-Chapter 273-
Coming Frost
Citadel Robotnik - R&D Wing - Lab 37
Akhlut sat at the bottom of the laboratory's built-in pool in a meditative stance, clad in nothing but a black and yellow Speedo. Suddenly, his eyes opened. He turned around just in time to be attacked by Octobot, the robot's tentacles wrapping around him, trapping him.
The mechanical cephalopod grinned evilly as he crushed the orca, who gritted his teeth as he struggled to get free. This continued for a few seconds, then stopped.
But, before Octobot could celebrate its victory, it paused as Akhlut began chuckling. But this was not the pained, mirthless chuckle of a beaten enemy, but of someone laughing at a joke to spare the teller their feelings; a pity laugh.
"Is that all you've got?" Akhlut looked over his shoulder, allowing Octobot to get a look at his signature, wicked grin. "Because if it is, it's no wonder the echidna defeated you so easily!"
Akhlut's gem glowed, enveloping him in green psychic energy. He let out a fearsome roar as he flexed his arms, ripping Octobot's tentacles clean out; oil rapidly leaking into the water from the robot's jagged sockets. Akhlut then grabbed Octobot's head and began squeezing. The mechanical cephalopod's eyes flashed rapidly as the metal let out a loud, sickening creak. As its optics began to crack, Octobot stared into its opponents' eyes and demonic smile, and for the first - and last - time in its brief existence… It felt fear.
-X-
Meanwhile...
Eggatha was typing on her computer, her brow furrowed as she reviewed the data she had collected.
"Hmmm...he looks strong, but he's kinda long in the tooth." She perked at a loud splash behind her. "Hm?"
Eggatha looked up to see Akhlut climbing out of a nearby pool. The orca walked toward her, dripping wet and carrying something in his hands.
"Well, how was it?"
Akhlut dropped the remains of Octobot, which he'd crumpled into a metal ball like a wad of scrap paper, at her feet.
"That answer your question?" the orca deadpanned.
Eggatha sweated, her eyes wide in disbelief. "Wow…"
"You know, Aggie," Akhlut sighed in annoyance. "When I agreed to help you stress test your new Badniks, I was under the impression that we would be making them stronger."
"Hey, cut me some slack!" the girl defended. "My hands are full! Between combat practice, my experiments, handling the rest of Project ED, and finding a therapist, my hands are tied!"
Akhlut raised an eyebrow. "Therapist?"
"Fer Jesse."
Akhlut and Eggatha turned toward the entrance to find Beauregard walking in.
"Mornin' Aggie," he greeted happily. "Akhlut…" he greeted less so.
"Good morning, Mr. Rabbot," Eggatha replied.
"What are you doing here, Rabbit?" Akhlut asked in annoyance. "I thought you went back to your little dust bowl already."
"Julie's havin' a big Boss Meeting today," the rabbit explained. "Wants everyone here to discuss our next move."
At that, Eggatha nearly fell from her chair. "Shit, the meeting! I completely forgot about today's meeting!" She frantically closed her laptop and began rounding up all the papers she had lying about. "Come on, we need to move! We cannot be late!"
With that, she ran out the door, cursing under her breath all the while…only to stick her head in the doorway again.
"Akhlut, hurry up and get dressed already!" she ordered. "Or do you want more GlacialGod jokes?"
With that, she ran off again, leaving Akhlut blushing and Beau confused.
"Glacial...God?"
"Don't ask."
Spiral Hill Village
Before the museum, Jewel was pacing around nervously as the police investigated.
"Oh dear...oh goodness...oh gracious..."
"Relax, Miss Beetle," said one officer. "We have everything under control here. Everything's gonna be fine."
"Oh, I hope so..."
At that moment, a Warp Ring opened up, depositing Sonic, Tangle, Kat, Antoine, Bunnie, Keith, Sally, and Cream.
"Jewel!" Tangle cried.
"Tangle!"
Tangle ran over, hugging her friend. "Are you okay? We came as soon as we got your call!"
"Yes, I'm fine. But, the museum..." Jewel pointed at the devastated building.
"Whoa…" Kat gaped. "It looks like a tornado blew through here."
"Tornado nuthin'!" Bunny exclaimed. "Look at the inside!"
The group rushed over.
"Scuse us! Pardon me!" Sonic said. "Freedom Fighters, comin' through!"
The police all stepped aside. When they arrived, the group stopped cold.
"What the...?" Sonic managed.
"Oh Jewel…" Tangle let out.
The entire inside of the museum was a wreck. The cases and exhibits were in shambles. The windows were shattered. But the weirdest thing of all was that the entire inside was covered in snow and ice.
"Zut alors..." Antoine managed.
"What happened here?" Sonic asked.
"Someone turned the museum into a hockey rink, that's what," Tangle replied.
Kat summoned a small ball of fire in her palm, using it to carefully thaw some of the displays.
"Miss Kat, when did you learn to do that?" Cream asked.
"Not relevant," Kat turned back to her task with a furrowed brow. "This ice isn't natural."
"That much is obvious," Sally deadpanned.
"That's not what I mean," Kat clarified. "It's thick and, despite it being at least a few hours, it hasn't melted. More than that, I can feel energy radiating from it. Powerful Yang-" She shook her head, clearing her throat. "Chaos Energy."
"Like with your fire and Sonic's lightning?" Keith asked, getting a nod.
"Okay, so we got an iceman on our hands," Sonic remarked. "Could a Mo-Bility do this?"
