[Fanfiction] Ivo the Genius - An AU where Eggman's the hero and Sonic's the villain!

[Dr. Mechano]

Hey, all! I'm starting a new long-running fanfic series. The concept is simple: What if Eggman were the hero and Sonic were the villain? 

While Sonic spinoff media in the past has explored this concept a few times, like the Archie comics with Dr. Kintobor and Scourge the Hedgehog, I've always been dissatisfied with how hands-off Kintobor was. He was never an active combatant in the conflict with Scourge, so I thought, "Hey, wouldn't it be cool if we saw a heroic character that still acted like Eggman?" And that's what I hope to do here: Depict the heroic version of Ivo as the same sort of proactive, hammy, bombastic character his villainous counterpart from the games is - just with his motivations changed.

Anyway, I fully intend to adapt the majority of mainline entries in the Sonic series through this AU, starting with - of course - Sonic 1! Enjoy!

AO3 link: Ivo the Genius - Chapter 1

Fanfiction.net link: Ivo the Genius

I hope to have the next chapter ready soon, but until then, chapter 1's under the spoiler break!

Any and all comments and feedback are appreciated!

Spoiler

 

Ivo the Genius
by Dr. Mechano

Chapter 1 – The Story Begins

---

 

Scrap Brain Zone.

The pristine laboratory sat atop the highest mountain on South Island. Powered by solar energy, the skies above the lab were among the cleanest and clearest on the whole isle, and provided a gorgeous view of the various zones below. It was a peaceful, relaxing day when- oh god, wait, what the...?!

BOOOOOOOOM!

...An explosion rang out over the mountaintops, sending a flock of birds scattering away reflexively. This was a common occurrence here in Scrap Brain Zone, for the lab's owner and sole human occupant had a penchant for experimenting with unstable materials.

“Aw, beans! Another... hack! …miscalculation!” the man coughed as smoke filled his laboratory. He patted himself down, putting out small fires here and there on his clothing, and ran a gloved finger through his slightly singed mustache. He was grateful that he was wearing a pair of protective glasses over his eyes, at least.

“Well,” the man looked disconcertingly at his lab going up in flames, “I suppose I'd better put out this fire before it spreads. Budniks! I need your assistance!”

“Right away, Dr. Robotnik!”

A squadron of cute, colorful robots – all with designs based on various animals – charged into the laboratory.

“Ho ho...” the man chortled, “You all know you can just call me Ivo, right? But never mind that! Looks like I've gone and blown up the lab again! Work your mechanical magic, guys!”

“Take that, you silly fire! Whee!” One of the robots – which looked like a blue bumblebee – chirped happily as they flew over the fires and began spraying them down with an extinguishing foam.

“Excellent work, Buzzbomber!” Ivo cheered, “Caterkiller, I'm counting on you to salvage what you can from the wreckage!”

“Aye aye, Doc!” the caterpillar-like robot responded, stretching its long mechanical body into a pile of burnt lab equipment and pulling out whatever didn't seem irreparably damaged.

“I've got this!” a crab-like robot confidently boasted, walking sideways toward a heap of scorched scrap at the end of a ledge. They leaned over and attempted to rescue some lab notes that weren't too burned, but fumbled and lost their balance, “Waaah...!”

“Crabmeat!” Ivo called out, as the crab-bot fell into the still-burning heap. Reflexively, and with surprising speed for a man of his ponderous size, Ivo lunged forward after Crabmeat, landing in a still-burning section of the lab.

“Get out of here!” Ivo shouted, picking up the robot. He winded up, and – with all his strength – threw the crab robot out of the fire, breathing a sigh of relief... which was cut short as he realized that now he was on fire. “Oh no.”

“Doc!” Crabmeat called out, panicked. “B-B-Buzzbomber, over here!”

“On it!” Buzzbomber broke from the section of the lab they were extinguishing and made a beeline for Ivo, spraying him down and putting out the flames.

“Whew, that was a close one...” Ivo sighed, climbing back up to where the rest of his Budniks were, each working on their own part of the lab. He looked at the crab robot sternly. “Crabmeat...”

Crabmeat tensed up, “S-sorry, I just... w-wanted to help...”

Ivo smiled gently at the little robot and knelt down, putting a hand on Crabmeat's metal head, “I know. But you have to be careful, okay? My lab notes and experiments are replaceable. You robots aren't. So just wait until Buzzbomber's done extinguishing before trying to salvage anything, okay?”

“Y-yeah...” Crabmeat sighed, relieved. Ivo wasn't mad. Of course he wasn't. He'd always been so kind and understanding to his robots. “You got it.”

“Good!” Ivo beamed, before turning around to the other Budniks, “Now, let's finish up here and see what's left of the lab! Ooh hoo hoo!”

“Doc!” Crabmeat's eyes widened, seeing Ivo's back, “You're still on fire!”

“Wait, wha-” Ivo started, before Buzzbomber doused him in extinguisher, “...thanks.”

 

---

 

“Geez, Doc!” Buzzbomber giggled, fluttering around as they surveyed the scorched lab, “What the heck did you even do in here?”

“I was experimenting with this,” Ivo said, holding aloft a shiny grey gemstone, “The Chaos Emerald!”

“Ooh, shiny~” Caterkiller gazed at the rock, entranced, “What's it do?”

“Heh heh...” Ivo wagged his index finger – a tic of his whenever he was about to explain something, “This, my chrome comrade, holds the potential for unlimited energy! ...Unfortunately, my machines' energy capacity is, er... less than unlimited. Hence the big boom.”

“Ahh, that makes sense,” Crabmeat nodded, “So that thing's totally dangerous and you're gonna get rid of it, right, Ivo?”

“Ha! Not a chance!” Ivo grinned, “If I can just figure out how to tap into this brilliant bauble's energy, I could do anything! Imagine the good I could do for the world with limitless renewable energy! No, Crabmeat, I can't let a setback like today get in the way of progress. I'm going to figure out how to use this thing, and in so doing, I'll change the world!”

The Budniks looked on in awe. Ivo was many things – reckless, absentminded, and short-sighted at the best of times – but one thing he wasn't was a quitter. If he set out to solve a problem, he'd slam himself headfirst into that problem over and over, until he figured it out. That was just the way he always was.

Rrrrrring! Rrrrring!

The wall-mounted videophone notified Ivo that he was getting an incoming call – a rarity, given his secluded lifestyle in his mountaintop lab. Curiously, he clicked the “Answer” button on the screen, and found himself face to face with an old bespectacled owl.

“Hoothoothoot! Uh... hello?” the old owl stammered, “Is this...” The owl squinted behind his thick, round glasses at a notecard, “...Dr. Robotnik?”

“I am,” Ivo answered, “Who, may I ask, is this?”

“Oh!” the owl grinned, “Hoothoot, nobody ever asks about me! My name is Old Man Owl! Now, you might think that's a nickname or a title or something, but it's actually my legal moniker - on my birth certificate and everything! Yes, I was known as 'Old Man' even when I was a youngster! ...It's a traditional Owl family name, you see! Of course, when I was young, I was quite the racer! Hoothoot, you should've seen me! A real ladies' man, I was...!”

“Er...” Ivo stared, clearly confused, “That's great? Wait, why did you call me, again?”

“Oh, right!” Old Man said, trailing off, “Huh... Why did I call you, anyway?”

“That's enough, Old Man...” a woman's voice could be heard off-screen, “I'll take it from here.”

“Hey! Dr. Robotnik, right?” The camera turned to a human woman, flashing a friendly smile for the camera. She looked like she was in her thirties, though she had this bubbly, youthful demeanor to her, “Pardon my attendant. He's actually really helpful, but he does love talking about 'the good ol' days.' Anyway, I don't wanna waste your time... This is Sara, the mayor of Star Light Zone.”

Ivo blinked. The mayor of South Island's biggest city was calling him? He wondered what she wanted. He didn't forget to pay his taxes or something, did he? No, no – besides, he didn't even live in Star Light Zone's city limits, anyway. Also, this lady was the mayor? He looked at her leaning back casually and grinning on the video screen; she certainly didn't exude the serious, stern attitude Ivo usually associated with political leaders.

“The mayor of Star Light Zone, huh?” Ivo questioned, “And what might a mayor want with me?”

“Weeeell...” Sara glanced aside uncertainly, “Star Light Zone's town hall has suffered some, uh... structural damage recently. Like, big-time damage. I hear you're the best repairman on the whole island, and I'm willing to pay you very well for your work if you come out here and fix the place up. C'mon, whaddya say?”

Ivo glanced at the blown-out remains of his laboratory. He honestly could use the money, he thought.

“I say you've got a deal, Sara,” Ivo said.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!” Sara cheered, before clearing her throat, “Ah-hem. I mean... Thank you... Ivo.” Sara smirked. If he wasn't going to address her as 'Mayor Sara,' then she wouldn't bother calling him 'Dr. Robotnik.' It was only fair. “I'll be expecting you this afternoon. Meet me outside the building's main entrance and I'll show you what needs to be fixed up. Alright then! Byyyye~!”

Sara waved, and the screen cut to black as the call ended.

“Alright then!” Ivo glanced toward the Budniks, “I've got a job to do. You guys hold down the fort while I'm gone, okay?”

“You got it!” Buzzbomber chirped.

“See ya later!” Caterkiller 'waved' by swaying their whole body.

“Be careful out there...” Crabmeat nodded, clacking their crab-claws.

Ivo waved and turned to leave, but then his eye caught the grey Chaos Emerald on his worktable.

“Hm, perhaps I'd better take this with me, just in case...” Ivo said, pocketing the Emerald, “I wouldn't want to leave it here unsupervised, not after what just happened.”

And with that, Ivo strode out the door and made his way to the neighboring Star Light Zone, expecting a routine day of repair work... but Ivo was in for anything but.

---

 

Elsewhere, in the back alleys of Star Light Zone... a gang of scruffy-looking animals were chatting among themselves. There was a pile of rings that two of the animals were squabbling over. One of the animals – apparently the leader – sat obscured in the shadows, watching his gang's petty bickering with ever-decreasing patience.

“C'mon, don't hog all the loot!” a rabbit snatched a container of rings, angering the squirrel who was attempting to hoard them all for himself.

“Ey, those are mine, Pocky!” the squirrel growled, “I lifted 'em from the Star Light Zone bank, fair an' square! Tell 'im, boss!”

“Enough!” the leader placed a gloved hand on their forehead, still just out of view from any curious onlookers who might be nearby, “C'mon, Ricky, hittin' the bank was my way-past-cool plan, so most of it's going to me. Obviously.”

Ricky the squirrel frowned, but remained silent. He knew better than to argue with the boss.

“B-b-boss!” a blue bird flew into the alley, panting.

“Sheesh, Flicky, where's the fire?” Pocky the rabbit asked, still eyeing the rings covetously.

“I just... got back from city hall...” Flicky caught her breath, “I kept an eye on the place just like you told me, s-sir! Um, anyway... I just learned the mayor's gonna meet someone this afternoon. As in, she'll be outside, away from her security detail. Now's your chance, sir...”

“Aw yeah,” the leader of the gang leaned forward – now visible in the light as a blue hedgehog – and grinned menacingly, “This is happenin'.”

 

 

Story Outline:

Here I'll link to the beginning of each specific story within this AU.

• Ivo the Genius (You are here!)
• Ivo the Genius 2

[Dr. Mechano]

Chapter 2: "Ivo vs. Sonic"

In this chapter, Ivo heads to Star Light Zone to fix up city hall! There, he befriends Mayor Sara and learns about the recent crime wave plaguing the city. It doesn't take long before Sonic shows up, and Ivo finds himself face to face with the notorious criminal! Can Ivo hold his own against the speedy blue hedgehog?

AO3 link: Ivo the Genius - Chapter 2

Fanfiction.net link: Ivo the Genius - Chapter 2

As always , any comments or feedback are greatly appreciated! I really love hearing what you think!

Spoiler

Ivo the Genius

by Dr. Mechano

Chapter 2 - "Ivo vs. Sonic"

“Ah, Star Light Zone! A pinnacle of architecture and engineering! Its busy roadways, gridlocked with vehicles as far as the eye can see! Its vast skyscrapers, towering above like titans on high! Its glorious, glimmering- oof!”

Thud! Ivo walked right into a sharply-dressed dog, who angrily yelled at him.

“Ey, pay attention, pal! I'm walkin' here!”

“Gah! Sorry, my good man... dog... fellow!”

Ivo smiled apologetically and continued making his way down the city streets, bustling with both human and animal citizens. In one hand, Ivo carried a small egg-shaped GPS that he'd designed himself, which was giving him directions to Star Light Zone's city hall. In his other hand was a hefty metal case, filled with various tools and building materials – as well as the grey Chaos Emerald that Ivo had brought along with him.

One thing that caught Ivo's eye as he navigated the city was the increased police presence since the last time he'd been here. He didn't come to Star Light Zone often – usually just to make monthly supply runs, where he'd buy scrap metal in bulk from Iron King's Hardware Emporium. The town had always been busy, but... this time something was different. There was a foreboding atmosphere as he noted cops – seemingly on every street – nervously glancing back and forth, as if looking for something... or someone.

Well, no matter. The GPS gave off a satisfying “Ding!” indicating that Ivo had arrived at city hall.

He looked the place over, whistling in awe at the sheer size of the place... and the sheer extent of the damages. He didn't know how, but man, this place got trashed. Cracked support pillars, displaced metal beams, broken windows, bent security fencing, dislodged - still-sparking - security cameras strewn across the ground... Ivo couldn't help but grin widely.

“Holy shlock!” Ivo shouted, clutching his fist excitedly, “Talk about hitting the jackpot! Fixing up this derelict dump will net me enough rings to fix up my lab, and leave me with enough extra to stock up on metal for months! Ooh hoo hoo!”

“Yeah, the place is a real mess, isn't it?” a woman's voice startled Ivo, causing him to spin around in surprise.

“Ah! S-Sara, I was just admiring your lovely home...” Ivo grinned unconvincingly.

“Heehee! Nah, give it to me straight, Doc. This place is totally trashed,” Mayor Sara playfully stuck her tongue out and extended a gloved hand, which matched her bright pink jacket and a curious double-pointed hat atop her head – the shape of which almost looked like a pair of cat ears. But Sara was a human, so that wouldn't make any sense. Either way... Ivo had to admit, the mayor was pretty cute. She grinned pleasantly at him, “You sure got here fast, though!”

“...Ah ha ha! But of course!” Ivo nodded and shook Sara's hand, “Punctuality is how I've stayed in business! ...well, uh, that and... you know, actually fixing things.”

“Awesome!” Sara grinned, gesturing toward the extensive damage, “Because you've got a lot to fix.”

“Eesh. You're telling me! You know, this town was a lot more uneventful the last time I visited... Granted, I only stopped by briefly to pick up building supplies. Well, that and the new Champion the Fighters game.”

“Oh man, whaaat?” Sara smiled excitedly, “I love that game! ...I suck at it, but it's super fun!”

“Oh, most certainly! My robots and I play it together all the time!” Ivo said, thinking fondly of his Budniks back home at Scrap Brain Zone, “...Caterkiller's surprisingly good at it, for someone with no hands.”

“Nobody here's really into it,” Sara shrugged. “Old Man Owl's not exactly the gaming type, so I usually stick to the single-player mode.”

“Well...” Ivo said, “We could play together sometime, if you'd like.”

“Yeah?” Sara grinned, watching as Ivo worked. “...Okay. It's a date then!”

“Sounds great! Ah ha ha...!” Ivo let out an awkward laugh and glanced down into his toolbox, “Anyway, what even happened out here? It looks like a blasted tornado tore through the place!”

“Well... You're not too far off,” Sara said, watching as Ivo took out a drill and began reattaching some metal support beams, “The city's been hit with a crime wave recently. Gangs of troublemakers roaming the streets, stealing rings and destroying anything in their way. The police are trying to round them up, but...”

Sara hesitated. This entire situation was rather embarrassing. Could her city really not take care of a bunch of punks? What kind of mayor was she?

“...but they're just too fast for us,” Sara frowned, “The best I can do now is just make sure my citizens are safe. Make sure their lives aren't disrupted any more than they already have been. I have to figure out a way to protect Star Light Zone from any more damage.”

“Sounds like you've been doing your best,” Ivo said, impressed with Sara's determination. Despite her seemingly carefree veneer, she really did take her responsibilities as a leader seriously.

“Heh...” Sara smiled warmly, “Glad someone thinks so. There are certainly days when I'm not sure...”

“So, do you know which gang did this?” Ivo asked, gesturing broadly to the busted building.

“Yeah. The most notorious gang in the city: the Road Rollers. Last night they went on a rampage, and really trashed the municipal complex.”

“Road Rollers, huh?” Ivo asked, “What are they, a gang of ill-mannered cyclists or something?” “Not exactly,” Sara said, “Their name comes from their leader's habit of curling into a ball and rolling through anything in his way. The big boss of the Road Rollers is a blue hedgehog named Sonic.”

“Sonic...?” Ivo rubbed his chin thoughtfully as he continued working. He'd never heard of this guy, and yet, there was almost something familiar about his name. Something irritating.

 

Elsewhere in Star Light Zone...

“Mmph...” a human cop reclined in his police cruiser, munching on a box of donuts, “Pretty easygoing morning so far, at least compared to last night. 'Ey, you want a donut?”

“Focus,” his partner – a pig – declined the offer, “You never know when criminals will strike. We gotta be vigilant at all times!”

Suddenly, the radio crackled to life, sending a blare of static into the cruiser.

“Attention, all units. The Star Light Zone Bank has once again been robbed. Suspect is believed to be Rocky the Seal of the Road Rollers. He is armed and dangerous, so proceed with caution!”

“One o' Sonic's underlings!” the pig snorted, flicking on the car's sirens, “C'mon, let's go get him!”

“Aww, okay! I'll finish you later, donuts!” the human cop nodded and sped off toward the bank, as many other officers in the area would soon convene there to thwart this latest robbery.

 

 

Back at City Hall...

“So, let's see...” Ivo looked methodically over a checklist, “The support beams have been refastened, the ceiling's been reinforced, security perimeter's been reinstalled... and while I was down there, I rewired your building's electrical cables for increased efficiency! ...Nothing to do with the recent damages, but your energy bills should be a lot lower now.”

“...Wow,” Sara said, looking over the freshly-repaired city hall. “It looks as good as new... No, it looks better than new. Dang, Ivo, you're good.”

“Oh ho ho...” Ivo chuckled, stroking his mustache proudly. Recognition of his skills always put him in a jovial mood.

“Well, then, let's handle the matter of payment,” Sara said, pulling out her wallet.

