Tails the Fox
Chapter 11 - Rouletar's Game
Stage 05 - Glitter Casino

2BIT: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and 
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?

Sonic was on his way to Tails Workshop, wondering why GUN would think he'd do anything against them. Once there, he found Amy, Cream and Cheese waiting for him. But Tails wasn't there. "Where'd Tails go?" Sonic asked Amy. But Amy didn't care about his question. "Sonic, didn't you hear how Eggman captured me this morning?! Where were you!?" Amy was obviously upset that Sonic never showed up to rescue her that morning. But since Amy wasn't hurt, Sonic wasn't going to be bothered by her complaints. He asked Cream, instead. "Cream, have you seen Tails?"

"He went back to Station Square to look for you." Cream replied. "He took his new robot, SPOT, too."

"SPOT..." Sonic had wondered what SPOT stands for ever since Tails showed him the robot. He asked Cream, but she didn't know. "Oh, well," Sonic said, "Gotta go!"

"Hey! Sonic! Wait for me!!" Amy shouted. But Sonic was too fast and was already out of sight. "Fine, Sonic! I see how it is! See if I save you if you get captured!"

So, Sonic hopped on the train to Station Square. After asking around, Sonic learned that Tails had wandered into the new casino, Glitter Casino. But when Sonic got there, he found that it was overrun with Eggman's robots! "Here we go again!" Sonic groaned. "Eggman never learns!"

Luckily, Tails wasn't hard to find. He was near the entrance to the casino, smashing up Eggman's new "Glitter Pawns." With Sonic's help, they were scrap in no time.

"Hey, Tails! What's up?" Sonic asked. "GUN's troops were chasing me this morning! Any idea why they'd do that?"

Of course, Tails had no idea. "I don't know, Sonic, but I think there's a Chaos Emerald in this casino! SPOT ran off ahead, detecting something, and since you're here, he's not detecting you, so it's gotta be an emerald!"

"All right, I'll get it!" Sonic declared. "Which way did SPOT go?" And the two set out in search of the robot.


Meanwhile, someone else had reached the casino, too. Copter was watching Sonic, keeping himself hidden by the crowds at the slot machines. "Sonic is after the Chaos Emerald after all. I don't have time for this. I'll find that emerald first, and I know the perfect diversion for Sonic!"


There was a large, fancy water fountain in the center of the casino. Various aquatic creature statues were poking their heads out of the water and shooting a jet of water back into the fountain. Above the fountain, the roof exploded, and a large, red and green robot resembling a walking slot machine crashed through the roof! The number on it read "E-777." "I am Rouletar! Your luck's run out, Sonic!" the robot roared.

Sonic and Tails ran carefully past the crowds of fleeing senior citizens. (Who else?) Rouletar jumped down from the fountain and began spinning its slots. Sonic, in an attempt to damage the robot, curled into a ball and jumped at Rouletar. (as he does for most of Eggman's robots.) However, he simply bounced off of it. Tails ran up to Sonic holding a scanner. "Sonic! That thing's armor is too tough for a direct attack! You need to try something else!"
What else could be done?

Rouletar's slots stopped on three sevens. "Lucky you, Sonic! You win the jackpot; of pain!" The robot's "mouth" opened up and began firing razor-edged coins at Sonic! Of course, Sonic was too fast for them, and quckly got out of the way. However, he wasn't the target...

Tails barely managed to dodge the first wave of coins, when another barrage came soaring at him! Sonic saw his friend was in trouble, so he rushed in to help. But there was no time! The coins would hit in another second! They flew closer and closer, with Tails unable to escape...

They hit...a wall?!

SPOT had arrived in the nick of time and erected a steel shield that came from a hatch on his back! Clutched in SPOT's "teeth" was a white Chaos Emerald! "Good job, SPOT! You found it already!" Tails said, relieved that he wasn't hit.

Amidst the confusion, Rouletar completed another spin. The winner: three Eggmans! "You will be crushed before the might of the Eggman Empire!" Rouletar said triumphantly as the "mouth" opened again, this time firing spikey metal balls that covered the floor, but didn't roll far. Sonic and Tails would now have difficulty getting close to the robot. However, Tails had an idea. "Sonic, aim for its mouth! We can destroy that thing from inside!"

Sonic wasn't sure that was a good idea. "It's full of weapons. I don't wanna be skewered in the process of beating this guy!"

Tails thought for a moment. "Distract him, Sonic! I'll handle it!" Tails said, tossing the Chaos Emerald to Sonic. "Right..." Sonic said in an unsure tone. He ran at the Rouletar, careful not to touch the spike balls. "Catch me if you can, dizzy!"

Rouletar finished another spin: three skull & crossbones. "Now you die!!" the robot roared, starting to open its mouth.

Tails, thinking fast, flew over its head from behind and tossed SPOT at the mouth. SPOT opened the hatch on his back and flipped in midair, dropping bombs into the mouth, then landing gracefully in front of the robot. SPOT then made a dash for cover. "Ooooh, fudge..." Rouletar mumbled before exploding from the inside out, collapsing in a heap!

"Great thinking, Tails!" Sonic said, excitedly. "We did it!"

Clapping was heard behind them, so Sonic and Tails turned around to see Copter and Alpha. "Well done, you two. Although I could have done better." Copter said. "Now, your luck's REALLY run out! Hand over that Chaos Emerald, or you'll have to deal with Copter the Fox!"

To be continued...