Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Angel Island

Things had changed a bit for Knuckles since the addition of Kat to his life. He used to spend his days doing nothing but guarding the Master Emerald, but now he had someone new to protect as well, and a friend to spend time with. At the moment, the two of them were in the midst of a training bout, with Kat armed with a stone club while Knuckles himself was unarmed. Not that it mattered for the super-strong echidna.

"C'mon Kat, is that all you've got?!" Knuckles demanded, a smirk on his face as he expertly dodged her attack.

"I'm just getting started!" she replied, grinning from ear to ear.

Kat charged at him, swinging a large, stone club right at him. He slid under it, kicking her legs out from under her. She landed and rolled, preparing to get up. Before the fight could continue, both of them were suddenly hit with a wave of unease and nausea.

"What the hell…?" Knuckles managed.

"What's going on?" Kat questioned, holding her stomach. "I feel sick…"

Unbeknownst to either of them, deep within the jungle, the ground began to glow with an ominous purple light. Red electricity began to violently discharge from the ground before a wave of energy engulfed all of Angel Island. Space itself seemed to twist and distort around the island as it rumbled before slowly descending to the surface like a meteor…

Knothole

In Freedom HQ, the FF were lounging around, bored, when Nicole started beeping.

"Incoming call from Mobotropolis," Sally reported, pressing a button.

"Turn to SSTV News right now, kids," Jules' voice came. "There's something on it you need to see."

Sally turned to Sonic, who quickly turned on the news. On-screen, a human woman with red hair and green eyes, dressed in an orange jacket and matching skirt over a red blouse, was making a report.

"This is Scarlet Garcia with a shocking report. For the second time in as many months, the fabled Angel Island is crashing into the ocean."

Amateur footage began playing, showing Angel Island falling out of the sky. Sonic and co. all perked, their attention grabbed.

"It's falling again?" Tails asked. "Something must have happened to the Master Emerald. I just hope Knuckles and Kat are okay."

Sonic was already on his feet.

"Get the Tornado ready, Tails. I smell a rotten egg,"

"No," Sally cut in. "We're taking the Special. All of us."

"Sal-" Sonic began to object.

"You listen to me, Sonic," Sally said firmly. "I'm not letting you and Tails head back to that island by yourselves. Not after what happened the last time you were there."

By this point, the rest of the Freedom Fighters had tuned into the conversation.

"Yeah, what exactly happened back there?" Bunnie asked. "Ya never told us, sugar."

"You…" Sally pinched the bridge of her nose. "You never told them?"

"You and I are the only ones who know, Sally," Tails confessed. "I figured we'd wait and let him tell them when he was ready."

"And guess what? I'm not ready," Sonic declared. "We're wasting time, anyway. We need to go."

"Maybe we should hold off on that until you tell us what's been going on," Johnny insisted.

"Why the hell do you care?" Sonic spat, irate.

"I dunno, because we're your friends?" Johnny suggested rhetorically.

"Honestly, you haven't been yourself since the first time," Rotor added. "And we never did go back for the survivors."

Realizing they were backed into a corner, Tails gave in. "Because there was only one. Eggman decided the rest had worn out their usefulness. By the time we got to the island, it was too late."

Everyone looked horrified at that.

"Mon dieu…" Antoine let out. "Sonic…"

"Save your pity, Ant," Sonic snapped. "I don't want or need it."

"That's not even getting into the fact that when they met the sole survivor, she ended up beating Sonic senseless," Sally added, getting a wince from Sonic.

"What?!" Bunnie shrieked. "Why would she do that?!"

"I'm with Bunnie," Shorty added. "Why the hell would she attack Sonic?"

"You went to the island to help her, and that's how she thanks you?!" Porker demanded. "Why?!"

At that, Sonic just snapped.

"BECAUSE I FAILED HER!"

You could hear a pin drop from how silent it became. Everyone was staring at him in complete shock, having never seen him so emotional, or so upset.

"I left her, her family, and hundreds of others behind on that blasted Death Egg! She saw me, called out to me, counted on me… and I left her behind… I left her to die…"

His hand went to his rib automatically as he thought that.

"If I had bothered to look when I had the chance... if I hadn't just assumed the slaves I bailed out were the only ones, Kat's family and all those other innocent people would still be alive! Every day, I play that scenario over and over in my head. Try to work out what I could have done differently. But it all boils down to one thing... I didn't bother to look, and I hate myself for it."

He took a shaky breath, just barely controlling himself at this point. "Kat had every right to do what she did, and I won't let anyone hold it against her. She needed it... and I deserved it.

"Wait…" Rotor interjected, finally finding his voice, "Are you saying-?"

Sally nodded. "Sonic let Kat pummel him."

Amy put a hand to her mouth. "Oh, Sonic…

Sonic just rubbed his eyes. "We need to go see what happened. So if you're gonna come, then let's just go."

He headed for the hangar without another word.

"It all makes sense now," Mina realized. "What he said at the dungeon... how he'd get out with all of the prisoners or not get out at all…"

"He's been hurting so much all this time, and none of us knew a thing," Chris said sadly.

"He needs us now more than ever," Keith noted. "We'll go with him. All of us."

"Agreed," said Porker. "Besides, I want to see this sole survivor."

The Special was flying toward Angel Island in no time. While still irate, Sonic looked much better now that he had gotten that off of his chest. Tails sat down next to him.

"You good?" he asked.

Sonic just shrugged. "I'll live."

"I know that wasn't easy, but it was for the best," Tails remarked, "Bottling up your emotions, keeping that to yourself... it's not good for you."

"I do feel a bit better," Sonic admitted. "But I don't like the idea of everyone going to the island, especially Bunnie and Shorty. If Sticks reacted badly to seeing them the first time, what do you think's gonna happen when Kat does?"

Tails winced at that. "We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

Angel Island

The Special touched down on the beach. As they all disembarked, they looked around.

"So this is the fabled Angel Island," Porker mused. "It's a lot bigger than I imagined."

"The shrine's this way," Sonic told them. "We'll find Knuckles and Kat there."

As they went into the jungle, Sonic soon stopped short, hearing a twig snap, before the bushes began to rustle.

"Everyone stop," he warned. "Something's up ahead."

He tiptoed to where he heard the rustling, and a figure jumped out with a yell. Sonic met them halfway, and they were soon rolling and wrestling on the ground. A second figure came running out with a scream of their own, making a beeline for Shortfuse and Bunnie. A stone club was brought down on Shortfuse as a kick was delivered to Bunnie's stomach. Sally immediately grabbed the attacker, getting them in a submission hold before pinning them to the ground, allowing the group to get a good look at them. Tails' eyes widened.

