Chapter Text
“This is it Stone! We’ll finally be free of that stupid rat and his friends!” Robotnik says, as far as schemes go he thinks it’s a pretty good one. It was childsplay figuring out time travel really. Barely took him an afternoon.
The idea is this: go back in time and kill Sonic before he becomes a major problem and acquires the help of that small town cop.
“Of course sir.” His loyal sycoph-friend says. He’s still getting used to the idea that he now considers Stone a friend. The resulting - ughh - feelings that brings are pleasant but unusual. He’s not sure what this feeling is but it makes him feel all warm and gooey. The other day Stone smiled at him and he felt like he was going into cardiac arrest. Very strange. He’s definitely going to have to keep him around to study this phenomenon.
He’ll study it further later, he promises himself. After he’s done killing Sonic. He rubs his hands together in excitement as his invention turns on. This is it he’ll finally -
There’s a flash and he’s suddenly across the room. His ears are ringing. The lab seems to be on fire and Stone is nowhere in sight. He groans as he stumbles to his feet. Ridiculous. The calculations were perfect. His inventions don’t fail. No matter, he’ll just adjust and try again.
“Stone!” He calls out. Where is that blasted -
He’s stopped dead in his tracks as his eyes take in the sight in front of him. Stone is lying on the ground. There’s a steadily growing pool of blood under him. Before Robotnik can register his actions he’s skidding to a stop and dropping to his knees next to him.
With shaky hands he turns him over to access the damage. He needs to fix this, patch him up as quickly as possible and then yell at him about proper lab safety. Stone is not allowed to get injured. He should know this, the gall.
When Stone is turned over Robotnik takes a sharp inhale. His eyes are staring unseeing towards the ceiling. There’s no life behind them and Robotnik shakily checks for a pulse but he already knows what he’ll find. There’s nothing. No steady thrum, no breathes. Nothing.
Robotnik lowers his gaze to the source of the blood. A large piece of shrapnel embedded in Stone’s chest. And Robotnik thinks he makes a noise. Something animalistic. Inhuman. Before he’s grabbing at the offending piece of metal. He needs to remove it, apply first aid, fix this.
He needs to fix this.
He needs to fix this.
The thought is the only thing he can think as he cuts his hands on the metal. His hands are shaking and struggling for purchase before one of his badniks, likely alerted to his distress and Stone’s injuries, beeps behind him. That brings him to his senses.
“Get it out of him dammit!” He shouts at it and it gets to work cutting away the metal and removing it. More blood gushes out of Stone and Robotnik works on applying pressure.
“Come on Stone. Wake up so I can yell at you. You’re not allowed to sleep on the job you hear me? You’re not allowed.” There’s drops of water or something falling on his hands and he distantly realizes he’s crying.
The badnik, always so helpful, beeps an alert at him.
DECEASED
He stares at it.
“That’s not…” He says quietly.
He knows it’s true but Stone can’t be dead. He didn’t give him permission.
And yet as he looks at his face, his dead lifeless eyes, he knows it to be true.
He’s not sure how long he stays with Stone’s body after that. Long enough for his knees to start hurting from their uncomfortable position. He needs to move. Provide a burial right?
His breath hitches at the thought.
Burial and Stone are two words that shouldn’t go together. But Stone deserves the proper respect doesn’t he?
So with shaky limbs he rises to his feet, wincing at the twinge he feels in his legs.
He thinks he gives an order for a badnik to move Stone. He must have because he’s watching him be taken in a daze.
He glances down and sees the blood that’s coating his hands, the blood that’s on the floor.
Should probably go wash that off
He moves towards the bathroom to wash off and change into fresh clothes.
_ _ _ _ _ _
The rest of the day passes in a daze. Robotnik spends it in self loathing. This is his fault. He never should have built that machine. He’s crawled into his room and is laying on his bed. He found one of Stone’s shirts, discarded in a laundry hamper, and is clutching it tightly. He considered wearing it but that feels like too much.
He’s never had to…mourn before. But that’s what this is, isn’t it?
He thinks he’ll fade away here in this room. He saved the world for Stone and now Stone is gone so what even is the point anymore. Maybe Gerald had a point.
He drifts into an uneasy sleep.
_ _ _ _ _ _
When he comes to it’s to the faint scent of Stone’s cologne and for a brief moment he feels at peace before the memories come back to him. Stone…died. In a lab accident yesterday. His body is still awaiting burial. Robotnik couldn’t bear to look at it again so soon after it happened. He thinks he’ll bury him today and then crawl inside the coffin with him. That seems like a fitting end.
