Chapter 8: Iron Valley Zone
Dragon Valley – Iron Valley, Noon Hours
The metallic clang of Sonic's shoes striking the cold, steel floor reverberated through the dimly lit corridors of Iron Valley. The industrial zone, with its harsh, mechanical ambiance, was a stark contrast to the lush greenery of Dragon Valley outside. The flickering lights cast eerie shadows along the halls, with the hum of machinery creating an ominous backdrop. But despite the menacing setting, what they encountered was far from the dangerous fortress they had expected—it was, quite frankly, underwhelming.
Sonic zipped ahead, effortlessly dodging obstacles and traps that seemed more like afterthoughts than genuine threats. "Iron Valley," he muttered with a wry grin, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "More like Boredom Alley. Come on, Eggman, I expected better! Minus one for originality!"
Lilac followed close behind, deflecting a series of saw blades with her Cyclone attack, her twin tails whipping around like a whirlwind. "Yeah, where's the challenge? Minus two for presentation!" she added, her tone tinged with disappointment.
Carol, riding her red motorcycle with practiced ease, leapt over and narrowly avoided a missile that exploded just behind her. "This place has all the charm of a rusted can opener—minus one point seven for guest accommodations!" she quipped.
Sonic came to a halt, skidding to a stop as he turned to Tails, who was flying alongside him. "Well, Tails, what's the verdict?"
Tails tapped his chin thoughtfully, a playful smile on his face. "Let's see… Minus fourteen from Sonic, minus eighteen from Lilac, and minus twenty-one point seven from Carol. And I'll throw in a bonus minus ten for the dubious structural integrity." He grinned. "Iron Valley now has a score of minus sixty-three point six, ranking lower than Marble Zone."
Sonic whistled, shaking his head in disappointment. "Guess Iron Valley isn't winning any awards anytime soon." He turned his gaze upward, addressing the absent villain. "C'mon, Eggman! These girls want to have the full evil base experience!" He gestured toward Lilac and Carol, who both nodded in agreement.
As they advanced through the seemingly deserted corridors, Tails' expression grew more serious. He glanced around with a mixture of suspicion and curiosity. "It's strange, though. Robotnik usually has his bases heavily guarded. We haven't seen a single Badnik since we got here."
"Maybe he's slacking?" Carol suggested.
Lilac frowned, her eyes narrowing as she observed the surrounding metal walls. "No, Tails is right. Something feels off. Torque mentioned that Robotnik's been here for weeks. He would've had time to set up proper defenses." Her gaze drifted to the walls, where parts of the mountain's natural rock exterior were still visible beneath the metal plating, suggesting a hastily constructed base.
Sonic shrugged, unfazed by the apparent lack of danger. "Whatever it is, we'll handle it." He flashed a confident grin at the group.
As they continued through the corridors, the eerie stillness of the base began to wear on them. Aside from the occasional laser trap or missile, the complex was surprisingly hollow—lacking the usual intensity of Robotnik's other strongholds.
Eventually, they came to a dead-end corridor, confusing the group. But before they could decide on their next move, they found themselves face-to-face with a lone Motobug, idling in the middle of the hallway.
Sonic cracked his knuckles, ready to charge. "Finally, some action!"
"Dibs!" Before he could move, Lilac dashed forward, her Dragon Boost turning her into a streak of purple as she rammed into the Motobug, smashing it into pieces. She turned back with a smirk, playfully sticking her tongue out at Sonic.
Sonic grumbled, folding his arms. "Hey, I was gonna get that one!"
"Maybe you're too slow?" Lilac teased, winking at him.
Carol and Tails chuckled as they walked to the remains of the Motobug. However, as they moved on, something unusual caught their attention. The broken pieces of the Motobug began to twitch, and from the wreckage emerged a small, white chicken, blinking in the sudden light.
Lilac gasped, immediately bending down to help the frightened animal. "A... a chicken? Why would a chicken be inside a robot?"
"Huh?" Carol looked equally confused as the little white chicken, clearly terrified, surveyed its surroundings.
Sonic knelt down beside Lilac, offering the chicken a gentle smile. "Hey, little guy," he said warmly. The chicken looked at him as Sonic pointed down the corridor behind them. "Follow the path back that way, and you'll find the exit in no time. Think you can do it, bud?"
The little chicken followed his finger with its eyes and, with a hesitant nod, began to waddle in the direction Sonic had indicated. It chirped a small thank you to Lilac before hurrying off, eager to escape the nightmarish metallic labyrinth.
As they watched the chicken disappear into the dark corridor, Sonic turned to the confused girls. "So, we might have skipped a crucial little detail."
