!"

"You shoulda' seen this coming."

"GAH! i cant stand your insufferable quips.."

Sonic keeps his creation pinned. "You make it too easy.."

The exits up ahead..

.

.

Both hedgehogs go flying out! Sonic finds himself going higher than Silver, so he pins both feet on the bot's chest. That force sends both straight down, and Sonic smirks as not only does he have his opponent beat: but he can take in the breeze again.

CRASH!

When Sonic steps off, he finds a hole in Silver's chest. Electricity crackles repeatedly, and the orange eyes switch on and off. The growls instructor's voice meets the same fate.

"Don't t-t-you've won. I w—destroy—mark my words!"

"WHAT?!" Sonic shouts, with a mocking undertone."

"C—-fu—you cursed—"

"You're breaking up!" Sonic kicks the machine to the side, and pops his knuckles. "Ready for round two with the blue?"

Crickets.

"Right." The hedgehog turns his attention to his foxy friend, zipping up his backpack to keep the emeralds secured. Both know that after THIS battle, the target on their back will only grow. Sonic just ruffles Tails fur. "Hope he didn't get ya too bad."

Tails rubs his cheek. There's a little sting, but it's not a horrible wound. "I'm ok…you aren't."

Sonic looks at his own arms again. That little reminder making him flashback to the feelings of those pricks in his skin. "Can't wait to pick these out." He shivers. "You know a doctor?"

"I AM a doctor." Tails opens his pack and pulls out a box labeled "First Aid." He really seems to preserve his resources. Today, he can finally put one to use.

Egg Bunker

"GIVE ME A BREAK!"

Robotnik claws at his bald head, and turns his fury to an unplugged computer. He rips it from its cables, and smashes it on the floor! Not only is that expensive, but it's a safety hazard. For someone who's the "greatest" genius in the world, he never thought about that. It's very easy for his rage to take over.

Stone takes a peek in, and the first thing he sees is Robotnik jumping on a computer. Very childish for a future king, but Stones smarter than to just call his boss out on that. He'd have a cushy position at the top of the food chain, there's no point in getting on the doctor's bad side.

Maybe he could be the anchor.

"There's no need to be a peeping Tom."

Stone gasps when The Doctor snaps his head to him. With a broken piece of the computer in hand, Stone doesn't know what he'll do next. "Doctor.."

"You said you were a massage master, did you not?"

"I did. Ranked number three in the world." Stone's past jobs used to be nothing to write home about. Fortunately, he's learned a lot under his bae—he means boss.

Robotnik exposes his bare shoulders. "Get the lotion."

Westside Island

Sand Shower Zone

Sand dribbles from above. Luckily for Sonic, the bandages Tails applied have covers most of his wounds. When he took a second to think about it, he realized that kid had to fight for himself, everywhere he went. Nobody usually carries First Aid in their bag. Well not for Sonic. Medical attention used to be unheard of.

Now he has to recover from his first real fight. Nothings beaten him up quite like Silver Sonic. If that's one machine the doctor can build, imagine what else he can throw at him.

Sonic takes a seat on the brown terrain. Before he can take in the sky, he catches Tails popping his jaw in the corner of his eye. "Need ice?"

Tails takes a step back. "N-no, well, I would but-" the hedgehog's already gone. "

Sonic returns with an ice pack. "Polar bears weren't happy with me." The contents are leaking on his gloves, so Tails just takes the pack and applies it to his sore cheek. Sonic went all the way to a new climate just to find the pack, it'd be cruel to deny him. "Better?"

"I'll get there.." the fox says, using his good hand to brush the new sand off. They are in desperate need of a shower, but unfortunately time is of the essence. The kid notices soreness from below. His feet are aching. Trying to keep up with Sonic has taken a number on his feet. Best to find a good place to rest.

Tails thinks about a loophole to this problem, and surprisingly: it comes easy. "What if we use the Tornado?"

"You can fly."

Tails rubs an eye. "I can't carry you up a whole mountain. I'd get fatigued, and well.." he uses a hand to mimic a big fall. He even makes a "splat" noise, making Sonic wince.

"Yep, we'll take the plane."

With their emeralds secured (for now), Sonic and Tails are ready to go airbourne. But Robotnik isn't finished yet..