Chosen from Chaos - Ch. 3
Title: Chosen from Chaos
Chapter: 3
Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog/Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! crossover
Character(s): Chiro, Nova, SPRX-77, Gibson, Otto
Genre: Drama, action/adventure, angst, some romance, friendship
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Sonic the Hedgehog © Sega, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! © Ciro Nieli
Notes: This was a...really weird idea I had one day, a long long time ago. I'm not sure why, other than I had just gotten into SRMT so I wanted to write about it all the time, and I was a really big Sonic the Hedgehog fan, so for some reason the crossover at the time made sense in my head. I don't...even know.
And again, I wrote this a really really long time ago. Like...Sonic Adventure 2 long time ago. So all the Sonic-related stuff takes place after that, pre-Sonic Heroes. In fact, none of the Sonic games after SA2 happened in this story and is directly a year after SA2, so it's kind of AU I guess. And in SRMT, it's kind of...after the war with Skeleton King, so...yeah...convenient. I'll stop now.
Summary: Dr. Eggman's newest plan is not only a threat to his world, but to another. And things get personal for the Hyperforce when the evil scientist takes some of their own.
[Chapter 2]
~*~*~*~
He was mostly aware of the throbbing pain in his head as he woke from unconsciousness. Biting back a groan, he shook his head slightly to clear it but only succeeded in making it worse. Shutting his eyes tighter to try and dispel the pressuring ache, he then slowly opened them.
Though the room was dimly lit, part of the glow that filled it was shining directly above his head, hanging from the ceiling where the restraints holding his hands and wrists also dangled, keeping his arms held above his head. The other source of light came from the giant computer monitor that was stationed several feet before him. Though the monitor was switched on, there was nothing present on the screen.
He racked his brain, trying to recall what had happened, and obtained some random memories. Shuggazoom had been attacked by some bizarre-looking robots…the sky had turned some weird color…he had sent Antauri and Jinmay to patrol the city…Ah.
Now he remembered. He had sent Antauri and Jinmay to patrol Shuggazoom City, and everything had seemed okay for a while. Then something happened to the sky - something he still had trouble believing, let alone understanding - and the black egg-robots had fallen from nowhere and started attacking. He remembered that one of the robots had scanned him…said something about a secondary target…but he had destroyed it before the words had completely registered. Still, even with the other four members of the Monkey Team they had been grossly outnumbered, so he had had them distract the machines so he could contact Jinmay and Antauri to call them back to the Super Robot.
Then he remembered talking to Jinmay very briefly before he felt a shooting pain throughout his body. Afterwards there was nothing but darkness.
He shook his head slightly. Everything had happened so quickly…he still couldn't grasp the entire thing. The robots had just seemed so ready for them…so prepared for them. Even if they had been able to destroy some of them, there had just been so many of them and they worked too well together, that the Hyperforce had been too overwhelmed by them. They had fought as best they could, but the robots still managed to somehow beat them.
At least the five of them hadn't been able to beat the robots. He wondered how Antauri and Jinmay fared against them.
He began looking around the room, trying to get a better idea of where he was. As he did, however, he discovered with a lump in his throat that the Monkey Team was in the room with him. To his right was Sprx and Nova, and to his left was Otto and Gibson. Each monkey was contained in a black-silver metal box, concealing every part of their body except their heads. Connected to the back of their helmets was a thick vermilion cord that was plugged into sockets in the metal walls behind them, and he felt his stomach turn as he tried to imagine what those cables were for.
He continued to look around a bit longer, but he saw no trace of Antauri or Jinmay. Had they managed to protect themselves against the robots after all? Were they okay? It was hard to be sure. But at the moment, he decided that he would have to worry about that later. Right now, he had to make sure his other friends were all right.
"Nova, Sprx, Otto, Gibson…wake up," he said in as loud a whisper as he could muster. Whoever had captured them didn't seem to be around, but he didn't want to provoke any attention to them in case there were guards nearby.
He watched as the others slowly lifted their heads, rousing from their forced slumber. "Ugh…Chiro?" he heard Nova say, the first to fully come to.
"Are you guys okay?" the teen asked softly.
"I feel…like I got stepped on by the Super Robot…" Otto muttered.
"What…happened?" Sprx wondered, ebony eyes glancing around the dim room. "And where are we?"
"It…almost looks like a laboratory," Gibson mused. "Lacking obvious equipment of course…but it's not a prison cell or anything of the sort."
Chiro was inclined to agree. While the Monkey Team was bound to the walls and he himself was secured to the ceiling by his wrists (and to the floor by his ankles, he noted tensely), their surroundings were by no means that of any type of dungeon he was familiar with. Though dark, the walls were made of pale metal, and from the corner of his eyes he thought the monitor flickered a little, but he wasn't sure if he was imagining things or not.
It certainly didn't feel like a place to keep prisoners (not that he was complaining), but there had to be a reason that they were being kept in that room, right?
His mind returned to reality just in time to pick up on the conversation the other four were engaged in.
"If I ever get my hands on the freak behind this, I swear I'll wring his neck!" Nova growled.
"But there must be a reason this happened…" Gibson tried to rationalize. "The strange phenomenon in the sky, the attack in Shuggazoom City, the robots, our capture, Antauri and Jinmay's absence…"
"Of course there's a reason for all that," the red monkey retorted. "There's always a reason for stuff like this. The question is, do we wanna know what that reason is?"
"Well, we don't really have a choice now," the leader replied softly. "Whatever's happening now, we're involved. I just wonder what's gonna happen to us…"
"Hey…" the mechanic started slowly, "can anyone…move…at all? Because…I can't…"
A silence fell over them before the other three simians shifted their heads, struggling against their holding in vain attempts to break free.
"What is this contraption?" the chief of science blurted out after a minute.
"I can't move at all!" the golden monkey agreed, confusion etched in her eyes.
"I can't even feel my hands!" Sprx remarked. "What the heck is this thing?"
"I dunno…" Otto answered, "but it feels kinda weird, doesn't it? Plus the plug in my helmet's makin' my head itch."
