Chapter 7

“And this is Rotor’s workshop.  Don’t open his closet, because it just may be the last thing you do,”
Sally told the others and she and the rest of the Freedom Fighters all enjoyed a small laugh.  Sally was showing the newcomers around Knothole.

"Why?” SEGA-Tails asked.

“I’m…not very organized, you could say,” Rotor answered for himself.

“Well, that’s everything.  We’ll see about providing you with temporary quarters, until we can find a
way for you to get home.  For now, I’m sure Rosie will have lunch ready soon if you’re hungry.”

“Unit E-102 Gamma does not require the ingestion of nutritious edible items.” said Gamma.

“Er, right.” Sally still wasn’t used to having a robot around, after so many years of fighting them.

Just then there was a beep from Nicole, “Incoming transmission from Sir Charles, Sally.”

Sally reached down and picked up Nicole.

“Whoa, cool!  A miniature computer with artificial intelligence!  That so beats my laptop back home.”  SEGA-Tails said in wonder.

Sally blinked at him, before turning her attention back to Nicole.  “Go ahead Sir Charles, what is it?”

*”Sally!  I’m sorry to risk a broadcast like this, but it’s an emergency!  Sonic’s been captured!”*

“WHAT!  How!?”

*”No time to explain!  The roboticizer’s still offline from your raid a few days ago, but it’ll be online in a few hours.  Securities too tight for me to do anything Sally, it’s up to you.”*

Sally shook her head.  “But how?  Every other time we’ve done a rescue like this we’ve always had Sonic to help pull it off!”

There was a cough from behind her, “And what am I, chopped liver?”  SEGA-Sonic said.

Sally stood there looking at him blankly for a moment.

*”Sally, who was that?  It sounded almost like-“* Uncle Chuck started.

“I’ll explain later Sir Charles, but I think we CAN get sonic out of there in time!”  She said before putting Nicole back on her boot.  She then grabbed Sonic by the arm and began running towards the meeting room.  Everyone else following them.

“Come on, we’ve got to teach you everything about Robotropolis that we can in the next half-hour!”

***

Meanwhile SatAM-Sonic was waking up to a major headache.  “Oh man…” he said, sitting up and rubbing his head, “…what hit me?”

“I did.”

Sonic looked up and wished he hadn’t.  He was sitting inside one of the tubes of the roboticizer.  He could see what looked like Snively sticking out from beneath the main control panel as he worked to get the machine working.  The person who had spoken was one of the Metal Sonics, standing only a few feet away from the tube.  The other was standing near the doorway.

“Enjoy your nap hedgehog?” Metal asked.

“Yeah…it was great until I woke up.  So where’s Robuttnik?”  Sonic asked.

“The Doctors are in the control room, throwing a party to celebrate your impending roboticization.  Until then I thought we could talk.”  Metal told him, stepping closer to the tube.

“What about, crome dome?”

“I just wanted to see how similar you are to the Sonic of my world.  You see, my personality was developed using his personality, and I’m curious as to how you measure up.”

Sonic scoffed, “Pfft, yeah right.  If you were really based on me…er, him, Buttnik must not have done a very good job of it.”

“What do you mean hedgehog?” Metal asked, his eyes glowing in anger, he didn’t like hearing insults about his construction.

“If you were anything like me, you wouldn’t be working for someone that makes a blimp look skinny for one thing.  You’d be working to take him down!  And two, you’d know I was just about to do TH- hey what gives?”  He’d reached behind him to grab a power ring, only to find his backpack missing.

“Looking for this?” Metal said, holding up the now dimming power ring.  “A very interesting object, unfortunately its power levels have been dropping steadily since I confiscated it from you.  And yes, there are times when I…question my loyalty to the Doctor.  Though he created me, his tactics and methods have been nothing but ineffective and seem….wrong….in some way that eludes me….”

