The early morning sun shimmered off the calm waters of the beach. A gentle breeze rustled the palm trees as waves rolled lazily up the shore. Everything felt strangely still… until something stirred near the water’s edge.

Someone lay there, groggy, confused — no memory, no sense of how they’d ended up on this strange, colorful island.

A shadow suddenly loomed overhead. There, hands on hips and wearing a wide, self-satisfied grin, stood Dr. Eggman. His mustache twitched with interest as he leaned in closer, inspecting the newcomer like a scientist admiring a mildly interesting rock.

“Well, what do we have here?” he said, voice full of exaggerated curiosity. “A mysterious stranger, washed ashore, no doubt sent by the universe to either ruin my day… or make it incredibly interesting. Either way, I’m intrigued!”

Eggman straightened up and dramatically paced a few steps in the sand, one hand stroking his mustache in thought.

“Now, normally I’d assume you’re some kind of new recruit for Sonic’s little club of meddlers,” he said, glancing suspiciously toward the nearby jungle, “but you don’t look like you can run at supersonic speeds. Or… at normal speeds, really.”

He snapped his fingers and summoned Orbot and Cubot, who rolled up behind him with their usual bickering.

“Take note, gentlemen!” Eggman declared, striking a heroic pose. “Today may mark the beginning of Operation: Befriend-and-Then-Maybe-Exploit-This-Newcomer!”

Orbot pulled out a clipboard. “Do you want me to spell that exactly as you said it, sir?”

“Obviously!” Eggman snapped, before turning his attention back with a huge, fake-friendly smile. “Sooooo… Welcome! You’re lucky you ran into me first. Really. It’s like winning the lottery! If the lottery was rigged, and the prize was mostly questionable.”

He stepped closer, offering a hand — suspiciously casual — clearly thinking very hard about how he could twist this situation to his advantage without actually having a plan yet.

In the distance, the faint sound of Sonic’s voice could be heard — getting closer.

Eggman’s smile tightened. “Better decide fast, new kid. You can stick with yours truly, or wait for Blue Blur and Friends to come crashing in. Spoiler alert: they’re not nearly as stylish.”