"Kat?!" he exclaimed.

Sonic had his attacker pinned by the shoulders and got a good look himself.

"Knuckles?!" the hedgehog let out.

Knuckles relaxed upon seeing Sonic, and Kat ceasing her struggles as well.

"Sonic?" the echidna said. "Of course, you're here. Mind letting us up?"

Sonic backed off and let Knuckles get up, Sally releasing Kat as well. The second she was free, Kat scrambled to her feet and over to Knuckles. She was watching all of them with suspicion and concern.

"Sorry about that," Sonic told them. "Thought you were someone else."

"Same here," Knuckles admitted.

"Who are all these people?" Kat questioned, her eyes falling onto Bunnie and Shorty in particular.

Tails gestured to the group. "Meet the Knothole Freedom Fighters. We came to check on the island when we heard it fell from the sky again."

Sally stepped forward, holding out her hand to introduce herself. "We're sorry for trespassing, but given what happened the last time the island fell, we felt it was pertinent to check it out."

Knuckles looked Sally up and down, his eyes squinting as he attempted to sift through what few memories of his past he still retained. "I'm sorry but... do I know you? You seem... familiar somehow."

Sally looked confused, then it clicked. "I think you do. You're Knuckles of the House of Edmund, right? Son of Locke, the chief?"

"Yeah, that's-" Knuckles then perked, the pieces falling into place for himself as well. "Princess Sally Acorn? Well, ain't this a surprise."

Much to everyone's surprise, Sally ran over, hugging him. "Knuckles! Oh Aurora, it's been years!"

"That it has." Knuckles gently returned the hug, thankfully having grown used to physical affection thanks to Kat's arrival. "Man, you're looking good. A bit less regal than I expected."

Sonic scratched the side of his head. "Okay, now I'm confused."

"Seconded," Kat agreed. "Knux, what's going on?"

"Remember when I said Knuckles' name sounded familiar, Sonic?" Sally asked. "Now I remember why. My father would meet with his father on Angel Island when we were little. I always went with him, and Knuckles and I hung out while our dads were discussing things."

"One of the few memories I retain of a time before the Echidna vanished," Knuckles mused. "Last time we saw each other was when I was eight."

"I do hate to interrupt this... surprising reunion," Antoine cut in, "But why exactly is your island no longer airborne?"

"Right, that..." Knuckles shook his head, his concern evident. "Something's interfering with the Master Emerald. Something... dark."

"Both of us just suddenly felt ill, then everything shook, the emerald's light faltered, and we crashed," Kat added. "We were heading to investigate when we heard your plane. We figured it could have been Robotnik… and here we are now."

"Something's affecting the Emerald's power?" Tails let out, his concern evident. "That's not good. Not good at all."

"As Kat said, we were just about to go and investigate," Knuckles said. "I'm guessing you'll want to make sure this isn't some Robotnik scheme."

Sonic just nodded.

"Then follow us," Knuckles declared. "We'll lead the way."

Kat looked more than a little uneasy about that and pulled Knuckles aside for a brief moment. "Knuckles, are you sure it's wise to bring all of them with us?"

"What are you talking about?" Knuckles questioned, clearly confused. "We're gonna need all the help we can get on this."

"It's just..." her eyes darted over to Bunnie and Shortfuse, something that didn't go unnoticed by the two, "I'm just not sure it's a good idea to bring all of them. Especially if this is something Robotnik is behind."

Even though she was trying to be discrete, the two Freedom Fighters in question were able to read between the lines and realize what she was saying. Bunnie looked away, rubbing her metal arm with an air of shame. However, Shortfuse was nowhere near as contained.

"Excuse you?" he snapped, causing Kat to jump. "If you've got a problem with us, how about saying it to our faces!"

Kat let out a high-pitched squeak, turning to Shortfuse with a frightened look. "I- It's not like that. I'm just... I'm only..."

"Only what?" Shortfuse crossed his arms, glaring at Kat as she shrank behind Knuckles. "Go on, spit it out!"

"Shorty, dial it back a bit," Bunnie told him, placing a hand on his shoulder as he sputtered slightly. Once she was sure the Cybernik wouldn't be saying anything more, she turned to Kat with a disarming smile. "Look, I understand you're just worried about your friend, but neither Shorty nor I want to hurt either of you. We're victims of Robotnik just like you, Kat. You don't need to be scared of us."

"Machines aren't evil on their own, y'know," Tails added. "They don't attack of their own free will. They only do it because people like Robotnik make them that way."

Kat didn't seem convinced, and she kept rubbing her right arm while tugging at the leather wrappings covering the burnt flesh. Still, she did back down slightly when Knuckles took her hand.

"Hey," he said softly, gently squeezing her hand, "They're with Sonic, right? Do you think they would be here if Sonic didn't trust them?"

Kat shook her head slightly. "No..."

"Exactly, so that means they're safe. That means you're safe."

Kat took a deep breath, letting it out. It was shaky, to say the least, but she did seem to be calmer. "Okay. I'm... sorry..."

"It's alright, hun" Bunnie assured her. "Right, Shorty?"

Shortfuse just shrugged. "Yeah, sure, whatever."

"Well then," Knuckles clapped his hands together, "Just follow me and we'll get to work on the hunt for the source of this interference."

-X-

The motley group made their way through the dense jungles of Angel Island, Knuckles at the head. As they marched, Sonic hung back to talk to Bunnie and Shortfuse.

"Sorry about that," he told them. "Tails and I never really thought of how Kat would react when she saw you."

"I'm used to it by now," Bunnie said simply. "Besides, the poor girl's been through a lot, and she's not seen any benevolent robo-folks."

Shortfuse was much less understanding. "We didn't do anything to her, and she's being a -!"

"Shorty, dial down on the hostility," Sonic cut in sternly. "She went through total and absolute hell because of Eggman and his Badniks. It only makes sense she'd be scared of robots, even you."

"But I'm not a Badnik…" Shortfuse clenched his fists. "I'm not…"

Sally, meanwhile, was talking to Kat and Knuckles as they went along.

"I'm sorry about Shorty," she told them. "He's not happy about being stuck in that armor."

"Armor?" Kat repeated, sounding confused. "I thought he was a Robian."

