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Dr. Eggman was, objectively, a genius. This was fact. You only had to look at his numerous achievements in robotics, engineering, and programming. His modular vehicles alone were an accomplishment worthy of a prize, if not for the fact that he was using them for world domination.
He was not, however, a genius when it came to tactics.
This, Orbot reflected, was probably why Dr. Eggman had not tried this plan sooner.
"An underwater base! It's perfect!" Eggman was currently proclaiming his superiority to his bathroom mirror, having been inspired while in the bath. "That loathsome hedgehog can't swim! I'll build underwater; there's a massive lake in the Mystic Jungle that'll be perfect, and then I can use the rivers to move my machines. Brilliant!" There was a rattle as he pulled his moustache comb from one of the drawers and hastily groomed his facial hair. "He won't be able to cut my supply lines or ambush them. And if he does try, well... I'm sure I can rig up traps that would keep him under the water... yes, yes, that sounds perfect...."
With a slam, he threw the comb back in its drawer and rounded the corner out of the bathroom. Orbot was deeply and truly grateful he'd gotten dressed before leaving this time. He might be able to delete parts of his memory, but the RAM chip for those parts would never be clean again.
"Orbot! Find Cubot and get the production lines rolling!" Eggman barked. "I want a full oxygen recycling system by the end of the day. We've outmaneuvered them this time!"
Something was bothering Orbot. "Erm, boss, it's a great idea, but-"
"Don't 'but' me! Hop to it! I've got modifications to make to the Eggmobile."
"... but can't the others swim?" Orbot finished, if only for himself.
"None of them are any good in the water," Eggman said as he rummaged for his favorite pair of welding goggles in his nightstand. "At least not good enough for it to matter. It's not like any of them are fish."
Orbot thought about this. It was true, none of the Restoration were exactly aquatic lifeforms, but something was on the tip of his speech module.
"Now, enough blabbering - get out there and get moving!"
"Yes, sir," said Orbot. If he couldn't remember what it was, then it wasn't that important.
A week later, Restoration HQ received a communication from a scout in the Mystic Jungle. "Jewel's suspicions justified. Eggman definitely up to something." There wasn't any further clarification.
Jewel, upon reviewing this, sat back in her chair and considered her options. Raising a panic would hardly do anyone any good, so an official investigation was out. The Diamond Cutters were busy dealing with an incident in Spagonia - something about a machine producing angry legumes. However, one idea did have merit....
Finding secrets was what detectives were for, right?
It wasn't what Vector considered traditional detective work, but it was hardly good business to turn down the head of the Restoration. And besides, if the information was correct, it would mean stopping one of Eggman's plans. It would be good for the Restoration, good for the Chaotix's reputation, and good for Mystic Jungle - everyone won.
Well, except Eggman. But he didn't count.
Unfortunately for this scenario, the jungle was expansive. In order to cover more ground, the Chaotix had split up. Charmy was patrolling above the treetops, while Espio went from branch to branch with his customary swiftness. This left the waterways to Vector, which suited him just fine. He plunged through the rivers, enjoying the feeling of his muscles working with or against the currents. He was strong, sure, but this let him flex a different kind of power - one he didn't get to make use of very often.
Thus far, his search hadn't borne fruit. Neither had his partners' own efforts. The anticipation was the worst part, really. He could handle combat, he enjoyed detective work, he even liked puzzling over paperwork in the office on occasion. But having nothing to do but simply look around was difficult to bear.
He swam towards the mouth of the river he currently occupied as he considered this. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shift in the waters - subtle, but tangible. He stopped and found a quiet, lazy shallow to float in, blending in with the fallen trunks and mossy stones near the riverbank. Nothing above the surface had changed. Vector closed his eyes. The ambient noise of the jungle faded into focus....
There! Among the insects and bird calls, an unnatural splash. Something had fallen - or been pulled - into the lake ahead. From the sound of it, something heavy. Nothing else followed. That was enough to raise his suspicions. A good detective followed his gut, after all.
With a deep breath, Vector submerged himself silently. With a flick of his tail, he was swooping through the water, ready to search the lakebed.
It didn't take long. While he wasn't a fish or a frog, Vector's eyes were still better underwater than most others' would be. Slipping behind a convenient outcropping, he settled in to watch.
It was some kind of construction, being assembled by machines. Anyone even passingly familiar with Eggman would recognize the trademark rounded shapes of his Egg Pawns. Whatever they were building was still incomplete, but it was clearly huge. Domes and cylinders connected with each other, half-finished as they were. It looked like some kind of building, probably a base of some kind. The Pawns shuttled materials back and forth, welding plates of steel into place. Every single one had a snorkel welded to its face and a pair of flippers - Eggman was nothing if not dedicated to maintaining a theme. Crates sat nearby, labeled with letters stamped into their metal: "REACTOR PARTS," "OXYGEN RECYCLING," and "HOT TUB," to name a few.