"Perhaps it was some kind of weapon?" Antoine suggested. "Like Nack's blaster?"
"Not if it's Chaos-based," Sally said. "If I had to wager a guess, it was the Ice Diamond."
Tangle perked. "Crap, the Ice Diamond!"
She ran for the display case, stopping short. "Guys, it's gone!"
Everyone rushed over to the case to find it shattered and the Diamond missing.
"That ain't good," Bunnie said.
"Non, it is not," Antoine agreed.
"So... who would want that thing so bad they'd go to these extremes to get it?" Sonic pondered.
"It wasn't just the Ice Diamond." The group turned to see Jewel fly in. "The thief took everything. All the Power Gems."
"Bastard..." Tangle spat.
"Wait..." Sally perked. "Jewel, you said he took all the Power Gems?"
"Y-Yes. Every single one."
"What about the rest of the exhibits?" Sally pulled out Nicole's handheld. "Nicole."
"Scanning." A green light swept around the museum as Nicole scanned the area. "Comparing Mineral Museum catalog to list of stolen items." A noise reminiscent of an old dial-up modem sounded as Nicole processed the data. "Operation complete."
"Well?" Sonic asked.
"It's just as Sally said," Nicole confirmed. "All the Power Gems are missing, but the regular crystals were left untouched."
"Wait...what?" Tangle blinked. "That doesn't make sense."
"Yes, it does," Kat insisted. "These robbers weren't here to make a profit."
Keith's eyes widened. "They were after the Power Gems… just the Power Gems."
Sally turned to Jewel. "Jewel, were you able to get a look at the thief?"
Jewel nodded. "Yes. He was an owl. A big owl in a blue cloak."
"An owl in a blue cloak..." Sonic repeated.
"His feathers were a gray-blue color, and were very messy and ruffled. From that and his voice, he sounded like he was elderly. Then, there were his eyes..."
"His eyes?" Cream questioned.
"They were this piercing gold color, but they were cold and lifeless, like a full moon in the middle of the night. It gave me chills..." Jewel shuddered, hugging herself.
"Hey Sonic, yer nan," Bunnie began. "Think she could identify this owl guy?"
"Maybe," Sonic mused. "I'll give her a ring."
"Can you tell us anything else, Jewel?" Tangle questioned.
"Well...right after he saw me, he tried to kill me. I barely managed to get away. But, right before he attacked, his eyes started glowing with an eerie light."
"Eerie light?" Antoine repeated.
"I didn't stick around, I just ran for the window as fast as I could. As soon as I got out though, there was this horrible screeching noise that shattered all the windows."
"That was a Mo-Bility," Sonic deduced. "I remember Longclaw telling me that some owls have a sonic screech attack."
"That still don't explain the ice," Bunnie pointed out. "The birdbrain got what he wanted, right? Why go through all the trouble of freezin' the place?"
"Test run?" Kat suggested. "See if it was a legit Ice Diamond?"
"Possibly," Sally said. "Keep thawing. Maybe there's something in the ice."
"Right." Kat nodded.
Sally turned to the other. "Everyone, help Kat. Slice it, melt it, whatever you can to get rid of it."
Sonic started running around the ice, hoping the friction he gave off would thaw it out
Antoine and Sally cut at it with their blades, while Bunnie used her blaster and Keith used his Nitro Glove. Tangle looked around.
"C'mon Cream, let's see if we can find some hammers or something."
"Okay." Cream nodded.
They started looking around as Sonic thawed the ice. Eventually, he stopped.
"Whew!" he panted. "Man...I'm starting to get a little queasy." He perked, seeing something carved into the wall.
"What the...?" He waved Sally over. "Sal, over here!"
Sally ran over. "What is it?"
"Not sure."
Sally felt the wall.
"Slash marks…" she realized. "Everyone, focus on the ice over here!"
Everyone rushed over.
"Move, guys," Kat ordered as she put her hands in a prayer sign, her aura surrounding her as a small Phoenix manifested behind her. It began to breathe fire on the ice, not touching the surroundings
"Hold on, you could just do that the whole time?" Antoine asked.
"Shut up…" Kat hissed. "I need to concentrate." She melted away the rest of the ice. "Alright...almost done...and…!"
Everyone looked at it, gasping.
"Oh no..." Jewel managed.
Carved into the wall was an ominous-looking symbol. It resembled a snowflake being cleaved in half by a stylized axe, but the way the snowflake's center was designed resembled a skull.
"Yeah, that's not weird or creepy or gruesome," Sonic said flatly.
"Nicole, is there any record of this symbol?" Sally asked.
"Checking…" Nicole ran a search. "I've found a match, but it's not good."
Her handhold popped out holoimages of several news reports. "These are news reports from northern Northamer and Eurish. They mention reports of strange ships bearing this symbol on their sails and hulls, as well as the jackets of their crew."
Nicole brought up a photograph of some of the crewmates standing on patrol by their ship.
"Well now, don't they look like a cheery bunch?" Bunnie asked.
"Egg Soldiers..." Antoine realized.
"They look like…" Keith mused.
"Vikings…" Kat finished.
"Artikans." Everyone turned to Tangle. "These guys are from Artika."
"Rotor's home turf?" Bunnie asked, getting a nod.
"See those weird letters on the mast?" Tangle pointed to some symbols on the mast. "Those are runes. Elder Futhark."
"How do you know that?" asked Sally.
"One of my dad's squadmates is Artikan, he's got 'em tattooed on his back. It's really cool."
