To Make an Omelet Chapter 2 Draft v1.2

Omletta sat in an office adjacent to the Flying Battery's Sky Deck. The walls were a faded light-purple, and the floor and ceiling were a distractingly bright and metallic yellow. The room was empty save for its sole occupant and necessary equipment.

The #2 ditched her usual getup for something more utilitarian. A white t-shirt with 'LET'S GO DAD' printed in thin red text, shorts, and her work boots. Meanwhile, her dress was tucked away in a drawer under the desk. She piloted the modified Egg Robo, 'Benedict', from her command console and sat at a computer hooked up to her PDA.

Distracting creaks emanated from a standing fan cranked to full blast in the corner, providing some comfort in the stuffy room. It shared the same color as the floor. 'Why's it gotta be so hot up here?’ Omletta thought.

She saw through the modified Egg Robo's eyes on one screen to the left, and the other on the right showed diagnostics about its current condition, jet fuel, and battery life. The screen on the right was larger than the other, a detail that bothered her somewhat. The robot carried a quick-burn incendiary bomb on its back, and wielded an LZ-100 Hand-Canon in its right hand. The firearm was bulky, silver in coloration, and powered by Flicky-sourced Chaos Energy.

The girl grumbled in annoyance, struggling to control Benedict thanks to the shoddy connection. Her inputs and the Egg Robo’s actions had a long enough delay to frustrate and hinder agility. The robot hovered over a verdant jungle with its jetpack, landing on the occasional cliff or treetop to conserve fuel.

Towering palm trees composed the majority of the rainforest, with the floor being largely dominated by shrubbery, grass, and brightly colored exotic plants. There were many orange cliffs and other sharp changes in altitude separating different parts of the jungle, most of which dripped with small waterfalls. From the robot’s view, Omletta spotted several pathways and glades interspersed with the occasional Star Post. Off to the left was Angel Island’s edge, which ended in a sandy beach no longer surrounded by water.

Omletta noticed movement in a nearby clearing located next one of the wider precipices. She made a careful approach and spotted the target lying down in the grass from afar. It was the red echidna himself, Knuckles.

He rested his head upon his white spiked gloves, folded over one another beneath his sharp dreadlocks. He had his purple eyes closed with a smile plastered on his apricot muzzle. He had a smile-shaped streak of white on his chest, though Omletta didn't know if it was war paint or a natural fur color. He donned red boots fitted with thick green collar linings, metallic soles, and six-bolt studded silver plates with a yellow strap beneath each one. His zig-zag tail swished in the grass in rhythm with his breaths.

Omletta wanted to grin, but there was something in the way. Red and white critters crowded all around him, fluttering in the air or resting nearby. ‘Those are probably birds...’ Omletta thought. She cleared her throat and spoke into the headset. “I found him, daddy! But, um...”

The speaker buzzed in her ear. “Is there an issue?” Robotnik asked, coming through patchy and somewhat faint.

The heir nodded as if her father was there to see. “Well, if I drop the bomb now, it’ll-” She said, but Robotnik interjected with a heightened tone.

“What’s that idiot’s current activity? Is he mobile, or is he stationary? Does he know that you’re there?” He asked in rapid succession.

Wincing, Omletta pressed the volume-down button a few times before responding. “He’s lying down and staying still, and he doesn’t know I’m here, but-”

“Laying down, dearest, not lying.” Her father nagged.

She made a face and paused, grabbing her headset and staring off to the side. “...Wait, what? Isn’t it the other way arou-”

“I don’t care, just deal with him already.” Robotnik interrupted again, sounding more agitated by the second.

The heir took a deep breath and maintained composure. “If I drop the bomb now, it will cause a lot of collateral damage. There’s birds all around him- or, at least I think they’re birds...” She explained, squinting at the screen and trailing off.

The Lord scoffed. “So?”

Omletta whined and gripped her chair’s armrests. “I don’t want to hurt the animals...”

Robotnik groaned on the other end. “Omletta, our main threat at the moment are a bunch of animals, so it makes no difference to me. They’re hanging around the enemy, therefore, they are responsible for the consequences of that.”

Omletta’s restlessness grew. “B-But daddy-”

“Enough!” He snapped. His daughter sunk back into her chair. “You have orders. Follow them. Now.”

Omletta felt her face grow hot, and her eyes warm and tingly. She crossed her arms and yelled back. “They don’t know any better! They don’t know anything! Can’t I just-”

Again, Robotnik stopped her. “If that soon-to-be blasted idiot sees you, he’ll know exactly what we’re up to! Do it, and quickly! We don’t have time to argue about this! Follow your orders!” He shouted back.

Thoughts of the Master Emerald in her city’s possession crossed her mind, and the power that would come with it. The lightened workload, the advantage over G.U.N. and the prosperity to her people. Yet, she stayed her hand for a silent moment.

“Are you doing as I’ve commanded?” He asked. The girl wanted to say something, but she couldn’t find the words. “Listen to me, Omletta...” Her father’s voice rumbled low like the growl of a beast, sending a chill up her spine. “If you don’t have the will for sacrifice, let alone for something as measly as a few little birds, we will fail. Do you want that? Do you want to fail? Do you want our blood on your hands because you were unwilling to make the hard choices?”

She hesitated. “No... Of course not...” She unfolded her arms and looked back at the screen. The target didn't move, and she tried to distract herself by looking at the other screen.

“Then do it.” The Lord pushed. "Where do you think the meat in your meals comes from? Do you think it just appears out of thin air?"

Omletta wanted to snarl. Of course it didn't, she thought. Only an idiot wouldn't know that. The girl gave it another thought and knew what he meant in the end. “Okay, okay..." She relented. “I-”

“Excellent.” The Lord changed his tune. “Good hunting, my dearest! Make Robotropolis proud.”

Omletta closed her mouth, already having forgotten what she wanted to say. With uneasy fingers, she typed in a command to prime the bomb, then took direct control of the aim with the mouse. As Benedict prepared to throw, she ran a few mental calculations. ‘Probably... Eight feet horizontal, seventy vertical, twenty pounds... A small underhanded throw will land it right in front of him.’

“I’m about to toss the bomb...” Omletta adjusted Benedict’s throwing posture, then aimed right at her enemy’s feet. She hoped to scare the fauna away before detonation. Once she clicked, the robot primed its payload and swung.

