Never had their feet and breaths sounded so loud.
With the exception of Espio, one who had devoted his life to harnessing the powers of stealth and invisibility, the progress of Team 1 could hardly be described as quiet and the infuriating thing was that there was nothing that could be done about it. Their only consolation was that the walls of an old steam-hatch, by which they were entering the facility, were incredibly thick and unlikely to give away their position to those that may or may not be anticipating their arrival. The steam-hatch was an old ventilation system, dusty and rotting with the progression of time, which had once been called upon to extract the pent up steam from the holding room and expel it to prevent rust and mould. Before it was demoted to holding scrap and old familiar faces, the room that Team 1 were heading to was used as for maintenance, a lounge, as it were, for a robot squadron. A robot squadron long discontinued.
It was surprising that there were any robots left for the Sonic Allies, and Team Sonic in particular, had done a marvellous task of sending each rogue bot to whatever purgatory limbo they awaited after being destroyed. The thought that there may yet still be more robots in stasis, dormant until called for, did not sit well.
Voicing this concern, Charmy was the first to add his whispered tones to the echoing steps in the steam-hatch tunnel.
"How many robots has this Ira Robotnik got on call?" he asked.
Orbot, in front, was lighting the way with his blue optics and so did not turn his head to speak.
"Only those that were kept at this facility which amounts to around 30," he replied.
"Just 30?" Vector smiled, daring to hope that they weren't in for too rough a time.
"They're rather large," Orbot warned, "Of course, they weren't as efficiently designed to combat the likes of you back when they were built. Their programming was originally centred around Sonic alone but they will attack anyone perceived as a threat."
"And you're certain that we won't be bumping into any where we're going?" Charmy chanced to ask, aware that though their ally wasn't exactly a threat and had a reputation for leaking information to Team Sonic whenever it deemed it necessary, he was still an Eggman robot and one of his right hand henchmen. Charmy could fool an ignorant bystander into thinking he was still a child but the first thing he had grown out of was his naivety.
Orbot's optics dimmed as a faint glow appeared a few meters in front of him.
"See for yourself..." he murmured, opening the way into the robot storage.
The vast, high-ceiling room, built like an underground library archive, was immense and provided a maze of walkways and rows upon rows of robotic debris. Dust hung heavily in the air and easily clogged the throat if one was to breathe in too deeply.
"What's... What is this?" Knuckles choked, his senses of smell and taste gradually becoming overwhelmed with the stench of rusting metal corpses amid puddles of dried oil and battery discharge fluid.
"The Crypt," Orbot shivered, continuing down one corridor of shattered motorbugs towards the area where previous Eggman henchbots were kept, "It's where all Eggman's robots were put to rust when their time was up. Or, more commonly, where the remains of Sonic's victims were chucked before they could be melted down to make new robots. Those that played important roles are kept preserved. For memories sake, I guess. Cubot and I hate it here so you can trust me when I say that no functioning robot will be finding us here."
Then, of course, they passed by the room at the back, still glowing blue.
Orbot stopped, circuitry fizzing in a way that a heart might skip a beat.
"...Oh..." he remembered.
"What now?" Shadow muttered, eyeing the room as though threatened by it.
"Of course," Orbot squeaked, "there is the issue of one robot that may disturb us..."
No-one needed further clarification.
Not many could truthfully say that they had missed the deranged blue hedgebot and though Amy's warnings had been carefully accepted and considered, they only now seemed to truly hit home. Perhaps there had still been the silent hope that Metal Sonic wasn't involved at all and there had been no need for such worry. Those hopes were sorely dashed.
None, least of all Knuckles, could deny that the holding room was for Metal. It had a certain flair to it that Eggman kept only for his favourite.
"B-But... but he should be more occupied with Sonic for the present," Orbot's quiet voice spoke, betraying his own fear.
Shadow glanced at the red robot with a piercing gaze. "You're sure of that?"
"...It depends how far the two of them have got since our absence."
"Far? What exactly are the two of them doing?"
"Cubot said something about Project Eclipse."
"Project Eclipse?"
"I take it that it has nothing to do with the sun?" Espio grunted with his back to others, always on the lookout for any possible robot zombie out on a little sleep-walk. The darkness of the room made it impossible to know, for certain, what could be lurking out of sight.
"It somehow involves Sonic," Orbot was explaining, in the meantime.
"Of course it does," Shadow huffed, "Everything involves Sonic. Nothing happens on this planet unless Sonic's involved somehow. Centre of his own universe."
"Did yer happen to find out where they're keepin' Sonic?" asked Vector, stepping away and giving a wide berth to a leaking trail of diesel that snaked across the path. It still looked fresh.
"No," Orbot said in answer to the croc's question, moving slowly towards the double doors at the end of the room. "Cubot and I left before his abduction. We only knew how to get you in."
Espio's fingers toyed with a shuriken.
"Then we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way. Stealth and planning," he said, cautiously following.
