-Chapter 101-
Fight the Music
Hot Crater
As they left the Hot Crater, Dulcy took note of Kat's discomfort, hearing her hissing through clenched teeth and favoring her left arm.
"What's wrong?" she asked. "Are you hurt?"
"Yeah," Kat confirmed. "I broke my arm after I fell out of a tree. My friend used a Power Ring to heal it, but…"
"Power Rings are practically useless on physical wounds," Dulcy told her. "Sure, they can ease the pain and speed up healing, but that's about it."
"What about Chaos Emeralds? I've seen those do some serious healing."
"First of all, that was a Chaos Emerald. It might be able to heal a smaller bone like a finger or a rib, but for something like an arm, you need proper medical attention."
"Ah..." Kat remarked. "Then I might need a doctor."
"I'll take you to a clinic before we do anything else. Best to deal with this now."
"Agreed. My arm is turning all nasty shades of purple."
Dulcy turned around and began rapidly flying away, her tail whipping and somehow bouncing herself forward in midair as Kat held on with all her might.
"Like it?" the dragon asked. "I call that one 'cracking the whip'!"
"I am so glad we met you!"
"As am I!"
Egg Utopia
Robotnik approached Eggatha's room, where she appeared to be talking to Metal.
"There's nothing to be jealous of, Metal. Coco is my assistant. You're my best friend."
"I am not jealous…" Metal insisted.
"Sure sounds jealous to me!" Bokkun piped up.
"Shut it, boltbrain!" Metal snapped.
It was at that moment Robotnik opened the door and cleared his throat. "Am I interrupting anything?"
Eggatha turned to him, giving a smile.
"Just settling a minor dispute," she assured. "Nothing for you to worry about."
"Metal thinks Eggatha likes Coco more than him," Bokkun said bluntly.
Metal tossed a wrench at the small bot.
"When I want your opinion, Bokkun, I'll beat it out of you," he threatened.
"Refrain from damaging Lady Agatha's messenger bot," Coco told him.
"You don't get to give me orders, Robian," Metal shot back.
"All of you, pipe down!" Robotnik snapped, shutting them all up. "As amusing as it is to see my robots argue like toddlers bickering over who gets to use the swing-set, I don't have the time."
"Sorry," Metal and Bokkun said simultaneously.
"What do you need, Uncle?" Eggatha asked.
"I need to borrow Bokkun for a little bit," Robotnik answered.
"Me?" Bokkun pointed to himself. "You want me?"
"Indeed," Robotnik nodded.
"You're welcome to borrow him," Eggatha assured. "But he's a messenger bot, not a Badnik. So please don't use him for combat purposes."
Robotnik grinned. "Oh, don't worry, Agatha. Messaging is exactly why I need him right now."
Music Plant
As they left the Hot Crater behind, Sonic and co. took in a colorful area loaded with all manner of musical instruments, featuring gimmicks such as piano key trampolines and stylized merry-go-rounds with musical note cars.
"Whoa, are we sure this place is under Eggman's control?" Keith asked. "His face isn't everywhere, and it actually looks fun."
"Yeah," Chris agreed.
"Man, Kat's missing out," said Hope.
Sonic looked around, squinting before seeing squat robots clearly based on Robotnik standing out front. They were orange in color, with a round body and a dome-shaped head that came together in an egg-like shape. They also had blank blue eyes, sharp yellow noses, wide glowing panels for mouths, and black lower torso sections. Several also sported parade hats and trumpets.
"Yep," he confirmed. "Eggman's here, all right."
"Uh-oh," Bunnie remarked.
"Be careful, guys," Sonic warned. "I don't like the looks of those instruments."
"Aside from the obvious, what's not to like?" Antoine asked.
As they got closer, one of the bots turned, seeing them and stiffening.
"It's the hedgehog!" he exclaimed. "Waste him!"
He raised his trumpet to his mouth-panel, blowing and unleashing a laser blast that they scrambled to avoid.
"There's your answer, Ant," Sonic deadpanned. "There's your answer."
"Duly noted," Antoine nodded.
