Hop To It - Advance 18

[Omochao]

Ono wanted a submarine because Humi took its boat apart, and it wanted somewhere to feel safe again where it could listen to the water. It found it relaxing, and it sure needed more or that.

Dono wanted a submarine because it liked the idea of a house you could take with you. Being able to go where it wanted when it wanted was appealing to it. Sure, technically it could do that already, but being behind the wheel of several tons of metal while doing it made the whole ordeal more fun.

Yuno wanted a submarine because the oceans were underexplored and full of fascinating wonders, and it wanted to see them firsthand. It was kinda jealous that Ono got to go to space, but the deep ocean was nearly as good.

Razor tapped on the forward glass of the DOVE and grinned his shark teeth at them. They couldn’t communicate verbally with him, since he was on the outside of the sub, but they’d figured out some of the signs he used and what they meant by now.

The shark Mobian swooped his hand down, pointed ahead, and swam on out of their sight.

“You know, I think he wants us to dive after him.”

Dono shoved Yuno off the controls. “I dunno, you think? Obviously, gearhead.” It pushed the sub forward. The water outside was very dark; they were already far beneath the surface.

“Are you sure?” Ono asked nervously. “Aren’t we already hugging the seabed? Oh, no, are we too close to the floor? What if we hit a rock?”

For what must have been the third time that day, Dono wished he could roll his eyes. “Calm down, already, there’s a dropoff ahead.”

“Oh no! Watch out for the undertow!”

“Actually, undertows are primarily found near the surface; we’re too deep to experience one,” Yuno helpfully supplied.

“Oh, thank goodness.”

Dono grumbled.

Razor reappeared, looking a little annoyed. But that seemed to be his default state. He mouthed the words, “look down.”

Obligingly, Dono stepped away from the control board and walked over to the main window; the angle made it hard to see directly downward from the console, but the glass was a little concave, so once up close--

The half-lidded Omochao gasped, and actually reached up to try and scrape the paint off its eye lights so it could properly look as surprised as it felt. “Guys, shut up.”

“What? We weren’t saying anything.”

“Well keep not saying anything and look at this. I dunno what I’m looking at.”

They flew over to join it, and the three Omochao looked down into the wide trench Razor was leading them to. Down on the ocean floor, cutting through the dark, was a bed of lights and impossible coral structures in what should have been far too cold an environment this deep down.

“You know,” the know-it-all bot said slowly, wonderingly, “I think that might be a city.”

Razor must have been able to see them through the glass, because he grinned smugly.

Then, he looked pleased, just as something big swam by the DOVE with enough force to rock the sub a little, and their sensors were just about able to pick up whalesong through the hull.

It sounded a little like, Hello again, Razor. I see you made some friends.

-----------------------------------

[Tails]

“So whatever happened to those weird Omochao?” Tails asked. 

“What? Oh.” Humi shrugged. “They’re still at sea in the DOVE. They’re doing fine, probably. I put a sensor in the reactor that’ll send a distress beacon to my email if they manage to shipwreck themselves. So far it’s all good.”

“You made them a boat? Neat.”

“A submarine actually.” Humi scowled as her screwdriver slipped out of the threads. “Stripped. Dangit.”

Tails turned a yellow shard over in his hands. Grabbing some of the parts Humi had strewn across the picnic table, he quickly cobbled together a small device and slotted the shard in, observing the readings with interest. “I think these might have been worth all the trouble it took to make them.”

Humi’s ears flattened, and Tails worried he’d said something wrong, but after a second she let out a breath and looked up at him with a neutral expression. “What do you mean?”

“Well,” he began, “Let’s face it, for most machines, an entire emerald like the one Iota and Gamma are sporting is overkill. These shards have a lower capacity and output, but they recharge all the same; they’d be perfect for powering some smaller gadgets.” He took the shard out and handed it back. “Making a fake emerald and then breaking it would be way more economical.”

“Maybe so,” Humi conceded, dropping the shard back in her pocket. “Not that it matters. We can’t make any new ones until Sonic brings back my Emerald.”

“You sound like Rouge.”

Humi shuddered. “I do not!”

