- Chapter 16 -
Casino Night Conspiracy
The Freedom Fighters had left the Aquatic Ruins in their wake and were camping for the night. As Shortfuse used his weapons to get a campfire started, Sonic went over to Rotor.
"Hey, nice work back there with Robotnik," he noted.
"Thanks," Rotor smiled, then perked as if remembering something. "Oh, hang on. There's something I wanted to show you." He started fishing around in his pocket. "I found something at the bottom of the lake when I was fighting with that robot."
He pulled out a glittering green object. Sonic gaped, recognizing it for what it was.
"Whoa… You found this in the water?"
"Yeah. Weird, right?" Rotor asked, clearly not realizing what the object was. "It was just laying in the silt."
"Rotor, that's one of the Chaos Emeralds!"
Rotor blinked before looking at it again.
"Seriously?!"
"Yeah, it is. I'd know a gem like that anywhere. But why was it in the water? It should have gone back to the Special Zone like they did last time."
"Good question," Rotor murmured.
"Guys, you know what this means, right?" Tails asked.
"The Chaos Emeralds are on Mobius where anyone can find them!" Porker exclaimed.
"Including Robotnik…" Sonic realized.
"The last thing we want or need is him finding the Emeralds," Sally insisted.
"Since we already have one, maybe I can use its energy signature to find the others," Tails mused.
"You can do that?" Johnny asked.
"We're gonna find out," Tails replied.
Rotor handed Tails the Emerald, and the fox took it off to the side, pulling out a yellow tablet-like device and using it to scan the gem. Some time passed, Tails fiddling with the device with a wrench and screwdriver, before he finally finished.
"Alright, I got it," he announced before showing them the screen of the device, several images displaying emerald-shaped blips on it.
"Great work, Tails," Sonic said with a grin. "Where's the closest Emerald?"
Tails looked at the screen before pointing ahead.
According to the readings, it should be somewhere in the Casino Night Club."
"What a coincidence," Sonic remarked. "We were heading there anyway. Anyone feeling lucky?"
Casino Night Club
The next morning, the group made their way into the Casino Night Club. The first thing they noticed, strewn all over the area, across the various amusement park rides, slot machines, and the like, were images of Robotnik's face, covering the area like a bad rash. On top of that, looming over everything was a massive grinning statue of the doctor himself.
"Someone loves himself a little too much," Sonic deadpanned.
"Mon dieu… (1)" Antoine let out, shuddering. "This is so disturbing."
They heard a sad groan nearby, and turned to see a Mobian dog walking away from one of the tables, the guy running it casually counting his money with a cigar in his mouth.
"I can't believe it…" the dog whimpered. "Everything... I've lost everything."
So lost in his sorrow was the dog that he didn't notice Sonic was there until he bumped right into him.
"Hey, what's the rush?" Sonic asked. "Heh, isn't that ironic coming from me?"
"Why the long face, hon?" Bunnie asked.
"I was playing the tables and something came over me," the dog explained. "I kept on losing, but I couldn't stop. I even gave them the deed to my house for some reason! What am I gonna tell my family?"
"You… gambled away your house?" Johnny asked, exchanging looks with the other Freedom Fighters.
"Yes," the dog nodded. "I don't know why. Something just... came over me. Made me want to try my luck."
Sonic did a quick run around, glancing at every machine and game, and saw more of the same: everywhere, everyone just kept losing every time. Eventually, he came back.
"Nobody's winning at anything here," he reported. "Ten to one says all these games are rigged."
"That's not unexpected for a casino, but these people don't seem to be able to stop!" Tails pointed out.
"And no one in their right mind would ever keep going after that big a losing streak," Sally added. "Or risk something as valuable as a house deed."
After a moment, she pulled out Nicole. "Nicole, scan for anything that could be causing this. Brainwashing frequencies, hypnotic music, anything."
"Scanning…" Nicole's screen beeped for a few moments, before concluding. "It appears the head of the Robotnik statue is the cause of it. Readings indicate that it contains the master computer rigging the games."
"And all this compulsive gambling?" Sally asked.
"The eyes of the statue seem to be sending out hypnotizing beams," Nicole informed them. "Any visitors to the club will gamble all their money away."
Tails pulled out his own handheld, looking it over as it beeped.
"The Miles Electric is going crazy," He held it out every which way, eventually finding the yellow Chaos Emerald on top of a table nearby. "They're... using the Emerald as a prize?"
"They must not know what they have," Sonic mused.
"Then we better take it before they do," Bunnie decided.
"No argument here," Sonic agreed.
-X-
At the top of the statue, a Mobian lizard in a pinstripe suit spoke to Robotnik on a vid-chat.
"What's the situation, Gamble?" Robotnik asked.
"Eh, call me Max," Gamble replied. "And it's workin' perfectly! Mobiums are comin' in by the truckload! I knew you were a good scientists, Dr. Robotnik, but I never knew you were such a good salesman."
"Just remember our deal. I get a cut of the profits, and you don't get roboticized."
"Relax, I'll keep my deal. I know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em."
