Chapter 4: Exploding Snakes and Boxing Omelets
Dragon Valley – Atop the Blocked Entrance, Morning Hours
Doctor Robotnik's eyes bulge as he takes in the sight before him. "What is this? Who are you? Did I miss a memo? Where is Sonic?!" he sputters, his voice carrying a mix of confusion and annoyance.
Lilac, undeterred by Robotnik's outburst, meets his gaze with determination. "I'm Sash Lilac, and I'm here to stop you!" she declares, her voice steady.
Robotnik blinks rapidly. "Sash Lilac? What kind of name is that? And what's with the getup? Are you trying to outdo Sonic in the weirdness department?" he sneers, folding his arms.
Tails steps forward, pointing a finger at Robotnik. "She's here to stop you, just like Sonic! And together, we're going to put an end to your evil schemes, Robotnik!"
Robotnik throws his hands up in dramatic exasperation. "Great! Just what I needed, another do-gooder meddling in my affairs. This day just keeps getting better and better!" he grumbles under his breath. "Why can't I ever have a normal, villainous day without these pests?"
Lilac smirks. "Get ready, Doctor Robotnik, because we're not backing down!" She crouches slightly, readying herself for the inevitable clash.
Robotnik's lips curl into a wicked grin. "Oh, it's on! Let's see what you two can do against the genius of Doctor Ivo Robotnik! And my brand-new invention, the Egg-Boxer!" With a flourish, he presses a button on his console, and the boxing gloves on his Egg-Mobile clench with a metallic clang, preparing for combat.
"Bring it on!" Tails and Lilac shout in unison as they brace themselves for the battle.
Dragon Valley – Under the Rock Ceiling
A deafening explosion reverberates through the room as Sonic and Carol emerge from a dense cloud of smoke, their forms barely visible amid the dust and debris. Just as they regain their footing, the Egg-Boa erupts from the ground with a feral roar.
"Man, this is one tough snake!" Sonic exclaims, narrowly avoiding a missile that the Egg-Boa spits directly at him from its gaping maw. He quickly spins, colliding with one of the serpent's armored segments and leaving a noticeable dent in the black armor.
"Tell me about it!" Carol retorts as she charges headlong at another segment of the snake with her bike. She launches herself from the vehicle, delivering a series of powerful kicks that shatter the armor, revealing the metallic purple underbody beneath.
The Egg-Boa lets out a mechanical hiss of fury, burrowing into the ground and disappearing into the depths. Moments later, it re-emerges with a massive leap, attempting to crush Sonic under its immense weight. Sonic sidesteps the attack. Seizing the opportunity, he delivers a powerful kick to another segment, breaking it apart. Only two armored segments remain, excluding the head, as the snake burrows underground once more.
"Alright, time to get those last two segments!" Sonic announces.
Carol lands beside him. "Shouldn't we focus only on the head?" she shouts, her voice cutting through the rumbling of the ground as the snake prepares to strike again.
"Nah," Sonic replies, a confident smirk playing on his lips as he glances at her. "If the guy who built this is who I think it is, we need to break the rest of the armor before focusing on the head. He tends to design things like that."
Carol nods, trusting his judgment. "You're telling me who that guy is after this, right?" she asks, her eyes narrowing with curiosity as they remain alert.
"Don't worry, I've got a lot to unpack," Sonic says with a grin, the ground beneath them trembling as the snake moves closer. They quickly dodge as several missiles launch from various holes in the ground, each one aimed directly at them.
Dragon Valley – Upper Level
"Get a load of this!" Robotnik roars, his voice booming as he unleashes a relentless barrage of punches from the Egg-Mobile's oversized boxing gloves, forcing Lilac and Tails to dodge the blows with precision.
Lilac dashes forward, her body a blur of motion as she activates her Dragon Boost. With a loud clang, she collides with the Egg-Mobile, forcing Robotnik to take a step back.
"Ah! You stupid goat! How dare you!" Robotnik bellows as he adjusts his boxing gloves for another strike. He swings one massive fist at her, but Lilac deftly dodges, leaving an opening for Tails to leap in and spin-attack his left arm, the force of the impact causing sparks to fly.
"G-Goat?!" Lilac exclaims, her voice tinged with indignation as she glares at Robotnik. "I'm a dragon, you jerk! Cyclone!" She spins in place, her long twin tails whipping around as she strikes the right boxing glove, sending Robotnik skidding back a few meters, his machine's joints screeching.
"Ugh! Huh, you? A dragon? Pfft!" Robotnik struggles to contain his laughter. "Hohoho! You are the most ridiculous dragon I have ever seen!" He cackles, the sound grating on Lilac's nerves.