Tails laughed. “I don’t blame you for not wanting to do… that again, but what about using the AE you already have? Iota won’t be hurt if you borrow his battery for a bit.” Obviously they’d need the goodnik’s permission, since they’d still be ripping out his heart, but it would solve a lot of problems if they didn’t need one of the real Chaos Emeralds every time… or so he thought, but Humi shook her head.

“Doesn’t work.” She pulled a blue gemstone out of her pocket. It was dull and lifeless. “I actually tried that a while back. It makes the regular gems grow and turn colorful, but they don’t recharge. It doesn’t even hold a charge; this thing ran out before I could use it for anything.”

Tails took the blue gem with a hum. It was round and flat and didn’t make his fur stand on end like the real Emeralds did. He tapped it on the table and it made a slight ringing sound. “I see what you mean. Can I hold on to this? I might be able to do something with it.”

“Sure.”

They returned to their tinkering. Tails, after some more time observing Humi’s really cool pocket dimension power (he was so jealous, honestly), he was prototyping a secret weapon that he could pull out of thin air. He was thinking it would be a boxing glove on a spring, but if he could figure out how to copy Humi’s pocket, he could conceivably fit an entire arsenal on his person!

That wasn’t an immediate concern. This jacket was great, and had a dozen pockets that were just a little bit bigger on the inside.

“How do you do this, anyway?” he found himself asking.

The mouse looked up from her own project, some sort of laser gun. “How do I do what?”

“The pocket thing. Do you think you could teach me how to do it?”

Humi blinked rapidly. “I… don’t know. I’ve just always been able to do it. I don’t remember ever not being able to.”

“Oh, okay.” Tails frowned. He looked around for a bit, thinking.

Miss Vanilla was sitting over by Shelldon’s bar, taste testing for him. She was putting the best aside to be marked as refreshments for her café, since not everyone liked coffee. Cream was nearby with Amy and Big, throwing a ball back and forth--no, wait, his mistake. Cream was the ball that the other two were tossing back and forth. It was a good thing she could fly. The bees and Iota were back at the garden, joined by a pair of Chao who were playing on the vines, and Spud was planting corn. The photographer cat was sitting at another table, waiting for Fry to finish with her breakfast burrito.

It was a nice village. Tails had neighbors before, in Emerald Town, but this felt a whole lot friendlier.

He tapped his fingers against the table. After several minutes, he said, “Maybe we should take the time to figure it out.”

“Figure out what?” Humi asked. “The pocket?”

“Don’t tell me you aren’t curious?”

Humi set her tools down, grimacing. “...Not really. The magic stuff is Heyu’s thing. I’m--” She blushed. “Being honest? I’m kind of worried that if I poke it too much it’ll stop working.”

That was fair, Tails supposed. On the other hand, he really wanted to try and figure out a Pocket of his own. “...Hey, how about this,” he said. “If you try and teach me how to make a pocket, I’ll teach you how to do a spindash!”

He’d teach her anyway if she asked, of course, but the offer clearly appealed to her. “That thing Sonic does where he rolls in place and then shoots off? How does that work?”

“It’s actually pretty intuitive.” And Tails would know, since he’s the one who discovered the move in the first place. “First you need to figure out how to make a shell of energy around you, but don’t worry, that’s way easier than it sounds. Me and Sonic both figured it out without help. Once you have that you--” Tails blinked. “Why is Heyu climbing onto your roof?”

Humi turned around to see what Tails already had; the hare had jumped up from the ground and was currently trying to find steady footing on the tiles. He was also holding a trumpet.

A burst of startled laughter brought their attention to Vanilla. “Oh my,” she said, holding a hand to one cheek. “I didn’t expect this.”

“You know what he’s doing?” Humi asked.

The rabbit chuckled. “Cream has a lot of energy, you know, and I asked Hayden if he might be interested in helping her learn an instrument. He said he would need to reacquaint himself with his horn first, and well…” She gestured up to him.

Tails blinked. Then he squinted. “Is there something weird on his trumpet?”

Humi pulled a pair of binoculars from somewhere. “...He’s got rings on it. How and why did he do that? There’s one around the bell and one around the mouthpiece.” She looked at Tails curiously. “How’d you spot that? The rings are barely a different shade from the instrument.”

“I’ve just been around a lot of rings, I guess.” Tails shrugged. He pointed his ears forward, curious to hear what they were about to get.