"Look!" Cream points to the symbol carved into the wall. Seeing something sticking out of the wall, Sonic pulled it out, revealing it to be a small computer chip.
"A data card." he realized.
"Give it here," Sally ordered.
Sonic handed the chip over to Sally, who slipped it into Nicole's handheld.
"It's a message," Nicole reported.
"To who?" Sally asked.
"To us." Nicole began reading. "'To Sonic the Hedgehog, the Freedom Fighters, and the rest of the Southern Realms… Your era is coming to an end. Winter is coming.'" Everyone exchanged looks at that. "'Signed...The Artikan Egg Army, The Einherjar.'"
"Seems Grim and Evil here is a Game of Thorns fan," Sonic mused.
"The Einherjar...?" Sally repeated.
"From Old Artikan mythology. Warriors who fell in battle and were chosen to live among the gods in Valhalla until Ragnarok, where the fate of the Nine Realms was decided in one final, epic war." Everyone looked at Tangle in surprise. "What? Haven't you guys ever read a Mighty Donar (1) comic?"
"I'm more of a CD (2) kinda guy myself," Sonic answered.
"So, the Artikan Egg Army is making their move now," Antoine realized.
"Well, until we know more, there's not much we can do," Sonic decided.
"Ohhh...this is horrible!" Jewel lamented. "I never should've displayed that Ice Diamond! Now Robotnik has it, and who knows what he'll do with it!"
"Easy there, Jewel. Calm down…" Kat soothed. "None of this is your fault."
"How is it not? I put one of the rarest Power Gems in the world on display, where everyone can see it!"
"That doesn't matter," Sonic cut in. "We'll get it back and stop these... Einherjar."
"I'll send word out to Grandpa and Mom," Keith decided. "They've worked with Power Gems. If we know more about what the Ice Diamond can do, we might be able to figure out what these guys are planning."
"Good idea," Sonic agreed.
"Wait, hang on," Kat cut in. "The sports festival. That's tomorrow, right?"
Keith facepalmed. "Crap! I completely forgot! And we can't miss it, it's a required part of our PE class…"
"You guys go," Sonic insisted, making Keith look up. "We got this."
"You sure?"
"Of course," Sally replied, nodding. "As I told you, I won't be responsible for the Freedom Fighters negatively impacting your education. Plus, I'm certain both Charles and Laura wouldn't miss this for the world. You can tell them then."
"Oh yeah, doi!"
Kat took Keith's hand in hers. "C'mon, let's get going."
The group headed out. As they did, Sonic took one last look at the Einherjar symbol. His eyes narrowed as he stared at it, grumbling under his breath.
"Sonic! You comin'?" Tangle shouted.
Sonic jumped, then called out a quick affirmative before racing off.
Robotropolis
Thunderbolt was pacing around outside the entrance to the meeting room, grumbling increasingly loudly before throwing up her hands in anger.
"Where the hell is everyone!?" she demanded.
"If they know what's good for them, they're en route," Robotnik replied.
"They'd better be! Don't they know how important these meetings are? This is where we determine the course of the world!" At Robotnik's look, she chuckled awkwardly. "I-I mean, you determine the course of the world, Master."
"Indeed."
Eggatha came running in, Akhlut and Beauregard following close behind her.
"Sorry we're late, Uncle!" she stopped for a moment to catch her breath. "I completely blanked on the meeting, totally my fault."
"It's alright, dear," the mad doctor replied, his tone stern, but kind. "Though I insist you keep track of your master schedule for the future. You are the Eggperial Chief of Staff, after all."
"Y-Yessir!"
"Lousy little turncoat…" Thunderbolt grumbled. "How she became COS is beyond me."
"Nepotism," Eggatha shot back. "And I'm actually good at my job."
Thunderbolt just muttered indignantly under her breath.
"So, where are the others?" Akhlut asked.
"Good question..." Robotnik grimaced.
"Maybe they had to use the can?" Beauregard offered.
Zan then came trudging in, looking worse for wear. Well, more accurately he was being pushed in a wheelchair by Huaisang, nearly running over the Battle Kukku in the process.
"Hey!"
"Watch where you're going, ya fool!
Kukku growled and shook his fist at the dragons. "Watch where you're going, ya fool!"
Ignoring him, Zan and Huaisang arrived at the door, where they came to an abrupt stop.
"Zǎoshang hǎo (3), Doctor," Zan greeted in annoyance.
"Zan."
"Hold up, that's Zan?" Beauregard uttered in disbelief. "The Yurashian Boss?"
"He looks like shit," Akhlut said with a smirk.
"Hēi!"
"How dare you speak to the great Master Jiaolong Zan so casually!" Huaisang shouted. "You all in the presence of dragon royalty! You address him with respect he deserve!"
"Huaisang, shut up," Zan snapped.
Huaisang blinked. "M-Master?"
"It's too early in the morning for this and I just took my morphine."
Huaisang gulped. "Y-Yes, of course, sir."
"So, what happened to you, lizard lips?" Akhlut asked, taking in the extensive amount of stitching, stapling, and tubes sticking out of the dragon's body. "No way all that is from Cyberization."
Zan narrowed his eyes but kept his composure. "War wounds. That's all you need to-"
"He got his butt kicked by Kat," Eggatha cut in, causing the dragon to grunt in barely contained rage.
"The wild kid?" Beauregard asked. "I thought she was dead."
"It would seem, as the kids say nowadays, reports of her death were greatly exaggerated," Kukku mused.
"A topic to be discussed in the meeting that is already running behind," Robotnik declared as he opened the door. "Now come, it's time to start."