“Doctor? Where are you? It’s not like you to sleep in…”
His eyes snap open. That was…no it couldn’t be.
He’s hallucinating. He turns towards the doorway and there is Stone looking confused and more than a little concerned.
“Is that one of my shirts?” Stone asks bemusedly.
Robotnik quickly gets up, his legs getting slightly tangled in the sheets but he doesn’t care about preserving his dignity right now because Stone’s here. It might be a hallucination but he’s determined to enjoy it for as long as it lasts.
He’s striding over to Stone, a determined look on his face and Stone has a brief moment to look even more concerned before he’s roughly pulled into a hug.
Hallucinations aren’t solid are they? And Stone is definitely solid. Robotnik can smell him now and he takes a moment to deeply inhale. He hears Stone make a choked noise next to him.
“S-sir?” He squeaks.
How is this possible? Did he make a mistake? That couldn’t be. He definitely saw the blood, the wound that no one could possibly survive. Regrettably he pulls away to examine Stone. The injury is gone. Robotnik reaches out and feels Stone’s chest where the metal had pierced him and Stone makes another choked noise.
“S-sir d-do you mind telling me what's going on? You’re scaring me a bit here.” Stone laughs uncomfortably. A faint blush is tinting his cheeks pink.
That’s a really good look on him
The blush spreads further down his chest past the collar of his shirt and Robotnik really wants to see how far it goes.
He swallows that strange urge away and instead asks. “How are you alive?”
Stone looks confused at that and tilts his head slightly. “Sir? I don’t understand.”
“Doesn’t matter. You’re here now and we can work on cleaning up the lab and scrapping every trace of that stupid time travel plan.”
“But…sir, it’s almost finished. We were going to enact that plan today, remember?”
Robotnik stops, body halfway out the door. He slowly turns towards Stone.
“What did you say?”
“We were going to enact the plan today. Sir, are you feeling alright? You look pale.”
Robotnik barely hears him. Too lost in his own thoughts. The device worked but it must have sent him back to yesterday instead of the five years they were planning. A miscalculation but a welcome one.
Stone reaches out to take his temperature and Robotnik waves him away. “I’m fine, Stone. Better than fine actually. Now come on, we have a time travel machine to dismantle.”
Stone balk’s. “What? But sir, I don’t understand.”
But Robotnik’s not listening, already making his way to the lab. Stone struggles to follow after him.
“Sir, please. What happened? Why did you change your mind? You said this was the best idea you’ve ever had.”
“I know what I said, Stone!” He snaps. Ordering his badniks to start dismantling that infernal piece of machinery.
“So then why-”
Robotnik is rounding on him, crowding him against the wall. “Shut. Up. Plans canceled. That’s final.”
Stone swallows and Robotnik finds himself tracing the movement with his eyes against his will.
“Ok sir. I’ll just…go make you your morning latte then.” He awkwardly shuffles away from Robotnik and Robotnik mourns the loss for some reason.
_ _ _ _ _ _
Stone is staring at him and it’s making Robotnik uncomfortable. Normally he loves receiving Stone’s full attention but the look he’s giving him is apprehensive. It makes him feel all itchy and uncomfortable. He hates that feeling.
“I can feel you staring Stone.” He snaps.
“Sorry sir it’s just…you’re a little close.”
“Hmph. I’m not that close.” It’s a lie and he knows it but he saw Stone die not too long ago so he’s feeling a little clingy. They’re sitting together in the lab. He’s idly working on a badnik and he demanded Stone be next to him. Stone followed the order without question. He brushes his shoulder slightly against Stone’s just to feel more of that warmth radiating off of him. Stone tenses next to him.
That gives Robotnik pause. Is he…making Stone uncomfortable? There’s a horrible sinking feeling in his gut and Robotnik’s not sure what it is he’s feeling but he doesn’t like it. He quickly shuffles away from Stone and Stone breathes a sigh of relief. That horrible feeling intensifies. He refuses to look at Stone now. Should he apologize? Order Stone to leave and hole up in the lab alone?
Before he can spiral too much Stone is clearing his throat to get his attention. “Doctor, since we’re no longer doing the time travel plan, what did you want to do instead? We could still fight Sonic. It might even cheer you up.”
Robotnik bristles. He doesn’t need cheering up. He’s acting perfectly normal.
Although…maybe fighting Sonic could take his mind off of it. He could blow up their insufferable domicile and laugh in the wreckage.