The explosive soared through the air and hit the ground with a dull thud. It bounced once before rolling to a stop at the echidna’s feet. To Omletta’s horror, the birds only seemed flustered rather than alarmed. They scattered into the air before falling back down like leaves. Knuckles sat up, one eyebrow raised as he stared at it.

Omletta turned off her microphone. “No... No no no, fly away! Fly away already!” She shook her head and grabbed at her hair, wide-eyed. "What are you little idiots doing!?" She screamed at the screen.

Just as Knuckles shifted to stand up, the screen turned white with a loud bang. The sudden light stung Omletta's eyes, prompting her to shield them with her arm. The incendiary agent crackled and popped, scorching whatever survived the initial blast. Swarms of birds flapped away from the scene in audible droves, rustling leaves and branches, and crying out in high pitched chirps.

She leaned in and scanned the robot’s view once the brightness died down, only to be greeted with a silent mess. The fire fizzled out and left a hazy plume of smoke in its wake. Silhouettes of tiny, steaming bodies littered the jungle floor, some of which were in multiple pieces.

A lump formed in Omletta’s throat. She cringed at the sight of a bird splattered against the rocky wall, sliding down to the ground and leaving a dark red trail. What looked to be a reddish pink ribbon wrapped around one of the nearby trees. Her diaphragm convulsed.

“...Dearest, are you crying?” Robotnik probed.

“I-I did it!" Omletta strained. "I threw it and got a direct hit!” Her lungs grew heavy around her thumping heart.

"Ohoh my!" The Lord coughed. “A direct hit!? Really? Hahahahahaha!" There was a slight wheeze to his laughter, and he stopped himself right as he ran out of breath. "Finally, now that idiot is out of the way! Eggcellent work, dearest!”

Omletta didn’t respond, focusing on trying to keep it together. She stood to fetch a bottle of water from a half empty 12-pack in the corner. As she strangled the bottle and gulped it down, something caught her eye on the screen and nearly caused her to spit it all out. She closed it with haste and dropped it on the ground, sprinting back into her chair.

Knuckles emerged from the smoke and was seemingly unharmed, save for minor scorch marks on his fur. Omletta retook control and lowered the robot down. She expected her quarry to be dazed, at the very least, and attempted to line up a shot with the Hand-Cannon.

The echidna bore his teeth. Shaking one of his spiked fists, he bellowed in a deep and thunderous voice. “Deceiver!" He called. "You should not have come back here! I am going to find you and put you in your place!” The look in his eyes convinced Omletta that he was no liar. The hairs on the back of her neck straightened.

“Hold on now, uh... I hear something. Is someone there with you?” The Lord asked.

“Th-That’s coming from my headset...” She shivered, raising Benedict to a nearby cliff away from Knuckles’ view. Trying to think of what to do next, Omletta bit down on her left index finger.

Robotnik snorted. “From your headset? Wait, who- wha- is that moron still alive!? You just told me you killed him!” He bayed.

Omletta released her hand and gulped. “Daddy, he...” She wrung her hands as she spoke. “The explosion, it... I- I don’t know how-”

“Spit it out already, come on!” Her father ordered, snapping his fingers into his own PDA’s microphone. Omletta flinched with every snap. “What’s going on out there!?”

“It didn’t work!” She screamed, barely holding back a sob and slamming her fists on the desk. “Daddy, I did everything right and he’s still alive! The bomb landed right at his feet, and he doesn’t even seem hurt! I don’t understand, why is he alive after that!?”

“I should be the one asking you that question!” The Lord spat back with a snarl.

“W-What?” Her voice warbled. “B-But daddy, the explosion was really powerful! I-It k-killed a lot of birds, and it left a big mark!” She squirmed as she spoke. “I can even show you some of the footage, please believe me!”

Robotnik groaned. “Did any rings disperse when you hit him, Omletta? Hmm? Do you think that may explain it!?” He snarked.

Omletta inhaled through her teeth. “N-No! Not at all! I didn’t see a single one, and he actually looks a little burnt so- I-I-I know for a fact that he didn’t have any rings on him! He just... survived!”

The Lord paused. “...Right. I believe you.” He sighed and lowered his voice, and his chair squeaked as he leaned back. “It seems we’ve underestimated him. It’s alright, though. We’ll still get him. Is Benedict damaged at all?”

Omletta looked back up at the screen again. “N-No, it’s- I got it out of the way.” She rested her elbows on the desk and held her face in her hands. “It’s safe...”

“Alright.” Robotnik cleared his throat. “I’m putting in the order for a Flamecraft Raze, and we’re going to initiate Plan B-2.” His chair squealed at him again, likely from sitting back up.

Omletta felt her heart leap. She placed her hands on the table, burning eyes going wide. She shook her head, glaring at the keyboard as if it were a person. “Daddy, no. No!” She looked up. “You-”

“Oh come now, don’t tell me you’re still sour about the first time!” He huffed. “The fire put itself out, remember?”

‘Stop interrupting me...’ She thought, growing more and more agitated. “I remember.” She mumbled with a scowl. “But...” She stood from her chair, sending it rolling away. “I don’t want to! You promised we wouldn’t need to do it again!”

Robotnik moaned. “Yes, yes, I know. However!” He raised his voice. “If your explosive hadn't failed, we would have no need to resort to such drastic measures in the first place!”

Omletta recoiled. She curled her fingers into tight, trembling fists, heat rising within her. After a moment of hesitation, she put her feelings into words. “Daddy, you just said we both underestimated him. Why are you going back to blaming me!?”

“It was your explosive, remember?”

Omletta tore off her headset and smashed it on the desk. She thumbed the disconnect button before the Lord could inquire about the noise. Tears rolled down to her chin, nearly steaming as they passed over her red hot cheeks. Grabbing a tissue from a different drawer, she blew her nose and wiped her eyes. She wiped them again, then again, and again, until she gave up altogether. The girl brought the chair back and sat down, then buried her head in her arms on the desk.

After a moment, the PDA rang from both itself and the headset. Omletta glared at it and let it buzz a few times, hoping her father would give up. After the third call, the girl sighed and picked it up, making sure to hold the headset away from her face.

“Don’t hang up on me like that.” He stated in a flat tone. “I know this is very upsetting, but listen to me. In these trying times, we must do everything we can, even if we don’t like it. I’m only going through with the Flamecraft Raze so we can flush that idiot out, and this will be the last time. Trust me, my sweet egghead, we’re going to get through this and we’re going to win. Just think of how proud your mommy must be in Heaven.”