One by one, everyone made their way inside and toward the meeting table. Once all the Egg Bosses were seated, Robotnik took his place at the head of the table.
"Good morning, my loyal minions, and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to attend this mandatory bimonthly board meeting."
"Thank you, sir!" Thunderbolt beamed with pride. "It's an honor and a privilege to be here!"
Akhlut rolled his eyes. "Kiss-ass."
"What was that!?"
"I said, aren't we missing someone?"
"That's right...where's Mordred?" Kukku asked. "I haven't heard an ounce of his usual griping."
Robotnik perked. "I knew I was forgetting something. Scratch, Grounder, get the monitor up!"
"Right away, Dr. Robotnik, sir!"
On cue, Scratch and Grounder came in, Orbot and Cubot following them with a portable TV, which they placed on the table in front of one of the empty chairs.
"Alright, let's see now..." Scratch said as he fiddled around with the monitor's knobs and buttons. "Come on..."
"You're doin' it all wrong!" Grounder shouted as he shoved Scratch out of the way. "Let me try!"
He stuck his tongue out and furrowed his brow as he took a shot at working the machine…and having just as much success as Scratch did.
"Not that way, this way!"
"Shut up! I know what I'm doin'!"
The two Badniks began pushing and shoving as they took turns trying to get the device to work. This process repeated for a good minute, before eventually devolving into a slap fight.
"Y'know, we could just leave him out," Kukku suggested. "He is in prison."
"Tempting as that is, Kukku, it'd just mean we'd have to send him an outline of the events that he'll forget to read and misplace," Robotnik explained.
"True."
A loud slamming noise suddenly grabbed everyone's attention. They turned to see what it was and found that Scratch and Grounder had stopped hitting each other…and were instead hitting the mini-TV.
"Come on, you stupid thing, work!"
Robotnik sighed. "Agatha."
"Yes, Uncle."
Eggatha got up and made her way toward the two nincombots.
"Stand aside," she ordered before fiddling around with the TV for a bit. "Alright, it's ready!"
She pressed a button, turning it on. But while the TV flickered to life, the screen remained black.
"What?" Eggatha began carefully twisting knobs and pushing buttons, mumbling in annoyance as Thunderbolt snickered.
Robotnik raised an eyebrow. "Agatha?"
"It's not working, Uncle Ivo!"
"Did you click TV, then Power?"
She checked the display. "Oh, wait! I'm on Video 2..." she said with a sheepish grin. "Changing to Video 1!"
As she worked, Robotnik shook his head and massaged his temples. "I knew I should have gotten a Ruko."
"Got it!" Eggatha exclaimed as the monitor flickered again; this time, the screen displayed properly.
"Finally!" Robotnik shouted in exasperation. "Now we can get this meeting-GEARS AND STARTERS!"
The onlooking Eggperial commanders recoiled in shock and disgust, with Akhlut covering Eggatha's eyes, at the revealing of a high-tech prison cell. The sole occupant of that cell was Mordred, who was lying in bed asleep, snoring loudly… and completely in the buff, a copy of Coils & Maws magazine over his face.
"Good lord, man!" Kukku gasped.
"¡Mis ojos! ¡Estoy ciego! ¡Estoy ciego! (4)" Thunderbolt screamed.
Beauregard raised an eyebrow. "Where did he get the magazine?"
Akhlut shrugged. "I have no idea."
All Robotnik could do was sputter and twitch indignantly.
"Hang on," Eggatha flipped a switch. "Speakers connected."
"MORDRED!" Robotnik screamed.
Mordred screamed, falling off the bed before snapping awake. "Who!? What!? When!? Where!? Why!?"
"And how!" Cubot chimed in.
Orbot elbowed him. "Wrong time and place."
"Mordred!" Robotnik snapped.
"Eh? Dr. Robotnik!?"
"What do you think you're doing!? Have you forgotten what day this is!?"
"Ummm..." Mordred desperately tried to remember, his eyes darting back and forth as he flicked his tongue nervously. "Thursday?"
"It's meeting day, you stupid serpent! Now, hurry and make yourself decent and clean yourself up before I send you through the Badnik Wash!"
With a yelp, Mordred did as he was told.
"I take it back," Kukku said with a grin. "I'm glad we decided to include him."
Shortly after that, Mordred returned, clad in a version of the Robotnik prison jumpsuit modified for his naga-like body, still a bit wet.
"My apologies, sir," he panted. "I completely forgot about the meeting. Hard to keep track of time down here."
"And whose fault is it you're down there?
Mordred sighed. "Mine."
"Because…?"
"Thunderbolt and I got in a fight and completely and utterly wrecked the mess hall..."
"And why were you fighting again?"
Mordred gritted his teeth. "Because I insulted your 'glorious and resplendent mustache', sir."
"And nobody insults the Egg 'Stache, Mordred," Robotnik said with a nod. "Nobody."
"Yes sir..."
Robotnik grinned. "Alright! With Mordred sufficiently mortified…" The mortified serpent hissed in annoyance at that. "What say we get this meeting started?"
"Hold yer horses, Julie." Beau cut in. "When you first picked me up, you said ya had five Bosses under yer belt."
"Yes." Robotnik nodded.
"Well, includin' Zan an' me, there's s'posed to be seven now. We're still a guy short."
Thunderbolt threw up her hands in exasperation. "Oh Aurora dammit, don't tell me Tundra's flaking out of the meeting again!?"
"Are you surprised?" Akhlut deadpanned. "How many times does this make?"