He made to shut off the connection.
"One more thing," Robotnik cut in. "Sonic and his merry men are most likely on their way to the club, if they're not there already. The Casino Night Club is raising a lot of money, and if they cause us to lose it... I will be very upset."
Gamble gulped. "Understood, sir."
"Good," Robotnik replied. "I'm glad we had this little chat."
-X-
Back with Sonic and co., the dog was scowling.
"Seriously?" he demanded. "Hypnotizing us? Rigging the games? The club used to actually be fun and fair before Max Gamble took over."
That got Sonic's attention.
"Max Gamble? That lousy crook?" he scoffed. "So the Station Square PD finally chased him out of Casinopolis."
"Only for him to continue the game here," Rotor mused.
Tails looked up at the statue. "If I can get up there, I think I can do something about the computer and the hypnosis ray."
"You take Rotor and Porker, see what you can do," Sonic told him. "I'll make sure Gamble doesn't notice you."
Before they could question his intent, Sonic casually walked over to the table where the Chaos Emerald was set up, pounding on it with his hand.
"Hey! Max Gamble!" he shouted. "I'm calling you out! You wanna play a game, or chicken out?!"
-X-
In his office, Gamble perked up.
"So, someone wants to go a few rounds with me, eh?" he mused before chuckling. "Well, I better not disappoint them."
-X-
On the ground, a moment of silence followed before Gamble descended on an elevator. As he stepped out, he glared at Sonic.
"I know you," he remarked. "The blue brat who was there when that loser cop Wachowski kept harassing me in Station Square."
"Friend of the family. I owed him a favor," Sonic shrugged before returning Gamble's glare. "And word of advice: never insult the Donut Lord in front of me."
With that, he looked around at all the Robotnik faces.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you sold out to Robuttnik, Gamble," he mused. "Is there no low you won't stoop to?"
Gamble just shrugged. "I've never been a proud man, kid. I'm just a survivor."
"Survival's overrated," Sonic replied. "I prefer living. More rewarding that way. But anyway, I've got my eyes on that pretty emerald you got there. Whatever you wanna play for it, I'm game."
"Oh really?" Gamble pondered for a moment before coming to a decision. "That's a very popular gem nowadays. Plenty of my customers have lost their life savings trying to get it."
"Well, they weren't me," Sonic said simply.
"Very true," Gamble admitted. "Which makes me consider what would happen if we made things more... interesting."
-X-
Gamble led Sonic to the top of the club, where they found themselves looking down at a giant pinball table.
"You just happen to have a jumbo-sized pinball table sitting around?" Sonic wondered.
"Where do you think Casinopolis got the idea?" Gamble asked rhetorically. "Now, it's quite simple. The blue bumpers on the table are yours, the red ones are mine. Hit mine, you lose points. Hit yours, and you score."
"I'm sensing you have something dark and ominous planned if I lose," Sonic said flatly.
"My dear Sonic, do you honestly think so little of me?"
"No, less."
"Well, if you must know, you have three tries. When you fall past the flippers for the third time…" Gamble pointed, and Sonic noticed a deadly pit of spikes beneath the table. "Hedgehog shishkabob, if you will."
Sonic winced at the thought, before turning to face Gamble.
"Gamble, no one can have a higher opinion of you than me," he said casually before scowling. "And I think you're a slimy, despicable pile of Flicky crap!"
"Eh, I've been called worse," Gamble replied with a shrug. "Also, I almost forgot to mention this."
He slapped Sonic on the back so hard he tumbled onto the table. "You're the ball!"
Sonic let out a yell as he fell into the ball slot. He got up, shaking his fist in anger.
"Gamble!" he shouted. "When I get my hands on you, I'm gonna-!"
Before he could finish, he was shot out onto the table.
-X-
Below, Sally had taken position at the controls for the flippers. A screen popped up, showing Sonic being launched into the game. She quickly manned the flippers, launching Sonic high up on the table.
"You doing alright in there, Sonic?" she called out to him.
"More or less!" Sonic shouted.
He first started hitting Gamble's bumpers, but managed to stop himself and hit his own bumpers to score points. Gamble watched him do so, before a slot machine above showed three reels of Sonic's face, a slew of Mobiums spilling out (2).
"Just a warm-up, Sonic!" the gangster declared. "It's not over yet!"
He pressed a button, and another flipper emerged from the table, bouncing Sonic into Gamble's bumpers.
"You cheating son of a-!" Sonic spat.
"Hey, cheating is a legitimate strategy," Gamble replied flippantly.
"When I get out of here, I'm gonna-!"
Sonic plummeted toward the flippers, Sally slamming her fist on the button and launching him back up. Seeing Sonic score more points, Gamble scowled and pressed another button. A slew of Buzz Bombers flew out onto the table, all of them beginning to chase after Sonic.
"You're playing my game, kid!" he ranted. "I'm in control here! I make the rules!"
"Lucky for me, rules were made to be broken!" Sonic retorted.