Omletta put the headset back on. Her mother being mentioned didn’t sit right with her, but she didn’t know why. She took in another deep breath and sighed, though it didn’t make her feel much better. “Okay, daddy...” She replied, volume just above a whisper.

“Good!” He shifted back into his more commanding, authoritative voice. “Now then, get Benedict ready to cut him off at the first checkpoint-... Wait.” As her father paused for a moment, a chill ran up the girl’s spine. “Omletta, you DID remember to set that back up, didn’t you? How about the rest of them?”

‘Oh thank goodness.’ She thought. “Y-Yes, they’re ready!”

“Understood. At the first checkpoint, I’m going to place another Flamecraft, you know, the ‘Fire Breath’ or whatever you nicknamed it. Now get ready to set up at the second checkpoint, and make sure Benedict uses the Egg Scorcher docked in the hangar. We’re trying the waterfall trick again.”

“Again...?” She mumbled.

“Yes, again. Last time the rodent had his mangy little friend to help him. The buffoon, however...” A grin broke out into his voice as he elaborated. “He’s all by himself. Not only that, but he’s slower than Sonic, and he doesn’t know what we already have in store for him. See where I’m going with this?”

Omletta’s tears ceased, allowing her to dry her eyes with her arm. “...Did you make a new plan already?” She asked, suppressing a hiccup.

The Lord huffed. “No. Think about what I said and try again.”

She grimaced and gave herself a moment to think it over. “We already have something in store, but it’s not something new... Are we just doing everything we did for Sonic, but this time for Knuckles?” She asked.

“Eggs-actly!” Robonik chortled. “We still have the element of surprise, but we don’t have to deal with the hassle of making a new plan or inventing new badniks!”

“That-” Omletta pondered her father’s words. The heir retrieved a tissue, blew her nose, and cleaned her face. She then balled it up and banked it off the wall, landing into a little trash bin nearby. “That can work I guess...”

“See, my dearest?” Robotnik cooed. “Daddy knows what he’s doing. This is for the best, I promise you.”

Just as she retook control and moved Benedict back to the Flying Battery, an idea popped into Omletta’s head. “Hey, I’m currently retreating... but um... daddy?”

“Could you speak up please?” He asked. “I can barely hear you.”

She swallowed and took a deep breath, still blinking and wiping away leftover tears. “Let’s... uh... m-make the Flamecraft Raze small and targeted, okay? You can use my badniks to keep track of where he’s at, s-so that way, we don’t burn too much.” She spoke with more energy in her voice, though it took a great deal of effort to force out her plea. Her throat felt raw and dry, and she lacked the ability to breathe through her nose.

Robotnik grunted in response. “Yes yes, I’ll see what I can do. Just focus on the mission. Oh, and by the way, there is something I need to tell you. Grimer and Stone have been pestering me to keep a closer eye on things up there, so I shall join you at the Flying Battery quite soon. I’m already on the way.”

Omletta faltered further. “...You are?”

“Yes, and with how low to the ground I have you flying, that red menace is bound to hitch a ride, so I want to be there to protect you.” Her dad explained.

The girl felt drained and yawned, though she made an effort to make it inaudible. She rested one arm on the desk, and held her forehead with the other. “That makes sense.”

Robotnik continued. “Indeed. If he shows up there, I’ll have you moved to the office located in Launch Base Zone, then back to the Battery after we kick him off it. Make sure your belongings are all ready to go beforehand.”

Omletta hummed in agreement. “Yeah... Hey, if Knuckles hijacks us, you can hold him off with the Hang Mobile to buy me extra time, right...?” She asked. ‘Please say yes...’ She prayed.

“Ugh, that thing?” The Lord replied back. “I still don’t understand what I was thinking when I told you to build that. Why haven’t we scrapped that vomit-inducing hunk of junk yet?”

Omletta couldn’t help but feel wounded. “...Because it was specifically designed to defend the airship from Sonic.” She stated.

“I was being rhetorical.” Robotnik grumbled. “But yes, if it comes to that, I’ll use the Hang Mobile again. It’s just for distraction though, that thing isn’t as lethal as I’d hoped.”

Omletta’s thoughts drifted to security footage capturing the previous incident. “R-Right.” If she never had to hear an old man almost hurl over comms again, it would be too soon.

Her father coughed. “Ahem. Before I’d have you evacuate though, I’d want you to leave Benedict behind. I’ll have it run some automatic commands in the laser prison, which should be enough considering how much of a slowpoke he is.”

“Okay, got it.” Omletta confirmed.

The airship itself came into view on the screen as Benedict rounded a cliff’s corner. It maintained flight via a gargantuan red gas cell, casting a long and dark shadow over the rainforest. A white caricature of her father’s face was emblazoned on the side, grinning tauntingly at all who would oppose Robotropolis or its ruler. The gondola was the same coloration as its internals, yellow and purple, and many magnetically connected propellers on the bottom of the ship kept it balanced.

Flamecrafts departed in unison from the hangar, and cannons fixed to the sides of the Flying Battery launched cargo pods all over the island to deploy badnik reinforcements wherever needed. “The Egg Robo’s gonna make its landing in just a minute.”

“So am I.” The Lord said. “Can you see me?”

“I...” She looked around until she spotted something in the sky. Squinting, she watched it grow bigger and made out more detail as it approached. “Yeah, I see something flying around. Looks like an Egg Mobile.”

“Yes, and I think I can see your location too. Alright, I’m getting off the line. See you in just a minute.” Robotnik abruptly disconnected from the call.

Omletta took off the headset, ensured the call was over, and buried her face in her arms.


Omletta was back in the office after all necessary repairs were made. Benedict sat in an Egg Mobile equipped with a claw attached to a chain, carrying a repaired Mecha Sonic Mk. II. “We’re uh- I’m at the Sky Sanctuary, and I’m setting up the ambush!” The heir relayed, patting her soaked brow with a paper towel.

“Roger that. This may be our last chance, so don’t screw it up!” Robotnik ordered.

She felt her throat constrict. “I won’t!” Doubt yanked at the back of her mind.

“You’d better not.” The Lord threatened. “I have to put out some of your fires with the Board. We’ll talk later. Let me know when that idiot shows up!” He disconnected, leaving Omletta to it.

