Author's Notes:

So... where to begin. It was July the last time I updated. Between now and then life hasn't been very good for me. Unemployment for most of last year, life drama, and the death of a very prominent family member and all the events that followed with that. Plus, I have a tough work schedule at this point in time. As you can imagine, all of these over the past few months have required much of my time, and what free time I had / do have I haven't had much of a creative spirit.

But as I have promised in the past, this story will have an end. I have not worked on this story for this long to let it fade away without a conclusion. So, I apologize so much for the wait, but at long last I've finished this chapter and present it to you.

This is a dialog-heavy chapter, so be ready for lengthy conversations. It mainly deals with Robotnik telling his side of the story. Also, there are instances where characters are talking from remote locations, which as is my style they are designated by italic text, so you will see a bit off that as well. Also, as in previous chapters a lot of Espio's thoughts are italics as well. I must admit I've gone through several variations of how to approach this chapter and had difficulty writing it. I hope everything makes sense and that it explains everything thoroughly without leaving open ends or any questions unanswered.

As a warning: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS BRIEF SCENES OF CHARACTER SUFFERING AND TORTURE.

Finally, as always, all opinions/suggestions/reviews are welcomed and encouraged.

Chapter 37 - Total Chaos - Part 2 - The Full Story

On the rooftop of a warehouse not for from the refinery Espio sat perched on the edge of the strucutre. From his lookout point Espio had a full view of the entire complex in front of him. There was the main structure itself, a complex array of piping, vents, smokestacks, and steel-sided buildings. Nearby was a large scrap pile of all sorts of metal, along with numerous machines to process and sort the materials. There were also a few docks were either ships or barrages of scrap could dock to take on or unload materials. A set of train tracks ran through the middle of the complex, also most likely for taking and leaving scrap. Amongst all of this were various sorts of on-going activities, such as large trucks arriving and departing and vehicles moving materials or people about.

It became evident to Espio what he was up against as he looked upon the location. On the one hand, a location this big was bound to have numerous forms of security guarding it, anything from cameras to alarms to security clearances. Also, the little knowledge that Espio had of refineries such as this told him that there would be more people present since the costs of electricity was lower at night, so all activities occurred during that time. Then there was the fact that Espio had no knowledge of this particular structure at all, so he had no idea where anybody or anything was. Furthermore, Robotnik was in this facility somewhere, and he alone was a huge opponent. Finally, given the amount of illegal activities that were probably based from the location there was no knowing what types of weapons, tools or technology was available.

Looking in the backpack Espio looked at what he had available to him. There were the guns, the full-auto Glock, the stolen P226, the suppressed MP5 and Avarice's snub-nose, each with a few respective reloads on ammunition. There were a few general tools, like small screwdrivers and pliers, a few assorted small knives, small amounts of duct and electricians tape, a few strands of wiring, and various implements to pick locks. Lastly, and most obviously, there was the C4 bomb that had been deactivated in Rouge's club earlier in the day.

Even with what he had, Espio knew the situation. "Alone... outnumbered... out-resourced... unfamiliar... and unplanned..."

Despite the well trained being that he was, he was truly scared. It wasn't only the fact that he was about to enter the lion's den that was on his mind. It was also the burden of the fact that if he failed now, Robotnik would surely succeed in whatever his plans were. There was also no knowing if he was in time to save anybody, and very soon the answer to this concern would be known. No matter how he looked it it, the fate of his teammates, friends, the people of Station Square, the Kingdom of Acorn, all the other civilizations around the world and the freedom of Mobius itself all rested on his shoulders right now.

"I guess now I know how it feels to be Sonic... To have everything depend on you and you alone... despite the fact that every odd is against you... Except... for me, there's one thing on my side... I'm totally unexpected."

A smirk crossed Espio's face has he pulled the backpack onto his shoulders. "Challenge accepted."

Making his way down from the roof via a drain pipe Espio landed in the alleyway below next to his motorcycle. Checking to see if the streets were clear, Espio took a few deep breaths to slow his heart rate. Feeling as confident as he was going to, Espio darted through the shadows of the late twilight day towards the refinery.

With each passing block any residual fear melted away and was replaced by the adrenaline rush, the kind that comes as a warrior charging into battle. Espio no longer felt scared as this sensation filled his veins, just like it always had when he faced any opponent. It made him confident that in spite of everything that had happened so far he would be victorious.

Reaching the end of the block Espio was now directly across the street from the refinery. As sprawling as the location had looked from blocks away on the rooftop, the true size of it was evident. This fact didn't phase Espio in the slightest not only given his mindset, but the fact that in his experience, large areas meant there would be more ways to get in. He decided that before trying to get into the main structure he wanted to examine the compound from within.

Scanning the area quickly Espio spotted a damaged storm drain just ahead of him at the corner of the block. The pavement and bricks in front of it were chipped away, allowing easy access to the sewer system under the street. Given the complex's size it was a safe assumption that there would be drainage spots within its perimeters, and that those spots were more than likely not as well guarded as main gates or passageways.

After a quick check to see if he was in the clear, Espio quickly slid down into the drain. Once inside he pulled the backpack tight onto him to avoid dropping and loosing it in the darkness or waters. Starting down the pathway in front of him there was an overwhelming amount of humidity and heat in the narrow passageway, along with the presence or several species of vermin and a sickeningly powerful stench. None of these fazed Espio as he made his way through the sewer and came upon a four-way opening in the pipes. He'd entered and gone right, so the refinery would be on his left. As he expected there was a larger opening to his left, leading straight under the location.

Leaping the waterway beneath him Espio continued up the pathway of the refinery's drain passage. While still fairly cramped it was open enough that he could move faster and more easily. There was also slightly more light as the air vents and drains in this tunnel were slightly larger, giving him more of a view ahead of himself. Continuing on through the sewer he could start to hear sounds filtering down into the tunnel from above. This meant he was officially inside the compound and where he chose to surface was crucial. At first he only saw small drains or canals that, while he could fit up them, would slow him substantially. After a minute or two Espio got the sense that he'd traveled quite far and was starting to wonder if he should go any further when a loud rumble up ahead halted him in his place. It only lasted a few moments, but aside from the rumble he also heard a metallic rattle that sounded very close to him. Peering ahead he could make out a shape in the middle of the drain path.

"What is that?... Wait... Could it be?..."

Venturing forth a bit more Espio found what he thought he was going to. A thin steel ladder protruded from the floor, leading to a manhole cover above. The slam was that cover having been struck by something large and heavy, more than likely a large vehicle moving above. While this would allow a quick entry into the area, it would come at the cost of easily being spotted. In spite of the dangers, Espio climbed the ladder to its top. It took a lot of strength to lift the cover just enough to glance out. To his surprise he found the he was surrounded by piles of scrap metal. This meant he was in the middle of the scrap yard he'd seen from a far. Not far away a large excavator with a claw attachment was sifting various scrap amongst the piles. The rumble had obviously been the machine moving overhead.

Aside from the machine Espio noticed there wasn't a lot of activity in the area. "This is it..." he thought.