Chiro frowned slightly, watching as his friends continued to fight beneath the square receptacles that managed to hold them in. If they couldn't free their hands, they couldn't use their abilities and therefore couldn't break out. They were trapped there, and he had to wonder if their captor - whoever that was - had intended for his to happen. It was most likely; after all, one couldn't very well take prisoners without finding a way to subdue them so they wouldn't escape. Still, the case looked simple enough to break out, and if Nova's hands could just transform into her giant fists, she could probably destroy her prison from the inside.
However, it didn't seem very likely for that to happen. In fact, it seemed that she was having just as much trouble as the others were. Obviously they weren't going anywhere any time soon.
Whoever was behind this, they knew exactly what they were doing. The robots, the holding containers…everything was very well done to ensure their capture. A little too well done for his liking.
Still, no matter how good this person was, there were still some notable mistakes. Even with his hands and feet bound, his restraints left enough slack for him to move them. He tugged on them experimentally. The manacles were pretty strong, he could determine that. But if he worked on them long enough, putting a strong amount of strain on them, he could probably eventually break them down. He had enough space to exert the necessary force, so he could probably break them rather easily. Setting his mind, he began pulling on his bonds forcefully with all the strength he could muster.
The screams that echoed against the cold metallic walls made his blood run cold. He froze just in time to watch as his friends' heads, once thrown back as they cried their anguish, fall forward in a slump, heavy breathing grating their throats.
"What happened?" the teen inquired, looking at the simians with anxious perplexity.
"Ugh…agh…" Nova ended up mutter as some form of answer. With a quick jerk of her head, she tried again, "It felt like something was trying to fry my brain…"
"Ugh…electric current…" Gibson muttered, almost incoherently as he was still trying to recover from the ordeal. "A very…powerful one…" Shifting slightly, he studied the green monkey beside him who would have collapsed to the floor if he wasn't being held upright. "The cables attached to our helmets must have transmitted the shock directly into us."
"But why?" the golden monkey asked. "We weren't even doing anything!"
"Perhaps you weren't, but you may want to try asking the boy just what he was doing when the shock wave occurred."
Five heads snapped up and turned towards the door they never noticed open, and saw the silhouette of the large man standing there. The dark room was suddenly filled with fluorescent light, causing the Hyperforce to recoil and blink rapidly, adjusting their eyes to the sudden brightness.
When he was able to see clearly again, Chiro couldn't help but find himself staring at the strange man who stepped into the room, his black boots clacking on the metal surface as he entered. The red and white coat that the man wore did nothing to hide the egg-shaped stomach underneath. His legs, covered with black pants spattered with dark stains of some kind (it almost reminded him of the oil Otto was sometimes covered with after building something), seemed impossibly thin for a man that size. Gloved hands reached up to remove a pair of goggles and set them a top of a bare head. But even with the goggles removed, the man's eyes were hidden beneath a pair of dark-tinted glasses. As the man looked at them, his busy, orange mustache flicked slightly to reveal a smirk.
All in all, the man wasn't exactly the type of person who Chiro imagined capable of capturing the Hyperforce. Then again, neither was Gyrus Krinkle…But still…
The monkeys appeared to be on the same wavelength as he was, for they also did nothing but silently eye the man.
Finally, Otto bravely ventured forward. "Who are you?"
The mustache twitched again. "You may call me Dr. Eggman," the man replied.
Another hush fell over them as they resumed gaping at him.
"Dr. Eggman?" Sprx finally quipped. It seemed he was doing his best to bite down a laugh. "What kinda name is that?"
Once more the mustache twitched, the confident demeanor that had faded momentarily quickly returning. "Go ahead and make jokes. But I'm not the one stuck in a containment vessel unable to move."
The amusement in the hot shot's eyes promptly died.
Behind the sunglasses, Chiro could feel the man's smugness as he turned away to face the computer. "What did you mean earlier?" the boy dared to ask. "About what I was doing when the others got shocked?"
Eggman turned to face his captives once again. Pointing to the boy's restraints, he answered, "Those bonds aren't just meant to hold you, boy. If that were the case, I would have made them much stronger."
"I kinda figured that," Chiro muttered. "But then why? If not just to lock me up, then why…?"
"Well, even if I had strengthened your bonds, there was still the risk of you damaging them and escaping. So I had to take some certain measures to ensure that doesn't happen."
Chiro swallowed nervously, ignoring the heavy pounding in his chest as he asked, "What kinda measures?"
The doctor pretended to consider telling him, but the boy could see the conceited need to boast. "I only assumed that you wouldn't want to kill your friends here…"
There were stifled gasps from his friends, but he found that he couldn't breath in order to do even that. He could only stare at the man, hoping that he had only imagined what he had heard.
"What…what did you do…?" he finally managed to choke out. He tried to strengthen his voice, but just wasn't able to do so.
Eggman's smirk returned. "Those bonds are connected to a central power core that is then further linked to the cables plugged into your friends' helmets. The amount of electricity that is released into their brains is correlated to the amount of force you use against your restraints. The harder you struggle, the more electricity is fed into them."
If possible, Gibson seemed to pale slightly. "So…if Chiro does manage to break his bonds…"
"Let's just say…you monkeys won't survive long enough to see him off."
Four pairs of eyes were fixed on him, but Chiro barely noticed. His gaze was locked with the man before him, his body quivering with anger and, though he would never admit it, fear. Just trying to imagine this man who he had never seen before and didn't know, using his friends and putting their lives on the line like that…with no regret, no remorse…just to make sure he didn't escape…His blood boiled, just like very time his friends were in danger. It was only because they were at risk that he willed himself to keep from charging at the man.
He forced himself to calm down, listening to his breathing rather than the frantic beating of his heart. After several minutes, when he was sure he wouldn't attack the doctor just by the sound of his voice, Chiro let out a low, seething, "Why…? Why are you doing this? What do you want with us?"
"With you?" Eggman retorted. Amusement crossed his expression. "My dear boy, I want nothing to do with you…or your biomechanical pets…"
"Pets?" the blue monkey reacted, obviously offended by the notion. But he said nothing more as Nova momentarily glared at him before returning her attention to the confused teen.
"Wait…if you didn't want us, then why go through all the trouble to capture us?"