"No," Sally shook her head. "He's an organic battery for a new model of mechanical soldiers called a Cybernik. He hasn't been able to eat normal food or feel anything since he got sealed in that armor." She sighed. "Compared to that, even Bunnie feels just having her legs and arm roboticized was a slap on the wrist."

"Can't Sonic just crack it open with a Spin Dash like all the others?" Knuckles asked. "I've seen that thing tear through several of Robotnik's robots the first time he came here."

"Sadly, no," Sally replied. "It's made of Megatal, the strongest metal on Mobius."

"That's awful..." Kat looked away, shame rolling in her gut. "I- I didn't think... I mean I've seen the Roboticizer in action, but a suit... that's so much worse..."

"Hey," Sally put a hand on her shoulder, "You didn't know, and you have every right to be wary. But I can assure you, neither Bunnie nor Shorty are evil or on Robotnik's side. They're the good guys."

Kat let out a breath, then nodded, finally starting to believe that to be true.

-X-

The group arrived in the jungle and immediately hid in the bushes when they saw a group of five Egg Robos in the midst of an excavation.

"Robotnik's already here?!" Rotor hissed.

"How are we just now knowing about this?" Knuckles demanded.

"They must have showed up while we were busy with the Freedom Fighters," Kat deduced.

Sonic noted that both of them seemed a bit green around the gills, and he was feeling somewhat off-kilter. Nonetheless, he prepared for an attack, but Sally placed a hand on his shoulder.

"We don't even know what they're after here," she told him. "Let's wait and see how this plays out."

Sonic rolled his eyes. "I hate waiting."

A massive crane claw eventually descended from an airship above, yanking a piece of rock out of the ground. Encrusted in the rock was a magenta-colored icosahedron-shaped ruby with black markings on it.

"Whoa…" Tails was scanning it with the Miles Electric. "That thing is giving off massive energy readings, but they're all…"

"Wrong," Sonic, Knuckles, and Kat provided in unison.

"Yeah, but how'd you know that?" Tails asked.

"Something about that gem is making me feel sick to my stomach," Knuckles explained.

"It's definitely nothing like any Chaos Emerald I've seen before," Sonic noted.

Knuckles shook his head. "Not a Chaos Emerald. It's something different. Something... evil. It's some kind of... Phantom Ruby."

"Phantom Ruby's what we're calling it, eh?" Sonic shrugged. "Works for me."

"It's dangerous," Kat cut in. "We need to get it away from the Egg Robos before they give it to Robotnik."

That was all Sonic needed to hear. He stepped out of the bushes just as one of the Egg Robos was reaching for the ruby, clearing his throat. One Egg Robo turned, glancing at him casually before doing a double take.

"The hedgehog!" he exclaimed. "He's here!"

"Shoot him!" a second one shouted. "SHOOT HIM!"

All of them started firing, and Sonic started casually darting around, at one point even moonwalking and breakdancing to dodge their shots.

"C'mon, guys!" he taunted. "I'm three feet in front of you! Are you even trying?"

"Fool!" the first Egg Robo shouted. "We are the Hard Boiled Heavies! Dr. Robotnik's elite!"

"Oh yeah?" Sonic asked. "Well, Hard Boiled Heavies, meet the Guardian of the Master Emerald, the Death Egg Sole Survivor, and the Freedom Fighters."

They all came out one by one, Knuckles pounding his fists together.

"Get off my island, you overgrown washing machines!" he ordered.

Everyone had their weapons at the ready, from swords to guns, to fists.

"No way in hell we're letting you take the Phantom Ruby to Eggman!" Sonic declared.

"Phantom Ruby? That's what you're calling it?" the first Heavy shrugged. "I'll give you some credit. It's catchy."

"We're taking it back to Robotnik, Sonic," a third Heavy swore. "And if we have to kill you and your flunkies to do it... well, that's a bonus."

"Just try it, you walking scrap heaps!" Kat shouted.

The group all swarmed. A brief scuffle occurred and ended when Knuckles hoisted one of the Heavies over his head and chucked him into the hunk of earth containing the Phantom Ruby. The Heavy slammed back first into the ruby, which began sparking with red electricity that struck all five Heavies, a low whirring hum sounding from it.

"That can't be good," Keith remarked.

As if to prove him right, a wave of energy expanded from the ruby, engulfing all those present and levitating them off the ground.

"Whoa!" Chris exclaimed. "What's going on?!"

"It's that ruby!" Knuckles realized.

Reality itself began to warp and bend around them before everything went white…

Green Hill Zone

When the effect cleared, the group blinked to find themselves in the Green Hill Zone. On top of that, the Hard Boiled Heavies had received a makeover; one resembled a king with a scepter, one resembled a cop, one resembled a ninja, one resembled a knight, and one resembled a magician. Before anyone could do anything, the Heavies fled with the ruby in hand.

"Uh…" Johnny began, "What just happened?"

"If I had to wager a guess, I would say that the Phantom Ruby possesses the ability to warp space and time as it sees fit," Rotor theorized. "Thus, we were transported to Green Hill, and the Heavies were transformed into... those strange forms."

"Chaos Control…" Knuckles realized.

"Pardon me?" Porker asked,

"It's one of the Chaos Powers commonly used by the Guardians before me," Knuckles explained. "It allows the user to warp time and space, either through a direct connection to the Chaos Force or by using the Chaos Emeralds themselves."

"Does that mean the Phantom Ruby is connected to the Chaos Emeralds?" Chris asked.

"I'd say it's fair to assume," Kat said. "It has its power and messed up the Master Emerald. Not to mention its nausea-inducing properties."

"It must be some kind of evil Chaos Emerald," Knuckles theorized. "Similar powers, but no positive Chaos energy."

"Whatever it is, we need to get it back from Robotnik, pronto." Sonic cut in.

"But how?" Sally asked.

"We track them," Knuckles replied. "Kat and I can sense the aura of the ruby."

"Hmmm…" Tails pondered. "If the ruby does use Chaos energy…"

He held out the Miles Electric, bringing up the Emerald Radar. The images showed the distorted readings of the Phantom Ruby, as well as some more familiar blips.

"The Chaos Emeralds are nearby as well," he noted. "At least one of them is."

"Then we have two missions," Sally declared. "Finding the Ruby, and gathering the Emeralds."

"Then we split into teams," Sonic decided. "Knuckles, mind joining me and Tails on our team? We could use your tracking abilities."

"Fine," Knuckles decided. "I do owe you for getting the Master Emerald back."

"What about me?" Kat asked.

Sonic thought it over before turning to Chris and Keith. "You two take Kat."