"He ain't the only one with lasers!" Bunnie declared.
She aimed her robotic arm, her hand becoming a cannon. The bot raised his trumpet again, but Bunnie blasted it out of his hands.
"That's enough outta you!" the rabbit shouted.
Sonic darted forward, kicking it back, while Antoine sliced another bot's trumpet in two before it could fire.
"En garde!" he declared.
He rapidly hacked and slashed at the bot before pulling back. The bot looked down at himself, seemingly unharmed before puffing out his chest proudly.
"Hah!" he taunted. "Never touched me."
That was when a piece of his nose fell off, followed by the bot collapsing into sparking pieces, his head landing in a daze.
"...Okay, so you nicked me." he amended.
The last one stood in a kung fu-esque pose. Hope rolled her eyes.
"Buddy, what do you really think your chances are?" she asked.
"The best thing about being an Egg Pawn is that there's so many of us!" the bot boasted. "The law of averages says one of us'll get lucky!"
"Maybe, but I doubt it'll be you." Hope retorted.
An energy ball hit it in the head, blasting it off as Chris lowered his gloved hand.
"Nope," he quipped. "It wasn't."
He and Hope shared a high five.
"Nice job, you guys," Sonic congratulated. "Now, let's take a look at the plant."
He headed for the gate, pulling it open... and immediately threw himself to the ground as a large, razor-rimmed cymbal came flying at the group.
"Yikes!" Sonic let out as it zipped overhead. "Well, now I know not to ask for an encore in this place."
The cymbal embedded itself into the wall, the group carefully getting to their feet.
"For once, I'm glad I'm short," Chris remarked.
"Yeah," Sonic agreed. "This guy could give Manic a run for his money with these things."
"Who?" Keith asked.
"One of my old buddies from Christmas Island. We were in a band together back in the day. I was on guitar, Manic was our drummer, and our friend Sonia was keyboard. We called ourselves 'Sonic Underground'."
"That's... a bit lame, to be honest," Bunnie admitted.
"In our defense, we were ten."
"You still keep in contact with them?" Hope questioned.
Sonic nodded. "Every once in a while. Last I heard, Sonia was with Rob-O-Hedge's group. And Manic… well, that guy was always a loose cannon. Not sure where he is."
After growing wistful for a moment, Sonic shook his head to clear it.
"Eh, no point dwelling on it. We're on a mission."
They headed in, soon seeing an ominous shadow ahead.
"Hold it right there!" came a familiar voice.
They sighed in resignation to see Coconuts standing at the ready, Cubot off to the side.
"You're kidding me…" Hope sighed. "I thought you guys would still be pounding dents out of yourself after what Kat did to you."
"Kat?!" Coconuts jumped before cowering. "Where?!"
Sonic chuckled in response. "I guess she left an impression in more ways than one."
"Hey man, laugh while ya can!" Cubot piped up, his voice now deep and suave-sounding. "We're gonna take you down this time fer sure!"
The kids all blinked.
"Was… was that…?" Keith began.
"Elvis?" Chris offered. "Yeah."
Coconuts sighed. "His voice chip has been on the fritz for months."
"Better than the last time we saw him," Sonic noted. "He was doing a cowboy impression then."
"Kat said he was doing a German one lin the prison," Keith recalled.
"You should hear his Pachino," Coconut muttered. "It gives me a migraine, and I don't even have a brain."
"Well, at least you admit it," Antoine deadpanned, getting a glare from the Badnik monkey.
"The Elvis sounds much better, if you ask me," Bunnie mused.
"Well, thank ya," Cubot said politely. "Thank ya very much, little lady. But enough talk. Time for a little shake, rattle, and roll."
"Tell me you didn't just say that," Sonic said flatly.
"Y'know what kinda music is really painful?" Coconuts began. "Hard rock!"
Cubot pressed a button in his hand, and they heard a whistle in the air as the shadow started to get smaller. Sonic quickly grabbed everyone and got clear, but Coconuts wasn't so lucky and was smashed by the falling weight, a resounding BONG! sound reaching everyone's ears along with a cloud of smoke. As it cleared, the group found themselves staring at the smashed remains of a grand piano.