My fires?” She shook her head and growled. “I’m doing my best here!” She dropped Mecha off behind one of the many mossy pillars and waited for her enemy to appear.

As she waited, she made a quick retreat to the bathroom and grabbed a bottle of water, grumbling all the way. She drafted a message in her PDA announcing Knuckles’ arrival and hovered over the confirmation button. She squinted at the screen, finding it difficult to stare at it for much longer. The stone bricks still reflected much of the sun’s light, even with moss around to absorb some of it.

Omletta shifted Benedict’s view to the right and gazed upon the floating island, slowly but surely falling to the Land of Darkness below. With its power waning, the landmass teetered back and forth. At the rate it dropped, it would incur damage equivalent to a small earthquake upon impact. Judging by its current position, it wouldn’t land too far away from Robotropolis.

Although she grew concerned over the island’s structural integrity, as well as the possibility of neighboring nations getting in the way, she pondered its use as a mobile base. Such a thing could be accomplished, she reasoned, by using some sort of propulsion or other force to guide it. Although, she recognized that the need for the Master Emerald made a plan of that nature too risky.

The artifact in question, a colossal green gemstone with a perfect cut, lay mere meters away. It gleamed with energy and shined as a verdant beacon, visible from who knows how far. In its current state, its height ended at The Lord’s shoulders, and was nearly three times his bodily girth.

Some feet away lay a Warp Elevator. A crimson orb, radiating light, sat upon a pale blue brazier-like structure standing with four legs. Each leg extended up the sides to be a slim section of wall, supporting and keeping in place the rings of cyan encircling the red center. Three golden rings hovered in a vertical row above them. With no other living beings around to collect them and with no time to spare, Omletta bit her tongue and hoped they would not be too much of an advantage to the enemy.

An alert popped up detailing a massive spike in Chaos readings. She put her water down and her headset on, then pulled herself close to the screen. A beam of white, sparkling energy shot up from somewhere below, streaming into the sky. It punched through a passing cloud, displacing it in a circular shape. Having seen Sonic and Tails do this before, Omletta knew what this meant. She sent the drafted message and waited.

A red blur rocketed up from below, riding the light until slowing to a crawl once it was level with the elevator itself. The hazy shape collected the rings and took solid form, revealing it to be the echidna.

As the light flickered away behind him, Knuckles landed on top of the orb and stood up, cracked his namesakes, and flashed an angry, yet anticipating grin. Specks of blood dotted his torn gloves, and the bony spurs protruding from his hands looked dull and weathered. “Automaton!” He boomed above the howling of the wind. “This time, you will not evade my wrath! I will take back what has been stolen, and your deceitful master will regret ever setting foot on my island!”

Omletta sighed. “I’m sorry...” She thought aloud, knowing the echidna couldn’t hear her. “I’m doing this for my home, too- GAH!” The scientist flinched in her seat as Knuckles sprinted towards the Egg Robo, fists forward. Omletta stayed her hand over the keyboard, ready to parry at any moment.

The warrior leaped into the air and raised his right arm, and just as he was mere feet away, Omletta pulled the Egg Mobile up. With the click of a mouse, the claw and chain shot out and snatched her quarry right out of the air. She noted a brief look of surprise on the echidna’s face just before he fell out of view.

Omletta made Benedict take a sharp u-turn and typed as fast as she could, but couldn’t help but pause. She checked, double-checked, and rechecked the claw’s sensors. No movement detected other than his breathing and rapid heartbeat detected. A dreadful pit dropped through her stomach. ‘Did he give up, or is he planning something?’ She asked herself.

Going against the screaming feelings in the back of her head, she finished her inputs and ordered Mecha Sonic to come out of hiding. She brought the enemy over and prayed that his end would be quick and painless, and that she wouldn’t have to witness too much of the mess.

The copycat curled into a ball and rolled underneath the echidna, revving and slicing up the ground below. She looked away and covered her eyes, preparing to hear something nasty. Her eyes shot open as an alarm sounded from the command console instead. The claw’s sensors blared warnings of heavy damage, indicated all the same by the sound of clanking and shrieking metal.

Omletta scrambled to her keyboard and input commands to cancel Mecha’s attack, and to go into automatic combat mode. In her haste she made a typo, returning an error. Before she could rectify her mistake, the robot launched itself upwards. It collided with the Egg Mobile, ripping it and its passenger apart in a horrible cacophony of metallic screeching and tearing. The rattling screen flashed warnings of severe damage, until it turned to static with a bang.

Omletta’s entire body froze, covered in goosebumps. ‘No...’ She thought. ‘No no no, please no...’ She finished typing out Mecha Sonic’s commands and switched to its view. Knuckles greeted her on the screen, dashing forward.

Before Mecha could recover, the enemy punched it in the chest and sent it staggering. He followed up with a left hook, striking the air as the robot ducked down and curled into a sharp ball. The screen went black as it moved, and Omletta’s headset filled with the sounds of metal striking stone. “Did it get him!?” She wondered aloud, leaning in.

Mecha Sonic Mk. II came to a stop and unfurled, and to Omletta’s disappointment, there was no blood anywhere on the screen. It revved its leg wheels and zoomed towards the back with its quills primed. Knuckles sidestepped and parried with a quick right handed strike to the head. A splinter formed in the glass of its eye, distorting the view.

As the fight unfolded from there, the girl snatched her PDA, yanked the headset off, ripped out the cord, and called Robotnik’s number. She bounced in her seat, baring her teeth and gripping the armrest. ‘Please don’t be mad, please don’t be mad...’ She thought. The call connected.

“Sitreeep?” Robotnik inquired in a giddy tone.

“Benedict is down!” Omletta shrilled. “Knu- the- the enemy is engaging Mecha-”

“God damn it!” The Lord barked. “One job! You have one job, and you consistently-”

She tripped over herself. “Wait! M-”

“No! No excuses!” Robotnik snarled with a strained breath. “This is unacce-”

“Daddy, just listen to me!” She shouted. “Mecha Sonic is engaging the enemy, and the Master Emerald is right there! It’s not over yet, so stop acting like it is!” She squeezed her eyes tight and leaned away from the screen, knowing very well that it wouldn’t lower the volume in her headset.

There was a brief pause. Omletta’s heart pounded in her chest, and the sight of Mecha getting nowhere fast only served to grind her nerves further. She grit her teeth and bounced her knee up and down, internally pleading with Robotnik to be reasonable.