The man's mustache twitched again, unable to conceal the haughty smirk. "Actually, I might have been a bit hasty with my answer. What I meant is that while I had no other places for the five of you, you turned out to be quite useful as a means of cooperation."
The five all exchanged puzzled glances. "What?" Sprx asked.
"It's rather simple, really." The man's eyes never broke contact with Chiro's. "I hooked your monkeys up to your restraints to assure that you couldn't escape…and I had to keep you here in order to make my experimentation that much easier."
"Experimentation?" the chief of science queried. Despite the predicament they were in, the word had roused the curiosity within him. "What kind of experimentation?"
"Well, you see I am but a…humble scientist," the doctor said, placing a gloved hand to his chest.
Chiro couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"While there are many aspects of the scientific filed I enjoy dabbling in, my favorite pastime is to delve into the realm of machinery."
"Yeah?" Otto asked, his own interest sparked. "Do ya like to build things too?"
"Otto!" Sprx rebuked.
"What? I was just wonderin'…"
The doctor laughed. "Actually, yes, I do enjoy building things that I then use to carry out certain plans."
"What kinda plans?" Nova asked, though she got the feeling she wouldn't like the answer.
"We'll get to that in a moment," Eggman replied wickedly. "The point is I prefer to use my own creations to accomplish my schemes. However, even I can appreciate a work of true mechanical genius when I see it, and I can't help but…tamper with it."
The monkeys exchanged worried glances. "You don't mean you plan to…" the red pilot began.
"Oh, heavens no! You have nothing to worry about. While your structure is rather fascinating, creatures of the flesh are much harder to work with than pure mechanical beings."
The doctor's words stirred the ghost of an old memory in his mind, and the boy shuddered as he heard the cold voice of the robotic probe echo between his ears. Not only had that crazy probe try to get rid of them, but poor Antauri had…
His mind froze as his stomach leapt into his chest. 'Oh no…' he thought, 'it couldn't mean…!'
Seeing the realization light the boy's eyes, Eggman smirked and finally broke his gaze with the other, turning his attention to the door.
Unaware of their leader's state, the four monkeys followed the man's eyes as the door hissed and slowly opened. A mechanic whirring, a muted clank against the metal floor, followed by an echo of sharp intakes of breath.
Only then did Chiro snap out of his daze, focusing on the two figures as they strode into the room. His stomach lurched again, so violently this time that it felt as though his heart was knocked into his dry throat.
There were no other thoughts in his head as he abruptly cried out, "Antauri! Jinmay!"
It was indeed the two friends who had been missing at the time of the attack that stood before him. But as he stared at them, he knew that it was already too late to help them.
Though she was still dressed in her Hyperforce uniform, Jinmay's skin had been replaced with her metal armor, as though ready to fight. She stood with one hand on her hip and a smirk on her lips, the dangerous gleam in her eyes reminding him of when the biker gang leader had controlled her, turning her into another member of his gang and looking for trouble.
Antauri, on the other hand, stood with his arms folded across his torso and regarded them with empty cobalt eyes. There was no light, no recognition…just a darkness that Chiro had only seen when Mandarin took control of him with Valina's pendant.
They were no longer the friends he knew. Instead, they were being controlled by this (and he was certain of this now) evil mad scientist.
"Marvelous, isn't it?" he barely heard Eggman state triumphantly. "I was rather lucky that you had asked these two to patrol the city at the time my robots attacked. It made capturing them all the easier."
The guilt that the comment had placed in him quickly gave way to rage as he watched the villainous man slowly walk over and place his hand on Jinmay's shoulder. How dare he? How dare he think he had a right to touch her?
"You girlfriend was simple enough," Eggman began, ignoring the murderous glare Chiro threw at him. "Though her design was quite intriguing, it didn't take her long to succumb to my control. I was a little disappointed, really, so I equipped her with some other features."
His smirk suddenly broadened as the doctor placed his hand on Antauri's helmet. "But this one…oh, this one was even better to work on then I could have imagined! Not only were his systems much more complicated - I actually had a bit of a challenge figuring him out, but then I do love a good challenge - but he fought…oh yes did he struggle to keep his control. You would have been quite proud of him," he added snidely, and Chiro couldn't stop the growl that erupted from his throat.
"Yes, he fought hard. But in the end, it wasn't enough to keep me from overpowering him." Eggman patted the robotic monkey's head. "And now they work for me."
"Why?" The teen thought it he shouted the question, and it took a second to recognize it as Nova's voice instead. "How could you do this? What do you want with them?"
From her tone, the boy detected something else besides the obvious anger; pain. Pain for Jinmay, once again being forced against her will to perform deeds for an evil mind. Pain for Antauri, reliving his fear of losing control of his robotic body. Pain for them, trapped and unable to do anything to help. He heard it in her voice and was aware of it because he was feeling it too.
But he pushed it aside when the doctor laughed, giving way once again to the rage that burned within him. "I only want what any other self-respecting genius would want," he replied. "But you see, even an evil genius like me needs some assistance in order to take over the world."
"No!" Chiro snapped. He nearly leapt at the man before remembering his friends and what would happen to them if he did. Instead he declared, "You're not gonna use Antauri and Jinmay to take over Shuggazoom!"
Eggman laughed again, and inwardly the teen couldn't blame him. In his predicament, he was in no position to make such statements. But he kept his defiant ground anyway. After the time they spent protecting the city, it would hurt more than anything for them to turn around and destroy it, even if they were being controlled by a mad scientist. And there had to be something he could do. He couldn't let this man use his friends to take over their home.
Still…it seemed like a dire situation they were in. And he knew that the man was aware of it as well, which was probably whey he was still laughing. But what the doctor said next blew him away.
"My boy, I had no intention of conquering your world. I mean to use your friends to conquer my world!"
That shook the Hyperforce with a start. "Your world?" Otto repeated.
"Indeed. Shuggazoom just isn't for me. No, I'd much rather take over Earth if it's all the same to you."
They all exchanged startled looks as the same thought passed through their minds. Not only had they been captured by this evil scientist, but they had been taken from their planet and lost two of their friends so they could invade a foreign world?
No only was that hard for them to believe, but they had to wonder: Just how desperate was this man?