“Yeah. Let's,” a voice belonging to neither Ivo nor Sara chuckled from behind them. They turned around quickly, and saw a blue hedgehog – flanked by a few smaller animals – staring them down.

“S-Sonic...” Sara said. She very deliberately began to reach into her pocket, hoping not to draw the hedgehog's attention.

“So that's Sonic...” Ivo said. Unconsciously, he found himself taking a fighting stance. Even though he'd never met him before, something in him knew this guy was bad news.

“Didn't you and your gang cause enough trouble here yesterday?” Sara asked dismissively.

“Heh heh...” Sonic strolled up to Sara, an overconfidence in his movements as he closed the distance between the two of them, “You know me, your mayorship. I can never have enough trouble. Especially not when I've got the chance to ransom you off for big cash. Bank robberies? Burglaries? It's all amateur hour compared to how much the president will fork over to see his precious daughter returned. Guess Flicky's good for something, tipping me off that you'd be here.”

“Hmph,” Flicky fluttered next to Sonic, eyeing Ivo and Sara carefully.

“Waaaait... Ivo blinked, “Your father's...”

“...the president, yeah.” Sara grinned nonchalantly, “Part of the reason I got into politics myself, actually!”

“Hey!” Sonic's eyebrow twitched, “Don't ignore me when I'm tryin' to intimidate you!”

“Pfft,” Sara laughed him off, pulling a radio communicator out of her pocket, “You'd better run away, before-”

Whoosh!

In the blink of an eye, the radio was flung from Sara's hand. Sonic had also grabbed hold of her wrist, smirking at his new hostage, “Didja really think I wouldn't prepare for that? You've got no way to call for backup, and one of my guys is distracting the cops with a bank heist. Now, you're comin' with me! Up, over, and gooo- OOF!”

Suddenly, something heavy hit Sonic, sending a jolt of pain through his head.

“B-boss!” Ricky the Squirrel called out.|

“Y-you okay?” Pocky the Rabbit asked.

Sonic dizzily glanced down, seeing a large wrench next to him. The hedgehog looked back up, only to see the handyman that Sara had hired throwing another wrench at him, which – this time – he dodged.

“Let. Her. Go.” Ivo demanded.

“Snrrk!” Sonic rubbed his head and looked at Ivo in disbelief. Who did this guy think he was? “Ricky. Pocky. Show this fat dweeb what happens to people who step up to me!”

“You got it, boss!” Ricky the Squirrel and Pocky the Rabbit strode forward to confront Ivo, as Sonic – still holding onto Sara – stood by.

“Ivo, be careful!” Sara called out, “These guys are tough!”

“Yeah, Ivooo,” Ricky laughed, brandishing a knife, “Us guys is tough! Nwee hee hee! Now I'm gonna make shishkabubs outta ya!”

“I said, let her go!” Ivo shouted, dodging the squirrel's blade. He curled his hand into a fist, and sent it hurtling toward Ricky's face.

“W-wait, wha-” CRONCH!

In an instant, Ricky was sent flying over the capitol's fence. Pocky the Rabbit looked on nervously.

“So the chunky chump can actually fight,” Sonic sneered.

“He sure can...” Sara said, a light blush appearing on her face, before grinning down at Sonic, “Think you wanna call off this whole 'kidnapping' thing while you have the chance?”

“Pfft, as if,” Sonic scoffed, before turning to Flicky, “You! Secure the mayor! Don't let her out of your sight, or you goose is cooked, bird-brain!”

“Eep!” Flicky nodded, tightening a rope around Sara, tying her to a monumental pillar on the capitol lawn, “N-nothing personal. Sonic can just be, uh... a little insistent sometimes.”

“Okay, this is embarrassing...” Sonic walked forward, clutching his forehead as Ivo was busy smacking Pocky around with a monkey-wrench, “What do I pay you losers for?!”

Smack!

“Sooooorryyyyy, boooooss!” Pocky cried out as he went soaring over Sonic's head.

“Fine, I was kinda itchin' for a fight anyway,” Sonic grinned at Ivo, “So, introductions. I'm Sonic the Hedgehog, leader of the Road Rollers, fastest criminal on South Island, yadda yadda yadda, you know who I am. Who are you, and why do you care what I do to the mayor?”

“My friends call me Ivo,” the mechanic said, “You can call me Dr. Robotnik.”

“I'll call you 'insane' for thinkin' you can take me on, tubby!” Sonic grinned.

“And as for the mayor,” Ivo continued, “I couldn't live with myself if I just stood by and didn't help someone in trouble.”

“Ivo...” Sara smiled.

Flicky looked at Ivo in awe as well. She had to admit – for an enemy – he was at least principled. More than her boss was, anyway.

Ivo cleared his throat, “..plus I kind of need her to pay me for all the work I just did.”

“You've got guts, I'll give ya that,” Sonic said, “But your lucky streak ends here. No human can keep up with Sonic the Hedgehog!”

Whoosh!

“What the...?!” Ivo looked around happhazardly. Sonic was running in circles around him. He tried to land a hit on the hedgehog, but it was no good. The blue blur was simply too fast for him to touch.

“I told you...” Sonic said, darting back and forth at insane speeds, before suddenly charging into Ivo, knocking him over, “You're too slow!”

“Gaaah...!” Ivo gasped out in pain. For a small guy, Sonic felt like a cannonball slamming into him. He tried to rise to his feet, but Sonic quickly barreled into him again, leaping away before he could strike back. “Y-you little...”

“What's the matter?” Sonic leapt back and forth, occasionally smacking into Ivo, “Can't keep up, with that egg-like physique of yours? C'mon, Eggman, I'm over here!”

“Heh...” Ivo chuckled, “I see now. You're too fast for me to hit where you are...”

“H-Huh?!” Sonic said, suddenly finding himself face to face with Ivo's oncoming fist.

“I have to hit where you're about to be!”

CRRRRACK!

Ivo's fist collided with Sonic's jaw – and at the speed Sonic was moving – it hurt. “I just needed a moment to figure out your movement pattern.”

“Ivo, you've got him!” Sara called out.

“B-boss...” Flicky looked on, uncertainly.

“Ha... ha...” Ivo panted. Seizing the opportunity, he followed his punch with another. And another, wailing on Sonic with blow after blow – knowing that if the hedgehog got back up, he could still be dangerous. “Looks like... this Eggman... is tougher to crack than you thought!”

“ENOUGH!” Sonic shouted furiously. He grabbed Ivo's fist. His bruised, battered face scowled in rage, “I'm ENDING this!”

Still clutching Ivo's arm, Sonic curled into a ball and spun around and around at high speeds, whirling Ivo around limpy along with him.

“AaaaAAAAH!” Ivo shouted, as Sonic spun him around.

With every revolution, Ivo was slammed into the ground over and over again, until abruptly, Sonic stopped – sending the man flying, slamming into his own toolbox with a loud crash.

“Eeeeughh... E-everything hurts...” Ivo groaned, staring up at the sky. His vision was blurry, and his ears were ringing. He glanced to his side, noticing that the toolbox he'd been thrown into had flung open, spilling his tools all over the ground. ...as well as something else he'd brought along with him, the Chaos Emerald.

“Weeeell... What do we have here?” Sonic strutted forward, trying to brush off his own injuries by projecting an air of confidence. He had the upper hand now, but after that stunt Ivo pulled, he wasn't going to take him quite so lightly anymore, “That rock looks pretty valuable.”

“St-stop...!”

“Tsk, tsk...” Sonic grinned, placing a foot on Ivo as he picked up the Emerald, which began to glow strangely in Sonic's hand, “No can do, Doc. A ginormous gemstone like this oughta fetch a pretty penny on the black market! Between ransoming Sara and hocking this thing, we're gonna make a killing today!”

“Give that back, you fool! It's highly unstable!” Ivo lunged up, trying to snatch the Emerald back, but Sonic effortlessly yanked the Emerald out of the way, deftly dodging the human.

“Huh...” Sonic said, jogging in place suddenly, “I dunno why, but I feel great all of a sudden! Heh, I think I hit my second wind!”

“Mmph...” Ivo groaned. He had an idea of what was happening. While the Chaos Emerald never had any direct effects on him as a human, he had hypothesized that perhaps it might have side-effects on other creatures. If he was right, then Sonic was being super-charged by the gem, and he was in big trouble.

“Aw, yeah!” Sonic laughed, leaping around erratically. Occasionally, he'd land on a structure in the city hall's lawn with so much force that it broke into pieces. “It's like those wimpy punches you threw never even happened! I feel like a million rings now!”

“I just fixed all that! Ugh!” Ivo shouted – but all Sonic did was leap about, wrecking everything in his path. As before, he slammed into Ivo – but this time he landed a lot harder, causing Ivo to shout out in pain.

“Gyaaaah! H... he's... too strong now...” Ivo gasped, “But... I still... have to keep going...”

“Heh heh heh!” Sonic continued pinballing around the yard, slamming into windows, beams, fencing – getting faster and faster with each impact, “I'm too cool!”

“H-hey!” Flicky shouted as Sonic zipped past her, “Watch where you're going, boss!”

But Sonic did not watch where he was going. All he cared about right now was building up speed – about crushing Ivo. During all this, Sonic incidentally slammed into the pillar Sara was tied to. This loosened a statue atop it, and it began to teeter over – threatening to fall onto Sara herself.

“Sara...!” Ivo called out, only for Sonic to slam into him again, “Aaaagh!”

Flicky looked on in horror. This wasn't how it was supposed to go down. Yeah, she wanted the money from ransoming Sara, but she wasn't a killer.

“Come on,” Flicky said, untying Sara's ropes, “Get out of here!”

“Wait, wha-” Sara asked, before Flicky shoved her out of the way. Just in time too, as immediately after that, the loud metallic clang of the statue echoed behind her, barely grazing Sara as it landed - right on the bird who'd just freed her.

“Tch! The girl's loose,” Sonic scowled.

Wasting no time, Sara dove for the radio that Sonic knocked away, and turned it on, “Trouble at city hall! Sonic's here! Send all units here!”

“Meh, fine,” Sonic tossed the Chaos Emerald playfully in his hand, “Looks like you're getting' away this time, Sara. I kinda wanna test-drive my new and improved strength anyway, so I'll be leavin' now. See ya soon!”

“B... boss... w-wait for... me...” Flicky called out faintly, only to see Sonic abandon her under the wreckage of the very statue he'd knocked down.

“Ivo!” Sara said, turning her attention to the statue, “Help me get this off her!”

Ivo – hurt but not too badly injured – joined Sara at the statue. Together, they lifted the heavy monument off of Flicky, and pulled the injured bird out to safety.

“You saved me...” Sara said to the bird in her arms, “Why?”

“Heh...” Flicky smiled, unable to even move a wing she was hurt so badly, “I couldn't... live with myself... if I just stood by and didn't help someone in trouble.”

Flicky's eyes closed and she drifted into unconsciousness.

“H-Hey!” Ivo shouted, “Stay with us!”

“Ivo, what's wrong with her?” Sara asked.

“This bird's hurt really badly, but...” Ivo took her from Sara, “I think I can save her if I get her back to my lab.”

He paused for a moment. This wasn't good. He needed to go after Sonic and retrieve the Chaos Emerald. There was no telling what damage the hedgehog could do with that kind of power. And yet... one of Sonic's own minions risked her life to save Sara. He could tell this bird – criminal or not – had a good heart, and knew he had to do everything he could to save her.

“Sara, bunker down for now until the cops get here,” Ivo said, carefully cradling the unconscious Flicky in his arms, “I'm going to rush back to Scrap Brain Zone, pronto!”

“Okay,” Sara nodded, waving Ivo off, “Thanks for everything, Ivo! And good luck!”

That gaming date with Sara would have to wait until another day, Ivo thought.

 

[charmsb]

Never thought I'd feel myself getting hype over seeing Old Man Owl appear.

[Dr. Mechano]

5 hours ago, charmsb said:

Never thought I'd feel myself getting hype over seeing Old Man Owl appear.

Haha, yeah. The classic era didn't have a ton of "NPC"-type characters, so I figured pulling from the OVA would be a good way to add a few more people to this world.

I'm glad you liked his appearance. He was definitely fun to write, so he'll be back.

[charmsb]

Awesome! Keep em comin' tis a fun read

[Ricochet]

A fun read indeed.

At first, I thought this guy is gonna be strictly "Anti-Eggman"; since, besides of being kindhearted, Ivo rather risk the progress of his newer ideas over the well being of his robots, unlike Eggman who will ignore and/or dispose of everything around him while his mind excitelly unfolds the ideas of another over the top contraption to play with Sonic in the battleground for a while.

However, He seems to retain quarrelsome side, such as still giving belligerent names to his robots, and pretty much eager to get into a fistfight.

[Dr. Mechano]

Chapter 3 - "Arise! MOTO BUG!"

Ivo creates a new mechanical battle body for Flicky, a shelled robot called the MOTO BUG. Meanwhile, Sonic collects a second Chaos Emerald and becomes even more powerful - and even more dangerous. Ivo has to track him down, or else Sonic will become unstoppable!

AO3 link: Ivo the Genius - Chapter 3

Fanfiction.net link: Ivo the Genius Chapter 3

The real adventure begins, as Ivo ventures further into South Island - with a new sidekick in tow - to catch Sonic!

Spoiler

 

“...ky? Flicky...?”

Flicky heard a familiar voice calling out to her. She could feel that she was lying on a cold, hard surface. Slowly, she opened her eyes. Her vision was still blurred, but she recognized the face of the mustached man looking down at her.

“Doctor... Robotnik...?” Flicky coughed, “Eugh, I feel like garbage...”

“You're awake!” Ivo exclaimed, “I wasn't sure you'd make it, you took a nasty blow to the head.”

“Oh...” Flicky glanced down at herself. She'd been cleaned and bandaged up, but she was still sore all over, “You... you saved me?”

“Oh ho ho! But of course!” Ivo grinned, holding a dropper of medicine up to Flicky's beak, “...here, drink this. Look, I saw what you did for Sara back there. Even if you are one of Sonic's goons, you risked for life for someone else. So you're alright in my book, kid!”

“Bah...” Flicky grimaced – both at the bitter taste of the medicine, and at thoughts of Sonic, “I was one of Sonic's goons. He totally abandoned me back there! That no good- oww!”

Flicky gasped in pain. Without realizing it, she'd tried to move her wing, which was just super broken.

“Right, that,” Ivo sighed, “I know this is a lot to take in right after regaining consciousness, but... I've looked at your x-rays and you got messed up by that statue. You probably won't fly ever again. ...er, sorry, too blunt? I never got the hang of that whole 'bedside manner' thing.”

“I... I see...” Flicky lied back, discouraged, “Heh... Guess I knew the risks when I joined the Road Rollers.”

“Why did you join up with that heinous hedgehog, anyway?” Ivo asked, “I mean... considering you saved Sara, you don't seem like a bad person.”

“Money, Doc...” Flicky sighed, “I'm flat broke, and Sonic promised me that if I helped him, I could finally make enough rings to get out of debt... to actually be somebody... Bah! What a fool I was to get involved with him! Ha... ha... now I don't have a source of income or use of my wings anymore...”

Ivo frowned. He couldn't just leave Flicky like this, not after what she'd done.

“Well...” Ivo said, “I could use a lab assistant around here. Interested in a new job, Flicky?”

“Heh,” Flicky smiled, “I dunno, Doc. Not sure how much help I'll be in this condition...”

“Hm,” Ivo pondered for a moment, before his eyes caught a glimpse of some old blueprints, “I think I have an idea...”

 

---

 

Meanwhile, in Star Light Zone...

 

“This power...” Sonic clutched the Chaos Emerald in one hand as he dashed through the streets of Star Light Zone, slicing entire cars in half with the sheer force of his speed, “I feel totally radical!”

Pocky the Rabbit limped behind, “Uh... is it just me, or is the boss acting weird?”

“Weirder than usual, ya mean?” Ricky the Squirrel clutched his aching head, still throbbing from his fight with Ivo, and glanced up to see Sonic standing atop a pile of crashed vehicles, laughing maniacally. “...Yeah, I might'a picked up on that.”

“Oh man!” Sonic hopped about erratically, “I'm just burstin' with energy! I've gotta run, dudes!”

“Aaaand there he goes,” Ricky grumbled as Sonic dashed off.

The hedgehog weaved in and out of highways and side roads, carelessly charging through anything in his way. He just felt this overwhelming urge to move, to burn off all this excess energy he suddenly had.

“Woohooooo!” Sonic shouted, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake, “C'mon, I can go even faster! Wait, what's that?!”
Sonic's Chaos Emerald began to glow brightly – almost as if it was guiding him in a specific direction. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something in him felt like running up the side of the tallest building in the city, which stood before him.

With plenty of speed built up, Sonic hit the building and began running up it at a straight 90-degree angle. Outrunning even gravity, the hedgehog charged up the skyscraper, feeling drawn to its roof by the Emerald in his hand. What was up there? He was going to find out.

As Sonic approached the very top of the tower, he saw something unexpected – a gigantic golden ring spinning in mid-air. The Emerald in his hand glowed even brighter as he approached it.

“What is this...?” Sonic asked, looking over the giant ring. Did the Emerald lead him here? If so... he had to know what was inside it. Charging forward blindly, Sonic leapt up into the giant ring, and in a flash of light, he was gone.

The light subsided, and Sonic found himself not in Star Light Zone, but in a strange environment unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He was surrounded by colorful blocks, rotating all around in him – which he discovered the hard way, as the “floor” he was standing on quickly spun around to become the ceiling, dropping him below with a thud.

“What the...?” Sonic scratched his head. On the horizon – if he could call it that – he saw a flock of birds, which seemed normal enough... until they suddenly morphed into a flock of fish. “...okay, clearly I slammed headfirst into that building and now I'm hallucinating.”

Shrugging, Sonic made his way through the rotating psychedelic maze. He'd find a cache of rings here, a bunch of pinball bumpers there, and no sign of an exit. But suddenly, he saw something that changed everything.

Surrounded by colored blocks, floating in mid-air, was a gemstone much like the one in Sonic's hand. Only, instead of grey, this one shone a brilliant green. Was this what the gem in his hand was guiding him toward?

Deftly avoiding the bumpers, Sonic reached the green gemstone, and suddenly felt an intense rush of energy – even more than the one he'd felt when he picked up the grey gem earlier. That was it... The gems! The strange dimension seemed to dissipate around Sonic, who grinned as he figured it out. Returning to Star Light Zone, Sonic looked at the two Emeralds in his possession.

“These things... They make me stronger,” Sonic laughed. The grey Emerald had stopped blinking so quickly, but now both the grey and green Emeralds were faintly glowing, pointing Sonic toward the edge of town.