"Seriously?" Hope asked. "You tried to drop a piano on our heads? Do you always get your booby trap ideas from cartoons?"
"Hey!" Cubot objected. "Cartoons are a classic form of entertainment that should not be criticized!"
Coconuts rose out of the wreckage, piano keys in his mouth. He spit them out with a groan.
"Cubot, you dense step-stool!" he ranted. "Aim at them, not me!"
"I was aimin' at them!" Cubot shot back. "Ain't my fault you're too dumb to get outta the way!"
"Hey, who you callin dumb, blockhead!" Coconuts shot back.
Bunnie let out a small cough to get their attention. They both turned to her, seeing her holding up the remains of the piano in her robotic arm.
"Oh, crap," they both let out.
They were both smashed into the wall as the piano hit them.
"Well, that's that," Chris deadpanned.
They headed into the next room, seeing the floor was decked out like a giant xylophone, before they heard a chicken-like laugh.
"Game over, Sonic!" Scratch bragged. "This is your final bow!"
"You ain't making it outta here!" Grounder declared.
"Oh sure, you two bolt brains are gonna be the ones to do me in," Sonic rolled his eyes. "If I had a Mobium for every brain cell you two don't have... well, I'd be one rich hedgehog, that's for sure."
"Hey!" Grounder objected. "That's insulting!"
"Time to play your swan song!" Scratch swore.
He pressed a button, and large mallets came from the ceiling, hammering each part of the floor and producing a tone.
"Hang on," Chris said. "I know this song. It's 'Mary Had a Little Lamb.'"
"No, I think it's 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'." Keith cut in.
"It's 'Hot Crossed Buns', you guys," Hope insisted.
Scratch scowled. "No, it's 'We Crushed You With These Mallets And Delivered Your Flattened Carcasses to Dr. Robotnik!'"
On cue, one of the mallets came slamming down, narrowly missing them.
"Don't think I know that one," Keith quipped.
"Less talking, more running!" Chris insisted.
They started running around and dodging as the mallets came crashing down every which way.
"It's over, hedgehog!" Grounder bragged. "I've been waiting for this moment for years!"
"Years?" Scratch asked. "We were only built about nine months ago."
Grounder scratched the back of his head. "Well, it feels like years."
The Freedom Fighters continued running, the mallets getting ever closer.
"The one time we need Kat's strength, and she's not here," Keith grumbled.
Sonic looked between the mallets, then Scratch and Grounder, an idea forming.
"If we can't beat 'em, outthink 'em." he decided.
He darted over, standing right next to the two and dancing around.
"C'mon, dumbbots!" he taunted. "I'm right here, ripe for the hammering! Take your best shot!"
"Get him, Grounder!" Scratch ordered. "Get him!"
"I've got him!" Grounder shouted.
He hit the button. Sonic darted away, and Scratch and Grounder had just enough time to look up and realize their blunder before a mallet came down on their metal heads. Everyone watched the two crush themselves.
"Excellent work, Sonic," Antoine congratulated.
"A-thank you," Sonic bowed at that.
The mallet retracted, revealing Scratch and Grounder battered, dented and dazed. Grounder's eyes were spinning around in his head.
"I'm coming home, Mommy," he let out, his voice slurred. "I'll set the table for dinner."
"You want the chicken?" Scratch managed. "Original recipe or extra crispy?"
Hope walked over to them, using a finger to push both of them over. They landed with twin thuds, shutting down.
"Seriously, if I was ever done in by these two clods, I'd be rolling in my grave from embarrassment," Sonic said, shaking his head. "They couldn't take over a damn bowl of jello."
They headed into the next room, seeing what appeared to be a disco dance floor, complete with a massive disco ball and strobe lights flickering. Off to the side, Decoe, Bocoe, and Orbot were at the ready.
"Stepping up to our crib, eh?" Decoe boasted. "Well, we'll take you down like Funkytown!"
"And here I chose to join your group to avoid such terrible puns," Orbot groaned.