Heyu visibly took a deep breath, and started playing. Anyone in the village who hadn’t already noticed him stopped what they were doing and looked up as the notes pealed across the jungle to be lost among the trees; but in this clearing they were loud and clear. Iota, after recognizing the tune, even opened up his speaker system to accompany with the bassline. The cat at the next table stood to take a picture.

Humi shook her head, amused. “Not bad, pops.”

They listened for a bit before turning back to their projects. Humi put her blaster aside and started cobbling together what looked to Tails like an actuator for a robotic arm.

The photographer returned to her table looking smug. “This is almost worth the commute from the hotel. ‘Trumpeter on the Roof’ would make for a good public interest story…”

Humi gave her a strange look before rolling her eyes. Then it was her turn to spot something odd. “Oh, looks like our stalker is back.”

Tails puffed up, alarmed. “Your what?!” He turned around in his seat; there behind Fry’s truck, a large bush was rustling more than the wind should allow.

“Relax, it’s just Fritz. He’s probably just shy.” Humi stood up on the bench and yelled over the music. “HEY! FRITZ! I KNOW YOU’RE THERE, COME ON OUT!”

“What? What?!” The blue fox stuck his head out of the hole that led to Spud’s home, looking panicked. “Did I do something wrong again? I’m sorry!”

“...Wait.” Humi frowned. “If he’s over there, then who’s--”

The bush rustled loudly, and then fell still, whoever it was running away.

They stared that way for a little longer before Humi sighed. “We get more villagers that way, apparently.” She stuck her tongue out towards the cat. “Yesterday I caught her skulking behind my lab.”

The photographer grinned, unashamed, and shot two fingerguns back.

“...” Tails snorted. “Sonic would love it here.”

-----------------------------------------

[Mecha]

That was close. Apparently the other person sneaking around the bushes had been revealed since the last time Mecha visited. 

There goes that safety net; he’d been operating under the idea that if he ever came close to being caught, he could, as it were, throw the other guy into the open to… to… something. 

It wasn’t the most well-defined plan he’d ever come up with.

Seems like the fox child was part of the village now, just sort of hanging around. For a moment, Mecha allowed himself to imagine what would happen if he let himself get caught. What might have happened if he hadn’t run away.

Maybe it would all work out. E-108 Iota got rebuilt into part of their family. A Kiki and a G.U.N. Hunter got rebuilt into valued tools that were allowed to do their work in peace. E-102 Gamma, Mecha heard, was roaming free as the wind, mostly unaltered.

Could he be remade? Turned into something better?

Unlikely. Mecha Sonic still remembered his first encounters with the hare and the mouse. Did they hold a grudge? Either way, it was nice to imagine a world where he could just… be.

Anyway. Since the other spy was in the open now, Mecha had just made it clear that someone was watching them. He’d need to be very careful when he came back. 

…If he came back.

A notification pinged in his HUD, and Mecha groaned internally. Another war meeting. Time to return to base.

---------------------------------------------

[Knuckles]

Guarding the Master Emerald was a job that Knuckles was utterly devoted to, and that he took very seriously, but the task was not one that often demanded much of him. Most of Knuckles' days were spent napping, occasionally exercising to ensure his body could still maintain the Emerald’s gifts, clearing away overgrowth from the altar, and napping some more.

It used to be lonely. Just him and the Master Emerald; truth be told he didn’t remember it ever being another way. Nowadays, though.

From his perch at the top of the altar’s stairs, Knuckles opened his eyes as a whirring sound approached. His first instinct was to tense up and wonder if Eggman was making another move already, but then he remembered his guest.

“Hey again Gamma,” he grunted. “How goes the birdwatching?”

The so-called goodnik shook his head as he climbed the stairs. “I have found many Flickies, but not the ones I’m looking for.” He sighed, hissing through his speakers. “I suspect that Eggman’s previous assaults on Angel Island have made the wildlife… unnerved around machines.”

Knuckles sat up. “You haven’t been harassing the critters, have you?”

“I have attempted to ask if they’ve seen a trio of blue, pink and gray birds. That is as far as I’ve ‘harassed’ them,” Gamma said, sounding offended.

