The Quest and the Conquest

It was the following morning. Everyone woke up as usual in Knothole, but it wasn't the same. There was something missing—of course. The Mobian sky had clouded over a bit as almost a morose tribute to the missing princess. Epoch, Enigma, and Jazz were sitting outside of the Den, looking up at the sky, thinking. Jazz broke the silence and addressed his brother.
"So, you ready to start the mission today?"
"You mean your part of the mission, don't you?" Epoch asked.
"Of course! I have to get over to Robotropolis before I can give you any info to work with, don't I?"
"You've got a point there," Epoch remarked.
Jazz smiled, and suddenly thought of something.
"Oh, by the way, I've got a question for you, bro'," Jazz said.
"Shoot away," Epoch replied.
"Bang! Do you want me to take Nicole along so I can input all of the info on her and then give it to you?"
Epoch thought for a moment, and then replied, "Actually, that's not a bad idea. When are you goin' to go?"
"Pretty soon, probably in about an hour. I just wanna say good-bye to a few people."
"All right, well, I'll see ya' soon, then."
"Bye, Enigma! Bye, bro'!" Jazz said with a smile.
"Good-bye, Jazz," Enigma replied, smiling back at him.
With that, Jazz got up and walked off to say his good-byes.

* * *

After saying his good-byes to everyone, including Sonic, Jazz made his way over to the secret meeting hall where they had met the day before. He went over and picked up Nicole, which was right where his brother had left her. He put her in the inside pocket of his guncoat and silently left for Robotropolis.

* * *

Sally awoke to the sound of metal grating on metal. The sound was painfully close to her ears, and she cringed at the harshness of it. The nearby door had opened and closed. She looked up, and to her horror, saw the 'bot standing over her. Sally waited for the inevitable. She had been caught off guard, and now she was dead. She waited for the 'bot to shoot her. The 'bot did not fire a shot, however, but began walking down the corridor, practically ignoring her. Sally couldn't understand it. She realized that she was in Robotnik territory, so she figured Robotnik would do away with her the first chance he got. Then a thought struck her: what if Robotnik's goal wasn't to kill her, but instead to do something much worse? She couldn't finish that thought. It was too horrible to possibly think of what Robotnik might make of her. She sat up, and began to cry. She put her head between her knees, but straightened up quickly as a sharp object poked her in the stomach.
"Ouch!"
She pulled out of her pocket the red crystal that she had found laying on her when she awoke the first time. What was it? She turned it over and over in her hands. Something looked very familiar about this jewel, although she couldn't place it. It brought her almost a sort of comfort, though, and so she held it closely. She didn't feel quite so cold anymore.

* * *

Jazz reappeared right outside of Robotropolis. He looked up at the high enclosure that surrounded the entire premises. He knew these walls too well. As he approached the towering front gate, a metallic voice rang out,
"Who goes there?"
"Cybrux," he replied.
At first, nothing happened. He was afraid that somehow they had discovered Cybrux's capture. Apparently they hadn't, for suddenly a grating sound filled the air, and the massive gates swung slowly inward. He had successfully passed the secured perimeter of Robotropolis.

Jazz walked through the threshold of Robotropolis, keeping a wary eye on the 'bots. To his relief, they ignored him completely, attending to their own individual tasks. With a loud boom, the huge gates behind him swung slowly back into their locked positions. The place hasn't changed a bit, Jazz thought to himself, chuckling slightly. Indeed, it hadn't. He surveyed the scene before his eyes. Off in the distance, directly in front of him, loomed Robotnik's stronghold. Jazz shuddered in half fear and half disgust. The place brought back too many bad memories of the past. He began walking toward the gargantuan fortress which blocked out the sunlight from behind it, only adding to its already menacing appearance. Walking in the shadow, he continued to advance. With every step he took, the battlement seemed to grow larger. Finally, he arrived at the front doors. No 'bots were around. Well, here goes nothing, he thought. With that, he pounded on the heavy doors, and waited. Moments later, one of the doors swung open to admit the Panther. He walked in, the door closing slowly behind him. He made his way through the long hallway, taking in all that he saw: the dark and drab furnishings, and the overall gloomy appearance of the place. He reached the door at the end of the hall. After pausing for a short moment, he knocked.

* * *

Epoch and Enigma both walked back to the center of Knothole, their minds on other things. Tails was already sitting there, relaxing in the afternoon sun.
"Wonder how Jazz's making out right now?" Tails asked.
Epoch, breaking out of his daydream, replied, "Well, Tails, if I know my brother at all, I'd say he's doin' just fine."