"It was either us, or Cubot," Bocoe pointed out.
"Neither is a better choice than the other," Orbot deadpanned.
"You know disco is dead, right?" Sonic asked.
"And you're gonna join it!" Decoe declared. "There's danger on the dance floor, Sonic!"
"Is that a reference to something? (1)" Hope asked, getting a shrug from the boys.
"Really?" Sonic deadpanned. "And what kind of horrible disco death trap do you have in store for us? Giant platform shoes? Sparkly sequin guns? Ooh! Maybe killer afros?"
"This!" Bocoe declared.
The disco ball began spinning rapidly, raining laser fire down on them. Everyone quickly ran to avoid it.
"You wanna get funky fresh with us?" Decoe demanded. "We own the dance floor here!"
"Okay, seriously," Hope sighed as she dodged a blast. "I know you're trying to be clever with the disco puns, but they're just coming off lame. Just say you're gonna kill us and stop embarrassing yourselves."
"You be quiet, Hope!" Bocoe snapped. "Don't ruin our evil speeches! We work hard on them!"
"Yeah!" Decoe agreed. "Do you have any idea the amount of work that goes into writing the perfect evil monologue?"
"Too much if you ask me," Orbot mused.
They kept dodging around, Sonic looking up at the disco ball.
"We gotta take out that disco ball!" he insisted.
"I'm open to suggestions!" Keith shouted.
"I believe this is the perfect job for you boys," Antoine suggested.
"Right!" Keith nodded. "Chris, the Nitro Gloves!"
Both boys donned one, powering them on. They waited for an opening in the lasers, then tossed their energy balls right at the disco ball. They connected solidly, the ball rapidly spinning as the lasers petered on and off.
"Oh no!" Decoe shrieked. "They've overloaded the disco ball!"
"Shut it down! Shut it down!" Bocoe screamed.
Orbot just sighed, popping into his round frame and bracing himself.
"Three... two... one," he counted down.
The disco ball exploded. Bocoe and Decoe took cover, peeking out when it ended. The two came face to face with Bunnie and Antoine, the former brandishing her arm cannon and the latter gripping his sword.
"Time to clear the floor, Disco Dan," Bunnie told them. "Any objections?"
"Not a one, mon cherie," Antoine agreed.
"Oh man…" Decoe and Bocoe let out.
"I'll just be on my way now," Orbot declared. "Being turned into scrap by the Freedom Fighters was not on today's to-do list."
He rolled away at top speed. He didn't get too far before being stopped by Hope's foot.
"Hang on," she insisted. "I've got some questions for you since you're the only bot here with an actual processor. Starting with what other surprises are here."
"And Chaos Emeralds," Sonic added.
Self-preservation kicking in, Orbot decided to talk.
"A Chaos Emerald is powering the Music Plant. You'll find it in the electrical system."
"And?" Hope pressed.
"And all that remains is the band," Orbot said simply.
"Band?" Bunnie repeated.
She glanced over from where she and Antoine were scrapping Bocoe and Decoe.
"A band created by the doctor," Orbot clarified. "Their instruments double as weapons."
"I need specifics, Orbot!" Hope snapped. "Unless you want me to give Kat a new soccer ball."
"Alright, alright!" Orbot pleaded. "Sonic saxophone. Laser guitar and keyboard. And the drummer's kit induces seismic activity."
Hope smiled and removed her shoe, picking up the ball.
"Thank you for your cooperation," she said politely.
The group then walked out of the disco hall, Hope depositing Orbot into a nearby trash can. The robot sighed.
"I wonder if it's too late to get a job as a paperweight," he pondered. "It'd be much better for my health."
"Alright then, let's go break up a band," Sonic declared.
"I'll go search the electrical system for that Chaos Emerald," Hope decided.
Hope split to go search the electrical system, while the others headed deeper in They soon came across a sizable stage with a massive archaic pipe organ in the background, several robots playing a rock song clearly written or supervised by Robotnik, considering the lyrics were centered on praising him.