More importantly to Chiro, though, was how Antauri and Jinmay would feel knowing that they were helping a villain take over a world that, as far as he knew, was otherwise seemingly innocent from dark evil. He knew it wasn't their fault, but he also knew that it wouldn't stop the guilt they would feel after aiding a man in his sinister conquest. When they returned to their normal selves, they would still feel guilty knowing what they had a hand in doing.
Chiro swallowed thickly as a grim thought entered his mind: 'If we get them back.'
"Okay," the boy heard Sprx say suddenly, "so you invaded our planet, captured all of us, and took control of Jinmay and Antauri's minds…"
"Right," the scientist confirmed, "though you forgot to mention the time I spent observing you all."
An awkward silence came and went before the hot shot was able to add, "Okay…kinda creepy…"
"But you never said why," Gibson stated. "You never explained why you needed to go through all that trouble…just to take over your planet. Surely you could have conquered it on your own without their help…not that it would have been a good thing," he hastened to add.
Chiro watched as a scowl set in the man's features. "That's where you're wrong; unfortunately…I've tried many other methods, all of which ended in failure. Any attempt on my part has been thwarted by an…annoying meddlesome obstacle."
The boy quirked an eyebrow. He could tell that the man was really referring to someone…someone who obviously managed to stop the doctor's plans for world conquest repeatedly. If that someone could stop this man - who had managed to kidnap them all and had reprogrammed Antauri and Jinmay - then that person definitely had the leader's respect.
His impressed state faded when Eggman smirked again. "But with these two…oh, that fool won't have a chance! Still…even after all the time I've spent watching you, I still wish to see them in action." The man then turned to the two droids. "Minions," he said in a commanding tone.
Chiro bit his tongue as anger flared once more. They had names! How dare he treat them like that? He felt sick when he heard his friends reply in cold, hard tones, "Yes, Dr. Eggman?"
The doctor turned to the computer, pressing a button on the consol and drawing an image on-screen. "I want you two to go here," he directed.
The Hyperforce gawked at the screen. The island that they stared at was not only monstrous, but the entire top of it was covered with thick, lush foliage that reminded the teen of a forest. He could only imagine how the island looked from the inside out. But its massive size and mysterious beauty weren't the reasons the team found themselves staring.
"How…?" the golden monkey began, trying to find her voice. "How…that island…That island is floating in mid-air!"
"That…that's…impossible!" Gibson sputtered. "That defies all logic and reason!"
"That's what I first thought when I heard the stories of Angel Island," Eggman answered, a low chuckle in his voice. "I passed them off as rumors because it just seemed so incredible, so implausible…until the day I crashed into it, five years ago…"
"But how…?" Chiro wondered, somehow tearing his eyes away from the floating land to look at the evil scientist. "How does that…Angel Island…float like that?"
"Ah. I thought you'd never ask. Instead of simply telling you, perhaps I can show you."
"How're ya gonna do that?" the green monkey asked, curiosity overriding concern.
"With a test," the man replied before turning to Antauri and Jinmay. "Now, here's what I wanted you two to do…"
He leaned forward, closer to the two and began whispering their orders. The teen strained his ears, but unfortunately wasn't able to pick up any of the words. Glancing at the members of the Monkey Team, he could tell they were having no luck either.
Finally, the doctor pulled away, standing to his full height. "Understand?" he asked, loud enough for the five to hear.
Placing a hand to their chests, Jinmay and Antauri both bowed at the waist to the man. "Yes, Dr. Eggman," they answered mechanically. Then they turned and began heading for the door.
He watched them for a moment before seeming to come across an afterthought. "Oh, Jinmay?" he called after them.
Chiro made a slight face. He hadn't like when the man called them minions, but somehow hearing the villain address them by name was even worse.
Pausing, the robot girl turned towards him. "Yes, Dr. Eggman?" she said.
"Don't forget to turn your camera on."
The Hyperforce looked at the man. "Camera?" Sprx repeated.
Ignoring them, the girl nodded. "Of course, Dr. Eggman."
And then Chiro watched her lift her hand to her neck, carelessly tossing aside the pink scarf that made up part of her uniform to reveal a black collar with a silver pendant attached to it.
Placing her hand to her neck, Jinmay seemed to press a hidden button next to the pendant. As she did so, the screen before them flicked and the image changed. No longer looking at Angel Island, the young leader saw the doctor standing on the screen.
Admiring himself on the monitor, the man then turned to the girl and relinquished a satisfied nod. "Very good," he said. "Now get going."
Bowing again, she turned and left. On the computer screen, those in the room were able to see everything she was looking at.
"And what was the point of that?" Gibson asked.
"So you can see the show, of course," Eggman replied, a wicked smirk barely hidden beneath his mustache. "After all, you wanted to see how Angel Island maintains such an altitude, didn't you? This way, you can see it as well as its guardian."
"Guardian?" Nova chimed.
"You don't expect something powerful enough to suspend an entire mass of land that size to be unprotected, do you? Even if many people don't believe the stories, there are still others who would. And so a guardian was appointed to protect…" The man allowed his voice to trail off.
"Yeah?" the boy asked, almost excitedly. "Appointed to protect what?"
Scanning the teen's face for a brief moment, Eggman then just smiled lightly. "But if I told you, I'd spoil the surprise… No, you'll just have to wait for the show to start." Folding his arms over his chest, the doctor then turned his back on them to focus on the computer screen.
Frowning deeply, Chiro then glanced at Gibson and Otto whose curious attention was focused on the monitor, eager to see this mysterious guardian and power that kept the island afloat. Then he turned to Sprx and Nova. The hot shot met his gaze before quickly glancing at the doctor, then rolled his eyes a bit. The teen bit back a laugh.
But then he caught sight of Nova's eyes, and any of the light comfort he felt quickly dissipated into nothing. He saw the worry and concern cloud her normally bright eyes. She quickly glanced at the screen before closing her eyes and turning away.
He knew what she meant. She was afraid…and though she would never admit it, he knew that's what it was. She was afraid, not for herself or for them in the room, but she was afraid for this unknown guardian, who was about to be dragged into trouble. And she was afraid for Jinmay and Antauri, for what they were about to do.
And he could understand that. He was feeling that way too.
