-Chapter 163-
Negative Influence
Knothole
They arrived back at Freedom HQ, explaining the situation to the others. While several blasted Blaze for her stubbornness and pride leading to Cream's kidnapping, Hope called Eggatha and Tails focused on tracking down the Chaos and Sol Emeralds on the Miles Electric.
"I can't believe you let them take her like that?!" Knuckles ranted. "If you had just worked with us, this whole mess could have been avoided!"
"I thought I could handle it myself," Blaze replied. "I was wrong."
"Damn right you were!" Kat snapped. "I meant what I said, Blaze. If that bunny gets so much as a scratch, I swear to Aurora-!"
"Kat, easy!" Keith cried.
Amy glared at Blaze. "Sonic offered to help you with finding your Sol Emeralds, and your response is to attack him?!"
"Protecting the Sol Emeralds is my fight! My duty!" Blaze screamed. "That's how it's always been!"
"Sure didn't work out for you today, did it?" Sonic said flatly. "We're working together to clean up this mess whether you like it or not, Blaze. Cream better be alright and unharmed when we bring Robotnik and Nega the Emeralds. If she isn't, Kat's gonna kill you... and I have half a mind to let her."
"Sonic!" Sally admonished.
"An innocent little girl was kidnapped because of her stupidity, Sal!" Sonic defended.
"I know," Sally said. "But all this yelling won't get her back."
"Besides, Cream's fine," Hope reported, putting her phone down. "Aggie's got custody of her."
Sonic sighed in relief. "That's good. Eggatha won't hurt her."
"Apparently they're just playing Marxio Bros., and Nega has strict orders to stay the hell away."
"We can't trust him to stay true to those orders," Blaze insisted. "Not for long, anyway."
"Yeah…" Hope gulped. "He was in favor of roboticizing or torturing her."
Everyone gasped, while Blaze just nodded
"Sounds like him." she said simply.
"Why would he-?" Bunnie began.
"Word of advice," Blaze began. "Attempting to understand or figure out any motives behind what Eggman Nega does is an exercise in futility and madness. I gave up trying long ago."
"Either way, it's all the more reason to find the Sol Emeralds," Sonic insisted.
"Can we really trust Eggman's word that he'll give Cream back?" Shorty questioned.
"I don't trust him any farther than I could pick up and throw the Death Egg, and Nega even less," Sonic said bluntly. "But what choice do we have?"
"Trust Aggie at least," Hope decided.
"Uh, as I recall, she's made some rather selfish decisions too," Amy pointed out. "Like withholding Froggy. Or not helping Sonic escape."
"But did she ever hurt either of them, or allow them to be?" Hope asked.
Amy paused. "Okay, fair point."
"For now, we focus on getting the Emeralds," Sally decided. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."
She turned to Tails. "Find anything on the radar?"
"A few, yeah," Tails replied. "But they're really spread out."
"Sounds like the usual for us," Sonic deadpanned.
Tails brought up the Emerald Radar.
"It's hard to tell which are Chaos Emeralds and which are Sol Emeralds, but here's what I have so far. First, the Wood Zone on Westside Island."
"Aw yeah!" Sticks cheered. "My old stomping grounds!"
"Alright," Sally nodded. "Sticks, you handle it. Amy, you and Shard go with her."
Tails brought up another area.
"The next seems to be around Seaside Hill."
"I got it," Sonic decided. "Sally, you and Tails are with me."
"Count me in too," Blaze said.
"Fine by me," Sonic shrugged. "Just make sure you're a team player and not a lone wolf."
"An innocent child is in danger because of me. I have no intention of making the same mistake twice."
Tails brought up the next area.
"From here, I've got two readings, both from Angel Island. Around the Carnival Night Zone and the Sky Sanctuary."
"Oooh…" Kat winced. "I better handle that one."
"Oh yeah," Sonic recalled. "Knux did say it's sacred ground, and under normal circumstances only Guardians are permitted there."
"And for good reason," Knuckles said. "The Sky Sanctuary is where all past Guardians are entombed."
"As for the Carnival Night Zone, it's currently under construction," Kat added.
"You're rebuilding that death trap?" Tails asked.
