Launch Base Zone

[Dr. Robotnik]

Before long, Robotnik himself also exited the ship and descended to ground level in a SWATPod. As he did so, he got word from one of the SWATBot commanders that he had a guest.

"Who is it?"

"The strange bat-mutant-man creature you gave us a photograph of. His eagerness to meet you is very high."

Robotnik really wasn't sure what he should make of this. He did have more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. But maybe he could satisfy this guy's wishes, and then he'd leave him alone long enough to complete his mission.

As Robotnik stepped out of the SWATPod, he looked off into the distance and saw a small cadre of SWATbots heading right for him, with the unmistakable sight of his next new ally standing in the middle of them. The doctor decided he'd just wait for the group to reach him, rather than go out to meet them. Truth to be told, the closer the doctor got the more nervous he felt about this whole ordeal. He really didn't want to be in close proximity to this guy. But he had to try to keep up the strong appearance, so he spoke first once the mutant came into speaking range.

"So...we finally meet at last. You said your name was Tatsuhiro, right? Why did my alternate self from your dimension send you here?"

[Tatsuhiro]

“It’s as I told you, I was sent to Ice Cap Zone to retrieve a Chaos Emerald that was supposedly near by….”


He examined the Doctor, without moving his head or his eyes as he walked closer to him; standing about five feet away. Right off that bat he could see something wasn’t right. For example, he didn’t have a single grey hair on him; and he seemed a bit taller and ‘larger’. He was still old, but he was nothing like the old man he knew. And despite his strong appearance, he could feel the anxiety coming off Robotnik. He didn’t need a facial expression, just a little knowledge of human nature. It was how people reacted to him anyways.


“….is there something wrong, Doctor?” He said jokingly. Well, as much as a straight person would say it. While he may have meant it as a joke, it clearly didn’t sound like that. In fact, it sounded slightly threatening, if only by how his voice (while it did sound human) was strange.

[Dr. Robotnik]

"Nothing at all," Robotnik said, although his voice slightly quivered and he instinctively edged backwards as Tatsu approached.

However, considering he'd been through this with Rampage before, he prided himself on holding firm a little bit better. Not to mention Tatsu didn't appear to be trying to purposefully terrify him. He just appeared blissfully unaware of what he was doing by getting close.

Getting over the initial fear, Robotnik figured that he should try to keep this brief. There was much work to be done. First though, he had to make sure Tatsu wasn't a spy or anything. If he wasn't, well, he'd have yet another ally to help out in the search.

"Would you mind telling me more about how my alternate self allied with you? I may let you continue that mission, but I want to know more about you first."

[Tatsuhiro]

“The Doctor found me when he went to retrieve a Chaos Emerald.” He began, sounding somewhat annoyed. He didn’t feel like talking so much, but the Doctor was making him. “…Apparently, there was some organization that was doing illegal experimentations dealing with genetics. They wanted to make some kind of mutant army for some reason. It doesn’t really matter, because the Doctor basically wiped them off the face of the planet whenever he raided their headquarters. Either way, he didn’t kill me because I looked the most ‘human’ out of everything else. Not to mention the fact that the Chaos Emerald was in the tube….”


He paused if only because he was getting tired of talking.


“…..also, he said something about me ‘knowing’ what was done to me, so he figured I wasn’t completely lost or something. I don’t really know…”


Explaining it was hard for him. He didn’t know the details of how the doctor he knew met with him. All he could remember is wakening up, as though he had always been this way. His mind was completely blank; he knew nothing, not even his name. Anything that happened before was completely out of memory. But, considered what the Doctor told him, that he must of ‘repressed’ his memories out of shock, he wasn’t so sure he wanted to know.

[Rose Fox]

[“What do you –mean- you don’t know?!”]


Tatsu looked over to the side, as a SWAT-Bot moved up; going over towards Robotnik and standing next to him and crossed it’s arms. But, it didn’t sound like a robot, in fact the voice was unfamiliar to him. But, the Doctor would know in an instant. He looked directly at the Doctor as he pointed at the robot.


“….It’s voice changed….”


[“No, really?”] Rose began sarcastically. [“I –hacked- the robot so I could keep in contact without having to resort to being stuck on a screen. By the way Doc, Everything’s clear-for now.”]


“....a Fan girl of yours?

[Dr. Robotnik]

Robotnik smiled a little, feeling comfortable that Rose was here now, at least in electronic spirit.

"That's right. Listen, I'm sorry but I don't have time for introductions right now. I want to get this operation completed before Sonic and his friends know what we're up to, if possible. If you want to help, I guess you can go fight the wannabe heroes once they show up."

The doctor didn't want to reveal too much of his plan yet to Tatsu. Not to mention sending him after the good guys would keep him busy longer so he'd have time to judge his character.

Just then, he spotted an otter running up the hill in their direction, dressed in soaking wet clothes. He cradled a water-proofed bag in his hands, as he rushed closer. If Robotnik recalled correctly, this was the Thieves' Guild contact he'd hired to go check out the hidden palace zone. The otter, out of breath, quickly ran over and extended the water-soaked bag to him.

"Dr. Robotnik...here's the intel you requested."

The doctor accepted the laptop. "Excellent. Did you encounter any resistance from Knuckles?"

The otter hesitated, looking as if he wasn't sure what to say. The doctor's smile disappeared.