TBC
[Chapter 4]
Chapter: 3
Fandom: Sonic the Hedgehog/Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! crossover
Character(s): Chiro, Nova, SPRX-77, Gibson, Otto
Genre: Drama, action/adventure, angst, some romance, friendship
Rating: K+/PG
Disclaimers: Sonic the Hedgehog © Sega, Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go! © Ciro Nieli
Notes: This was a...really weird idea I had one day, a long long time ago. I'm not sure why, other than I had just gotten into SRMT so I wanted to write about it all the time, and I was a really big Sonic the Hedgehog fan, so for some reason the crossover at the time made sense in my head. I don't...even know.
And again, I wrote this a really really long time ago. Like...Sonic Adventure 2 long time ago. So all the Sonic-related stuff takes place after that, pre-Sonic Heroes. In fact, none of the Sonic games after SA2 happened in this story and is directly a year after SA2, so it's kind of AU I guess. And in SRMT, it's kind of...after the war with Skeleton King, so...yeah...convenient. I'll stop now.
Summary: Dr. Eggman's newest plan is not only a threat to his world, but to another. And things get personal for the Hyperforce when the evil scientist takes some of their own.
[Chapter 2]
~*~*~*~
He was mostly aware of the throbbing pain in his head as he woke from unconsciousness. Biting back a groan, he shook his head slightly to clear it but only succeeded in making it worse. Shutting his eyes tighter to try and dispel the pressuring ache, he then slowly opened them.
Though the room was dimly lit, part of the glow that filled it was shining directly above his head, hanging from the ceiling where the restraints holding his hands and wrists also dangled, keeping his arms held above his head. The other source of light came from the giant computer monitor that was stationed several feet before him. Though the monitor was switched on, there was nothing present on the screen.
He racked his brain, trying to recall what had happened, and obtained some random memories. Shuggazoom had been attacked by some bizarre-looking robots…the sky had turned some weird color…he had sent Antauri and Jinmay to patrol the city…Ah.
Now he remembered. He had sent Antauri and Jinmay to patrol Shuggazoom City, and everything had seemed okay for a while. Then something happened to the sky - something he still had trouble believing, let alone understanding - and the black egg-robots had fallen from nowhere and started attacking. He remembered that one of the robots had scanned him…said something about a secondary target…but he had destroyed it before the words had completely registered. Still, even with the other four members of the Monkey Team they had been grossly outnumbered, so he had had them distract the machines so he could contact Jinmay and Antauri to call them back to the Super Robot.
Then he remembered talking to Jinmay very briefly before he felt a shooting pain throughout his body. Afterwards there was nothing but darkness.
He shook his head slightly. Everything had happened so quickly…he still couldn't grasp the entire thing. The robots had just seemed so ready for them…so prepared for them. Even if they had been able to destroy some of them, there had just been so many of them and they worked too well together, that the Hyperforce had been too overwhelmed by them. They had fought as best they could, but the robots still managed to somehow beat them.
At least the five of them hadn't been able to beat the robots. He wondered how Antauri and Jinmay fared against them.
He began looking around the room, trying to get a better idea of where he was. As he did, however, he discovered with a lump in his throat that the Monkey Team was in the room with him. To his right was Sprx and Nova, and to his left was Otto and Gibson. Each monkey was contained in a black-silver metal box, concealing every part of their body except their heads. Connected to the back of their helmets was a thick vermilion cord that was plugged into sockets in the metal walls behind them, and he felt his stomach turn as he tried to imagine what those cables were for.
He continued to look around a bit longer, but he saw no trace of Antauri or Jinmay. Had they managed to protect themselves against the robots after all? Were they okay? It was hard to be sure. But at the moment, he decided that he would have to worry about that later. Right now, he had to make sure his other friends were all right.
"Nova, Sprx, Otto, Gibson…wake up," he said in as loud a whisper as he could muster. Whoever had captured them didn't seem to be around, but he didn't want to provoke any attention to them in case there were guards nearby.
He watched as the others slowly lifted their heads, rousing from their forced slumber. "Ugh…Chiro?" he heard Nova say, the first to fully come to.
"Are you guys okay?" the teen asked softly.
"I feel…like I got stepped on by the Super Robot…" Otto muttered.
"What…happened?" Sprx wondered, ebony eyes glancing around the dim room. "And where are we?"
"It…almost looks like a laboratory," Gibson mused. "Lacking obvious equipment of course…but it's not a prison cell or anything of the sort."
Chiro was inclined to agree. While the Monkey Team was bound to the walls and he himself was secured to the ceiling by his wrists (and to the floor by his ankles, he noted tensely), their surroundings were by no means that of any type of dungeon he was familiar with. Though dark, the walls were made of pale metal, and from the corner of his eyes he thought the monitor flickered a little, but he wasn't sure if he was imagining things or not.
It certainly didn't feel like a place to keep prisoners (not that he was complaining), but there had to be a reason that they were being kept in that room, right?
His mind returned to reality just in time to pick up on the conversation the other four were engaged in.
"If I ever get my hands on the freak behind this, I swear I'll wring his neck!" Nova growled.
"But there must be a reason this happened…" Gibson tried to rationalize. "The strange phenomenon in the sky, the attack in Shuggazoom City, the robots, our capture, Antauri and Jinmay's absence…"
"Of course there's a reason for all that," the red monkey retorted. "There's always a reason for stuff like this. The question is, do we wanna know what that reason is?"
"Well, we don't really have a choice now," the leader replied softly. "Whatever's happening now, we're involved. I just wonder what's gonna happen to us…"
"Hey…" the mechanic started slowly, "can anyone…move…at all? Because…I can't…"
A silence fell over them before the other three simians shifted their heads, struggling against their holding in vain attempts to break free.
"What is this contraption?" the chief of science blurted out after a minute.
"I can't move at all!" the golden monkey agreed, confusion etched in her eyes.
"I can't even feel my hands!" Sprx remarked. "What the heck is this thing?"
"I dunno…" Otto answered, "but it feels kinda weird, doesn't it? Plus the plug in my helmet's makin' my head itch."