"Into an actual Carnival," Kat explained. "Tikal wanted me to be the bridge between the Echidnas and the rest of the world, so why not start with a super fun carnival?"
"Sweet," Sonic mused.
"The next signal seems to be around Prison Island."
"I'll take that one," Hope said. "Only GUN personnel are allowed near that site anyway."
"Call in the rest of your team," Sonic insisted. "Time is of the essence."
Hope nodded, already bringing out her phone to do so.
"The Chaotix will handle Carnival Night." Vector said.
"We're coming too," Chris said. "Like Sonic said, time's not on our side."
"Just be careful," said Kat. "Like I said, it's under construction."
Keith nodded. "Will do."
"We'll split up Seaside Hill and the Ocean Palace," Sally decided. "Bunnie, you, Antoine, Shorty, and Tekno handle the palace. Sonic and I will handle the hill itself."
Bunnie gave a thumbs up. "You got it, Sally-girl."
"Porker and I will run more scans ourselves, see if we can find any more." Rotor said.
"And I suppose I'm your bodyguard as usual, eh?" Johnny asked.
Porker grinned playfully. "You know I'm lost without you."
"Damn right you are," Johnny replied.
Wood Zone
At the Wood Zone, two separate Warp Rings opened up. Amy, Sticks, and Shard exited one, Big coming from another.
"Thanks for coming on such short notice, Big," Amy greeted.
"Cream's my friend," Big replied. "I want to make sure she's safe."
"Uh... how'd he even get here?" Sticks asked. "Didn't Tails say the Warp Rings only work if you've been to a spot before?"
"Not quite," Shard replied. "You need to at least have a general idea of where you're going. Seeing the location on a map is enough."
"And we're just now using that?!" Sticks demanded. "Seriously?!"
"You still need to know exactly where you're going," Shard clarified. "Otherwise, you risk opening a portal right above a cliff, and... use your imagination."
Sticks shuddered. "Right. Boom, you go splat."
"Now let's get a move on," Amy cut in. "We've got a job to do."
"Just stick with me," Sticks boasted. "Nobody knows the Wood Zone better than I do."
As she walked, she stepped in something covered with dead leaves, and was ensnared in a massive bear trap.
"Right…" she said casually. "Forgot I set that there."
Big came over and pried it open.
"Do your traps have to be so... big?" Amy asked.
"Bigger is better, as they say. You never know when some creepy creeper might be creeping around any creepy corner."
"Let's keep moving. We've gotta get the emerald before-"
Amy cut herself off with a scream as the ground collapsed beneath her. They heard her hit the ground, followed by several snapping noises.
"Amy!" Big cried. "You okay?"
After a minute, Amy climbed out, covered head to toe in mouse traps.
"Ouch…" she let out.
"Sorry about that," Sticks said sheepishly. "I… haven't been back here in awhile."
"Clearly…"
Amy sat down, beginning to pry them off. As she did that, Shard went to look around. He took a few steps toward one area, and Sticks held up her hands.
"No wait, that's where another-"
It was too late. Shard's ankles were snagged by a rope, and he found himself hanging upside down from a tree.
"-trap… is…"
"I noticed," Shard deadpanned.
He aimed his arm cannon, cutting himself down.
"Any other traps you have that you forgot about?" Amy asked. "A wrecking ball? Maybe a log that shoots fifty-foot flames?"
"Nah, the log kept breaking too easily," Sticks replied.
Shard reached up to his eyes, pressing a small button that adapted them into a scanner visor. He looked in all directions for any Chaos signatures.
"I see something," he said at last, pointing up.
Everyone looked up and saw a Chaos Emerald and a Sol Emerald at the top of a very tall tree.
"Oh, boy," Amy sighed. "So... anyone got a chainsaw?"
"Easy, Amy," Shard assured. "Why climb or cut when you can fly?"
He boosted up at that.
"Show off!" Amy called after him.
Shard just shrugged before grabbing the emeralds. "Three down, eleven more to go."
Carnival Night Zone
Meanwhile, Knuckles and Team Chaotix had arrived at the Carnival Night Zone. Charmy and Saffron buzzed around happily, looking at the rides being constructed.