Taking one more quick look around Espio shoved the cover up and pulled himself, backpack included, out of the sewer and set the cover back down as gently but quickly as possible. In need of cover Espio spotted a rusty, wheel-less van on top of a pile of other rusted, dilapidated vehicles. Climbing the stack quickly Espio hid inside the van. Although the pile of automobiles wasn't as tall as the roof he'd been on previously, Espio could get a pretty good look around the inside of the compound.

The scrap yard was a maze of paths around mounds of various materials, everything from vehicles to industrial equipment and random piles of various metals. There were numerous operations working amongst the yard, processing the metals for either further transport or melting in the refinery. There was one machine that was making a fair amount of noise off to the side. Espio determined this was a crushing and/or shredder for processing scrap. One other thing that caught his attention was the presence of crews with cutting torches. This gave Espio a sudden idea.

"Those torches require some sort of gas to run them, and there's a lot of work to be done in a place like this... so there must be a source somewhere on site. I wonder if-"

A loud rumble outside and behind the van made Espio duck. It was the large excavator he'd seen moments ago coming back up the pathway. As the colossal machine became perpendicular to the pile it seemed to slow down and quickly came to a stop. The mechanical arm, however, was still moving, and seemed to be coming towards the pile. There was a slight pause, building an unbearable amount of tension. With no warning there was a loud slam and the roof of the van caved in. Four giant metallic pincers pierced through the roof. Espio stayed flat on the floor as the teeth tightened and grabbed onto the roof and walls of the van. With a mechanical whirring sound the arms and claw lifted the van up off the pile.

"Nice to know my luck is still about the same."

The crane rolled its way along a path towards the large machine Espio had spotted. As he'd thought, the machine was indeed a giant shredder fed by a conveyor belt of various scrap metal. He had no doubt the van, or what remained of it, was destined for that conveyor belt. On the way, however, he noticed a large, white, oblong tank a small distance away from the shredder in a fenced off area.

"If that's what I think it is, that's where I need to go."

The crane arrived at the conveyor belt and started to slow. Espio expected to be dropped off near the end of the track, giving him ample time to escape. Continuing with the trend of the day, the crane instead set the van down at the bottom of the short ramp leading to the chute the fed the shredder. By now Espio could only roll his eyes and shrug off his luck. As the van started the incline he pulled himself up to the front of the van and onto the driver's seat. The belt was moving considerably faster than Espio thought for when he looked over his shoulder he was about to go over with the van. With one leap he exited through the window, somersaulted in air, and landed with a soft thud on the ground below, the backpack pulled tightly around him. Above him the deafening machine digested the van in mere seconds, emitting clouds of steam and flying bits of metal as it did.

Using the shadows and nearby piles of debris as cover he moved away from the belly of the machine. Looking around it was apparent than nobody was aware of Espio's presence, allowing him to proceed to the fenced area he'd seen. After crossing a few pathways, hurdling various scrap piles, and crawling threw a large, rusted pipe, Espio was just outside the fenced area. Right away he noted a large red sign on the side of the white oblong tank.

DANGER: PROPANE

That wasn't the only tank there. There were also many tanks labeled "Acetylene" present, along with others that had caution warnings on them. It was apparent that this was the storage spot in the yard were any and all gases, whether for the cutting torches or otherwise, were all stored. Also running overheard were numerous electical wires, all leading to a nearby electrical station and power grid that looked to run the entire facility. To have so many hazardous materials in one location near such a sensitive area was ordinarily, per Espio's knowledge of the law, a serious safety violation. The situation was, of course, anything but ordinary and played to his advantage.

Running to a nearby scrap pile Espio hid under a large slab of of what used to be a railroad boxcar. Setting down his backpack he removed a few of the basic tools within it, then he retrieved the the C4 bomb. With the tools he had Espio pulled certain parts of the bomb apart. One thing he quickly found was the bomb had a small antenna, meaning it could be remote detonated. With a bit of work he got access to a mini computer unit. He hadn't seen this before but was sure it powered the entire device, including the timer and also received incoming transmissions for remote detonation. Reconnecting the wire to the battery source the unit's small screen and keypad turned on.

It took a moment to familiarize himself with the computer, but he quickly figured out what he needed to do and how do do it. First, even though he'd clipped the wire to the timer, he completely deactivated the feature. Then, with his knowledge of electronics Espio managed to cancel out the old remote-detonate information and reset the device to accept a new number. Reaching into the backpack Espio removed Avarice's phone to check the number. Entering the number on the keypad the screen read:

Detonation Source: 237-849-1386 - ACCEPT?

Espio entered the code into the computer so that now only Avarice's phone could set off the bomb. He then reset the detonation number and had to choose a new one. Considering what he had in mind the choice was cliche but obvious. With his choice entered Espio returned to the main screen and selected the option to arm the bomb. Espio reassembled the now armed device as much as necessary, then cleaned up the rest of his tools.

Leaving his gear behind for the moment Espio crept back to the tank area and hopped the fence when he felt it was safe to do so. Moving through the area Espio came up behind the huge propane tank. He found a small open area in the stand of the tank that the bomb fit perfectly into but where it was also hard to see. He quickly placed it there, then retreated back to the hiding place and his gear.

A grin crossed Espio's lips as he pulled on his backpack. "Thanks for the idea, Shadow."

Everything that Espio had just done came to him based on the events of the previous night. Given how much attention was drawn to the explosion that Shadow caused when he and Espio were fighting in the alleyway, this explosion would surely gain attention of the entire city. Although blowing up a propane tank, and all the chaos that would follow, was against all of his training, Espio wanted to have a backup plan so that Robotnik would be revealed and stopped one way or another.

With a back-up plan in place the next step was to find a way into the refinery. Given the nature of the structure there was bound to be many ways in, but as far as which ones would be safe or would lead him into an area he didn't want to go there was no way of knowing. To try to gain some understanding of where to try to get in, Espio climbed up through the maze of scrap metal he was hiding in. At the top of the pile he got a good look at the structure. It did appear that was was a head house of sorts, possibly where a control center or machinery entry point would be located. He decided this would be his best area to try to avoid breaking into an area that would be full of on-going refinery work.

Just as Espio was going to start down the pile he noticed a small yellow electric cart with a spinning yellow warning light on the top of it coming down one of the nearby paths in the scrap yard. Assuming it was nothing too important he descended the pile and back down the the underside of the boxcar door. He could hear the cart getting closer so he decided to wait a moment until it passed. Peering out he saw the cart approaching and then make a turn towards the metal shredder. As it turned he got a good look at the driver.

Every nerve tingled when he saw the familiar long-nosed face and nearly bald head of the driver. "Snively..."

It had been so long since Espio had last seen Snively, and even though he'd known that he was going to find Robotnik at this location, it was still a shock to once again see the right-hand man of the most diabolical person ever to live on Mobius. Despite his nerves, Espio knew that he must pursue not only find out what Snively was up to, but also if by following him he could find an easy way in.

Given the topography of the scrap yard it was relatively easy to follow Snively's vehicle while maintaining stealth. Once or twice Espio was able to pass by other oncoming vehicles or even workers with cutting torches. One such worker Espio took a moment to get a quick glimpse of and noticed something interesting.

"Four fingers... The workers are Overlanders, and probably loyal to Robotnik."