“...Right, right... Mecha Sonic... Those repairs got finished after all...” The Lord sighed. “Okay, dearest, but that red menace better not break through its defenses. The least you could- urgh, no, you can’t do anything! You don’t have remote control over Mecha Sonic! What an idiotic oversight!”

“Daddy, just please get reinforcements here!” Omletta begged. “The Flying Battery doesn’t have any more giant ring power! I don’t have enough juice to do anything, and we’re out of badniks! Help me! Please!”

“Ohhh I’ll get you some reinforcements alright, but there’s no promise that they’ll get there in time! For goodness sake dearest, you’re just utterly helpless without me aren’t y-

Omletta ended the call before it could devolve any further and tossed her PDA on the desk. It rang, but she refused to answer. She stood up and walked around the room, running her hands through her hair as it buzzed for her attention. After a few tries, the Lord stopped calling. She knew that if her creation defeated Knuckles, he would be too elated to care about the sudden lack of communication.

From what she saw on the monitor, the robot’s integrity was at sixty-three percent. ‘Daddy was right.’ She thought. It truly was an idiotic oversight to not implement remote control functionality. If she had implemented it, she would have already killed this nuisance. She sat back down, reconnected the headset, and continued to watch the fight unfold whilst she gnawed at her finger.

Knuckles staggered the copycat, hitting it in the chest and knocking it down to the ground. Another warning on the screen came through. Diagnostics reported fifty-six percent integrity. Omletta slammed her fist on her desk and bit down even harder. “Nooo!” She screamed through her teeth. She released her digit from her jaw. “Where’s that backup!?”

Mecha Sonic initiated phase two. It rose to its feet, surging with electricity. “What, not finished yet?” Knuckles taunted, bumping his fists together and keeping his knees bent. The robot’s eye locked onto the Master Emerald behind its quarry and advanced. The echidna stepped out of his enemy’s way, allowing it to get close to the gem. Mecha leaped on top of it and turned around, looking into its enemy’s eyes. It watched his angry grin turn to a brow-furrowed look of confusion.

The copycat placed its hands flat on the emerald and siphoned its power. Its jaw dropped and its cranium rose, revealing its eye to the enemy. It twitched and shuddered and sparked as its energy levels reached maximum, bathing its immediate surroundings in a brilliant yellow glow. The echidna’s shadow cast to his rear and dwarfed just as fast with the robot’s rise. Omletta wiped her forehead and sighed, then snickered as Knuckles backed away, mouth closed and eyes as wide as saucers. “Not so confident now, are you!?” She bragged at the screen.

Mecha’s face snapped shut as it activated its rocket thrusters, rising into the air and hovering. Its jaw dropped back down, and Omletta’s screen turned white as it charged up a bolt of energy. An electric shot rang out, deep in pitch but screaming with static in Omletta’s ears. The battlefield was visible for a moment until it released another shot, then one more.

White faded from the screen, and Omletta witnessed deep, smoldering craters at each point of impact. Moss and overgrowth nearby steamed and withered. Knuckles stood between the three of them, his crimson silhouette still visible within the thick clouds of dust surrounding him. “Ugh, of course he’s still alive after that! I bet he lost a ring or two, though... Right? Please?” She bargained with the display.

Her creation plummeted towards the shaped rock and landed. Confused, Omletta checked the diagnostics to see that the attack had depleted all of the energy taken from the Master Emerald. Its thrusters lacked the energy needed, as did its ocular offenses. “W-Wait, hold on- no!” She stood back up, but held onto her chair to keep it stationary.

Knuckles lunged and struck Mecha Sonic in the side of the head, shaking its view and further dislodging its eye. The robot ducked down and dashed away towards the emerald before the bruiser could strike again, leaping and landing onto its flat top.

As Mecha recharged, the echidna waited with a smirk and crossed arms. Omletta grabbed the PDA and typed in a message. ‘please send it faster!!!’ She looked back to see and hear the metal hedgehog rattle with Chaos and reactivate its thrusters.

Once airborne again, it pushed through the air and circled its prey. Knuckles’ dark outline hid behind him, anticipating the next strike. Mecha curled up and put its closed, golden hands up to its eye, mechanically whining for the briefest moment. With a sound not unlike canonfire and flashing the screen with a burst of white noise, it scattered eight ring-shaped projectiles in all directions. Five of them hurtled into the sky, though two hit the ground and blasted chunks out of the yellow bricks. One caught Knuckles in the leg as he tried to move away, kicking up his foot and sending his face smacking into the ground. The singed overgrowth nearby caught fire.

Omletta jumped up and screamed. “Yes!” The chime of rings dispersing from the impact was music to her ears. She clapped furiously, whooping and cheering. “Let’s go, Mecha! I know you can do this!” Three rings bounced away from him as he got up to his knees. He wiped the blood now pouring from his sweaty nose, turning back and making a break for one of them. He caught it out of the air just as the other two fell away; it sparkled and disappeared as he absorbed it.

Mecha curled back up and loosed another volley. Knuckles rolled away as a circular bullet whizzed by him, blasting away another piece of ground. Omletta stood up and kicked her seat away behind her. “Come on, Mecha! Just hit him again!” She exclaimed at the display.

The robot fell back down to the ground, crunching rubble and burnt moss underfoot. It rose to its feet, and the red menace made a limping charge. It socked Mecha Sonic in the chest, denting its metal and damaging internal components. The diagnostics dropped from thirty-seven percent integrity down to twenty-two percent in a single hit.

The robot fell onto its back and curled into a ball to dash towards the emerald. As it unfurled itself to jump, Knuckles circled around and swung an uppercut to its head. Its jaw broke away with a sharp crack, landing somewhere nearby.

Mecha activated tactical retreat protocols and attempted to skate away, but it tripped over a small crater and clattered to the ground. As it picked itself back up, the echidna appeared up close to the screen and suckerpunched Mecha’s dented head, knocking it around and causing the robot’s whole body to spin once in place. Integrity dropped to thirteen percent.

Omletta slammed her fists on the desk again, screaming at the screen. “Noooo!” Another hit, located at the chest, seven percent integrity. As it stepped back to keep itself from falling, Knuckles followed up with a blow to the other leg, bending it and severing the connections inside. Three percent. It fell to the ground, twitching and popping with electricity from loose wires and broken components.