"Sounds like fun," Chris nodded.

"I'm game," Keith agreed.

Kat looked at them, then at Knuckles. He nodded, and she nodded. "Okay then, guess I'm with you two."

"Rotor, go with Porker and Johnny," Sally piped up. "Mina, stick with Bunnie, Antoine, and Shorty. Amy, you and Sticks are with me."

"Same squads as on Little Planet, eh?" Sonic asked.

Sally shrugged. "If it isn't broken, don't fix it."

"Couldn't agree more," Sonic nodded.

Robotropolis

Snively, Grimer, and Robotnik were in the lab, seeing the Heavies' signal had moved.

"How in Aurora's name did they get from Angel Island to Green Hill so quickly?" Snively demanded.

"Chaos Control…" Robotnik realized. "I thought it was just a theory…"

"It seems we were wrong," Grimer noted.

"A single Ruby had the power of seven Chaos Emeralds," Snively mused. "Incredible…"

Robotnik stood up. "All the more reason for us to retrieve it."

"Your orders?" Grimer questioned.

"I'll make contact with the Heavies myself," Robotnik decided. "In the meantime, you two try to pinpoint the Chaos Emeralds."

"With all due respect, sir, if this 'Phantom Ruby' has this much power, then aren't the Emeralds superfluous?" Snively asked.

"Because Sonic will be after them," Robotnik said simply. "He'll want to level the playing field."

"An excellent point," Snively conceded.

"Exactly," said Robotnik. "So we get them before he does, ensuring the fight remains firmly in our favor."

"As you wish, sir," Snively nodded.

With that, Snively and Grimer departed for the flight deck, while Robotnik headed for a different part of the lab, where a new Death Egg Robot model sat…

Green Hill

Just before the group could disperse, Tails' Miles Electric began to go off. He opened it up, noticing that he was getting a new reading on the map.

"What's going on?" Mina asked.

"Sensor's picking up something above," he noted. "Whatever it is, it's big, it's mobile…"

As he spoke, a shadow fell over them.

"And it's headed straight for us!" Chris exclaimed.

"MOVE!" Keith shrieked.

They all scattered as something slammed into the ground. When the dust settled, they took in the sight of the Death Egg Robot, which rose to its full height before them. Kat went pale, shaking violently as she scrambled backward.

"No…" she let out. "No, no, no, not again…"

"That… is a big robot," Keith remarked.

"Robotnik!" Sally shouted.

"Well, well, well," Robotnik's voice came from within. "If it isn't Princess Sally, descending from on high to mingle with the commoners."

"What are you doing here, Egghead?" Sonic demanded.

"The Phantom Ruby," Robotnik replied. "My Heavies found it first. It rightfully belongs to me."

"Not a chance, Robotnik!" Knuckles declared. "You ain't gonna lay one grubby finger on it!"

Robotnik chuckled darkly. "I was hoping you'd say that. I've been under a lot of stress since you engineered the breakout at my Egg Dungeon, Sonic. So killing you and your team of kindergarten cohorts will be quite therapeutic!"

"Please," Sonic scoffed. "You couldn't even touch me before, and you won't be able to now!"

Kat was frozen in fear, quivering. The Death Egg Robot turned to her, one of its arms beginning to spin like a drill before it launched its claw out toward her.

"LOOK OUT!" Shortfuse screamed as he jetted forward along the ground. He tackled Kat out of the way just as the claw pierced the ground where she had been mere seconds earlier. She gasped, looking at Shortfuse.

"You… saved me…"

Sonic ran over, kneeling before her. "Kat, c'mon! Get up and fight! You can do this!"

Kat was still shaking with fear. In desperation, Sonic grabbed her by the shoulders, forcing her to look at him.

"What are you so afraid of?! The worst thing that could've happened to you has already happened, and you're still here! The only power Eggman has over you is the power you give him!"

Kat took a few deep breaths, composing herself as Shortfuse grabbed a massive tree root, ripping it out of the ground.

"Here, kid," he said, handing it to her.

She looked at the root for a good minute, her eyes clearing. "Thanks," she said as she took the root, standing up. "And Shorty? Sorry about earlier."

Shortfuse waved a hand. "Don't worry about it."

"Prepare to meet your end, Sonic!" Robotnik shouted.

"Bring it on, Eggman!" Sonic shot back.

Kat snorted. "Eggman? Oh, I am so remembering that."

"My name is Robotnik, you little brat! It's time you learned a little respect!"

The mech loomed over Sonic, preparing to strike. Thinking quickly, Keith grabbed his backpack, pulling a Power Ring out.

"Sonic!" he yelled. "Heads up!"

He tossed the Ring to Sonic as the Death Egg Robot's claw began to spin again. At the same time it launched its claw out, Sonic tucked into a ball, pulling off a stationary Spin Attack which collided with the claw.

"What was that?" Kat asked.

"Power Ring," Keith explained. "My mom researches them back home."

Sonic's Spin Attack slowly whittled down the claw until it broke off, leaving sparking stumps.

"How dare you?!" Robotnik screamed.

"Have you met me?" Sonic shot back.

A hatch on the Death Egg Robot's back opened up, bombs shooting out from it. Kat stepped forward with her club,

"Batter up!" she shouted before swinging, hitting each bomb back one after another.

As the others kept Robotnik distracted, Amy hurried over to Sonic.

"I just had an idea," she informed him, whispering the idea into Sonic's ear. A grin slowly spread across his face.

"Let's do it," he nodded.

He stood before Amy before beginning to spin in place. Amy summoned the Piko Piko Hammer, readying it like a croquet mallet.

"FORE!" she shouted before slamming the hammer into Sonic, launching him at the mech with enough force to tear right through it. "And Rob said croquet was a useless game."

The Death Egg Robot stumbled back before landing on a weakened portion of the ground. The ground gave out from under the bot, and the bot plummeted down into the chasm, taking Robotnik with it.

"Doubt they'll be putting Humpty Dumpty back together again after that," Bunnie mused.

As Sonic dusted himself off, Sally walked over to him.

"Letting Amy use you for croquet practice?" she demanded. "Are you crazy?"

"Well it worked, didn't it?" Sonic asked rhetorically.

Sally sighed. "Okay, I'll give you that."

"You are one crazy hedgehog," Knuckles mused.

"Thanks," Sonic said.

"That felt good," Kat noted with a smile. "I really needed that."

Tails held up the Miles Electric, looking around before double-checking.

"We're right on top of a Chaos Emerald," he reported. "Literally."