Definitely Eggman's work. He was building a new base here.
Vector internally debated the merits of calling the rest of the team. Espio and Charmy could be here quickly, but how quickly? Would it matter? Perhaps it would be better just to observe and report back, rather than-
"Get moving, you hunks of metal!" a voice boomed through the water. "This new vehicle can only go so fast, I need the rest of you actually working!"
Well, that changed things. If Eggman himself was here, then now was the time to act.
Vector flattened himself against the outcropping, inching slowly around to figure out the best angle of attack. If he played this right, he might even be able to apprehend Eggman. He'd need a good plan, and more than a little luck, but....
Eggman's newest vehicle drifted into view. Or, more accurately, it swam. The Eggmobile was plugged in as a cockpit, of course, while the rest of the machine was built long and thin, with webbed limbs that stretched out and paddled through the water in familiar motions. Whenever it came to a stop, it pivoted and spread itself out to float in place until Eggman took it in some new direction.
"The Egg Frog isn't built for speed, you know!" Eggman continued ranting, his orders pumping into the water through external speakers. Vector noted that he wasn't actually doing much to assemble the base. Other than yelling at his robots, anyway.
Okay, so, scratch "more than a little luck." As odd as the machine was, the Egg Frog looked built for agility when submerged. He'd need a lot more than just luck to pin Eggman down here. But this was the water. Vector was in his element. He tensed, jabbed the S.O.S. beacon on his communicator, and took off.
Eggman was halfway through another shouted order when Vector collided with the Egg Frog, sending it spinning across the lake. Muffled expletives could be heard from the speakers as Eggman fought to get himself back upright in his seat. "The crocodile?" he exclaimed. From his muttering immediately after, he'd forgotten that Sonic's network of friends included Vector. "Bah, no matter. I'll turn you into a suitcase!"
Vector pressed the attack. Unfortunately, as slow as the Egg Pawns were to work, they were unfairly quick to defend their master. Four of them pulled up and formed a wall in front of him, absorbing the impact of his next blow. One of them crumpled a bit, having taken most of the hit, but the other three were unharmed. The crocodile flicked his tail and wheeled away, seeking a new angle of attack.
Two Egg Pawns swam after him, hands extended. Knowing Eggman, they had shock devices installed in those hands, so Vector reasoned it would be best to not find out. With a pull against the water, he whipped himself towards the lakebed. He slashed into the sand and gravel with his tail, creating a cloud that quickly engulfed his pursuers. They stopped, unable to see their target.
One moment passed. Two.
Vector grabbed the two robots and crushed their heads together, lunging out of the murk like a phantom. He kicked off the wrecked metal, swooping back towards his original target.
As futile as their efforts had been, the two Egg Pawns had bought time for their comrades to assemble. What must have been a dozen more had formed up, flippers fluttering as they swam in an interference pattern, bodily blocking Vector from getting a clear shot at Eggman. It would take too long to work through all of them, so Vector adjusted his plan. Rather than forward, he went up.
Some of the robots pursued him, spurred on by Eggman's ranting. Vector ignored the mad scientist - it was always the same taunting. With a quick, powerful push, he broke the surface like a rocket.
As soon as he was airborne, Vector took a deep breath. He knew the robots would be coming right after him. No time to delay for a better dive. He twisted in midair, re-orienting himself to plunge headfirst back into the fray. One Egg Pawn surfaced and was coming after him. Vector kept twisting, whipping his tail with enough force to catch his opponent and send it flying.
Back into the water. Vector shot past the other pursuing robots, which grabbed clumsily for him. There was a dull whoomp from above as the robot he'd tail-whipped exploded. He didn't stop to congratulate himself, only taking it as an encouragement to move faster.
Vector corkscrewed through the water, dodging past another Egg Pawn. Momentum was everything in an underwater fight, and he had to keep as much as he could manage with his formidable frame. Eggman had expected that he'd come back for another attack, and was already shouting orders for another wall. "Defensive formation! Don't let that reptile near me!"
Five of them swam forward, spreading out into a net. Vector, keeping the momentum from his dive, twisted right. His tail was a rudder, letting him turn far faster than the robots could deal with. He swept into one's blind spot and bit down on its leg, before using his inertia to spin and whip it into its fellows. The screaming of metal on metal, muted by the water, indicated he'd aimed well enough.