Knuckles grimaced. “Sorry, I didn’t mean that.” Knuckles didn’t exactly trust robots either, after everything, but he was trying not to hold that against Gamma. He of all people knew how difficult it was to go against your purpose; Knuckles was glad that he hadn’t been given a reason to do so yet. If he ever had to make that choice, he didn’t think he’d be able to do it. “What are you going to do next?”

The goodnik’s eyes unfocused as he looked at something internal. “I have finished mapping Mushroom Hills and Marble Garden. I doubt that the birds would be comfortable in Lava Reef or Hydrocity, so I will be moving to Sandopolis next. Or perhaps Carnival Night, the buildings might make for good nesting sites.” Gamma hesitated. “Why does Angel Island have an enormous automated carnival? My databanks indicate it was already here when Eggman arrived the first time.”

Knuckles smirked. “Oh, that. My not-too-distant ancestors built that. Around the time of my great-great-grandfather or something. I keep it turned off.”

Right… after those the only plausible place yet would be Ice Cap, but Knuckles couldn’t imagine they’d be there either. Flickies preferred forested areas. And if they weren’t in Marble Garden or Mushroom Hill, they might have moved on from Angel Island entirely.

Unless…

Knuckles looked up towards the sky, through the clouds where a scattered handful of floating ruins could be seen.

No, Gamma hadn’t earned enough trust to be allowed up there yet. Knuckles wouldn’t even let Sonic up there again if he could avoid it. But maybe he could take a look himself; it had been a while since he went to Sky Sanctuary anyway.

The Master Emerald pulsed behind him.

You’re the only one left, he heard in his head. You get to decide what’s allowed now.

Maybe so. But he was also the only one left to carry on the traditions.

…

Knuckles squinted into the sky. “Wait a minute, is that--”

“Oh Knuckles!~”

“Oh no, not her again.”

“What?” Gamma turned to follow his gaze. “Rouge?”

The bat came down to hover in front of the altar, lounging in the air with that infuriating smug grin she always had. “Long time no see, Knux.”

“It’s been like a week!”

Rouge tittered, turning to Gamma. “And as for you--uh?!”

She ducked under a stray laser, and then Gamma folded his gun back inside his arm. “I have attempted to shoot Rouge. Obligation fulfilled.”

Knuckles gaped at him. “But you missed!”

“Irrelevant.” Gamma turned and walked back down the stairs. “Onward to Sandopolis. A pleasure to see you Rouge.”

“Yeah, you too,” Rouge said faintly, still looking alarmed.

“Why are you here?” Knuckles growled, taking a firm step between her and the Master Emerald.

“What?” Rouge blinked, then put her composed mask back on. “Oh, well, I’m here on a G.U.N. errand. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Angel Island is drifting back towards the mainland. Given what happened the last time it went back to Mystic Ruins, you’ll understand that we’re not keen to see a repeat of past events.”

“We’re heading back to land already?” That was odd. Knuckles looked at the Master Emerald, perplexed, but it didn’t answer. “Well,” he said, turning back. “Chaos hasn’t stirred since it was pacified, so I don’t think there’s anything to worry about.”

Rouge lifted one brow. “I see. So the water monster is still around after all. Good to know.” She touched down for the first time and stretched, giving her wings a rest. “Well, if you say it’s safe, then I guess it’s safe. Far be it from me to tell you how to do your job.” She eyed the Master Emerald for a second longer than Knuckles was comfortable with. “I don’t suppose you’d be willing to let me rest here a bit before I report back? It was a long flight after all.”

“Not a chance.”

“Pleeeease?” She batted her eyelashes at him. “You aren’t going to let a poor tired girl like me work herself to exhaustion, are you?”

“You could use the exercise,” the echidna grunted, folding his arms.

The Master Emerald pulsed in what was very definitely a wince. Knuckles didn’t have long to figure out why before Rouge’s face flushed red with anger.

“Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?!” She stomped her foot.

Knuckles was confused. “What?” What did he say?

Idiot.

“What?!”

Rouge turned her back on him, went “Hmph!” and stomped down the stairs.

Knuckles stared after her, utterly lost, until the Master Emerald gave the distinct impression of slapping him in the head and pushing him after her. Fix it, fool!

He still didn’t understand what he did wrong, but whatever. Knuckles groaned to himself and chased after her. “Wait! Fine, you can stay for a bit, alright?”