“...And not only that, but they're attracted to each other,” Sonic said, putting the pieces together, “There's more of these things! And I if I collect 'em all... heh heh... Heh heh heh! I'll be invincible!”

Sonic dashed off, resolved. His days of petty theft were a thing of the past. The Emeralds held something far more valuable than money. They had power – power that Sonic wanted more than anything. Then, nobody would ever stand in his way again.

 

---

 

Back at Scrap Brain Zone...

“Presenting... my latest, greatest creation...” Ivo said, pulling back a small curtain with flourish, “...shelled battle mech, MOTO BUG!”

“The what now?” Flicky looked at the machine Ivo had unveiled. It appeared to be a robot modeled after a ladybug. It had a pair of sycthe-like blades in front, antennas above its “face,” and a sturdy red shell protecting it from above. Below was a single wheel that the machine presumably used to move.

“What's this for?” Flicky looked at the machine curiously.

“Well... It's for you,” Ivo said, “...If you want to use it, that is. I know it must be difficult losing use of your wings, but this robot will allow you to get around quickly. Additionally, it's equipped with protective shielding and weaponry, so you can defend yourself!”

“You built this for me?” Flicky was surprised. Just earlier today, she'd been helping Sonic. And already, Ivo had gone out of his way to build this mobile mech for her, “I... I don't know what to say...”

“Hoho! Then just say, 'Thanks, Ivo! I accept!!” Ivo jingled a keychain for a second, before tossing the key over to Flicky, “You want to try it out?”

“Y... Yeah...” Flicky nodded, carefully rising to her feet. Ivo helped her into the MOTO BUG, which was surprisingly roomy and comfortable. Flicky looked at the various control consoles and buttons, listening as Ivo explained how everything worked.

“Alright, first you'll want to power on the ignition...” Ivo explained. Flicky turned the key, and the MOTO BUG's eyes glowed with life, its engine humming as it idled there.

“Go ahead and try accelerating,” Ivo said, “Just press down on the gas pedal, and steer with the wheel.”

Flicky nodded and did just that, and then – zoom! The mech rolled forward!

“Whoa!” Flicky gasped, “This thing's pretty fast...”

“You'll need some time to get used to it,” Ivo said. “Use the other pedal to brake.”

Flicky slowed the MOTO BUG to a halt, its engine still purring.

“Now...” Ivo said, “Do you see a red button on the control console?”

“Yeah!” Flicky said, seeing the button Ivo spoke of.

“Press it,” Ivo said.

“Okay,” Flicky said, pressing the button. It gave off a “beep” in confirmation, before the mech's wheel, blades, and head retracted into the shell in one swift motion, “Whoa!”

“If you ever find yourself in danger, use that to enter 'Shield Mode,” Ivo explained, “You won't be able to move, but that shell should protect you from most attacks. Push the button again to return the MOTO BUG to normal.”

“Right!” Flicky pressed the button again, and the machine returned to its original state.

“Lastly...” Ivo said, “If you ever do find yourself in a fight, use the two levers to operate the two blades up front. They've got decent reach in close-quarters combat... Here, let me just step clear out of the way before you try them out! Hoho!”

Ivo stepped aside, and let Flicky test out swinging the blades. Flicky quickly got the hang of swiping and slashing motions with the levers. She was a natural!

“Excellent work, Flicky!” Ivo said.

“Thanks, Ivo...” the bird chirped happily, “But...”

She remembered how Sonic had abandoned her. How he'd never cared about her concerns or treated her with respect. She felt ashamed of ever working with a creep like that.

“...as far as I'm concerned, 'Flicky' is the old me. The wannabe criminal who let Sonic push her around. I'd like to leave that person in the past.”

“Oh?” Ivo asked, “Well, then, who do you want the new you to be?”

“Call me...” she looked through the viewscreen of the MOTO BUG, seeing her mech's reflection in a nearby mirror. In a way, this robot felt less like a vehicle and more like an extension of her own body – a second chance for her broken, injured form to move again. She smiled, knowing exactly what to call herself. “...Motey.”

“Ho ho! Very well then!” Ivo exclaimed, “Welcome aboard as my new assistant, Motey!”

“Thanks, Doc,” Motey smiled, glad to work with someone she actually felt appreciated by for once.

“Now...” Ivo turned to a metal case on the other side of the room, “I wish I could stay and show you around the lab, but I have to go now.”

“Huh?” Motey asked, “Go where?”

“Sonic stole the Chaos Emerald,” Ivo said, pulling a laser blaster from the case, and holstering it in his lab coat, “I wasn't exactly prepared for a fight the last time we met, so I'll stock up before I head after him.”

“Chaos Emerald?” Motey asked, “That gem he stole at city hall?”

“Precisely!” Ivo said, picking out a few miscellaneous gadgets to take with him – a small electric generator, an extending mechanical grabber-arm, and a handful of low-grade explosives. “That gemstone holds an incredible quantity of energy! And in the hands of a high-speed maniac like Sonic, that's bad news! I have to hunt down the hedgehog and get the Emerald back before he can do irreparable damage with it!”

Rrrriiing!

Ivo's video phone rang. Who could this be now? To his surprise, Sara appeared on-screen once he answered.

“Ivo!” Sara said, “Did you make it back okay? How's the bird?”

“She's in tip-top shape!” Ivo said, looking down at Motey, “But maybe you'd like to hear from her directly?”

“Wait...” Sara said, “That robot is...?”

“Um... yeah!” Motey said, “I'm Motey. Ivo here here fixed me up with this new mechanical suit. Thank you, by the way... for helping get that statue off me back there.”

“Hey, it's the least I could do – you saved me from becoming a Sara pancake, after all,” Sara grinned, “Either way... Motey, right? I'm glad you're okay. Unfortunately, Ivo, that's not the main reason I called...”

“Hm?” Ivo questioned, “What's going on, Sara?”

“It's Sonic,” Sara said, “Ever since he fled city hall earlier today, he's been going nuts. Just running all over town, destroying everything in his way. Surveillance footage also caught something weird earlier... Look at this...”

The screen cut to a shot of Sonic atop Star Light Zone's tallest building, disappearing into a gold ring and – moments later – reemerging with two Chaos Emeralds instead of the one he'd entered with.

“I've never seen anything like that before,” Sara said, “Nobody at city hall has. So I figured, hey, you're the scientific genius. Maybe you have an idea?”

Ivo looked on in horror. There were more Chaos Emeralds?! He'd only ever discovered the one. And now Sonic had two of them!

“I have to track Sonic down now,” Ivo said, pounding his fist into the control console, “Sara, do you know where he is now?”

Sara shrugged, “Footage showed Sonic suddenly running south after this. Looked like he was leaving the city entirely...”

South of Star Light Zone...? That was...

“Got it, thank you!” Ivo said, “I'm going after him. Stay safe, Sara! And Motey... I won't be gone too long! Just wait here with the Budniks until I return.”

“Oooh, no you don't!” Motey said, rolling up to Ivo, “After all you've done to help me, I'm not letting you go on this adventure alone! Besides... I have a score to settle with Sonic, anyway. I'm going with you, Doc!”

“Heh...” Ivo grinned. The little bird had moxie, that's for sure. “Alright then, Motey. Let's get that hedgehog!”

 

[Dr. Mechano]

Chapter 4 - "A Dip in Labyrinth Zone"

Ivo and Motey chase Sonic and the Road Rollers to Labyrinth Zone, where they fight over the next Chaos Emerald! Sonic - who can't swim - hates this place, and wants to get out of it as soon as possible! Can Ivo use Sonic's weakness to his advantage?

AO3 link: Ivo the Genius - Chapter 4

Fanfiction.net link: Ivo the Genius Chapter 4

Let me know what you think!

Spoiler

 

“Okay, boss...” Ricky the Squirrel raised an eyebrow skeptically, “Why the hey didja drag us out to Labyrinth Zone of all places?”

Sonic and his gang stood at the edge of Star Light Zone, before the entrance to a massive complex of subterranean ruins. Labyrinth Zone ran all throughout the South Island underground, and – as long as you didn't get lost – could be an effective shortcut to traverse the island quickly.

“Because, acorn-brain,” Sonic said, poking Ricky's forehead dismissively, “There's another one of these gems down there. I can feel it.”

The two Chaos Emeralds in Sonic's possession were glowing more rapidly, indicating another Emerald was close.

“Blblblbl...!” Rocky the Seal laughed, “All this for a stupid rock? I just robbed the bank! Surely we could make more money sticking to the city, like we always do!”

“Indeed, old boy,” Pecky the Penguin chuckled softly, “A sophisticated band of ne'erdowells like ourselves shouldn't be crawling around in the muck. What has gotten into you?”

“This ain't about money, fools!” Sonic said impatiently, “It's about power. We get those 'stupid rocks,' and we gain control of the whole island. ...Maybe even the whole world. No one would step up to us again! Now quit complainin' and follow me!”

The hedgehog leaped into the Labyrinth Zone. It was dark, and ordinarily, easy to lose one's way down here. If Sonic's Emeralds weren't guiding him to his destination, he wouldn't have had any idea what path led where. More pressingly, the ruins – being below sea level – were partially flooded. And if there was one thing that struck fear into the spiny crime boss's heart, it was water.

“Eugh...” Sonic grumbled. He'd never learned to swim, and all this deep water was making him more than a little nervous. “Of all places, it had to be this damp dump. Let's hurry up and get outta here...”

Though Sonic was normally fast, he took each step with deliberate purpose here. He couldn't risk losing his footing and falling into the water, after all. The other Road Rollers shrugged and followed behind. Of course, they could swim – and they were around to pull Sonic out if he did happen to fall in – but Sonic wasn't taking any chances. It's not like he completely trusted his gang anyway. Any chance to bump him off and become the new leader would be too tempting, Sonic thought – at least that's what he'd do in their position.

Unfortunately, Sonic's thoughts of treachery were interrupted by a certain unmistakably obnoxious laughter echoing through the ruins.

“OOOH HOO HOO HOO HOO! Thought you could get away from me, eh, hedgehog?”

“Doc!” a higher voice – one Sonic thought he recognized, but couldn't place - shouted, “W-wait for me...!”

Sonic and the Road Rollers glanced up toward the sound of the voices, and there – from an upraised entryway – stood Ivo Robotnik and a small ladybug robot.

“Pfft,” Sonic rolled his eyes, “So the nerd's back for revenge, and he brought his toys this time.”

“Hey!” Motey shouted.

“How'd you get here so quickly, anyway?” Sonic sneered, “I'm way faster than you.”

“Ho ho! Please,” Ivo boasted, “My Burrobots have been mining the flooded caverns under Scrap Brain Zone for years now. Those caves meet up right here, at Labyrinth Zone. I don't need to be faster if I'm more familiar with South Island's layout!”

“Oh, okay,” Sonic said, “Well, now I know where you live. Nice move, genius.”

“Ah, so you recognize my brilliance! About time you-” Ivo trailed off, frowning, “...oh, you... meant that sarcastically... didn't you.”

“Whatever,” Sonic turned away from Ivo, “I have a treasure to hunt down. Try not to drown, tubby.”

“Hey, get back here, you prickly pest!” Ivo shouted as Sonic dashed off. He and Motey gave chase themselves, deftly leaping across flooded pits and maneuvering through the ruins. While Ivo was oddly agile for a man of his build, and Motey was pretty fast herself on her single wheel, neither of them were fast enough to keep up with Sonic.

“Heh heh! Dream on, dweebs!” Sonic laughed, glancing back as he ran, seeing Ivo and Motey fade into the distance, “See ya never!”

“Just gotta line up my shot...” Ivo said, aiming his laser blaster at Sonic as he ran. Drawing a beat on a fast-moving target was tough, but he steadied his hands, took aim, and fired! “Take this!”

“Yoooow!” The shot grazed Sonic's leg, tripping him up for a moment. The laser blast didn't break the skin, but left a singing burn mark that was still hot to the touch, “Geez... So he brought weapons this time. Guess he's not as stupid as he looks.”

“Nice shot, Doc!” Motey cheered.

“Don't just stand there, idiots!” Sonic barked, “Slow him down while I run on ahead! I've gotta get to the Emerald before walrus-face here!”

“On it, boss!” Ricky shouted, lunging forward with his switchblade – which suddenly clinked against metal, surprising the squirrel.

“Uh... en garde?” Motey said, less confident than she'd hoped. She'd parried the squirrel's blade, but now what was she supposed to do?

“Hey, outta the way, robot!” Ricky shouted, not recognizing her as his former criminal colleague.

“Motey!” Ivo shouted.

“I... I got it, Doc! Run after Sonic!” Motey said, pulling the levers and swinging her scythe-blades wildly.

“Whoa, what the hey?!” Ricky jumped back, dodging the flurry of sharpened metal.

Ivo nodded, continuing his pursuit after Sonic. He fired another shot from his laser blaster, but this time it missed; Sonic was more prepared, and actively dodging this time.

“That's it!” Sonic jumped, curling into a ball in midair, and slammed into a giant stalactite, causing it to crash down in Ivo's path, before continuing running forward. Surrounding the blocked-off path was nothing but water, but even if Ivo could swim, there'd be no way he could swim faster than Sonic could run.

“There, that oughta keep him busy!” Sonic laughed as he ran on ahead, “No way he'll get around that before I find the Emerald! Gaaah ha ha- HUH?!”

Sonic's eyes widened as he saw a grinning Ivo rising up from a pool of water just ahead of him, his laser blaster aimed and ready.

“I told you,” Ivo said, “I know the layout of these waterways!”

Zaaaap!

Ivo's laser blast hit Sonic dead-on, knocking him back.

“Ho ho! You're faster than me on foot, but not faster than that jet stream I used to swim ahead of you underground!”

“Eugggh...” Sonic coughed, stumbling to his feet, “You're becomin' a real pain the neck, Doc.”

Ding... Ding...

Sonic glanced at his Chaos Emeralds. Their signal was getting stronger. Another one was close.

“But I've got better things to do!” Sonic leaped up, dodging another blast from Ivo's laser, and slammed into the scientist's face, “Now, rest a bit!”

“Augh!” Ivo reflexively clutched his head in pain, as Sonic sweep-kicked his legs, knocking him over. The Road Rollers – not far behind – caught up and followed after Sonic as he dashed off.

“Ivo...!” Motey rolled up, “What happened? You look terrible!”

“Bah, Sonic got away with the Emeralds,” Ivo said, “He ran on ahead, but there's no way we can catch up now.”

“Maybe we can,” Motey said, getting an idea.

“What do you mean?” Ivo asked.

---

Vrooom!

“Wheeeee!” Ivo cheered, riding atop Motey as she drove through the ruins, “Now this is the way to travel! Faster, Motey!”

“Pushing the throttle as fast as it'll go!” Motey said, “You're not exactly a light load, Doc! But I think we're catching up to them!”

There – ahead of them – Sonic was staring aghast at a pool of water, looking back and forth between it, his Chaos Emeralds, and back again.

“No way,” Sonic said, “It can't be in there...”

He peeked over the edge and – sure enough – deep below the water was another gigantic ring, like the one he'd entered before.

“Why'd it have to be water...” Sonic shivered, as Ivo and Motey rolled up, braking with a loud screech!

“There you are, you blue bonehead!” Ivo shouted, leaping off of Motey as he approached, “I'll be taking those Chaos Emeralds now!”

There was no time. The next Emerald was underwater, and to make matters worse, the scientist and his robot were here!

“Rrrr... You two go get it!” Sonic yelled, kicking two of his henchmen – Rocky the Seal and Pecky the Penguin – into the water, “I'm gonna get outta this dump! Later, losers!”

Sonic and the rest of his gang ran off, leaving Ivo face to face with the pair of goons he'd left behind.

“Blblblblbl...!” Rocky the Seal laughed merrily, waving a harpoon gun around, “Think you can beat us in the water, human? Pecky and I are natural-born swimmers!”

“Quite so, good man!” Pecky nodded, brandishing his own weapon, a sharp metallic trident, “I'm afraid we'll make short work of you if you're foolish enough to brave the murky depths! You'd best stand back and let us retrieve the Emerald, cad!”

The two semiaquatic stooges laughed, brazenly threatening Ivo with their weapons. It was true – in the water, they'd be fast enough to tear Ivo and Motey to shreds. Defeating them in a straight battle would be no small feat.

Ivo nonetheless yawned and reached into his case of supplies.

“Huh?” Motey asked, “What's that?”

Ivo pulled out a small electric generator, and flicked a switch, turning it on.

“W-wait!” The two Road Rollers' eyes widened in surprise.

Now live and coursing with electricity, Ivo casually dropped it into the water from above, sending a shock rippling across the entire pool.

BzzzAAaAAaaAP!!!

After a moment, the unconscious Rocky and Pecky floated face-down on the water's surface.

“Oh my god, Ivo!” Motey shouted, “Overkill much?”

“Eh, it was a low voltage! They'll be fine,” Ivo said, “...probably.”

Ivo and Motey looked down at the giant ring beneath the water.

“Sonic wanted them to go in there,” Ivo said, “My hypothesis is that the next Emerald must be located here. So I'm going in!”

“Are you sure?” Motey asked.

“Just wait for me here!” Ivo gave Motey a thumbs up, “Be right back!”

Ivo dove in to the cold water, and swam down – past various old statues and pillars, long lost to time - to the giant golden ring. As soon as he touched it, a blinding light surrounded him, and he suddenly found himself... somewhere else.

“Hoo boy...” Ivo groaned, getting acquainted with his strange surroundings – the rotating multicolored blocks, the morphing fish-birds in the sky, and the bumpers and rings haphazardly floating in mid-air, “I wanted the Chaos Emerald, not a graphic art student's nightmare. How the blazes do I get out of this place?”

Ivo made his way through the perplexing maze of physics-defying objects. He was tossed and bumped around so much that he was beginning to see stars... But there, ahead, was something else – the yellow Chaos Emerald!

“Aha! There you are!” Ivo shouted, “Now to just grab that Emerald and...”

Clang!

A bumper suddenly smacked into Ivo, knocking him aside.

“Eugh...” Ivo groaned, “I have to time my jumps just right here... Here goes!”

Ivo leapt... carefully and cautiously... past the bumpers and onto small rotating platforms, edging closer and closer to the Emerald. The only thing left in his way was an outer casing of breakable colored cubes. When Ivo touched one, it changed color – from blue to green.

“Hm...”

Curiously, Ivo touched the cube again, changing it from green to yellow. Again, and it changed yellow to red. And when he touched a red cube...

Poof!

It vanished from existence.

“So that's it!” Ivo nodded. The Emerald was surrounded by these cubes, but as long as he was careful, he'd be able to navigate his way through them. Using the bumpers to his advantage, Ivo leaped into the cubes, up to the bumpers, and back again, quickly ricocheting between them as he turned the cubes from blue to red to gone.