"This is so cool!" Saffron squeed. "I love amusement parks!"
"Hey Vector, can we come here when it's done?" Charmy asked. "Can we? Can we? Please?"
"Let's get the emerald first, Charmy," Vector told him. "We're on a mission here."
"Right, right," Charmy nodded.
"Knuckles, do you think you can sense any Emeralds here?" Espio asked.
"The Chaos Emeralds, no problem," Knuckles replied. "I'm not sure about the Sol Emeralds. They're from a different dimension, so they may not follow the same rules."
"We'll focus on the Chaos ones for now," Espio decided. "After that... I'm not sure."
"If all else fails, we can ask Tails." Ray decided.
"Hey, that rhymes!" Charmy chimed in.
Knuckles closed his eyes, feeling around. Eventually, he opened them.
"I've got something," he confirmed. "But it just feels... weird. I'm not sure how to explain it."
"Might be a Sol Emerald," Espio mused.
"Guess Guardians can sense Emeralds from another dimension," Julie-Su mused. "Where is it?"
Knuckles pointed to the half-reconstructed Hell House Ride.
"This is supposed to be a friendly ride?" Mighty asked. "It doesn't look all that friendly."
"Half-roller coaster, half-haunted house," Knuckles replied. "And hey, the original had animatronics that tried to kill the riders."
"Touché," Mighty conceded.
They headed in, stopping short at the sight of Cubot and Orbot carrying the Sol Emerald in question.
"Gawrsh, I can't believe we found one," Cubot said in a goofy simpleton's voice.
"Great," Cubot sighed. "Your voice chip is stuck on "'cartoon dog' again."
"The bunny girl liked it," Cubot defended.
"She's six," Orbot pointed out. "One of these days, we need to fix... that…"
He trailed off as he saw the Chaotix in the door.
"Hi," Ray said casually.
"Cubot, this is the part where we start running."
They jumped into one of the cars. Knuckles and Julie-Su managed to leap into the seats at the back just as Cubot hit the button, starting the ride. The safety bars came down and the ride took off.
"Shit…" Knuckles cursed.
He managed to pry the bars open, allowing himself and Julie to get to the front and grapple with Cubot and Orbot for the Emerald. As the car began to crest a hill, Knuckles yanked it away.
"Got it!"
"Uh, Knuckles?" Julie-Su cut in. "I hate to interrupt, but... DEAD END!"
Knuckles looked, seeing they were heading for an unfinished portion of the track.
"What do we do now?!"
"What else?" Knuckles replied. "Jump!"
"WHAT?!" Julie shrieked. "We must be five stories high!"
"Down there!" Knuckles pointed at the bouncy house down below. "Do you trust me?!"
"Yeah, but-"
"Then hang on!" Knuckles grabbed her, the female Echidna wrapping her arms around his middle. "One! Two! THREE!"
They leapt off at that. Knuckles managed to get enough air under his dreadlocks to slow their fall, allowing them to land safely on the bouncy house. They landed with a bounce, then settled as Julie let out a laugh.
"That was… surprisingly fun." she admitted.
-X-
Orbot and Cubot watched them go.
"Cubot, I recommend we take plunging off these tracks and off Angel Island philosophically," Orbot suggested calmly.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Cubot asked.
"It means we're both gonna die!"
-X-
As they watched on the ground, the car went crashing off the tracks, taking Cubot and Orbot with it.
"YAAAH-HOO-HOO-HOO-HOOEY!" Cubot screamed as they went, followed by a distant boom.
"Any chance that'll stick?" Julie-Su pondered.
"Nah," Knuckles shook his head. "The Dumbass Duo always makes it out. Somehow."
Red Mountain
Meanwhile, at the base of the Red Mountain, Kat led the boys and Valerie to a Warp Point nestled in some bushes.
"Here we are, the Sky Sanctuary warp point," Kat told them. "From here, I'm on my own."
"Does it really have to be just you?" Chris asked. "I mean, Sonic and Tails were allowed into the sanctuary back during the first Death Egg incident."
"That was different, Chris," Kat pointed out. "Eggman was escaping with the Master Emerald, and even then, Locke wasn't exactly happy when he found out. The sanctuary is sacred. Guardians only."