Rouge hmph-ed at him.

Offer more than that.

He wasn’t about to disobey the Master Emerald when it was feeling this talkative, but what else did he have? He didn’t really keep much in the way of personal possessions, what was he supposed to do? He could offer her some food, but some deeply-buried survival instinct warned him that after what he said that would be a bad idea for some reason. What else did he have?

He remembered Gamma’s report, and jumped on an idea. “Hey, didn’t I hear you were building a… a casino or something?”

Rouge stopped at the bottom of the stairs, turning her head slightly toward him. “What about it?”

“Why don’t I show you around Carnival Night? You know, to give some ideas?”

“...” The bat slowly turned to face him, grinning. “Are you inviting me to go to the carnival with you?”

He sensed a trap, but he couldn’t figure out where it was. Squinting suspiciously, he responded, “Yyyyyes?”

And then she had him by the arm and was dragging him along. “Well, how can I say no to that? Lead the way, Knuckles!”

He pulled away. “I would if you’d let me go, bat girl! And that’s the wrong way! Follow me, and try to keep up.”

“A challenge? Fufufu, do I get a prize if I win?” she asked, smirking.

Now this he understood. “Maybe.” He smirked back. “If you win.”

The Master Emerald sent a sense of approval, but Knuckles barely noticed because he was too focused on winning. Otherwise, he’d have to figure out what kind of prize the crazy bat wanted.

---------------------------

[Eggman]

He sat at the table, finalizing the next plan of action. Of course, there was no way of knowing how long the plan would stay intact once enacted, chaos theory being what it was, so he needed to make sure that there was plenty of room for error and adjustment.

Honestly, Ivo doubted that that rambunctious rodent had any idea how much work went into planning his conquests. They took months of preparation and research, building up the forces he needed, tracking down at least some of the Chaos Emeralds so he knew where to start looking, upgrading his general forces, building racetracks to distract that blasted hedgehog while he prepared his ultimate weapons--each more ultimate than the last! Those took time to build! And it wasn’t like he had anyone else he could trust to make something powerful enough to squash Sonic.

Although maybe soon, he would. He wasn’t counting on it though.

Metal Sonic walked into the room without knocking--rude--and Mecha Sonic mk. III followed not long after, looking scuffed.

Eggman let them wait a few seconds while he finished his current sentence. He enjoyed writing things out by hand sometimes, even if typing was more efficient. It depended on his mood, really, but a pencil and paper helped him think.

Finally he looked up. “Wonderful. First thing’s first; Mecha?”

The dark robot straightened.

“You’re going to be in the hold. I want you in charge of guarding the prisoners once we’ve snatched them. Try not to screw it up.”

Mecha Sonic froze, then nodded stiffly. Good.

“As for you Metal, I have good news.”

“I am finally going to be deployed, Doctor?”

“Hohoho. No, not yet my boy, but soon.” Eggman stood and walked around the table to stand before them. “The samples retrieved from the ARK are still being cloned, but studying them has already accelerated one of my side projects, and I’m happy to hand it over to you now.”

Taking a compact disk out of his breast pocket, Ivo handed it over to Metal, who inserted it and began downloading. “...Interesting.”

“I’m glad you think so. That is the basis for your newest upgrade: an in-depth scanner that should be capable of copying the skills and abilities of anything and anyone. The BioLizard’s regenerative properties and potential for adaptation helped me fill in the gaps I was missing. Otherwise I might not have finished it for months yet!”

“Download complete. Installing.” Metal’s eyes flashed. “This program is attempting to connect to systems that do not exist.”

“Yes, well.” He pulled at his mustache. “I was planning on finishing all the components at the same time. The nanotech for the shapeshifting and the modified chaos drive that would allow you to actually replicate your scanning subjects’ feats aren’t ready yet. But this way you can start scanning so that you’ll have the data ready to go once you do.” Ivo grinned. “That’s why you’re not being deployed yet. Once you have those components, you’ll be ready.” He turned back to the table and sat down. “Now, speaking of Sonic--”

“I am ready.”

…

Eggman slowly looked up, and gave Metal a hard stare that caused Mecha to edge away from him. Metal was glaring defiantly back, engine humming. “Come again?”