Finally, the Chaos Emerald lay before him!

“Yosh! I got a Chaos Emerald!” Ivo declared triumphantly, holding the yellow gemstone above his head like a trophy. The surreal zone around him faded away, and Ivo found himself back in Labyrinth Zone, where he swam back up to meet Motey – who was cautiously poking the unconscious Rocky and Pecky.

“Ivo!” Motey shouted, “Did you get it?”

“See for yourself, Motey!” Ivo laughed, holding out the yellow Chaos Emerald, “Now it's our one Emerald to the hedgehog's two! We'll be caught up in no time! Speaking of...”

Ivo and Motey looked at the yellow Chaos Emerald, which had begun faintly glowing.

“I think this little gem's going to tell us where the next one is!” Ivo said, “Come on! Let's follow that signal!”

“Right behind you, Doc!” Motey shouted, as the two of them headed for one of the sprawling Labyrinth Zone's many exits, toward the bouncy land of amusements, Spring Yard Zone. There, they would find the next Chaos Emerald – along with plenty more danger!

 

[charmsb]

Loving how Sonic 1 inspired this is - and the clever way you mirrored the whole turn-animals-into-robots thing. I await the next chapters!

[Dr. Mechano]

Chapter 5 - "Carnival Carnage"

Ivo and Motey head to the bouncy amusement park, Spring Yard Zone, where games, rides, and danger await! Can they retrieve the next Chaos Emerald?

AO3 link: Ivo the Genius - Chapter 5

Fanfiction.net link: Ivo the Genius Chapter 5

Spoiler

 

“And that's how we got one of the Chaos Emeralds!” Ivo said, holding his phone in front of him and Motey, so Sara could see the both of them on camera, “We'll have that hedgehog in no time!”

“Awesome, Ivo!” Sara cheered, “You're amazing! ...you and Motey... both are, I mean... heh heh. So! Where's the next Emerald, anyway?”

“See for yourself!” Motey said, carefully grabbing the camera with her metallic pincers – which she was really starting to get the hang of – and turned it to show off their surroundings. On the screen, Sara saw the glitzy, neon-lit amusement park, Spring Yard Zone. The place was full of tourists and families, happily jumping around on springs, pinball flippers, and other bouncy surfaces.

“Aw, man!” Sara said, “You guys are in Spring Yard Zone? That place is so much fun! Majorly jealous.”

“Yeah, Ivo, this place looks great!” Motey said, “I wanna try the bounce-pads!”

“Focus, Motey!” Ivo said, walking past the rides, ignoring the merch stalls, and even averting his eyes from the park's mascot, Springy the Springman. “I love a good carnival as much as the next brilliant scientist! But our one and only priority right now is tracking down Sonic and the Chaos Emeralds!”

“Aw, okay,” Motey said, rolling behind Ivo – and then she crashed into Ivo, who'd stopped suddenly. “...Ivo?”

Ivo stood there, his eyes transfixed on a carnival game, and – more importantly - a shelf full of prizes.

“...Hey, Sara,” Ivo spoke into his phone, “Apropos of nothing, who's your favorite Champion the Fighters character?”

“Huh?” Sara paused, “Syrup the Cat. Why?”

“No reason,” Ivo said, “Anyway, Motey and I need to get back to Emerald-hunting, but I'll call you back!”

“Kay!” Sara grinned, “Give 'em trouble, Ivo!”

Click. Ivo hung up, and approached the game booth.

“Hurray! Hurray! Hurray, folks!” a suited, hat-wearing weasel waved a cane with a showman's flair, trying to entice guests to his game, “Here's your chance to test your strength! Swing the hammer with all your might, and if ya manage to hit the bell, you'll win a prize! C'mon, c'mon, who's strong enough to win big tonight, folks?!”

“Ho ho!” Ivo laughed, “I'll play!”

“Ivo!” Motey said, “I thought we didn't have time for this...”

“Motey, look,” Ivo said, pointing to the prize stand, “They have collectible plushies from Champion the Fighters! Sara loves that game! I've gotta bring back a souvenir for her... aaaand all my other friends too of course, hohoho.”

Motey narrowed her eyes at Ivo skeptically, “...Right.”

“Ahh, a would-be strongman, eh?” the dapper weasel grinned, “Wes Weasely's the name! Games are my game!”

“Your game is... games?” Motey asked, “That's awfully tautological...”

“I don't know the meaning of the word!” Weasely said, eyeing Ivo's rings, “But I do know the meaning of cold-hard cash, and I'll happily take yours for a chance with the ol' hammer!”

“Deal!” Ivo said, paying the weasel. He took hold of the hammer, lifted it high above his head, and – with all his might – swung down to hit the high-striker's button.

“Ooh, tough luck, my good man!” Weasely said, as the puck went up just shy of hitting the bell, “But it looks like you're just not packin' enough punch! Of course, you're always welcome to try again for more rings! Heh heh heh...”

“Mmm... fine!” Ivo said, placing more rings in Weasely's gloved hand.

“Ah ha ha! Thank you, sir!” Weasely grinned, “Have at it!”

Ivo got a good running start this time, leaping into the air and slamming the mallet down onto the button, and... once again the puck stopped right before the bell, failing to ring it.

“What the...” Ivo knew he hit it harder that time. Why wasn't it hitting the bell?

“Oooh, too bad, palzy!” Weasely chuckled, “Better luck next time, eh?”

“Hmph, I'll give it one more shot,” Ivo said, taking out some more rings, “But first...”

Woosh!

“What?!” Weasely shouted as Ivo suddenly threw the metallic rings at the bottom of the high-striker – where they instantly stuck to the machine. “Er, uh... heh heh...”

“Whoa...” Motey was shocked, “I can't believe it! This carnival game is rigged!”

“Now I see...” Ivo said, “There's a magnet at the bottom of the machine. It pulls the metal puck back down, so that even if you hit it with all you've got, it won't make it all the way to the bell!”

“Hey, hey! Keep it down!” Weasely tried shushing Ivo, as more potential customers walked within earshot, “C'mon, heh heh... Ol' buddy, ol' pal, ol' chum... Surely we can reach an understanding, yes?”

 

---

 

“Wow!” Motey said, marveling at the big prize Ivo was carrying, “It was sure nice of that Weasely guy to let you have that doll you wanted... and to refund your rings... and to give you a bunch more rings on top of that!”

“Oh ho ho!” Ivo merrily laughed as he walked along with his prize – a plush of Syrup the Cat from Champion the Fighters, one of Sara's favorite video games. It'd make a nice gift once this adventure was over, “Yes. And he he even let me borrow that high-powered magnet from his no-longer-rigged machine! I'll definitely find a use for this!”

“That aside...” Motey said, looking at the yellow Emerald in Ivo's hand beginning to glow more rapidly, “We seem to be getting warmer!”

“Ah, we are!” Ivo exclaimed, “But so are they.”

Above them, Sonic and his gang were bouncing between springs, heading to a high point in Spring Yard Zone.

“Looks like you'll get to try the bounce-pads after all, Motey!” Ivo said, “The Emerald is likely above us!”

“Yaaaay!” Motey cheered, “Let's go!”

Ivo and Motey leaped onto a pair of springs, and bounced high into the air – closing the distance between them and Sonic.

“Ey, boss!” Ricky the Squirrel shouted as he and Sonic leapt through the sky, “Robotnik and his bug are right behind us!”

“Tch!” Sonic looked down at Ivo – still a few levels lower than he was, but beginning to make his way up, “Those slow-mos will never catch up with us! Ignore 'em and keep going!”

“Doc!” Motey cried out, as the two of them bounced up – spring after spring – getting an increasingly dizzying view of the park below, “They're already ahead of us! How can we possibly catch up to them?”

“Hmm...” Ivo thought for a moment, “These springs are simple machines... The more resistance they experience, the stronger they'll bounce back! That's it! Motey! Let's jump atop each spring at the same time, so our combined weight will trigger a stronger pushback!”

“Right!” Motey said. She waited for Ivo, and – on the count of three – the two of them leapt onto the next spring simultaneously. The spring lowered, creaking as it descended, and then – just as Ivo predicted – it sprung the two of them high into the air – clearing two stories in a single bound instead of the one they'd been clearing before.

“Wheeeee!” Motey shouted, as she and Ivo flew up at rocket-speed.

“Eureka!” Ivo shouted, “Come, Motey! We'll just double-bounce a few more times, and we'll overtake the hedgehog!”

“Uh... b-b-boss?” Ricky asked uncertainly.

“What is it?” Sonic asked, concentrating on bouncing up the side of Spring Yard Zone.

“Don't look now, but-”

Woosh!
“...I think Robotnik just, uh... passed us.”

“What?!” Sonic shouted, incredulously, looking up. There – zooming ahead of him in mid-air – he saw Ivo, grinning down at him and cockily waving as he reached a higher platform. “Rrrrr...”

“Oh ho ho! There it is, Motey!” Ivo shouted as he and Motey simultaneously bounced on the next spring, “The giant golden ring!”

“Great!” Motey said, “Now we just need to plan out which one of us will go into it and which one will stay here and-”

A bright flash lit the skies and then Ivo – and the ring – were gone.

“...deal with Sonic,” Motey sighed as Sonic and the Road Rollers bounced up right behind her, “Oh boy...”

 

---

 

Ivo once again found himself in the bizarre realm of the Chaos Emeralds. Colored breakable crystals, bumpers, rings, the works. But he felt a renewed confidence compared to the last time he was here.

“Eh, you've seen one psychedelic mindbending dimension, you've seen them all!” Ivo shrugged, “Now to find that Emerald!”

It didn't take long this time. Ivo leaped and dodged his way past the Special Zone's litany of obstacles, until there – on the horrifying horizon – floated the blue Chaos Emerald.

“Ah!” Ivo shouted, “There it is! Right there! But hm... This one's... more well-guarded than the last...”

Ivo looked on as this Chaos Emerald was orbited by fast-moving spiked balls. One touch and – well – he didn't want to think about it.

“Timing this will be difficult...” Ivo said, considering how to jump past the metallic spheres of death. Wait! Metallic spheres? “Oh ho ho! That's it!”

Ivo pulled out the magnet he'd confiscated from Wes Weasely, aiming it at the metal spiked balls. Instantly, they were pulled out of their orbit around the Chaos Emerald, and stuck to the magnet. In a matter of seconds, most of them were out of the way, clearing a path for Ivo to get the next Emerald.

“Once again, me being so attractive saves the day!” Ivo grinned at one of the nearby birds, who wordlessly transmuted into a fish and swam way.

“Tough crowd,” Ivo shrugged, snatching up the Blue Emerald, “But at least I've got this! Ooh ho ho ho ho-”

The Special Zone faded around Ivo, and he was back in Spring Yard Zone – where Sonic stood waiting. Motey was flipped over, her single wheel spinning in vain as she tried to right herself.

“...ho,” Ivo's laughter abruptly stopped. Well, this was a fine mess.

“The Emeralds, now,” Sonic demanded, “Or we squash your bug!”

“Dooooc!” Motey called out, “Sorry, they overwhelmed me!”

Sonic and two of his goons – Picky the Pig and Cucky the Chicken – were currently menacing Motey and laughing at her predicament.

“Nwee hee hee!” Picky squealed, “What's the matter, little ladybug? You stuck?”

“Ba-KAAAAW!” Cucky crowed, “Give us the Emeralds, or she gets it! RaaaAAAWK!”

“Heh!” Ivo laughed, “As if I'd hand the Emeralds over to you wretched rapscallions! But I will give you something else!”

The goons' eyes widened as Ivo pulled put one of the low-grade bombs he'd backed for his journey.

“Is that a... bomb?!” Motey asked.

“Pfft, you're bluffin',” Sonic laughed, “There's no way you'd blow up your own friend just to get me. You're too soft.”

Picky and Cucky both took a step to get out of Ivo's way, but Sonic shouted at them.

“Don't you dare move away from that robot!” Sonic demanded, pulling them back, “He's not gonna throw that bomb, you idiots! Stay put and guard his metal minion!”

“Alright, Motey...!” Ivo shouted as he activated the bomb, winded up the pitch, then threw it at Sonic and his crew, “Press the red button!”

“Oh, right!” Motey said, pressing her shield button. In an instant, the MOTO BUG's limbs, head, and wheel retracted into the protective shell – right before the bomb landed at the villains' feet.

“Ohhh nooooooOOOOO!!!” the two Road Rollers shouted. Sonic reflexively began to run off, but even his super speed wans't fast enough, as the bomb went off in a spectacular explosion, tossing them all off the high platform. The smoke cleared, and a fireworks display in the shape of Ivo's face illuminated the night sky.

Motey's shell spun in place from the explosive impact, but was otherwise unharmed. Quickly, Ivo rushed over and righted her – and then, re-extending her limbs and wheel, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“You okay, Motey?” Ivo asked.

“Never better!” Motey said, “Too bad we couldn't get Sonic's Emeralds back, but hey! At least we're two for two now!”

“Indeed we are!” Ivo said, proudly examining his pair of Chaos Emeralds, “Quickly! Let's follow their signal to the next one!”

“Right!” Motey said, before glancing down, suddenly feeling very dizzy, “Oh wow, I didn't realize how high up we were...”

“Tell me about it,” Ivo said, “Open bounce-pads, no guard rails, no safety nets... I do not envy the owners of this place. More like Lawsuit Zone, am I right?”

“Eh heh...” Motey laughed nervously, “Maybe save the jokes for when we're back on the ground.”

And so Ivo and Motey made their way – slowly and carefully – down from the floating platforms of Spring Yard Zone. With two Chaos Emeralds in tow, their next destination would test their minds as well as their strength, as the two heroes followed the gems' signal toward the puzzling ruins of Marble Zone.

 

[Dr. Mechano]

Chapter 6 - "Marveling at Marble Zone"

Ivo and Motey enter the Marble Zone, ancient ruins of South Island, and must solve puzzles in order to find the next Chaos Emerald!

AO3 link: Ivo the Genius - Chapter 6

Fanfiction.net link: Ivo the Genius Chapter 6

Spoiler

 

“Ah, the Marble Zone!” Ivo said, excitedly examining an ancient statue, “These are the ruins of South Island's oldest civilization! There's just so much history here! So many clues to the people who came before us!”

“Ooh,” Motey looked on curiously at one of Marble Zone's many crumbling pillars, “I wonder who my ancient ancestors were... They say birds evolved from dinosaurs, y'know!”

“I could study this place all day...” Ivo sighed wistfully, glancing down at the glowing Chaos Emeralds in his possession, “But we have a mission! Let's find that next Emerald before Sonic does!”

“Right!” Motey nodded, rolling along after Ivo, “Say... I haven't seen Sonic since Spring Yard Zone. Do you think he's nearby?”

“You can count on it,” Ivo said, following the Emeralds' signal, “That hedgehog won't rest until he has each and every Chaos Emerald. And with his penchant for destruction, we can't let that happen! Oh...! Could it be...?”

Ivo stopped at the entrance to an underground shrine. The Emeralds seemed to be guiding him here.

“Looks like we're going down,” Ivo said, “Be careful, Motey! We don't know what sorts of ancient traps might still be active after all this time!”

“You think so?” Motey asked, as she and Ivo descended the sloped walkway, heading deeper underground, “These ruins look old, Doc. Surely whatever the ancients built isn't still operation... al...”

Motey stopped, as – overlooking the room they stepped into – was a stone head with glowing eyes.

“INTRUDERS...” the stone face bellowed, “WHY HAVE YOU ENTERED THE FORBIDDEN DEPTHS OF THE MARBLE ZONE?”

“Whoa!” Ivo gasped, before clearing his throat and consciously deepening his own voice to match the face's, “Hear me, stone sentry! I am Dr. Ivo Robotnik, and this is my companion, Motey the Motobug! We are here to claim the Chaos Emerald that rests in these ruins!”

“Y-Yeah!” Motey said, hiding behind Ivo's leg.

“TO CLAIM THE GEM, YOU MUST SOLVE MY PUZZLES THREE...” the stone face said, “FOR I AM THE GUARDIAN OF THE MARBLE ZONE, LOZTIS MARBLES."

“Oho!” Ivo said, “I love puzzles! A chance to flex the ol' noggin sounds like a great time!”

“BUT IF YOU FAIL, THESE RUINS SHALL BE YOUR TOMB!” Loztis Marbles shouted as a heavy stone doorway slammed behind them, “ONLY BY HOLDING ALOFT THE EMERALD SHALL YOU ESCAPE!”

“...Okay. Less of a great time now, admittedly, but I'm still down, Loztis!” Ivo boasted, “There's not a puzzle in the world that my brilliant brain can't beat!”

“VERY WELL, HUMAN!” the stone face shouted, “MY FIRST PUZZLE... IS THE TRIAL OF THE TWO SEEEEENTRIES!”

Thick smoke filled the room, and when it cleared, Ivo and Motey were... somewhere else. Before them stood two doors, each guarded by an animated suit of ancient armor. Though the giant stone face of Loztis Marbles was no longer visible, his over-dramatic voice shouted from the ceiling.

“BEFORE YOU ARE TWO PATHS, AND TWO GUARDS!” the voice explained, “ONE PATH LEADS TO THE NEXT PUZZLE... AND THE OTHER LEADS TO AN INESCAPABLE PIT OF LAVAAAAAA!”

“Why- Why would build that,” Motey asked incredulously.

“YOU MAY ASK THE GUARDS FOR HELP... BUT BEWARE! ONE GUARD SPEAKS ONLY THE TRUTH... AND THE OTHER GUARD SPEAKS ONLY LIES!”

“Well, this shouldn't be too hard!” Ivo said, “With a thorough interrogation, I'm sure I can figure out which one's the liar!”

“OH RIGHT... ALSO, YOU CAN ONLY ASK THEM ONE QUESTION, SO ASK WISELY!”

“Hey!” Motey said, “You can't just add new rules!”

“SURE I CAN! I'M LOZTIS MARBLES! I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT, AND YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL I'M NOT DOING MOOOOORE!”

“Ugh, can you believe this guy, Ivo?” Motey asked.

“Not to worry, Motey!” Ivo said, “I can still solve this puzzle with a single question! You see, we can't simply ask which door leads to the next puzzle... because then both guards would point at two different doors – the correct one, and the incorrect one! But there's something else we can ask them, that's guaranteed to give us a clear answer!”

“Oh?” Motey asked, “What is it?”

“Guards! Tell me...” Ivo pointed at the two of them dramatically, “Which door would the other guard say is the right one?”

The guard on the left pointed the door on the right. And the guard on the right also pointed to the door on the right.

