The Robotic Endgame

VI. Sonic the Hedgehog

"I'm sorry," I said, shaking my head as if trying to clear it, "can you, like, say something so I know you're actually Eggman? Because this doesn't make any sense."

"You're in no position to ask any favors from me, rodent," Dr. Eggman said. Okay, so it really was him.

"And see, that's the other thing. You've just successfully captured me for like the maybe third time ever and you're still frowning. Then again, actually, seeing you do a happy dance would be scary."

"That's because I can hear your voice." Eggman turned away, walking towards something. The room we were in was massive, dark, and had a single, giant computer in it. There were a few empty doorways that probably led to other places.

"Come back, you coward!" I ran towards him, forgetting about the robots that had taken me there. They easily grabbed me and pinned me to the ground.

Dr. Eggman said nothing, just typing something on the massive keyboard. "Hey!" I shouted. "At least tell me something: are we still in Mega Man's world? And why do you need me?"

"You're still in no position to ask questions, rat," he said calmly. "But since you seem so truly curious, I'll tell you a few things before I... Ah..." he hesitated, not moving for a minute. "We are indeed in Mega Man's world. How else would I have gotten the robots? I wouldn't make such mediocre creations: the ones that came back are the only worthy ones."

"Mega Man could kick your butt any day!" I roared, pulling against the robots. With the injury in my arm, however, I could only really struggle against the Mega Man copy, who wanted nothing more than to torture and kill me. He was smiling like he relished my failure.

"If you want to believe so," Eggman laughed. "You see, the people of 'Mega Man's' world were ignorant of a powerful source that was emanating from below the surface of the ground."

"What, the core of the planet?" I chuckled. "I don't know too much science, but I know that it's too hot to touch, like me, and-"

"Shut up!" Eggman shouted, running towards me and bending over, looking straight into my eyes. "Like I was saying, a powerful source beneath the ground that nobody - well, except for Albert - knew about. And when-"

"Dr. Wily?" I yelled, trying to scramble away more than ever. This wasn't good. Two evil scientists.

"Yes," Dr. Eggman smiled. "And when he told me what he tried last time you appeared on the planet, which I had no clue about, it gave me an idea. Especially since..." he turned and gestured his hand to his massive control panel for the computer. Then I saw them - the seven, most powerful things in, at least, my world. My arrogance I was trying to hold on to wafted away and was replaced by horror.

"No..." I gasped. When had he gotten them? When I thought about it, my mouth wide open from the shock, I realized that Tails and I hadn't been able to find a single Emerald in weeks, maybe even months. I only stared at them, unaware that I spoke: "How...?"

"I've had them for a long time, Sonic," his voice punched me back into the present. "Albert and I have been planning for a very long time, waiting for this exact moment, Sonic..."

I didn't like the smile that appeared on Eggman's face. I was at his mercy. No matter what I tried, spin-dashing, kicking, punching, headbutting, nothing worked. The robots were heavily stuck to me like glue.

Then my mind suddenly connected the pieces - Eggman was going to test whatever source he found on Mega Man's world and the Chaos Emeralds together on me, like a vessel. "Eggman, that much power..." I shook my head. "You could destroy the entire planet!"

He rubbed his hands together. "We'll just have to find out, hmm? Take him away," he nodded to Tempo.

Tempo grasped one arm in each hand, while Quick Man stood by and the Mega Man Copy grasped me into a choke hold with his elbow. Again, I struggled, harder now that I was aware of the plan, but I could barely move without nearly suffocating. I didn't like it. Maybe whatever Eggman had and the Chaos Emeralds together would make me even more super charged. Or maybe it would kill me. But why did he need to test it at all? Maybe it would all react to each other, and the lunatics wanted to see how that affected a person.