It was small, but it was an opening. Vector kept going, eyes locked on Eggman and his Egg Frog. Eggman recognized when he was in danger - which, in fairness, was pretty much any time he was near someone he hadn't built himself - and thus yanked the controls of his vehicle to pivot and run. Or, in this case, swim. The machine twisted and angled itself to kick away.
One of the remaining Egg Pawns caught up to Vector and clamped a hand around his ankle. This one didn't have an electrical device installed, but the added weight suddenly jerked him to a halt. And while he had the lung capacity of a healthy swimmer AND a musician, it wouldn't last forever. One Egg Pawn weighing him down could quickly turn into four, at which point Eggman could just leave him to drown. Obviously, he would prefer that not to happen.
Vector let the weight carry him down towards the lakebed again, before delivering a shattering blow to his attacker using his tail. Against a living thing, the wallop would have likely sent them reeling from the impact, dizzy and disoriented. The metal of the robot, however, just dented. He swiped again, hoping for a better angle, and drove the machine's head into its torso slightly. This was enough to get it to let go, flailing. Vector kicked off of it and resumed his pursuit.
Catching up to Eggman wasn't easy, but now they were leaving his reinforcements behind. Vector pushed harder, hoping to get to his target before the mad doctor could escape yet again. The Egg Frog was angled upwards, clearly breaking for the surface. The Egg Pawns had done their job - delayed Vector long enough that he wouldn't be able to do much more than get within reach of a limb....
With a final burst of effort, Vector lunged forward and did the first thing he could think to do. He bit down on the Egg Frog's back leg.
The sudden jolt shook Eggman from the controls, as he bounced against the plexiglass bubble of the cockpit. Furious, he turned to see Vector literally taking a bite out of his machine. The doctor couldn't resist the urge to taunt his opponent. "What are you going to do now, you big oaf? Shake me like a dog? My minions are right behind you."
This was true. There was no time to come up with a clever answer. Instead, Vector did the first thing his instincts told him to do. He put his entire weight into a roll.
Eggman had the briefest of moments to realize what was about to happen before his seat rolled out from under him. Before he could even finish an "uh oh," Vector rolled like a log going downhill, somehow managing to pull the Egg Frog into the same motion. Screaming indignantly, Eggman bounced around the cockpit, hitting window, then armrest, then control panel, then cupholder, then the seat back, then the cupholder again. Why had he made the blasted thing so sturdy?
After what seemed like an eternity, Eggman realized Vector simply wouldn't stop. At least, not any time soon. He fumbled for a switch, any switch, something that could get the crocodile to loosen his grip. He reflected that after all the times Sonic had sent him careening out of control, one would think he'd be used to finding buttons while disoriented. Then the side of the Eggmobile came up to meet his face, and the train of thought derailed. Less thinking, more flailing, he told himself.
His fingers found a button. It was a large one. Probably red, too. It would suffice. After three attempts, the mad genius succeeded in slapping the button. The eject alarms went off, and he tried to grab the controls before he was launched.
Vector, despite the spinning, felt his load lighten. In a flurry of bubbles, the Eggmobile broke away and sped towards the surface. Vector released the now-inactive mech, took a moment to right himself, and took off after it. Unfortunately, as powerful a swimmer as he was, Vector couldn't keep up with the Eggmobile. They broke the surface, one after the other, but hover engines took Eggman out of his reach.
Vector landed on the lake shore, tucking and rolling. He glared after the retreating Eggmobile. He didn't have time to start chasing it on foot, however, as the remaining Egg Pawns surfaced and began to surround him. One or two fell over, having tripped over their flippers. Wordlessly, he sighed and took up a ready stance.
One charged, but before it could even get close to Vector, it was cut down by a flurry of shuriken. The others quickly followed suit. Relaxing, Vector turned to see Espio landing gracefully on the ground.
"Nice moves," said Vector, who received a stoic nod of acknowledgement.
"Sorry I wasn't faster," Espio said. He looked towards the rapidly-shrinking vehicle in the sky. "Eggman, I assume."
"Yeah. Trashed the base he was trying to build, though." Vector straightened up and stretched. "Come on. Let's grab Charmy and head back. The Restoration can clean this place up."
As the Eggmobile drifted away, Eggman tried to stop his head from spinning. His stomach heaved. He flopped over the seat as best he could. "Eugh," he muttered. "Now I know how Cubot and Orbot feel when I lock them in the dryer."
Back to the drawing board, he supposed. The next plan would be better. No more submersibles. High in the air was safer. Much safer.
Eggman's stomach heaved again. It would be a while before he could look at a fish tank without feeling sick.