"The story begins with who's gonna win/ Knowin' the danger that lies within/ Now here I am a genius at heart/ Who wanted to unlock the mysteries of life/ I am Robotnik, that's who I am/ I am Robotnik, I got the master plan / I am Robotnik, that's who I am / I am Robotnik, with the master plan!"
Sonic rolled his eyes at Robotnik's egotism, while Keith found himself bobbing his head to the beat, much to his annoyance.
"A song about that guy should not be this catchy," he grumbled.
"I'm plotting my schemes wherever I go/ They're perfect in every way /I'd love to destroy the blue one you know /He's an obstacle that always gets in my way / I must play this game by my rules/I will conquer the world with my tools/All my machines are made for destruction/ I will build my empire I will succeed and you will see/ With my machines there is no retreat / I am Robotnik, that's who I am/I am Robotnik, I got the master plan/I am Robotnik, that's who I am/I am Robotnik, I got the master plan!"
By this point, the others were also bobbing their heads to the music, Keith outright jamming against his will.
"Make. It. Stop." the Kent boy managed through clenched teeth.
"Alright, I'm pulling the plug on this concert!" Sonic declared.
He revved towards the stage, and that's when the drummer did a quick rift, slamming his sticks down on his drums and causing tremors to shake the ground. Sonic struggled to maintain his footing as he headed for the stage. The guitarist strummed wildly, unleashing subsonic blasts that had everyone covering their ears. Bunnie's robotic limbs began sparking and sputtering from the attack. Her legs suffered a similar attack and gave out, dropping her to the ground.
"Bunnie!" Antoine cried.
"Today just ain't my day…" Bunnie grumbled.
The saxophonist began playing a loud, jazzy tune. Keith prepared an energy ball, but that was when his glasses cracked and shattered to pieces.
"Agh!" he let out before throwing his glasses away, checking his face to ensure there was no glass there. Once he was sure he was safe, he blinked his eyes open, the world blurry. The saxophonist cackled a bit.
"Not so tough without your glasses, aren't you ki-"
Keith threw an energy ball right at the bot, causing it to explode.
"I don't need to see clearly to kick your skidplate," he retorted.
Sonic headed for the drummer, seeing his weapon as the biggest threat.
"Alright buddy, your drumming career is over!" he shouted.
The drummer smashed the drums again, shaking everything as the guitarist played another rift, the keyboarder smacking the keys and shooting lasers.
"Come on now, Sonic!" the guitarist objected. "Haven't you got any aesthetic sense? Any ear for musical appreciation?"
"Buddy, there hasn't been a single piece of music worth listening to in this entire place!" Sonic shot back.
The guitarist tried to play another riff, but Sonic was quick on the draw, kicking the guitar out of his hands before catching it.
"Hey, that's worth more than you are!" The guitarist shouted. "Give it back! Let me have it!"
"Okay, take it," Sonic told him.
He smashed the guitar over the bot's head and the guitarist went down. Now, the keyboardist and the drummer were all that was left. Sonic rolled into a spin dash, launching at the drums first. He plowed the drummer over, sending his drums flying before turning on the keyboardist. The bot rapidly hammered on the keys, firing numerous lasers. Sonic dodged and weaved around them, but one got a lucky hit. He went down and the keyboardist looked ready to kill.
Then, all of the lights went out, the music stopped, and the keyboardist was left with a dead instrument. Sonic grinned at that, pulling himself up.
"Well, I'd say it's time to break your record," he quipped before plowing into the keyboardist, destroying the bot. With that, he darted over to the remains of the drum kit, playing a quick rimshot. The rest of the group cheered as Hope came running out, clutching a blue Chaos Emerald in hand.
"I found it!" she declared.
"We know," Sonic informed her.
He hurried over to Bunnie, helping her to her feet with Antoine's aid.
"You okay?" he asked her.
"My legs and arm feel like pudding, but I'll live," Bunnie replied.
"Let's find somewhere safe to camp and I'll run diagnostics," Hope said.
"Gives me a chance to get some new glasses," Keith said. "I'll have Kat swing somewhere."