"Fair enough." Keith nodded. "We'll be here waiting for you."
Kat nodded, turning to the Warp Point before letting out a breath.
"Alright… wish me luck."
With that, she stepped on.
"Who needs luck when you've got skills like yours?" Valerie quipped.
Kat had just enough time to laugh before she was zapped up in a pillar of light.
Sky Sanctuary
She reappeared in the cloudy landscape of the sanctuary.
"Been awhile since I've been here," she mused.
After taking in the sights of the ancient ruins and clear blue sky, Kat got down to business. She sat in a meditative position, focusing her Emerald Radar sense for any sign of the gems. Eventually, she got a ping.
"Got it."
She stood up and made her way across the ruins. It wasn't easy going; at several points she had to balance over precarious drops, and move quickly over crumbling areas.
"Oh man, this place is a lot more precarious than I imagined," she muttered.
Eventually, she made it to where she got the ping: a particularly ancient shrine, in which sat a single coffin. On the side of the coffin were engraved the words "The First" in archaic letters.
"Solaran…" Kat realized before she bowed, placing a hand on the coffin. "Please forgive me for this horrible trespass."
With that, she carefully shoved the lid off, seeing a Chaos Emerald in the mummified hands of Solaran. Sighing, she carefully removed the gem.
"Oh Aurora, I am so gonna be smited for this," she said aloud. "Then again, dire circumstances, multiple realities in danger… maybe they'll let me off with a warning."
She pocketed the gem, then replaced the lid. As she went, she missed the glint of a brief blue light above the coffin…
Red Mountain
Kat reappeared with her others.
"Got it," she patted her pocket. "One Chaos Emerald that will probably get me damned to hell."
"What, did you have to rob one of the Guardians' tombs to get it?" Valerie questioned.
At Kat's look, she winced. "Oh… sorry."
Prison Island
Meanwhile, a Warp Ring opened up, allowing Team Dark to exit into Prison Island. Despite Robotnik's bombs, the buildings remained relatively intact, albeit with plant life growing on many of the structures. Shadow looked around, a hand going to his head as some flashbacks were triggered.
"I know this place," he muttered. "It feels like I've been here before…"
"You have," Hope confirmed. "It was... quite a show. You were kept frozen here before Eggman came along and woke you up."
"You and Sonic tore the forest apart before blowing up the base," Rouge explained.
"Wow…" Shadow let out, a feeling of dread washing over him. "Was... was anyone-?"
"Nope. Sonic got everyone out."
Shadow sagged in relief as Omega powered on his scanners.
"Commencing search for Chaos and Sol Emeralds."
"Leave that to me," Rouge declared.
"What are you gonna do?" Hope questioned.
"I may not have Chaos powers, but I can always find any gems I want, especially Emeralds."
"That's right…" Hope recalled. "Back when we first met Cream, Knuckles did say the best treasure hunters have a sixth sense that let them find gemstones."
"And there's no hunter better than me."
Rouge closed her eyes, focusing. The only movement for a few minutes were her ears twitching. Shadow closed his eyes, doing the same.
"Shadow?" Hope asked. "What are you doing?"
"He is attempting to mimic Rouge's technique," Omega explained.
"I thought I could be able to... help somehow," Shadow replied. "Back when Sally gave Sonic the Emeralds on the Egg Fleet, I got a funny feeling from them. Now I have a basic idea what that was."
At that moment, both he and Rouge perked.
"I found something!" they both exclaimed.
"It's around where the Metal Harbor used to be." Rouge said.
"But it felt…" Shadow mused, "How do I put it... Off."
"Must be a Sol Emerald," Rouge deduced.
"Could be," Hope remarked. "They're not from this world, so they probably have a different signal."
"Logical conclusion," Omega remarked.
They headed for the ruins of the Metal Harbor. Rouge dug the Sol Emerald out of a nearby pile of rubble, and that was when they turned to find themselves surrounded by a group of Swatbots, these ones considerably taller and bulkier than previous models.
"Wow…" Hope let out. "These Swatbots have sure been taking their vitamins."
"Eggman Nega must have upgraded them," Rouge deduced.
"Regardless of make, I will destroy them!" Omega declared before opening fire.