Across from the giant metal shredder Espio found the yellow cart stopped. Ducking behind what looked to be a badly damaged shipping container Espio watched intently as hearing anything around the colossal machine was going to be impossible. Snively proceeded to call attention to a worker around the shredder, who then motioned to another worker to come over. The second person appeared to be in charge of the machine's operations given how he was giving commands to others in and around the area on his way over. There was a conversation between the two with a few hang gestures, but nothing that was discernible nor important at first. Suddenly, the mood of both changed. They smiled at each other and seemed to have a feeling of joy, like they'd just achieved something great. With a nod, the foreman turned back to his machine and began to shout something. Around the area many workers seemed to be enthused, one or two of which even let out a cheer.

"Something's going on... Please don't let me be too late."

Snively returned to his electric cart, waving at his fellow species. He departed towards the refinery towards the head house area. To avoid the area around the shredder, Espio went around the pile of scrap he was hiding under and ran down a smaller path around it. This was the one and only chance there was going to be for getting inside without resistance.

Fortunately the path let out right behind Snively. Espio sincerely wished he could just ditch the backpack and turn invisible, but he knew that doing so would put him at a disadvantage and leave him without resources he may very well need. Doing the best he could to stay with Snively Espio darted from one scrap pile or piece of debris to another. As they got closer to the head house the amount of cover grew less and less until Espio found himself behind the last large piece of cover about a hundred and fifty feet from the structure.

From his hiding place Espio saw that Snively was approaching a metal folding door which automatically opened as he approached. The chance of making through this door was slim given the distance he had to cover. There was, however, a large window near the roof of the structure that was propped open. Briefly analyzing the area, there didn't seem to be a huge amount of security in the area, nor much of anything going on at all. There were, however, several lines of piping running through the area running into then nearby plant as well as metal bracing structures to support them.

Taking a deep breath, Espio sprinted from his hiding place, trying to utilize as much of the dwindling shadows for as long as he could. Coming up on the last small pile of debris Espio ran up its side and jumped, kicking off from a fence just next to it and catching hold of a metal lattice around a pipe directly next to it. Using his momentum he swung himself upward to a higher lattice. He just barely made it to the higher lattice and grabbed hold, pulling himself on top of the pipe and lying flat. Looking around he could see other workers about, but none of them seemed aware of his presence. Utilizing all the pipes and latticework Espio crawled his way over to the head house. Once he was close enough he grabbed onto a support beam running up the side of the structure and quickly climbed up to the window. It wasn't open as much as it appeared to be from afar, but just enough for him to poke his head in at first to take a look around.

The head house was relatively well lit down near the bottom, but not so much up high where the exposed support trusses stretched across the roof. Down below Snively had just parked his electric cart and was stepping out of it, heading towards a nearby staircase, facing away from him at the moment. Espio squeezed through the narrow opening and onto a nearby support truss, watching the needle-nosed lackey's every movement. Using the roof trusses he was able to cross to the other side of the head house and observe as Snively proceeded to a room not far from the stairs, knocking at the door to it.

"That couldn't possibly be Robotnik's room. It's too unguarded. I wonder, though..."

Moving along the trusses Espio got over top of the room. By the time he'd gotten there Snively had been inside for a few moments but it was impossible to see or hear what was going on. Before he could consider going down for a closer look the door opened again. Snively emerged first, laughing along with somebody who was following him. Espio's heart froze when he saw who the second person was.

"Zis should be quite zee show, yes?"

"Oh trust me, knowing how long Dr. Robotnik has been waiting for this day, I'm confident he's going to have as much fun as he can."

"Oui. Weeth 'ow much Robotneek 'ates Soneek and zee others, eet eez all zee more reeson to not 'old back."

"Oh, I'm sure Robotnik is going to have the time of his life."

"Wee'll know soon enough, yes?"

"Indeed."

The pair chuckled joyfully as they continued down the catwalk. Espio could not believe his eyes as the tan coyote with blonde hair and French accent conversed with the right hand man of the most vicious. He only knew of one person in the world of who it could be, but his mind wouldn't accept this reality.

"It's impossible! Antoine could never switch to their side! Unless... could he have been altered by Robotnik somehow?... NO! That's not Antoine!"

Given the conversation he'd overheard it seemed quite probable that they were going to go see Robotnik. Following them was the only option as it would give him the best chance to find out what was going and once and for all if Robotnik was indeed alive. Keeping to the trusses Espio followed the pair as far as he could in the head house. He was confronted by yet another air duct that would allow passage into the next building. Waiting until the area was clear, Espio discovered the vent was aged so it simply worked on a hinge and fortunately had not been locked down. Slipping into the duct Espio squeezed into the space, pulling the backpack with him. Not long after entering the duct he cam to a dead end with the option to go either right or left. Going to the right seemed to lead to darkness. however, to the left Espio could hear noises echoing down the duct, along with a slight breeze that carried an odd, metallic smell.

"This must be the way to the refinery. Seems like a fitting place to Robotnik."

Following the left duct Espio soon found himself at a vent leading straight into the refinery room. The sight and sounds of the massive operation inside were frightening. Everywhere there were copious amounts of steam and smoke, a hot metallic scent, and a constant deafening drone of all the machines in operation. Peering out from the grate Espio spied the pair proceeding down another walkway along the side of the building. Like the previous grate this one too was hinged and surprisingly, unlocked.

"Either Robotnik is getting careless, or he's not a really good housekeeper... it's probably the latter," Espio thought with a smirk.

Once again waiting for a moment when all seemed clear, Espio pushed the grate open and clung to the wall just outside of it. He hurried up to a tall support I-beam and got onto the side of it that helped hide him from most of the factory. Moving along its edge he was making up ground on Snively and the coyote below until they turned and headed more into the center of the structure. Espio halted for a moment, attempting to see where they were going. Straight away he could see there were headed in the direction of what looked to be the control room of the facility. Looking around Espio noticed that the control room was raised on support beams and had an elevator running up to it for those needing to get to it from the ground.

"Another elevator shaft... But it's still the best way. Beats knocking on the front door of Robotnik's room."

Espio crawled to a nearby support beam leading to the floor and climbed down. Once on the ground he had a lot of cover as he moved about the floor, hiding behind beam or under an overhang from a machine as he made it over to the control room. Not far from his destination Espio saw the pair above enter through an automatic door. Knowing he was short on time he hurried the rest of the way and got to the lift. It was more of a construction hoist, but it was the best way up to the structure. Climbing to the top of the guide rail for the lift Espio found a small ledge at the top of the area where he discovered another air duct leading into the structure.

"If Robotnik is here, this is where he'll be. Now I will know what if going on and how I can stop it... and if I'm still in time to save my friends."

It was a bit of relief to be inside the control room as it was quieter, climate controlled and sheltered from the horrors of the refinery. This, combined with the adrenaline in Espio's veins, made him hyper-aware of his surroundings. Even the slightest crinkle of the ducting seemed to rumble like thunder to him. It was long before his ears detected another sound through the ducts, one that made every fiber of his being pulse with fear. It was a loud, maniacal laugh, one that he knew all too well.

"Robotnik..."