As he spoke the power ring began to glow just a little brighter.  He didn’t notice, but Sonic did.  Then the ring gave out entirely and vanished.  Metal immediately resumed his angry stare.  “Fascinating…anyways, enjoy your remaining time hedgehog, because soon we’ll both be serving a Dr. Robotnik.”

As Metal turned to leave, Sonic slumped back against the side of the tube.  “Mondo bad situation hedgehog.  Now what’re you supposed to do?”

***

The outskirts of Robotropolis were quiet.  Robotnik had increased security around his headquarters and as a result most of the city’s SWATbots had been called back from all but the vital areas of the city.  Luckily this meant that the freedom fighters could infiltrate the city without any problems.  Unfortunately it also meant that the next part of their mission would be extremely difficult to pull off, as Sally was discovering at the moment.

“I don’t think I’ve EVER seen that many SWATbots in one place before.”  She said as she dropped back down behind the garbage pile they had taken cover behind, a pair of binoculars in her hands.

“Don’t sweat it, I once got into a giant airship that was more heavily guarded than this, with just Knux and Tails.”  SEGA-Sonic said.

“Yeah but Robotnik wasn’t the one in charge of that one.” Knuckles pointed out.

“Put a downer on everything why don’t you Knux,” Sonic said sourly.

“He’s right sugah.  ‘Ol Robotnik’s got the Sugah-hog in there and he’s not gonna let ‘im go…unless we make ‘im.” Bunnie said.

Sally nodded, “Robotnik’s expecting an attack.  If we’re going to get in there we’re going to need a diversion.”

“I have an idea,” SEGA-Tails spoke up.

***

“Oh this is a marvelous day!”  Robotnik said to his counterpart, “In less than an hour the hedgehog will be my servant, and by the end of the week, the rest of those freedom fighters will follow!”

“Yes,” Eggman agreed, “Speaking of these freedom fighters, can we expect any sort of rescue attempt from them?”

“Oh, probably.  If they really had any intelligence they’d be taking advantage of the decreased security elsewhere, but I know better.  They actually care for each other, especially the princess from my observations, so we can probably expect an attempt any time n-“ Robotnik was cut off as a small alarm went off on the control console.  “Now…” he finished then smiled evilly, “with luck we may not even have to find Knothole to capture the rest of them.”

He reached out and hit a button on the console.  One of the three large screens came to life showing a view of the fortress’ main entrance.  But what came up on the screen wasn’t one of the freedom fighters, it wasn’t even a Mobian.  “What is that?” Robotnik asked.

*”Combat mode engaged!”* Gamma’s voice came over the speakers.  Eggman quickly turned to look at the screen.  “It’s that traitor Gamma!” he yelled, “Tell your SWATbots to open fire before-!”  Too late, Gamma swept his target laser over the gathered SWATbots then unleashed a small storm of laser blasts that instantly obliterated about ten of them.  He then turned around, switched to his wheeled mode and sped off.

“All SAWTbots, destroy the intruder!” Robotnik roared, sending the robots chasing after Gamma.  The spy orb they were watching through moved to follow them.  Robotnik turned to his counterpart.  “What was that, and what did you mean by traitor!?” he asked with barely controlled rage.

Eggman took a reflexive step back, momentarily surprised by his counterpart’s temper.  “That was the last of a…failed experiment.  The E-100 series was an attempt of mine to create soldiers that were both powerful and intelligent.  However it seems I gave them too much intelligence and one of them, E-102 Gamma, went rogue and destroyed most of the others.  I thought it had been destroyed shortly after…seems I was wrong.”

On the monitor the SWATbots had just chased Gamma into a dead end alleyway.  “Well Doctor it seems we’ll have a chance to correct the mistake.  Destroy it now!” Robotnik yelled.  The SWATbots raised their arms to fire but before they could something dropped from above to land in front of Gamma.  With a cry of *”Power laser, fire!”* there was a bright flash before the screen dissolved into static as the spy orb was destroyed.  “Now what!?” Robotnik raged.

