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Normally, Sigma had a strict evening routine– check in with Red Eye, inspect the living quarters for leaks, electrical shorts, or any other danger, get the Scrapniks inside by sunset– so on and so forth. He was a bot of habit and order; qualities necessary to keep the residents of the island safe and happy.
Today had certainly not been a normal day. Sonic and Tails had departed, so things would be back to usual soon, but the events sparked by their arrival had thrown everyone's routines out of whack.
Sigma did not like having his routines interrupted. It caused problems. But it was late, and after everything that had occured, he did not have the capacity to care.
It was three hours past the time the Scrapniks normally settled in for sleep mode or recharging, and Sigma had finally wrangled them all into 'bedtime'. Mecha would normally help, but he was nowhere to be seen– Sigma hadn't seen him for quite a while, nor had he sent any messages over the Badnik communication network.
Mecha had had…a difficult day. There was no doubt he was sequestered off in some corner of the Death Egg for some quiet, if nothing else. But Sigma knew Mecha better than that, and he knew the robot hedgehog would be ruminating on things. He added 'Locate Mecha' to the end of his routine.
There were only a few steps left– out of order, of course, but he would complete them nonetheless. The first was to seal up the Death Egg's main entrance for the night. There were no animals or Mobians on the island, and little danger from the environment, but it was still important to close the doors to keep out the chilly night air and wind-blown sand. Sigma had engineered the doors himself. They squeaked the slightest amount as he flipped the switch for them to close, and he added yet another task to his to-do list.
The second-to-last step was to check in with Red Eye. Usually this would be done much earlier, but the stationary Badnik had gotten left behind in the chaos.
Red Eye's eye lit up as Sigma approached, casting the hallway in a red glow.
"Greetings, my friend. Anything out of the ordinary to report?"
Sigma realized how ridiculous the usual question sounded as soon as it left his vocalizer. He gave an embarrassed huff through his vents as Red Eye regarded him incredulously.
::There are no environmental hazards, equipment malfunctions, or Eggman henchmen, as usual. I will skip the 'out of the ordinary' goings-on, as you are already well aware of them.:: Red Eye said over the Badnik network.
Sigma crossed his arms. "Cheeky! Well, I suppose I deserve it. Apologies for the late status check. I'll be on my way– got to find Mecha next."
::He is with his plant. Good night.::
Red Eye shut down into sleep mode, leaving the hall in darkness. A faint yellow glow emitted from a room a few doors down– the familiar light from Mecha's eye. Sigma went down the hall and stepped into the room, where he found Mecha sitting up against the wall, clutching the sunflower capsule close to his chest.
Mecha's eye flickered up to regard Sigma, but he said nothing. Sigma went to sit beside him, folding his legs beneath his body to crouch down comfortably. They sat in silence for a few moments before Sigma spoke up.
"I know you are working through things. However, I just want you to know– I am here for you. If you should need anything, or wish to confide in me– I am here. I am deeply sorry I was not aware of your pain before, Mecha."
Mecha looked up at him and shook his head. ::It isn't your fault. I kept it all hidden…thought that if I suppressed it long enough, it would get buried in my memory bank and not bother me, after a time.::
Mecha moved over closer to Sigma, resting his head on his shoulder with a sigh through his vents. ::And I didn't want to trouble you. You have enough to worry about.::
"My number one priority is the residents of this island, Mecha– that includes you. You are important, and you are wanted here."
Mecha averted his gaze as the expression of his eye changed into a wavering, jagged line.
::Thank you. I…will try to share my troubles with you.:: Mecha said.
"Will you be alright, for tonight?"
Mecha nodded. ::I think so. There is a lot on my mind, but…I am low on power. Perhaps we can talk in the morning.::
"Of course. Whenever you're ready." Sigma stood, and held out a hand to Mecha. "May I walk you over to the recharge hub?"
Mecha nodded. He placed the flower capsule gently on the ground and took Sigma's hand, getting to his feet.
They walked down the creaking hallways together in a comfortable silence. Mecha never let go of his hand. It was grounding, perhaps. He gave Mecha's hand a reassuring squeeze.
They stepped quietly into the recharge hub, being mindful of the myriad sleeping Scrapniks. Mecha sat down between Gilbert and Nevin, who opened one eye to look at him before going back into standby mode.
Sigma unspooled the cable for the charger unit behind Mecha, running it over his shoulder. Mecha grasped it in his claw and nodded in thanks, opening up the port in his head and plugging in the cable.
::Goodnight, Sigma.::
"Goodnight, Mecha. Rest well."
Mecha's eye turned off as he shut down for the night, leaving Sigma the lone Scrapnik online. This was not unusual– in fact it was the norm, and Sigma appreciated the quiet time to himself.
Usually after he had finished all his routine tasks, he would work on the Egg Carrier. That was really the only time he worked on the Egg Carrier– in the scant hours before dawn, and then he would do it all over again.
Tonight, Sigma sat and thought. His first priority was always the residents– for them to be happy and thrive. And Mecha had been suffering. He hated that he had failed his closest, most trusted companion; that Mecha still had to live in the shadow of the man who used him and threw him away like common trash.
They had to get off this island.
Sigma moved 'Repair the Egg Carrier' up several priority slots on his outstanding tasks list.