"Allow me."

Knuckles slid on the Shovel Claws before getting to work, tunneling down before surfacing with the green Chaos Emerald. Tails was still looking over the Miles Electric.

"And that's not all," the fox looked down the hole where Robotnik fell. "Multiple signals. The Heavies are down there with the Phantom Ruby!"

"Looks like things are about to get interesting," Sonic mused.

Without hesitation, he jumped down the hole, hopping down any rocks and cliffs while leaving the others to climb down the more cautious way. They soon reached the bottom, joining Sonic. He shushed them, the group looking over Robotnik as he emerged from the cockpit of the Death Egg Robot. He gaped at the transformed Heavies, one of whom was bouncing the Phantom Ruby like a soccer ball.

"The Heavies? Why have you transformed?" Robotnik thought it over. "Must be a side effect of the Chaos Control." He shook his head. "Never mind. Hand over the Phantom Ruby!"

The heavies merely stared at him, not moving a muscle.

"What are you waiting for?! Sonic and his friends are right behind me! Give me the damned ruby!"

"Why should we?" Heavy King questioned.

Robotnik was aghast that one of his creations defied him, but it soon turned to rage. "Because I am your creator!"

"What does that matter?" Heavy Knight pointed out. "With this, we can rewrite reality, and you think we're just going to hand it over?"

"I am your master! I gave you life, and I can take it away! Now, I order you to give me the Phantom Ruby!"

"The changes were not just physical, doctor," Heavy Ninja declared. "We have free will now. So why should we simply hand over such a powerful artifact?"

Robotnik looked beyond pissed, then he stopped, letting out a small chuckle.

"You have a point. Why should you just hand it over when I can simply take it from you?!"

The Death Egg Robot's remaining claw extended, snatching the Phantom Ruby right out of their hands. The minute he grabbed it, more red lightning surged as the whirring sound began, causing Sonic, Kat, and Knuckles all to become instantly sick.

"What is with this ruby?" Sonic wheezed. "Every time it has a power surge, I feel…"

They began to levitate again, their surroundings warping once more. They were soon warped away, leaving Robotnik and the Heavies behind. Scowling, Robotnik pressed a button on his glove, and the Heavies were hit with an electrical charge, sparking before powering down.

"Now to nip their little rebellion in the bud."

Chapter Text

Chemical Plant

As the Phantom Ruby's effect faded, the Freedom Fighters fell from the sky, landing on the ground heavily. Getting his bearings, Sonic stood up, his face falling as he looked around and saw where they were.

"...Oh, hell," he let out.

"Where are we now?" Knuckles questioned. "What is this place?"

"The Chemical Plant Zone on Westside Island," Tails replied.

"Where Sonic almost died from Mega Mack poisoning," Sally added.

Kat perked, remembering mention of the chemical during her enslavement. 

"I've heard of that stuff. It's a highly toxic poison, one designed specifically to kill you, Sonic."

"And if Tails, Porker, and Rotor hadn't found a cure, it would've," Sonic informed her.

"A lot of slaves were killed trying to recreate it," Kat added, shuddering at the memories. "They could never get it right..."

"Robotnik…" Johnny spat. "Miserable bastard."

Mina looked, seeing the pink chemicals in the vat.

"I'm guessing that pink water is the Mega Mack?"

Kat just nodded, shuddering.

"Keep your distance," Shortfuse warned. "Just because it's specifically designed as an anti-Sonic weapon doesn't mean it's not hazardous to everyone else."

"You know, if this stuff is as corrosive as it says, it could eat through Megatal," Chris theorized.

"Maybe," Keith agreed. "But what if Shorty's poisoned as well? Too risky."

Chris nodded, wincing at the realization. "Good point."

Tails pulled out the Miles Electric, getting a reading. "Nothing from the Phantom Ruby, but I'm getting a Chaos Emerald somewhere in here,"

"It's here," Knuckles confirmed. "I can feel it. Kat, remember what I taught you. See if you can figure out where it is"

Kat closed her eyes, holding out her right hand with her fingers splayed. She grimaced slightly as she turned in a circle, stopping before pointing in a specific direction. The others looked in the direction she pointed, and all of them looked concerned.

"Sweetie," Bunnie began, "that's the Mega Mack tub."

"No." Knuckles shook his head, lowering his hand after performing the same search. "It's there."

"Then that Emerald's as good as lost," Rotor said, shaking his head. "Whoever dives into that vat isn't coming back out."

"I'll get it," Shortfuse decided. "My suit could withstand it."

"Shorty, Keith and I were just debating if it could," Chris pointed out. "For all you know, you'll melt in that stuff."

"Then at least I'll be free for a brief moment." He flew over the vat, preparing to dive in. "Geronimo, I guess."

However, that's when the stuff began bubbling. Sally gasped and quickly jumped into action.

"Shorty!" she shouted. "Get away!"

The vat broke open, spilling Mega Mack into the plant. As it flooded the area, Sonic and Co. scrambled to higher ground. Much to their surprise, a pink hand emerged from the chemical. The owner pulled itself up, revealing itself to be a watery pink creature with red eyes. More hands emerged in short order, along with more creatures.

"What are these things?" Knuckles demanded.

"I don't know," Sonic admitted. "Last time there was just one. Megamuck."

"Megatox!" one of them shouted. "It's Megatox, you cobalt idiot!"

"That one's the original," Sonic pointed. "The one who made this gunk."

"They're all me. Extensions of my will," Megatox glared at Sonic. "And I've been dying to see you again, Sonic."

Sonic shrugged. "Can't say the same, to be honest."

"You mind filling the rest of us in?" Knuckles asked.

"Long story short, Slimy here used to be a human scientist named Jack Napier. Eggman hired him to whip up the Mega Mack, and some freak accident caused him to melt away and end up fusing with it."

"No wonder they couldn't recreate the formula," Kat mused.

"Last time, you defeated me by pure luck," Megatox insisted. "I still don't know how the hell you survived such a heavy dose of the Mega Mack, but this time, you're dead meat."

"That so?" Sonic asked flippantly.

Megatox smirked. "I've spent the intervening time absorbing other chemicals in the plant. I'm stronger than ever. And once I destroy you, I'll leave this factory behind and flood the Emerald River."

Tails gasped.

"If that much Mega Mack makes it into the island's water supply-"

"Yes," Megatox cackled, "I will poison the rivers, the land, everything! Westside Island will become dead, and nothing will be able to live here for a hundred years!"

