Author's notes: Hey everyone! Sorry for the long wait, but suffering from the feared writer's block isn't very funny. Anyway, I still got writer's block, but I made this chapter instead to help me get the story set up properly with a plot, hence the name of this chapter. You may see some familiar faces from different universes, but this fic will not focus on one universe in particular. I'm also building on some background of the characters, including my own family related theories. Sonic and Shadow will appear next chapter.

Hope I did well! Thanks for all your reviews during my period of being gone. Also, if there's no new chapter up before the holiday, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

- Chapter 4: Beginning of plots

It was a damp morning in an unknown location. Sunrays were having trouble penetrating the thick roof of leafs that covered this large area. The plants were forming a wall that looked impenetrable, or so it seemed.

Suddenly, a red dot appeared behind the plants, causing a bit of smoke to escape the spot. The red dot began moving to create a half of a circle. When the dot disappeared, the plants fell away, revealing a man with a jungle hat on, whose body was oddly shaped like an egg. Glasses covered his eyes, thick enough to hide them from view, giving the man a scientist look. He even had a large, bushy moustache to complete the picture.

"Hohoho!" the man laughed, moving into the clearing he'd made with the laser of his metallic walker. "So this is what my father was talking about. A sanctuary said to hold a tablet containing the key to the ultimate force of destruction!"

"Unfortunately for dear father, those blasted animals locked him up after capturing him when he attempted to show them who is superior," the bald human mused, "And it was a total fluke that they caught him, too!"

"Fortunately for me, I managed to stay out of the spotlights long enough to plot a revenge against those fur balls," he went towards the now-visible temple, which was oddly low on floors, meaning it had to be partly underground, "And now, with the information contained on that tablet, I will finally be able to form a plan of war."

"Enjoy your piece while you still can, mobians, because it will not last much longer! I, Doctor Ivo Robotnik, will see to that! Who-hohohoho!" Robotnik laughed insanely.

He pressed a button on his dashboard. A little static appeared, clearing up to reveal two robots, one a golden color with a long body, the other silver colored with a more plump body.

"Decoe, Bocoe, I have located the temple my father described in his logs! Send some DiggerBOTs to my current location, immediately!" he barked, the plumb robot beginning to type frantically.

The other nervously replied, "Y-yes, Doctor! We're on it! By the way, your contact reported that he lost the kid when he kidnapped him. He said the carriage c-caught fire, somehow, and the kid was thrown out when a large rock hit one of the wheels. He attempted to retrieve the kid, but could not find him anywhere in the vicinity. He is awaiting further instructions."

"You can't get any good help these days," Robotnik mumbled irritated, "Well, tell him to continue his searching. If he has not found the brat at the end of the month, he will have to refocus his search on the other two. They are all needed to force the Kingdom of Animalia to surrender to the Robotnik Empire. I'm moving into the temple. Do not disturb me during our search, unless it has priority Red!" he finished.

The robot on-screen replied, "Right, Doctor. Good luck searching. Decoe and Bocoe, over and out…"

With that, the obscene doctor directed his walker towards the temple.

………………….

"Oh, where could he be…?!" a female rabbit sighed. An adult crocodile and a little rabbit girl accompanied her. They were in a big city park, apparently looking for someone. Skyscrapers rose high into the sky in the area around the park, sounds of traffic and pedestrians audible faintly.

"Vanilla, honey, ya' know we can't answer that question. We put up those posters with Maurice's picture, so all we can do now is hope someone can help us find him," the crocodile answered patiently. He even had his headphones hanging around his neck for the occasion.

"Dad, do you think big brother is okay?" the little rabbit asked the crocodile. She had a little blue creature with her that floated above her shoulder. The yellow ball on its head was shaped like an exclamation mark. It, too, was worried for this Maurice person. Of course, it also didn't like to see its owner sad.

"Well, it's time for me to go back to the garage, dear"

Vanilla, the mother, answered that question, "Cream, dear, we're doing our best to find Maurice. If we had a clue of where he was seen last, it would be much easier," she sighed, finding the situation becoming more hopeless by the second. Each tick of the clock meant a higher probability Maurice getting lost even more, or even worse, killed.

'Don't think like that, Vanilla! Be strong, for your daughter,' she firmly thought to herself.