* * *

"What?" the voice shouted from behind the door.
Jazz opened the door slowly, and walked in.
"Well?!" Robotnik demanded, eyeing the Panther impatiently.
"It's done," Jazz answered.
A wry smile came across Robotnik's face, and he gave an evil chuckle. "Excellent, excellent! I knew you wouldn't fail me this time."
Jazz added, "I snuck in at night. They never suspected a thing."
Robotnik chuckled louder. "Good. Now, Cybrux, since you have proven yourself worthy of my tasks, I will allow you to be one of my assistants. You will report here tomorrow morning. That is all." With that, he turned his back to him and returned to his work.
Jazz was taken aback. Here was the key to his mission, handed unwittingly to him on a silver platter from his arch-enemy.
Jazz smiled and replied with a bow, "Thank you, sir." With that, he walked out the door, closing it behind him.

Once out of Robotropolis, Jazz disappeared.

Jazz reappeared right outside of Knothole. He went straight to Panthers' Den, and opened the door. There sat Epoch, looking over various papers. Upon seeing Jazz in the doorway, he stood up slowly and inquired,
"So, how'd it go, bro'?"
Jazz sat down in another chair nearby and propped his feet up on the table.
"Better than I expected. I got through the gates without a problem. I walked through Robotropolis with out a problem. I even got into Robotnik's stronghold without a problem. I was in the same room as Robotnik, even talking with him. It took every ounce of will in me to keep from striking that bastard down right there on the spot." Jazz paused, shaking his head slowly and clenching his fists.
Epoch sat back down next to him and asked, "So, did you find out anything that will be useful to our mission?"
Jazz looked up and grinned. "Not a thing."
Epoch smacked his head and groaned. "Figures."
Jazz nudged his brother. "What are you so worried about, bro'? The battle's half won already," Jazz replied calmly.
"How can you say that, Jazz?" Epoch asked, looking over at Jazz with a quizzical expression on his face.
"Does the fact that Robotnik just employed me as one of his assistants count for anything?"
Epoch blinked. "You're kidding me."
Jazz replied with a grin, "Not at all, in fact I start tomorrow. Robotnik must be stupider than I thought, which is hard to fathom."
Epoch and Jazz high-fived each other with their paws.
Epoch smiled and said, "Well bro', it appears that our mission just got a little bit easier."

* * *

Jazz awoke at sunrise, reverting back from his statue form. No one else was awake yet. A small breeze blew through Mobius, adding a frigid bite to the already cool morning. Jazz rubbed his paws together and set off towards Robotropolis, his guncoat flapping lightly in the wind.

Once he arrived at Robotropolis, he made his way over to Robotnik's fortress. The sun had just begun to peek over the tip of the surrounding wall of the megacity. Jazz approached the doors again, and knocked. After being admitted, he walked down the same hallway and took note of the same drab interior. He reached the door at the end of the hall, and knocked once again. No answer. Maybe I'm too early, he thought to himself with a smirk. Indeed, it was only seven o'clock in the morning. He listened carefully for any sounds from within, but there were none. Pushing the door open slowly, he surveyed the scene in front of him. Amongst the electrical equipment and control panels, there were also many papers lying about, just waiting to be read. Jazz walked over to the closest group of papers and looked down at them with a slight suspicion. No sooner had he glanced at the top of the paper, he heard heavy footsteps out in the hall. Jazz looked around frantically for a chair. Seeing one, he grabbed it and sat down, just as the door opened. In walked Robotnik.
Jazz stood up and said, "Good morning, doctor."
Robotnik ignored the salutation and asked, "Ready to begin with your work?"
Jazz nodded.
"Good. You will begin with filing these documents. They go over in there." Robotnik pointed to a large door at the other end of the room.
Jazz nodded again, picked up the closest pile of papers, and walked over to the door. It opened after much effort, but once he had walked in, the smell of must filled his nose, causing him to sneeze. The place was filled with dust, covered in it. It obviously hadn't been bothered in a long time.
Robotnik, who overheard the sneeze, added,
"And you can dust that room, too."
Jazz cursed under his breath and pressed a button on the wall. At once, everything was illuminated by rows of lights, many of which were either flickering or burned out. The room was slightly smaller than the one adjoining it, but nonetheless, it still seemed huge. Jazz stared in silent awe at the rows of cabinets. Who knew what information these vaults could hold? Since all of the documents had been transferred into Robotnik's ever-growing central computer, this room had been left undisturbed for some time. Paper was no longer needed here. Jazz rubbed his paws together and chuckled, just thinking of all the precious valuables that this one little room held. Suddenly remembering the task at hand, he mumbled a curse and began dusting. One of the papers laying on the top of a nearby pile caught his eye, and he read it carefully. As his eyes scanned down the page, his eyes widened in surprise. Glancing about, seeing no one looking, he pocketed the paper and continued on with his work.

At the end of the day, Jazz bade Robotnik a good night, and walked out of the fortress. He approached the huge doors of Robotropolis, which opened at his approach.

But Jazz was not the only one to leave Robotropolis that night.