Chiro frowned slightly, watching as his friends continued to fight beneath the square receptacles that managed to hold them in. If they couldn't free their hands, they couldn't use their abilities and therefore couldn't break out. They were trapped there, and he had to wonder if their captor - whoever that was - had intended for his to happen. It was most likely; after all, one couldn't very well take prisoners without finding a way to subdue them so they wouldn't escape. Still, the case looked simple enough to break out, and if Nova's hands could just transform into her giant fists, she could probably destroy her prison from the inside.
However, it didn't seem very likely for that to happen. In fact, it seemed that she was having just as much trouble as the others were. Obviously they weren't going anywhere any time soon.
Whoever was behind this, they knew exactly what they were doing. The robots, the holding containers…everything was very well done to ensure their capture. A little too well done for his liking.
Still, no matter how good this person was, there were still some notable mistakes. Even with his hands and feet bound, his restraints left enough slack for him to move them. He tugged on them experimentally. The manacles were pretty strong, he could determine that. But if he worked on them long enough, putting a strong amount of strain on them, he could probably eventually break them down. He had enough space to exert the necessary force, so he could probably break them rather easily. Setting his mind, he began pulling on his bonds forcefully with all the strength he could muster.
The screams that echoed against the cold metallic walls made his blood run cold. He froze just in time to watch as his friends' heads, once thrown back as they cried their anguish, fall forward in a slump, heavy breathing grating their throats.
"What happened?" the teen inquired, looking at the simians with anxious perplexity.
"Ugh…agh…" Nova ended up mutter as some form of answer. With a quick jerk of her head, she tried again, "It felt like something was trying to fry my brain…"
"Ugh…electric current…" Gibson muttered, almost incoherently as he was still trying to recover from the ordeal. "A very…powerful one…" Shifting slightly, he studied the green monkey beside him who would have collapsed to the floor if he wasn't being held upright. "The cables attached to our helmets must have transmitted the shock directly into us."
"But why?" the golden monkey asked. "We weren't even doing anything!"
"Perhaps you weren't, but you may want to try asking the boy just what he was doing when the shock wave occurred."
Five heads snapped up and turned towards the door they never noticed open, and saw the silhouette of the large man standing there. The dark room was suddenly filled with fluorescent light, causing the Hyperforce to recoil and blink rapidly, adjusting their eyes to the sudden brightness.
When he was able to see clearly again, Chiro couldn't help but find himself staring at the strange man who stepped into the room, his black boots clacking on the metal surface as he entered. The red and white coat that the man wore did nothing to hide the egg-shaped stomach underneath. His legs, covered with black pants spattered with dark stains of some kind (it almost reminded him of the oil Otto was sometimes covered with after building something), seemed impossibly thin for a man that size. Gloved hands reached up to remove a pair of goggles and set them a top of a bare head. But even with the goggles removed, the man's eyes were hidden beneath a pair of dark-tinted glasses. As the man looked at them, his busy, orange mustache flicked slightly to reveal a smirk.
All in all, the man wasn't exactly the type of person who Chiro imagined capable of capturing the Hyperforce. Then again, neither was Gyrus Krinkle…But still…
The monkeys appeared to be on the same wavelength as he was, for they also did nothing but silently eye the man.
Finally, Otto bravely ventured forward. "Who are you?"
The mustache twitched again. "You may call me Dr. Eggman," the man replied.
Another hush fell over them as they resumed gaping at him.
"Dr. Eggman?" Sprx finally quipped. It seemed he was doing his best to bite down a laugh. "What kinda name is that?"
Once more the mustache twitched, the confident demeanor that had faded momentarily quickly returning. "Go ahead and make jokes. But I'm not the one stuck in a containment vessel unable to move."
The amusement in the hot shot's eyes promptly died.
Behind the sunglasses, Chiro could feel the man's smugness as he turned away to face the computer. "What did you mean earlier?" the boy dared to ask. "About what I was doing when the others got shocked?"
Eggman turned to face his captives once again. Pointing to the boy's restraints, he answered, "Those bonds aren't just meant to hold you, boy. If that were the case, I would have made them much stronger."
"I kinda figured that," Chiro muttered. "But then why? If not just to lock me up, then why…?"
"Well, even if I had strengthened your bonds, there was still the risk of you damaging them and escaping. So I had to take some certain measures to ensure that doesn't happen."
Chiro swallowed nervously, ignoring the heavy pounding in his chest as he asked, "What kinda measures?"
The doctor pretended to consider telling him, but the boy could see the conceited need to boast. "I only assumed that you wouldn't want to kill your friends here…"
There were stifled gasps from his friends, but he found that he couldn't breath in order to do even that. He could only stare at the man, hoping that he had only imagined what he had heard.
"What…what did you do…?" he finally managed to choke out. He tried to strengthen his voice, but just wasn't able to do so.
Eggman's smirk returned. "Those bonds are connected to a central power core that is then further linked to the cables plugged into your friends' helmets. The amount of electricity that is released into their brains is correlated to the amount of force you use against your restraints. The harder you struggle, the more electricity is fed into them."
If possible, Gibson seemed to pale slightly. "So…if Chiro does manage to break his bonds…"
"Let's just say…you monkeys won't survive long enough to see him off."
Four pairs of eyes were fixed on him, but Chiro barely noticed. His gaze was locked with the man before him, his body quivering with anger and, though he would never admit it, fear. Just trying to imagine this man who he had never seen before and didn't know, using his friends and putting their lives on the line like that…with no regret, no remorse…just to make sure he didn't escape…His blood boiled, just like very time his friends were in danger. It was only because they were at risk that he willed himself to keep from charging at the man.
He forced himself to calm down, listening to his breathing rather than the frantic beating of his heart. After several minutes, when he was sure he wouldn't attack the doctor just by the sound of his voice, Chiro let out a low, seething, "Why…? Why are you doing this? What do you want with us?"
"With you?" Eggman retorted. Amusement crossed his expression. "My dear boy, I want nothing to do with you…or your biomechanical pets…"
"Pets?" the blue monkey reacted, obviously offended by the notion. But he said nothing more as Nova momentarily glared at him before returning her attention to the confused teen.
"Wait…if you didn't want us, then why go through all the trouble to capture us?"