"Can't be too long," Vector reminded them all, "Team 2 will come in lookin' fer us unless we keep constant contact."
Omega hadn't moved very much. He had rooted his feet and grown silent, taking in all that was around him.
"Holding up okay?" he heard Shadow ask. The black and red hedgehog was at his side, peering up into Omega's eyes with genuine worry for his robotic friend. It was easy to read what it was that Omega was thinking, surrounded by the dead remains of other Eggman robots.
The E-Series let out a whirr and Shadow sighed.
"I know, old friend. I know."
- - - - -
There was an old saying: an animal backed into a corner will fight.
"Comfortable?" Ira asked, as he always did when entering the prison complex and, as usual, received his routine glare from within the only occupied cell. "Even now, you still aren't talking to me?"
Sonic glowered at Ira with all the contempt an Egyptian cat might cast upon a tyrannical pharaoh. His disgust was only amplified by the presence of Metal Sonic, quietly standing in the back.
"According to my brother," Ira remarked, "I should apparently be thankful for small mercies."
His lanky form glided across the floor towards the nearest computer terminal and, with a flick of a switch, suddenly awoke the area in a chorus of humming machinery and buzzing electricity.
"I don't need your voice anyway..." he chuckled darkly, "just sit there quietly. Metal? If you would make him ready?"
Perhaps it was because he had been trapped and confined behind bars too long, had his legs restricted for a day too far, but the time spent of being deprived of freedom was eating away at Sonic so much that he actually shrank back from Metal Sonic's advancing figure.
Was it fear? Was it anxiety? Was it anticipation? Sonic couldn't say.
He simply did not trust himself at the present time to do the sensible thing. Reflecting on this, Sonic gave in to a rueful smile; of course when had he ever done the sensible thing?
So caught up was he in his uncertainty, Sonic had his wrists tethered to the wall along with his ankles before he could properly fathom what it was that Metal had been sent to do.
Now trussed up like a criminal awaiting torture, Sonic deemed the time was right to focus on escape as soon as the next opportunity came up. From his imprisoned stay he had successfully pieced together the motives behind his enemy and was now, in theory, better able to work out a solution to rectify the problem.
In theory.
The added complication of having Tails in the picture was only going to make it more of a challenge - something Sonic wasn't too afraid of.
"Okay," Ira's voice suddenly interrupted him, clearly addressing Metal, "you're dismissed for the time being. Go torment your underlings or something."
Metal Sonic, to Sonic's surprise, did not give a final fleeting glare before he strode from the room which, Sonic hoped, meant that Metal was expecting to see him again. Meaning that Sonic wasn't going to die from whatever was going to happen. Mind you, there were times when death was actually preferable...
"...How much do you know of your family, Sonic?"
The hedgehog, testing his wrist bonds, immediately felt his prickles tighten. This again?
"How much has Ivo told you? Do you even remember them?"
Eggman had been kind enough to tell Sonic a story, that much the hedgehog knew. The reliability and truthfulness of said story had yet to be discovered. Still, the topic of his roots was one that Sonic considered private and so he stuck to the treatment he had given Eggman's brother from the moment of his capture: the silent treatment. Ira barely frowned being so used to Sonic's silence that he had actually come to accept it.
"The funny thing is - you should do, shouldn't you?" he continued, idly turning a dial that caused a groaning noise to grow louder and louder and louder... "That's what's bothering you. You were at an age that you SHOULD remember last seeing your family."
Sonic yanked at his wrists and ankles again, suddenly aware that although he wasn't going to die, Ira clearly had something in mind for that precious energy that Sonic was just so naturally adept at storing in his muscles.
"Now, I wonder why you wouldn't remember..."
A push of a button caused the lights to dim and for a cringe-worthy screech of metal sliding into metal to sound out. Sonic couldn't see where his bonds went to beyond the walls of his cell but now it dawned on him that Metal had probably hooked him up to something terrifyingly scientific.
"Of course, it's my brother's word, and his word alone, that you have to go on, isn't it? I mean, if you can't prove the story for yourself then what CAN you believe?"
The drone of machinery was almost unbearable to a creature so sensitive to sound such as a hedgehog. The scent of fuel and burning electricity was enough to make Sonic's stomach churn but there wasn't anything he could do. Had Ira truly been serious in what he had said?
"Is he going to try and take my energy?"
"Can't trust me...can't trust him..." Ira coiled his cruel fingers around a lever. "What a confusing muddle we land ourselves in, eh?"
Sonic grit his teeth. No, he wasn't going to die from this - but it was going to hurt.
"One thing I am certain of, however, are your Chaos Energy levels," Ira smiled, "It doesn't matter what backstory you make up for yourself, you can always rely on good old Chaos Energy to tell the Fool's Gold from True Gold."
From within Sonic's glassy green eyes shone a moment of disbelief.