“The fox boy!” Eggman yelled.

“The child?” Robotnik asked, confused.

“Here in your world, maybe, but in mine his…talent…I begrudgingly admit…rivals mine.  That was his mechanized walker, the cyclone.  Doctor I think your rodents may have joined forces with mine.”

“Obviously…” he said, then something occurred to him.  He punched up the interior camera just in time for the microphones there to pick up the trail end of a sonic boom.  “No!” he growled, “No, not this time rodent!” he switched cameras to the roboticizer room, “SNIVELY!”

There was a squeak and a muffled banging from off screen before Snively rushed into view.  “Y-yes sir?”

“The freedom fighters have infiltrated the base!  How long until the roboticizer is ready?”

“Only a few minutes sir.  I only have to realign the focusing matrix, but the capacitors are charging now.” He said.

“Roboticize the hedgehog as soon as you are ready!  I’ve waited too long for this to miss the chance now!”

“Y-yes sir!” Snively said, before running off again.

“And you two!” Robotnik continued, speaking to the Metal Sonics, “Intercept the freedom fighters before they have a chance to do anything!” he ordered.

“Doctor?” Eggman asked.

“WHAT…er, yes what is it Doctor?” Robotnik said.

“Well, I was just thinking, if the freedom fighters will be distracted here, now would be the perfect time to get the Egg Carrier ready for departure…” Eggman said with a nasty grin, which Robotnik soon returned.

***

“Which way now, Princess?” SEGA-Sonic asked as they made their way through a service tunnel.  The group consisted of him, Sally and Knuckles, as the rest of the freedom fighters were engaged in similar diversions like the one with Gamma.  Sally laughed a moment.  “What?” Sonic asked.

“I’m sorry, its just that my Sonic hasn’t called me princess since we met.” She said.

“If you two are through reminiscing could we get moving, these aren’t exactly light you know,” Knuckles said, adjusting the backpack he was wearing.

“Sorry…Nicole, display map of service tunnels in Robotnik’s headquarters in relation to the roboticizer room.”

“Accessing Sally,” Nicole said, before displaying a holographic map.

Sally studied the map for a minute before she pointed down one tunnel, “That way.”

They had barely started moving again when Sally stopped them, “Did you hear something?”

Sonic and Knuckles looked at each other, “Uh, no.” Sonic said.

“It was probably nothing then,” she said and started to move on when a clawed, metal hand erupted from the floor of the tunnel in front of her, causing her to yell in surprise and fall back.  The hand was quickly joined by another and they ripped a hole out of the tunnel as one of the Metal Sonics climbed his way into the tunnel.

“Surrender freedom fighters!” Metal called out.

“Rrraaagh!” Knuckles cried as he threw himself forward and punched the robot in the head, sending it back down the hole into the corridor beneath them.  He took off the backpack and threw it to Sonic, “I’ll handle him, you two go on!” he said before jumping through after it.

“But-!” Sally started but Sonic cut her off.

“Knux can handle himself, come on!” he said, slinging the backpack over one shoulder and grabbing Sally’s hand with the other, pulling her down the tunnel.

***

SatAM-Sonic was starting to get worried.  Snively was almost done with the roboticizer, he didn’t have a power ring, and there was still no sign of the other freedom fighters ‘ol lard gut said were coming.  “Come on Sal…cutting it close is my gig…” he said to himself, though the strain was apparent even to him.  Then he heard the familiar sound of a vent cover being pried open.  He glanced towards Snively, but he was too busy working to notice.

A panel on the ceiling behind him disappeared into the wall and a second later Sally dropped quietly to the floor.  She glanced at Sonic and put a finger to her lips to silence him.  She looked to Snively, then looked up and gave a thumbs up.  SEGA-Sonic dropped from the tunnel next.  The two Sonics just gaped at each other for a minute, still finding this a little unreal, before Sally nudged SEGA-Sonic and pointed to Snively.  He grinned and gave her a nod before zipping over to the little man.

