Sonic the Hedgehog

The Ruby

It was not too long ago when the proud machinist and his obedient android ally walked side-by-side in this very hallway. Like most, if not, all corridors in the large aircraft bore the same undecorative white color scheme, devoid of any personality or flair.

However, this one in particular is special, as it houses the very room where the Doctor's most prized possession lies. The key to asserting his eternal dominance over all life in Mobius. The all-powerful phantom ruby.

Not even the greatest of his accomplishments were too much of a shock to him during the Metal War, apart from the out-of-hand metal virus, which to him, was the simple surpassing of his own expectations. The ultimate of genius.

Every city he took, every line of defense his armies overcame, every victory over the newly assembled so-called "Guardians of Nations" was, in his mind, inevitable the moment his conquest began. But one miscalculation delayed his rightful claim to the world. The thought that an ordinary Mobian could singlehandedly overcome most of his perfect metal armies.

It was when the blue hedgehog, accompanied by GUN's most acclaimed agents, raided his Iron stronghold that the reality of defeat set in. Had the livid target not retreated, he'd be locked away behind the cold walls of the Egg Carrier's current destination.

This time, nothing will stop the glorious Eggman Empire. The Doctor grins. Try all you want, Sonic, nothing you do will overcome the ruby's might.

Arriving at the door he's looking for, it slides open upon detecting his presence. Eggman squeezes his round frame through the rectangular opening, entering a small, messy room. Lined against the back wall and filling the corners are unlabeled brown boxes. When building and manufacturing numerous SwatBots and badniks alike, the proud inventor finds himself amassing more spare parts than he'd care to count. Usually, hell just throw them all in a box and call it a day, storing it in the nearest room.

This practice has led to most rooms in the Egg Carrier undergoing transformations to unofficial storage closets. Down here in the lower decks, with nothing of note for the jewel thief to waste her time searching, Eggman couldn't think of a better place to store what lies in front of him, placed unceremoniously on a square table. The phantom ruby.

An artificial gem capable of creating virtual simulations so convincing, it tricks the brain into perceiving the false reality as something real. Something that can be seen. Something that can be touched.

Something that can harm.

Just daydreaming about it causes Eggman's insides to swell up with excitement. With it, the armies he'd be able to summon will be boundless. His imagination will be the limit. No design too outlandish, no base too impractical. Everything he wishes will come to be. No one will stand a chance.

Itching to feed more energy to his ultimate creation, Eggman holds the yellow chaos emerald inches from the ruby. At first, nothing happens. But this is normal. Then, like it was designed to, the ruby emits a pulsating glow. A sure enough indicator that it's working. Seven seconds go by before the once beautiful emerald dims to a lifeless grey, no longer having a speck of its original color. On the other hand, the phantom ruby glows bright red, brighter than it was before.

Just one more... Eggman smiles. Yes, it's all coming together.

Still holding the grey emerald, now no longer identifiable from the other drained gems, Eggman exits the room. Taking the ruby with him to Prison Island of all places is too much of a risk. There can be no margin of error. Instead, he trusts its safety to the now locked office as the door slides shut behind him, only accessible if the eye scanner to its right grants access to him alone.

Whistling a happy toon, the egg-shaped genius strides back the way he came, intent on locking away the now useless emerald with the others. To his blissful ignorance, however, the room he left is not unoccupied like he thinks.

Concealed in the darkness of the ventilation shaft running above the small office, Zero saw it all. The drainage of the chaos emerald left him dumbfounded. He had heard the Doctor's conversation with Metal Sonic days prior, but to actually see it in person was something else.

Staying hidden within the ventilation of the Egg Carrier had left the Jackal more starved than anything. It proves that Eggman's detection of the jewel thief when they first met in person was blind-luck as opposed to observational awareness.

Ready for some fresh air, or as fresh as you can get in this pressurized metal fortress, Zero awkwardly positions himself to have his legs facing the vent. After waiting a minute or two to ensure he's completely alone, he gives it a single kick, causing it to fall to the floor and noisily clatter against it.

He allows himself to fall from the shaft, landing in the center of the compact space. Lying before him is what stole his fascination the moment he heard of its existence. THE phantom ruby. He may be unsure of what it does, but with how Eggman talks about it, he has an idea.

Only a moment's hesitation passes before he snatches the ruby from its current position. Eggman's craft is truly something else entirely. The ex-merc smiles at his reflective image on the gem's smooth, red surface.

My only regret is the loss of my chance to exact vengeance against that metal hedgehog, Zero internally announces, gripping the ruby even tighter at the thought of his betrayal. But on the bright side, my list is far more extensive than just that. But I can't celebrate a premature victory. If I'm to acquire this power, I'll have to be quick to make my move.

Zero looks up at the open vent above him, realizing it's his only way out of the room.

Here goes nothing.

...