To Make an Omelet Chapter 4 Draft v0.6

‘Another day, another meeting.’ Omletta thought as she sat down in her ornate seat and rubbed her eyes. Her usual discomfort wasn’t helped by the soreness incurred from the poor craftsmanship of last night’s bed, nor by the multiple interruptions caused by routine military operations and training drills outside. She struggled not to yawn, still doing so but keeping her mouth closed as tight as possible. ‘Should have just dealt with it and slept in my room...’

The snake took a swig from his fresh cup of coffee, only to spill some down his chin. “Ugh.” He grunted under his breath. Commander Logik produced a handkerchief from a small compartment in his chest. “Thank you.” The Accountant said, wiping himself off and giving it back. “Before we begin...” He started. “Tactician, could you please not brew the coffee so hot? I can already feel my scales starting to peel, and I’m not supposed to molt for another month.”

“I apologize, but I can’t change the brewing temperature without sacrificing its quality. Would you prefer store-bought cold brew in the future?” The small man asked, smiling with his teeth but with a blank look in his half-lidded eyes. “Otherwise, I suggest waiting a few minutes before drinking, or maybe even blowing on it a little.”

The snake blinked and licked the air. “Never mind.”

As she listened to the other Board members, coffee piqued Omletta’s curiosity. She lacked experience with caffeine, though she remembered that it had an energizing effect on those who consumed it. She considered asking for some that wasn’t decaf, but she expected friction due to her age. Non-work related drama was too much for her to willingly endure at the moment, so she made a mental note to ask at a better time.

“A-hem!” Grimer pretended to clear his throat, tapping his fingers on the table. “Are we ready to get started yet?”

Stone smiled and nodded. “I’m ready whenever the Lord is.”

The man in question leaned back, hands clasped together on his stomach. “I’ve been ready, we’re just waiting on the flying nuisance to-” Mid-sentence, the opening door interrupted him.

“Sorry I’m late!” Bokkun called out, waddling over to his seat and closing the entrance behind him. “We’re running out of batteries at the studio. I had to go all over town looking for a new one for one of the radio hosts!”

Omletta made a face. “Huh? Aren’t you supposed to be getting new batteries every week?” She scratched her head, brow furrowed.

“Yup! It was supposed to get refilled last week, but the people in charge of that are a buncha slowpokes I guess.” He said, checking his non-existent fingernails and standing next to his chair.

“Just take your seat already, would you?” Robotnik grumbled. “Great... That’s the third time this month we’ve had shortages...”

Once in his chair, the little bot continued. “So, are you guys gonna fix it, or what? It’s only a matter of time before-”

“We’ll look into it later.” Robotnik said, rapidly twirling his hand around. “We have more important matters to discuss, anyhow.”

“But this is important!” Bokkun countered, leaning forward with his hands gripping the edge of the table.

The Accounted raised a finger to make a comment, but the Lord spoke before he did. “I said not now!” Robotnik said with greater volume, to which the bot sat back down with a frown. Noticing the Accountant retreating his hand, Robotnik groaned and addressed him. “If it’s such a concern, I’ll have you look into it after this meeting is over with. Understood?”

The reptile smiled and nodded. “Of course, my Lord.”

“Anyways, now that we have that out of the way...” Robotnik cleared his throat. “First things first. We’re integrating our new Egg Robo units into our military today, much thanks to Omletta.” He gave her a once over and smiled. She smiled back in kind, though the thought of battery shortages still nipped at her. “However, before we do that, we must do a little... reorganization. Specifically, with the more combat oriented Badniks. We have many different kinds at our disposal, so we must find more uses for them or throw them out entirely.”

“My lord.” The Commander spoke up, lifting a finger. “If I may?” The room’s attention shifted to him.

“Go ahead.” Robotnik said, clasping his hands together on the table.

Logik nodded. “If we are to keep the Badniks among our infantry, I have some suggestions on ones we should keep for specialist roles.” He continued, now holding the air with his hand. “For example, the Buzz Bomber. We have already proven their utilitarian uses with our ongoing Death Egg reclamation project, but their destructive capabilities remain untapped. I say we increase production of these units, and use them for coordinated and precise aerial bombardment.”

“I like that suggestion, Commander.” Stone concurred. “One of our biggest weaknesses is in our air support, or the lack thereof. Buzz Bombers are perfect for hit-and-run tactics, or for softening an area before sending ground units for cleanup. Furthermore, they could provide covering fire during a retreat, or to buy ground units more time to complete an objective, or even destroy certain armored targets on the ground.”

Omletta nodded along to the suggestion, liking where it was going. However, Robotnik had a thought to add. “That is all well and good, but G.U.N. still has air superiority because the Buzz Bombers are too slow.” He put his hand on his chin and paused. “Omletta, didn’t you design some sort of plane-like bird badnik?”

“You mean the Balkiry?” She asked. “It just needs some upgrades...” She looked off to the side, thinking out loud. “Faster jet engines, some kind of firepower...”

“Things they should have had since the beginning.” Robotnik commented. “They’re not good for anything other than reconnaissance, and that’s not enough. I want you to punch those up when you get the chance.”

“Huh?” Omletta raised an eyebrow. “But wasn’t it mainly designed for recon in the first place?”

Robotnik replied with an exasperated sigh. “And then I asked you to repurpose some of them for guarding several checkpoints at the Launch Base, and you did not upgrade them then. I thought you would have.” He replied, twitching the bridge of his nose.

The #2 scratched the back of her head and continued. “Well, I-” She swallowed and stopped for a moment. “I didn’t have enough time, and I didn’t want to waste any resources.” The Accountant nodded with a slow blink.

“What are you talking about?” The Lord asked, raising his voice. The snake jolted and straightened his posture before Robotnik could notice again. “Upgrades aren’t a waste of resources.”

Omletta’s mouth momentarily hung ajar. “T-That’s not what I meant.” She maintained a shrug as she continued, making a conscious effort to maintain a casual demeanor. “I just didn’t want to make a mistake when I didn’t have much material to work with, a-and you didn’t mention making any changes, so-”

“Omletta!” Robotnik snapped, causing her to jump. “Just take the feedback...” He spoke in a strained deadpan, leaning towards her. “...and move on.” The room fell into silence as the two Robotniks stared at each other. “...Am I understood, or must I repeat myself?”

The #2 caught his hot breath in her nostrils and ceased breathing. “Understood, sir...” She muttered, clenching her jaw as hard as she could when her mouth was closed. ‘What an amazing start to this meeting.” Omletta thought, clawing at her soles with her toes. ‘It’s only been a few minutes, and this meeting is already awful.’ She caught Grimer smirking, and imagined an anvil falling upon his head.

“Pfft...” Bokkun snickered from the side, hands placed on his cheeks.

“Do you need to wait outside?” The Lord asked in the same tone, but with a more pronounced snarl. Bokkun recoiled and ceased his teasing, lowering his head and crossing his arms with a pout. Omletta was thankful Robotnik’s anger wasn’t solely aimed at her, though she wished Bokkun would not titillate him.

Robotnik leaned back into his chair and cleared his throat. “Ahem. Anyway.” He straightened his military jacket and coughed into his hand. “Buzz Bombers for raining death from above. Balkiries, with upgrades, for anti-air. Approved. Did you have anything else in mind, Commander?”

“Yes, my lord.” Logik continued as if nothing had happened. “The Grabber; the arachnid Badnik most predominantly deployed at the Chemical Plant Zone. If we deployed those units in urban combat zones, they could prove quite effective. The enemy would expect landmines or something similar, and allies of those trapped within its grasp may also get caught in the blast as they try to free their mates.”

“Approved.” Robotnik huffed. “What else?” He crossed his arms, tapping his right pointer finger on his left bicep.

The knight nodded. “The Orbinauts are perfect for serving as cannon fodder on the front lines.”

“You know what, Commander?” The Lord uncrossed and put his arms down. “I suspect this conversation will get tiring if we list off every single badnik designed by my lovely daughter.”

‘Please don’t mention me. Don’t even talk to me.’ She thought, struggling not to scowl or huff.

Robotnik massaged his temple. “If it has a practical use and isn’t a waste of time, it’s approved. Cannon fodder, transportation, construction, logistics, I don’t care. I trust you all to figure it out yourselves while I focus on the big picture. This Board exists for that exact reason.”

“Understood, my Lord.” The Commander nodded, unphased. Omletta nodded in agreement, but remained silent.

“I believe we’re done with this subject.” Robotnik sighed, seeming to calm down. “Now then, onto new topics-”

“My Lord.” Stone said, quickly.

Robotnik looked at him, face scrunched up. “Stone?” He acknowledged, sounding deflated.

The Tactician looked at Logik, Grimer, and the snake. The Head Scientist looked to the snake, who looked at the Commander, and the Commander looked at a nodding Grimer. With their wordless conversation over, the small man cleared his throat and spoke. “I and other members of the Board discussed a few things yesterday- specifically about what to do about Sonic.”

“Hm?” He raised his eyebrows after a moment. “Oh, you mean Omletta’s plan? What about it?”

Stone swallowed. “We have collectively decided that we can’t support such a high profile kidna-”

“Why not?” Robotnik asked, monotone.

Omletta scanned the room, sensing tension throughout the entire room and opting to stay silent. A part of her wanted to say ‘I was just spitballing.’ However, she expected her father to take issue with that. In her mind, he would accuse her of not taking things seriously. She suppressed another yawn and shifted in her seat.

The Tactician paused and licked his lips. “...My Lord, all I’m saying is that we should consider our options.” As Stone continued, Robotnik grimaced more and more, carrying his face with his hand. “It’s more dangerous than it’s worth. We lack a lot of critical information, and we’re not strong enough to do something like this.”

The Commander intervened just as Robotnik opened his mouth to speak. “They have not declared war on us despite our previous aggression. We must take advantage of their inaction, yes, but by executing this plan we risk everything.” He looked at Omletta, sending a jolt up her spine. “You made the point the day before yesterday, that ‘they will attack us anyway.’ That will eventually be true, but they will respond with much more force and fury if we make an attempt on the South Island President.” He turned back to the rest of the room. “We go after land and resources, we give them reason to push us back...”

“...But if we attack one of their presidents, we give them cause to wipe us out entirely.” The Accountant finished with a dark look in his eyes.