Tails sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "That's Eggman's doing. He traps little animals inside his Badniks to power them. It's one of the reasons we're always breaking them apart whenever we have the chance."
"What?! That's horrible!" Lilac exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands. She looked at Tails, horror dawning on her face. "So the ones I broke when I found you…"
Tails nodded apologetically. "Yeah, those had critters inside too."
Sonic sighed, his expression darkening. "That's Eggman for you. No morality, just an endless pursuit of power." He clenched his fists. "Let's make sure we free any others we find."
Carol's eyes blazed with anger, her fists tightening. "That's messed up! Using innocent creatures like that... How could anyone do something so cruel? Hey, Egghead, you just got minus a thousand points, idiot!"
Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by the appearance of a monitor embedded in the wall at the end of the corridor. The screen flickered to life, displaying Robotnik's grinning face. His voice crackled through the speakers, dripping with mockery and sarcasm.
"Oh, boohoo! How horrible! I had no idea you all cared so much!" Robotnik sneered, clearly amused by their outrage. "But really, those many points... ouch, that's gonna sting. Perhaps I can win them back with a little more effort?"
Lilac glared at the screen, her fists still clenched. "Robotnik! How can you justify using innocent animals like this? Trapping them in your machines, it's monstrous!"
Robotnik chuckled darkly, adjusting his glasses as his grin widened. "Justify? My dear, there's no need to justify perfection. Those creatures are simply resources, and I use them as I see fit. They power my creations, and in doing so, they serve a greater purpose than they ever would in the wild."
Sonic stepped forward, his eyes burning with defiance. "We're not gonna let you get away with this, Eggman. And this place is already boring us to tears. How about you show your ugly mug so we can get this over with?"
Robotnik's expression darkened, a sinister smile spreading across his face. "Oh, I plan to, rodent. But first, let me give you a proper Iron Valley welcome." His hand moved to press a button on his console, and from the broken parts of the Motobug, a faint glow began to emanate.
Tails' eyes widened in alarm as he realized what was happening. "Everyone, scatter!"
But it was too late. The broken parts of the Motobug exploded, sending a shockwave through the corridor. The blast sent the group flying, each member crashing into the metal walls. The impact triggered hidden trapdoors on either side of the corridor.
Sonic, Lilac, Tails, and Carol were sent tumbling down separate slides, each one leading to a different part of the base. Their screams of surprise echoed as they were separated, their paths diverging as they plummeted into the depths of Iron Valley.
Robotnik's maniacal laughter filled the air as he watched the chaos unfold on his monitor. "Well, the two girls were not part of the plan, but no matter—they'll soon join the others in their graves!" His laughter grew louder, the sound echoing through the empty corridors as the screen flickered off.
Iron Valley – Unknown Location to the East
Screams echoed through the darkness as a trapdoor on the wall opened, spitting out Carol and Tails, who both fell flat on their faces onto the cold, hard floor. Carol's motorcycle, somehow intact, bounced off the metallic floor with a loud thud before coming to a stop beside them. Carol was the first to recover, shaking her head to clear the dizziness.
"Ouch!" she groaned, rubbing her temples. "Okay, make it a million—no! A bazillion negative points!" She looked around the room, frustration clear on her face. "Yo, Tails, you up?"
Tails slowly got to his feet, rubbing the fur on his head. "Ugh, not really," he groaned, wincing as he stood up. He glanced around, trying to get his bearings. "Where even is here?"
They found themselves in a large, square room, much better lit than the rest of the base they had seen so far. Strange orbs of light decorated as lamps with crackling electricity lined the ceiling, casting a bright, sterile glow over everything. The room was eerily quiet, except for the occasional crackle of thunder, which seemed to echo ominously in the silence. The sound startled Tails, who let out a small yelp, his knees trembling as he instinctively grabbed onto Carol.
Carol sweat-dropped. "Seems like… uh, the electricity room?" she suggested, her voice slightly shaky as she looked at the trembling fox.
"S-seems like it," Tails stammered, trying to calm his racing heart. But another thunderous sound erupted in the room, making Tails jump again in fright. "Uah!"
Suddenly, a giant circular platform opened in the center of the room, and a mechanical grinding sound filled the air as something began to rise from it.
"Tch, why do I have to take care of the sidekicks?" a voice hissed as the platform lifted, the speaker's tone dripping with disdain. "Couldn't even give me the one that actually looked somewhat menacing—stupid human!"
The platform rose to reveal a massive mech stepping forward with a menacing thud. The mech was a towering humanoid machine, its design resembling a chubby human with yellow highlights resembling thunderbolts streaked across its silver body. Five tambours were strapped across its back, a single sharp horn protruded from its head, and its red eyes glared menacingly down at them. But what surprised them the most was the circular window on its belly, through which they could see a green snake coiled inside, glaring back at them with malevolent eyes.
