Project ART

Quick note: switch to that YouTube tab real quick. Open up Mechonis Field from Xenoblade Chronicles. Atmosphere and all that. Enjoy the show.

Mobius, 20 years after Eggman's takeover....

"Jet, how close are you?"

Three Mobians walked in the shadows of Eggman's mechanical city, Robotropolis, avoiding the constant Egg Pawn and Egg Fighter patrols. Jet the Hawk pulled out his Miles Comm device, and turned on the microphone.

"Almost there, Miles. The Information Bunker is just ahead, and it looks like the E-100 squad is guarding it. Delta is literally standing right in front of me."

"Good. Does Bean still have the incendiaries?"

"You bet! I got dynamite up the WAZOO!!" Bean said a little loudly.

"Wave, you still have that drive?"

"I've got the drive, foxy. Don't worry about that, Tails..."

"Wave, how many times have I told you. NEVER CALL ME TAILS."

"Sorry. Brain fart." Wave quickly said.

"Remember the plan." Miles deadpanned so coldy that it was hard to tell what he was feeling.

"Don't screw this up."

"Yes sir." The three Mobian birds said. The comm went dead, and they resumed walking. As they reached an alley near the bunker, Jet saw the back of E-100 Alpha. Giving a signal to Bean, the demolitions expert began tossing laser emitters on either wall. Once they were in place, Jet tossed a stone at Alpha. Their hearts raced into overdrive as Alpha walked right towards them. One step into the lasers, and it was fried. Bean raised his hand for a high five, but never got one. Jet and Wave looked around and seeing the door not being watched by either E-101 Beta or E-103 Delta, the trio dashed in to the bunker.

Eggman's base:

Eggman was studying a report so intensly, it looked like he was frozen. 20 years. 20 long years since he had booted those two into another dimension, and still a rebellion rose. Not to mention that when those two spikeballs left, the Chaos and Flame Emeralds followed, and since Angel Island was off the map, he didn't have access to the Master Emerald. What a gearjam. Worse, that blasted two-tailed fox was leading those bloody rebels. Tails. Just thinking the name made Eggman want to blast something with a good laser. Orbot rolled into the room in his orb form, then unfolded.

"Status report, sir. We've lost contact with Alpha. Beta, Delta, and Epsilon didn't notice anything wrong, so he might have just malfunctioned."

"No. It's those rebels again! Send in Elite. I want them crushed from this world." Eggman said, not even looking or leaving his chair.

"But sir! E.L.1.T.3.'s robotization was incomplete! The amount of Chaos energy within him was unaccounted for! He may break out of his programming, and go rouge! We already lost Gamma to the resistance!"

"I don't care about the ramifications. Send Elite in, NOW!!!" Eggman yelled.

Orbot simply said "Yes, sir." In a way that spoke of his distaste. He pressed the side of his head, and said,

"Send in Elite to the Information Bunker. Yes, this comes straight from the doctor. Do it now." He then rolled into his ball form and rolled out.

Eggman leaned towards his screen, muttering, "Well you have my undivided attention, Tails. Excuse me, Miles. Enjoy Elite."

Inside the Information Bunker....

"The sticks are lit! Get behind something!" Bean said.

Ducking behind a wall, the resulting BOOM practically blew them away anyway. Shrapnel flew past them towards the opposite end of the corridor, and the doors were completely incinerated. Running in, Wave set up the drive and started downloading. Jet and Bean kept watch.

"Baddy coming our way. Boom in 3." Bean said, tossing an unassuming sneak bomb. It exploded right under it, but it kept coming. The detonation set off an alarm, and red light flooded the halls. At the same time, a red energy spear impaled Bean through the skull. He fell to the ground and Jet got a good look at his killer. Black armor covered the left side of his body, his eyes, one biological, one mechanical, showing nothing but rage. Jet quickly set up a ray shield, asking Wave,

"What's the progress?"

"Almost... Done!" She replied. She ejected the drive and tossed it to Jet.

"Wave? What are you doing?"

"Bean's down. If we go the same way, we'll both be caught and this will have been pointless. Jet, get that to Miles."

"What?! I'm not leaving you! We lost Storm and Bean, I won't lose you!"

"Jet, just go. If I don't make it back, tell them I went out as a fighter."

"But!" Wave abruptly stopped him by chucking one of Bean's explosives at the wall, which busted open. Powering up their Extreme gear, Jet and Wave exited the building, but split. Jet raced off towards the badlands, and when he heard the scream of terror, he forced himself not to turn around.

Eggman closed the report when his door opened. Some things must be kept secret, even to minions.

"What is it, Orbot? I'm busy."

"Sir, Elite captured one of the rebels. The other got away, but we have come one step closer to-"

"Eggsellent. Bring her in." Eggman said, shutting Orbot up. Elite walked in, carrying Wave by the throat.

"Well, now. What a surprise, Wave the Swallow. Never thought I'd see you again, but karma's a bitch. So tell me where the base of the Freedom Fighters is before I kill you."

"I won't tell you anything, you piece of shit. I would rather die than give up my friends!"

"So be it. Put her in the questioning chamber. If she dies, dispose of her." At the order, the three left, leaving Eggman alone again. Pulling the report back up, he grinned. Soon. Pressing a button, he told Cubot to resume building the Space Egg. His plans were starting to bear fruit now, and he was hungry. Metaphorically.