Despite having never been in the structure, Espio's instincts guided him through the ducts to where he'd heard the noise. As he got closer he could also hear the voices of Snively and the coyote, though he still couldn't make out what they were saying. Moments later he round a corner and heard the first discernible words from up ahead.

"I must say, I can't recall the last time I saw you this elated, Dr. Robotnik."

"My dear nephew, you can not even being to comprehend how great I feel right now."

Another jolt went through Espio's gut "His voice is still the same... as is my disgust for it."

Moving a bit more slowly forward Espio rounded another corner and saw a grate ahead of him. Reaching it, he quietly placed the backpack beside himself and peered out, making sure to flash invisible before doing so. He discovered that he was at floor level of the room in front of him. Peering around out of the grate Espio had a great view of the entire room. It was styled much the way Robotnik's old throne room had always been designed. There were computer terminals and screens all around to control and monitor various functions throughout the facility. There was an open bay which Espio immediately recognized as the Roboticizer. At present Snivley and the mystery coyote were facing towards the back of a large mechanical chair.

"So, zee show... eet eez about to start, yes?"

"As long as Snively got everything in order, it should be."

"Indeed, sir. I made all the arrangements. Just say the word, and we can proceed."

The chair spun around, revealing Robotnik. Espio's muscles clenched at the sight. Even with all the indications that Robotnik had been behind everything going on and was alive, it still didn't prepare him to see the planet's greatest threat to humanity alive. The shock was so great that Espio almost lost his concentration on staying camouflaged.

"Let's begin," Robotnik uttered with a most disgusting and evil grin crossing his face.

"Very good, sir."

Snively walked over to a control panel and began typing at a computer. From his current perspective Espio couldn't tell what he was entering, but he was sure he'd know soon enough.

"Unbelievable... That bastard has been in charge of this mess the whole time and nobody even knew he was here. At least... nobody knew that could have stopped him before it got to this point."

"Eet eez one of zee best days of your life, yes?"

"Considering how much I've had to go through, and how much luck I've had to rely on, to actually be here now... knowing what I'm about to do... it is the best day of my life."

"Not if I have anything to do with that," Espio thought.

"By zee way... I 'ave been wondereeng..."

"Let me guess... your payment?"

"Oui."

Robotnik sat back in his chair and grinner. "You know Antoine.. or, I guess I should say... Patch, at this point... I've been thinking..."

"Patch? I remember him now. That imposter fooled us once before back during the war. How could he have done it again."

"Oh?"

"You see Patch, even with ultimate victory just minutes away, my work does not stop there. I still affairs to get in order, tasks to complete, and people to pay off. And while I have certainly surprised myself along the way at my skill as a business person, so to speak at least, it's still far from my specialty. Because of that some things have cost a bit more than expected, so... I only have half of the original ten million I promised you."

"So five meelleeon?... Conseedereeng all zat I 'ave 'ad to go through-"

"I will stop you right there. I'm well aware that it wasn't pleasant for you to go through everything to get us to this point, both the time you spent preparing for this mission and also having to actually keep up the act and be amongst the very Mobians that once brought you down as well. Though, I'm sure you probably had fun during the heist."

"Oui, but zat steell doesn't make up for geetteeng 'alf of what I s'ought I would. I 'ad many plans for zat money."

"And I've got plans for you as well," Espio thought angrily.

"Hmph... It's funny. Ordinarily I would have killed somebody for taking advantage of a deal I gave them, but considering what you've done for me, and as part of being a businessman, I do have a compromise."

"I'm leesteneeng."

"After talking with my contacts in G.U.N. they agreed to make sure you get safe passage to a non-extraditionary location where you'll be safe for the time being while I can complete my work. They mentioned a rather remote but luxurious tropical location. Not to mention they said you could pick out a vehicle or two from the supply those fools managed to bring to us. That, along with five million, is your for the taking. What do you say?"

Patch took a little less than a second to decide. "I theenk we 'ave a deel."

"You think, or we do?"

"We do. I accept zee offer."

"We're ready to go, sir," Snively announced.

"Ahhhh, perfect timing dear nephew. Hmph hmph hmph... This is going to be soooooooo much fun."

Robotnik spun back around to face his control panel. Patch joined up with Snively along side of the throne as various T.V. screens on the walls began to power on. Unknown to any of them, Espio sat in silence, watching their every move, but also dreading whatever was going to happen next.

"Only the most diabolical and disgusting of events could make him this happy. And this seems to be something he's wanted more than anything in life. I can imagine what some of those could be, but all of them I don't want to be the case..."

One by one the television screens powered on. It took a moment for Espio to figure out what they were given the distance he was from them, but he thought they looked like holding cells of some sort. At first the view of from the screens was distant, but when Robotnik pushed a button on his throne the views zoomed in a bit.

Espio almost failed to stifle a gasp at what he saw. Across the near dozen screens Espio saw familiar face after familiar face, all of them lying about and seemingly dead. Espio swallowed deeply.

"Please just let them be unconscious."

Isn't it amazing..." Robotnik stated, scanning each screen. "Vector and Mighty... Charmy and Ray... Knuckles and Julie-Su... Blaze and Mina... Shadow and Silver.."

"Shadow and Silver?... How did Robotnik ever manage to capture them?"

"Amy and Sonia... Rotor and Antoine..."

"Antonie? That must be the real one!"

"Bunnie and Uncle Chuck.. Rouge and Princess Sally... Sonic and Manic... Tails and... well, just Tails. Hmph hmph hmph.."

"Why did that make him chuckle? What did you do to him?"

"How amazing it is to not only have so many of the most crucial Freedom Fighters all in one place at one time, but also completely under my control. It's as if all the planets and stars have aligned, and for me no less. It may have taken a long time, but now, after being defeated, humiliated and banished... I will have my revenge."

Robotnik reached for a button on the arm of his throne. "Wakey wakey," Robotnik he said with a chuckle.

On screen a silvery mist, the antidote to the sleeping gas the Mobians were under, was visible spraying throughout the room. The mist quickly dissipated and a few moments later each of the beings began to stir. A feeling of elation made Espio quiver slightly.

"They're alive! All of them! I'm not to late to save them... But how? I don't even know where those cells are."

Robotnik sat rubbing his hands in anticipation. Snively and Path also looked to be savoring the moment as well. Slowly the groups of Mobians came out of their forced slumbers and started to become aware of their surroundings.

"Oh mah stahrs... Mah heahd hurts..."

"Like, what happened?..."

"W-w-w-here are w-w-w-w-we?

""What the hell is this place?"

"Why, it's my dungeon, Detective Vector," Robotnik replied to the last question.

On screen each Mobian, except for Tails, turned their attention to the camera and screen that was in their cells. "Hello, everybody. Did you all enjoy your nap?"

"Robotnik?" Vector said incredulously. "Robotnik?"

"Yes, that is my name."

"No... it's not possible... Now I know what Sonic meant that he wasn't the enemy... Sonic! You bastard, what did you do to Sonic!"

"Relax, detective. Sonic, along with everybody else that had anything to do with this whole operation is alive and with feet of your location."

"Vector..." Mighty said groggily, getting to his feet.