"All of them," Kukku replied. "He showed up for the first meeting after his recruitment, then he holed himself up in Artika and hasn't been seen since."
"Don't get your panties in a twist, bird butt," a deep voice boomed. "I'm here."
Everyone turns to the door, an ominous feeling taking hold of them.
"Hey," Cubot started. "Is it me, or did it just get colder all of a sud-?"
Suddenly, the doors slammed open as a huge blast of frigid wind surged through the room. Thunderbolt let out a cry of fright as she clung to the back of her chair for dear life; her tiny body small and light enough for the gust to literally blow her away.
"What in tarnation!?" Beauregard exclaimed as he and Kukku held onto their hats.
"It's a twister!" Scratch shouted.
"Hang on!" Grounder yelled.
"Auntie Em! Auntie Em!" Cubot cried out.
"This isn't a twister, you idiots!" Akhlut snapped, his eyes narrowing. "It's a blizzard."
"Well, well, the whale can see."
Suddenly, the room shook as massive footsteps echoed through the Citadel. Everyone looked up at the door as a gargantuan, hulking figure stepped into the room.
"Tundra…" Akhlut growled.
Tundra stepped into the meeting room, slamming the door behind him, ending the windstorm as he did, allowing everyone to finally get their wits about them.
Tundra scoffed. "Weaklings."
"Ah, Tundra," Robotnik greeted, his voice heavy with irritation. "Nice to finally join us."
"Doctor." the walrus replied, his tone flat and even.
"Go ahead and take your seat, we were just about to begin."
Tundra nodded, then began slowly making his way to one of the chairs further down; the others looking on in shock as he did.
"That's Tundra!?" Zan exclaimed.
"He's freaking huge!" Huaisang added.
Huge was an understatement. Tundra stood a full head taller than Eggman, the same as Akhlut, but was even more muscular and bulkier than the orca.
"Wow…" Scratch whimpered. "He's scary..."
"R-Really scary!" Grounder added.
"No way…" Beauregard whispered, his jaw practically hitting the ground as the honest-to-Aurora giant took his seat across from Akhlut.
Akhlut narrowed his eyes at Tundra, who Tundra narrowed his own eyes at him from behind his sunglasses.
"Akhlut..." he spat, his voice dripping with naked contempt.
"Tundra..." the orca replied with equal venom.
The two stared at each other for what seemed like forever; the tension in the air so heavy it threatened to crush everyone in the room.
"Pssst!" Grounder whispered. "Why are they just staring at each other like that?"
"You think they're old friends?" Cubot offered.
"They sure don't look happy to see each other," Scratch pointed out.
"Because they aren't," Orbot explained as he pointed to Tundra's tusks. "Look at those tusks. It's clear that this Tundra fellow is a walrus."
"Yeah, what's it matter?" Grounder asked.
"It matters…" Eggatha began. "Because orcas and walruses–"
Suddenly, a loud, metallic slamming noise echoed through the room. Everyone turned to see what it was and was startled to see that Akhlut had slammed a chair over Tundra's head.
"What in the world!?"
"¡Diosa mía!"
But while the sight of an Egg Boss attacking a fellow Egg Boss was shocking, what really stood out was Tundra's complete lack of injury. If anything, it only seemed to make him angry.
"You...!" Very angry.
Tundra reached over and grabbed a chair of his own; proceeding to slam it over Akhlut's head. The orca winced in pain, blood trickling down his face before grinning evilly and leaping over the table and tackling the walrus.
"What the hell...!?" Scratch demanded. "What are they doing!?"
"Orcas and walruses hate each other," Eggatha explained. "They're natural enemies, and that includes Mobian versions too."
They ducked, narrowly avoiding getting hit by a wrecked chair as Akhlut and Tundra began to trade blows; eventually, getting each other into a grapple.
"What's the matter, old man?" Akhlut spat. "Starting to feel your age?"
"Don't give me that!" Tundra snapped. "You're only four years younger than me, you overgrown anchovy!"
"And I've aged like fine wine, while you've aged like milk. Spoiled...sour...and ruining my meal."
"Don't you have an aquarium show to be at?" Tundra grinned. "Or a strip club, Mr. GlacialGod?"
Akhlut's eyes widened with rage. "I will bury you, you fat seal!"
Suddenly, Tundra and Akhlut suddenly spark with blue and yellow electricity, grunting and collapsing as Robotnik glared at them, his finger held up like he activated a detonator.
"Now, if you two are done with your pingas-measuring contest, how about you stop acting like morons so we can get this meeting started before I lock up your systems and use you as store mannequins in the Egg Mall...for ladies' swimwear."
For emphasis, the doctor held up two girly-looking swimsuits. Akhlut and Tundra sweated nervously, slowly getting back to their feet and sitting down.
"That's what I thought." Robotnik nodded. "Alright, now that that's taken care of, what say we get started? Agatha?"
"Yes, Uncle Ivo."
Eggatha stepped forward. "Hello everybody!" she greeted with a big smile. "Thank you all once again for coming to the Citadel for this important meeting. We're sure you're all very busy with your various operations…for the most part."
Mordred hissed in annoyance.
"Now then…" Eggatha adjusted her glasses. "Our first order of business: the recent Freedom Fighter Summit and the implication of the new Priority system. Orbot."
"Yes, Miss Eggatha." Orbot reached into his compartment and handed Eggatha a data card.
"Thank you, Orbot." Eggatha activated the card, causing it to project a holo-screen.