"No!" Tails shouted. "We can't let that happen!"

"We won't!" Sonic added.

The group scattered as the creatures walked toward them.

"I had a weakness before," Megatox declared. "I was liquid and couldn't touch anything. But thanks to additional chemicals I've integrated into my being, and the power of the Chaos Emerald in my chest, I can do THIS!"

Megatox slammed its fist into the ground, cracking it as if it were hit by a solid object.

"So you can dish it out now," Sonic mused. "Let's see if you can take it!

He charged right at the leader.

"Sonic, don't touch him!" Sally shrieked.

But it was too late. Sonic threw a punch, only for his fist to pass right through Megatox's face like it was jelly. He tried to yank his arm free, only for it to solidify and trap him. Megatox shifted his body so he was holding Sonic's arm with his hands.

"As long as I can revert to my liquid state, I don't have to take it!" he declared.

"Let go of me!" Sonic demanded, squirming to get loose.

Knuckles then charged forward, Shovel Claws at the ready. The claws passed right through Megatox, much to Knuckles' irritation. However, this gave Sonic a chance to get out. Unfortunately, the damage was done.

"And here's the icing on the cake," Megatox sneered. "Every time you touch me, Sonic, you're poisoned more and more."

"Crap…" Sonic muttered, standing up and shaking his head to clear the cobwebs.

"Sonic, you've gotta get back!" Tails yelled. "If you stay too close to Megatox for too long-!"

"I know, I know!" Sonic snapped.

He immediately put some distance between himself and the Megatoxes, getting the high ground.

"Alright, how the hell do we beat something we can't touch?!" Knuckles shouted.

"Die quickly," Megatox taunted. "That is my advice."

"Yeah?" Sonic shot back. "Not gonna happen!"

The Megatox clones dove back into the Mega Mack, swirling around and joining together into a single giant Megatox before spraying a jet of gunk at the Freedom Fighters. Sonic was able to dodge, but most of the others were knocked off their feet, the toxic villain chuckling darkly.

"And behold, I shall be a blight upon the land, and everything I touch... shall wither, and die."

"Sheesh, have you been practicing that?" Sonic asked.

Sonic did what he could to fend off Megatox's attacks, but his vulnerability to the Mega Mack hampered his combat prowess. Knuckles kept charging and punching in a rage. He was soon soaked in the stuff multiple times, but much to everyone's shock, he remained on his feet and seemed barely affected.

"How are you still standing?!" Megatox demanded. "You've ingested enough Mega Mack to kill ten bull elephants! What are you?!"

"I'm Knuckles the Echidna, Guardian of the Master Emerald!" Knuckles shot back. "And there is no way in hell I'm gonna let you win!"

The Freedom Fighters quickly regrouped.

"I've got a plan," Sonic told them. "It's a long shot, but our only chance."

"We're all ears, sugar," Bunnie said.

"When Megatox is solid, we can hit him," Sonic explained. "We gotta time it just right before he turns back into liquid."

"He'll see all of us coming," Shortfuse pointed out.

"What about me?" Kat asked. "He hasn't paid a lick of attention to me, or the boys. I might be able to get a shot."

"It's our best shot," Mina insisted. "We'll keep Megatox occupied while you get into position."

"And whatever you're gonna do, do it fast!" Rotor added.

Kat hefted her club. "I got this."

"I'll set him up, you knock him down," Sonic said.

With that, Sonic ran out, getting Megatox's attention.

"Hey, ugly! Over here! What's the matter? Can't you handle a hedgehog?" He pulled his eyelid down. "I think you got something in your eye! It's called fear!" He blew a raspberry before turning around and bending over. "Smile!" he declared before slapping his butt at Megatox and flashing him a mocking peace sign.

Megatox roared, coming in for the kill. Seeing her chance, Kat jumped out of her hiding place, club at the ready.

"Eat this, you son of a bitch!" she screamed before smashing the club across Megatox's face. That was all it took; the mutant fell backward, reverting to inert Mega Mack as he did. Kat landed, tossing her club away before the Mega Mack ate through it. The yellow Chaos Emerald bobbed in the Mega Mack. As it began to sink, Shortfuse dove in, grabbing it and quickly getting out.

"I got it!" he shouted, holding it up triumphantly.

"Good," said Sally. "Now let's get outta here."

Chris and Keith helped Sonic to his feet, Kat doing the same with Knuckles.

"Hold on, Sally," Keith said. "Sonic and Knuckles got the worst of the Mega Mack."

"Thankfully, I know what to do," Tails told them.

At his direction, Shortfuse carefully scooped some of the pink gunk into a beaker, handing it to him.

"What are you doing?" Kat asked.

"Synthesizing the antitoxin to the Mega Mack," Tails explained.

"All of us got sprayed by him, Tails," Chris pointed out. "It might be a good idea to make enough for everybody."

"I'll do what I can," Tails assured. "But let's get out of this place before Megatox wakes up."

Emerald Hill Zone

The group hurried to Emerald Hill. Tails quickly whipped up the antitoxin, passing out vials of green fluid to everyone, which they quickly downed. Keith gagged on the taste.

"Tastes like cat pee," he noted.

"That's what I said," Sonic said.

"Well, what were you expecting?" Tails deadpanned. "Apple juice?"

Chris nearly barfed at the taste, but Kat just downed hers without complaint.

"Okay, now that that's done, we need to get back to business," said Sally.

"Right," Sonic noted. "It's time to split up."

Tails brought up the Miles Electric, expanding the Emerald Radar's radius.

"No more Chaos Emeralds on the island," he noted. "They're pretty spread out this time." He squinted. "One's in Studiopolis, from the looks of it."

"I know my way around there," said Chris. "Keith, Kat, and I will handle that one."

"Studiopolis..." Kat repeated. "Sounds pretty populated. This'll be... interesting."

"Another is somewhere in the Press Garden Zone," Tails went on, "A small island just off the coast of the Dragon Kingdom."

"I'll handle that one," Sally decided. "Could be nice."

Tails typed away, running a scan over the Press Garden. "Huh, that's interesting. Apparently, the Press Garden has become one of Eggman's bases. He's turned it into a... printing press?"

"Lousy machines," Sticks spat. "I'll smash 'em all!"

"Eggman's made a printing press?" Mina asked. "He owns a newspaper?"

"It's more for propaganda than anything," Tails clarified. "An attempt to turn people against Sonic and in favor of him and his forces."

Sonic scoffed. "Yeah, like anyone will believe that blowhard."