Knuckles raised his left fist high, then struck the automaton one last time with all his might, punching a hole right through the robot and into the ground. White noise filled the robot’s broken display and covered the video feed in a thick film of interference, though the sight of the echidna’s bloodied face was crystal clear.

The ground beneath the both of them shattered under the force of the bruiser’s fist. While the camera feed pointed skywards, Omletta heard the sound of crumbling earth grow louder and louder. The damaged eye rattled, catching the sight of Knuckles yanking his arm out and darting his eyes around. “Uhh... Uh oh.” He said just before moving out of sight.

In the next moment, the temple grounds gave out and fell away, sending everything hurtling to the Darklands below. Omletta sat back in her chair crossing her fingers and pleading. “Please... please... please...” She hoped the fall would kill the echidna, and that the Master Emerald would somehow survive. She hoped that this would finally be over.

The familiar shape of Sonic’s red bi-plane came into view just as Mecha Sonic began shutting down. It caught both Knuckles and the Master Emerald out of the air, then flew away just as the copycat turned off for good.

What!?” She screamed at the screen and stared at it with wide eyes, shaking her head. “No, that- That’s not possible! No! How!? I-... What...” Her heart grew heavy, her eyes tingled, her lungs shriveled up, and panic crept its way into her mind. “W-What am I going to do...?”

The PDA buzzed on the table. Omletta burst into tears.

...

Projected against the boardroom wall, the recording stopped on the last frame. “As you can see...” Robotnik sighed. “This is... not anyone’s fault other than the hedgehog’s. I realize that now. My apologies, Omletta, I may have gotten a little ahead of myself... Heh...”

Omletta nodded with a degree of hesitation, though she wanted to express much more. Her chest writhed, and her throat barely held back a great force. ‘I told you.’ She repeated in her head. ‘I told you. I told you. I told you.’ She kept her head down and stared at her reflection in her mug, praying for the meeting’s end to come quickly.

The other members of the Board showed varied reactions to what they witnessed. Grimer, with his arm no longer in a cast, tapped his fingers on the table and pursed his lips. “One hedgehog?” He spat from his seat.

“This is getting ridiculous.” The Commander deadpanned, narrowing his eyes, gauntlets laid flat.

“Agreed, not to mention expensive...” The snake added, licking the air and tapping his digits together just below his chin.

“Getting ridiculous?” The Head Scientist slammed his cup down and spilled scalding coffee on his hand with no reaction. “Lord Robotnik, if word of even the first incident in rural South Island gets to the South Island president-”

“We have reason to believe it already has!” Robotnik interrupted him and looked to Omletta. “Dearest, have you been performing reconnaissance on Sonic’s home like I told you to?”

She raised her head and cleared her throat. “Y-Yes... I made sure the badniks had the recording capabilities you wanted, and... um...”

“Come on, spit it out!” Robotnik barked, rolling his hand around in a rapid motion.

Omletta sunk into her seat and continued. “M-May I stand so I can pull up what I’ve found?” She asked, holding up a finger.

The Lord nodded and took a sip from his cup. “Please do.”

The girl stood from her seat, sending a small jolt of pain coursing through her backside. She approached the computer and navigated around, clicked a few icons, turned off the projector for a moment to input her password, and turned it back on.

The data on the screen displayed radio signals coming from coordinates marked as coming from Sonic’s home and South Island Central. “As I was saying...” Grimer continued, looking back at the projection and leaning to the side. “If word gets out about this, which is now clearly the case, then we’ll be laughing stocks.”

“Is that truly your greatest concern, Dr. Wormtongue?” Stone asked. The green man looked back at him and opened his mouth to answer, but the Tactician pressed on. “I hate to say it, but our operational security is compromised. With stealth off the table, we need to choose our next course of action carefully.”

Bokkun sat up. “Yeah and besides, who cares what G.U.N. thinks anyway!? If you wanna have a good reputation with anybody, do it with the people in the city! I gotta tell ‘em that we’re winning, but they’re not gonna believe me forever! If they find out I’m lying about that, they might get really mad!” He exclaimed, arms outstretched to each side.

“Well said.” The Commander concurred. “If the enemy thinks of us as weak, we can still use that to our advantage. The element of surprise does not elude us, rather, it has taken a different shape; and should we mold into it, we may succeed. However, an uprising from the people would put any and all things on hold.”

“It would wreck our economy and leave us open for attack, lest we forget!” The snake shakily hissed. “If the people stop buying, the city won’t function. The city stops functioning, our neighbor will notice and roll right over us while we’re still picking up the pieces.”

The Lord grunted. “It’s not often Bokkun has much to say without wasting our time, which is a welcome surprise at the very least...” He grumbled and pinched his temple. “The question though, is what the hell do we do about this!?” He slapped his hand on the table and raised his other in the air as he finished his thought.

“I propose a targeted assassination.” Grimer said, standing up. “Right now, we’re too focused on the big picture when it’s the little things keeping your plans from coming to fruition!”

‘Little things named Sonic and Tails...’ Omletta thought to herself.

Robotnik scoffed, placing both hands on the table and leaning towards the Head Scientist. “You think this is little? Our plans crashing down and burning because of one mangy, insufferable-!” The Lord’s voice grew with every word.

Omletta’s mind screamed at her to do something, and hoped her next words would bring mercy. “U-Um...!” She interjected. “Sir, I think he might actually, uh... have a point?”

Robotnik turned to her again, but Tactician Stone joined in before their leader could say any more. “I agree with Dr. Grimer and Ms. Omletta. This needs to be addressed before we can move forward.”

The other members of the Board nodded their heads in unanimous agreement. Robotnik sighed. “Very well. While I wish to pursue the Chaos Emeralds so we may initiate a takeover of the Land of the Sky as we’ve discussed, I agree that the pest is too big of an obstacle to ignore.”

“So then.” Logik prompted. “How should we go about this?”

Silence engulfed the room for a moment. Stone looked up, shifting his eyes and bobbing his head around as he thought. Grimer scratched his head and stared off into space, and the Commander remained unmoving. Bokkun put his thumb and pointer finger up to his chin and loudly hummed.

“Stop that.” The Lord ordered. The little bot nodded, furrowing his brow and giving off a sheepish grin. Though he stopped making noise, he put his hand back in the same place.

