Emerald Power - Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Rampage Begins

Back at Robotnik's base, EggRobo reported. Robotnik greeted his Badnik likeness, "Ah, EggRobo- did your mission go as well as could be planned?"

EggRobo replied in Robotnik's voice- the voice all EggRobo Badniks spoke with, "Well, take a look for yourself" He opened his chest plate to reveal the green Emerald.

Robotnik gazed at the emerald, almost as if he were in love with it, "Egg- cellent! Take it to the lab- Badnik Q23D4 will see to it"

EggRobo hovered over to the laboratory. He opened the door to reveal Badnik Q23D4, a Splats Badnik, hard at work on one experiment or another. EggRobo held the emerald in his left hand and shook hands with Q23D4 with his right. Hand, that is. What did you think I meant?

"Fantastic work, EggRobo- the master couldn't have done it better himself," Q23D4 congratulated him

"Thanks Q23D4. Though I find that hard to believe!" they shared a laugh, neither daring to say Of course it's true, Robotnik would have made a right pig's ear of it.

"EggRobo, I'd like you to place the emerald into the green part of the stand over there. When we have all the Emeralds, enough power will have been generated to power the Death Egg"

"No problem" EggRobo floated over to the long stand and placed the emerald into the green area as instructed.

The green part now glowed brightly and EggRobo noticed that it matched perfectly the self same glow from the emerald.

"Ah, excellent. Now EggRobo, take care on any missions, okay?"

"Righto, Q23D4"

Back in the Badnik workshop of the base,EggRobo took marvel in watching a new kind of Badnik being made- the Terrayn. The idea was that it had wings, a motorbike wheel like Rhinobot or Moto Bug and aquatic gear. Basically, this Badnik could go anywhere.

And that made EggRobo worried. He knew Badniks had a self-destruct chip -in fact he was the only one of them to know this. But he didn't like the idea of having to square off against this one.

The Terrayn opened its eyes, "Terrayn Badnik-0001 fully functional"

He looked at EggRobo to scan him, "Scanning. EggRobo Badnik-0001. My equal in rank, thuswise," this enraged EggRobo- Terrayn had just been created and here he was saying he was of the same rank as EggRobo, which was wrong, him only being of the same CPU Identification code, "what is more, it doesn't seem to like me, do you?"

EggRobo wanted to yell No, I flipping well do not, you horible thing but instead said, "Of course I do- what on Mobius gave you that impression?"

"Well," the Terrayn said back, "you seem to feel uneasy at the fact that I can easily outdo anything you can"

"Not so," EggRobo retorted. "And at any rate, Robotnik is working on a near indestructable Orbinaut right now that'll outdo us both"

"Just checking." there were various whirrs and clicks from Terrayn, "Nope. The Orbinaut project isn't underway currently. Perhaps you were trying to change the subject?"

EggRobo rubbed his fingers along his gun angrily, but restrained himself somehow. Just you wait you despicable machine, one day I'll get you for all this he thought.

Before EggRobo could reply to Terrayn, Robotnik's voice crackled through his personal radio link, "EggRobo- report for duty. I have another mission for you. And bring the new Badnik"

EggRobo didn't believe the outcome of this would be great for him.

Ten minutes later, EggRobo realised that this had indeed not been great for him. He had to go to the Aquatic Ruin Zone to attack Sonic and Tails and bring along Terrayn to test him out.

Now, he was on his way to his mission objective. Just as another idea of his own, he radioed a fleet of Whisps to attack the Floating Island and retrieve as many emeralds as possble. He made sure Terrayn didn't find this out.

Meanwhile, Sonic and Tails were about half way through the Aquatic Ruin Zone,

"Sonic, can't we stop for a bit? My feet hurt"

Sonic sighed, "Tails, you've got to keep up with me!"

Tails replied, frustrated, "We've been running for a day and a half without a rest!"

"Alright. We are here now, after all"

Sonic and Tails sat down. Tails was exhausted, "I'm exhausted," he said, "I'm glad we've finally stopped. I couldn't have stayed on my feet one moment longer"

"Looks like you may have to, buddy," said Sonic, "look up there, an EggRobo and some freaky new Badnik!"

Using its hearing abilities, Terrayn heard the message and shouted back down, "I am not freaky, spikey! I am your doom!"

EggRobo couldn't help but titter at Sonic's comment. Suddenly, he felt a lot better. EggRobo paused for thought a moment I've sent all those Whisp Badniks for another Chaos Emerald.why can't I just shoot Terrayn and escape? I know he's not been equpped with facilities to communicate with Robotnik like I have. EggRobo then decided to turn off his communicator and said, very unconvincingly, "Oh dear, I have fired my gun at Terrayn by accident"

Terrayn, however, dodged, "You think I'm that dumb? Robotnik built me to be fast too, you know! Now, I'll attack you!"

Terrayn however hadn't figured out one small thing. Nor, apparently, had Robotnik. EggRobo had. Terrayn had no weapons. EggRobo took careful aim and fired. Terrayn was smashed to pieces.

EggRobo secretly rejoiced. He turned back on his communicator and flew off. So did Tails, smacking him on the back of the head. EggRobo wasn't beaten, but he was hurt.

EggRobo waited, back at the EggBase. Eventually, a Whisp contacted him. Apparently, they had attacked and stolen the orange emerald. Porker hadn't put up much of a fight, but apparantly, some Whisps had been destroyed by the guardian robots- a small price to pay for the orange emerald.

A little later, a Whisp captain presented the emerald to EggRobo. EggRobo instantly went to speak to Q23D4. Q23D4 had apparently found an amazing breakthrough.

"EggRobo- you won't believe what I've discovered!"

"What is it? Something about the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Yes. I've discovered that they have the ability.to mutate subjects!"

"What?!"

"It's quite true. Have a look at this"

Q23D4 led EggRobo through into the lab, where EggRobo placed the orange emerald into the orange area on the stand. This part also glowed orange. EggRobo was noticing a pattern.

"So, Q23D4- what will happen when we have all the emeralds, exactly?"

"Well either the Death Egg will become an indestructable killing machine that will never run out of power or else the emeralds will explode destroying every in this base. Though the chance of that happening is quite marginal."

"Um.I'm gonna go and find out if Robotnik has anything to say about the destruction of Terrayn."

"Alright, EggRobo. Hope to see you soon!"

Unbeknownst to EggRobo and, indeed, anyone else, Q23D4 was planning something. Something very nasty indeed. And not even Sonic the Hedgehog would be able to stop him. And with the knowledge that the emeralds could mutate people and their minds so much that they may be placed under anyone's will, he couldn't resist it.

The radiation had already mutated EggRobo's memory chip, albeit temporarily, so that EggRobo couldn't even remember he'd been told the emeralds could do so.

Q23D4 laughed, "If this was a story," he cackled, "the writer would have one heck of a job explaining what just happened!"