Hope was about to form the Omochao Gun before she was grabbed from behind in a bear hug by one of the Swatbots.
"Hand over the Sol Emerald, or I will crush Hope Kintobor here and now!" it demanded.
He squeezed slightly, getting a surprised gasp from Hope as she realized the bot truly wasn't playing.
"No!" Rouge cried. "You wouldn't! Eggman wouldn't order this!"
"Are you willing to take that chance?" the Swatbot asked. "It will be easy... like breaking a toothpick."
It began squeezing and there was a crack. Hope cried out in pain, and Shadow's eyes flared up.
"Let her go!" he shouted. "NOW!"
He summoned a Chaos Spear, throwing it and nailing the bot in the head. It dropped Hope and Shadow quickly caught her.
"Are you alright?" he asked.
Hope nodded, looking at the defeated Swatbot.
"Something's not right," she insisted. "I know for a fact Eggman would never order one of his Badniks to hurt me. Opposite sides or not, I'm family."
"Our Eggman, maybe," Rouge piped up.
"Nega..." Shadow hissed.
"Damn it, Eggman," Hope let out. "Just what kind of monster have you unleashed this time?"
Seaside Hill
At Seaside Hill, Bunnie's group stuck to looking around the hill itself. This left Sonic's group to investigate the Ocean Palace. Tails checked out the Miles Electric, perking.
"We've got a two-fer," he reported. "Getting a reading from both a Chaos and Sol Emerald."
"Lucky us." Sonic remarked.
As they headed in, they heard footsteps and someone mumbling.
"Nearly identical… and yet, so radically different."
"Someone's already here…" Sally remarked.
Blaze crept along, waving them over as the footsteps drew nearer."
"On three…" she muttered. "One… two… THREE!"
All four jumped out, pouncing on the figure and dogpiling him to the ground.
"Hey! HEY!" the figure shouted. "Uncle! I yield!"
Blaze perked, recognizing the voice. She looked down to see a Mobian koala with gray fur and droopy ears. He had a white furred muzzle and bore a large black nose, along with small, black, bead-like eyes. For attire, he wore a matching sky blue two piece uniform, consisting of a hat with a rim, a vest with a yellow collar and latches, and pants with yellow trim. He also wore white gloves and brown shoes with gray soles.
"Gardon?!" she exclaimed.
Gardon blinked. "Princess? Milady!"
"Friend of yours?" Sonic asked.
"Yeah," Blaze nodded. "He's Gardon, my bodyguard."
They backed off, letting him sit up as Blaze offered him a hand up.
"Sorry," she said. "Thought you were someone or something else."
"I see," Gardon dusted himself off. "Princess, where are we? What is this place?"
"It's Mobius... in a parallel dimension," Blaze replied. "I ended up here while chasing Dr. Nega. He had a device that could open portals between different universes. But how did you get here, Gardon?"
"I have no idea," Gardon answered. "One minute, I was polishing my sword, about to aid you. The next, there was a bright multicolored light, and I found myself here."
"Uh-oh..." Tails let out. "Blaze, didn't you say that the Sol Emeralds were paramount to your dimension's survival?"
Yes," Blaze nodded. "They're vital to maintaining the Sol Zone. Why do you ask?"
"I think I may have an idea as to why this is happening," Tails replied. "With the Sol Emeralds here on Mobius, the Sol Zone is destabilizing... and being drawn to them. The dimensional barrier separating us is fading away, so both our world and Blaze's are bleeding into each other."
"I take it that's a bad thing." Sonic remarked.
"There's no telling what may happen," Tails replied. "The collision of our worlds could mean any number of things. A merger of the two realities... or the destruction of both."
"Well…" Sonic began, "all the more reason to collect the Emeralds."
"Agreed," Sally nodded.
"Gardon, we picked up two different signatures," Blaze told him. "From two different Emeralds."
"Oh yes," Gardon held up both a Chaos Emerald and a Sol Emerald. "I found these two not long after I ended up here. It's quite amazing. They're different in so many ways...but deep down, there are similarities."
"We've noticed," Tails remarked. "That's two more for the collection."
"And who knows how many more," Blaze mused.