"Tchahahahaha!" the viper let out a venomous laugh. "Well, no matter, crushing you two will bring me joy!" He continued to cackle as the robot took a stance, lightning crackling around its body in arcs of blue energy.
Carol glanced at Tails, her eyes wide with shock. "I think you guys forgot to tell us one more thing. We didn't know he had lackeys on his own!"
Tails shook his head, sweat beading on his forehead. "Trust me, this guy is brand new. Robotnik must have hired him recently—he does that sometimes when he needs extra muscle."
The serpent's eyes narrowed as he heard their conversation. "Lackey?!" he hissed with disdain. "I am no lackey to that obese man! I only serve one master, and one master only—the mighty Lord Brevon!" The mech produced more electricity, the noise intensifying as the snake glared at them. "I only work for that moron because it benefits my lord's plans. But for daring to call me a lackey, I, General Serpentine, will fry you both! Glory to Lord Brevon!"
Tails and Carol exchanged a glance, their faces set with resolve. Whoever this Serpentine guy was, they needed to fight him off. They assumed their battle stances as the Egg-Raijin charged at them, Serpentine cackling maniacally as the sound of thunder and lightning filled the room.
Iron Valley – Unknown Location to the West
"Whoaoaoaoa!" Sonic and Lilac screamed in unison as they fell through the twisting metal chute, tumbling into another part of the base. They landed with a loud thud, both crashing onto the hard floor of a large chamber. The room was square-shaped, with the walls slick with moisture, and the ceiling dripping steadily, filling the chamber with the constant, echoing sound of dripping water. Canals and tubes snaked through the room, leading up to a circular hatch in the ceiling.
"Ugh…" Lilac slowly opened her eyes, realizing she had landed on top of Sonic. Alarmed, she quickly rolled off him, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "S-Sonic! Are you okay?!" she asked worriedly.
"Nope… It's fine, awesome, cool," he groaned, a drop of water landing on his forehead. He shook his head, trying to clear the dizziness. "Looks like we found the base's plumbing," Sonic joked, shaking the water from his quills as he slowly got to his feet. He looked around the chamber, noticing the water continuing to drip from the ceiling in different areas. "Man, the exploding Badniks? That's brand new. He really went for the kill this time."
Lilac nodded, her eyes narrowed in concern. "We need to find Carol and Tails. Who knows what Robotnik's planning?"
"Don't worry, Lil, you saw them in action, right?" Sonic reassured her, offering a confident smile. "They'll be fine."
"They might be, unlike you two!" Before they could move, the circular hatch above them opened with a loud clang, and a massive black mech crashed down, sending water splashing everywhere as it landed with a heavy thud. The mech was sleek and menacing, its black armor gleaming under the dim light, with stubby feet but large, powerful arms, two white menacing eyes looking down on them. Inside a transparent dome at the top, resembling a brain inside, Doctor Robotnik smirked down at them, his eyes gleaming with malice.
"Rodent, Goat," he greeted them calmly as more water poured down from the open hatch above.
"Eggman!" Sonic and Lilac exclaimed in unison.
Robotnik's eyebrows twitched slightly at the nickname, but he quickly regained his composure. "Ahem," he coughed. "As I said before, welcome both to your brand-new home—a grave in which neither of you will be remembered!"
"Yeah, yeah," Sonic dismissed with a wave of his hand. "Enough with the rodeo. Let's get this show on the road!" He crouched, readying himself to launch into action, with Lilac standing beside him, equally prepared. But as they braced themselves, they noticed the water level around their feet beginning to rise, the room slowly filling up as the ceiling continued to pour more.
Robotnik's smirk widened. "Heh, don't think you'll be able to escape this time, Sonic. This time, I've decided to use a little creativity." He leaned forward, eyes gleaming with malevolent glee. "While my 'associate' deals with your friends, I'll take care of you both personally. These machines and rooms are designed specifically to instigate your very fears!"
Sonic glanced at the rising water level, realization dawning on him. "Uh oh," he muttered under his breath. "Better get this done quick!" Without hesitation, he launched himself at Eggman, determined to end the battle swiftly. Lilac followed suit, her energy surging as she prepared to fight.
"Feel the wrath of the Egg-Umibozu!" Robotnik cackled, the mech raising its large, powerful arms to crush them as the sound of splashing water filled the chamber.
In two separate locations within Iron Valley, Sonic, Lilac, Tails, and Carol faced off against their foes, the clash of steel, the crackle of electricity, and the roar of machinery filling the air as they fought.