Snively barely had time to turn at the sound of SEGA-Sonic’s approach before the hedgehog grabbed his nose.  “Hey there Snottily,” he started, shaking his nose as if he were shaking his hand, “Nice to meet you, I’m Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog, but I guess you already knew that.  Say, how bout you and me go for a little spin?”  He then began running in circles around Snively, causing him to spin around and around as if in a miniature tornado, Snively shrieking the whole time.  A few seconds later Sonic stopped running.  Snively spun around a few more times before fainting with a slight moan.

“Good work…Sonic,” Sally told him, “Now push that second lever on the left up.”

SEGA-Sonic did so, releasing the other Sonic from the roboticizer.  He and Sally shared a brief hug before SatAM-Sonic pulled back, looked at his counterpart, then back at Sally and asked, “Is that really what I sound like?”

Sally laughed for a moment, “Come on, let’s get out of here.”

“You’re not going anywhere.”

In the doorway stood the other Metal Sonic, flanked by two SWATbots.  “I figured if I just waited here you’d come right to me.  Now surrender, the doctors would rather see you as robots than dead.  You have 20 seconds.”

SEGA-Sonic reached into his backpack and pulled out the fresh power ring they had gathered before leaving Knothole.  “Sally thought that these might work for me too, but right now you need to take it and get yourselves out.” He said, handing the other Sonic the ring.

“Ten seconds,” Metal said.

“But what about…” Sally began.

“Plan B, Princess,” He said, flipping the top of the backpack up enough to show the light of something else inside.  “Now go!”

SEGA-Sonic stepped forward.  “Sorry, Metal head, but we can’t surrender to you.”

“Oh, and why not?” Metal asked, not liking where this was going.

“Cause you’re about to have your tin plated hides handed to you!” he said, and closed his eyes in concentration.  From out of the backpack, the seven Chaos Emeralds flew up and began circling Sonic.

Metal’s pupils expanded in horror, behind SEGA-Sonic, SatAM-Sonic and Sally stood rooted to the spot in fascination.  She managed to look down at her hand to Nicole just as the other Sonic began to lift off the floor.  “N-Nicole, readings?”

“Immeasurable, Sally.”

“SHOOT HIM!” Metal howled, charging forward himself.  But it was too late, with a blinding flash, the emeralds disappeared, leaving Sonic, his fur a bright gold, his quills turned upwards, and his eyes red, floating there.

He was once again, Super Sonic.

Metal attacked, a clawed hand reaching out to remove Super Sonic’s eyes, but Sonic just slid sideways and grabbed the robot’s arm, spinning him around in a golden whirlwind before letting him go to fly into the roboticizer controls, causing them to explode.  By now the SWATbots had opened fire, but their lasers barely slowed Super Sonic down.  In a flash he had crossed the room and had kicked the head off one bot before they even had time to adjust their aim.  The other had barely started to turn before it received a kick to the chest that sent it backwards against the doorframe hard enough to make it fall apart.

Super Sonic flashed one of his trademark grins before looking to the still motionless Sally and Sonic.  “Well if you two aren’t going to move by yourselves…” he said flying over to swoop down and pick them up, “…all aboard Super Sonic airlines!” he shouted as they flew out the door.

Suddenly there was a jolt as something latched onto the power ring that SatAM-Sonic was still carrying, causing him to reflexively grip it harder.  They looked down to see Metal Sonic gripping the other side of the ring.  “You’re NOT getting away this time!” he shouted.

"No hitchhikers pal!” SatAM-Sonic said, activating the power ring.  Power flowed into him as well into Metal Sonic.  The robot’s eyes went staticcy as the energy overloaded his systems.  His grip on the ring failed and he crashed into the floor, rolled a few feet and lay still.

The three of them flew on.