"Mighty! I didn't know you were there! Are you alright?"

"Yeah... I guess."

"M-m-m-m-m-m-ighy! C-c-can y-y-you hear m-m-me?"

"Yes! I can! Are you alright?"

"Yeah, me and Ray are cool!" Charmy squeaked from down the hall, though he was visible on screen. "But I don't like this place one bit!"

"Well, it's 'Buttnik, what did ya expect?" Sonic aasked.

Robotnik allowed the group of them to converse for a short while, allowing each of them to realize who else was there and that everybody was alright. Espio grew increasingly relieved to hear the familiar voices and know that, at least for the time being, that his friends were alive.

"That's just about everybody... But Tails..." Espio thought, looking at the screen of Tails still lying on the ground.

"Wait a second... Where's Tails?" Rotor asked.

"Tails? You Tails, can you hear us?" Sonic asked loudly.

Robotnik chuckled as he looked at the screen of Tails still lying unconscious. "Relax, hedgehog. Your two-tailed friend is alive. Now then, I want a few of you to have front row seats for the show. So.. let's see here... Hmmmmm... Yes, you... you... and... why not? You too."

Robotnik pushed three buttons on his throne control. On screen a hole opened in the roof or two of the cells. The same mechanical arms that separated shot into the cells that housed Sonic and Manic, as well as Rotor and Antoine. Both hedgehogs were snatched by their legs before they could react and were pulled through the hole in the roof. The arms also grabbed the still weak Antoine. Rotor tried to grab him, but the arms easily pushed the giant walrus back.

"What the hell just happened!" Knuckles shouted in reaction to the strange noises in the cell block.

"They... It... took them!" Rotor shouted.

"What did?"

"These robotic arms! They came out of the ceiling!"

All the Mobians simultaneously looked up at the ceiling to spy the entry point where the arms would come through. "Fear not. Nobody else is going for ride at this time."

"Where did you take them!" Sally demanded.

On cue, Sonic, Manic, and Antoine were dropped into the waiting Roboticizer chamber. Robotnik shifted the camera away from himself and showed the Roboticzier and it occupants. The trio were in a mangled heap having landed hard both of the metal floor and on each other. Antoine had let out an audible moan of discomfort, causing both hedgehogs to have gotten off of him quickly.

"Yo, Ant! You alright?" Sonic asked.

"Dude... it looks like he got the hell kicked out of him even more than before!"

Earlier when they'd first seen Antoine he appeared to have been beat up enough. Now he was showing more bruising, swelling, and a few spots of blood-matted fur. Takinga deep breath Antoine finally opened his eyes and looked up at the hedgehogs.

"Soneek... Maneek... Je suis désolé..."

"What'd he say?" Manic asked.

"'E said 'e eez sorree."

Both hedgehogs looked up to see the identical coyote standing next to Snively and Robotnik. Nonchalantly the canine walked over to the Roboticizer and stooped down to be eye level with the others.

"Eez eet apparent who I am?"

"Well, you're one hell of a look-alike," Manic commented.

"And probably an asshole," Sonic joked.

"Hmph. Always weeth zee jokes. But take a good look. See eef you remember me."

The coyote pressed his face to the glass. Sonic squinted and looked for something that would look familar, but could find nothing. "No, I don't know you. Nor would I want to."

Patch looked over his shoulder and grinned at Robotnik. "Eet worked."

"Indeed it did... Patch."

Reality struck everybody, both in the control room and down in the cells. When Patch looked back at Sonic he pulled his fur aside and stretched his skin. Only then did Sonic spot the faint remains of a scar that had been surgically reduced from how prevalent it used to be. Patch then also shut his left eye. Looking closely and catching the light just right, it was evident that the right eye was a very convincing fake.

"I must say, hedgehog, that for somebody as keen as you it really never occurred that there was an imposter amongst your group."

Sonic went to answer, but a growl interrupted him. "You..." Antoine said in a low voice.

"Bonjour, Antoine. 'Ow are you feeleeng?"

With a sudden and surprise spurt of energy, Antoine jumped to his feet and started pounding furiously on the glass of the chamber and shouting various insults and swears in his native tongue. Patch chuckled as he walked back to the others as Antoine continued his tirade. Espio sat in silence, a feeling of great discomfort going through him at seeing the coyotes actions.

"I've never seen him act like that. Whatever Robotnik did to him must have been awful."

Soon after Antoine trailed off of his shouting and slid to his knees, whimpering as tears fell from his eyes. Sonic came to his side and the coyote latched onto him, sobbing into his shoulder. The others in the cells observed this as well. A few sniffled quietly at seeing their friend in such agony. Sonic motioned for Manic to come over and be by Antoine's side.

"It's alright, dude. Just take it easy," Manic said calmly as he sat next to Antoine.

"Just relax, okay buddy?"

Antoine only nodded slightly in response. Looking up from Antoine Sonic glared at Robotnik. "Alright, "Buttnik. Clearly there's a lot more going on here than what we all thought. So what gives?"

"I'm glad you asked that, Sonic. And I'd be more than happy to explain. You see, hedgehog, ever since you and the rest of the damned Freedom Fighters ruined my Doomsday Project six years ago I've been working towards regaining my power. Of course, considering I was banished and the rest of the world would probably kill me on the spot if I even thought about going near their part of the world, it's been anything but easy getting to this point. In fact, it's been downright a living hell."

"You deserved it!" Charmy yelled over the television.

"He deserved worse," Vector added.

"And I should have made sure of that," Sally finished.

"Naturally, I don't think I deserved to die, but of course you're my enemies so that's naturally what you're going to think. And to be honest, that almost did happen to me. I pretty much was a wanderer for several years, trying to survive by any means necessary without any help from anybody or anything, knowing that running across just one wrong person, making one wrong move, or going into one wrong place would be the end of me. That was not a pleasant experience."

"Oh boo hoo hoo, "Buttnik! Now you know how pretty much much of the world felt when your fat ass was in power!" Sonic snapped.

"Oh, I do beg to differ hedgehog. I didn't always kill everybody I captured. Sure, some of them I did and some... well, many I roboticized, but didn't always kill. But in my case it was me against all of Mobius. As much as I am a genius, I was truly at a loss as to what to do. Eventually I convinced myself that there was nothing I could do and that it was all over for me."

"Never have I heard more comforting words from you... scum," Uncle Chuck said.

"After spending years on the run I happened upon this city. I found that around here was where I could survive more easily given the available resources. So I set up camp here in Station Square and for a while things were alright. Then, as luck would have it, I had a run in with some G.U.N. agents. Naturally, they turned me in immediately hoping to claim some big bonus that was out on my head. But then, what I thought would be the end of me ended up being the turning point. As it turned out, there were several key members in G.U.N. who were, shall we say.. interested in looking out for my best interests?"

"They'd have gotten more out of looking after the best interests of a pet rock that you," Sonic cracked.