"Next stop is the Mirage Saloon Zone in the Southern Baronies," Tails went on.

"I know that place," Bunnie piped up. "I'll take care of it."

"This should be fun," Shortfuse mused.

"Another Emerald is in the Oil Ocean Refinery, and I'm getting two readings back on Angel Island," Tails went on. "In both Hydrocity and the Lava Reef."

"That's where I'm going," Knuckles decided.

"Where we're going," Sonic corrected. "We'll handle the Emeralds on Angel Island. Whoever finishes up their jobs in whatever Zone can take the one in Oil Ocean next."

"Right," Knuckles nodded. "Still getting used to the whole team thing yet."

"Okay, you have your jobs," Sonic declared. "The world's not gonna save itself. Let's do it to it."

They all nodded before splitting off in opposite directions.

Robotropolis

The still-inactive Hard Boiled Heavies had open panels on the backs of their head, Snively installing small items with beeping red lights inside before closing them.

"The self-destruct programs have been installed successfully, sir," he reported.

"Excellent," Robotnik nodded. "Wake them up."

Snively nodded before turning them back on. All of them wake up, turning to Robotnik angrily.

"Now, before you go attacking me, let me tell you about your new upgrade," Robotnik began, holding up his glove controller. "I installed a little explosive leash in your heads while you were out. All I have to do is press this little button, and... BOOM!" 

He clapped his hands together for emphasis.

"So, now do you understand your places?"

They remained angry but didn't seem to be moving to attack.

"You've made your point, Doctor," Heavy King conceded. "Very well. We'll serve you... for now. What will you have us do?"

"My sources tell me the Freedom Fighters have spread out to try to stop me and my plans for the Phantom Ruby. You'll go where they go, and terminate them with extreme prejudice."

"Yes… Doctor," Heavy King said hesitantly.

The Heavies departed at that. Robotnik watched them go, before pressing a button. Metal Sonic soon entered.

"Yes, Doctor?" Metal asked.

"Metal, I want you to keep an eye on the Heavies for me," Robotnik instructed. "If any of them show the slightest hint they plan to betray me, report back." He smiled. "And who knows? While you're tailing them, you might get another crack at Sonic."

If he had a mouth, Metal would be grinning. "Thank you, Doctor."

With that, he left. Robotnik went back to the computer, which was in the middle of analyzing the Phantom Ruby. 

"Now for more important matters. I'm going to uncover the source and full extent of your power, Phantom Ruby, and see what makes you tick."

Chapter Text

Studiopolis

In a dark alley, a Warp Ring phased into existence. Chris came out first, followed by Keith and Kat. They looked around to find themselves in an extravagant city decorated with studio equipment, cinema elements, and theater objects. Tall skyscrapers and buildings extended as far as the eye could see. Along the paths were street lamps with spinning rings inside, massive shop windows filled with TV sets, giant popcorn machines set up along the streets, satellite dish-mounted vans driving everywhere, director chair-like benches, and giant clapperboards for billboards. Dotted around the city were LED marquees spelling out various phrases.

"Studiopolis," Chris noted. "The city that never sleeps."

Kat looked around, visibly on edge. The loud noises of the city were overwhelming to her. All the people, cars, TVs, and other miscellaneous noises were just too much. She covered her ears, closed her eyes, and whined like an injured animal. The noise drew the attention of the two boys, who immediately looked at her in concern.

"Hey," Chris said softly. "Are you alright?"

Keith gently patted her back.

"Not used to big, crowded cities?"

Kat shook her head. 

"It's too much… Too loud..." She trailed off, whining again. 

"I know it can be a little overwhelming," Chris said. "I was the same way the first time I came here."

Keith reached into his backpack, pulling out a pair of headphones and a music player. Ditching the player, he held out the headphones.

"Here. Maybe these will help."

Kat took them, placing them over her ears. It helped to drown out a good portion of the noise and slowly, she relaxed. After a moment, she got up, sighing in relief.

"Thanks. Let's get moving."

-X-

Once they were ready to move on, the three gathered themselves up and made their way down the street. As they went along, the group exchanged stories and talked, helping pass the time and ease some awkward tension.

"I've been here more than once," Chris told Kat. He wasn't bragging, he was just telling her more about himself. "My mom's an actress, y'know. Her name's Lindsey Fair."

Kat perked, surprised by the name. Even in her old hometown, the name Lindsey Fair was well known. "No way. She's the biggest actress on Mobius."

"She's also my dad's sister," Keith chimed in.

"Does that mean…" she pointed at Chris, "You're the Christopher Thorndyke," then she pointed at Keith, "And you're Keith Kent?"

"I see our reputation precedes us," Chris quipped lightly.

"Well, the Kents and the Thorndykes are well known, even where I came from," Kat replied.

"That reminds me," Keith spoke up, "where did you come from?"

"Chun-nan. A small village in the east called Shengcun (1) in the WuMing (2) province."

"You're Chun-ese?" Keith questioned, looking the tan, red-haired girl up and down. "You don't look it, but you do have an accent."

"My mother was Chun-ese, but my father was from Northamer. He came to Chun-nan for a change of scenery, and stayed for my mother." Kat chuckled, twirling some of her hair in her fingers. "We used to joke that I was a daddy's girl through and through, but I did get my mom's eyes."

"What did they do for a living?" Keith asked.

"My dad was a botanist. He studied plants, their properties, and other such trivia. My mother was an herbalist. They met while she was gathering ingredients for medicinal remedies."

"I see," said Chris.

"So until Eggman, you'd never even been around a lot of machinery," Keith mused.

Kat gave a small shrug. "I still had TV and Internet, but my village was mostly rural, as in farms, fishing, and the like. Even when my dad would take me with him on trips to the Dragon Kingdom, the cities were never... well, they were never this big. Besides, I've always preferred to explore the forests around my home rather than become a vegetable in front of the boob tubes."

They all shared a laugh at that, then Kat turned to Chris with a question. "So what's it like having Lindsey Fair for a mom?"

"It... wasn't too easy growing up, to be honest." Chris looked a bit sad at the memories. "Mom was busy with her career for a while, and Dad was busy a lot at the office. I remember one day, ironically the first day we met Sonic, that I was venting about how my parents weren't spending any time with me. Sonic didn't like that, so he told his Uncle Chuck, who in turn went to our Grandpa."

"So Uncle Chuck went with Grandpa to the mansion and had a talk with Aunt Lindsey and Uncle Nelson," Keith added.

Kat chuckled. "Something tells me they got better after that."

