Chaos Born

The Enemy Of My Enemy Is NOT My Friend

Not all the automatic doors were working in the factory which meant that Sonic had to use brute force to get to where he wanted to go. There was nothing, absolutely nothing, that was going to stop him from getting to the others and that was final.

He had found himself in some kind of conference room though what exactly old Dr Eggman had once used it for was anybody's guess - unless he was using it for the odd dodgy deal with corrupted officials from the government. There was a layer of dust covering everything in the room, a clear indication that whatever Eggman had in mind for this room, he hadn't used it for such a thing in a very long time and since there wasn't a whole lot to see in here anyway, Sonic didn't feel like sticking around either.

It was to his terrible misfortune, therefore, that when he discovered the only door that seemed to work for him, it opened to reveal the delighted and yet sinister features of Dr Eggman himself, standing in the way with his arms held behind his back and his cheeks pulled into a grin.

"Sir looks to be a little lost," he began in a very gentleman-like fashion. "Would Sir like to purchase a map of the facility? Perhaps a guided tour?"

Sonic's back quills tightened and he bared his teeth in a warning snarl.

"Yeah, because this place is pretty massive and, for some reason, despite its size, I manage to find myself sharing a doorway with you."

Eggman laughed. "One of us is either very lucky or very unlucky."

"No," Sonic disagreed, "one of us is very stupid for still standing in the doorway I want to get through."

"We're a little tetchy today, aren't we Sonic?" tutted Dr Eggman. "What tick buried its way into your fur and died?"

"It's human-shaped and calls itself a mad scientist."

Eggman stroked his chin in mock-thought. "...You'll have to be more specific."

"And you'll have to move aside." Sonic crossed his arms. "Tails is waiting for me."

"Oh don't you worry about Tails," Eggman smiled, waving a nonchalant hand very elegantly in his direction. "I'd imagine he's already out of my brother's office and looking for you right about now. You might just have time to give him a high-five when you pass each other in one of the corridors!"

Green eyes brightened considerably. "You mean he's escaped?"

"Not to pat myself on the back," Eggman proudly replied, "but it was actually me that let him out."

Sonic's right ear flicked as he smirked up at his adversary.

"...Can you even reach your back?"

"...Ouch."

"Well, as thanks for helping him out, I'll give you a word of warning that the others are here too."

Eggman dropped his smile.

"Yes," he murmured, "Metal Sonic was kind enough to let me know." 

Sonic frowned at that.

"Oh..." he said, "Good for you."

However as he attempted to move through the doorway, the bald scientist seemed rooted to the spot.

"Eggman," Sonic sighed irritably, "could you please move out of the way?"

"It's not often I get to hold you in one place, you know," Eggman pouted and then looked at Sonic in an adoring manner. "Let me enjoy the moment."

Not taking kindly to the expression on Eggman's face, Sonic began to tap his foot.

"How about I take a step back and start running?" he suggested. "It's been, ooh, how long since you last had a hedgehog-shaped bruise?"

"Do I have time to congratulate you on your engagement?"

"For Chaos' sake..."

Still Eggman seemed incapable of moving. He remained a sickly smiling barricade which Sonic was reluctant to handle.

"It won't be long before Ira finds out about the others," Eggman warned, finding a sweet amusement in how the blue hedgehog scampered from one side of the doorway to the other, poking his nose into a gap he wanted to make bigger for himself. It was endearingly cute, in a way.

"He'll find out when he ends up under Omega's foot," Sonic hissed. 

Eggman nodded in silent agreement.

"Did he manage to pull off his little experiment?" he then asked out of the blue. Sonic stopped his poking and hurriedly jumped back like he had been stuck with a needle. "Metal told me about your... appointment."

Sonic's pearly white teeth were bared so that his fangs were now visible.

"...The miniscule amount he's managed to take won't be enough to take over the world or give him everlasting life you know."

"I do know. I think he knows that too. Fairly certain the little amount he took from you was deliberate."

"And... What's he going to do with it?"

"...There are a lot of sleeping robots in this base." Eggman tapped the floor with his shoe. "When your Allies cross paths with them it's going to make a mess."

"...They can handle it," Sonic scoffed. "They're fighters and they've been taking apart your robots for years."

A flash of malice briefly glittered behind Eggman's glasses.

"Not for quite so long as you have, eh?" he noted to which Sonic gave his trademark smirk.

"Then it's a good thing I'll probably meet up with them and offer my assistance at some point," he grinned.

One of Eggman's bushy eyebrows raised itself a little higher than the other. 

"...No you won't."

Sonic didn't hear any more.

Breathing heavily from the exertion of swinging his metal rod (which had been hiding in his hands behind him) and cracking it against Sonic's temple (the only weak spot on the hedgehog's hard head), Eggman took a moment to admire his handiwork as it was splayed out in front of him like a blue fur rug.

"Ooooh Ira's so scary, Ira's so evil, Ira's the main bad guy around here..." Eggman jeered, jumping around excitedly. "Ha! When did I stop being Dr Eggman? When did I ever stop being the Top Bad Guy around here?"

He stood over Sonic's still body and laughed maniacally as he sent a message to summon Orbot and Cubot.

"Trick question - I didn't."