"It's a yes or no quesiton. You should have answered by now."

"...yes."

"So what happened?"

The otter gupled.

"He...chased us. Sonic and Knuckles and some other hedgehog was with him. I lost them in the Hydrocity Zone."

Frowning, the doctor folded his arms.

"And I'm pretty sure you had a partner with you too. Where is she?"

"...I think Sonic captured her."

The doctor snarled at that remark, reaching forward and grabbing the otter round the neck.

"WHAT?! I can't have that hedgehog know what we're up to!"

"I'm s-ss-ss-sorry Rrrrobotnik!" the otter struggled to say, between being able to catch breaths.

"Sorry isn't going to fix this problem! You've probably jeopardized this whole mission with your idiocy! Take him to the roboticizers!"

The doctor pushed him to the ground, as two of the SWATbots hauled him off the ground and started to carry him towards one of the parked ships. He struggled hard the entire time, kicking and screaming as he got dragged away.

"No no no! Please! I don't need the money! Just keep it and let me go! Please don't roboticize me! NOOOOOOO!"

Before long his pathetic screams faded away, camouflaged by the sounds of all the industry around them as the camp got set up. Sighing and shaking his head, Robotnik turned his attention back to Tatsu.

"Well...at least we know where he is now. Maybe you could chase after him now, yes?"

[Tatsuhiro]

His expression was unfazed as the otter was literally taken away kicking and screaming. In fact, he didn’t even turn his head as he seemed to ignore the otter in general. The news that Sonic and Knuckles were on the island was far more depressing and important. Granted, Knuckles should be a given but Sonic? He always did seem to always been in the right place at the right time; but this is a lot earlier than he would ever suspect. And it worried him some. He was never that great up against Sonic. Sure, Knuckles could knock him into next Tuesday, but at least it was quick. Battling Sonic always meant a long-drawn out battle with him hardly getting a scratch in. Tatsu was fast, but not like Sonic.


“No.”


[“NO!?”] Rose exclaimed first, before the Doctor would, [“What the HELL do you mean No!?”]


Tatsuhiro didn’t even twitch at Rose’s furry, and calmly replied back. “Exactly what it means.” He began, “ I prefer the hedgehog to come to me. He’s a lot better at running than I’ll ever be.”



[“ Well too bad! Because –you’re- going to have too!”]


Tatsu looked directly at the Doctor, completely ignoring Rose’s commanding manner. “…How long do you need him to be…pre-occupied?” while his expression was unchanged, there was something in his eye that showed that the wheels in his head had began to turn. He knew he wasn’t going to be beating Sonic any-day soon. He knew a way to beat him, but it wasn’t going to involve killing him. Though he wished it did.

[Rose Fox]

Even though the body language wasn’t there, it was obviously Rose was huffing at the mutant’s actions. It was possible that she didn’t like the fact that he was completely ignoring him; or because he didn’t seem to be listening to the Doctor very well. Whatever it was, Rose wasn’t a happy camper, and she personally wanted to shoot him. Despite that, she could tell the lizard boy was up to something. He was asking a particularly strange question. Why bother asking that when the answer is, “As soon as he’s dead” ?

[“....it sounds like you’re not going to kill him…”]

The mutated man looked at the SWATbot Rose was hacking into without turning his head.

“Would you rather risk the entire operation on getting him killed or would you rather have the Doctor have the time to do…whatever he’s doing. I can’t exactly grantee his death. But I can do something to stall him…”


Rose surprisingly calmed down. What Tatsu was implying was true. She couldn’t completely argue with his logic. As much as she wanted to see the little hog dead, trying to do that –could- blow everything up in the Doctor’s face. If there was a way to stall him though, it would prove to be a lot more valuable. For the time being.


[“…whatever.”] She still had a hint of anger, but it was mostly a defeatist tone. She couldn’t think of something to go against his point.

[Dr. Robotnik]

"I too would prefer to just kill him and get it overwith," Robotnik said, as he folded his arms. He apparently didn't like it that Tatsu was only guaranteeing to slow him down. However, after that he spared a small chuckle.

"But since I'm not having much luck with killing him, I think I'd be willing to settle for just slowing him down. What did you have in mind anyway? Preferrably, I want to find all the emerald shards on the island and leave before he gets a chance to retaliate. I've actually got Rampage on duty for that too at the moment. He's going to be fire bombing the Mushroom Hill zone any minute now to make a distraction..."

Robo gazed off in the distance, but didn't see any smoke clouds yet.

"I wonder what's taking him so long. Normally he can't wait to get around to the mindless destruction."

[Tatsuhiro]

“Simple. Challenge him.”

[“….to what?”] Rose replied, dryly.


“To a fight.”


He didn’t seem to mind the silence as he began to survey the nearby area. He was concentrating very hard on it, as though he was trying to think of something. Though before anyone could break the silence, he did. He forgot that he need to explain more.


“-but, not an ordinary one. Something that will hinder his speed.”

He seemed to look frustrated as though his efforts where in vain. He squat down, his tails swishing back and forth as he put his left arm on his knee and propped his head with the right. His index finger tapped on his face, right where a scale was place as he seemed to be musing. He’d forgotten those circle measurements the doctor gave him the first time.


“….Is there anything around here that can draw on land?”