“Alright, fine! If you’re so sure, then do you people have any ideas?” Robotnik asked, motioning his hands out in front of him.

“If you ask me...” Grimer butted in. “I’m not against the idea entirely, we just can’t do it yet. There’s gotta be someone else we can capture. Could be a good excuse for me to run some experiments, anyway.” He said with a crooked smirk. “Imagine the look on the rodent’s face when he sees someone he cares about all cut up on an operating table.”

The snake chuckled. “You couldn’t put a price on that.”

Omletta thought it over. ‘What about Tails?’ She sat up straight and took a deep breath. ‘Or, well, someone who isn’t so close instead. A random civilian maybe? No, that’s too mean...’ With a sigh, she hoped her choice of verbiage would leave her unscathed. “Couldn’t we just... spy on Sonic some more?” Omletta asked, doing her best impression of a smile. “L-Let’s not get hasty...”

“Tch. It was your idea in the first place.” The Lord grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away from the Board.

Omletta wanted to say ‘You thought the idea was so good that you ended the meeting on the spot.’ Instead, she said something different. “I-I know, but not every plan-” She pretended to clear her throat and looked around. “I mean- I was just... um... spitballing?” The girl squeaked, internally cursing at herself. “W-We ended the meeting before anyone else could say anything last time...” She squirmed more and more as she continued, begging herself not to look like a fool, and doing her best to tell the truth without coming off as insulting. “I’m open to more ideas! W-We’re a team after-”

“Yes, yes, I get it already!” Said the Lord. The teeth in his daughter’s mouth audibly clicked together as she snapped her mouth shut. “You don’t magically have all the answers, whatever! We’ll figure it out eventually.” He sighed, tapping all ten digits on the table. “For now, let’s focus on what we do know. Westside Island in particular has been on my mind recently...” The bridge of his nose scrunched up with his next words. “Sonic passed through the Chemical Plant Zone, and I don’t have any reason to think that blue rat left it out of his reports.”

“Meh, I wouldn’t worry about that.” The little robot dismissed. “The United Federation can’t do anything outside their territory, remember?”

“It won’t stay that way forever!” Robotnik countered, riling back up and baring his teeth at the robot. “All they have to do is formally declare war, and they’ll go wherever they want, which is exactly what I’m worried about!”

“Oh.” Bokkun pursed his metallic lips and put his hand back down.

Oh.” Robotnik mocked, staring at him for a moment. Omletta shook her head at the bot, grimacing and putting a finger up to her lips. Bokkun replied by rolling his eyes at her, and the Lord continued with the same level of agitation. “I want to deploy more troops up there in case the enemy gets a wise idea. It’s one of our most important installations, and I’m not taking any chances!”

“I have men available for the position, though their number is finite...” Logik said. Omletta noticed how he carried a hint of hesitance in his otherwise unreadable voice.

“Hmph.” The #1 scratched his cheek. “I’m not against deploying the General Guard there as well, but I don’t want any greenhorns or conscripts up there. I don’t want any of those idiots breaking something, or getting themselves killed.”

Grimer tsked. “I agree. If they come from prison, they may even do so on purpose like the spiteful little worms they are.” He said, crossing his arms and looking off to the side.

“Good point.” The snake added. “But what of Casino Night Zone?” He asked, wriggling in his suit. “We’re still working on extracting the rings from its vaults, and I am worried the Federation may declare war before we’re done...”

Robotnik let out a heavy sigh. “Yes, yes, that’s another object of concern.” He replied, scratching his mustache. “Stone. Any ideas?”

The small man nodded and put a hand up. “Give me a moment.” He twisted his mouth and furrowed his brow, eyes looking up.

‘Where do I get involved in all that? What would I have to do?’ Omletta thought. She wished she had something to add, though she wished not to interrupt the Tactician anyway. Something nipped at the back of her mind, and she didn’t know how to put it in a way that wouldn’t get her yelled at.

Stone cleared his throat and spoke. “In my opinion, our defensive focus needs to be on Westside Island as a whole. Sonic may have disrupted things there, but unlike Rural South Island or Angel Island, we still have a strong foothold on Westside.”

“If I may.” Logik interjected.

Stone stopped mid-breath as if fighting back against inertia. “Uh- yes, Commander?” He asked, blinking rapidly.

“We have an advantage here in the Land of Darkness.” The knight continued, pointing down and tapping the table. “We are accustomed to the harsh environment of the Darklands, whereas those in the Land of the Sky are spoiled by the cleanliness of theirs. I predict they would much sooner annex Westside Island long before they ever set foot down here.” The #2 nodded at the Commander’s words in agreement. She imagined G.U.N. soldiers collapsing in the middle of battle, or Robotropian soldiers using mud to conceal themselves for ambushes.

“That’s true and all...” Robotnik said, nodding and tapping his fingers together. “...but that didn’t stop them from winning last time. Even with all the smog and radiation, they still entered Mobotropolis and dethroned the Acorns in their own throne room.”

“Of course, but let’s not forget that last time, Mobotropolis started and ended with the border wall.” Stone retorted, taking a quick swig from his mug before he continued. “Once we have enough resources, we should grab more Skybound land. They should have a hard time on the front lines if they’re being harassed from every side.”

“True enough...” The Accounted shrugged. “That plan isn’t airtight, though. We’ll always need more resources, and we run the risk of spreading ourselves too thin. While we’re already up there, we should extract as much of their natural resources as possible. More factories, more mines, chemical plants, oil refineries, you get the idea. To get the supplies we need for the moment, though, I suggest stripping the City of Ancient Relics again.”

Robotnik hummed and pulled on his facial hair. “We already scrapped most of the vehicles there, did we not?” He chuckled humorlessly. “What, do you propose we start taking the buildings, too?”

“Yes, actually!” The Accountant confirmed, almost laughing out loud himself. “It’s not like they’re of any use, other than housing the odd criminal or runaway...”

‘Great...’ The #2 thought. ‘Not like I wanted to explore that city or anything...’ Her shoulders dropped and she rubbed her eyes when she thought no one was looking. ‘This day is gonna stink...’

“Some of the buildings might still have some old world tech as well.” Stone added. “Old world computers, electrical wiring, utilities, even miscellaneous items. We can just take anything we need, considering it’s right in our back yard.”

“Heh, heh.” The Lord chortled and relaxed his face. “Alright, I’m sold on that idea. We can get started on that soon. I’m gonna send the order to Metropolis Zone to increase badnik production after this meeting is finished.”

“W-Wait, but what about the environment up there?” Omletta asked. “Isn’t there anything about their environment they can use against us? It’ll be easier for us to breath up there, but... I don’t know...”

“If we are speaking from a place of short-term pragmatism...” The Commander began. “We can make the Land of the Sky resemble the Land of Darkness through pollution and chemical warfare. That way, any environmental advantage they may have would become null and void.”

Omletta cringed at the mere thought. “Um... Yes, short term, but...” She shook her head. “No. The entire reason we’re doing this is because they’re leaving us to suffer down here, right? W-We’ll be just as bad as they are, if not worse, so we can’t do that.”

“Oh please.” Robotnik scoffed. “Of course we can! We’ll just pollute Fed territory and leave everything else alone. Besides, it would be pretty satisfying to give them a dose of their own medicine. They’ll see exactly what they leave us to suffer with.”

“B-But...” She shook her head even harder, practically feeling the cortisol building up within her bloodstream. “It goes against everything we stand for! I don’t wanna be a hypocrite!”

“You won’t be, calm down!” Robotnik snapped. “Unlike those Skybound bastards, we’ll clean up after all is said and done! It wouldn’t be permanent!”

“It’s not like we can make another Land of the Sky on top of that anyway.” Said Grimer, chuckling. “Even if it wouldn’t collapse atop the whole planet, we still do not fully understand how the Land of the Sky came into being in the first place, so all in all we can’t afford to destroy it all anyway.”

“It would be in our best interest to preserve the land’s fertility.” The Accountant added. “We could certainly use the farmland.”

The Lord hummed in agreement. “See, Omletta?” He asked, motioning his hand towards the Accountant and Head Scientist. “Not everything that knocks a tree over is a catastrophe. You worry too much.”

Omletta swallowed and clenched her hands, unconvinced. She lacked an argument that wouldn’t lead the conversation in a circle and opted for the first thing that came to mind. “...Are we gonna clean up the oil refinery on Westside, too?” She asked in a low voice, looking down at her lap.

“Yes, of course we are!” Robotnik took a quick and loud deep breath, now pinching the bridge of his nose. The girl grit her teeth even harder, feeling her father’s anger infect the very air she breathed. “The only reason the water is so oily there is because of an accidental leak, remember? It’s a fire hazard that could ruin the entirety of the installation, for crying out loud.”

“Oil is valuable, too.” The Accountant said. “We lose oil, we lose money.”

Grimer grinned from ear to ear, seeming to attempt eye contact with her. “Do you doubt my ability to create new technology that will speed up the process?” He asked, cocking his head to the side.

“N-No...” She denied, truthfully. ‘But I doubt you’d do it if nobody forced you to...’ She thought, feeling blood flushing her cheeks. She felt as if weight was piling onto her being with every retort from the rest of the Board. At that moment, she thought of something. “What if other Skybound countries get involved? It’s not just the Federation up there. What if we start polluting their lands too? What if we pollute everything, and it ends up becoming too late to clean up anything?” Robotnik planted his face into his palm, groaning.

“Unlikely.” Logik stated. “It was the United Federation and G.U.N. against Mobotropolis in the previous war, and we have no reason to believe they have reached out to any other nations between then and now.”

Robotnik slapped the table with the same hand that touched his face, causing Omletta to recoil. “Not just that, but they are also the largest military force in the Land of the Sky!” The Lord concurred with a snarl in his voice. “Such drastic measures are unnecessary for any other Skybounders! It’s not an issue, so drop it already. It’s a waste of our time.”

Omletta wanted to continue, to ask ‘What if that’s not true? What if we’re underestimating the rest of the Land of the Sky? What if someone like Sonic goes around, rallying all the Skybound nations to band together for a common goal?’ However, she doubted her ability to get through to any of them, and didn’t know what stance she could hold that wouldn’t get shot down.