Robotropolis
At Citadel Robotnik, Eggman Nega had just pressed a button when Robotnik appeared, approaching him.
"Nega, I need to have a word with you," he told him.
Nega turned to him casually. "What can I help you with?"
"I recently got a report from some of the Badnik scans," Robotnik informed him. "One of your Swatbots had Hope in a bear hug and nearly broke her in two to get Team Dark to hand over a Sol Emerald they found."
"Oh?" Nega asked flippantly. "Is that all?"
Robotnik scowled as he went on.
"Why should you care what happens to that girl? She's a Freedom Fighter. The enemy."
"She's also my niece, you lunatic!"
"So?" Nega questioned. "She's the enemy. She deserves to die."
He jumped as Robotnik's metal fist smashed the wall next to his head.
"You don't get to decide that!" he shouted. "You're in my world now, Nega! Not your world!"
"You're being quite illogical, don't you think?"
"Here's what's logical to me, Nega," Robotnik hissed. "If you put another toe out of line while you're with my army and forces... I will personally kill you. It's my way or the highway. Take your pick."
"Well, since you put it that way…"
It was then that Robotnik noticed the array Nega was standing over.
"What is that?" he questioned.
"Well, to be frank, it's the button that just unleashed our latest mech on a rampage through Mobotropolis." Nega replied casually.
"WHAT?!" Robotnik shrieked.
"It'll keep the Freedom Fighters distracted, buying us ample time to find the remaining Chaos and Sol Emeralds." Nega defended.
"What gave you the right to launch such an attack without my consent in the first place?!"
"You're my partner, not my babysitter. What, do I have to tell you when I need to blow my nose or use the toilet as well?"
Robotnik was seething.
"This is my reality! I decide when we attack!" he shouted.
"It's a little too late for that."
Robotnik, with a furious growl, shoved Nega into the array, smashing it before storming out.
Mobotropolis
In Mobotropolis, the Freedom Fighters and Chaotix had met up, where Tails quickly updated them on the situation.
"So... Blaze's world and this one are starting to fuse together?" Chris asked.
"Pretty much," Sonic confirmed. "Best care scenario, we got a whole lot of new neighbors. Worst case, both worlds destroy each other."
"Meaning we need to find the rest of the Emeralds," said Sally. "Fast."
Hope's phone buzzed at that moment. She pulled it out, finding a text from Eggatha that had her eyes widening.
"Eggman Nega just launched a mech attack on Mobotropolis behind Uncle Ivo's back. Incoming!"
"Uh-oh…" she let out. "Brace yourself, guys. Nega pulled a fast one!"
At that very moment, people running in fear as into view stomped a giant black and red dog-like robot with a head antenna. It sniffed the ground before letting out a vicious, metallic sounding howl (1).
"Whoa…" Sonic let out. "This guy's pulling out all the stops."
"The Egg Cerberus," Omega reported. "Intended as a guard dog for Citadel Robotnik."
Kat blinked. "That thing is a guard dog? That looks more like a vicious killing machine!"
"We've broken dozens like this," Knuckles retorted. "We'll break this one all the same!"
Sonic ran out to face the bot, getting his attention with a whistle. The Egg Cerberus glared down at him as Sonic mockingly clapped his hands.
"Easy, Fido! How about I take you out for a walk?" He turned, slapping his butt mockingly at it. "C'mon, puppy! Let's go!"
The Egg Cerberus howled again. Sonic jumped before spinning into its head, leaving little more than a dent in the armor covering it.
"Of course…" he sighed, annoyed.
Nicole appeared, eyes unfocused as she scanned for any weak points.
"The antenna on its back appears to be a weak spot," she reported. "It's receiving radio signals from the Eggnet to function."
"Can you hijack the signal?" Sally asked.
"Not from here. I need a hardline connection."
"On it!"
Sonic grabbed Nicole's handheld before running after the bot. Much to his surprise, the Egg Cerberus was amazingly fast, easily keeping pace with and ahead of him.
"Damn…" Knuckles cursed. "That thing is quick."
"Yeah!" Charmy chimed in. "Big as he is, he moves like a rabbit!"