"As you can see, our little friends in Knothole have decided to jump on our bandwagon and decided to make some international penpals of their own."
She pressed a button, bringing up a picture of the different Freedom Fighter groups.
"We have the Engine Corps, the Hilltop Union, the Wolf Pack, and the Woodland Kingsmen."
Eggatha stopped as her uncle tapped her shoulder. "You're forgetting the latecomers."
"Oh, right." She pressed a button, bringing up another image. "And the Shijin Warriors. Not only does this give us six groups of Freedom Fighters to deal with, but it gives them a greater presence in the Acorn Archipelago, as well as footholds in Eurish, Yurashia, Efrika, and the Northameran mainland."
"So? We have eight Egg Army branches," Mordred scoffed, earning him annoyed looks from…pretty much everyone.
"Yes, in Artika, Soumerca, Yurashia, Eurish, and two in Northamer," Robotnik listed off. "As well as a navy and an air force. However, we've yet to establish bases in Efrika and Midesta, and our second Northameran branch is without a Boss."
"Why does Northamer even have two armies?" Zan asked. "It's not that big. If anyone deserves a second boss, it's Yurashia."
"Because both the Kingdom of Acorn and GUN, the strongest Mobian and human military forces on the planet, have their headquarters there," Beauregard explained. "What do you got, Zanny-boy?"
"Watch your tongue, rabbit!" the dragon shouted.
"Zan, hush!" Robotnik ordered.
"What about Tralius?" Kukku asked.
"What about Tralius?" Robotnik uttered in contempt.
"Tralius?" Beauregard queried.
"The circular continent just southeast of Adabat."
The rabbit nodded in understanding. "Ohhhhh, Downunda."
"Yes." Robotnik nodded. "Additionally, while they were not part of the summit, there's been talk of Freedom Fighter factions sprouting up in these regions as we speak. If we don't act quickly, these groups will inevitably get in contact with the rest of the Global Alliance and join up with them, making them even harder to take down."
"Just pray to Aurora they're more like Sonic than Jack, Julie."
"Which segways nicely into our next topic: reforming our recruitment procedures," Eggatha said. "I'm sure you all remember our former colleague, Jesse 'The Diablo Kid' MacNeil?"
Eggatha flicked the holo-screen, bringing up a photo of Jesse during his tenure as the Wyldwest Egg Boss. The boy was sitting upon the trashed remains of a jeep, a psychotic grin on his face. In the background were several people burning at the stake, their bodies nailed to wooden poles by large, rusty nails piercing their shoulders. The grisly sight was enough to make everyone sick to their stomachs.
"Ahhhh yes...him," Kukku uttered in contempt.
"Aggie, did you really need to show that?" Beauregard asked, looking visibly distraught.
"Sorry, Mr. Rabbot," the younger Robotnik said, looking ill-at-ease herself. "But I need to illustrate the seriousness of the issue. That and this was the tamest photo I could find."
"I don't see what the problem is."
Everybody gasped as they turned toward the one who said that.
"What?" Tundra said. "I liked the kid. He had moxie."
"He tortured and killed over five hundred people in ways only topped by the likes of Rodolf Hatler and Hugo Brass!" Kukku exclaimed.
"That's it?" Tundra scoffed. "In Artika, we execute our enemies by-"
"I neither care nor want to know what you do with your enemies in Artika, Tundra," Robotnik cut in firmly. "The Robotnik Empire does not engage in wanton mass slaughter and destruction. I did that once with Shengchun Village and now I have Kathryn Winters as yet another thorn in my side." He turned to his niece. "Now then, continue, Agatha."
"Thank you, Uncle," Eggatha nodded. "In light of Jesse's...mental state, Uncle Ivo and I have decided to implement a minimum age of conscription to ensure our army is of the proper mental resilience. All future Egg Army recruits must be of their respective species' age of majority to be eligible for conscription. Fifteen for Mobians, eighteen for humans. Effective immediately. No exceptions."
"I'm guessing that means releasing any current recruits that don't fit the criteria?" Akhlut asked.
"Provided they haven't been Cyberized already," Robotnik elaborated. "And even then, I want them reassigned as labor, under my niece's supervision."
Eggatha nodded. "Which brings us to our next topic: the newly updated Priority System. Uncle Ivo?"
Robotnik pressed a button on his robotic arm, bringing up a long list of names.
"With the expanded Freedom Fighter roster, we need to address the other major threats on their side. We're not just fighting Sonic anymore… We're fighting an army. As such, we've expanded the Priority Alerts to include other major heavy hitters. In particular..." he brought up a holo-screen showing several familiar pictures. "Sonic's fellow Chaos-empowered allies: Shadow, Knuckles, and the newly returned Kathryn Winters."
Zan growled. "A mere human, part of the enemy's upper echelons. Just the thought makes me–!" Zan began coughing violently.
"Calm down, Master," Huaisang soothed.
Thunderbolt held up her hand. "Sir, I have to object to one of the choices. I know that human has a bit of a reputation, but she's just some 'roided up little girl. So what if she can punch through walls and throw robots around? So can half our army. She's hardly worth being made a priority."
Robotnik grimaced. "If Zan's defeat - which set our plans back by several months at minimum - is anything to go by," Zan growled at that. "Then yes, Thunderbolt, she does."
"She's a human," the chinchilla emphasized. "Maybe Zan's implants were defective or something. I mean, she can only throw around rocks and hit things with her bat. There's no way she–"
Thunderbolt was left in shocked speechlessness as Robotnik pressed a button on his arm, causing the screen to holo-play video footage of Kat defeating Zan. The others were similarly left stunned; the only exception being Zan, who was literally smoking with rage, and Tundra, whose expression was unreadable.