With sweat beginning to drip down the side of her face, the girl looked at the rest of the Board to see all eyes planted on both her and the Lord. Robotnik himself vibrated with energy, veins pulsating. Stone’s expression remained as it always did, smile and all. The snake seemed unamused, eyes half-lidded as he flicked his tongue. The Commander was still as a statue, unchanging. Grimer sat upright, smirking, pleased with himself and looking right at her as she squirmed.

Bokkun, however, shook his head. “Hold on, guys!” He exclaimed. The room’s attention shifted to him as he held his hand up again. “Our people wouldn’t know that we’d clean everything up unless we told ‘em! They’d say the same exact stuff Omletta’s saying!”

“I swear, if we have to linger on this for a second longer...” Robotnik growled. “Then we just don’t tell them! It’s not like they’d even know the difference, so problem solved! Let’s move on!” Omletta shrunk into her seat and almost put her hands over her ears before she stopped herself.

“My Lord...” Stone said, reaching a hand towards Robotnik’s shoulder. “Please, let’s calm down a little. Even if we disagree, Omletta and Bokkun’s concerns are valid.”

The Lord looked at him, then down at the hand touching him. “Tactician, this is something Omletta harps on constantly while we’re up there.” He said, near-instantly bringing his voice down and shooing Stone away. As the Tactician retracted his arm, Robotnik continued. “It may be new to you, but it’s old to me. I’m tired of talking about the sanctity of our enemy’s home.”

“I understand, my Lord.” The small man said. “But if it’s new to the rest of us, isn’t it worth bringing up anyway?”

The Lord raised a finger and opened his mouth, but he paused. “...I... I suppose you’re right.” He cleared his throat and adjusted his posture. “However, I still want to move on. We all seem to be in agreement, yes?” Everyone except for Omletta and Bokkun nodded. Noticing the outliers, one of his cheeks twitched. “...The majority does, anyway, so the matter’s settled.”

‘Thank you, Stone...’ Omletta thought. She looked at the door on the other side of the room, counting the amount of steps it would take for her to reach it. She wouldn’t dare leave now, fully aware she was merely looking for distractions.

Before the meeting could continue, the #2 felt her pocket buzzing, followed by a loud alert beeping from her PDA. “What the-” Robotnik frowned at her and sighed. “Check that, would you? It sounds important.”

“U-Uh, right away.” She pulled it out and turned it on. “It’s...” She looked closer at the screen, and her eyelids went skyward. “Um, speaking of my Balkiries earlier, they found something- a Death Egg fragment!”

“A Death Egg fragment!?” The Lord nearly jumped out of his seat, leaning towards his daughter. “Ohoho HO! Where, where?”

Omletta pointed at the projector in the corner. “Would you like me to-”

“Yes!” The Lord said with a wide grin stretching from ear to ear. “I want to know all about this!”

The young scientist nodded and stood up from her chair. She walked around the table and pulled out the projector, pulled the screen down, and connected her PDA for the former. It took a moment, and once it was ready, she pulled up the surveillance report for all to see.

The projector displayed a map of Skybound territory located just above Robotropolis. Only mere miles away from the nearest gap in the ground was a Death Egg crash site marked with a large red circle, and just outside the known Federation border. “That’s right above us.” Omletta said, stepping back.

“Huh, that’s convenient!” Bokkun commented.

“Indeed it is!” Robotnik cheered. “Omletta, quick question.” He said, turning to face her.

She met his gaze. “Y-Yeah?”

“Can your ‘Magnet Buzzers’ or whatever you called them haul the spider machine thing up there?” The Lord asked, rubbing his hands together.

“I think so...” She confirmed, stifling a sigh. “I’d just have to calculate the mass of the Arach Mobile, and the force each Magneto Buzzer exerts with their thrusters...” She thought it over for a brief moment, but knew she did not have much time for doubt when things were going so well. “B-But uh... y-yeah, I can make something work!”

“Good, gooood, I don’t doubt that!” The #1 continued. “Last question.” Omletta nodded, hoping it would be easy to answer. “How easily can a soldier pilot it?”

“...Uh...” Omletta froze and felt her heart grow heavy. ‘No no no, come on...’ She thought. ‘Don’t ask that!’

A blank stare replaced Robotnik’s grin. “What’s the issue, too complicated?” He asked in a neutral tone.

“It’s um...” Omletta struggled to get the words out, panicking on the inside. ‘Please don’t get mad, please don’t get mad, please don’t get mad!’ She thought. “The cockpit’s too small, o-only I or someone a little taller can drive it.”

The Lord continued to stare at her. “...The ‘cockpit?’ You mean to tell me it’s not an Egg Mobile capable of ejecting in case the rest of it gets destroyed?” Omletta remained silent, only continuing to scream on the inside. Robotnik lowered and shook his head. “You’ve got to be kidding me, dearest. Have you learned nothing of what I’ve taught you?”

“W-W-Well, it’s just a prototype is all.” She squeaked. “I-I can work on it some more! A-All I gotta do is replace the head, and-”

“No time!” Robotnik barked, slapping the table and causing the girl to recoil. “If it’s right next to the enemy, they might just think it’s a good idea to plunder it! We have to grab it as soon as possible, so you have to go up there!”

Omletta gulped. “N-... Not by myself, right...?” She choked out.

“No, of course not by yourself.” He groaned. “Don’t be silly, you’ll have plenty of help. In fact, I think now is the perfect opportunity for a trial run for Egg Robo integration into our military!” Pulling out his own PDA and frantically tapping at it, he continued. “Commander, Omletta, I want you both present for a briefing with our troops that I’m scheduling right this moment. After this meeting is finished, you’re gonna go there and handle it.”

“Yes my lord.” The Commander nodded.

The Lord briefly looked up at his daughter. “I’m gonna have them give you an earpiece so I can look after you and help with the speech if needed.” Omletta nodded, prompting Robotnik to back down and return to his plans on the PDA.

Tactician Stone cleared his throat and leaned forward. “Sir. I have a concern.”

Robotnik sighed and looked up from his device. “Yes yes, what is it? Make it quick.”

Stone swallowed. “If we are spotted at the edge of their territory, they may see it as an act of aggression. If we’re going to make such a risky play, someone as important as Omletta would do better to stay where she’s better defended.”

“Puh-lease!” Bokkun replied, to which Stone nearly scowled at him. “They didn’t do anything when we attacked Rural South Island, and that was right next to one of their capitals! They’re a buncha babies, so who cares if it’s next to the border? It’s not like it’s the kidnapping idea.”

Commander Logik nodded. “I concur with the Civil Servant, Tactician. We must move forward.” He leaned forward, narrowing his eyes. “As for my own concern, I fear that the hedgehog may make an appearance.”

Omletta shivered. “Y-Yeah, what if Sonic showed up? Y-Y’know, at the crash site. He’s uh... working with South Island, if not the entire Federation, so...” She trailed off, pushing her pointer fingers together to mask how heavily her heart palpitated.

“Good point...” Robotnik grumbled, wiping his forehead and going back to his PDA. “They may have gotten wise and weaponized that blue rat by now.”

“Feh, he’ll be out of his element.” Grimer replied, arms folded and leaning into his seat. “The most he’s gone up against are badniks. We’re planning on sending several people up there with automatic weapons, and that giant spider will make for ample distraction. If you ask me, he’s doomed if he shows up.”

“Oh!” Bokkun leaped up and stood in his seat. “In that case, lemme go up there so I can get footage of Sonic dying!” He giggled and pumped his fists up and down below his chin. “Ooohhhhh, that’d be so awesome! Our new cartoon would be real, and maybe we can even broadcast it to the Land of the Sky to rub it in, and-!”

“Quit that, your chittering is hell on the ears!” The Head Scientist spat. “You don’t even know if you’re going up there or not!”

“Bleh!” Bokkun replied by sticking his tongue out. Omletta buried her face in her hands, hoping he would do as he was told. “I got good ideas and you know it! You just don’t wanna hear ‘em!” He said, sitting back down.

“Just shut it already!” Robotnik snorted. “You were saying, Grimer?”

“Thank you, my Lord.” The wiry man coughed into his wrinkled hand. “This could be our big break, but... unfortunately, I have my own hangups about this.”

“Ugh, what now, Wormtongue?” Robotnik asked with a whining cadence, ceasing his typing but still not looking up.

“If Omletta is to go up there with troops by her side, will she have any oversight?” Grimer asked, one eye lidded. “The Land of the Sky will largely block out any radio signal, so communication will be difficult. By the time we get a request for reinforcements, she might already be dead or captured.”

Robotnik and Omletta both flinched at the word ‘dead’; the former looked up at him. “The men we send up there with her will be her oversight, Grimer. As for the signal, that is already taken care of.” He placed his PDA on the table and folded his hands together. “We can use specialized badniks or Egg Robos to route an indirect signal around the natural barriers above us. It’s a non-issue.”

The Tactician nodded. “Good workaround, but how do we know that our men can guarantee her safety?” He asked. “It’s not like she’s had any combat training.”

‘I know...’ Omletta thought, wondering what being shot felt like. She knew it must be agony, but didn’t know to what extent and hoped it wouldn’t happen. She thought back to the Arach Mobile’s cockpit, feeling as if she wouldn’t have had to wonder if she used an Egg Mobile for it instead.

“Agreed.” Said the Accountant. “It's one thing to single-handedly pull a crashed space station back into orbit, but it’s another thing entirely to kill a man. Should we not train her before we-”

“This is her training!” Robotnik barked. Omletta and the snake both jolted away from the Lord as he continued. “We don’t have time to put her into boot camp, nor do we have time to teach anyone else how to pilot the one-of-a-kind spider vehicle!” He closed his eyes for a moment, then lowered his voice and went back to typing into his device. “She is going up there, and that is final. We have no other choice. Besides, she’ll learn quicker through a trial by fire, if anything. Most of you didn’t have any ‘real’ training before we all seized the throne, so it’s a moot point.”

The snake leaned forward to speak. “Y-Yes, that is true, not all of us are seasoned combat veterans like our Commander...” He admitted, motioning towards the knight in question. “But of course, there’s still a great wisdom and maturity gap. Does she even know what death looks like? Can she even handle it yet?”

Robotnik scoffed, not looking up from his screen. “Feh. She’s already seen death.”