The man's mustache twitched again, unable to conceal the haughty smirk. "Actually, I might have been a bit hasty with my answer. What I meant is that while I had no other places for the five of you, you turned out to be quite useful as a means of cooperation."
The five all exchanged puzzled glances. "What?" Sprx asked.
"It's rather simple, really." The man's eyes never broke contact with Chiro's. "I hooked your monkeys up to your restraints to assure that you couldn't escape…and I had to keep you here in order to make my experimentation that much easier."
"Experimentation?" the chief of science queried. Despite the predicament they were in, the word had roused the curiosity within him. "What kind of experimentation?"
"Well, you see I am but a…humble scientist," the doctor said, placing a gloved hand to his chest.
Chiro couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"While there are many aspects of the scientific filed I enjoy dabbling in, my favorite pastime is to delve into the realm of machinery."
"Yeah?" Otto asked, his own interest sparked. "Do ya like to build things too?"
"Otto!" Sprx rebuked.
"What? I was just wonderin'…"
The doctor laughed. "Actually, yes, I do enjoy building things that I then use to carry out certain plans."
"What kinda plans?" Nova asked, though she got the feeling she wouldn't like the answer.
"We'll get to that in a moment," Eggman replied wickedly. "The point is I prefer to use my own creations to accomplish my schemes. However, even I can appreciate a work of true mechanical genius when I see it, and I can't help but…tamper with it."
The monkeys exchanged worried glances. "You don't mean you plan to…" the red pilot began.
"Oh, heavens no! You have nothing to worry about. While your structure is rather fascinating, creatures of the flesh are much harder to work with than pure mechanical beings."
The doctor's words stirred the ghost of an old memory in his mind, and the boy shuddered as he heard the cold voice of the robotic probe echo between his ears. Not only had that crazy probe try to get rid of them, but poor Antauri had…
His mind froze as his stomach leapt into his chest. 'Oh no…' he thought, 'it couldn't mean…!'
Seeing the realization light the boy's eyes, Eggman smirked and finally broke his gaze with the other, turning his attention to the door.
Unaware of their leader's state, the four monkeys followed the man's eyes as the door hissed and slowly opened. A mechanic whirring, a muted clank against the metal floor, followed by an echo of sharp intakes of breath.
Only then did Chiro snap out of his daze, focusing on the two figures as they strode into the room. His stomach lurched again, so violently this time that it felt as though his heart was knocked into his dry throat.
There were no other thoughts in his head as he abruptly cried out, "Antauri! Jinmay!"
It was indeed the two friends who had been missing at the time of the attack that stood before him. But as he stared at them, he knew that it was already too late to help them.
Though she was still dressed in her Hyperforce uniform, Jinmay's skin had been replaced with her metal armor, as though ready to fight. She stood with one hand on her hip and a smirk on her lips, the dangerous gleam in her eyes reminding him of when the biker gang leader had controlled her, turning her into another member of his gang and looking for trouble.
Antauri, on the other hand, stood with his arms folded across his torso and regarded them with empty cobalt eyes. There was no light, no recognition…just a darkness that Chiro had only seen when Mandarin took control of him with Valina's pendant.
They were no longer the friends he knew. Instead, they were being controlled by this (and he was certain of this now) evil mad scientist.
"Marvelous, isn't it?" he barely heard Eggman state triumphantly. "I was rather lucky that you had asked these two to patrol the city at the time my robots attacked. It made capturing them all the easier."
The guilt that the comment had placed in him quickly gave way to rage as he watched the villainous man slowly walk over and place his hand on Jinmay's shoulder. How dare he? How dare he think he had a right to touch her?
"You girlfriend was simple enough," Eggman began, ignoring the murderous glare Chiro threw at him. "Though her design was quite intriguing, it didn't take her long to succumb to my control. I was a little disappointed, really, so I equipped her with some other features."
His smirk suddenly broadened as the doctor placed his hand on Antauri's helmet. "But this one…oh, this one was even better to work on then I could have imagined! Not only were his systems much more complicated - I actually had a bit of a challenge figuring him out, but then I do love a good challenge - but he fought…oh yes did he struggle to keep his control. You would have been quite proud of him," he added snidely, and Chiro couldn't stop the growl that erupted from his throat.
"Yes, he fought hard. But in the end, it wasn't enough to keep me from overpowering him." Eggman patted the robotic monkey's head. "And now they work for me."
"Why?" The teen thought it he shouted the question, and it took a second to recognize it as Nova's voice instead. "How could you do this? What do you want with them?"
From her tone, the boy detected something else besides the obvious anger; pain. Pain for Jinmay, once again being forced against her will to perform deeds for an evil mind. Pain for Antauri, reliving his fear of losing control of his robotic body. Pain for them, trapped and unable to do anything to help. He heard it in her voice and was aware of it because he was feeling it too.
But he pushed it aside when the doctor laughed, giving way once again to the rage that burned within him. "I only want what any other self-respecting genius would want," he replied. "But you see, even an evil genius like me needs some assistance in order to take over the world."
"No!" Chiro snapped. He nearly leapt at the man before remembering his friends and what would happen to them if he did. Instead he declared, "You're not gonna use Antauri and Jinmay to take over Shuggazoom!"
Eggman laughed again, and inwardly the teen couldn't blame him. In his predicament, he was in no position to make such statements. But he kept his defiant ground anyway. After the time they spent protecting the city, it would hurt more than anything for them to turn around and destroy it, even if they were being controlled by a mad scientist. And there had to be something he could do. He couldn't let this man use his friends to take over their home.
Still…it seemed like a dire situation they were in. And he knew that the man was aware of it as well, which was probably whey he was still laughing. But what the doctor said next blew him away.
"My boy, I had no intention of conquering your world. I mean to use your friends to conquer my world!"
That shook the Hyperforce with a start. "Your world?" Otto repeated.
"Indeed. Shuggazoom just isn't for me. No, I'd much rather take over Earth if it's all the same to you."
They all exchanged startled looks as the same thought passed through their minds. Not only had they been captured by this evil scientist, but they had been taken from their planet and lost two of their friends so they could invade a foreign world?
No only was that hard for them to believe, but they had to wonder: Just how desperate was this man?