"A Valkyrie…" the walrus uttered in fascination. "Interesting…"
After a while, Robotnik paused the holo-screen and gave Thunderbolt a serious look.
"You were saying?" he asked.
"I stand corrected."
"Thought so," he replied smugly.
"I didn't know humans could do that," Mordred said.
"They can't," Akhlut informed him, eyebrows furrowing. "At least...they can't normally."
"How old is this one?" Tundra questioned, examining the footage with a calculating eye.
"Fourteen," Robotnik replied. "That makes her off limits, Tundra."
The walrus sighed. "Pity. With proper training, she would've made a powerful Einherjar. Are you sure we can't make an exception?"
That got him all kinds of weird looks.
"You actually want to tangle with that mess?" Beau questioned.
"Tundra," Robotnik began with a chuckle. "If you manage to subdue her, I'd call it a miracle."
Tundra paused for a moment. "Is that a yes?" he asked in complete seriousness.
Beauregard, Eggatha, Akhlut, and Robotnik's eyes widened at that. Robotnik was just a few seconds away from protesting when he suddenly froze; an idea forming in his head as he broke out into a grin, crossing his arms and nodding.
"You know what? Yes. Just this once, I'll make an exception."
"Uncle!"
"Come now, Agatha. Winters has already bested a dragon, and my plans with MacNeil fell through. Tundra may be our best chance at actually putting an end to that half-breed demon girl."
"Do not compare me to that overgrown, red worm, Doctor," Tundra protested. "Unlike him and his army, my army - the Einherjar - possesses real strength. We are the mightiest of all the branches, after all."
"That reminds me," Eggatha grimaced as she looked over her notes. "I've been looking over your numbers, Tundra. You're right that the Artikan Egg Army has consistently produced top-quality soldiers for the Empire…"
"But…?" the walrus asked, motioning her to continue.
"But, you also have the highest wash-out rates," Eggatha replied. "Out of all your recruits, less than 15% actually make it through basic."
"Quality over quantity, Chief of Staff," Tundra replied casually. "Only the strongest of the strong are worthy of being Einherjar."
"Right…" Eggatha raised an eyebrow. "And what do you do with the rest?"
"Does it matter?" Tundra asked, with all the casual dismissiveness of someone commenting on the weather.
Eggatha's eyes narrowed.
"We're off topic," Robotnik cut in. "But yes, Tundra. If you manage to get her under your thumb, I will overlook her age. In fact, you may be getting the opportunity to do so sooner than you think, provided you've acquired what I asked of you."
"Ahh yes… That." Tundra turned to the door. "Frazil! Berg! The Ice Box!"
Frazil and Berg rushed in, both carrying a large, heavy, metal box.
"Oh man...this thing weighs a ton!" Frazil panted.
"Shh!" Berg hissed. "Quiet, fatso!"
The two placed it on the table, Frazil sagging.
"Whew!" he sighed. "Welp, that's my exercise for the day."
Tundra furrowed his brow. "Anyway… We were successful in obtaining what you asked for, Dr. Robotnik. Would you like to do the honors?"
"Hmmm..." Robotnik opened the box, allowing an ice-blue light and some cold mist to pour out. Everyone looked on in awe before Robotnik broke into maniacal laughter.
"Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful, Tundra! Just for this, I'll gladly overlook you ignoring my summons for the past year!"
Tundra smirked. "I thought you'd like that, sir."
Curious, Akhlut and Eggatha took a look, gaping.
"What the...!?" Eggatha exclaimed.
"By Odin's Beard!" Akhlut shouted.
Inside the box were seven Ice Diamonds.
"How… HOW DID YOU FIND SEVEN?!" Akhlut demanded.
"Impressed, Akhlut?" Tundra questioned.
"How?" Eggatha asked. "These are the rarest form of Power Gem!"
"As I said, the Einherjar are the mightiest of all the Egg Armies," Tundra said matter-of-factly. "We get results, no matter what it takes or who gets in our way."
"And we crush anyone who does!" Frazil cackled before Tundra thumped him on the head.
"Silence, Frazil!"
"Well, whatever you're doing Tundra, keep it up," Robotnik said. "With these, we can finally begin my next big plan: Operation On the Rocks!"
Tundra grinned evilly. "I was hoping you'd say that. In fact, I already have a target in mind."
"Do tell."
Tundra smirked, rolling out a map and pointing to a specific spot. "Here."
Robotnik grinned. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised."
"Just imagine the chaos it'll cause. Not to mention who will be present for this demonstration."
"Indeed. You might even get to see… Him."
Tundra growled. "Yes..."
The air around Tundra grew cold as he dug his hands into the table, cracking it as a sheet of ice formed on the top.
"The miserable, little whelp who took everything away from me! He'd better pray to the gods our paths don't cross. Because if they do…" He snapped two chunks off of the table. "I'll snap his neck."
Thunderbolt gulped. Beauregard looked a mix of horrified and furious, as did Akhlut, as Tundra composed himself.
"But, that's for another time. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss, Doctor?"
Robotnik shook his head. "No, I think we're good for now. In light of this recent acquisition, I've decided to end the meeting early. Agatha, meet me in Lab 26. I'm going to need your help with this one."
"Yes, Uncle Ivo. Right away."
"The rest of you are free to go do...whatever it was you were doing. See you in another two months!"