“Are we counting the deaths of Skybound rodents, or Skybound agents?” Grimer retorted. “Take it from me...” He continued with a deep giddiness in his voice. “It is a very different experience to experiment on an animal than it is to experiment on something that can beg for its life.”

“For the love of-” Robotnik sent his PDA clattering to the center of the table. “All of you, quit imagining her wearing combat gear and taking potshots across a field with a rifle!” He spat at the room. “Start imagining her blowing the enemy away with the heavily armored spider machine while flanked on all sides by friendlies! She will be fine!” Grimer leaned back, sheepishly smiling and holding his hands up.

Stone finished his coffee and set it down. “We don’t mean to disrespect, my Lord.” He said, smacking his lips. “We’re just concerned for her safety is all. In all the times she’s been up there before, she was guarded by you, an army of badniks, and many other obstacles. If she’s up there in the spider vehicle and some friendlies, she lacks the protections I just mentioned.”

“I will ensure she has multiple of my most elite units by her side. They will keep her safe.” Logik interjected. “My lord, truthfully I agree with you on one hand, but on the other I must agree with the others as well. After we have rebuilt enough of our strength, I suggest we allocate time and resources to training her in our respective fields. She will succeed you one day, will she not?”

“Yes, yes she will.” The Lord sighed, reaching over and taking his device back. “Perhaps she should have some sort of training. If she does that, she’ll grow up to be smarter and better than all of us combined...” He looked at her. “...and we can start with the upcoming briefing.”

Grimer shook his head, closing his eyes and putting one hand up. “There’s still a problem.” He looked at the little heir as if addressing her and put his hand down. “Omletta outranks everyone except for the Lord, and our men will look to her for answers.” He looked back at Robotnik. “They can’t be her oversight because she is the oversight. What do we do about that?”

The Lord grumbled, looking up from his device again and baring his teeth. “Omletta will never learn anything if we have her on a leash at all times. With the close proximity to Robotropolis, this is the perfect balance of safety and danger. The mission has lower stakes, but it’s dangerous enough for her to focus and not dilly dally.”

The Head Scientist sighed. “I understand, but forgive me if I still remain skeptical. We’ve been burned by underestimating the enemy before.” He looked at her, sized her up, and addressed her. “I hope you know what you’re doing, and not just for your own sake.”

Omletta looked back up at him and gulped. ‘I should have made it use an Egg Mobile...’ She repeated in her head. ‘What was I thinking? Am I really that stupid?’ She looked down at the floor, one hand crushing her other arm’s wrist at the small of her back. The room felt smaller than it usually did.

“Again, we took this city without training.” Robotnik growled. “Omletta can handle some asset recovery. She. Will. Be. Fine.” He said, slowly raising his shoulders and speaking through his teeth. “What part of ‘that is final’ do you not understand?

“S-Sorry, Lord.” Grimer leaned back in his chair, looking down at the table. “I understand.”

“Anyways...” Robotnik cleared his throat.

Omletta took a deep, shaky breath. All this talk of going topside and her unreadiness for the mission weighed heavily on her mind, and the prospect of talking in front of a crowd did little to calm her nerves. She stayed silent as she turned the projector off and disconnected her PDA. The Commander noticed her unease and addressed her. “If I may, Ms. Omletta?”

She barely looked up at him. “Mmhm?”

“I have decades of experience dealing with large groups of soldiers and ruffians alike. If Dr. Robotnik sees it fit, I shall do most of the talking during our briefing.” The knight assured her.

“Yes, you’ll just be there to explain the technical aspects that the Commander cannot.” Robotnik elaborated, putting his PDA away and sighing. “Don’t worry about it, dearest. You’ll have to talk to plenty of large groups in the future, so just consider this homework.”

The heir gulped and nodded. “Y-Yes, sir. But... um...”

Robotnik’s grin dropped with an irritated sigh. “What now?”

‘Please don’t get mad.’ She thought. “W-Will they take me seriously...?” She asked, moving her gaze downwards.

“They have to.” The Commander confirmed. “If they do not, they will answer to me.”

“Not to mention they will incur my wrath as well, dearest.” The Lord added, resting his elbows on the table. “If they don’t take you seriously, they don’t take their own Commander seriously. If they don’t take the Commander seriously, they don’t take me seriously, nor Robotropolis as a whole.” He leaned forward, his eyes just visible above his glasses and looking directly at Omletta’s with an emotionless stare. “Don’t worry about it and do your job, understand?” Getting the feeling it was an order and not a reassurance, Omletta straightened up and nodded. Robotnik leaned back and his smile returned. “Good.” Omletta returned to her seat without another word, feeling as if she was going to jump out of her skin.

“So then, sir.” Stone chimed in. “Do you have training regimens in mind? For our men, I mean.”

“Actually, that is what we shall discuss...” He pulled out his PDA again and checked the time. “...for the remainder of this meeting. If we conclude the topic before expected, we can move on to our assassination plans. If not, we’ll take what we’ve agreed upon and send Logik and Omletta on their way.”

...

The Commander piloted an Egg-Mobile towards Starlight Zone with the windshield down, letting his fuzzy helmet plume flow freely in the wind whilst Omletta sat in a sidecar. On the way, she stared at the pause screen of a little game she programmed into her PDA. She considered playing more, but it didn’t do much to distract her racing mind. She turned it off and let it fall to the floorboard. Her knee bounced in place and she fidgeted around with her hands, restless and wanting to do something, anything other than staying still or playing.

In one moment, she thought of her bed. In another, she imagined the Arach Mobile running out of power in the middle of enemy territory. Next, she thought of G.U.N. soldiers shooting at her, and getting blown away or into clouds of ash with the Arach Mobile’s canon. After that, bullets shattering the window, ripping through her chest, and cracking her skull open. She thought of Sonic pulling her out of her defeated mech, throwing her to the ground, and smashing her ribcage as he ran her over. Her mind’s eye witnessed a Federation interrogator with an electric cattle prod in a dark room. She thought of her bed again, and how soft it was.

Her mind shifted to what may happen once she got back to Starlight. Jeers and confused looks, someone yelling ‘Hey, that’s just a kid!’ from the crowd, soldiers not understanding her techno-babble and getting themselves killed later. She didn’t have a script and didn’t know what she was going to say when the time came. Her eyes started to dart around, looking for something to focus on, looking for a solution to her problems only to find an egg-shaped cage surrounded by wasted land.

The PDA buzzed, pulling Omletta out of her head. “What the-” To her surprise, she saw Logik’s number flash on the screen. She looked to the side to see him holding his device in front of his helmet and the windshield up, prompting her to reach down and answer.

“Fancy a chat, fair lady?” He greeted.

“...Fair lady?” She croaked. “I’m uh... not used to being called something so... um...”

“Does it bother you?” Logik asked. “I will address you however you prefer.”

Omletta hesitated before speaking. “It’s okay I guess, but... I dunno, it feels weird. People on the board usually just say my name.”

“I have met the offspring of many important men, but none that could rival such men themselves in intellect and skill.” Logik continued. “You are vital, and not solely because you are our leader’s flesh and blood. That commands respect, if you were to ask me personally.”

Omletta lowered her head, smiling and feeling heat rise in her cheeks. “T-Thank you, Commander...”

“Of course, fair lady.” He replied.

Omletta considered hanging up during the moment of silence that passed, but a question came to mind. “Commander?” She beckoned.

“Yes?” Logik answered.

“Uh... Personal question maybe, but...” Omletta scratched the back of her neck. “I was wondering... Does everyone only call you ‘Commander’ or is that just during work?”

The Commander chuckled. “I am never not working, fair lady. However, some do indeed call me by my name, although the proper way of saying it is ‘Sir Logik’.”

The girl nodded. “Right, but that’s just your surname, isn’t it? Does anyone call you by your first?” She asked.

“Rarely.” Commander Logik stated. “My forename is relegated to the lips of those I trust the most. That does not say much, I will admit, as I do not trust very many.”

“Huh...” Omletta hummed. “Forename?”

“Forename means ‘first name,’ fair lady.” The knight said.

“Oh, I see.” Said the heir. ‘That’s silly.’ She thought. ‘A name is just a name. Besides, doesn’t he trust me? If so, why don’t I know his first name?’ She didn’t push it, as Logik’s tone may have indicated he did not want to elaborate further. “So then... Um... Is it okay to ask where you’re from? I was told you come from far away, but I wasn’t told where.”

“Of course, fair lady. I hail from Eurish, located across the Darklandian sea.” He answered. “Did you know many of the Accountant’s people come from there as well?”

“No, I didn’t...” She paused for a moment, remembering what she knew of snakes and trying to understand. “Wait, if he’s from ‘Eurish’ then what is he doing in Robotropolis?” She asked.

The Commander hummed before he answered. “Believe it or not, this is not the first time I have conducted business on this side of the sea. On a number of my expeditions to this continent, they stowed away on our boats and aircraft, then spread from there once we landed. In Eurish, snakes such as him are considered vermin.”

“Vermin?” Omletta grew concerned. “You mean... Did they get exterminated a lot, even though they’re still people?”

“Vermin is a strong word. Not my own; I care not for tribalistic squabbles based on one’s species. Do not be concerned for the Accountant and his people in Robotropolis on my account, as I have no strong feelings one way or the other. All I care about is if they have utility.” Commander Logik explained in a neutral tone.

“W-Well, there’s a lot of snakes in the General Guard, right? So I guess they’re already pretty useful.” Omletta thought aloud.

“Indeed. If there is any quality I will attribute to those such as the Accountant, it would be tenacity. They used to be tribals, if you did not already know. Unsurprising, given their natural lack of limbs. I find their progress impressive.” Logik noted.

“...Do you have a ‘people’ Commander?” Omletta asked.

“My organization is my people.” He replied. “Otherwise, I am an eternal outlier.”

Omletta pursed her lips, trying again to read his voice. She thought she may have struck a nerve due to the emphasis of his words. “Sore subject?”

“No, it is merely a matter of fact.” He stated, voice flat. “I am not so homebound as our Lord may be. I am driven by business, not an arbitrary place of origin or tribe predetermined for me.”

The Commander’s words gave Omletta pause. She looked back out to the darkness and decay outside her sidecar, thinking. “...What happens if Lord Robotnik can’t pay you anymore, or... if something else happens with your agreement?”

