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Sonic really should have seen this coming, honestly.
When he’d discovered Eggman’s attempt at cable theft, he’d rushed to the doctor’s lair, despite Tails’ suggestion that they simply unhook it and leave it be. Or hook it to one of his older computers, with nothing but old Comedy Chimp movies playing on an endless loop.
But noooo. Sonic had to rush over. Sonic had to confront Eggman.
It was the principle of the thing, really. What right did Eggman have to steal Sonic’s cable? (Not that Sonic paid for it either. Having a tech savvy best friend meant there were interesting little sidesteps around some things. Sonic didn’t ask questions, but being the heroes that saved the village on a weekly basis–-sometimes twice!--meant he could allow himself certain perks. They just didn’t tell Amy.)
And honestly, Eggman’s excuse for the theft was pretty flimsy. He didn’t want to pay a higher cable bill? How much did it cost to run that cable aaallll the way from his island-bound lair to the mainland, and up to Sonic’s shack? That couldn’t have been cheap.
Sidetracked. He was getting distracted. He’d confronted the man, but then been drawn to some new machine of Eggman’s–-surely one that did something borderline cool but saddled with Eggman’s flair for dramatics that made it lame by default–-and then gotten himself trapped.
Because of course he did, he just couldn’t help himself sometimes. Fast on his feet, but not so fast in the ol’ brainpan.
Eggman was saying something. Was he talking to Sonic? He knew Sonic couldn’t hear him, right? This glass tube that had come down around him was pretty thick and blocked out nearly all sound.
Uh oh. Eggman was messing with his console.
Sonic wanted out. Now.
Even though he was suspended in the air thanks to some anti-gravity ray or something, Sonic pounded on the glass surrounding him, calling for Eggman to let him out. Things were getting a little too serious. A little too scary.
He screamed Eggman’s name–
And then, pain.
A lot of pain.
It felt like his skin was burning, his brain tearing itself in two. His eyesight blurred, as though he’d looked at the sun too long-–and really, he and Knux had only done that once-–before refocusing, the image now slightly pixelated and looking like an old TV screen.
His chest felt heavy. It vibrated slightly, like when he stood too near one of Tails’ portable batteries. Each breath was more labored, as though his lungs were suddenly more constricted than before.
Cold. He felt cold.
The tube retracted, sliding back up into the ceiling with a soft hiss as it released him. Sonic stepped off the pad that had held him suspended a moment before, his footfalls feeling heavier than they should.
And there was a static in his mind, one that made him feel fuzzy headed. Like he was looking through a plate glass window. Like the world around him was there, but separated.
Eggman was talking. Cubot and Orbot nearby. He registered their presence, but . . .
OVERRIDE ACCEPTED - AWAITING ORDERS
Wait. What?
That was his voice, but he hadn’t spoken.
Had he?
ORDER ACCEPTED
He was moving. His feet carrying him toward a trash can. His body moving through the motions of pulling the bag out without his conscious thought.
No. Nononononono this wasn’t right. What did Eggman do to him??
ORDER ACCEPTED - SPEECH PROTOCOL INITIATED
Words came from his mouth, in his voice, complimenting Eggman. The words tripped as they rolled off his tongue, as he tried his best to stop them.
stop resisting
There was another voice, cutting through the static. It was soft, but oddly familiar.
The words continued to come from his mouth. Eggman spoke again.
NEW ORDERS ACCEPTED
Sonic followed Eggman as they boarded his Eggmobile, heading back toward the village. Hope blossomed in his chest–-if they went back to the village, his friends would see them, and help him. Tails would figure out a way to change him back. The fox had had his own brush with semi-robotization, when he’d accidentally merged with a bee-bot. He’d know how to fix this. Sonic was sure of it.
He just needed to bide his time.
“Robo-Sonic,” Eggman said as they flew toward the village. Sonic mentally flinched at the name, but couldn’t say anything to argue it. “I want you to refer to me as ‘Master Eggman’ when we see your friends. That would really freak them out. Or, if you prefer, a more familiar term would be ‘Boss’. I’d considered ‘Your Highness’, but think that may be pushing it, even for this new version of you.”
Sonic didn’t reply. Control over his mouth seemed to be sidelined to whatever Eggman had done to him, so he spent the time going over the changes to his body.
His eyes were different. It felt like a visor of sorts, and if he focused hard enough, he could bring up readouts on the screen. Ambient temperature, distance and time remaining until arrival at the village, probability that Eggman would become distracted and crash into the trees surrounding the village. (That was thankfully low, though not zero.) A quick blink and the readouts changed before disappearing.
That was weird. Kinda cool, in a nerdy way Tails would have geeked out over, but weird.