"Does he honestly think that Chaos Energy is exclusive? EVERYONE has Chaos Energy in them - we breathe the stuff in for crying out loud!" It was how those such as Tails were able to achieve a Super State. Okay, so they had a time absorbing it to sufficient levels (unlike certain members of the hedgehog species who lapped up Chaos Energy like sponges) but it was still a present source flowing through each and every living thing on the planet. "I just... I just have more of it than the average joe. That's all." It was the first time he had trouble convincing himself. "That's all."
"Between you and your friends..." (Oh so he was acknowledging the others.) "...there's an absolute Goldmine of Chaos Energy to be found - but they'll be time for them later."
"You leave them alone!"
Ira blinked at Sonic and Sonic blinked back. They were alone in the room.
Ira's face actually softened.
"...Really?" he whined, "You choose now to start talking?"
Sonic shut his mouth, fuming with anger. Ira rolled his eyes behind his glasses.
"Typical." His hand then pushed the lever down.
- - - - -
Tails looked up sharply upon the flash of movement passing by in his peripheral vision.
"Where are you going?" he snapped, stopping Eggman's hand as it moved over the key pad that would open the door.
The scientist curled and stretched his lithe fingers.
"I've finished my work," he replied, "Now I'm going to go and sit down somewhere comfortable and read a book."
The fox frowned at him, gripping the screwdriver in his paws tightly as though he were wringing someone's neck.
"That's it?" he scoffed, "What else are you going to do?"
"I might make myself something to eat..."
"What are you going to do, Eggman?" Tails barked sharply. "This isn't the end! You're not going to let your brother do whatever he's going to do, are you? You wouldn't let him."
Eggman spun around and crossed his arms, his moustache twisted up as he smiled. "Why not?"
"Because," Tails told him, "you're not like that."
"And you would know, would you?"
"After a decade of this?" Tails gave a chuckle. "Yeah. Sonic might not be able to remember much about his first encounter with you but I remember MY first encounter. And I've remembered everything you've done since then. You went from sinister tyrant to desperate scientist and now you've been starting to merge them together." Tails stood up from the stool he had been perched on. "I've noticed."
Eggman pursed his lips.
"I'm a desperate, tyrannical, sinister scientist?" he murmured to himself, a delight shining from his aging face. "I believe that's the most heartfelt compliment you've ever given me, Tails."
"Well I could be completely wrong," Tails pointed out, putting the screwdriver down, "Maybe you're not the guy that had his..." he broke off and twitched his ear, "I was going to say 'heart'... but I'm not sure that's scientifically correct." Eggman leant against the wall, amusement now replacing delight. "Maybe you're not the guy that had his entire life set on owning the world. Or are you?"
To that, Eggman gave a cackle.
"You do have a cruel sense of humour, don't you?" he grinned, wiping away an invisible tear behind the lens of his right eye, "Talking about my hopes and dreams when you're one of the poisonous little bullets that shatter them."
Tails looked away with a sneer on his muzzle. Considering the Eggman Empire as a hope and a dream was wrong. It was totally, utterly wrong. But... what Eggman said was true; it was his hope and dream.
"I may not be able to create the Eggman Empire at this rate," the human murmured, "But I have Sonic. And that's just as good."
Tails' paws curled into tight fists.
"Doesn't Ira have Sonic?" he hissed between teeth. It wasn't really a question - it was more a statement.
"Ah!" Eggman chortled, "That's the question. Does he?"
The fox still had his head turned away but he heard the rise and fall of Eggman's feet as he opened the door.
"...Thank you."
Eggman hesitated.
"For what?" he asked, masking his obvious confusion.
A little smile had found its way on Tails' face. He took up his screwdriver and let his fingers dance it around.
"I know what you're doing," he said.
Eggman was going to leave him alone. Leave him unguarded. Leave him to free himself.
The man's lips tightened.
"...Oh please," he sighed, "Don't go getting the idea into your head that I'm on your side."
"So I give you a compliment and you repay me with an insult?" Tails laughed, "Tsk tsk, Eggman. Who has the cruel sense of humour now?"
Eggman gave the fox a single look of fondness.
"You've gotten sharper, Tails," he mused, "Almost as sharp as Sonic's back." He may have hated Sonic, but there was still something about the hedgehog and his compatriots that interested a man of science such as himself. Tails' genius mind, for one example. "Take care of yourself," he bade in farewell, keenly aware that with Tails' escape, he would only have very little time to execute his own arrangements.
- - - - -
Writer's Note:
Just so it's absolutely clear - this is MOSTLY based off Main Game canon. Supporting characters from Sonic X, Sonic Boom, Sonic Underground, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic SatAM and the Sonic Archie Comics are purely to aid the plot where it is needed.
But it's mostly Game Canon.
Someone back on Fanfiction.net privately asked about Sonic's arm colour... My diplomatic answer is to not address the colour of his arms and therefore allow those who prefer peach fur arms to imagine them as peach or for those who are inclined to believe that Sonic's fur has grown blue over his arms through the passage of time to envison that for a more mature looking hedgehog.
Personally, I don't mind. Nor do I care. I like both.