“Then I shall move on, as would my men.” Logik said, slowly. “Your father knows this well.”

The young heir took a deep breath, having expected him to sugarcoat his answer. “That’s fair...”

“We are getting close to our destination.” The Commander warned. “Have your mask ready.”

Omletta looked forwards and saw the flashing lights cutting through a thick layer of black smog. The air carried a sickly green hue as the light bounced off of green-painted steel. She remembered how her father ranted and raved about the toxic fumes in the air somehow not suffocating Sonic when he passed through, although it puzzled her as well; she couldn’t blame her father for his confused enragement. Scaffolding from unfinished old world developments reached for the Skybound floor’s twinkling crystals, sparkling and twinkling as small blue-ish dots across a fake sky.

The girl reached into a small glove compartment and retrieved a gas mask laying atop the registration paperwork. Next to it, the earpiece her father mentioned at the meeting. As she prepared to don the equipment, her mind grew curious. “Hey uh, Commander? If we don’t plan to warp Sonic to Starlight Zone for another ambush, why haven’t we cleaned it up any more than we already have?” She asked.

“Our Lord takes issue with the fact that routine maintenance and cleanup prevented the rodent’s demise.” Logik said, sounding as if struggling not to groan. “I now must put in lengthy requests, of which he still has not answered thus far. We have managed, however. The gas masks for our military are well within our budget.”

While Omletta listened, she placed her tiara in the glove box and untangled the mess of plastic straps in the filtration mask. “It’s a little hard to breathe in these things, though.” She huffed. “That, and the rubber pulls at my hair...”

“I do not envy my lack of need for a mask myself. Although, there is a silver lining at the very least.” He mused. “We may fight in verdant, clean Skybound locales in the future, but our environment down here has reinforced us, made us tougher; we are resilient to even the harshest of conditions. The pampered Guard of the old city before Robotropolis had no such training.”

“I guess that makes sense?” She stared at the mask, still unexcited to put it on.

“If you were to ask me, I would say it’s no wonder they fell to the Skybound people, then our Lord thereafter.” Logik slowed down and drove towards a runway highlighted with flashing lights on the ground. “It seems our history lesson must come to a close.”

She sighed, having wanted to ask what combat was like so she may have an idea. “Alright, I’m gonna hang up now. I’ll see you in just a sec.” Omletta stopped the call and pulled the mask over her face, wincing and grunting as it nipped at and squashed her hair. Commander Logik stepped out and walked around to the sidecar door, waiting for Omletta to be ready. Once she had the earpiece in and turned it on, she gave the go ahead with a thumbs up. Logik opened the door for her, lending his cold hand. Omletta nodded and stepped out with his assistance.

To their left and many yards away was a massive green warehouse repurposed as a garage, filled with Egg Mobiles, trucks, and deactivated badniks. To the right was an unfinished three story brick and mortar building behind a gate. It stood in front of a large expanse of dirt, where more buildings and other signs of civilization were now recycled for new purposes.

A large gate guarded it, watched over by Clucker badniks manning large turrets and several armed Guardsmen in recently erected watchtowers. A metal staircase zig-zagging up the side of the building led as far up as the second floor, with the third being a mishmash of rebar, cracked concrete, and rotten wooden boards. Several laborers and technicians came and went with AV equipment, beverages, and paperwork through its entrances and exits. From around the corner, Omletta saw lots of movement. ‘Just homework...’ She reassured herself. ‘Just homework. Right.’

They walked together towards two masked Rank: #8 Guardsmen. Both were snakes in the same man-sized mechs as the Accountant, but with the lack of his white stripes and orange buttons. They were uniformed much alike the rest of the Guard, having the same armored shoulder pads, same belt, same boots, same red visor, and the same sidearm holster as their four-limbed counterparts. Their helmets, lower torso, and down the shins in an expanding stripe were a lighter gray, and their helmet spike was duller, wider, and a deep dark red. Each had a rifle magnetically attached to their backs as opposed to a sling, with the grip and trigger accessible from their right-hand side. The snakes saluted both Omletta and Logik, and led them through.

As they all marched towards the building, Omletta looked up at the twinkling crystals again, miles above her head. The sight gave her comfort and made her wonder about the world above, up close unobscured by the grain of a command console display. She wondered if the night sky looked much different than the rocky ceiling, or if she would have a chance to see it soon.

As they approached the door, a dull yellow light casted itself on the door just as a tall human member of Logik’s Eurish Commissioned Military Force stepped out, holding a clipboard. His goggle-shaped visor faintly flickered as he made eye contact with the Commander. He stood up straight, brushing the top of the doorframe with the smaller and dark yellow plume atop his helmet. Aside from his helmet and the yellow ‘ECMF’ above his Rank: #14 badge, he and others like him were cosmetically similar to the General Guard.

The yellow-eyed mercenary greeted the young Engineer and Commander, beckoning them to come inside. “Sir. Ma’am.” He greeted them with a brief salute as he ushered them in, then scribbled something on his clipboard. The two Board members walked past a small group of administrative personnel in plain shirts and dark ties working at computers, and technicians overseeing AV equipment meant to be used in the announcement.

Another commissioned mercenary descended the stairs and leaned down to see past the ceiling. Once he saw his superiors, he descended faster and came to a screeching halt in front of them, donning a Rank: #15 badge and saluting. “Sir, ma’am. Please, follow me.”

‘Seems like he’s in a hurry.’ Omletta thought while adjusting her mask.

The CM led the Board members back up the stairs. Once they reached the top, they approached a door with ‘STAGE’ painted in a blocky, utilitarian font on the wall next to it. The greenhorn moved past them down the stairs, off to fulfill another duty.

Omletta opened and slowly peeked around the door to see two microphones standing on a platform, each approximately at shoulder level with Logik and Omletta. As the Commander pushed farther before Omletta was prepared, she saw how the stage towered above rows upon rows of soldiers. Many stood up front, some sat in bleachers towards the back, others in salvaged all-terrain trucks, and a handful in parked Egg Mobiles. It was a sea of red and yellow eyes, many of them looking right up at the #2. Most of the men standing or in trucks were low in Rank, while those with the gray colorations and higher standing were seated in Egg Mobiles and the driver’s seats of other vehicles.

Omletta reminded herself that all she had was bullet points and unorganized trivia. ‘I’m not qualified for this.’ She told herself. The soldier from before closed the door behind them, after which Omletta’s heart began to pound in her chest. ‘No no, it’s okay, I can do this, I can do this...’ She thought. ‘I can do this!’

The Guardsmen in the crowd were of varying species. Most of them were animalfolk mainly composed of predator subspecies, such as wolves, foxes, snakes, dogs, badgers, and others. The majority of the human troops stood out from the rest as belonging to Commander Logik’s Eurish Commissioned Military Force.

Before the announcements began, the young heir’s earpiece buzzed. She accepted the call with a now trembling hand, hearing her father’s voice and classical music blaring in the background. “Hello? Omletta, is this thing working? Can you hear me?” His voice was scratchy and a little distant, but perfectly understandable.

Omletta turned her head away. “Loud and clear, sir...” She dreaded the sounds she heard. “Is that your ‘thinking music’?”

“Yes, it is!” He greeted in a jovial manner, which Omletta hoped would last. “Now, did you and the Commander make it to the Starlight Zone?” He asked.

‘He must be in his room.’ Shethought as she looked back down at the awaiting men below. “Yes, we’re- uh... just about to start in just a minute...”

Robotnik sighed. The girl heard something made of aluminum crinkle in her ear before he continued. “Are you still nervous, dearest?” He asked, followed by the sound of a hollow metallic impact with a hard surface.

“I don’t have a script!” She half-whispered. “I don’t know what to say!”

“Come now, we’ve been over this.” Robotnik sighed. “All you have to do is explain the parts pertaining to the Egg Robos. Don’t worry so much, alright? I know you got this.” The crack and hiss of pressurized metal containing liquid was heard as he spoke.

“O-Okay, yes sir.” The #2 mumbled.

Omletta raised her hand to disconnect the call, but Robotnik kept going. “Oh, and keep me on the line. I need to be able to talk to you if you get stage fright- and uh- another thing, I sent Bokkun after you two with a camera so we can run a news story.”

‘Oh, of course you did...’ She thought. “Is that entirely necessary?” She asked, dreading the thought of a potential failure being caught on film, and by the Civil Servant of all people. If she screwed up here, she thought he’d never let her live it down. “I mean, I’m sure Bokkun has other things he needs to do, and Starlight Zone is a little far awa- GAH!”

“Hellooo~!” Bokkun hollered, rising from beneath the platform. “Didja miss me!?” Omletta swatted at the flying robot shoving a camera in her face, but he managed to dodge and make some space. As he hovered back down with his jetpack, he chortled with his fingers cheekily placed on his chin.

“Don’t do that!” Omletta snapped.

“Ohohoh, speak of the devil and he shall appear!” Robotnik guffawed. He quieted down when he heard Omletta growl in frustration. “Don’t worry about him. So, the reason we’re doing this news story now is because there’s only so many acid rain death tolls we can report before people start blaming us. We need something fresh on TV.”

“D-Don’t you think there might be a Skybounder agent or two watching, or maybe even listening to the radio here?” Omletta cautioned, although the thought of being on camera, let alone in front of a crowd, worried her more. “I don’t think we should broadcast this.”

“Don’t worry about it, we’re on an encrypted channel.” Robotnik reassured. “We’re not going to get eavesdropped.”

Omletta cleared her throat and paused. “...O-Okay, but um-”

“The soldiers are waaaiiitiiinnng!” Bokkun mewled, turning the camera down to capture the crowd below.

Omletta flinched at him and growled. ‘Annoying jerk.’ She thought.

“He’s right... for once.” Robotnik pressed. “Let’s get this started already.”

“Alright, alright...” The girl said, looking up at the knight. He nodded and stepped forward and grabbed his microphone. He gave it a few taps to ensure that it worked, which could be heard as booms from the speakers. Now confident in the AV equipment, he began to speak. “Attention, General Guard and employees.” The men all focused upon him, allowing him to continue. “We are gathered here today to make an important announcement.” He looked back at Omletta, who still stood back. He nudged his head, signaling for her to approach.