There was a plate on his chest, humming with some kind of energy, and two smaller ones on the backs of his hands. He wasn’t sure what they did, or could do. But they felt powerful.
He rolled his shoulders slightly, and discovered the chest plate was actually more of a kind of vest? It wrapped around him and covered his back spines. Without thinking, he blinked, and a schematic came on screen of those coverings, labeling them as rocket boosters.
He had rockets now??
Okay, that was kinda cool, too.
He blinked, turning the schematic around to get a better view of the rest of him. There were two metal disks attached to the sides of his head, and he wasn’t quite sure what those were for. Metal cuffs surrounded his wrists and ankles, but they didn’t seem to restrict his range of motion.
That seemed to be the extent of his new metal parts, but there also seemed to be a strange tingly feeling beneath the skin. As though his veins had been replaced with wires to tether his metal components together, and make them a more integral part of him.
That . . . wasn’t cool.
That was actually pretty terrifying.
better we’re better
In the village. The locals went running, just as they always did when Eggman showed up, and his friends came forward to meet the threat. They’ll help him, they’ll take Eggman down and–
NEW ORDERS ACCEPTED
His body moved again, and now he was attacking. He felt stronger, more powerful than he should have been. His friends scrambled, not wanting to attack him, but his body continued to move, continued to focus on them, trying to take them down.
No. NO!
Sonic focused every bit of energy he had into retaking control of his body. Slowing himself down–-and oh, didn’t that feel so wrong!--and pulling punches. Amy spoke to him, reminding him of who they were, trying to get through whatever this metal blockade was surrounding him. Whatever this static was that made his brain feel like he had steel wool shoved in his skull.
His body paused and he struggled to regain control.
lying she’s lying
His distraction allowed Knuckles to attack from behind, sending him sprawling. It was a good hit, he had to admit. But that voice mixed in with the static spoke again, a little louder this time.
friends hurt friends
He was moving again, and took down Knuckles in record time.
Okay, that was a little impressive.
Sticks attacked next, leaping onto his shoulders before grabbing the two metal disks on the sides of his head, and attempting to pull them off.
More pain. The scream he uttered was his own doing.
When Sticks paused in her attack, he retaliated, grabbing her by the legs and hurling her into an ice cream cart.
Okay, she kinda deserved that. A little.
EGGMAN IN DANGER - PROTECT EGGMAN
Wha–
His body moved before he even registered it, coming between Eggman and his attacking friends. Amy was already in full swing, and when she tried to pull herself short, her elbow caught in his chest plate, shattering it and sending a wave of pain through him so sharp it turned his vision white before he crashed to the ground.
hurt us she hurt us liar she lied friends hurt friends
Every nerve felt like it had been flash fried, and he lay on the ground, trying to get his bearings.
ERROR ERROR ERROR
His chest ached, and his head felt like he’d eaten one too many chili dogs past their expiration date.
SYSTEM ERROR SYSTEM ERROR ERROR ERR--she did it on purpose-–OR ERROR
Voices calling his name. His . . . his friends . . . ?
ERROR ERROR ER-–weak they’re weak they don’t want to see you strong–-ROR
No. No, that . . . that wasn’t true.
Metal clamped around his chest, lifting him off the ground. Eggman was speaking, but the words bounced off, couldn’t find purchase in his mind.
The static, it flickered, getting louder before tapering off.
still weak
The voice. It seemed to move through the static, becoming louder when the static faded.
we’re still weak still vulnerable
Sonic couldn’t focus, and drifted in darkness for a while as the sky passed above them. He swung in some kind of hook or claw dangling from Eggman’s mobile. Every now and then, he would see Eggman as he peeked over the lip of his craft to peer down at him.
Fuzzy. Everything was fuzzy. His body ached. The static in his head swirled, its volume changing as though he were standing in the middle of a tornado. He drifted. The voice followed him.
strong we’ll be stronger soon we’ll be how we should
Back at the lair. Sonic was barely conscious. The doctor put him back in that tube and he tried to protest, tried to argue, to yell, to beg him not to. But the glass tube came down once again.
And then more pain than he ever thought possible.
His body writhed and jackknifed, every nerve screaming before going numb. Going cold. He felt heavier. Stiffer. Held his breath and then realized he didn’t have to let it out.
And the static in his head was fading. A silence settling in its place. With a voice. One he thought felt familiar.>
we’ll be stronger
we don’t need them
we’ll show them all
He had to get out of here. He had to get to his friends. He had to stop whatever Eggman was doing to him. He had to . . . to . . .
Cold. He was so cold.
He couldn’t move.
Eggman speaking again.
“Say hello to your friends, Robo-Sonic 2.0.”
A voice answered, one that was and wasn’t his, but came from his . . . whatever he'd become.
“I’d rather say goodbye.”