Lilac's glare intensifies, her eyes flashing with anger. She's about to unleash another Dragon Boost when Robotnik presses a button on his console. The gloves on his Egg-Mobile transform, morphing into two massive brass knuckles that gleam ominously in the morning light.
Without warning, he swings at Lilac with all his might, catching her off guard. The blow lands squarely, sending her flying backward. "Lilac!" Tails shouts in alarm as he watches her crash to the ground, the impact leaving her momentarily winded.
"Ow! Cheap shot," Lilac complains, clutching her stomach as she forces herself back onto her feet.
"Hohoho! Think you can play hero now, goat?" Robotnik taunts, his voice dripping with condescension as he prepares for another attack. "Why don't you just give up and save yourself the embarrassment? No one will think less of you... much."
Lilac shoots him a look, the fire in her eyes only growing stronger. "Don't count on it, Robotnik!" she retorts, her voice filled with defiance.
"Don't fall for it," Tails warns, his voice calm as he analyzes the situation. "Look, the joints of its arms have weak foundations. If we can hit them…"
"Then we'll be able to break them apart! Good thinking, Tails!" Lilac praises him.
"Hmph! You found a weak spot, so what?! You both are going down!" Robotnik's voice brims with rage as he readies his next attack. "And this time, I won't miss!"
"Not if we have anything to say about it!" Lilac retorts with confidence, her determination unwavering as she prepares to Dragon Boost once more.
Dragon Valley – Lower Level
"Gah!"
"Sonic!"
A thunderous explosion shakes the room as Sonic is caught in the blast, sending him crashing into a nearby wall. The impact knocks the wind out of him, but he quickly gets back to his feet. "Uff! Don't worry, just a scratch," he groans, more to reassure Carol than anything else.
Carol's eyes narrow as she glares at the Egg-Boa. They have managed to break the last two armored segments, leaving only the head unprotected. The mechanical snake opens its mouth, a sinister gleam in its eyes as it prepares to launch another missile. Carol dodges nimbly, but the snake quickly retreats underground again, disappearing before they can retaliate.
"How are we gonna hit it if it keeps going underground?" Carol wails in frustration, rubbing her arm where a scorch mark from a previous explosion struck.
Sonic pauses, his mind racing as he tries to come up with a plan. Then, an idea strikes him, and a determined grin spreads across his face. "Carol, do you trust me?"
"Dude, I might have only known you for like, half an hour, but you're one of the most trustworthy guys I know," she replies with confidence. She flashes him a grin of her own, ready to follow his lead.
Sonic's grin widens. "Follow my lead!"
When the snake re-emerges to launch another missile, Sonic starts running in circles, his speed creating a vortex that distorts the air around them. Carol quickly follows suit, matching his pace. The Egg-Boa tries to aim at them, but its sensors struggle to keep up with their rapid movements. Its eyes spin wildly, trying to focus on the blurred figures.
Sonic and Carol exchange a quick glance. With perfect synchronization, they both leap onto the snake's head, their combined force slamming its jaws shut just as the missile inside is about to fire.
Boom!
The explosion rocks the cavern as the Egg-Boa's head releases a plume of smoke, the force of the blast causing the snake's body to convulse before it slowly collapses to the ground, defeated. Sonic and Carol land gracefully atop its head as they share a victorious high-five.
"Whooo yeah! That was awesome! I can't wait to tell Lilac about this," Carol cheers, pumping her fist in the air with unbridled excitement.
"We were awesome!" Sonic laughs as he basks in their victory.
Their celebration is cut short by a series of smaller explosions. They quickly look around, realizing that each segment of the Egg-Boa is self-destructing, the chain reaction moving toward the head where they are standing.
"Okay, that's not that awesome..." Carol mutters, her eyes wide with alarm as she sees the impending danger.
"Brace for impact!" Sonic shouts, but it's too late. The head of the snake detonates, sending them both crashing into the rocky ceiling above.
Dragon Valley – Upper Level
Back on the surface, Robotnik's frustration is reaching a boiling point as Lilac's relentless attacks push him closer to the edge. "Cyclone!" Lilac shouts, striking once more with her hair toward Robotnik's machine.
"Quiet already!" Robotnik snaps, barely blocking the attack with his mechanical arms. His irritation is palpable. "The rodent doesn't yell his attacks every time!"
"Give it up, Robotnik, you can't keep up!" Tails calls out confidently, spinning into another attack that makes the joints of Robotnik's machine creak ominously.
Robotnik's eyes narrow, his irritation morphing into pure rage. "Shut up! SHUT UP!" he bellows, his voice echoing through the valley. "You know what? How about this, HURRICANE!" With a furious yell, Robotnik stretches the Egg-Boxer's arms to their limit and begins spinning rapidly toward them, the force creating a mini-tornado in his wake.