Omletta came forward and gave her own microphone a tap, though Logik stopped her from doing any more. “It works.” He whispered. Logik looked back out to the crowd and cleared his throat when he noticed many of the General Guard were still preoccupied with themselves. “Attention!” He repeated, louder. The soldiers all stood upright and looked up at the platform. “With me here is our Chief Robotics Engineer, Omletta Robotnik. During this announcement, we shall discuss additions and reforms to the Robotropolis military. As you may know, we primarily use robotics for operations outside of Robotropolis jurisdiction. However, this is not enough and we are making some changes. We will be integrating robotics into the military, including but not limited to Badniks, Guard Bots, and Egg Robos.” He paused for effect. Many soldiers among the crowd looked at each other, some seeming energized, others staying still.

The #2 heard approximately half of what the Commander said, staring off into space until she realized she wasn’t paying attention. She blinked, swallowed, straightened up, and cleared her throat away from the microphone. ‘Pay attention.’ She thought to herself.

The rows of men whispered and fidgeted in their seats, though Bokkun focused his camera on the Commander and Omletta. “I will address a concern I know some of you may have.” Logik continued. “Robotics will not replace our military. Rather, you will work in tandem with robotics, covering each other’s weaknesses and bolstering each other’s strengths.”

The door behind them opened, and multiple Egg Robos marched out and stood side by side with Logik and Omletta, each holding a rifle that stood upon their palm and leaned against their shoulder. “What the-?” The #2 said below her breath, turning her head around. ‘I wasn’t told about this...’

They stomped on the ground once, then saluted the soldiers before them. “These Egg Robos will be the primary units you will be working with.” The Commander announced. “Ms. Robotnik, care to elaborate on how they function?”

Omletta whipped her head back around and swallowed again, wide-eyed. She stepped forward and grabbed the microphone, struggling for a moment to find the proper words. “Th-... The Egg Robos aren’t mechanically... uh... much different than badniks... They s-still require a living power source, such as an animal... H-However, they are equipped to t-traverse urban a-a-and rural environments, and they- they have jetpacks so they can fly for short periods... and... um...” She sheepishly chuckled. She was about to apologize for her inexperience with talking in front of large groups, but her father stopped her.

“Omletta.” Robotnik spoke through the device in her ear. “Get it together. Tell them about-”

Startled, the little engineer held up a finger as her train of thought came to a halt. “E-E-Excuse me for a moment.”

“Ohhh goodness gracious little one, what are you doing...?” He groaned. “Don’t walk away, you have an announcement to give!”

Omletta trembled, heart surging adrenaline throughout her body. “S-S-Sir please, I’m trying to think!” She whisper-shouted, turning her back away from the crowd. Commander Logik stood idly by, showing no reaction.

“Don’t overthink it, just tell them about their armor, and their applicability as bodyshields.” Robotnik puffed. “Something actually useful to know- they- they don’t care ‘how they work’ is what I’m trying to say. They just need to know what the Egg Robos will do for them. Don’t share info that’s only important to the people building them for crying out loud, it’s a waste of time.”

‘Everything’s a waste of time. ‘Omletta thought, grinding her teeth together. “I w-w-was g-getting to tha-”

“Then do it already.” Her father huffed.

Omletta clenched her free hand into a fist. “Why are you getting so angry?” She growled under her breath.

“I’m not getting angry!” The Lord spat. “Just-” He took a breath before continuing. “Look, fine, give it a moment if you need to, just get it together.”

The heir sighed and took a deep breath. “O-Okay, okay... I will.” She took multiple deep breaths and walked back to her microphone. “Ahem...” She swallowed her fear and tried again. “T-The Egg Robos have g-good armor, and can be great shields to t-take cover behind, e-especially because they don’t feel pain!” She internally panicked, hoping the obviousness of her comment wouldn’t further infuriate her father. “W-We also p-plan to equip a lot of th-them with me-medical s-s-supplies... They c-can be low-risk field medics t-that won’t need to worry about g-getting shot at, and won’t feel any f-f-fear that might s-stop them from d-doing their job...!”

“Goodness, you’re just stuttering all over the place. I can barely understand you.” Robotnik nagged. Omletta grit her teeth and held the microphone stand tighter as her father kept talking. “Now tell them, what unique abilities and features do they come with that the soldiers don’t have?”

“They...! They uh-” The girl swallowed again, feeling something hot churn inside her. “They are equipped with e-enhanced sensors, l-like infrared and ni-night vision, a-and they h-have comms b-built into their systems, are h-have AI c-capable of t-t-taking verbal commands...!” Omletta sputtered. She tried to keep it together, but all she could think of was Robotnik growing angrier with every verbal misstep.

Commander Logik leaned forward. “The Egg Robos are essentially super-soldiers, but lack self-awareness. They will be vital assets to you on the battlefield. Alongside them, you will also be joined by our Badniks.”

“R-Right... Badniks l-like the Moto-Bug, w-which c-c-can-”

“Omletta, please, stop stuttering so much. Take a deep breath.” Robotnik ordered with a growl to his voice. She stopped for a moment, feeling her lungs constrict. She clenched her eyes and gripped the microphone stand as hard as she possibly could to a painful extent, feeling the wriggling heat flash throughout her frayed nerves like electricity. “Omletta?”

The #2 ripped the earpiece away from her head and disconnected it, then shoved it into her pocket. “A-A-Apologies for the interruption, everyone!” She said, attempting to shove her father out of her thoughts, but failing. ‘He’s going to be so mad, why did I- No, I had to, he wouldn’t let me speak. Come on, focus, focus!’ She took another breath. “A-As I was saying about badniks, the uh- Moto-Bug, i-it has a compartment inside of it capable of... transporting ammunition, s-stuff like MRE’s, m-medical supplies, and... uh... more. Et cetera.”

“For air support, we have Buzz Bombers and Balkiry fighter jet units that can rain death from above and harass Skybound air units respectively.” Logik said. “We have Newtron chameleon units that can change their color to match their environment to not only surprise the enemy, but to conceal supply caches and other objects of value.”

Omletta gave the Commander a once over. ‘I didn’t even think of that. Did he think of that just now?’ Just as she was about to follow up, the earpiece buzzed in her pocket. She attempted to ignore it, but it proved too distracting for her to formulate a proper sentence.

After a moment of silence, Logik continued. “We have lots of aquatic badniks that can be used to take down things like enemy naval vessels. During your upcoming training, you’ll get to know all of the ones I mentioned, and more.”

The device went silent, and stayed that way for mere seconds before buzzing again. ‘Please stop...’ She thought; she considered pulling it out and discarding it, but didn’t want to be seen doing so, especially after she didn’t attempt to conceal herself putting it away.

“We have organized training regimens, which have already been sent to your commanding officers.” Logik elaborated, uninterrupted. “There will be upcoming missions utilizing robotic units, therefore, cooperation with robotic units is top priority. Ensure that you adjust accordingly.”

“W-Was there anything else we needed to go over?” She whispered, looking to her silvery ally whilst she prodded her memories for more pertinent information.

Logik met her eyes. “No, fair lady, that is everything.” He looked back out to his men and spoke. “That is all. Dismissed.” The men all saluted in unison and held their position for a brief moment, then began to strap up and head out. Some to the barracks, some to the hangar, some to the mess hall, and others to destinations unknown to the #2.

While putting the cover back onto his camera, Bokkun hovered back down. “Nice speech, guys! I got all of that! You’re gonna look real good in the media with a little bit of movie magic, lemme tell you what!”

“T-Thanks I guess...” Omletta absent-mindedly said, looking at her feet. “I’m going to regret asking this...” She started before looking back at the robot. “...but are you going to hitch a ride with us, or are you going to make your own way back to Robotropolis?”

Bokkun smiled at her. “Naaaahh! I got plenty of fuel left! Thanks for the invitation though!”

“It wasn’t an invitation...” Omletta grumbled under her breath as she made her way to the door.

“Before we depart...” The Commander started, to which his little superior stopped and responded with a quizzical look. “Is there something you need to take care of?” He asked.

“...Uh-” The PDA rang, interrupting and startling her. “J-Jeeze!” She sputtered, pulling it out and seeing the Lord’s number. She let out a heavy sigh, clenching her eyes and jaw. ‘Don’t be a jerk, don’t be a jerk...’ She internally begged, looking at the two other Board members. “Bokkun, go ahead and uh... start flying back. Now.”

“Aye aye, Omletta!” The robot cheered, doing a somersault in the air before speeding off into the sky.

The girl shook her head, then turned to the Commander. “A moment of privacy, please?” She asked. He nodded in response and walked through the door without her. She closed it, took a deep breath, and held the PDA with both hands. Just as she went to answer it, it stopped ringing. She bumped the back of her head against the door and slid down until she was sitting. ‘Dang it...’ It rang again after a moment, but even then she hesitated. After waiting for another few seconds, she answered it and held it a few inches away from her ear.

“Omletta.” Her father’s voice came out in a low rumble. “I don’t even know where to begin with you. That was an absolute disaster.”

‘It was.’ She agreed, but didn’t say so, anticipating a rant to follow.

“You mind telling me why you cut me off?” He inquired, which Omletta didn’t answer right away. “Well? I asked you a question!” He suddenly yelled, prompting her to pull the PDA farther from her face. “Have something, anything to say in defense of your insubordination! Really, I want to hear it in your own words what could have possibly excused that!”

“Can you please stop yelling...?” Omletta asked, not putting much force behind her voice. She began struggling to breathe through the mask.

Robotnik scoffed. “Do you think you have any right to tell me how to react?” He barked. “First off, you can’t put a sentence together without a million ‘ums’ and ‘uhs’, and you sound like you don’t have any confidence!”

Omletta chuckled mirthlessly under her breath, smiling without joy as she ground the back of her head into the door. “I-It’s not a lack of confid-”

“Not only that!” The Lord continued. “But you cut off your one and only superior! You may be able to order around or disregard anyone else, but not me! Not only am I your boss, I am your father! You do not hang up on me like that, especially not during such a critical moment! I’m tired of you doing it!”

‘I wouldn’t need to if you weren’t so horrible.’ She thought, grabbing at her face covering in an attempt to pinch the bridge of her nose. ‘I can’t stand you when you’re angry.’ Her eyes tingled, growing moist and warm.