“I am ready. The hedgehog is no match for me. This is what I was created for. I have no desire to stand by and watch you fail to defeat my enemy a second time when I could be--”

Ivo stood, slamming his hands on the table and sending papers flying. “I say you’re not ready, and that means you’re not ready! Your systems are improved compared to Little Planet, but that was years ago and Sonic has gotten bigger, stronger and faster. Going into battle with him without every advantage I can give you is idiotic!” he spat. “I will not have you embarrassing me and losing just because you’re too impatient to wait until I tell you you’re ready. Understood?!”

Metal stood there, shaking, and Eggman made a note to check his suspension. After just long enough that Ivo was about to ask him again but louder, Metal Sonic responded. “...Yes, Doctor.”

He sat back down. “Good. Now, as I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted. My Egg Drones have been tracking Sonic’s movements, or attempting to. I’ve confirmed that he’s left the Greater Eastern Archipelago and made landfall back in Federation space, heading in the direction of Station Square. Before he outran the drones, they estimated that at his current pace he’ll arrive in approximately five days. I’m not sure why he’s heading back there, but--”

“Probably to visit Tails.”

Eggman looked up to see Mecha Sonic covering his faceplate, trying to cover the mouth he didn’t have. Part of him wanted to get angry at being interrupted again, but then what the machine said registered. “Tails?”

Mecha fidgeted, looking around the room for some reason. “Since you mentioned… wanting to capture the mouse girl, I’ve been… doing recon. She and her guardian live in a small, recently-formed village in Mystic Ruin.” He hesitated. “Amy Rose has taken up residence there as well, and Tails has returned to staying at his workshop on the cape.”

Eggman steepled his fingers. “I see. The pink hedgehog, the two-tailed freak and the littlest rodent, all in one place, and Sonic is heading there in five days.” He grinned. “Yes, I think we should pay this place a visit in, say, four and a half. Hohoho.”

He brought up a map of the world and swiped a finger over it until he found Station Square. Scrolling over to Mystic Station, he pointed out a particular area in the jungle. “Right here, was it? I remember this place. Chaos attacked me near here.” He zoomed out and scrolled to the southern part of the continent. “Yes, take them to my base here, and here… Sonic won’t rest until he’s rescued them, wearing himself out. The mouse girl will come here, in the center of my fortress here, perhaps with some civilians we can capture. Sonic’s assault will be limited if there’s innocents on board. With his precious friends on the line, I can make him dance to my tune, and finally destroy that rotten hedgehog once and for all! And once he’s out of the way, I can begin a real plan of action. Hohoho!”

Mecha raised his hand nervously. “With respect, sir, I don’t think bringing Hu--the mouse into your base is a good idea. She’s very--”

“Silence!” Ivo barked. “Keeping her out of trouble will be your job, so do your job and stop second-guessing me!” He stood and stalked out of the room. “Metal, your job for now is to oversee the production line. Arrange the assault-and-capture force while I see to other matters.”

“...Yes, Doctor.”

Ivo walked through the halls of Techno Base, heading to his machine shop. He always had multiple projects ongoing. Some as contingencies, some as future plots, some simply as busy work for when he was bored.

Stepping in, he made for the tank where the BioLizard samples were being cloned. The undifferentiated flesh had fascinating properties. He had plans for it; Eggman wasn’t going to make the same mistakes as his grandfather, though to be fair he had the benefit of hindsight that dear old Gerald didn’t have. Still, it would have been better if it was Shadow. It was astonishing to him that the black hedgehog was able to stay under the radar this long, especially if he had lost much of his memory as Mecha’s reports claimed.

If only he knew where Shadow was… it would really mess with the blue menace, heh. Still, three of Sonic’s allies all in one place. Could he find more? Rouge was a no-go; tracking her down would be difficult, plus she had G.U.N. behind her and he didn’t want to bother with them. Was she even part of Sonic’s circle?

Who did that leave? Knuckles?

Eggman grinned. “I wonder if I could convince him that Sonic is his enemy again? Moronic monotreme.”

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?”

Ah, yes. Eggman turned to his other major ongoing project. “Never you mind, just thinking out loud. How goes the combat program?”

The half-complete badnik’s eyes gleamed. “COMBAT SIMULATIONS: 105% COMPLETION ACHIEVED. I AM CONFIDENT THAT I CAN GET IT TO 110% WITH TIME, DOCTOR.”