“You know what Stone, I think that idea sounds perfect.”
_ _ _ _ _ _
Stone was right. This idea was perfect.
“Come on man, we just had our house renovated!” One of the rats' parents shouts at him. It’s cop whats-his-name. Tim? Whatever, doesn’t matter.
He laughs maniacally as he shoots another hole in their house. Sonic spin dashes towards their modified egg-pod (with room enough for Stone of course) and he narrowly dodges. He thinks he quips something at him but he really could care less.
Stone is riding his motorcycle below him. Robotnik has his vitals pulled up and is keeping one eye on him. He’s currently leading Knuckles away from the residence. Robotnik knows Stone can take care of himself but he’d rather not risk anything.
Tails is providing aerial support, fighting a fleet of his badniks. Robotnik grits his teeth as another one is destroyed. That blasted fox is really too good with that plane.
It’s in this brief moment of distraction that Robotnik is hit with a warning alert. Stone’s vitals have rapidly taken a turn for the worst and he snaps his head widely around to look for him.
He’s on the ground, Knuckles is standing over him. He looks…terrified.
It’s like a switch is flipped after that. All battling stops suddenly and Robotnik is quickly landing the egg-pod and rushing over to Stone. His vitals show that he’s still alive but it’s critical.
“Get away from him!” He shoves a stunned Knuckles aside and gently cradles Stone in his arms, looking him over for the source of the injury. He doesn’t see anything external but then Stone coughs and blood drips down his chin.
Internal. His mind supplies through a fog.
“Is…is he ok?” Tails asks. And he sounds so small and concerned that Robotnik is immediately angry. How dare he? How dare he sound concerned? When they’re the reasons this happened.
“What. Did. You. Do.” He directs at Knuckles instead.
Knuckles seems to snap out of whatever daze he was in and stands up straighter. “We battled. Your goat milker fought honorably. He should be proud of his injuries.”
“Listen here you sorry excuse for a tachyglossidae I will end you. You - you -”
He presses a few buttons on his control gloves and his badniks are coming to life behind him. He’s going to kill them all. There'll be nothing left. He’ll destroy this entire town too just for good measure.
“I called 911.” The patriarch says breathlessly. Tom. Robotnik finally remembered his name, he knew he’d get there eventually. Tom seems like he wants to come over to help but Robotnik is glaring at him and the message is clear. If anyone gets close to him now he will not hesitate to fire.
He’s interrupted by another cough from Stone and his head snaps back to Stone. Who’s looking worse for wear. His eyes are drooping and he looks like he’s about to pass out.
“Stone do not pass out on me now, you hear me? That’s an order!”
Like the well conditioned henchman he is, Stone snaps his eyes open. There’s an unreadable expression on his face. Reluctantly, Robotnik lays him down flat on the ground. He would like nothing more than to hold Stone close but he needs to assess the damage. He starts unzipping Stone’s jacket so he can get a better look. He’s unbuttoning his undershirt next, hands trembling.
The sight that greets him is horrific and he distantly hears a tiny gasp from one of the alien creatures.
Stone’s chest is covered in an ugly bruise. There’s two punctures that match the spikes on the ends of Knuckles fists. Significantly deeper than he would like. The wounds are oozing blood and almost resemble gunshot wounds.
Cracked rib. Punctured lung possibly. No, definitely. Those puncture marks are a problem.
As much as he wants to raze hellfire down on these inferior creatures Stone needs immediate medical attention. He calls the egg-pod down next to him and as gently as he possibly can lifts Stone up. Stone is making little wheezing breaths now.
“Wait where are you going? He needs medical attention!” Tom shouts at him.
Robotnik turns around to look at him coldly. “I can provide far better medical attention than whatever sorry excuse for a hospital you have in this buttfuck nowhere town.” There. He taught the children a new word. Don’t say he never did anything nice.
“I’m going to fix him up and then I will return and when I do there will be nothing left of you or this town. I will vaporize you. Not even your atoms will remain.”
And with that he turns around and enters the egg-pod. He curses his lack of foresight for not having a flat surface for Stone to lay on but he’ll have to settle for tilting the seat back as far as it will go and hoping it doesn’t cause further damage.
He sets the egg-pod to autopilot and grips Stone’s hand tightly. He’s looking over his face intently. Stone has started to go pale, his lips have started to turn blue (cyanosis. His mind supplies distantly), he’s sweating and his breaths are still far too shallow. But he’s awake. Still following the order given to him dutifully.