"Hardy-harr-harr, hedgehog. Anyway, though some careful manipulation, corruption and one or two executions to ensure secrecy, my life was spared. The idea was that, if I'd managed to take control of the world before by myself, then if I had a backing like G.U.N., it could be done again. So for a few years I've been protected by G.U.N. as we've planned out every last detail of creating a new world order. And now with all of you under my control, the greatest threat between us and our goal is all but destroyed. Soon I will regain my former glory as the emperor of this world and have one of the strongest and technologically advanced government forces behind me to-"

"Wait wait wait, woah woah woah! Stop the corn ball monolog for just a second! Where the hell does being a black market businessman and this stupid car theft operation play in?" Sonic interrupted.

"Oh yes, I sort of overlooked that in all my excitement. Thank you, hedgehog. Ha! I never thought I'd hear myself say that!"

"This is unbelievable! But now I'll understand how we got dragged int this," Espio thought to himself.

"You see, hedgehog, this time around I'm not playing it by my own rules. Not totally. I've had to do certain things to earn the respect, faith, and support of G.U.N. You see, just because I was once able to take over and run the world doesn't mean that my G.U.N. contacts we're going to automatically trust me and just give me a clear shot at taking over. After all, certain entities within G.U.N. would like to have a part in the new world order for themselves. Now granted, that means I wouldn't be in absolute control of the world, but in exchange for letting G.U.N. have certain powers and areas to control, I would gain their eternal loyalty and access to resources unlike any I have ever had before, like secret state-of the art technology, robotics, weapons of mass destruction, the list goes on and on. Those, combined with my own original creations, would give me a level of power and influence that I could only have dreamed of during my original attempt at world domination."

"That still doesn't explain why the hell you went through all the trouble and put us through all this grief," Sally pointed out.

"I'm getting there, dear Princess. As I said, it's been some years since I first connected with my contacts within G.U.N. You don't really think that we could just throw all of this together overnight and jump into power, do you? I think that was a majority of my problem last time. I came to power so fast and I was making things up as I went along. Now however, with years of planning and preparation in place, I along with all the connections that have been established, a takeover of this globe is all put a few simple commands away. In fact, I overheard one or two of you say throughout the night that you'd named this whole operation the Autokrieg, a play on the word Blitzkrieg? Originally meaning sudden, swift, unavoidable and indefensible all-out sudden attack? Well, it would be fair to say that a global Blitzkrieg is imminent, and it's all thanks to you."

"You're not welcome," Knuckles stated

"But as I stated before, I needed to truly earn the support of G.U.N. I could only negotiate, plan, and make promises with them for so long before they wanted proof that I could deliver on my promises and ideas. I knew that should I come to power again, the biggest threat I faced more than any army, any weapon, or any other power that exists in this universe... was all of you. You Freedom Fighters, a group of filthy animals that somehow managed to dethrone me and undo everything I had worked so hard to create. I knew I had to get rid of all of you if I was even going to have a sliver of a hope of taking over again. So G.U.N. assigned me with a simple task: Get rid of the Freedom Fighters, and the world is my oyster."

"I think you've eaten one too many oysters already," Sonic joked.

"Getting back on topic... With the world the way it was after my defeat I knew you were all going to be spread all over. Some of you made it easy for me by locating to this city on your own accord since it was a fast-growing area for new opportunities. The rest of you spread out across the globe with your own agendas. I knew it would be impossible to do anything with everybody so far apart. I needed everybody in one place at one time. So I carefully observed everybody's whereabouts and choose bide my time, looking for the perfect moment to strike."

"Judging by that statement I'm going to feel confident in saying that you infiltrated the system I had set up to track the scum of this planet," Sally stated.

"Isn't it obvious, Princess? I have connections with G.U.N.! One of the most powerful government organizations on the planet! In some ways, I think they are more powerful than anything the Acorn Empire ever was, is, or could be. But yes, my efforts did infiltrate your organization, along with many others both in this city and around the world. It not only made it easy to keep track of where all of you were, but also allow G.U.N. to take the steps it needed in order to ensure the ease of overthrowing the world powers. And it was through these efforts that the lucky break I needed came when Antoine and his father Armand came right to me. They were on a vacation around the globe when they encountered my dear but not-so-able-to-defend-himself nephew, Snively. Since G.U.N. was the nearest large government around they brought him here to turn him in. From there... well... hmph hmph hmph."

Antoine let out an irrepressible whimper and clenched his fists. "Père..." he said softly.

Although not fluent in the language, Sonic knew that the word mean father. "What did you do to him?," Sonic asked, his tone growing a bit darker.

"Naturally, we couldn't have the world knowing I was alive, so I saw to that. Oh, you should have seen the look on their faces, and Snively's too, when I revealed myself. It was priceless, as was the little cry of fear that Antoine couldn't resist. But those were nothing in comparison to what happened next. And rather than me tell you about it, just watch."

A new screen appeared in the control room to air the footage, which was also being displayed for all the prisoners. All in attendance watch a few minutes of footage in which Robotnik terrorized the father and son, first verbally, then physically. Antoine bore the worst of it due to Robotnik's hatred for him a a Freedom Fighter. In a last ditch effort, Armand tried his best to fight off Robotnik. In gruesome detail, they could all only watch as Robotnik gripped Armand by the throat and suffocated him right in front of Antoine's eyes. When the film cut out Antoine broke into a roaring cry in the Roboticizer. Manic and Sonic tried to console him as much as possible flashing Robotnik a death glare. Elsewhere on the various screens some of the Freedom Fighters were in tears while others could hardly comprehend what they'd just seen.

"You heartless piece of scum! Did you really have to do that?" Uncle Chuck screamed.

"Did I have to? No. But did I? Yes. And that's all that really matters. Anyway, from then on I know I finally had what I needed to get things together and I began to put plans in motion. Luckily I had an ace up my sleeve, and that is where Patch comes in. Fortunately for me G.U.N. had been tracking the whereabouts of the world's most wanted as well, so I knew where he was. That meant that I could send Patch in as an imposter and nobody in the world would be the wiser. I immediately fetched Patch and began a rigorous training regime to make sure he was as much like Antoine as he could possibly be. Sure, Patch had stood in for Antoine in the past, but I wanted more than that. I wanted Patch to practically think he was Antoine. For that, I created the Behavior Replication and Enhancement chamber, basically a machine that flooded Patch's brain with everything Antoine through electrical pulses and subliminal messaging. The results were astounding. There were times I couldn't tell the two apart. About the only time I could tell them apart was when... well, look for yourselves."

Another video played with various dates in the lower corner. They showed Patch beating Antoine in various forms to various degrees and also forcing him to do the hard labor of working in the refinery. Antoine shuddered at the sounds of the T.V., undoubtedly reliving those moments in his head.

"Ah, zee good times," Patch said with an evil grin.

"Admittedly, I let Patch do that because he had to take the stress of his training, and eventually dealing with all of you, out on something. Anyway, I have finally arrived on why I've been involved in criminal activity and how all of you play into this. With everything else set up all I needed was a trap to lure in the rest of you. As you may recall I had to do things to keep my G.U.N. connections happy by doing things for them to prove my worth. One idea that had been floating around a while was a mass theft operation. You see, my connections desire a very lavish and well-funded life, but they don't always want to pay for it. So when I came up with the idea of getting rid of the Freedom Fighters and gaining them a whole fleet of vehicles, they were sold on the idea. I stepped into the role of the well-controlled G.U.N. crime syndicate and put my plans to work"

"So you never were some sort of criminal kingpin. You just stood there and barked orders at systems already in place," Vector stated.