"Tails, look out!" Lilac yells, her voice tinged with concern as she watches Robotnik charge toward the young fox.
"Hah!" Tails leaps into the air, his twin tails spinning rapidly to keep him aloft as he effortlessly flies out of Robotnik's reach. "You sure you're okay, Robotnik? You seem a bit dizzy!" he taunts, his tone light but edged with caution.
Robotnik's spinning grows more erratic as his rage clouds his judgment. "You're all going down!" His voice is frantic, his machine lurching dangerously as he tries to control its wild movements.
As Robotnik's rampage continues, Lilac suddenly hears a voice from behind her.
"Pssst! Hey, uh, dragon girl, over here," a hushed voice whispers urgently. Lilac quickly turns to see the green duck peeking out from inside his shell. "I've been watching the fight and think I've got an idea." He pulls out a laser gun with cyan highlights as he glances at Robotnik. "Wanna hear it?"
Lilac hesitates, her eyes darting between the rampaging Robotnik and the duck. After a brief moment of deliberation, she nods. "Well? What's the plan?"
The duck grins, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Alright, here's the deal…"
Meanwhile, Tails, still flying above Robotnik, calls out, "Hey, uh, you sure you're okay, Robotnik?" His tone now more sympathetic than taunting. There is genuine concern in his voice.
"Shut. Up. And. Let. Me. Hit. YOU!" Robotnik roars, his spinning reaching dangerous speeds. His mechanical arms flail wildly, one of them nearly clipping Tails as he flies by.
Tails's eyes widen in alarm as he narrowly dodges the attack. "Tails, over here!" Lilac calls, standing on a nearby tree with the duck. Tails quickly flies toward them, dodging Robotnik's wild swings.
"You ready?" the green duck asks Lilac, his voice low and steady, his grip tightening on his laser gun.
"More than ever," Lilac replies as she prepares for the final strike.
As Tails zips by, Lilac unleashes another Dragon Boost, her form a blur as she collides with Robotnik's cockpit, sending his Egg-Mobile careening upwards. "Auuouuoou!" Robotnik's voice warbles as his machine is launched into the air, his mechanical arms flailing helplessly.
The duck, aiming carefully, mutters under his breath, "Alright, Gyro, just like we planned," as he pulls the trigger. A cyan laser zigzags through the air, its trajectory precise as it strikes both arms of the Egg-Boxer, severing them cleanly.
"Nooooo!" Robotnik screams as his prized robotic arms are torn from his Egg-Mobile, clattering to the ground below. His machine, now severely damaged, crashes a few meters away, sparks flying as he struggles to regain control.
Tails lands on the ground. "Alright!" he cheers, his voice brimming with excitement as he pumps his fist in the air.
"Yuju!" Lilac lands gracefully beside him, her face lit up with a triumphant smile. "Nice shot, Torque!" she congratulates the duck, giving him a thumbs-up.
Torque scratches his head sheepishly. "Whew, thanks. But I've got to thank you for saving me," he admits, glancing nervously at Robotnik's crashed vehicle.
Robotnik, groaning with frustration and pain, slowly pulls himself out of the wreckage as he glares at the trio. "Beaten... not only by the fox... but a hero wannabe as well…" he mutters. "You! You three are in deep trouble! When I get back to my base, I swear I'll get my revenge on all of you!" He points at them before igniting the engine, preparing to escape. "And then I, Doctor Ivo Robotnik, will…"
But before he can finish, a massive explosion erupts from below, sending the Egg-Mobile hurtling through the air. "WHYYYY?!" Robotnik's voice trails off into the distance as he's sent flying, disappearing into the dense forest with a final, pitiful wail.
Torque, Tails, and Lilac stand frozen in shock, their eyes wide as they stare at the smoking remains of the mechanical snake that had caused the explosion. From the settling dust and debris, two familiar figures emerge, their silhouettes growing clearer as they approach.
"Never mind, it's still awesome!" Carol shouts, her voice brimming with excitement as she rolls on the ground, pumping her fist in the air. She looks up at Lilac and the others with a wide grin. "Sup, Lilac! Who are these two?"
"Hey, Tails!" Sonic calls out, waving lazily as he sits beside Carol with a broad smile. "Been a hot minute, huh?" He winks at them.
The two groups stare at each other in surprise, the tension from the recent battles quickly dissipating into relief and curiosity. For a moment, the only sound is the distant rustling of leaves as a light breeze sweeps through the valley.
And then, from deep within the forest, they hear a loud thud followed by a long, drawn-out groan. Robotnik won't be causing trouble for a while.