“...!” Motey gasped, “I get it now...!”

“Yes!” Ivo exclaimed, “The truthful guard would accurately say that the liar would point to the door that leads to lava. Meanwhile, the lying guard would lie and claim that the truth-telling guard would point to the lava door! Thus, the door we want to enter...”

“...is the one on the left!” Motey exclaimed, “The one neither guard pointed to!”

“Exactly! In your FACE, Loztis!” Ivo shouted, as he and Motey strolled through the door to their next puzzle, which led them to an empty room.

“FOOOOOLS! DO NOT BE OVERCONFIDENT, FOR YOUR NEXT PUZZLE... IS A RIDDLE!”

“Seems a little less flashy than the whole two-guards puzzle...” Motey said.

“SILENCE!” Loztis shouted, “AND HEED MY RIDDLE... NAME SOMETHING THAT YOU BREAK IN ORDER TO USE.”

'That's simple!” Ivo grinned, “An egg!”

“NOOOOOOOOO!” Loztis yelled.

“Oh no!” Motey shouted, “We got it wrong?”

“OH, UH... NO, NO,” Loztis explained, “I MEANT 'NOOOOOOOOO!' AS IN, 'CURSES, THEY GOT IT RIGHT!' BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO FAIL!”

“Oh!” Motey sighed in relief, “Hooray!”

“ONLY ONE PUZZLE REMAINS...”

Loztis said as the walls opened to reveal a pit of lava. Purple brick blocks floated atop the molten surface, and swinging metallic footholds swung from the ceiling. One the other side was a giant golden rings, where the next Chaos Emerald waited.

“YOU MUST CROSS THE LAVA! DEMONSTRATE YOUR AGILITY AND TIMING AND-”

“That's not a puzzle!” Ivo shouted, “That's a platforming challenge! Honestly, that egg riddle can only generously be called a 'puzzle,' while we're at it.”

“LOOK, I RAN OUT OF IDEAS,” Loztis growled angrily, “MAKE YOUR WAY ACROSS, IF YOU DAAAAARE!”

“Oh, we dare, alright!” Ivo said, pulling out the extending mechanical grabber arm he'd packed for this adventure, “And we'll do it the smart way!”

“Eep!” Motey gasped as Ivo grabbed her with the mechanical claw, and began extending her across the lava pit, bypassing all the platforms, “O-ooh, I see... J-just don't drop me, Doc!”

“THAT DEFEATS THE SPRIT OF THE PUUUUUUZLE!” Loztis cried.

“Tch, tch,” Ivo wagged a finger at the stone guardian, “You never specified a rule against using machines to bypass your challenges, now, did you?”

“I WOULD THINK IT WAS IMPLIIIIIIED! BUT VERY WELL, HUMAN. YOUR METALLIC COMPANION STILL MUST NAVIGATE HER WAY THROUGH... THE SPECIAL ZONE!”

At that moment, the extending arm guided Motey to the golden ring, where she was warped instantly to the strange dimension of the Chaos Emeralds.

“Whoa, trippy...” Motey said, taking in the bizarre sights, “Now, how do I find that Emerald?”

Motey drove along the rotating pathway with somewhat more coordination than Ivo had displayed when he was here. Since she was a bit faster, she could easily keep up with the pace of the spinning platforms and even drive alongside the walls for a bit. As strange as this place was, Motey had to admit, it was kind of fun getting to cut loose and speed through this floating obstacle course.

“Whoa!” Motey dodged a barrage of spiked balls as she continued on. Though the path she'd chosen was still a dangerous one, she was happier now. Adventuring with Ivo was different than working as one of Sonic's flunkies. She felt appreciated, and more importantly, like she was doing some good in the world.

For the first time in a long time, Motey was actually feeling pretty good about herself. There might be something to this whole hero thing.

“There you are!” Motey said, seeing the pink Chaos Emerald surrounded by a barrier of breakable crystals. “Let's see...”

Motey jumped up to one of the pinball bumpers and then pressed the red button, retracting her limbs into her shell. She was flung back and forth, breaking a crystal block with each successive impact, and crashing through the barrier in no time.

Dizzily, Motey returned to mobility and rolled over to the Emerald.

“I got it!” she said, holding it above herself, “Go me!”

The Special Zone faded away, and Ivo and Motey found themselves back on the surface of the Marble Zone.

“FAREWELL, ADVENTURES...” Loztis's voice echoed from beneath the ground, “EVEN THOUGH, IN MY OPINION, YOU STILL CHEEEEEEAAAAATED!”

“Don't be such a sore loser!” Ivo said, giving Motey a thumbs-up, “You did great in there! Now we have three Emeralds to Sonic's two! We're winning!”

“We really are...” Motey smiled, “Ready to go get the next one?”

“Soon, Motey,” Ivo grinned, taking out his case of supplies, “How about we take a moment and enjoy a nice lunch? Can't Emerald-hunt on an empty stomach, you know!”

“You brought food with you?” Motey asked.

“Of course!” Ivo said, taking out a frying pan and a few eggs, “Let me just set up a fire here and...”

“Uh, Doc?” Motey gently poked Ivo's leg, getting his attention, “How about we just use that?

The two of them glanced over at a pool of lava.

“Yes, that would generate enough heat! Good thinking, Motey!”

As the eggs cooked, Motey popped out of the MOTO BUG's hatch for a breath of fresh air. Though her broken wings still wouldn't allow her to fly, she could still walk, and took a seat by Ivo as she awaited lunch.

“You sure have a knack for inventing things...” she said, “Were you always super into tech stuff, or what?”

“Oh, not at all!” Ivo said, flipping the eggs over, “As a child, I actually didn't know what I wanted to do with my life! I'd dreamed of everything from toy-making to running an amusement park! ...Look, I was a kid, okay?”

“So what changed?” Motey asked.

“Against my parents' wishes, I learned about my grandfather...” Ivo reminisced, “Professor Gerald Robotnik. The man was the single greatest scientific mind of all time. He cured diseases! He created experimental lifeforms! He made contact with alien societies! He was a legend of scientific progress!”

“Oh, wow!” Motey said, “So did he teach you all you know, then?”

“No...” Ivo recalled, sadly, “I never got to meet my grandfather. He – along with my cousin Maria Robotnik – died in a tragic accident, years before I was even born. But he died doing what he loved: Science! And hearing about his brilliance inspired me to follow in his footsteps! So I began reading all I could! I started building experimental machines – most of them failures at first – but I was well on my way to following the path of my hero!”

“Wow...” Motey said, “Sounds like your grandpa really means a lot to you...”

“He does,” Ivo said, “I've been chasing the shadow of my grandfather for decades now. If I can live up to even a fraction of his greatness, then it will have all been worthwhile! ...But what about you, Motey? Surely someone as bold as you've proven yourself to be has some interesting inspiration of your own!”

“Heh... I guess I do have a hero...” Motey smirked at Ivo, the man who inspired her to abandon her criminal past, created her robot suit, and helped her realize her potential for good. “But I'll tell you about him some other time. Looks like lunch is ready!”

 

---

 

“Ahhh... lava-fried eggs truly are delectable!” Ivo said, quite enjoying his meal, “I shall have to consider setting up a volcanic lab in the future!”

“Heh, just for the cuisine?” Motey asked, “I guess there are worse reasons to choose a location...”

As the two of them laughed and talked over their meal, a creeping figure approached – and caught sight of the three Emeralds in Ivo's case. After all – his own two Emeralds guided him here.

“I knew lettin' them do the dirty work for me would be smarter than messin' around in these ruins, heh heh...”

In a flash, the blue blur zipped past Ivo's lava-side picnic and snatched up the three Chaos Emeralds in one blinding motion. Before Ivo or Motey could even blink, they were gone, and Sonic was standing atop a marble pillar, grinning down at them.

“S-Sonic!” Ivo called out, “...Oh no! The Emeralds!”

“Ya snooze, ya lose, egghead!” Sonic sneered, before catching sight of Motey next to him, “Waaait... you! Flicky?! What the heck are you doin' with this dweeb? You should be helpin' me find the next Emerald!”

“You left me behind, you... jerk!” Motey shouted, “That's all you ever did when I was part of the Road Rollers. Pushed me around... disregarded my ideas and my feelings... Well, I'm not the same ol' Flicky that you bullied, Sonic!”

She hopped into the MOTO BUG, and the mech whirred with life.

“I'm Motey, assistant to Dr. Ivo Robotnik – and a hero who's gonna take you down!”

“Snrrk...” Sonic smirked, before breaking into laughter, “Daaa ha ha ha! It all makes sense now... I knew that dumb robot seemed familiar! It was you, Flicky! Pfft... well, enjoy playin' for the losing team, 'cause now I've got five Emeralds to your zero!”

The five Emeralds in Sonic's possession glowed brightly, “And I'm about to have six! Outta here!”

The hedgehog leaped down from the pillar and ran off toward the checkered cliffs to the west.

“That's...” Motey started.

“Green Hill Zone,” Ivo nodded, “The most dangerous zone on South Island. We'll need to be on our guard... but we can't turn back now. Not when Sonic's got five Chaos Emeralds! Come on, let's go after him!”

“Right!”

As Sonic heads for the sixth Chaos Emeralds, our heroes are right behind him! Can they intercept Sonic and thwart his plans to harness the Emeralds for his evil purposes? What dangers await them in Green Hill Zone? Find out... in the next chapter of Ivo the Genius!

 

[charmsb]

Spoiler

“Green Hill Zone,” Ivo nodded, “The most dangerous zone on South Island

Lol, that's funny to think about. You're really getting as much potential as you can out of this being a flip flop AU, nice! I'm here for it.

Also, I loved Loztis.

[Dr. Mechano]

No new chapter yet, but I learned that AO3 allows stories to have illustrations!

So I've added images for each chapter so far, which you can also see in this thread. From now on, each chapter will also come with an illustration as well.

While my art's not super detailed, I mainly wanted to get across some basic visuals for the story. I'm not up to drawing a full-fledged comic, but I think this is a nice compromise.

[charmsb]

Woah! I'm loving these illustrations. I was thinking about doing the same for my story. They definitely add a ton of flavor, and they're cute and expressive to boot.

[Dr. Mechano]

Chapter 7 - "Sonic Showdown"

Ivo and Motey fight with Sonic over the last Chaos Emerald in Green Hill Zone. Who will emerge victorious?

AO3: Ivo the Genius - Chapter 7

Fanfiction.net: Ivo the Genius Chapter 7

Spoiler

 

Green Hill Zone.

Sonic's stomping grounds had seen better days. The orange and brown checkered cliffsides were crumbling and sprayed in graffiti. The beachside was covered in garbage; old broken-down item monitors, spikes, and other assorted junk littered the once-pristine sands. Billowing smoke was visible on the horizon, likely from a small wildfire.

“Sheesh, what a dump,” Ivo said.

“Y-Yeah...” Motey sighed, “It wasn't always this way... I grew up here, y'know. Used to be a beautiful little seaside village... But people started moving to the city, the economy dried up, and then the Road Rollers took over.”

“They certainly let this place go,” Ivo said, looking over the destructive wasteland, “And if Sonic gets his hands on all the Chaos Emeralds... Well, we can't let that happen!”

“Oh, it's gonna happen alright,” a squeaky voice taunted.

“Heh heh! Yeah! We'll make sure of it!” said another one.

Ivo and Motey glanced behind them, and there stood Sonic's goons, Ricky the Squirrel and Pocky the Rabbit.

“Bah, you guys again?” Ivo sighed, “Can't we just skip this part and go straight to your boss?”

“Rrr... Quit underestimatin' us, 'stache!” Ricky stepped forward, swinging around a long metal chain – which occasionally hit the ground with a loud 'clang.' “The boss is well on his way to gettin' the last Chaos Emerald!”

“Heh heh!” Pocky made a fist, showing off his shiny new brass knuckles, “Whether we win or lose, as long as we buy him a little time, his plans'll go off without a hitch! So prepare yourselves for a long, difficult battle as we- OWWW!”

“YOWCH!” Ricky shouted just as suddenly as Pocky had, dropping his weapon.

“Nice shot, Doc!” Motey said.

Ivo sighed, blowing a quick puff of air against the barrel of his laser blaster – which didn't make a lot of sense, as lasers don't smoke like guns do, so the good doctor looked rather silly.

“Where's Sonic?” Ivo asked sternly. Since Ivo didn't have any Chaos Emeralds on hand, thanks to Sonic stealing them all back in Marble Zone, he couldn't rely on their energy signal to find the next one.

“Eesh, c-calm down!” Ricky stammered, “Eugh, put that thing away! Sonic headed east!”

“Toward the green plateau!” Pocky nodded, “Bah! C'mon, Ricky! The boss doesn't pay us enough for this! Let's get outta here!”

The two crooks ran off, leaving their weapons behind. Ivo reached down and examined the brass knuckles and metallic chains.

“Hm,” Ivo pondered, “I guess this could be useful for parts. May as well take it with me. Anyway, what was that they were saying about the a green plateau?”

“It's deep in the middle of Green Hill Zone,” Motey said, “Full of steep cliffs, rocks, and unsteady terrain. Sonic's faster than us, but I know a shortcut. Maybe we can get there before him!”

“Right! Let's go!” Ivo said.

 

 

Motey led Ivo through an underground passageway. The caverns were partially flooded, so it made sense that Sonic – with his aversion to water – wouldn't have come this way. When they emerged on the other side, they were at the plateau the Road Rollers had told them about.

And there floated the giant golden ring.

“Motey, there it is!” Ivo shouted, running forward.

“Yeah!” Motey rolled along, “Hurry! Let's get to it before- AGGGH!”

Something smacked into Motey. Something fast.

“Mo-” before Ivo could say anything, the same high-speed force knocked him over.

“I dunno how you slow-mos got here before me,” Sonic said, confidently grinning down at his two foes, “But that Emerald is mine.”

“Sonic...” Ivo coughed. He'd caught him off-guard. But Ivo was just going to do the same thing he had with the hedgehog's minions earlier. Quickly, in one swift motion, he yanked old his laser blaster, and fired! “Take this!”

...and missed.

“Idiot.” Sonic sneered. Ivo looked up and saw Sonic above him. He'd jumped out of the way so quickly, he didn't even see the motion of him jumping. And now he was descending – right toward Ivo's face, where he landed with a crunch!

“Gaaah!”

“I-Ivo!” Motey called out.

“I'm faster than you by myself. But with five Emeralds? You couldn't hope to keep up with me!” Sonic said, strolling over to Motey, who stood between him and the giant ring, “ Of course, it's soon to be six Emeralds.”

“S-stay back!” Motey shouted.

“Out of my way, Flicky!” Sonic shouted, kicking Motey aside, “Pathetic, both of you. Heh heh... Anyway...”

“Eugh...” Ivo groaned, looking up to see Sonic standing before the giant ring.

“Don't go anywhere,” Sonic grinned, “I'll be right back.”

And in a flash, he was gone.

Ivo and Motey looked at each other worryingly. They knew that in mere moments, Sonic would emerge with six Chaos Emeralds.

“Motey...” Ivo said, readying his blaster, “Once Sonic reemerges, I'm gonna try giving him everything I've got. If you want to get away while you can-”

“Not a chance, Doc,” Motey said, readying her jabbing blades, “We've come this far together. Let's win this thing.”

Ivo smiled. “Right.”

A bright light enveloped the area, and Sonic once again stood where he had vanished before. Now six Chaos Emeralds were in his possession – and they began to swirl around him, orbiting him strangely.

“Whoa...” Sonic said, as crackles of loose energy began to resonate around his entire body, “I feel... really charged up.”

“Now!” Ivo shouted, firing his blaster rapidly.

“Aaaaaah!” Motey charged forward herself, swinging wildly at Sonic – but he wasn't there anymore...?

“No...!” Motey turned around. Already, Sonic was behind Ivo. He'd moved so quickly that she didn't even see it. “Ivo, look out!”

“Grah!”

Sonic smacked into Ivo, then leapt away. Now he was in a tree. Now he was leaping back toward Ivo and – smack! - knocked him down again, bouncing off toward a checkered cliffside. Back to Ivo with another high-speed impact, knocking him off balance. Ivo just couldn't keep up with him at all, and it seemed like every second, the hedgehog was back to deal even more damage as he tried in vain to track his movements.

If he didn't find a way to hit Sonic – and fast – he was done for.

“Come out and-” Smack! “- face me, you-” Smack! “-coward!” Ivo shouted, at this point firing his laser blaster off in random directions, having long given up on following Sonic with his eyes.

“Doc!” Motey shouted, before Sonic smashed into her as well, sending her flying into a nearby wall, before leaping up to another hillside.

“Oh man...” Sonic said, taking a moment to relish in his newfound power, “I really am unstoppable! With these Emeralds, I can do anything I want... I can make the world do anything I want... I'm the strongest!”

Sonic leaped from the checkered cliffside, using so much sheer force from his jump that it eroded the rocks, sending a bunch of checkered boulders tumbling down toward Ivo.

Though the heavy rocks rolled toward him quickly, they were much slower than Sonic was – and Ivo was able to sidestep them. Good thing, because these rocks were huge. If the rocks had been faster, though...

“Wait.”

Ivo thought for a second. These boulders. If they could be propelled quickly around the whole area...

“Augh!” Ivo's thoughts were interrupted as Sonic slammed into him again. There was no way that he could concentrate in this state. “Hey, Motey!”

“Y-Yeah, Doc?” Motey asked.

“Do you think you can distract Sonic for just a minute?” Ivo asked.

“You can count on me,” Motey nodded, before rolling away to put some distance between her and Ivo, “Hey! Sonic!”

Motey looked around nervously. She knew Ivo had been Sonic's main target so far. And those times Sonic had attacked her... well, that hurt. But...

“What do you want?” Sonic laughed, crashing down into Motey – who activated her shell shield just in time – and Sonic still managed to damage her. She shuddered to think how bad it would have been if she hadn't put up her defenses.

Motey had been pushed around by Sonic for too long already. As one of the Road Rollers, she let Sonic walk all over her. But now, she was finally standing up to him.

“I'm gonna beat you, Sonic the Hedgehog,” receding from her shell, Motey swung her scythes at Sonic, who of course dodged each swing effortlessly – but now his attention was fully on her, just as she'd planned. She just had to keep this up for a little longer.

“Heh heh!” Sonic gave Motey a dismissive kick, “You never were cut out for my gang. You were always too soft!”

“Ha... You're right...” Motey said, “I'm not cut out to work for you, Sonic...”

“Huh?” Sonic looked at her questioningly.

“I'm better than that,” Motey grinned.

“Rrr...” Sonic glared at her, “Time for me to remind you of how weak you are, Flicky.”