As he walked through the surrounding forest, he felt as if someone were following him. He brushed off the thought and continued walking. No matter how much he tried, however, the thought kept nagging at him, his instincts crying for attention. Finally heeding his mind's warning, he stopped and listened. Nothing appeared to be around but the low murmuring of the wind through the branches. Jazz's eyes glowed a mild blue as he surveyed the surrounding area with suspicion. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted a shadow move slightly from behind a group of trees. His eyes narrowed and he appeared to ignore the moving shadow. He continued walking forward, as if nothing had happened. He noticed a large group of trees up ahead, thickly-woven together. He walked into them. The figure saw Jazz enter the group of trees, and he proceeded to follow. No sooner had he entered the trees than he stopped. The Panther had disappeared, leaving the confused pursuer standing there looking around and shaking his head in disbelief.

Jazz reappeared back in Knothole, greatly concerned, his mind full of thought about his tracker. However, when he returned to the Panthers' Den, he didn't mention anything about the pursuit that had occurred that night.

* * *

The figure returned to Robotropolis, very confused. He approached Robotnik's lair, and knocked.
"What?!" a voice boomed from inside.
He cringed slightly and entered.
Robotnik just stared at him and waited.
The figure hesitated, looking down and shaking his head. "I—I lost him, sir. He just—disappeared."
Robotnik's eyes narrowed, and a sneer crossed his face. The figure cringed, waiting for a kick or an insult from Robotnik. Instead, Robotnik smiled an evil grin and nodded as he waved the cowering figure out of his room.

* * *

Jazz awoke the next morning earlier than the morning before. He had trouble sleeping all that night, for he had been thinking of what Robotnik was planning. It was obvious that whoever had followed him had been sent by Robotnik. Jazz had weighed the situation carefully, and had come to a conclusion. He went over to the Panthers' Den and woke up his brother, Epoch, and told him of his plan. They both walked over to Knothole. Walking up to the cell which held Cybrux, they checked to see if he was awake. He wasn't. He was sleeping fitfully on the bed of straw they had thrown in for the prisoner. Epoch looked questioningly over at Jazz, who nodded back, beckoning him to carry out the plan. Epoch shook his head, and unlocked the cell. He took the prisoner's cup of water and threw it onto Cybrux, who woke up with a start, blinking and shocked at the deluge of ice-cold water. He looked up slowly at the two Panthers standing in the doorway with their arms crossed. Cybrux frowned.
"Is this your idea of a practical joke?" he asked bitterly, clenching his teeth, which were slightly chattering from the cold.
Jazz and Epoch remained unmoving, staring down at him.
"What do you want?" Cybrux demanded, returning their stare.
"Your freedom," replied Epoch.
Cybrux stared, his mouth slightly open. "Come again?"
"You will be free, provided one thing," Epoch repeated.
Cybrux eyed the two Panthers suspiciously. "Such as?"
"Such as the fact that you do not return to Robotnik and tell him of what happened to you or what you know about us."
The prisoner stared in disbelief at them. Were they serious? After a second of thought, Cybrux replied with a slightly evil smile, "Consider it done, my friends."
With that, Epoch reached down and unshackled the prisoner, and the two Panthers walked out of the doorway, leaving the door wide open for Cybrux to walk out free. Not wasting a single moment, Cybrux darted out of the cell and took off in the opposite direction of Robotropolis.

Epoch looked at Jazz, concerned. "You sure about this, bro'?"
Jazz replied with a smile, "Positive. As soon as he's out of our eyesight, he'll go to Robotropolis for sure."

Once out of sight of the two Panthers, Cybrux turned back around towards Robotropolis, circumnavigating Knothole so as not to be caught breaking his word. He smirked at his own cleverness and thought aloud, "Stupid Panthers. They think they're so smart, eh? Think they could tell me what to do after I'm free? Well, they'll learn not to mess with Cybrux!" With that, Cybrux reverted back into his Panther form, so as to be recognized back in Robotropolis.
As he approached the outer walls, the sun had just begun to rise. He reached the outer gates of Robotropolis, which opened inward at his arrival. He walked in, and he immediately noticed that the usual droning of 'bots was not present. He looked around, not seeing any 'bots around at all. He began to get suspicious when the sound of the huge gates clanging shut behind him sent a chill down his back. The feeling of someone trapped. Sensing something behind him, he whirled around to meet Robotnik and over twenty 'bots pointing lasers directly at the shocked Cybrux. Sensing more, he whirled around to face a wall of another forty 'bots, lasers charged and ready. Before he could react, they had grabbed him, according to the orders of Robotnik.
Robotnik walked up to the captured Cybrux and sneered, "So, you think you could outsmart me? Think that because I hired you as my personal assistant two days ago that you could get away with stealing those plans from my office yesterday, huh? Well, little did you know that all those papers are FAKE! In fact, I never intended you as my assistant. This was all merely a trap. Never mess with Robotnik, fool! Take him to the dungeon!"
Cybrux yelled, "You've got the wrong person!" but to no avail. As he was being carried off to the dungeon, he realized the trap the Panthers had made him fall into. He shook his head and moaned. This time there was more at stake than his freedom. This time... his life.