“Now, I’m still waiting on an explanation!” Robotnik recalled with a snarl. “What is your excuse?”

“I-I couldn’t focus.” Omletta forced out. “You just kept talking, and talking...” She sniffled and took a shuddering deep breath.

“You lack discipline.” Robotnik growled. “Are you gonna break down in the middle of the battlefield? You think Sonic will just leave you be if you look sad enough, or do you think he’d rather roll right over you? Turn you in, maybe? Hold you for ransom?”

The girl’s vision blurred to the point of near-blindness. “I’m not gonna-” She bit down hard on her bottom lip. “No, I’m not-” Her other hand snatched a handful of red hair. “I-It’s different w-when we’re fighting-” She stopped herself, remembering how she’s never faced Sonic face-to-face herself. “I-I’ll be fine! I’m just sick of you being mean!” She blurted out. Once she realized what she said, she cringed and curled up into a tight ball.

“...Excuse me, young lady?” Robotnik replied in a low tone.

Omletta couldn’t stop herself from speaking further. The words came out and dug her deeper and deeper into her hole. “You’re mean, and you never let me just... handle something! It all just has to be perfect for you!” She raised her voice. “You’re the one who isn’t confident in me!”

Robotnik matched his volume with hers. “Omletta, after you are finished here, you and I are going to have a lengthy chat about your repeated outbursts and insubordinations!”

The heir’s eyes narrowly opened. “Outbursts-?”

“I get nervous too, Omletta!” Robotnik roared. “We all do! Logik! Grimer! Stone! The snake in the banker’s chair! All of us, even the goddamn rustbucket with the camera! Being a grownup is stressful, big shocker isn’t it!?”

She huffed through her teeth, feeling her frayed nerves burn throughout her entire body. “S-Sir-”

“But this!? Coming from you again!? Omletta, I-” Robotnik let out a barely restrained mix between a moan and a roar. “You and I are not peers! Again, I am not only your commanding officer, but I am also your father!”

“You keep saying that as if it means anything...” Omletta grumbled.

“I-...” He stopped in his tracks and made a forceful chortle. “Ohohoh... Excuse me?”

“I said...” Omletta clenched her jaw and felt something hot and heavy return to her chest. “You keep saying that as if it means anything!” The feedback from the microphone hissed back at her, and her breathing hitched in her throat. “I don’t care if you’re my daddy or commanding whatever, if I was your mommy instead, then I would be nice to you instead of being mean!”

“You would be exactly like me in my situation!” Robotnik bellowed. “Exactly like me, you ungrateful- you really, truly think I’m mean!? Really, now!?” Something slammed in the background. “I made you my second in command the moment I knew you had a knack for robotics like I do! I could have made you work for everything! I could have excluded you, but no, I actively choose to include you despite your constant failings because I love you and want the best for you, but you just can’t see that!” Robotnik’s words rang hollow to her, but he just kept going. “All you want is to draw your pretty little pictures and laze around when our entire city is at stake- oh, but I’m the one who needs a stern talking to! Right! Because you are the one who built Robotropolis and put everything together, aren’t you!? No, wait, that was actually me! Me, Omletta!”

“I’m the one who built our Badnik army!” Omletta snapped, pushing up with her legs and sliding up the door until she was standing.

“And they failed!” The Lord spat back. “Time, and time again! Rural South Island, Westside Island, Angel Island! They failed all three, no- four times!”

“You gave the orders! You told me to make them! I bet you won’t tell me what exactly I did wrong so I could make them better, you just want to tell me they’re bad!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. “Even if they’re good at one moment, it’s suddenly all just garbage the next day! You can’t ever make up your mind!”

“I cannot believe what I’m hearing! You-” Robotnik stopped to snicker. “Wow! You have a completely different memory of events! I tell you exactly what’s wrong, maybe you just don’t listen! Hell, do you even use that brain I gave you?”

“Don’t do that...!” Omletta growled with a warble, physically trembling. “Don’t- Don’t try and insinuate t-t-that I don’t think!”

“But do you!?” The Lord asked. “I bet you use half! You don’t really use the right side of the brain at all! You use the emotional left side, getting emotional when I need you to be logical, just like- ohh, Omletta, I swear-”

Omletta disconnected the call. Expecting further harassment, she turned her PDA off. She hunched over and rested her arms on her knees, gasping for air, panting, and clawing at her mask. The door opened behind her. “Lady Omletta. What is the meaning of all this noise?”

“C-C-Commander...? Is... Is the air s-s-safe t-t-to breathe i-i-inside t-t-the b-building...?” She stuttered. “I... I c-c-can’t breathe in t-this s-s-s-stupid...!” She heaved and whimpered as she began to hyperventilate.

Logik swiftly turned around and walked down the stairs. A moment later he returned with an oxygen mask attached to a backpack tank. “Here, fair lady.”

Omletta nodded and ripped the rubber away, painfully yanking out multiple strands of hair. She put the new apparatus on, secured the strap around her face, and swallowed up the fresh air it provided. Logik opened a small compartment on his chest and retrieved a handkerchief, kneeling down and patting Omletta’s bloodshot eyes. “Better?”

Omletta nodded. “A-A-A l-little...” She sniffled, not caring about the cloth’s coffee stain.

“What troubles you?” Logik asked. “I only know that you briefly conversed with Lord Robotnik for a moment, but I did not overhear the details.”

“R-Robotnik is... He’s...” Omletta wrangled a deep breath down. “H-He’s really m-... m-m-mean...”

“I see.” The Commander placed a hand on Omletta’s shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze. “Believe me, fair lady, your father and I have had many disagreements in the past that have resulted in emotions running high. You are not alone.”

“I... I know...” She coughed, still struggling to breathe.

The knight placed his other gauntlet on her other shoulder and knelt down. “I understand you are distressed, but infighting will only serve to destroy us, fair lady.”

“T-Tell that to him...” Omletta sputtered.

The Commander paused, gaze wandering for a brief moment. “...Perhaps I should.”

Omletta leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his metallic neck and hung off of him, letting her legs give out. She didn’t understand what made her do it, she only knew that she wanted to be comforted by someone, anyone. It felt physically hurt to embrace the cold, hard metal, but all she wanted was reciprocation. Logik hesitated, then obliged by placing his arms around her back.

Logik broke away sooner than Omletta would have liked and stood to his feet. As she sat on her knees, the knight offered a hand, which she accepted. Now standing, she wiped her eyes and attempted to control herself. “T-T-Thank you...” She said.

“Of course, fair lady.” The Commander replied. “Shall we depart, or do you still need some time?” Omletta answered by holding a finger up and grabbing the other mask. She dusted herself off, took in another fresh gulp of air, then tore off the oxygen mask. She switched it out for the one with the filter, ensuring it would obscure any signs of distress on her face.

Logik escorted her back down the stairs, through the gate, and back to their Egg Mobile. Omletta climbed into her sidecar and closed the door. Once Logik turned the vehicle on and the air filtration systems activated, she took off the filtration mask and leaned back. She turned her PDA back on and saw several unread text messages from Robotnik. She yawned, turned it off, and put it back in her pocket. She curled up, still sniffling, and hugged her own chest. She didn’t know the moment she fell asleep.


My PDA buzzed in my lap as I sat on my workstation couch. I picked it up, expecting Omletta’s number. It was the Commander’s, and he was attempting a conference call with Stone. I groaned in disappointment before picking up. “What is it?”

The tin man spoke first. “Greetings, my Lord. Is now an appropriate time?” Always so cordial and proper. I liked that, really, it ensured he always treated his superiors with the utmost respect... unlike some people.

“What is it, I said.” I repeated myself. I just wanted this call over with already, and had no patience for uselessness or dragging things out.

“It’s about Omletta.” Stone elaborated, piquing my curiosity. What could he possibly have to say that wouldn’t be overshadowed by recent developments?

“Omletta?” I asked. “What about her?”

Logik picked it up from there. “I spoke with her the previous night.” He sounded hesitant. Me almighty, I grew tired of hesitance from people. “Then, I spoke with Tactician Stone.”

I sighed and grumbled something under my breath. “Yes, and?” I said, instead of ‘Get on with it.’

The overpaid rust bucket finally said something of substance with enough prodding. “I managed to overhear Omletta’s side of last night’s conversation, after which I spoke with her privately. I am growing concerned over her morale.”

I scoffed. “Oh, really? Because if you were to ask me, she seemed perfectly fine!” I hoped he understood my sarcasm.

“Look, my Lord...” Stone started in that tone of voice. He was trying to be ‘real with me’, I could feel it. He was going to give me a lecture. “She may be a super genius like you, but she has limits. She’s not a soldier, right?”

Stone never had children, as far as I knew, and I knew a lot considering my long and storied history with this man. This childless subordinate was going to tell his Lord how to raise his kid. “Don’t tell me how to be a parent, Stone.” I ordered, hoping this would cease.

The tin man also had something to say, even as he witnessed me order another of his Rank to stand down. “I do not wish to question you or your leadership, but I fear that Omletta will crack at the current rate.”

“She’s not going to crack!” I informed him. “She’s stronger than you realize! Weak people crack, and she is not weak.”

“I did not mean to insinuate any weakness on her part, Lord.” The Commander said, likely with his tail between his legs.

Stone then violated his order to stand down. “Even if she wasn’t your second in command, she’s still just a kid- and besides, I get the feeling you sometimes forget she’s a female as well.”

I groaned, having now been reminded of the constant drama between me and the missus. “Yes, I know she’s female, I can tell just by looking at her. What’s your point, that being a young girl means we should just accept that she’s unstable and disrespectful? I reject that, wholeheartedly. She’s still a Robotnik, and she ought to act like one.” I poured myself a shot of medicine, and knocked it back as my inferiors still pressed on this issue.

“All start somewhere, my Lord.” Logik sounded as if he hadn’t heard a single thing I just said. “You would not have even looked my way at the beginning of my career, and Tactician Stone was not always the professional he is now.”

“Yes, I knew you at the start of your career, remember?” Stone reminded me. “You weren’t so grumpy back then.”

I spoke without thinking. “Back then, my wife was still here and we weren’t fighting-” No, I stopped myself. We were fighting a war back then, it was just a different kind of war fought with talking points and bureaucracy. “It was different back then.”