Motey glanced back at Ivo, who was giving her a thumbs-up. Whatever he was planning, he was ready now.

“Ha! You'll have to catch me first!” Motey said, racing off toward Ivo.

“Catch you?” Sonic asked, incredulous, “I'm Sonic the Hedgehog! I'm the fastest thing alive! Of course I can- What is that?”

In Ivo's hands was the one end of the long, metallic chain he'd taken from Ricky. Attached to the other end of that chain was one of Pocky's brass knuckles – which were firmly wedged into the checkered boulder, creating a makeshift flail from the gigantic rock.

“You may be faster than me... You're even faster than this weapon I've cobbled together,” Ivo shouted, as he put his back into spinning the huge boulder around him, “But if I sweep the whole area with something this massive, not even you can dodge it!”

“What?!” Sonic grimaced, running as fast as he could – his legs turning into a colored blur as he tried to outrun the gargantuan boulder that was quickly circling around the entire arena.

“Take this!” Ivo yelled, “CHECKER... WRECKER!!!”

“No way!” If Sonic could just get a little further, he could get toward the center and out of its range-

CRASH!

Sonic fell – and the six Chaos Emeralds, along with a bunch of rings, tumbled out of his grasp.

“N-no...” Sonic gasped, trying to reach for one of the Emeralds, “My power...”

“Not anymore,” Ivo grinned, wagging his finger at the defeated hedgehog. He picked up the Chaos Emeralds, noting to himself that he'd have to make sure the gems were put to proper use, where no one like Sonic could get misuse them again.

“Motey,” Ivo smiled, taking a sigh a relief, “How are you holding up?”

“A little scuffed up,” Motey said, “But it's nothing you can't fix once we get back to the lab.”

“Alright then!” Ivo said, “Motey, let's go home!”

Ivo and Motey set out. It would be a long walk back to Scrap Brain Zone, so the two adventures would have plenty of time to talk and reminisce about their journey. Of course, they'd have to let Sara know about their victory as well.

But that would come later.

For now, Dr. Ivo Robotnik had won.

 

Epilogue - "The Chaos Continues..."

With Ivo's adventure on South Island over, he gets some much-needed rest. But it looks like his travels may only be beginning...

AO3: Ivo the Genius - Epilogue

Fanfiction.net: Ivo the Genius Epilogue

Spoiler

 

Scrap Brain Zone.

“I'm gonna get you!”

“Ooh ho ho! Not if I... counter!”

BOOM!

“THIS GAME'S WINNER IS... MACHINE KING!”

“Aww man!” Sara pouted, mashing buttons on her controller in frustration, “You beat me again!”

“Ohoho! I did, didn't I?” Ivo grinned proudly, “But hey, you are getting better. You actually got my health halfway down that time!”

“Hmph,” Sara smirked playfully, “Let's do one more.”

Motey smiled, watching the two play their fighting game. Things had cooled down in the two weeks since she and Ivo had defeated Sonic and recovered the Chaos Emeralds. Ivo had secured the gems in a high-powered vault in his lab, and had even stopped by Star Light Zone to re-repair the damages caused by Sonic and his gang. Since then, Sara and Ivo had started hanging out more – and she'd become a frequent guest at Scrap Brain Zone.

“Hey, Doc,” Motey said, passively watching the match between the two of them, “You haven't heard from Sonic in the past couple of weeks, have you?”

“Not a word,” Ivo said, mashing buttons on the controller, “I take it the hedgehog ran off in shame after we knocked the sense out of him!”

“You two really are something...” Sara smiled. It was true. Since Ivo and Motey beat Sonic, South Island had started to return to normal.

“Aaaand... GOTCHA!” Sara cheered.

“THIS GAME'S WINNER IS... SYRUP THE CAT!”

“Wow,” Ivo blinked. “Fast learner, huh?”

Suddenly, a faint ringing noise sounded, muffled in the distance.

“What's that?” Motey asked.

“It sounded like it came from...” Ivo paused, “It couldn't be...”

Ivo took the six Chaos Emeralds out of their containment unit. They were all glowing faintly, and had rolled aside so that their pointed undersides faced westward.

“What does that mean?” Sara asked, confused.

“I'd like to know that myself,” Ivo said, “I thought there were only six Chaos Emeralds, but... they seem to be detecting another one. But west of here is the ocean! Unless they're pointing to...”

“Westside Island!” Sara said. “Do you think there's another Emerald there?”

“Hm, could be...” Ivo said, “Motey, looks like we might have another adventure in store for us.”

“Alright!” Motey said, “You can definitely count on me to help you get that next Emerald!”

“You know,” Sara said, “I actually have a diplomatic meeting on Westside Island in a few days, with the mayor of Metropolis Zone. Why don't we all just go together?”

A trip to Westside Island with Sara, huh? Now that sounded like a fun time.

Ivo grinned.

“Oh ho ho! Sounds like a plan! Next stop... Westside Island!”

 

End of IVO THE GENIUS

 

To be continued in IVO THE GENIUS 2...

 

[charmsb]

Awesome! I really think the highlight of this story is how you remix a bunch of ideas from Sonic 1 into this AU. It isn't just Eggman good and Sonic bad... The animal friends are the animal gangsters, Scrap Brain is a lovely high-tech laboratory, Green Hill Zone is a trashed dump, etc. That's what really drew me in. Super creative story and I can't wait to see how you adapt Sonic 2!

Also I really love seeing Sonic in his favorite clothes.

[Dr. Mechano]

Same AU, new story! It's time for Ivo the Genius 2!

 

Dr. Ivo Robotnik is a hero who's beaten the villainous Sonic, retrieved the six Chaos Emeralds, and saved South Island!

Now Ivo heads to Westside Island to find the seventh and final Chaos Emerald! Accompanied by his friends Motey and Sara, along with a crew of his own robots, the doctor plans to use the Emeralds to launch his new invention, the "Life Egg" - a space satellite designed to control the climate and prevent natural disasters.

But the evil Sonic won't stay down for long. He's back for revenge, and soon meets a young mechanical prodigy named Miles Prower, who's just what Sonic needs for his new scheme. Can Ivo defeat Sonic yet again? Will he successfully launch the Life Egg? Find out in... IVO THE GENIUS 2!

Chapter 1 - "Aboard the Wing Fortress"

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33347908/chapters/82818412

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13941497/1/Ivo-the-Genius-2-The-Life-Egg

Spoiler

“Excellent! According to my readings, Westside Island is only an hour away!”

Dr. Ivo Robotnik looked over the bridge of his airship, the Wing Fortress. The proud vessel steadily floated to its destination, kept airborne by a series of high-powered propellers. Below the airship was miles of ocean as far as the eye could see. 

“And then…” Ivo said, turning around, “I can finally deal with these.”

Before Ivo - stored in a secure glass case - were six of the Chaos Emeralds, gems capable of producing incredible power. Mere weeks ago, he had embarked on an adventure across South Island and battled the notorious criminal Sonic the Hedgehog to retrieve them. Now he was headed for Westside Island, where - according to the signal emanating from the mystical gems - another Chaos Emerald awaited.

As he stood there, Ivo grinned at his own mustached reflection in the glass case. 

“Oh ho! Now that’s one handsome scientist!”

He struck a confident pose. And then another. Each pose was punctuated by a jovial “Ho ho!” He kept this up until - after a few moments - a small voice surprised him.

“Uh… Doc?”

Ivo turned suddenly. In the doorway was a small ladybug robot - or rather, a small ladybug mech piloted by a bird who had injured her wings.

“...Ah! Greetings, Motey!” Ivo said, clearing his throat dramatically. He and the little bird had been through a lot together, ever since he built her mech suit and hired her as his lab assistant. With one adventure under their belts, Ivo knew he could depend on Motey to have his back in the future. “What can I do for you?”

“Weeeell…” Motey hesitated, eying the airship’s steering wheel and control panel, “I was wondering if I could have a turn flying the Wing Fortress?”

“Hm?” Ivo shrugged, “It’ll be nothing but flying in a straight line for the next hour. Sure you won’t be too bored?”

“Eh, I just wanna fly, y’know?” Motey said wistfully, “...even if it’s just steering an airship.”

Oh. Ivo nodded. That made sense.

“Alright then, Captain Motey…” Ivo grinned, placing Motey in the pilot’s seat, “I could use a moment to stretch the old legs anyway! I’ll be checking up on the Budniks - as well as Sara - so let me know if you need me!”

“Heehee!” Motey used her mech’s pincer-like arms to grip the steering wheel, as she began guiding the Wing Fortress onward, “Aye aye, Doc! See ya!”

Ivo bowed and waltzed out the door, onto the deck of the Wing Fortress. The fresh sea air wafted into his bulbous, pink nose, and he let out a refreshed sigh - before being cut off by the sound of bickering nearby.

“It’s my turn!”

“Nuh uh! Dr. Robotnik left me in charge!”

Ivo groaned and turned to the Wing Fortress’s rotating cannon - a simple defense in case they ran into trouble along the way - and saw two of his Budniks fighting over it.

“I was built to man the turrets, Grounder!” a lanky rooster robot squawked boastfully, “You’re a ground unit! It’s even in your name! Bwa-HA-ha-HAAAA!”

“No way, Scratch!” the other robot, a stout mole-like machine with drills for hands that rolled about on tank treads, shouted indignantly, “You know I have a flight mode too!”

Grounder retracted his treads and replaced them with helicopter blades, hovering up to meet Scratch at eye level, “See?”

“Bah!” Scratch waved him off dismissively, “All the more reason for me to be in charge of the cannon! You’ve got enough gadgets already!”

“Do not!”

“Do too!”

“Enough, you two!” Ivo shouted, “What are you even fighting for? There’s nobody around for miles, much less anyone attacking the Wing Fortress!”

Grounder grinned, “You can never be too-”

“-never be too prepared, Doctor!” Scratch said, shoving Grounder out of the way.

“Come on, now,” Ivo said, gesturing to the deck, which a robotic monkey was dutifully swabbing, “Look at Coconuts! He’s found a way to be productive that doesn’t involve squabbling with his chrome-plated coworkers!”

“Huh?” Coconuts looked up from his mop, grinning, “Is that the sound of me bein’ praised for doing a good job? Hahaha! Yeah! Yeah! Looks like I’m Dr. Robotnik’s favorite robot! Me! Me!”

“Now, now, Coconuts…” Ivo said, “Every Budnik is an invaluable member of my crew! But to keep the Wing Fortress in ship-shape, I need you three getting along, okay?”

“Yes, Dr. Robotnik,” the Budniks nodded. Though they could be competitive, the three of them did genuinely care for each other.

“By the way,” Ivo said, “Where’s our guest?”

“Ya mean Sara?” Coconuts asked, “Last I saw her, she was relaxin’ at the end of the deck. Hey! Doc, where ya goin’?”

Ivo was already eagerly striding away from the three robots, making his way toward the deck chairs where Sara was lounging. Sara, the mayor of Star Light Zone, was the only person on the Wing Fortress who wasn’t in Ivo’s employ. The two of them had formed a friendship over the course of Ivo’s previous adventure on South Island, and - ever since Sonic’s defeat at Ivo’s hands - had begun spending a lot of time together.

“Oh, hey Ivo!” Sara smiled, lifting a pair of sunglasses to get a better look at Ivo, resting them on her… hat? Though she was human, the woman seemed to always wear a dual-pointed hat atop her head that resembled cat ears. “Taking a break from that stuffy control room to join me out here?”

“Heh heh, I thought I’d give Motey a turn at the wheel,” Ivo said, taking a seat in the spare deck chair - which creaked under his weight, “Been enjoying your flight so far, Sara?”

“You kidding?” Sara asked, “This airship’s amazing! I can’t believe you built this thing yourself.”

“Ohoho, well…” Ivo chortled. He always enjoyed being praised for his mechanical expertise. “I guess it’s a little amazing. But what about you? All ready for your big meeting?”

“Mm, I think so,” Sara said, “As the mayor of Star Light Zone, I’ll be representing all of South Island. Meeting the mayor of Metropolis Zone is a big deal, and if we work out a trade agreement between our two cities, it’d really improve the lives of everyone on both islands so much.”

“You’ve got this,” Ivo gave Sara a thumbs up. Though she had a playful - sometimes flippant - demeanor, Sara really took her duties as mayor seriously. It was something Ivo had always really admired about her - she truly cared for the people of her city, and was always working hard to do whatever she could for them.

“Although,” Ivo added, “If the meeting does go south, just do what I’d do if I was mayor: Laugh in the other mayor’s face and then fight him!”

“Pfft,” Sara chuckled, “I’m sure you would’ve had a promising political career if you hadn’t gotten into science. Speaking of… You and Motey are looking for the seventh Chaos Emerald, right?”

“Indeed!” Ivo said, “I wasn’t sure how many Chaos Emeralds existed initially… But I’m fairly confident that there are only seven - the six I have, and the one somewhere on Westside Island.”

“So what’ll you do once you get them all?” Sara asked.

“Ahh, I suppose I can show you what I’ve been working on…” Ivo said, “Come with me!”

---

Deep in the cargo bay of the Wing Fortress, Ivo and Sara stood before… something, obscured by a huge vinyl tarp. It took up over half the storage bay, whatever it was. Ivo grinned in anticipation as they approached the mysterious object.

“After Motey and I defeated that wretched rapscallion, Sonic the Hedgehog…” Ivo said, prancing up a wheeled movable staircase next to the covered object, “...I knew that the Chaos Emeralds would simply be too dangerous to leave sitting around. What if Sonic, or some other villain, gets their filthy mitts on them? So, for the past several weeks, I - with Motey’s assistance - have been constructing this!”

With a flourish, Ivo yanked the tarp up and out of the way - an impressive feat for how much of it there was - and revealed what was underneath. An immense metallic grey sphere, bearing the image of Ivo’s own grinning face.

“Whoa!” Sara shouted, before tilting her head questioningly, “Uh… what is it?”

“This… is the Life Egg,” Ivo said proudly, “An orbital space satellite that - if given the infinite energy of the Chaos Emeralds - will have the power to adjust the planet’s climate, prevent natural disasters, and clean space junk in the atmosphere. Best of all? Once I launch it, the Chaos Emeralds will be up in space, where nobody can ever get them - or misuse them for evil - ever again!”

“That’s…” Sara blinked, “...incredible. Geez, Ivo. I knew you were smart, but I had no idea you could make anything on this level. If what you’re saying is true… it could usher in a new age of prosperity for the entire world! ...You really are amazing, Ivo.”

“Heh heh…” Ivo laughed softly, his face turning a light red.

Ding-Doooooong! 

The ship’s PA system crackled to life, and Motey’s chipper little voice blasted through the speakers.

“This is Captain Motey speaking,” she said, as Ivo grinned and rolled his eyes, “...Land ho, everybody! We’ll be docking in Metropolis Zone within minutes, so prepare to disembark!”

“Whoohoo!” Sara cheered, “Alright then, Ivo! Best of luck to both of us!”

“Heh!” Ivo grinned, extending his hand, “You got it!”

The two high-fived, and made their way to the deck. Next stop, Metropolis Zone!

---

Miles behind the Wing Fortress, a single red biplane flew over the ocean.

Its pilot - and lone occupant - made sure to stay just out of range, so the massive airship’s radar wouldn’t pick him up.

“Enjoy your little ‘vacation’ while you can, Eggman… ‘Cause this time, those Chaos Emeralds’ll be all mine!”

 

[charmsb]

I MISSED THIS! Wow, this is great. I'm especially in love with the decision to include Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts... even if it might just end up being a little cameo. I was already like, "wait... is that Scratch and Grounder?" before you described them, so props on the excellent writing there.

Anyways, hyped to see how Tails is in this.

[Dr. Mechano]

Ivo the Genius 2: The Life Egg

Chapter 2 - "Meeting in Metropolis Zone!"

AO3

Fanfiction.net

Ivo tracks down the Chaos Emerald in Metropolis Zone. Meanwhile, his nemesis Sonic finds an unlikely new ally.

 

Spoiler

"Ah, Metropolis Zone! What a pinnacle of engineering!"

Ivo marvelled at the sprawling city as the Wing Fortress docked. Metropolis Zone was - in contrast to Star Light Zone - much more industrialized. Beneath the towering skyscrapers, a network of clockwork gears turned, operating the city's heavy-duty mining machinery.

"What are all those machines for?" Motey asked curiously, gazing down from the airship's observation deck.

"Metropolis Zone's built over a massive molten forge," Sara explained, "So its primary industry is metal production. The city processes and exports tons of steel each year."

"So that's why this place smells like a garage," Motey said.

"My kind of town!" Ivo said, picking up his trusty toolbox - containing tools, of course, but also the six Chaos Emeralds, "Once our mission is over, I could see myself spending some time here! Just look at all the production!The performance! The progress!"

"...the pollution." Motey added skeptically.

"Which will be of no concern, once I launch the Life Egg!" Ivo boasted, "It's going to make the atmosphere as clean as the top of my brilliant, shining noggin!"

"Yeesh," Motey coughed, "I sure hope so! Well, are we all ready to disembark?"

"Yep! Let's go!" Sara said, starting down the gangplank.

"Dr. Robotnik, wait for us!"

"Eh?" Ivo turned around to see Scratch, Grounder, and Coconuts rushing up to him.

"Can we go to the city too?" Scratch asked.

"Yeah! Just look at this neat place!" Grounder added.

"C'mon, Doc!" Coconuts said, "Ya can't make us do boring guard duty on the Wing Fortress! C'mooon!"

Ivo pondered for a moment. Would it be alright to leave the Wing Fortress unattended? He was carrying the Chaos Emeralds, and only he had the airship's launch codes.

"Oh, alright," Ivo grinned, "Budniks, you're all on shore leave! Go enjoy Metropolis Zone to your metallic hearts' content!"

"Alright!" the Budniks cheered, running ahead of Ivo to explore the city.

"Well, then," Ivo turned to Sara and Motey, "Shall we go?"

Ivo, Motey, and Sara made their way down the city streets - mostly crowded with hardhat-wearing factory workers and industrial robots. The steady whirr of machinery droned in the background. Ivo found it relaxing.

"Ahh, I'm beginning to get attached to this place!" the doctor grinned widely, taking in the sights and sounds and smells of city life. "I've never been here before, but something about it just feels like home, you know?"

"Scrap Brain's a lot quieter than this…" Motey sighed, "Well. At least when you aren't blowing things up, Doc."

"Hey!" Ivo protested, "That only happened once… in the last week."

"Did the six Emeralds have some kind of crazy reaction to each other or something?" Sara asked.

"Er… no," Ivo cleared his throat, "I was making breakfast, and got a bit distracted trying to overclock the egg timer."