Omletta visualized Sonic’s island in her mind. One detail that stuck out in particular was the metal structure he lived inside. She remembered being told it was an old world airship, which made sense as its design looked aerodynamic. “I have an idea.” The heir straightened up and adjusted her glasses.

The look on Robotnik’s face brightened by a small, yet noticeable degree. “Yes, dearest?”

“The big uh... you know, that old airship he lives in?” The other members of the Board nodded along, all looking at her and lending the spotlight. “What if we electrocuted them? It’s made out of metal. It would break their computers too.”

“I like your way of thinking.” Robotnik said. “However! That would mean transporting a lot of energy up into enemy territory.”

Stone nodded, adjusting his tie. “Agreed sir, and in a scenario where we have sufficient energy, we still can’t account for countermeasures and safeguards. This plan doesn’t work.”

The Accountant chuckled. “That, and their use of rings would render our efforts a fool’s errand no matter how much electricity we throw at them.” He licked the air. “I’m not signing off on purposeful blackouts no matter the reason, anyway.”

“Yes, we get it. It would mess with your business.” Robotnik grumbled.

The snake’s eye twitched, though he remained fidgety. “It would affect our entire operation, my Lord.” He added, now lowering himself deeper into his mech suit. “At the bare minimum, we need to keep the lights on.”

Omletta deflated, leaning away from the serpent’s general direction. It was worth a shot, she thought, but his choice of words nagged at her. “I-I wouldn’t do anything that would cause a blackout, give me a little credit...” She looked to the Tactician and planned to ask if he had any ideas himself, but the robot spoke first in a groaning cadence.

“Uhh guys? I think you’re missing the most obvious solution ever!” The messenger said, standing in his seat with his hands on his hips. “Just do another island takeover campaign, but do it with Sonic’s Island! Why haven’t we done that already!?”

‘Please lower your voice!’ Omletta begged in her mind, further shrinking her posture. She looked at him and put a finger up to her parted lips.

“Because the Federation is watching and talking to them! Do you not see the screen right there?” The Lord snapped, motioning both arms at the projection on the wall. “No, it needs to be subtle and quiet. The other island campaigns nearly worked because they had no idea!”

“Then send in some Egg Robos like that Benedict thing! Do an invasion that’s small and quiet!” Bokkun retorted with rising volume.

Commander Logik stepped in before Robotnik could respond. “Sonic is much too agile, and much too competent. Contemporary means will fail us in this endeavor.”

“Exactly!” The Lord barked. “Think before you speak, bolt-head! Now sit down, you’re at a meeting, not recess.” Bokkun did as he was told, scowling and grumbling along the way. Omletta bore her teeth and frantically moved her finger in front of her mouth, but the bot ignored her and kept mumbling. Robotnik slammed his fists on the table. “I don’t wanna hear it! Shut up over there!” The robot ceased his vocalizations, but remained outwardly disturbed.

Robotnik sat back in his seat and sighed, leaning the side of his face on his wrist. “Anyhoo, we couldn’t kill him with badniks before and it won’t suddenly start working just because we make minor tweaks to our tactics! This hedgehog is a special case here!”

Omletta tiptoed closer to the table, gulping. “I-I thought of an idea!” She announced. After a moment of silence in the room, it became apparent she had the floor. “It’s hard to catch something as fast as Sonic, right? But... What if uh...” She noticed the muscles in Robotnik’s face tighten, prompting her to speak faster. “W-What if we made him try to catch us instead? Y-Y’know, with bait, or... uh...”

“Or a hostage, perhaps?” Stone concluded, clasping his hands together. Omletta nodded, and so did the Tactician a moment later. “However-”

“Wait.” Robotnik interrupted, the whites of his eyes just barely visible above his glasses. “That... can work! What we need to figure out is who Sonic cares about enough for him to stick his neck out.” He dropped his forehead back down and twisted his mustache. “But if the target is too important, that might draw too much attention...”

“What if that’s exactly our problem?” Grimer said. “We’re too focused on nowhere backwaters like Westside because we’re afraid of direct confrontation. If we took the fight to G.U.N. and-”

“And get our asses handed to us on a silver platter again.” The Lord shot back, lazily resting his cheek on his hand. “We cannot beat them in a direct fight, let alone with our previous capabilities. You suggest suicide, Grimer. Want to tie the noose yourself?”

Omletta nodded in agreement. Grimer averted his gaze and scoffed. “We could remedy that, you know...” He replied in a sour tone.

Robotnik blinked and pushed his glasses up against the bridge of his nose. “And just what do you mean by that, Grimer? Is this about our badniks?”

“That’s certainly a big part of it, yes.” The scientist confirmed with a nod, crossing his arms. “If we do not make adjustments, we’ll lose this war.”

‘Please leave me alone...’ Omletta thought, now balling her hands into fists.

The Lord, however, rolled his eyes behind his glasses and spoke with exasperation. “What’s your problem with our current designs? Can you find it within you to admit even one advantage?”

Grimer paused and thought for a moment. “Logistics, support for our troops, and construction come to mind, obviously, we’re already doing most of that and it’s quite fine. In actual combat, they’re impotent at best.” He scanned the room once before continuing, seeing that all eyes were on him. “Not to mention- they’re so brightly colored you could spot them from orbit. Ambushes are a pipedream unless you’re fighting in some playhouse for - you know - children.” As he spoke that last word, he stared daggers at the heir.

Robotnik followed the doctor’s eyes and saw his daughter shrinking in place and cringing. He looked back at Grimer, noticing how he continued to stare. The Lord stood up from his seat and planted his hands firmly on the table. “Grimer, your attention.”

The scientist blinked. “Yes, my Lord?” He said, looking back at Robotnik.

“Tell me.” Robotnik growled as he dug his fingers into the table and arched his shoulders. His glasses glinted in the light. “What is your surname?”

The wiry man coughed and relaxed his face. “W-Wormtongue, my Lord...?”

Robotnik swerved his head to the side, digging his gaze into him. “You are not asking the question Grimer, I am. Say your last name, and do not say it as if it’s a question again or so help me...”

The green doctor put his arms to the side and leaned into the backrest. “Wormtongue.”

“Indeed.” Robotnik spoke in a low, rumbling snarl. “You see, if you cannot watch your tongue, I will treat it as a worm and use it as fish bait.” He leaned in, speaking louder and enunciating his words. “Are we clear?