"Quite right. It was so easy setting this up, and my connections to law enforcement meant it would be even easier. I got everything in place in a very short period of time. From there it was just waiting until the rest of you Freedom Fighters were in positions that I could take advantage of. Through my own actions and a bit of luck that was achieved quite quickly. After that, it was as easy as releasing Patch out with the story of he'd been captured by me and that the only was to save him was the theft operation. And the choice for the first person to pull into all of this was an obvious one," Robotnik said, glancing over at Manic. "With one of the best thieves in the world, and yes, I think he's better than you, Rouge, I knew Manic would fall for the story all too easily. Naturally, he did and rounded up his first group to try to get the mission done. I saw to it that it failed in order to get the leverage and timing I needed. After that, well... you all know what happened there after since you've all been involved. And that pretty much brings us to now."

"Well I got to hand it to you, 'Buttnik. Of all the crazy-ass ideas you've ever had, this one tops them all," Sonic stated.

"Maybe so... but it worked, didn't it?"

"Don't be so sure," Espio thought.

"Lets take a look at the status quo, hedgehog. I have all of you in my custody, you have no means of escape, there's nobody to come and help you, and thanks to your impressively secretive actions, nobody even knows you're here. Oh, and as an extra added bonus, in capturing you I now have all seven chaos emeralds. Any way you look at it hedgehog, I win... and you lose."

"HA THAT"S WHERE YOU'RE WRONG!" Vector shouted excitedly. "The only one of us not here is Espio! He got away from your fake police this morning and I guarantee you he'll be here any second to bring your ass down!"

"You're actually partially right about that, detective. Espio isn't here. That is to say he isn't here... anymore."

"Y... You're lying..." Vector gasped.

"Do you honestly think I'd lie about the death of one of you?"

"It's not true!" Vector shouted, getting angrier. "Espio's too smart to have been lured into one of your schemes!"

"Oh, indeed you're right. To a degree. I'll admit he did give it a good run. We actually had caught him once early in the day, but he fought his way out of that. We kept missing him all day, but he made the mistake of coming back to the S.S.P.D., one area that I have a lot of control over. We ambushed him and captured him once again. I had one of my best teams take him to be executed and I got confirmation from that he deed was done. So I stand by my statement. Nobody is coming to help you."

"You... you... YOU BASTARD!" the crocodile roared. "I SWEAR, I'M GONNA MAKE YOU PAY FOR THIS! YOU WILL LIVE TO REGRET KILLING A MEMBER OF THE CHAOTIX! I'LL MAKE YOU SUFFER WAY WORSE THAN YOU EVER DID WHILE YOU WERE BANISHED!"

Espio swallowed slightly as Vector had predictably lost his temper. Vector glanced over at the screen with Vector and Mighty on it. Vector realized he'd made a mistake, but it was already too late.

"You threaten me with suffering? Ha! You know nothing of suffering with the pampered lifestyle you've been living in your gated community ever since you won the lottery."

From his hiding place he could the slow look of doom cross over Vector's face. "How... did you know that?"

"You still don't get it, do you? I have influences everywhere in this city. Your community is no exception. I know full well how you've been living. In fact, during the day I had a team of mine go and get a souvenir. Here, take a look."

Robotnik pushed a button on his throne chair and a another image popped up on the spare screen. That image was also available to all the prisoners. Espio's nerves tingled with what he saw, but it was nothing compared to the sudden look of horror that overcame Vector. On screen his beloved wife and daughter sat in an unknown dark room, both blindfolded, bound, and gagged. Though appeared to have put up a struggle as their clothes and fur were ruffled.

"VANILLA! CREAM! OH MY GOD, CAN YOU HEAR ME!"

The two responded with muffled cries at hearing the familiar voice. It was impossible to make out what they were saying through the gag. Robotnik switched off the screen and put his face back on.

"Quite an interesting family, I must admit," Robotnik said with a scornful note.

"Robotnik... please... Don't do anything to them. They don't deserve this! I'm a Freedom Fighter! I'm the one you want! I'll gladly give up my life so that they may live," Vector pleaded, barely keeping his emotions together.

Robotnik scoffed in disgust. "Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Look at you, one moment you're pumped and ready for a fight, I show you one little image and you're groveling. You call yourself a Freedom Fight? Phft! Yet, it's the exact thing I was counting on. Whether it be to your teammates or your loved one, if something happens to them you forget about the fight at hand. Even two of the most difficult adversaries I though I'd have to face, Shadow and Silver, proved just how weak you are when you think with your heart. You're perhaps some of the strongest Mobians on this planet, yet when your precious Blaze and Rouge were threatened, you caved in. You're all weak due to your hearts."

"You're wrong!" Charmy suddenly shouted. "It's because of the trust and love that we have for each other that we've always kept fighting and getting back up, even when it looked like we were as good as dead! And that's something you'll never understand because you're nothing but a big bully! No matter how hard you try, you'll never break us or our spirits!"

For the first time the entire group felt a sense of power and pride in such powerful words being spoken. A feeling of levity spread amongst them all and gave them a sense of confidence again. Robotnik could see this and wasn't going to let it go unanswered.

"Hmph... I see that with just a few words you all seem so reassured. Well, as the old saying goes, actions speak louder than words. Earlier today I took an action that proves that you're all not as strong as you think. And before you ask what I did, let me just say ... I taught Tails a lesson."

Only then did everybody remember in all that was going on that they'd yet to figure out where Tails was or if he was alright. This new statement did nothing to reassure a new feeling of dread. Sonic's eyebrows began to arch as he wondered what Robotnik meant.

"What did you do to Tails?" he asked threateningly.

"Relax, I did nothing to Tails. Not directly, at lest. He's quite alive and and... Actually, I can't really say he's well, but he's alive, technically speaking. However, I doubt he's going to want to live much longer considering how he is doing right now. Here, take a look,"

Robotnik switched the screen to Tails' cell. The fox was still lying motionless on the floor. He looked limp and pale, his fur matted and in some places missing a few patches. He was also lying amongst a pile of his own stomach contents, and although it was hard to tell is also looked as if he'd urinated himself at some point. The image of the young kitsune in such a horrid state silenced everybody, each of them wondering what had happened to him.

"It would appear Tails isn't so motivated by your so called spirit, love, trust, or whatever else you feel you all possess. And to think, with all the attempts I've made over the years to get any of you to this condition, the step that worked was so simple. Watch this."

They all watched footage from earlier when Robotink separated Cosmo from Tails, roboticized her, and ultimately killed her in the furnace. In the footage that followed, they saw Tails suffer a mental breakdown as he repeatedly screamed and cried, throwing himself against the walls, pulling his own fur out, hitting himself, and eventually throwing himself into the retaining glass of the cell, which Robotnik had electrified to prevent escape attempts. The shock threw Tails back and he fell to the floor into a position not much different from the one he was in now.

Espio was having a hard time keeping his emotions in check, a rare occurrence for himself. "A life has been lost... I have failed... There's no denying that now."