More importantly to Chiro, though, was how Antauri and Jinmay would feel knowing that they were helping a villain take over a world that, as far as he knew, was otherwise seemingly innocent from dark evil. He knew it wasn't their fault, but he also knew that it wouldn't stop the guilt they would feel after aiding a man in his sinister conquest. When they returned to their normal selves, they would still feel guilty knowing what they had a hand in doing.
Chiro swallowed thickly as a grim thought entered his mind: 'If we get them back.'
"Okay," the boy heard Sprx say suddenly, "so you invaded our planet, captured all of us, and took control of Jinmay and Antauri's minds…"
"Right," the scientist confirmed, "though you forgot to mention the time I spent observing you all."
An awkward silence came and went before the hot shot was able to add, "Okay…kinda creepy…"
"But you never said why," Gibson stated. "You never explained why you needed to go through all that trouble…just to take over your planet. Surely you could have conquered it on your own without their help…not that it would have been a good thing," he hastened to add.
Chiro watched as a scowl set in the man's features. "That's where you're wrong; unfortunately…I've tried many other methods, all of which ended in failure. Any attempt on my part has been thwarted by an…annoying meddlesome obstacle."
The boy quirked an eyebrow. He could tell that the man was really referring to someone…someone who obviously managed to stop the doctor's plans for world conquest repeatedly. If that someone could stop this man - who had managed to kidnap them all and had reprogrammed Antauri and Jinmay - then that person definitely had the leader's respect.
His impressed state faded when Eggman smirked again. "But with these two…oh, that fool won't have a chance! Still…even after all the time I've spent watching you, I still wish to see them in action." The man then turned to the two droids. "Minions," he said in a commanding tone.
Chiro bit his tongue as anger flared once more. They had names! How dare he treat them like that? He felt sick when he heard his friends reply in cold, hard tones, "Yes, Dr. Eggman?"
The doctor turned to the computer, pressing a button on the consol and drawing an image on-screen. "I want you two to go here," he directed.
The Hyperforce gawked at the screen. The island that they stared at was not only monstrous, but the entire top of it was covered with thick, lush foliage that reminded the teen of a forest. He could only imagine how the island looked from the inside out. But its massive size and mysterious beauty weren't the reasons the team found themselves staring.
"How…?" the golden monkey began, trying to find her voice. "How…that island…That island is floating in mid-air!"
"That…that's…impossible!" Gibson sputtered. "That defies all logic and reason!"
"That's what I first thought when I heard the stories of Angel Island," Eggman answered, a low chuckle in his voice. "I passed them off as rumors because it just seemed so incredible, so implausible…until the day I crashed into it, five years ago…"
"But how…?" Chiro wondered, somehow tearing his eyes away from the floating land to look at the evil scientist. "How does that…Angel Island…float like that?"
"Ah. I thought you'd never ask. Instead of simply telling you, perhaps I can show you."
"How're ya gonna do that?" the green monkey asked, curiosity overriding concern.
"With a test," the man replied before turning to Antauri and Jinmay. "Now, here's what I wanted you two to do…"
He leaned forward, closer to the two and began whispering their orders. The teen strained his ears, but unfortunately wasn't able to pick up any of the words. Glancing at the members of the Monkey Team, he could tell they were having no luck either.
Finally, the doctor pulled away, standing to his full height. "Understand?" he asked, loud enough for the five to hear.
Placing a hand to their chests, Jinmay and Antauri both bowed at the waist to the man. "Yes, Dr. Eggman," they answered mechanically. Then they turned and began heading for the door.
He watched them for a moment before seeming to come across an afterthought. "Oh, Jinmay?" he called after them.
Chiro made a slight face. He hadn't like when the man called them minions, but somehow hearing the villain address them by name was even worse.
Pausing, the robot girl turned towards him. "Yes, Dr. Eggman?" she said.
"Don't forget to turn your camera on."
The Hyperforce looked at the man. "Camera?" Sprx repeated.
Ignoring them, the girl nodded. "Of course, Dr. Eggman."
And then Chiro watched her lift her hand to her neck, carelessly tossing aside the pink scarf that made up part of her uniform to reveal a black collar with a silver pendant attached to it.
Placing her hand to her neck, Jinmay seemed to press a hidden button next to the pendant. As she did so, the screen before them flicked and the image changed. No longer looking at Angel Island, the young leader saw the doctor standing on the screen.
Admiring himself on the monitor, the man then turned to the girl and relinquished a satisfied nod. "Very good," he said. "Now get going."
Bowing again, she turned and left. On the computer screen, those in the room were able to see everything she was looking at.
"And what was the point of that?" Gibson asked.
"So you can see the show, of course," Eggman replied, a wicked smirk barely hidden beneath his mustache. "After all, you wanted to see how Angel Island maintains such an altitude, didn't you? This way, you can see it as well as its guardian."
"Guardian?" Nova chimed.
"You don't expect something powerful enough to suspend an entire mass of land that size to be unprotected, do you? Even if many people don't believe the stories, there are still others who would. And so a guardian was appointed to protect…" The man allowed his voice to trail off.
"Yeah?" the boy asked, almost excitedly. "Appointed to protect what?"
Scanning the teen's face for a brief moment, Eggman then just smiled lightly. "But if I told you, I'd spoil the surprise… No, you'll just have to wait for the show to start." Folding his arms over his chest, the doctor then turned his back on them to focus on the computer screen.
Frowning deeply, Chiro then glanced at Gibson and Otto whose curious attention was focused on the monitor, eager to see this mysterious guardian and power that kept the island afloat. Then he turned to Sprx and Nova. The hot shot met his gaze before quickly glancing at the doctor, then rolled his eyes a bit. The teen bit back a laugh.
But then he caught sight of Nova's eyes, and any of the light comfort he felt quickly dissipated into nothing. He saw the worry and concern cloud her normally bright eyes. She quickly glanced at the screen before closing her eyes and turning away.
He knew what she meant. She was afraid…and though she would never admit it, he knew that's what it was. She was afraid, not for herself or for them in the room, but she was afraid for this unknown guardian, who was about to be dragged into trouble. And she was afraid for Jinmay and Antauri, for what they were about to do.
And he could understand that. He was feeling that way too.
TBC
[Chapter 4]