The little girl oh-ed, looking up to the sky, whispering, "Please be OK, big brother, wherever you are…"

…………………………

"Stop that thief!" a voice yelled, several anthros running out of a store, chasing after another one. It was a rainy day in the gray city of Mobotropolis, nothing to get excited about. Nothing exciting, that is, if it weren't for the robbery that had just happened.

The perpetrator, a young, dark green hedgehog, was currently running for his live, using all his skills to avoid getting caught. The male used his natural speed to stay ahead of his chasers, grinning with excitement. They think they can keep up with me? Hah! I'll show 'em!

Someone, a black-furred cat mobian, jumped in front of the hedgehog, trying to stop him, but he just jumped over him, like the feline wasn't even there. He turned into an alley in-between two large buildings, finding himself at a dead end. "Darn it! Now what to do?!" the boy muttered, his pierced ears perking up at the sound of running and panting mobians.

He turned, bracing himself as the others came around the corner, effectively locking him in. He was trapped! Or so they thought.

"Alright, you little thief! Return that jewel you stole! It's far too expensive to be in the hands of scum like you!" a dog mobian shouted, pointing his finger at the young hedgehog. An albatross and a rhino mobian were standing at each of the dogs' side, appearing like some sort of bodyguards. They were both large and bulky looking.

"'Ya know, that's really the whole point of somethin' bein' too expensive, isn't it? 'Ya nick it," the hedgehog's voice, light and cheery, said, as if he wasn't facing off a mob of people that seemed like they wanted to strangle him. His blue eyes twinkled mischievously. Of course he had a backup plan; he always had one.

"You asked for it, you rat! Let's show him who's boss!" the dog mobian growled, him and the others getting ready to pounce the hedgehog.

"Heh!" that was the only sound the hedgehog made, getting ready to act at the right moment. He clutched an object in his fist that was in his pocket.

The other three mobians growled, closing in. "NOW!" the dog yelled, the albatross and rhino acting immediately, pouncing on the hedgehog.

The green boy grinned, taking out the object in his hand in lightening speed, throwing it between the other three. It exploded with a bright flash, momentarily blinding the enraged animals, making them tumble over each other in a heap. Smoke soon filled the alley, the green hedgehog escaping in the confusion.

"Hehe! It's all muscles and no brains!" the boy said to himself, hearing the angry voices coming out of the alley. He ran out of the street, using the crowd that was walking the main shopping street as his cover. Crossing the road, he went into the park, hiding in one of the trees for a few minutes. 'Hmm… I bet the coast is clear', he thought, looking down from the tree he was hiding in, jumping down again and exiting the park again.

As he turned into yet another alley, someone leaping of a fire-escape ladder greeted him. This person was a red, female fox, who looked quite attractive. "Well hello there, Manic. That was quite a show you put up back there. Impressive," she said in a seductive voice.

A blush came to the other's cheeks, who scratched the back of his head in an embarrassed way, "Hey, Fiona. So 'ya saw that, right?"

"'Course I did, dear. After all, someone's gotta watch your back, right? But you handled yourself well enough," she winked, giving Manic a kiss on the cheek, making his blush increase even more. "Now, what you've gotten that got them so riled up?"

The green hedgehog reached into his quills, taking out a grayish stone. "Look, this one looked pretty rare ta me, so I snagged it. It's a pretty strange shape, too," he added. Indeed, the gem was very defined in shape and size, it being cut out very finely.

"You know, Manic, I think that's called an emerald. But… The strange thing is, they're supposed to be green, not gray. I think you're gonna have a hard time selling this one, not to mention it's gonna blow your cover. I'd say keep it yourself for now, as tempting it is to make a good fortune of it," Fiona said, looking over the emerald with an expert look.

The boy got a disappointed look, "Oh, so 'ya tellin' me I basically wasted my time with this? Oh well, at least it was fun humiliating those blokes!" he joked, putting the gem back into his quills.

"That's my Manic, always seeing a bright side of everything," Fiona remarked, leaning in and pressing a kiss on his cheek, causing a blush to form yet again on the boy's face. "Now, what'd you say we get back to the Guild?"

"S-sure, s-sounds fine to me," the boy stuttered, pressing his fingers against the spot Fiona just kissed.

And with that, the two took of, disappearing into the myriad of alleys that littered the city.