He bounced around, luring the Buzz Bombers to the flipper. Getting Sonic's intent, Sally uses the flipper to rebound each of the Badniks, knocking them out of the air and sending them down the hole into the spike pit. Sonic then maneuvered his way between two bumpers, bouncing between them repeatedly to wrap up some major points.
"I think we just might get a high score!" Sally boasted.
"Don't cash your Mobiums just yet!" Gamble spat.
He pressed a button, and some holes opened up on the pinball table. Monstrous worm-like Badniks emerged, snapping at Sonic.
"Just how low can you sink, Gamble?!" Sally demanded.
Gamble just smirked. "Depends on how much money there is to gain, sweetheart."
Sonic maneuvered around the worms as best as he could, narrowly avoiding their fanged maws.
"This just keeps getting worse…" he muttered. "What is taking Tails so long?!"
-X-
In the computer room within the head of the Robotnik statue, Tails, Rotor, and Porker were at work hacking the system. Porker looked up and paled at a screen showing the pinball table, and Sonic's increasingly dire situation.
"Tails, hurry up," he urged. "I don't know how much more Sonic can take!"
"I'm hurrying as fast as I can!" Tails shot back.
He frantically typed away before pressing a button. "There!"
-X-
Back on the pinball table, Sonic landed in the slot machine once again; Gamble watched, and his jaw nearly hit the floor when the three slots all read "JACKPOT".
"What?!" he screamed.
At the sound of cheers, he turned, and his shock increased at the sight of the visitors dancing in jubilation; now everyone was winning their games.
"WHAT?!"
"Yes!" Sonic cheered.
With that done, he burst out of the pinball table, confronting Gamble.
"I can't believe this is happening!" Gamble shrieked. "How did you win?!"
"It's simple, really," Sonic replied. "I was just distracting you while my buddies hacked your computer up in that ugly Robotnik statue."
"What?!" Gamble sputtered. "But… but that's cheating!"
Sonic smirked. "Hey, you said it yourself, Max. Cheating is a legitimate strategy."
He casually walked over to the table, snatching up the Chaos Emerald. "Now, I believe this is mine."
Gamble was practically grinding his teeth to shards in rage.
"Well, you're not getting it!" he yelled. "You've ruined my business for the last time, Sonic!"
He charged at him in a rage, but Sonic casually stepped aside, sticking out his foot. Gamble tripped over it and slammed into his table, smashing it and knocking himself out.
"You bet I have," he declared. "Because after this, there's no way you're ever gonna pick yourself back up."
The Freedom Fighters regrouped just as the Robotnik statue's head exploded.
"Wow…" Sonic let out. "Do you have bombs in that bag of yours, Tails?"
"Nah," Tails replied. "I just programmed the computer to self-destruct after all the gamblers got their money back. Gamble's business is toast without it."
"Nice work, pal," Sonic said with a grin.
With that, Tails held up the Miles Electric, bringing up the Emerald Radar.
"Okay," he began. "According to the readings, the next Emerald is in the Hill Top Zone."
"Then that's where we're headed," Sonic declared.
Robotropolis
In his lab, Robotnik had called Gamble after losing the signal to the statue in the club. Getting no response from the gangster, he quickly realized what happened, his face turning red in rage.
"I give you one task, Max," he ranted. "Protect that damned statue and keep the money rolling in. And you couldn't even do that right?! I hope Sonic broke every bone in your stupid body. I hope you're lying there, desperately trying to breathe through fractured ribs and punctured lungs. And if you're not, you better summon whatever strength you've got left and run, because once I'm done dealing with the hedgehog, you're next! (3)"
With that, he ended the communication. "I earned millions through the Casino Night Club... and that blue rodent undid it all in one day!"
"Calm yourself, Uncle," Snively insisted. "At least Gamble kept them busy."
"Judging by their current course, they should be in the Hill Top Zone by noon," Grimer added.
Robotnik took that in, giving a smirk. "Well... things will definitely heat up for them there."
Author's Note:
(1): "My God" in French.
(2): Wouldn't be Sonic without a slot machine. Except rather than rings, here they use Mobiums, the currency in post-Super Genesis Wave Archie and AoSTH.
(3): A line taken and tweaked from one of Penguin's in Batman: Arkham City.
Another one bites the dust.
The inspiration for this chapter comes from a mix of a Sonic the Comic arc, Sonic Spinball, and some of the Sonic SatAM episode "Game Guy." Max Gamble is also a character from Sonic the Comic. You may have also noticed my allusions to the movie with Tom Wachowski, and Sonic's banter with Gamble at the start; essentially, Sonic's been active as a hero/vigilante here and there even before the ROCC explosion that created Robotnik.
Next chapter, Sonic and co. get into a very heated situation at the Hill Top Zone. Will they prevail?
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Max Gamble - John Kassir (Enzo Ferino from Bayonetta, the Cryptkeeper from Tales from the Crypt, Deadpool from X-Men Legends II: Rise of Apocalypse and the first two Marvel: Ultimate Alliance games; I hear him with Enzo's Joe Pesci imitation)
Please R&R. Until next time!