“Stone, talk to me. I need to keep you awake ok?” He also just needs to hear his voice but he doesn’t need to know that.
“Do-doctor…” Stone struggles to get out. He sounds so weak and Robotnik never wants to hear him sound like that again. “I need…you to listen…to me…if I don’t make it-”
“No.” Robotnik interrupts firmly, gripping his hand tighter. “You are not to talk like that, do you hear me?”
Stone starts chuckling and it breaks off into a horrible gasping, choking sound. “No offence doc…but I know how f-far away our base is. The odds are not…great.”
“Doubting me now, agent? You’ll make it. In fact I order you not to die.”
Stone chuckles again. “Lot of…orders today.” He turns towards Robotnik and there’s a look on his face. It’s softer, fond. Robotnik’s not sure why he does it but he’s lifting up his hand to gently brush against Stone’s cheek. Stone leans into the touch and it makes something in Robotnik’s chest tighten.
“You know…I think…you’re the only…person I ever…” He trails off and Robotnik wants him to continue desperately.
“Ever what Stone?”
“Loved.”
Oh.
Oh oh oh oh.
Robotnik thinks he might be a bit of an idiot because of course Stone loves him. He thinks back on all the signs and wants to kick himself.
And then he thinks back on his own feelings and wants to kick himself again for good measure. Because of course he loves Stone too. How could he not?
And then reality crashes back down on him and his body feels practically glacial. He could’ve…they could’ve…and now…
“I’m sorry sir…to burden you with my…f-feelings…I know how much you…hate those. But I…had to say it…”
Robotnik’s not conscious of his body moving but suddenly he is and he’s gipping Stone’s face tightly, possessively. He crashes their lips together and Stone makes a slight gasp against his mouth.
He’s not sure how to do this, he’s never kissed anyone before after all, but he’s always been a quick learner and the noises Stone is making are more than enough encouragement.
He can taste the blood on Stone’s lips and without thinking about it he licks it off. That should disgust him but it feels right and by the sound Stone makes he agrees.
Reluctantly, Robotnik pulls apart and oh. The look Stone is giving him. Complete and utter adoration. He wants to commit that look to memory.
But as with all good things in Robotnik’s life it must come to an end because suddenly Stone is coughing, violently. He’s practically bowing over with the force of it. There’s so much blood running through his fingers where he’s clutched them against his mouth.
Robotnik can’t move. He’s frozen in place and with a deadly certainty Robotnik knows what’s happening. Stone is dying and there’s nothing he can do to stop it.
He’s clutching at Stone desperately who is looking up at him in a daze. He thinks he’s saying something. Begging, pleading. Stone tries to say something but all that comes out is a wheeze. He’s clutching at Robotnik’s arm but the grip starts to loosen and eventually falls away.
Stone’s eyes start to close and Robotnik distantly registers that they’ve arrived at their base. Before the egg-pod even has a chance to fully touchdown he’s scooping Stone up and carrying him towards the lab. Stone is far too limp in his arms for his liking and he’s making these horrible gurgling noises.
“Clear off a table!” He orders his badniks and he places Stone upon it once the task is done.
Right. For all of his PHD’s Robotnik is not a medical doctor. Biology was not one of his areas of expertise, preferring instead to focus on machines. But he can do this. He has to do this.
He’s preparing to put on surgical gloves when Stone gives one final, horrifying wheeze and then all goes silent.
Robotnik turns towards the table.
Stone isn’t moving. His chest isn’t rising.
Shakily he checks for a pulse and he sobs when he doesn’t feel one.
He needs to administer CPR but he’s terrified of causing further damage to Stone’s lung. With the state it’s in he could end up causing further harm.
Right. AED it is. He’s never had to use one. First aid was always Stone’s expertise but he refuses to give up. It should be simple. Just follow the prompts.
He orders one of his badniks to retrieve the device. At the time that Stone purchased it he scoffed because why would they ever need it but now he is so incredibly grateful.
The device powers on too slowly for his liking. He’ll have to build a better one after this, he curses himself for his lack of foresight. He follows the instructions to the letter. He knows you need to provide chest compressions during this but there’s no way he can. Not with the state of Stone’s chest. He’ll have to rely on the device for this.
A shock is delivered.
Then two.
Then another.
Robotnik goes to check Stone’s pulse. Nothing.
He waits.
And waits.
And waits.
Why isn’t it working? Why isn’t it working?