On screen many of the Freedom Fighters were in tears, some uncontrollably. Even the toughest amongst them, like Knuckles and Shadow, looked highly disturbed at what they had just seen. In the Roboticizer chamber Manic sat with his hands buried in his hands, as did Antoine. Sonic stood, his eyes clenched tight and his fists clenched. Robotnik sat back and enjoyed all the reactions.

"A thing of beauty, isn't it Snively?"

"Quite so, sir."

"Oui," Patch added.

"So, as you can all now see, you're not as strong as you all think. Sure, you act tough and mighty when the odds are in your favor, but if just one bad thing happens to your friend and you crumble to pieces. It turns out your love for each other is your very undoing. The force that you like to believe keeps you going is ultimately what has made you fail, and allowed me to win."

"It's better to have that than be a heartless bastard like you," Sally seethed.

"Stubborn to the last, as usual. There's no point in continuing this conversation anymore. I've proved my point. All that's left is for me to fulfill my part of the deal and make sure that all of you don't live to see the morning. So here's how it's going to play out. Some of you I'm going to go through the pleasure of roboticizing, such as the three stars of the show I have here already, and also Chuck and Bunnie, since you were both previous guests of my invention. Those of you who are less important I'm going to just simply kill. And for a few of you with unique powers, like Blaze, Silver, and Shadow, I'm going to run some tests on you to copy your DNA and abilities in the most painful and gruesome ways possible. I guarantee you that you'll die during the process. So, without further interruptions, lets get on with-"

"Sir!" Snively interrupted.

Robotnik growled at being stopped. "Yes... Snively?"

"Perhaps it might be worthwhile to demonstrate your method of execution for some extra fun?"

Robotnik considered the thought a moment and knew what his nephew was getting at. "You're right, Snively. That's a great idea."

Robotnik typed some codes into his throne chair console and brought up the image of Cream and Vanilla again. Vector gasped as the two cried out in terror as mechanical nozzles lowered from the ceiling into their cell.

"For those of you that have never seen the effects of deadly neurotoxin on a living being, I think these two are perfect guinea pgis. Well, technically they're rabbits, but you get my point. This ought to be a good show."

Robotnik began typing in codes to activate the gas as Vector began to plead not to do so. Espio didn't know what to do as he had only seconds to react. The choice was either give up his stealth and hope to stop Robotnik, or detonate the bomb and possibly kill them all if the blast was more powerful than expected.

"You're a really wimp, you know that 'Buttnik?" Sonic said suddenly.

"Oh? And what makes you say that, hedgehog? I am about to kill all of you, aren't I?"

"No, you're not."

"Umm, yes I am."

"No, you're not."

Robotnik sighed. "Alright. You're obviously just trying to delay the inevitable death and have the last word to try to make me feel insignificant, but I'll listen this one last time."

Realizing this was his opportunity, Espio reach for the phone to dial in the code, only to discover the battery was dead. Cursing his luck, Espio quietly quick quickly began to search the bag, hopping to find a spare battery somewhere.

"I only just now realized what a weak individual you are. Think about it, everything you've ever killed you used a machine, a tool, a weapon, or something like that. You've never once had the balls to face a threat and take it on by yourself. You couldn't hurt a fly if you wanted to," Sonic said.

"Yeah, he's right! You rely on you fancy inventions because at the end of the day you're less dangerous that a speck of dust!" Amy shouted.

Pretty soon, the entire group was in rebellion and shouting insult after insult at Robotnik. It was all they could do given their situation and figured they might as well go out with the last word. Meanwhile, Espio had finally found a spare battery and was desperately trying to replace it in the dark of the air duct.

"You're nothing more than sociopath that didn't get cradled enough when you were a baby and you feel guilty because the rest of us have been able to live meaningful lives. Even with as much shit as we've been through in my life putting up with you, we wouldn't trade it for the world because at the end of the day we can feel secure knowing that we made a difference in this world and that we will be remembered for our accomplishments. And that's something you'll never be able to take away from us," Sally concluded.

Espio finally had the battery replaced and started to turn the phone on. Looking back out he saw Robotnik typing in a few more codes. Several of the cells below now had vents for neurotoxin in them, while others were left empty as they contained members who were to be roboticized or tested.

With everything set, Robotnik clapped unenthusiastically. "That was a very nice display of emotions. I enjoyed that in an odd way. But not as much as I'm going to enjoy what I'm about to do to all of you right now. And in the end, when I've roboticized the whole world, nobody will remember you anyway. So, thank you for everything, Freedom Fighters. You won't be missed by me, nor the rest of my robotic world. As I've heard Patch say, Au Rev-"

A loud slam in the room made everybody turn about. The air vent slid across the floor and came to a stop. A purple chameleon was standing over by the wall.

"S-s-sir?" Snivley stuttered

"Eet can't be!" Patch cried.

"Oh yes it can," Espio said confidently.

"ESPIO!" Vectored cried out over the telecom.

"Well well well..." Robotnik said in annoyance, spinning his throne around. "Espio. You're looking very... alive."

"Indeed. Quite an interesting story you've just told. I heard all of it."

"Well good for you. So am I to take it that you somehow tricked me into thinking that my team had killed you, when really you killed them?"

"Close enough."

"Whatever. I can take care of that myself," Robotnik said plainly, engaging a set of sentry machine guns which lowered from the ceiling. "Any last words, Espio?"

"Espio, get out of there!" Vector shouted.

"Last words? No. There's no need for them."

"Great. That's the way I like it. Goodbye."

"Wait! He's got something in his hand!" Snively announced.

Espio held up the green cell phone."Say hello to my secret weapon."

The trio was perplexed for a moment, then began to laugh in unison.

"Mon dieu! 'E eez an eedeeot!"

"What's he going to do, throw it at us!" Snivley laughed

"Calling the police will do you no good, Espio. You know by now I've got the S.S.P.D. in my pocket. Plus, with my connections with G.U.N. they won't help you either. So I suggest you call for a hearse, because you'll need one in just a moment."

"Better yet, why don't I call an insurance company for you," Espio stated.

Robotnik cocked his head. "What are you, a comedian now? What's that supposed to mean?"

"In the past few days I've learned some valuable lessons. Some include that sometimes you need to do things in ways you've never done them before... and that it's always good to have a backup plan... and that it's your teammates that really meaning something... and..."

"And?"

Espio smirked. "That gas explosions make great diversions."

Everybody, Mobian and Overlander alike, were stunned by the last statement.

"I have to thank you, Robotnik. You almost got me with the bomb at Manic's house. But the one at Rouge's club, well..."

"Sir! The gas bunker! We'll lose power if that goes off!"

Espio grinned at this new fact. he began to quickly type in a number into the keypad, Everybody couldn't believe that Espio, a master of stealth, was going to pull a page from Sonic's book and do something to extreme.

"'E's goeeng to blow eet up!"

Robotnik's face went white hot with rage as he roared in anger, trying to type in the codes to activate the sentry guns to stop the chameleon while Snively and Patch ducked from either the impending explosion or gunfire. Espio glanced over quickly at the Roboticizer bank of screens and winked at his teammates, then mashed his thumb down on the call button of the phone.