"The Budniks really had to scramble to put out that fire," Motey added dryly.

"Guess you ended up in…" Sara grinned and narrowed her eyes, "...snrrk, an omelot of trouble?"

"Oh, har har," Ivo laughed and crossed his arms in feigned offense, "Yes, let's all clown on the brilliant and handsome genius. Ho ho, but once my Life Egg changes the world, I'll be the one who laughs! I'll go down in history as the greatest scientific mind who ever lived! ...and y'know, save the planet and stuff."

"So what're we waiting for, Doc?" Motey spun on her wheel excitedly, "Where's that last Emerald?"

Ivo opened the case containing the six Chaos Emeralds, which were pointing toward westward.

"Aha, this way!" Ivo said, "And judging by the increased frequency of the Emeralds' pulses, we're getting close!"

"Guess this is where we split up," Sara said, stopping at the intersection, "At least for now. Metropolis City Hall's that way."

She pointed up the eastern street, to a fancy office built into the side of a cliff. It looked a lot cleaner, newer, and less, well… rustic than the rest of the factory town.

"I'll go handle my talks with the mayor, and catch up to you guys later," Sara said, waving them off, "Good luck, you two!"

"You too, Sara!" Ivo grinned, "Knock 'em dead!"

"See ya, Sara!" Motey waved.

And with that, they were off. Ivo and Motey headed toward the seventh Chaos Emerald, and Sara headed toward city hall.

But nearby, someone else was arriving at their own destination.

---

Sonic the Hedgehog had experienced utter defeat for the first time in his life.

For years, he'd gotten whatever he wanted. Using his speed, strength, and sheer force of personality, the hedgehog never lost. Not at anything. And then - when he was on the precipice of attaining ultimate power - some overweight scientist and a little bird somehow managed to stop him.

Now he'd lost everything. The Chaos Emeralds were gone. His gang, the Road Rollers, had disbanded - with some members sent to the hospital, and others simply running away. Even his confidence had been shaken by his loss at Ivo Robotnik's hands. Once a proud and powerful gang leader, Sonic was now completely on his own.

"Tch. Let's see what you've been up to, Egghead."

Sonic pulled his red biplane in for a landing, next to the Wing Fortress. It certainly looked abandoned. He knew he'd seen Ivo and his friends leave the ship, but couldn't be totally sure if there were any robots on board. No matter; It wasn't as though a few tinheads would be a match for him.

The deck, at least, was empty. Sonic walked along it cautiously, making a mental note of the Wing Fortress's artillery cannon. A blast from that thing could do some serious damage, so it was a good thing he tailed the ship from a distance.

"Surely that's not all you're workin' on," Sonic muttered, heading down into the cargo bay, "Let's see if the good doctor was dumb enough to leave the Chaos Emeralds on board…"

Sonic snickered to himself as he descended the metallic steps into the ship's hold. When suddenly…

Clang!

The distinct sound of a metal object falling pierced the otherwise silent room, echoing off the walls.

Sonic wasn't alone.

Immediately, the hedgehog leapt into a fighting stance and began to survey his surroundings.

"Who's there?!" he called out, "You'd better stay outta my way, or-"

Out of the corner of Sonic's eyes, he saw a shape. Moving. Running. Fleeing behind a supply crate. He could barely make it out, but it looked like it was yellowish orange. Was it a robot? No… It looked… fluffy? It was alive.

Was it Robotnik? No… It looked much smaller than that big blowhard, Sonic thought. Then who…?

"Heh heh…" Sonic grinned, feeling a bit more sure of himself since - whatever it was - it was trying to get away from him. He began walking slowly - casually even - toward the creature's hiding spot, "Well, well, well… What do we have here?"

---

"Ah, Mayor Sara of Star Light Zone!" an elderly chipmunk extended a hand in greeting. He was dressed in an ostentatious blue robe, with bright yellow shoulderpads, and sported a rather distinguished mustache. "Good of you to come, old sport! I am Nigel Maximillian, the mayor of Metropolis Zone! I do so look forward to our cities cooperating in the future!"

"Ah, the pleasure's all mine, Mayor Maximillian," Sara said, shaking the chipmunk's gloved hand before taking a seat at the ornate desk in his office. Despite her usually bubbly personality, Sara knew when to reel it in for the serious duties of her position, and was working extra hard to carry herself with grace and formality. "I think that promoting trade between Star Light and Metropolis ought to strengthen both our islands quite a bit."

"Mmyes, I should hope so…" Maximillian said, gazing out a window, down to the bustling streets of Metropolis. "Metropolis Zone is a proud factory town, Miss Sara. Most of its population are workers. But lately, I've noticed a sense of unease in my city."

"Unease?" Sara questioned, "What do you mean?"

The chipmunk turned to Sara, uncertainly. "There've been a string of high-profile thefts precious metals, industrial equipment, that sort of thing. I think investors are a bit - shall we say - on edge about putting their money into Metropolis Zone, for fear that they won't see a return investment."

"I see," Sara said, "Star Light Zone dealt with a recent crime wave of its own."

"Precisely, my dear!" Maximilian exclaimed, "Don't think news of the Road Rollers' disbanding hasn't reached old Westside! Somehow, you put an end to that Sonic chap's looting and larceny! Sara… One mayor to another, how did you manage to clean up your city?"

"Well…" Sara's face turned a slight shade of red. Despite her best efforts, neither she nor the Star Light Zone police had really put a dent in Sonic's criminal operations. It wasn't until Ivo and Motey took Sonic on that his gang was shuttered. "...to be honest, it didn't have much to do with me. A local hero stood up to Sonic and chased him off."

"Mm, quite understandable…" Maximilian sighed, "As politicians, we can't exactly be heroes ourselves, can we?"

"No, I…" Sara frowned, "...I guess not."

---

"Oho! Motey, look!" Ivo gestured to the six Emeralds, which were flashing rapidly, "The seventh Emerald, it's… here!"

"Here?" Motey looked up.

They were standing right in front of a fancy jewelry store. The building looked almost out of place among the far more industrial architecture surrounding it, with its fancy exterior and regal columns flanking the entrance. Above it was a sign reading "Jim's Gems."

"This Jim fellow must have found the Chaos Emerald, and is now selling it as a common trinket!" Ivo laughed, as he and Motey strolled through the store's front door, "Now to find that Emerald…"

"Ah, welcome!" A suited man bowed, "I am Jim, owner of this fine establishment! Please, make yourselves at home and let me know which of our precious gemstones you'd like to make your own today!"

"Ho ho! Will do, Jimmy!" Ivo grinned down at Motey, "What luck! This time there'll be no fights! No puzzles! No irritating special zones to navigate through! We'll just purchase the Emerald and be on our way!"

"Uh, yeah, Doc…" Motey rolled along, "Only one problem…"

She pointed to the display case in the middle of the store. Behind reinforced glass was the seventh Chaos Emerald, and underneath it was a placard displaying its price.

"F-f-fifty million rings?!" Ivo balked, "Hey, Jim! I don't have that kind of money!"

"Hmmm?" Jim raised an eyebrow, "Then I'm afraid you'll have to find something more to your… budget, sir."

Jim gestured toward a case of dinky little gems. Far less impressive, and - more importantly - far less powerful than the Chaos Emerald!

"Why, you…!" Ivo snarled.

"What're we gonna do, Doc?" Motey asked, "There's no way we can get enough rings to pay for that Emerald…"

"You're so right, Motey!" Ivo grinned, reaching into his toolbox. He pulled out a rather massive wrench, and tapped it against his palm menacingly, "So we'll just have to persuade Jim to let us have it!"

"Uh… D-Doc?" Motey's eyes widened in surprise.

Just what did Ivo have in mind?

---

Sonic knew someone was behind that crate in the Wing Fortress's cargo bay. He just didn't know who, or why they were there. No matter. He approached the corner of the supply crate, and then - in a sudden single burst of speed - leaped to the other side!

"Ha! There you are, you little-" Sonic shouted, before suddenly being hit by a blast of electrical energy, "Brbrbrbbrbrbr!"

"Wh-what the…" Sonic gasped, gaining his composure as occasional little aftershocks occasionally jolted through his body, "Why, you little..."

Sonic finally got a good look at the person who just blasted him. It was… or rather, he was a small fox, covered in various bits of scrap metal and gadgetry. He had a bulky toolbelt, various metal fixtures on his legs and ears, and a cannon - likely the one he'd just been shot by - appended to his arm.

"...I dunno what you are, but nobody hits me and gets away!" Sonic shouted, before curling into a ball and shooting himself toward the young fox, slamming into him and knocking him over.

"Waaah!" the fox cried out, aiming his hand-cannon at Sonic once more. But this time, Sonic was ready, grabbing the cannon and holding the fox's arm down so that he couldn't fire on him. "Rrr…! Lemme go!"

"What the heck is all this junk?" Sonic asked, marveling at the gadgetry the fox was decked out with, "You one of Robotnik's nerdy lackeys or somethin'?"

"I don't know what you're… rrrr, talking about!" the fox struggled, finally freeing himself by using the jet-booster on his mechanical boot to blast himself out of Sonic's grasp.

Sonic made a grab for him, but the fox leaped out of the way, and… didn't come down?

"Huh?" Sonic looked up. The fox was… flying. Not with a jetpack or any kind of machine either. Sonic rubbed his eyes just to make sure he wasn't seeing things. But there it was. The fox was flying in mid-air by spinning his tails - which Sonic just realized, he had two of - like a helicopter.

"What in the world…" Sonic asked, stunned so much by the sight of the two-tailed fox that he'd momentarily stopped trying to fight the creature.

"I…" the fox floated there briefly. "Look, I'm sorry I shot you. I just… I got scared and… If this is your ship, I'll get out of here, okay?"

"Whoa, whoa, hold on there…" Sonic said. He thought for a moment. This fox… this kid obviously wasn't in league with Robotnik, since he thought the ship belonged to Sonic. What's more, Sonic had to admit, the mechanical devices he was using did seem pretty impressive. Maybe even impressive enough to give him an edge against that irritating scientist. "Heh heh, I think we got off on the wrong foot, buddy…"

"I'm Sonic! Sonic the Hedgehog!" Sonic said in the friendliest tone he could muster. Though he hated to admit it to himself, he knew that the reason his gang ran off was due to their extremely low morale. If he was going to recruit a new ally to help him get what he wanted, he'd have to get on his good side, "Heh! Sorry for sneakin' up on ya there! Gotta say, all that mechanical stuff you've got there's pretty cool!"

"Y-you…" The fox blinked, and then landed on the ground, walking up to Sonic cautiously, "You actually think my inventions are… cool?"

"What?" Sonic smirked, "Course I do! Who wouldn't?"

"...Most of the other kids on Westside Island," the fox grumbled, "Nobody's ever really… um… liked my inventions before. Or me, really. People always make fun of me because I've got two tails."

The fox gestured to the tails in question timidly. Sonic grinned. So the fox was friendless, lacked confidence, and seemed desperate for approval. Perfect.

"So I just kinda pass the time by makin' stuff! ...But I don't exactly have a lot of money, so I've kinda got to… hee hee… borrow the parts to make my inventions?"

"Heh, easy, pal," Sonic said, hoping he sounded reassuring, "I'm not gonna squeal on you to the cops. Truth is, I'm a thief myself! No wonder we already get along! You got a name, kid?"

"Um…" the fox smiled shy, "It's Miles. Miles Prower."

"Well, Miles," Sonic smiled, "Whaddya say we teach those bullies of yours a lesson?"

"What do you mean?" Tails asked, curiously.

"Heh heh…" Sonic grinned, "You think you can fly this thing, Miles?"

---

"Wow!" Jim looked at his jewelry store, wide-eyed with amazement, "I can't believe what you've done to my store!"

"Ooh ho ho!" Ivo laughed, spinning his wrench in his hand and tossing it back into his toolbox, "Believe it, Jimmy! I've replaced your outdated electrical wiring, fixed up the water pipes, and even enhanced the efficiency of your air vents! Your utility bills should be less than half of what they were before, from now on!"

"Yes, yes, this will save me many a ring in the future! I can't offer much, but… Please, take your pick of any gem in the store as a reward! Ah, I think you wanted… that one, didn't you?" Jim smiled, pointing to the Chaos Emerald. He pressed a button, and the protective glass lifted, "By all means, the Emerald is yours!"

"Yosh!" Ivo cheered, holding the Emerald high above his head, "I've got all seven Chaos Emeralds!"

"We did it!" Motey cheered, as the two of them exited the shop and headed back into the busy streets of Metropolis Zone, "Now we just have to head back to the Wing Fortress, activate the Life Egg, and- Uhh… D-Doc? Do you see what I see?"

"I'm afraid I do, Motey," Ivo said, staring aghast at the sky.

High above Metropolis Zone, the Wing Fortress - Ivo's airship - flew overhead.

"My Wing Fortress!" Ivo shouted, "It's been stolen!"

 

[charmsb]

WOOAAh nice call with the Tails design! Can't wait to see Sonic, that manipulative bastard, take him under his wing (get it?) (wing fortress.) (ok sorry).

The gag with Ivo appearing to threaten the jewelry clerk but instead just fix up his shop is also something I can see coming straight out of a cartoon. Good stuff again

[Dr. Mechano]

Ivo the Genius 2: The Life Egg

Chapter 3 - "Grand Theft Fortress"

Ivo chases down his stolen Wing Fortress, and learns a surprising secret about Sara.

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/33347908/chapters/83939629

Fanfiction.net: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13941497/3/Ivo-the-Genius-2-The-Life-Egg

Spoiler

“My Wing Fortress!” Ivo shouted, “It’s been stolen!”

The Wing Fortress - Ivo’s colossal airship - soared imposingly over Metropolis Zone, casting a dark shadow over the city. The people below began to grow worried, looking on in confusion as the big battleship loomed overhead. In the wrong hands, the Wing Fortress could be used to cause some serious damage. Ivo knew he had to stop it, fast.

“Stolen?!” Motey shouted, surprised, “By who?”

“I haven’t the slightest idea!” Ivo said, beginning to run after the airship on foot, “But we have no choice but to follow that ship! Come, Motey!”

“Right behind you, Doc!” Motey said, rolling along. 

The two ran through the streets, shoving passersby out of the way and cutting across the busy streets. A driver angrily honked his horn at Ivo as he leaped across his car, while Motey darted underneath another. Normally such recklessness with traffic would be ill-advised - and it’s certainly not something our dear readers should ever imitate - but this is an action series, and desperate times call for dangerous stunts!

“Rrr...!” Ivo fumed, keeping the airship in his sights as he ran after it, “When I catch the creeps who commandeered my craft, I’m going to crush them!”

“Yeah, but… Waaah!” Motey shrieked, weaving between the spokes of one of Metropolis Zone’s gigantic gears, “How’re we gonna get up there in the first place?”

“How…?”

Truthfully, Ivo didn’t know. His one flying machine had been stolen, and he was stuck on the ground. Bah. He’d worry about that later. For now, he’d just have to continue the chase!

 

---

 

“Aw, yeah!” Sonic cheered, spinning in the Wing Fortress’s gun turret, “Yo, Miles! Is this the guy?”

“Mm?” Miles peeked over the steering wheel at Sonic, then glanced at the house below, “Ah. Yes. Brutus the Badger lives there. He always picks on me and breaks my inventions.”

“Pfft, what a dweeb,” Sonic scoffed, “Anyone who can’t see how cool a genius like you is doesn’t know what he’s talkin’ about!”

Miles smiled. He still wasn’t used to this whole “genuine compliment” thing. Glancing back to Brutus’s place, he noticed something new in the driveway.

“Oh,” Miles rolled his eyes, “I see Brutus got that expensive new motor-scooter he always wanted.”

“Heh…” Sonic took aim with the Wing Fortress’s cannons, “Not for long, he doesn’t! Check this out!”

Sonic mashed the fire button, and the Wing Fortress blasted a spray of laser beams below, blowing up Brutus’s shiny new scooter on contact, and even from this high up, it made a loud and satisfying “KABOOM!”

As smoke rose from the flaming vehicle, Brutus ran out of his front door to see what all the noise was about. Seeing what had occurred, he sank to his knees in despair, shouting out to the sky.

“SCOOTY! NOOOOOO!”

“Aaaah ha ha ha ha! Take that, loser!” Sonic laughed, grinning over at Miles, “I think that oughta put your bully in his place for a while, eh?”

“O-oh my gosh…” Miles looked on, his eyes widening in shock, “S-Sonic, that was… The coolest thing ever!”

“Ha! Attaboy!” Sonic smirked, hopping out of the turret to join Miles at the wheel, “You don’t have to get pushed around anymore! From now on, me and you should be the ones callin’ the shots around here!”

“Y’know…” Miles nodded, “You’re right! I’m tired of being a doormat for everyone!”

“And you won’t be,” Sonic said, “Not ever again. We can get this whole city to do whatever we want with this flying fortress!”

“You know...” Miles pondered, “This airship is pretty powerful. But I think it’s carrying something even greater.”

“Huh?” Sonic raised an eyebrow, “Whatcha mean?”

“I was examining it in the cargo bay before you snuck up on me before…” Miles explained, “Whoever owns this ship was transporting a space-faring craft like I’ve never seen before. I don’t know for sure, but…”

Miles paused, uncertain if he himself believed it.

“I think it can change the weather,” Miles said.

“Change… the weather?” Sonic asked. Ideas were already rushing through his head on how he could exploit that. “Well, what are we waiting for? Do you know how to control it, like you took control of this ship?”

“Mm, no…” Miles shook his head, “This is the weird part. It didn’t seem to run on any kind of conventional fuel. No gas tanks, no electrical charge… There were just seven sockets that didn’t match any kind of power adapters I’m familiar with. I’m honestly stumped on how to activate the thing.”

An unfamiliar power source? Seven slots? Sonic chuckled softly. So that’s what ol’ Ivo was up to.

“Miles,” Sonic grinned, “I think I know just who to see about that mysterious power source you need.”

 

---

 

“This city’s the best!” Scratch said chipperly. He was wearing a T-shirt bearing the words ‘I ♥ Metropolis Zone’ and lugging around a tote bag full of souvenirs, “I hope we never leave, bwa-HA-ha-HAAAA!”

“You’re tellin’ me!” Grounder said, grinning widely, “Check out the new hubcaps I got for my tank treads! Metropolis Zone really has everything!”

“Yeah! Yeah!” Coconuts said, snapping photos with an oversized camera, “They even have a fireworks show! In the daytime, even!”

“Fireworks?” Scratch asked, looking at whatever had grabbed Coconuts’ attention, seeing the scooter that had just been blown to bits, “Bah! Coconuts, you nincombot! Those aren’t fireworks! They’re explosions from the Wing Fortress’s laser cannon!”