They headed out, Sonic and Antoine supporting Bunnie on either side while Keith stayed close to Chris, squinting all the while.
Angel Island
At Angel Island, Knuckles was on guard duty. He lounged before the Master Emerald, a piece of grass in his teeth as Locke came over, sighing.
"You know, there's a difference between guarding the Master Emerald and taking a vacation," he deadpanned.
"Dad, I know what I'm doing," Knuckles insisted. "Besides, I was doing it like this for eight years and you never had anything to say about it."
Locke went to retort, but his words died in his throat as Knuckles' claim sank in. "Alright, I'll give you that."
Before they could debate it anymore, they heard a loud cackle, and looked up to see Bokkun flying in.
"What the... who are you?" Knuckles was on his feet in an instant.
"Name's Bokkun, thanks for asking," Bokkun replied. "And I have a special message from Dr. Robotnik."
He pulled out a TV, which began playing an image of Robotnik.
"Hello, Knuckles," he greeted. "I want to play a little game." The screen shifted, showing footage of the Freedom Fighters in the Music Plant. "Notice anything missing?"
Knuckles squinted before stiffening.
"That's right. Kat Winters is no longer among them,"
The screen shifted again, this time showing the Roboticizer, Kat strapped to it. Robotnik's hand was on the power lever.
"NO!" Knuckles screamed.
"Did you know roboticization causes an increase in strength and speed?" Robotnik asked rhetorically. "Considering her already increased abilities, I imagine she'll be practically deadly as a Robian. Especially when I unleash her on Knothole, or your precious island."
Both Knuckles and Locke stiffened at that.
"But... let it not be said I'm beyond reason," Robotnik continued. "I could be persuaded to let her go free, if you agree to do me a little favor. I'm sending an Eggpod to collect you as we speak. It will bring you right to me, but know this. If you even think of fighting me or trying anything stupid, and I'll put an end to the last survivor of Shēngcún. Let the game begin."
The image was replaced by colored bars.
"This message was brought to you by the Robotnik Empire, which is not responsible for its content." a computerized voice said. "Well... except this part."
The TV flashed before exploding in Knuckles' face. Bokkun flew off with a laugh.
"That foolish child," Locke spat. "She's endangered us all!"
"Think about what she's going through, Dad!" Knuckles snapped. "For Aurora's sake, where's your sense of compassion?!"
Locke sighed. "You need to get her back. And if you fail to stop her roboticization... you need to ensure she's in no condition to threaten the island."
"I'm going to save her," Knuckles insisted. "She's not getting roboticized."
His fists clenched. "I won't allow it."
A shadow passed overhead, revealing the Eggpod the doctor spoke of. It landed, opening a hatch, and Knuckles didn't hesitate to get in. The hatch hissed shut and took off, carrying its cargo away as Locke watched, his face softening somewhat.
"Good luck, son…" he said quietly.
Egg Utopia
The struggling Kat on the Roboticizer flickered and faded out, revealing it to be nothing but a hologram. Robotnik chuckled, rubbing his hands.
"That knucklehead fell for it," he gloated. "My chronic Sonic problems are over!"
"Uncle?"
Robotnik jumped, turning to face Eggatha.
"Agatha! Don't scare me like that," he caught his breath quickly. "What can I help you with?"
The girl was unnaturally somber. "What did you mean by 'last survivor of Shēngcún'?"
Robotnik's eyes widened behind his shades. "You… weren't supposed to hear that part."
Author's Note:
(1): It is. Meant to be a reference to Sonic Mania's miniboss theme, "Danger on the Dance Floor." My personal favorite track in the game.
Well… looks like Robotnik's gonna be in hot water with Eggatha, no?
And yes, Knuckles is being duped by Robotnik again. But here, I'm doing a more realistic take on it. If/when he does get duped, it'll be through more elaborate deceptions, like the holo-Kat he used here. It won't be as easy as Robotnik shedding a few crocodile tears and claiming "Oh, Sonic's the bad guy and I'm trying to live in peace and be good." My Knuckles is smarter than that.
Please R&R. Until next time!