"Not as fast as me," Sonic shouted. "Shadow, I need your help to outflank this thing! Everyone else, clear out civilians! Do NOT give it any more victims!"
"I got your back!" Shadow called.
The others got to work getting civilians out of the way as Sonic and Shadow raced after the robot dog. Shadow got in front of it, only for the Egg Cerberus to unleash a loud bark that knocked him off his feet and shattered windows in multiple buildings.
"Super bark…" Sonic muttered. "Should've expected that in a robot mutt."
"It's gonna take more than that to stop us!" Shadow shouted.
The Egg Cerberus reeled back on its haunches before leaping high into the air. Shadow and Sonic narrowly managed to dodge as it came back down with enough force to produce an earthshaking shockwave that cracked the pavement. Seeing his chance, Sonic quickly dashed up its tail toward the antenna.
"Alright, Nicole!" he shouted. "Do your thing!"
"Connecting…"
Shadow pelted the Egg Cerberus with small blue Chaos Spears as it stomped around, Nicole focusing on the connection all the while.
"Any time now!" he shouted.
"I'm connecting as fast as I can!" Nicole shot back. "Just a few more seconds…"
The antenna beeped for a second, and the Egg Cerberus went still. Its head sparked for a few seconds before blowing up and toppling over. Sonic hopped off, giving the bot a mocking salute.
"Bad dog," he said. "Play dead."
"Wait... that worked?!" Knuckles exclaimed.
"Apparently," Sonic replied.
"Self Destruct sequence activated," Nicole pointed out. "I suggest we all step back."
They did so, giving the bot a wide berth as it exploded.
-X-
Later, after assisting in cleanup, the group was in the old science lab at Castle Acorn. The Kintobor Computer was on, scanning the Eggnet as they thought over recent events.
"I just don't get it. Why would Nega do this?" Sally questioned. "Even Eggman has a reason for acts of destruction."
"With all due respect, Princess, perhaps Eggman Nega is a man you and your friends don't fully understand," the Kintobor Computer suggested.
"Scum like him aren't complicated, Julian," Sonic insisted. "Just have to figure out what he's after."
"If only it were that simple," Uncle Chuck said. "I know the type."
He sat down before them, beginning a tale.
"It was during the war, around the time Julian became Warlord. Your father and I were part of a squad in Efrika, transporting a cache of Power Gems with which King Max hoped to use to secure alliances with the various tribes. But the caravans were being raided in the plains near Mazuri by a local bandit. So we went looking for them. But in six months, we never met anybody who traded with him. Eventually, Jules and I found a little boy playing with one of those Power Gems. The bandit had just been throwing them away."
Sonic blinked. "He stole one of the most powerful artifacts on Mobius, and just threw them away? Why nab them in the first place?"
"Because he could, and because he thought it was good sport," the Kintobor Computer replied.
"You see, kids, some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money," Uncle Chuck explained. "They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch the world burn."
"And I think Nega…" Hope began, "he epitomizes that mentality."
"Never have I heard a more apt description," Blaze agreed.
"So he unleashed a killer robot dog on Mobotropolis just for the fun of it?" Amy let out in disbelief.
"How do we stop something like that?" Tails questioned.
"Honestly…" Sonic began, "I don't know if we can."
Author's Note:
(1): Think like the titular monster's howl in the Scooby-Doo: Mystery Incorporated episode "Howl of the Fright Hound."
The plot thickens. And yes, The Dark Knight reference at the end is intentional; it suits Eggman Nega's character perfectly.
You thought I'd forgotten about the Julian Kintobor computer, hadn't you? I just haven't had much reason to show him since Mobotropolis hasn't featured much in chapters, and that's where he's stationed. Also, Gardon features in the games, just FYI; he just appears earlier.
I interpreted the Sol Zone beginning to fuse with Mobius Prime here as similar to the Mortal Kombat and DC Universes merging in Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe. It starts with people from the two worlds being transported to the other, but will spiral into different locals merging together.
Voice cast for this chapter:
* Gardon - Jess Harnell (Wakko from Animaniacs, Dr. Finkelstein in Kingdom Hearts and The Nightmare Before Christmas: Oogie's Revenge, Captain Hero from Drawn Together)
Please R&R. Until next time!