A/N: And here we reach the final part of this story. We did run into some problems along the way-

Sword: *holds up Pen, handcuffed to her*

-but it's fine now. So without further ado, Robotnik, Sonic, and all related characters belong to Sega. Sword and Pen belong to me. Please enjoy.

Epilogue- End of the Beginning

Robotnik surveyed the vast sea from the second story of his laboratory. Up above, the sounds of drills, welders, and loud construction were incessant. Robots of all sizes and shapes were working, adding another layer to the building. It was already impressive compared to the state Robotnik had found it in, with a sleek, gray design and turrets on the corners of the rooftop.

Dozens upon dozens of mines lay embedded in the ground, visible only to those who knew their location. Further out, the sea splashed into the island. The blue waves were never-ending, always crashing on the rocks, always trying to reach him, trying to swallow the craggy foundation of the island and stop him.

He looked away from the window and turned up the volume of the television in the ceiling corner of the room. Then he picked up a pencil and continued work on a blueprint. Tesla purred and nuzzled against Robotnik's shins as a female anchor stood in front of Station Square Park on the television. Tall trees overshadowed everyone in the background and the grass was perfectly cut. "It may be hard to believe now by looking at it, but it was only ten months ago that our beloved park was destroyed at the hands of Ivo Robotnik, AKA The Eggman. But thanks to support from the local community and everyone's favorite hero," the screen cut to show Sonic standing alongside the mayor and waving, "the park has been restored in full." Robotnik snapped his pencil in his hand and ground his teeth. "Mayor Bloomberg has planned a celebration later this afternoon, so I'll see you down here, Jim."

The screen switched to an anchor in a studio who smiled. "I'll try to swing by," he said.

Robotnik grumbled and grabbed his protractor and another pencil. He flattened his blueprint on the table and drew several lines. "Enjoy it for now. I haven't forgotten what you people did."

"Dr. Robotnik." A small, thin teal droid rolling along on treads entered the room. "The prototype head is done."

"Good, good," he said. "I'll be right there." The droid nodded stiffly and left the room. Robotnik set aside his pencil and picked up a nearby cage. Inside, Gregory lapped from his water bowl. "Ready to see your new suit?" Robotnik asked him. The hedgehog blinked at him. "I promised you would run as fast as Sonic one day. That day is close at hand."

He walked out of the laboratory, carrying the cage under his arm. On the table, he left the blueprint as it was with several drawings of a chassis and the internal configuration of the design. A stray sea wind blew in, flapping the corner of the blueprint's title: "Metal Sonic v1.0".

Robotnik entered a grandiose room down the hall, filled wall to wall with robots and factory lines. Day and night, the machines worked tirelessly, pumping out all his creations. Lined up far below in a floor below sea level, an army of machines waited for their master's orders. Robotnik leaned on the rails of the walkway above the work area and grinned.

"Oh, yes. Our day is close at hand," he said. "We shall rise up. This isn't over, Sonic the Hedgehog." He gripped the rail, wringing it tight in his hand. The droid returned, carrying a blue head, with round, pitch black eyes, a pointed nose, and a gray mandible. "Far from it."

He picked up Gregory and inserted him into the head. He snapped it shut and waited. Slowly, the faintest light flickered on in the eyes, growing brighter until they were as red as Robotnik's outfit. "We've only just begun."

A/N: And that's the end. Hope you guys enjoyed it.

Sword: Now let's get back to romance stuff!...Where's Pen?

Uh-oh. Er, while we look for him, please let us know what you thought of it.