Grimer nodded and sighed. “I apologize, my Lord. I lost my composure.” He took in a deep breath with closed eyes, then continued while his window of opportunity was still open. “But please, my Lord, understand that my position on this matter is genuine. W-We cannot continue with the current strategies, let alone attempt a high profile assassination!”

“You mentioned adjustments.” Robotnik repeated in his usual tone. He shifted his posture and stopped to think for a moment. “Stone, you are our Tactician. Any thoughts on the matter?”

“Yes sir.” The small man obliged. “I suggest we integrate our Guard Bots into our primary military force, and increase production.”

The snake sucked the air through his fangs, shaking his head. “No. Guard Bots are much too expensive. Instead, we should use the cheaper Egg Robos and cut down on badniks.”

Stone shrugged, expression unchanging. “Then the Egg Robos. Whatever works.”

“Huh?” The black bot raised his hand. “I thought we called them ‘Benedicts’ now.”

“It’s just a code name for the newest prototype.” Stone continued. “As I was saying, since we;re struggling with recruitment numbers and troop morale, we should prioritize robotics in our forces. We’ll need infantry units equipped for urban environments, and capable of marksmanship.”

“It would keep asset costs low and my trident dry if my men were still a major part of our military.” The Commander flatly stated, looking directly at the man before him.

Stone replied with an eye-lidded smirk. “Of course, Commander. The ECMF is of utmost importance to our cause.”

He narrowed his eyes and leaned in, pressing his armored hands further along the table. He only replied with one word in a hushed whisper. “Indeed.”

“That’s enough, you two. If a squabble is to be had over this again, take it outside.” The Commander backed away, yet continued to stare daggers at Stone. The Tactician replied in kind with a glossy-eyed smile.

The Accountant gave Logik two pats on the shoulder. “Come now.” He whispered. “Not here.” The knight gave the snake a once over and nodded, turning his attention back to the Lord. Stone did the same, but not before huffing through his nose and shaking his head with the same grin still on his face.

Robotnik shook his head as he continued. “Anyway...” He scratched his noggin, humming in deep thought. He turned to Omletta. “Dearest, any thoughts on making some tweaks?”

The heir flinched and came to a quick answer. “S-Sure! That can work!” She chirped. “We can... um... use Egg Robos, or uh... ‘Benedicts’... like mister Stone said...?”

“Hmm... Grimer.” Robotnik called for the green man's attention. “You may let your emotions get the better of you more times than remotely appropriate, but it seems you are still good for something. You sparked productive dialogue. Keep it that way, and you will go far.”

With a shaky smile, Grimer gulped and nodded. “Thank you, my Lord.”

“Indeed. In times like these, discipline is one of the few things we have left. I will not sit idly by as pesky emotions get in the way of that.” As he said this, he shot a glance at the Commander and Tactician, the latter quickly moving his eyes away from the former when observed. The Lord sighed and tsked at them. “Now that we have that out of the way, where were we before?”

“A plan to kill Sonic!” Bokkun cheered.

“Thank you, but settle down.” He dismissed the bot with a wave of the hand. “Now then, if our main obstacle is the hedgehog, who should we capture, and how do we assassinate him when he comes to the hostage’s rescue?” The egg-shaped doctor inquired. Stone perked up and briefly parted his lips, but the Lord turned his attention to his daughter. “Dearest, any thoughts?”

She stood up straight and sharply inhaled through her nose. “U-Um...! I... uh... Well- T-The South Island president?” She flashed an uneasy smile and weakly chuckled. The members of the board murmured among themselves with raised eyebrows and confused expressions.

“The president of South Island... Hm... We do indeed have plans to assassinate him since he is such an important political figure. Besides, those ungrateful Skybounders sure do like that buffoon...” Robotnik mused.

“So they do, huh?” Omletta parroted.

“Haven’t you paid any attention, Omletta? Of course they do, they’ve elected him twice in a row now! You’re smarter than this.” Her father sneered. In the corner, Bokkun chuckled and shook his head.

Omletta ignored the little robot. “S-Sorry... But if they like him, they won’t want any harm to come to him, right? They’ll be scared to do anything and they’ll listen to our demands... right? Can’t we... uh... s-storm the South Island President’s Office and set up a trap for Sonic? We can solve two problems at once like that.” She suggested. The more she talked and thought it through, the more she liked her own idea. “B-Besides, traps that didn’t work on Sonic can still work on... uh... slower things like... um... Knuckles o-or G.U.N. soldiers? T-They’re probably already planning to retaliate, s-so we might as well go all in... right?”

Conversation paused as the board members considered her plan. She ended up with mixed murmurs and wordless, uneasy vocalizations from the crowd. Robotnik, however, showed no reaction.

“My lord.” Logik said. “What do you make of Omletta’s suggestion?”

“Heh... heheh... Ha! Ahah! Ahahahahaha!” Robotnik cackled with increasing intensity. He came forward and swept Omletta off the ground, who reacted with a squeak. “Yes! Yes, Omletta!” He held her up by her armpits and smiled upon her. “That is brilliant! Why didn’t I think of this first!?”

Her shock at the embrace was replaced by giddiness. That swell in her chest returned, and she giggled and laughed alongside him. The tension of the room relaxed, despite The Head Scientist and Accountant both exchanging glances and shaking their heads, the latter with a look of terror in his eyes.

“Oh! Oh! Can I film the ransom video? Pleeeaaassseee?” Bokkun mewled, hands gripping the end of the table.

“That would be your job in the first place.” The Lord deadpanned. “Happy now?”

“Yosh!” The robot pumped his fist and beamed at his master. Seemingly content, he took to smiling in silence.

“Doing something like this-” The snake scoffed and struggled to find his words. “I can’t help but feel as if we would be waking a sleeping giant...” He commented, furrowing his scaly brow and grinding his teeth.

Stone nodded along with the Accountant. “Are you sure about this, my Lord?”

Omletta felt her father’s hands starting to dig into her and squirmed a little. As Robotnik put her back down, he maintained his jovial attitude and spoke just as Grimer opened his mouth. “I’m certain! This meeting is officially over with, everyone. Tomorrow, we will discuss the assassination plan, as well as recovery efforts for what remains of the Death Egg.” He pulled out his PDA and checked the time. “While I would love to discuss this now, it’s best we discuss this further after a good night’s sleep!”

Omletta yawned and rubbed her eyes. “I couldn’t agree more.”


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Pub: 02 Jun 2023 19:00 UTC
Views: 154