“But Omletta doesn’t know that.” Stone continued. What he said made sense, but I wanted to disregard it all together as I did not want to excuse her behavior. “She’s not driven by loss or a need for retribution.”

‘Not driven by loss’, he said. I didn’t truly believe that nonsense, but I still hesitated. The nervousness and lack of assurance from everyone else may have rubbed off on me. “...She knows that the Land of the Sky is why she doesn’t have a mother. You realize that, don’t you?”

Stone said something that gave me pause. “Sir, I think she’s in it for your sake rather than her mother’s.”

They had a point, but... I couldn’t say that. “She has a funny way of showing it, then.” I said instead. I had to wrap my mind around this, because two purely contradictory ideas cannot coexist with each other. “Look, just- Commander, tell her that she and I are going to have a one-on-one when she gets back. I still need to have a talk with her.” Not having anything else to say, I hung up and tossed the PDA to the other side of the couch. I downed another shot of medicine and sighed, thinking it all over.


Omletta and Logik moved from Starlight Zone back to Robotropolis. The girl stared out the window, watching the shadow of the Egg Mobile and sidecar move along the battered and scorched terrain. The rising sun shined weakly through the cracks in the Land of the Sky, painting the world orange and red.

Omletta would have liked to strike up a conversation with the Commander, but her father weighed heavily on her mind. She ran through dozens of different scenarios in her head, all involving her either being punished, or needing to fight tooth and nail just to even get a word in edgewise.

The heir knew she flew off the handle the previous night and looked back at that moment with shame. She bobbed her right leg up and down and bit down on her finger hard enough to hurt, still thinking of how she could handle what came next. She picked up her PDA to play the game she programmed into it, but lost interest upon seeing several unseen messages and missed calls. She knew the game wouldn’t distract her enough anyway.

The device buzzed in her hands. Logik held his PDA in his hand, wiggling it in a questioning manner. Omletta sighed and answered. “Hey.”

“I spoke with Lord Robotnik last night, alongside one other Board member in a conference call.” Logik said. Seeing as Omletta didn’t respond, Logik spoke further. “He wanted me to tell you that you will have a one-on-one meeting once we arrive. I can see that you are rather distressed, so be advised that Lord Robotnik will not be as... well... he will be more agreeable than what you may think.” He elaborated.

“...Agre-” Her voice caught in her throat. She coughed once, then continued. “Ahem- uh- a-a-agreeable?” She asked.

“Yes.” The Commander sighed. “He will still have some choice words about last night, surely, but that is why we talked to him. Do not worry so much. Even if he is still as- well, ‘energized’ as he was before, I suggest taking it as a learning experience.”

Omletta rubbed her eyes beneath her glasses, yawning and letting out a small sigh. “Okay. I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Commander.” She replied.

“Hm. You are welcome.” He said.

...

“I-I’m sor-”

“You will know when it is your turn to speak.”

Robotnik and Omletta sat alone together in the Boardroom, their chairs positioned opposite each other across the table. Omletta trembled in her seat, putting her tongue between her teeth to stop them from chattering.

Robotnik sighed and took the moment to gather his thoughts, putting his hands together and leaning back in his seat. As he tilted his head out of the light, his glasses glowed with the overhead light’s reflection. “First, we are going to address the tone with which you spoke to me. It was many things. Rude. Disrespectful. Immature. Unprofessional. Unbecoming. I could go on.” He said, flatly.

Omletta sank deep into her seat, deeper with every word. She gripped the armrests of her chair for dear life and ground her ankles together. As much as Commander Logik’s words helped at the time, their meaning seemed to slip away when confronted with the Lord himself.

“I do not care how upset you may be. I do not care if you are on the battlefield. You are not to ever speak to me with such venom. I may get angry at you myself, certainly, but the sheer nastiness...” He leaned forward, illuminating his grimacing face. “The word to describe it is ‘hostile.’ You managed to just barely pull the speech off and do your job, yes, but your tone was just short of an act of treason.”

The little scientist hung her head as low as it could go. She could not bring herself to face him, as she had nothing to offer in defense or retaliation. She only wished for it to be over. The Lord observed his daughter closely, then sat back up in his chair with a heavy sigh. “But... I get it. I do, I really do, dearest.” His face and posture relaxed. “You are very much like your mother. If you are anything, you are passionate. You are passionate, and I love that about you.” Robotnik laughed.

Omletta raised her head, confused. “A-Aren’t you still...”

“Angry? Oh, dearest.” He folded his hands over the table and leaned down in a much more casual position. “I was, but... Listen, I spoke with Commander Logik and Tactician Stone last night. There is a reason I have a Board behind me, see, I can’t do it all by myself. Sometimes even someone as intelligent as your father needs help handling something a bit out of my comfort zone every once in a while.”

“Oh...” Omletta’s shaking slowed slightly. She pretended to not have known. She didn’t want to accidentally tattle in case his calm demeanor was supposed to be a surprise.

“They, uh... Well, you see, Logik told me he overheard your side of the conversation and that he spoke with you. We all discussed our little ‘disagreement’ last night, and... well...” Robotnik fidgeted in his seat, rubbing his hands together and looking away. Omletta realized she was witnessing something uncommon. Her father was never one to be nervous and always took charge. The times in which he seemed unsure of himself were few and far between, and he always looked her directly in the eye as he addressed her.

“I admit fault, Omletta. You have a point.” He clenched and unclenched his jaw once, then returned his gaze towards his daughter. “I know I’ve said it before, but I know that I have been very hard on you. I know it comes off as mean, but please dearest, please understand that I am not trying to be ‘mean’ to you. I love you, Omletta.” He tilted his head to the side and held his hand out, then on his chest as he continued. “It’s not just that I’m your father, you are also my daughter. My little egghead. I do not want you to ever think I would ever do anything to hurt you.”

Omletta nodded along, hanging onto every word to ensure she heard them correctly. Robotnik, her father, being wrong and admitting it. It felt good, now that she thought about it. It felt good to feel like she was listened to.

“Instead of mean, I think a better descriptor is... ‘tough.’ I’m tough, and it’s because I have to be. You know how the Board is.” Robotnik leaned back in his chair, but kept his face in the light. “They’re a bunch of tough old men. I have to match their toughness in order to lead them, otherwise they will not recognize my authority. It bleeds through to how I handle you, and to someone as young and inexperienced as yourself, it may come off as mean. I’m sorry for the confusion and distress that has caused.”

“I think I get it...” Omletta huffed, almost beginning to smile. She almost completely stopped shaking.

“I realize, though, that it may be a bit too much for you at this current time.” He said. “You’ll get more used to the job and you’ll get tougher as you get older. Who knows? One day, you may be the toughest thing around. It’ll just take some time and experience is all.”

“O-Okay...” The girl murmured.

Robotnik chuckled to himself for a moment, then straightened his back and cleared his throat. “Here’s the thing, though. Even if I ease up a bit, I still need to be a little hard on you. I may be your father, but again, I am also your boss.”

Omletta noticed the repetition. ‘He still keeps saying that.’ She thought.

Robotnik continued. “I can’t be both at the same time, and sometimes I can’t be anything other than the latter. I have the weight of the whole city on my shoulders, as do you, so we don’t always have time to be nice and cuddly. Sometimes it’s do or die, understand?” Omletta nodded, allowing Robotnik to keep going. “Now that I think about it... Maybe this is exactly why you need a new mother. Someone who can always be a parent to you when I’m too busy running Robotropolis and leading the war effort. Someone who doesn’t have to be tough, you know?”

Omletta nodded again with a bit more enthusiasm. “Y-Yeah, that makes sense.”

There was a silent moment between them as they looked at eachother, momentarily unsure of what else to say. Omletta wanted to speak, but a feeling in the back of her head stopped her. For some reason, the conversation felt off and she couldn’t quite describe it. Something was missing. What was there didn’t feel quite right.

“Omletta...” He smiled wide at his daughter. “Just in case you didn’t know it, I’m proud of you. Very proud. I push you hard not just because I have to. I want you to be strong, dearest.” His face darkened. “This world can be a very scary place. It’s full of danger and bad people. Bad things happen to good people like us all the time, so you need to be ready to handle it when it inevitably happens.”

Robotnik lightened up a bit and returned to smiling at his heir. “I suppose what I’m trying to say is... Don’t take it so personally. Just take the information, and use it to improve and get stronger. Living and learning, that sort of thing.”

“O-Okay.” Omletta said, returning the smile but wanting to frown. She found herself no longer wanting to listen, instead yearning for it to be out of the way so she could move on. She wished to know why she felt this way, but she couldn’t put it into words.

“Now then, to wrap things up...” Robotnik said. “I know it may seem that way, but a lot of my anger isn’t even directed at you, Omletta. It’s meant for the hedgehog. If anything, I’m angry for you because he’s the one that keeps breaking your creations! Trust me, Omletta, I promise that once that rodent is gone, we have the Chaos Emeralds, and you have a new mommy, things are going to be smooth sailing for the rest of our lives!”

Omletta pretended to giggle in response. “Of course, Sonic. W-We’re supposed to draw up a plan to assassinate him soon, right?”

“Hm? Oh, of course dearest. Very soon. For now, however, we need to finish this up. Don’t groan, but we’re having a full Board meeting after we’re done here to plan how we’re gonna get that Death Egg piece out from right above us!” Robotnik announced, grinning ear to ear and pointing up at the ceiling. “Now then, please stand Omletta.”

She did as instructed and stood up from her seat. She stretched her legs, unsure of what Robotnik had in mind next. Robotnik input something into his PDA, and a Guard Bot entered a moment later. It picked up Omletta’s chair and put it back next to her father’s. Once it was done, it saluted its Lord and exited the room.

“Now, sit.” Robotnik ordered in a neutral tone. She followed the command and sat in her chair again, only for Robotnik to wrap his arm around her and bring her close for a tight side hug. “I love you, my sweetest little egghead.”

“I love you too, daddy.” She meant it, but she had to force the words out. She just couldn’t put the reason together. She decided that she would think about it later and just accept the apology for now.

It’s easier that way, she thought.

Edit
Pub: 30 Jun 2023 17:17 UTC
Views: 96