Robotnik headed out, taking the Ice Box with him; the other Egg Bosses filed out soon after. As they did, Akhlut glared at Tundra, his Psystone briefly flashing green as he turned around. Finally, only Tundra and Beauregard remained. The rabbit looked at Tundra intently, the brim of his hat concealing one eye.
"What are you staring at?"
"The Rings of Saturn shine brightest…" Beau began.
"What?" His face morphed into one of confusion. "The hell are you babbling about, rabbit?"
Beauregard narrowed his eyes, then sighed. "Nothin'. Nevermind."
He walked away.
"What was that about?" Frazil asked.
Berg shrugged. "Search me."
Tundra stiffened, clutching his head in pain. "Dammit...!"
"Master Tundra!" Berg and Frazil ran over to their leader.
"Sir, are you alright?"
"Got another headache, Boss?"
"I'm fine!" Tundra shoved the two off. "Keep your filthy hands off me!"
He stomped off at that.
-X-
"You what?" Robotnik demanded. "You want to be part of the mission?"
"Yes." Akhlut nodded.
"Akhlut, I've granted you a lot of unusual requests, mostly because you're one of my strongest, most reliable generals and because my niece has taken a liking to you. But putting you and Tundra on the same team!?"
Akhlut shrugged. "I'm just trying to help a fellow brother-in-arms. Tundra's not used to fighting outside of Artika, after all. Think of it as a… team-building exercise."
Robotnik narrowed his eyes. "You and Tundra can't even stand to be in the same room together...literally. Try again."
Akhlut sighed. "Very well. Sir, while I understand that this operation could work, you heard Tundra out there. He's not stable. He needs someone keeping him in line or it's gonna be MacNeil all over again."
"Tundra is certainly one of our crueler, more ruthless Egg Bosses, Akhlut, but I assure you, he's no Diablo Kid."
Akhlut crossed his arms. "You and I both know he's easily worse. And don't think I didn't notice the real reason you let him go after Winters. You're hoping she keeps him occupied."
"And if I am?"
"He's unstable, volatile, and even if Winters keeps him occupied for a while, his army is beyond dangerous. They make Kodos look like a saint, especially his Sub-Bosses. You screwed up when you did whatever you did to him, and now–"
"Shhh!" Robotnik hissed. "Keep it down."
He pointed to Eggatha, who was working on her computer. Akhlut grimaced but lowered his volume.
"My point is, you're running damage control," he whispered. "You're making sure Tundra is in a position where he can't do something monumentally stupid and make things even worse for us, because you know that's exactly what he'll do."
"I know, Akhlut, I know. But what I really want to know is why you're being so insistent about this. You normally don't involve yourself with the other branches unless you're directly ordered to. So, what's different about this?"
"I swore an oath," the orca explained grimly. "That's all you need to know. Now, do I have your permission or not?"
Akhlut looked Robotnik right in the eyes. He was dead serious, a sharp contrast to his usual barely concealed sadism and dry, yet smooth attitude. Robotnik finally gave in.
"Very well. I suppose if anyone can keep Tundra from going haywire, it's you."
"Thank you, sir."
"But only you."
"That's all I need."
"And whatever you do, do not kill him. He's far too valuable."
"Killing him isn't my first choice."
"Very well." Robotnik nodded. "The mission is the day after tomorrow. Be sure to be ready by then, understand?"
Akhlut grinned. "Understood, sir."
Akhlut headed out at that. As he did, Eggatha raised an eyebrow.
-X-
Outside the lab, Akhlut sighed. "So, it's come to this."
"What are you doing, Akhlut?"
Akhlut turned to see Eggatha standing there, arms crossed. "What are you talking about, Aggie?"
"Don't give me that. You know damn well what I'm talking about." She narrowed her eyes. "Why do you really want to go on the mission with Tundra? You two hate each other."
"Yes. But, I'm willing to put that aside for the sake of the Empire."
Understandably, Eggatha was unconvinced. "Tell me the truth. Why are you really doing this?"
Akhlut gave Eggatha a serious look. "Agatha… From the moment we met in your uncle's dungeons to now, have I ever asked anything of you?"
That threw her off. She blinked, slowly uncrossing her arms. "What? What does that have to do with-?"
"Agatha," Akhlut interrupted. "Answer the question."
"Well... aside from deleting the GlacialGod stuff… no."
"Correct. So, I'm asking this of you now." He leaned in close so they were eye to eye. "This is between me and the walrus. Don't ask me questions and don't interfere. Understand?"
She went to try and argue, but his serious look made it clear this wasn't up for debate. In the end, all she could do was sigh and nod.
"Alright…" she looked up, still concerned. "Just... be careful. Please."
"Of course." Akhlut patted Aggie on the head, ruffling her hair slightly. "Now, I gotta get ready. I'll see you in a bit."
"Okay…" she waved weakly. "Seeya."
Akhlut walked off. Once he was gone, Eggatha activated her com. "Metal, it's me. I need you to get me everything we have on Tundra the Walrus, and fast. Priority One."
"Understood."
Eggatha hung up. "Sorry, Akhlut. You may be my friend, but I'm still a Robotnik. And some promises were meant to be broken."
Author's Note:
(1): Alternate Thor name.
(2): Mobian DC Comics.
(3): Chinese for "Good morning."
(4): Spanish for "My eyes! I'm blind! I'm blind!"
It seems Sonic's first showdown with Tundra will be sooner than they think. Meep...
Please R&R. Until next time!
