Another thing about Sonic 2.
When Robotnik has control over the Master Emerald, the world is fully at his disposal. If he can dream it, he can build it exactly as he pleases. In this tumblr post, I’m going to analyze the design of the Giant Eggman Robot and the effort Robotnik takes to protect Stone.
Robotnik stands in the center of the Giant Eggman Robot head. He is centered and facing forward, so he can effectively react to anything coming his way. However, Stone is sat at a control panel inside of the nose of the Giant Eggman Robot facing Robotnik and away from the front of the robot. If Robotnik wanted Stone to be as useful as possible to the fight, it makes sense that he would face forward with him, but Robotnik clearly wanted Stone to watch him throughout the fight.
The control panel is intricate. It most certainly is outfitted with sensors and cameras around the mech, so it’s not necessarily for Stone to face the front of the battle with Robotnik. Regardless, Robotnik wants to see Stone and for Stone to see him.
Halfway through the battle, Stone is knocked out. Robotnik is bothered by this but has to continue without him. Stone lays unconscious on the floor of the nose of the mech. Later, Knuckles punches Robotnik causing him and the mech to collapse. As he’s falling face first, he jerks his body to the side. Cut to a wide exterior shot, and the mech has fallen onto its chest, sparing the nose-and Stone-from being crushed. Then, Super Sonic decapitates the mech, and it falls to the ground. The last scene of Sonic 2 is Agent Stone wearing a stolen G.U.N. uniform with a small cut on his cheek bone. In Sonic 3 we see that not only was he mostly unharmed, he was able to carry Robotnik on his back to safety and deliver him to a hospital.
In other words, Stone fell not once but twice inside the mech and was virtually unharmed. It seems impossible that he would not be injured.
UNLESS. Robotnik saved him too.
Either, Robotnik built the nose of the mech with extra protection to keep Stone safe. In that act, he would have acknowledged the possibility that he might fail and that Stone would have to be protected or that Stone would be too precious to him to risk bringing him into battle without extra assurance. Or, after Stone is knocked out Robotnik diverts his attention to secure Stone realizing that his odds of winning the battle were diminishing. That would have kept him safe during both falls.
I tend to lean towards the second option. Robotnik thought his victory was certain, so there was no need for extra protection. He was protection enough. But then Stone gets injured, Robotnik is shaken momentarily and builds something to protect Stone while he still has the Master Emerald. That’s why his only injury is the cut he obtained when he flew out of his chair. (I also think he would have given Stone a seatbelt at least if it was the first option.)
Robotnik thought he might lose, and he took his last moments of ultimate power to protect Stone. He gave Stone protection he did not give himself. That choice led to Robotnik “breaking every bone and puncturing every organ in his body”. That was the better option than risking Stone’s health and life. Stone may not even realize that is how he escaped the fight with only one scratch.