“Very good, very good.” Ivo made to leave. “Keep at it, then. I intend for you to be my most powerful creation yet, so you need to know how to use all that power effectively.”

He turned off the light behind him, leaving the robot alone in the darkness.

“I WILL MAKE YOU PROUD.”

----------------------------------------

[Heyu]

“...if we reroute the power to the engines, we’ll probably be able to get it to work off a core of just three artificial emeralds.”

“But that would leave it vulnerable, and the shields are really cool. And what about weapons? What’s the point if I don’t have giant cannons to blow Eggman’s junk up with?”

“Hm. Five, then. I’m worried that if we have too many they’ll cascade with each other like the real Emeralds do. We don’t want the whole thing to go Super, do we?”

“...I mean.”

“Hey kids, whatcha talking about?” I asked, taking a seat next to Humi. “What’s this about cannons and emeralds?” I pulled the plugs out of my ears; with hearing like mine, they were a necessity when playing my horn.

Humi smiled. “Oh, I was telling Tails about a future project I want to work on, and he had some thoughts.”

“It’ll take a long time to get it off the ground,” Tails added. “Maybe two, three weeks of work.”

I tilted my head. I didn’t have context for what they were talking about, but anything that took the two of them together that long was probably a huge undertaking. “Does this have something to do with the Final Egg?”

Humi giggled. “No, but it’s related. That’s a different project.”

“You should maybe consider doing that first, though,” Tails suggested. “Eggman had to have some sort of mining operation going on underneath that base. All those raw materials would be a huge boon.”

“That’s a good point.”

…You know something, a few months ago I would have found this conversation extremely alarming. Now I’m just happy to see her so enthusiastic.

I heard something wet slapping against the ground and looked up to see a familiar face. “Hey, Razor! Back again, I see.”

Humi and Tails looked over as the shark approached, grinning. “Yeah, I took the little robots back home with me. We had a grand old time.” He stuck a thumb over his shoulder. “They’re back at the docks trying to figure out how to moor the damn thing. Er, darn thing,” he corrected, glancing at the children.

Humi looked at him flatly. “I know more swears than you do.”

Razor looked at her dubiously. “Sure you do. But anyway, I’m back cuz I told a friend of mine how you built the submarine and a buncha robots, and she was real interested in hiring you out for a thing.”

Humi blinked, surprised. “Uh, wow. I haven’t built an aquatic robot before, but after the DOVE it probably wouldn’t be too hard to waterproof one.”

Razor shook his head. “She’s not interested in a robot. You should probably come and see for yourself.”

-------------------------------

We stood on the dock, looking up. I wasn’t quite able to keep the shock off my face.

Razor grinned next to us. “Hey, Waverly, how’re you holding up?” he called.

An enormous face smiled gently at us as a Mobian whale lounged with her head on the wharf and still managed to be taller than me, ears included. “I’m not doing too bad. It’s all cliffs here so I can’t see much, but the seabed is interesting. For some reason there’s a huge crater underwater just a mile upshore from here.”

“That’d be where Angel Island landed, probably,” I heard myself saying. Her voice was loud even though I could tell she was keeping it quiet.

Waverly pulled herself out of the water to sit on the dock, and I was immensely grateful that they made it out of stone because the old wooden one would have collapsed immediately. She towered over us. She had to be like twenty feet tall!

“I hope it’s not too much trouble,” the whale said, “But Razor makes the land sound so lovely, and I’ve always wanted to see it for myself… but because of my size, my legs can’t support me out of the water. Is it possible to build a way for me to get around?”

Humi gaped, then nodded excitedly. “I can do that! I can totally do that, Miss Waverly, just you wait!”

The whale laughed. “Such enthusiasm! I leave myself in your capable hands, little one.”

Humi started rambling a little, asking questions about what Waverly’s preferences were, if she wanted stronger legs or a vehicle of some kind, and a few questions about what it was like living underwater. While that went on I just… stepped back and watched her work.

Crazy. Always something crazy, but it was fun at least. I suspected that we were about to get a new villager, though heaven knew where she was going to stay.

“Man,” I said to myself, smiling. “I can’t believe my life used to be boring.”