The device re-anylyzes Stone’s heart and informs him what he already knows.
He thinks he flies into a rage after that. The lab is trashed as he grabs whatever he can in an effort to take out his anger on something. By the time it’s over he’s panting and shaking. He looks over at Stone’s…body and a sob is ripped from his throat.
He walks over to the table and falls to the floor next to it.
He had it. For a brief period of time he witnessed true happiness and now…
It’s with shocking clarity that he remembers how it came to this and the rage consumes him anew. He’ll make them pay. All of them. He needs them to suffer. Maybe he’ll kidnap the rats parents and force him to watch as he flays them alive. And then once he’s done with that he’ll burn everyone and everything on this miserable excuse for a planet.
On shaking legs he stands up, swaying slightly.
“I’ll make them pay Stone. I’ll dance on their corpses and laugh at their screams. You’d like that wouldn’t you?” He gently cradles his face. Like this Stone looks so peaceful. His face is still warm and Robotnik can pretend for one moment that he’s just sleeping. Any second he’ll wake up and look at Robotnik with that adoring expression on his face.
Robotnik leans down and kisses him again. He tries so hard to imagine that Stone is kissing back. He almost succeeds.
“Right. I’ll not be long Stone. Back in time for dinner. Promise.”
With one last look at his agent he leaves.
_ _ _ _ _ _
He succeeds in what he sets out to do. It brings him no comfort. After all, what is victory if he can’t share it with the man he loves? When he returns Stone is still there. Rigor mortis has started to set in and Robotnik crawls up onto the table with him. He’s cold now but Robotnik doesn’t mind. He can pretend that Stone was just out in the snow.
He cuddles up close to his body and holds him tightly. God, they should’ve done this ages ago. Why was he so stupid? He kisses Stone’s neck and despite the coldness of his skin it’s wonderful.
“I think I’ll stay here for a while, Stone. I don’t think you’ll mind.”
He’s just going to nap for a bit, he thinks. Then he’ll find a way to preserve Stone’s body so he can always have him near him. A burial is out of the question after they confessed to each other. He loves Stone and Stone loves him, he needs to keep him close now. Always.
It’s with this final thought that he falls asleep.
_ _ _ _ _ _
When he wakes up he’s back in his bed. Unusual, but he must have moved himself here in a sleepy haze. He stretches, feeling the effects of the previous day. He feels hollow. He needs to go see Stone’s body.
He gets up to do just that when he almost bumps into someone clearly about to enter his room. Immediately, he’s on high alert. Did someone break in? Impossible. The lair is impenetrable. He’s about to summon his badniks when the figure speaks.
“Sorry about that sir, I was just on my way to wake you.”
Robotnik freezes. That’s not possible. It can’t be. He raises his head and gets a good look at who he almost bumped into and he sobs with relief.
Stone’s alive. He doesn’t know how or why but he’s alive and real and it’s perfect.
He reaches up towards Stone’s face just to feel him and Stone tenses. He’s warm. Warm and alive. He moves his fingers down to feel his pulse and it’s there. A little fast but there. Stone swallows and he can feel that too and it’s wonderful.
“Um, sir?”
“You’re alive.” He breathes. He’s moved his hands back up to Stone’s face and is very gently rubbing his cheeks. Stone’s so red. It’s adorable.
“What is happening?” Stone says quietly. Robotnik doesn’t think he was meant to hear it.
A thought hits Robotnik. They confessed. They kissed. He would really like to do that again without the blood this time.
He leans in to do just that and Stone’s eyes widen before he’s pulling away.
He looks…tense? Had Robotnik misread? No, they very clearly expressed their feelings for each other. They kissed so why is Stone apprehensive now? Did he change his mind? Robotnik feels like it’s suddenly too hard to breathe. He doesn’t know what he’ll do if things go back to how they were after that. He doesn’t think he could bear it.
“No offence sir but you’re acting strange. I don’t think you’re yourself right now. I don’t know what happened but I think we should hold off on the plan and…other things.”
“What…? Plan? What are you talking about? Explain. Now.” Robotnik has a horrifying feeling he knows what Stone’s going to say and he laser focuses on it. Panic momentarily forgotten.
Stone tilts his head. “Yes. The time travel plan?” He says slowly. Like he’s afraid for Robotnik’s mental state.
Robotnik thinks he says other stuff but he can’t hear him because that horrifying feeling is growing and suddenly the panic is back. The machine didn’t malfunction and send him back a day. It stuck him in a time loop.
“Motherfucker.”