“Ooh,” Grounder said, “That makes way more sense than fireworks! It’s just the Wing Fortress’s laser cannon!”

The three Budniks paused for a second, before it dawned on them.

“The Wing Fortress’s laser cannon?!” they all shrieked.

“Wh-what’s going on?” Scratch asked, looking up at the Wing Fortress above them, “Did Dr. Robotnik get mad at Metropolis Zone or something?”

“Sheesh, remind me never to mess up his scrambled eggs,” Coconuts shuddered.

“COMING THROUGH!” the Budniks heard the familiar voice of Dr. Robotnik shouting beyond a nearby crowd of people. He - accompanied by Motey - shoved his way past them.  “GANGWAY!” 

“Dr. Robotnik!” the Budniks shouted.

“Waaaait,” Scratch scratched his mechanical head, “If you’re down here…”

“Who’s flying the Wing Fortress?!” Grounder and Coconuts asked at the same time.

“I don’t know,” Ivo shook his head, “But when I get my hands on them…! Pow! Wham! Right in the teeth!”

Ivo angrily punched the air for emphasis, while Motey looked far more concerned.

“I’m just worried they’ll use the Wing Fortress to do even more damage if we don’t stop them soon,” she said.

“How’re you gonna get up there?” Grounder asked.

“I’m still working on that part…” Ivo pondered. Then, an idea hit him. “Wait! I know! Grounder! You’re our ticket to getting back onto the Wing Fortress!”

“Huh?” Grounder blinked, “...Me?”

 

---

 

“Ho ho!” Ivo laughed, “I knew making Grounder versatile enough to fly was a good call!”

“Yeah,” Motey said, worriedly looking down, “I just hope he doesn’t drop us!”

“Aw, pipe down!” Grounder said, glancing down at them. His tank treads had retracted, and he was flying through the air with his helicopter blades. In each of his arms, he held Motey and Ivo close as he pursued the Wing Fortress through the air. “I’m a robot with incredible grip strength! I’ve gotcha!”

“I believe in you, Grounder!” Ivo shouted, “Now, onward! Catch up to my Wing Fortress!”

“You got it, your braininess!” Grounder shouted, flying after the gargantuan airship. The three of them felt the cold wind against their faces as they charged through the sky, and - little by little - could see the Wing Fortress getting closer.

“Yes! Yes!” Ivo shouted, “That’s it, Grounder! We’re closing the distance! At this rate, we’ll be aboard my Wing Fortress in no time! Ha ha!” 

“Yeah!” Motey swiped a spiked arm in the air energetically, “Then we’ll give those ol’ thieves the business!”

“Ho ho! Yeah!” Ivo and Motey grinned and high-fived, determined to take back control of their ship.

“Hey, don’t move so much! I know I said I wouldn’t drop you, but don’t test that!” Grounder yelled, before he trailed off. “Um… Your roundness? We’ve got trouble!”

“What is it, Grounder?” Ivo looked up at the robot carrying him, and then he saw it. The Wing Fortress’s turret was spinning into place, locking on to them. And what was worse, Ivo saw who was manning the cannon.

“Yo! Long time no see, Egghead!” 

Seated at the Wing Fortress’s gunner station was none other than Sonic the Hedgehog, the criminal who Ivo had beaten in his previous adventure on South Island. 

“Sonic!” Ivo shouted, furiously, “So you’re the rotten reprobate who absconded with my airship! Hmph, I’d have put out mousetraps if I knew I’d have rodents aboard! How the blazes did you override my Wing Fortress’s security system?”

“I had a little help, Doc,” Sonic shrugged, “A talented new member of my crew was able to hack into your ship in seconds! Honestly, I think you’d like him - he’s a real egghead like you. Ah well… Too bad you’ll never have the chance to meet!”

Sonic mashed the fire button, sending a laser blast barrelling Ivo’s way.

“Grounder, dodge!” Ivo shouted.

“R-right!” Grounder swerved out of the way just in the nick of time. The laser missed Ivo - but it continued past him toward the city below, slicing right through a building - resulting in an explosion of smoke and debris.

“Rrrr…!” Ivo growled, fumbling through his labcoat’s pockets, “That hedgehog’s going to get people killed if we don’t end this fast. Get us in closer, Grounder! And focus on dodging!”

“I won’t miss this time, Ro-butt-nik!” Sonic swerved the rotating cannon around, tracking Grounder’s movements in the air, when suddenly he helped out in pain.

“Yeowch!” Sonic shouted, holding his lightly singed arm, “What the…?!”

“Ho ho!” Ivo laughed from above, brandishing his laser blaster, “Fortunately, I’m a much better shot than you are, you blue bungler!”

Before Sonic could get his bearings and use the turret again, Grounder had managed to catch up with the Wing Fortress, landing Ivo and Motey on the deck.

“Whew,” Motey sighed, “Glad to be on solid ground again. Er… so to speak. Thanks for the lift, Grounder!”

“Aw, it was nothin’!” Grounder smiled.

“And now, my heinous hedgehog…” Ivo grinned, his blaser still drawn on Sonic, “I’ll be taking my ship back.”

Suddenly, a shot rang out, hitting Ivo’s wrist and knocking the blaster out of his hand.

“Gah!” Ivo shouted. He lunged for the blaster, but it flew overboard before he could snatch it back. “What the…?!”

“Nice goin’, Miles!” Sonic gave a thumbs-up.

Turning to the bridge, Ivo saw a young fox covered in mechanical augments, aiming a laser cannon at him and his allies. Sonic leaped out of the turret and began confidently striding Ivo’s way.

“Now, what was that you were sayin’ about taking your ship back?” Sonic asked. “Funny, I was thinkin’ I’d keep your ship… and take those Chaos Emeralds you have!”

Sonic swiped for Ivo’s tool case, but the scientist was quick, tossing it away.

“Grounder, catch!” Ivo shouted.

“Whoa!” Grounder caught the toolbox containing the seven Emeralds, and smiled proudly, “...Hey! I actually caught it!”

“Rrgh!” Sonic growled, lunging for the Budnik, “Get back here, you piece of junk!”

“Oh no!” Grounder rolled away as best he could, but the hyperspeed hedgehog was catching up.

“I’m open!” Motey shouted.

“Alright, Motey!” Grounder yelled back, throwing the box over Sonic’s head, “Go long!”

“It’s mine!” Sonic leaped for it, but was suddenly tackled to the deck by Ivo. He winced as the box soared over him. “Gah…! So… heavy…!”

“I got it! I got it!” Motey shouted, rolling over to catch the box - only for the young fox to use his two tails to fly overhead and snag it in mid-air, “...I don’t got it!”

“Got it, Sonic!” Miles grinned, “Now the Chaos Emeralds are ours! Hee hee hee!”

Sonic sighed. It wasn’t the most intimidating evil laugh, but bless him, the kid was trying. 

“Get… off me!” Sonic finally managed to roll out from under Ivo, and gave Miles a thumbs-up, “Nice job, kid!”

Suddenly, Sonic frowned.

“Hey, uh, Miles…” Sonic said, glancing ahead to what certainly looked like a fast-approaching cliffside, “If you’re here… Who’s flyin’ this thing?”

“UM…” Miles’s eyes widened in realization, before he turned and ran back toward the bridge, “SHOOOOOOOOT…!”

But it was too late. Before he could steer the Wing Fortress out of the way, it careened straight into the mountainside overlooking Metropolis Zone’s city hall.

“MILES!” Sonic frantically yelled, “DO SOMETHING, PIXEL-BRAIN!” 

“WE’RE GOING TO CRAAAAASH!” Ivo shouted, bracing for impact.

 

---

 

“Thank you for your cooperation, Mayor Maximillian,” Sara bowed politely and shook the chipmunk’s hand, “I’m looking forward to our cities collaborating closely in the future.”

Through the window, Sara noticed a lone delivery drone rolling along a series of metal railways suspended alongside Metropolis Zone’s various buildings. The city was certainly efficient - and perhaps Star Light Zone could learn a thing or two from its infrastructure.

“Indeed, Mayor Sara!” Maximillian laughed heartily, “Sounds like a smashing good time! I’ll have all the paperwork sorted out by the morrow, eh, wot? So, if there’s nothing more to discuss, what say we adjourn for lunch?”

“Sounds awesome!” Sara smiled, clearing her throat, “...I mean, I would be delighted.”

Suddenly, the lights flickered and the room shook. A muffled “BOOOOOOM” could be heard from outside, catching the two mayors off guard.

“Zounds!” Nigel Maximillian shouted.

“Huh? What could that be?” Sara asked, opening a window to get a better look, “Wh-WHOA!”

Above city hall, atop the rocky cliffside standing tall over Metropolis Zone, Sara recognized the familiar shape of Ivo’s Wing Fortress - crashed and bursting into flames. What’s more, she saw seven colorful gems go flying out of the explosion in varying directions. The Chaos Emeralds!

But that wasn’t all. From the explosion, a large spherical spacecraft was also blown off and into the distance. …! That was the Life Egg that Ivo had shown her earlier!

“What’s going on?!” Sara shouted.

But before she had time to process that, she saw the familiar shape of Ivo himself, hurtling toward the ground.

As the genius fell to his apparent demise, he shouted out his carefully-considered final words.

“I HATE THAT HEDGEHOOOOOOOOOOG!!!”

“IVO!” Sara shouted, and - before she even realized what she was doing - she’d already leaped through the open window after him.

“M-Mayor Sara, DON’T…!” Maximillian called after her. He lunged to pull her back, but it was too late. The poor woman had jumped out of a fifteen-story window. Maximillian cursed and kicked his office desk in frustration. “No…!”

“I’ve GOT you, Ivo!” Sara said, grabbing hold of Ivo’s hand.

“Sara?!” Ivo looked up at her, surprised at having stopped suddenly. “Ha… ha… I really thought I was done for that time. But, uh… Waaaaait….”

The realization dawned on Ivo. Sara had leaped out of a building to catch him. But why wasn’t she falling?

Ivo glanced up and got a better look. She was suspended by one of the metallic rails, holding onto it tightly. Not with her arms, which were both holding Ivo up. Not with her legs, which were dangling freely in the air. Sara had instead tightly gripped the metallic railing with her… tail?

“Hee hee…” Sara laughed nervously, her face reddening slightly, “I guess you had to find out sooner or later, huh?” 

“B-b-boss!” Grounder shouted.

The Budnik swooped down in helicopter mode, holding Motey in his arms.

“Oh my gosh, Doc!” Motey said, “You’re okay!”

Motey blinked.

“Wait, Sara…?” Motey asked, “You’re a…”

“Uh… How about we talk about this after Grounder gets us down?” Sara asked.

“Oh, right!” Grounder nodded, “Just a sec! I’ll getcha both on the ground in a jiffy!”

And so, Ivo survived another close call. Despite losing the Wing Fortress, the Chaos Emeralds, and the Life Egg, Dr. Ivo Robotnik lived to fight another day. 

But somewhere nearby, his enemies were plotting.

 

---

 

“I can’t believe you crashed our ship!” Sonic yelled, holding tight to Miles as the young fox flew him over the city, away from the wreckage of the Wing Fortress.

“I…” Miles frowned, and his eyes began to tear up. Sonic was the first person to ever trust him - to ever believe in him, and he’d let him down. “I’m sorry…”

“Ugh…” Sonic took a deep breath. No point in chewing out the kid now. He’d be more useful if he wasn’t crying about their latest botched scheme, “Don’t worry about it. What’s important is that we make sure to beat Robotnik to the punch.”

“What do you mean?” Miles asked.

“The Chaos Emeralds are like magnets,” Sonic said, “You find one, and you can use their signal to find the rest. And I saw one of them…”

Sonic pointed down to an offshore oil rig a short distance from Metropolis Zone.

“...fly off in that direction.”

“So, we go get that Emerald!” Miles said, “And then…”

“Then we find the rest,” Sonic grinned, “Then we find Egghead’s dumb weather machine and use it to bend Westside Island to our will! We can still do this, kid! C’mon, you still with me?”

Miles sighed, relieved. Sonic still believed in him. 

“Y… Yeah!” Miles smiled wide, “Let’s find those Chaos Emeralds! Woohoo!”

“Hey, hey!” Sonic shouted, “Watch where you’re flyin’!”

 

---

 

“Ah, sweet ground!” Ivo said, embracing the concrete, “Never again will I take you for granite!”

“That was too close, Doc…” Motey sighed, “If Grounder hadn’t caught me… Well, I don’t even want to think about it…”

“Ah, indeed!” Ivo reached into his pockets and pulled out a shiny gold sticker, “Grounder, for your acts of heroism today, I’m giving you a PROMOTION!” 

“A… a promotion?” Grounder’s eyes shimmered in awe as Ivo stuck the flimsy gold star to Grounder’s metal casing, “It’s everything I ever dreamed it’d be…”

“And you!” Ivo grinned at Sara, who’d been sitting quietly for the past couple of minutes, “You saved my life up there, Sara! You’re incredible!”

“I mean, you saved me from danger before too,” Sara smiled, blushing softly. She winked and shrugged at him, “Guess we’re even now, huh?”

“Yeah, about that,” Motey said, narrowing her eyes at Sara’s tail, “...So you’re some kind of… cat… human… person?”

“Motey!” Ivo shouted, “You can’t just ask someone if they’re a cat!”

“No, it’s fine,” Sara sighed, “I knew I couldn’t hide it forever…”

“Hm?” Ivo asked, “What do you mean?”

“Everyone knows this world has two sapient races. Humans, like you, Ivo. And anthropomorphic animals, like Motey here,” Sara said.

“Hey!” Grounder pointed to himself, “Don’t forget about us robots!”

“Okay, okay,” Sara smiled, “Three sapient races. Still, only two of them are biological, which is where I come in…”

“My father - who’s very much fully human - is the President of the United Federation,” Sara explained, “He inspired me to get into politics myself, and - needless to say - public image is a really important part of the job.”

Sara glanced back at her long tail, which until today she’d gone to great lengths to hide, “...Long before he became president, my father had a brief romantic relationship with a cat woman, and well... I was born as a result of their time together, inheriting traits from the both of them. I appear mostly human, but I have this tail, as well as…”

Sara removed her dual-pointed hat, revealing a pair of cat ears, “...These ears. For the sake of his political career, my father insisted that I keep my cat traits hidden.”

“Ohh, I see…” Motey said, pondering what Sara had told them. “That makes sense.”

“Of course, once I decided to follow in his footsteps and run for mayor of Star Light Zone,” Sara recounted, “...My father again insisted that I keep my half-cat status a secret, for the sake of my own political career as well.”

“So, what? The president regrets his ex, so he makes his own daughter hide part of who she is for her whole life?” Ivo scoffed, “I’ll tell you what you are, Sara - You’re a hero. And your catlike abilities enabled you to save my life today. You should be proud of that!”

“Yeah!” Motey chimed in, “Look, as long as you don’t eat birds, we’re cool! Anyway… I don’t expect you to feel differently right away, but there’s nothing wrong with who - or what - you are! If some people can’t accept that, that’s their loss!”

Grounder - meanwhile - was off to the side admiring his new “medal” in the reflection of a store window, and thus had no encouraging words to offer. “Hee hee, promotion!” 

“You guys…” Sara smiled gently, a tear in her eye. Of course they understood. After spending decades hiding a part of herself from the world, Sara was being told - for the first time - that the things that made her different were something to take pride in rather than be ashamed of.

She grabbed Ivo and Motey and pulled them in for a hug, “...Thank you.”

“Aw, don’t worry about it!” Motey chirped.

“Ho ho, not at all!” Ivo smiled, returning the hug - and had to admit to himself, being so close to Sara was… nice.

“She's gone! Gone, and I wasn't able to stop her! Oh, woe of woes!”  Mayor Maximillian came stammering out of the city hall’s front entrance, before halting in surprise. “Oh! Mayor Sara, there you are…! And you’re alive, no less!”

“Oh, yeah,” Sara turned to him and playfully tapped herself on the head, “Sorry for worrying you back there, Maxy!”

“Oh, that’s right!” Motey said, “Doc! I didn’t mention it just because so much stuff just happened, but… when Grounder caught me up in the sky, I saw where one of the Emeralds went! We should go get it, quick!”

“Motey, that’s fantastic!” Ivo exclaimed, “Then there’s no time to lose! The three of us should head out and find those Emeralds right away!”

“The three of us?” Sara asked.

“But of course!” Ivo said, “Sara, you’ve shown yourself to be quite capable in a tense situation! Your unique abilities could be quite useful along the way! ...Of course, that’s only if you want to come along.”

“You kidding?” Sara smiled widely, “Heck yeah I’m coming along! Let’s get this adventure started already!”

“Alright then!” Ivo said, “Grounder!”

“Promotion~! Promotion~!” Grounder sang to himself, before snapping to attention, “Oh, uh… Y-yes, Dr. Robotnik?”

“Motey, Sara, and I are about to venture forth! I need you to round up Scratch and Coconuts, and help the mayor here clean up the mess that hooligan hedgehog inflicted upon this city!”

“You can count on me, Doctor!” Grounder saluted with a loud metallic clang as his drill-arm smacked into his face.

“Mwa ha ha ha ha! Excellent!” Ivo said, “Alright, then… Look out, Sonic the Hedgehog! Because those Chaos Emeralds are mine!” 

And so, with a new ally joining him on his adventures, Ivo heads out once again to collect the Chaos Emeralds. Will he be able to find them all? What about the Life Egg, which has also been blown to the far reaches of the island? And will Sonic and Miles get in Ivo’s way? You can count on it, in the next chapter of Ivo the Genius 2!

 

[charmsb]

For this next chapter, you're worthy of a PRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROMOTION!

There's so many compliments I can dump on this series, but I have to say one big one is your ability to put images and sound in my mind just through text. I'm not so much reading this as much as I am watching it! I hear Jaleel White as Sonic, Long John Baldry (roughly) as Robotnik, and I see them acting out all these wacky stunts. Furthermore, this whole series (ESPECIALLY this second part) is a love letter to anyone who was a fan of the animated media in the 90's - and honestly just Sonic fans in general. Hearing "I hate that hedgehog!" and "Long time no see!" but in different contexts just feels so fresh and magical. Its a nostalgia callback done right.

In general, this is fantastic, and I want to see it through to the end.

[Plumbers_Helper]

Sorry it's taken me so long to comment, I've been busy helping with Sonic CD mods. I just wanted to say it's been a long time since I've read a fan fic where I'm looking forward to the next chapter. There's something about the style that gives me fond memories of the annual Scholastic Book Fair at school.

[Eggman Fan]

Dang just found this, and it's a 10/10 already strictly because of "Budnics"