"Oh, definitely," Keith confirmed. "They're still pretty busy, but they always make time for Chris nowadays."

"Lucky you," Kat noted. "It must be nice."

"Yeah…" Chris admitted. "It is."

A bit of an awkward pause followed before Keith decided to change the subject. "So! How do you go to school up on a floating island?"

"Oh, Knuckles homeschools me," Kat explained.

Chris blinked. "He does?"

"He doesn't seem like someone who could homeschool... anyone," Keith said.

"You'd be surprised," replied Kat. "He was doing college-level math at the age of three. I know because the answer keys are written in crayon."

"Really?" Chris let out. "You wouldn't know it just by looking at him."

"Well, what about you?" Kat asked. "Someone looking at you would just see two kids. They wouldn't see the youngest scientific minds of the century."

"Fair point," Keith conceded. "But we're actually the second youngest. Tails is the youngest."

"My point still stands." Kat let out a long breath, smiling slightly. "Wow. I think that's the longest conversation I've had in a while."

"That's part of the reason I offered to take you with us," Chris admitted. "Your only real social interaction for the past few months has been Knuckles and his pet dinosaur."

"Hey, don't knock Chomps," Kat warned lightly. "Chomps is awesome."

"Wasn't trying to knock him," Chris defended holding up his hands.

"I know, I know," Kat assured, waving him down with a smile. "And I get it. Knuckles is not the most... social creature, but he tries. Besides, he's doing his best to help me, and... he listens to me and does everything in his power to help me through... everything. I honestly don't know where I'd be if he hadn't taken me in."

"Hey, everyone needs somebody, and it's clear you two care for each other, so that's all that matters." Chris then looked up, smiling and pointing at one of the buildings in particular. "Hey, Breeze Media! Did you know the CEO is Sonic's cousin?"

"Get out!" Kat exclaimed. "Sonic's related to the owner of the biggest media company on the planet?"

"Well, not biologically," Keith said. "Miss Breezie was an orphan his uncle Chuck found on the streets after the Great War. He took her in and adopted her."

"Huh…" Kat mused. "Guess Hedgehogs have a thing for strays."

"Helping people is in the blood for him, that's for sure," said Chris.

"True that," Keith nodded.

"Wow... Now I feel really bad about-" Kat suddenly cut herself off when she stumbled, clutching her stomach. "Not again…"

Keith steadied her. "This sickness… Does that mean the Phantom Ruby's here?"

Kat nodded. "Yeah… somewhere close."

"Any exact location?" Chris asked.

"No…" Kat shook her head. "It's on the move, and closing in fast."

They were all looking around. Chris was tense and froze when he saw a blue missile headed straight for them.

"HEADS UP!" he screamed.

They jumped out of the way as the missile hit the ground.

"Freeze, punks!" a voice came as a spotlight shone on them from above. The spotlight came from a helicopter, from which the cop Heavy was hanging, calling on a megaphone. "You and the other Freedom Fighters have been declared enemies of the state! By order of Dr. Robotnik, surrender or die!"

"You want us, try and catch us!" Keith shouted as he grabbed the other two and darted down a back alley.

Before long, more Egg Robos flooded after them, a siren blaring from each of them.

"What do we do?!" Chris questioned frantically.

"Run?!" Keith answered. "I thought that was obvious!"

"We can't run forever!" Kat insisted. "We have to fight back!"

They ducked into another alley as the Egg Robos passed by.

"If only Sonic was here…" Keith lamented. "He'd know what to do!"

"Well, he's not," Chris declared. "We're gonna have to handle this ourselves. We didn't join the Freedom Fighters to run and hide like a bunch of babies!"

"We need to deal with the main robot," Kat said. "The others will shut down if we do."

Chris carefully peeked out, thinking things over.

"Kat, the Phantom Ruby signal is coming from the Heavy, right?" he asked, getting a nod. "Of course... its energy altered the Heavies... it adds up."

Keith steeled himself, reaching into his backpack and pulling out the Nitro Gloves.

"Moment of truth time," he said, handing one to Chris.

"What are those?" Kat asked.

"Nitro Gloves," Keith explained. "Something we've been working on for a while. In theory, they'll allow us to create controlled balls of energy."

Kat raised an eyebrow. "In theory?"

"We haven't successfully tested them," Chris confessed, "and all of the tests we have done ended...explosively."

"Tails helped us work out some of the kinks, but we didn't have time to test them again before Angel Island came crashing down," Keith added.

"So those things could blow your arm off if you messed up somewhere," Kat facepalmed. "You two are insane. How can I help?"

"You lost your club at the Chemical Plant," Keith recalled. "Is there anything else you can do? Fighting, any other weapons?"

"Hand-to-hand," Kat replied. "I've been training with Knuckles. I can do about what he can."

"Okay," Chris nodded. "We go for the Heavy. He's priority one right now. Any other Egg Robos get in the way, you know what to do."

Keith and Kat nodded.

-X-

As the Egg Robos roamed around, the Heavy Gunner continued flying around.

"Show yourselves, Freedom Fighters!" he shouted. "You can't run or hide from me forever!"

The three lurked in the shadows. Chris nodded at Kat, who gave a nod, then charged out of the alley. She jumped up, kicking one robot into another.

"There you are!" the Gunner shouted.

Keith pressed a few buttons on his Nitro Glove, flinching as it powered up and prepared for the worst. Instead, a multicolored energy sphere materialized in his palm.

"YES!" he exclaimed. "It's working!"

"Don't jinx it!" Chris snapped. "Just throw!"

Keith reared back, standing like a baseball pitcher before winding up and throwing the ball. The sphere bounced off one Egg Robo before hitting multiple others, pummeling them.

"Nice one!" Kat commended.

"Thanks!" Keith called back.

Chris activated his own Nitro Glove, throwing it at the Gunner. It slammed into his helicopter, knocking it out of the sky, but the Gunner jumped out just in time.

"Okay, that does it!" he shouted. "I was polite! I was reasonable! Remember, you brats brought the ass-kicking you're about to get on yourselves!"

"Bring it on, scrap heap!" Kat shot back. "We'll send you to the smelter!"

The Gunner fired three missiles at once, two red, one blue. Keith tossed another energy ball, which bounced off the red missiles before hitting the blue one, sending it back to its source. The Gunner couldn't dodge in time and took the hint. He stamped his foot, incensed.

"Hey!" he shouted. "You can't make a jackass out of me!"

"True," Kat admitted. "You do a good job of that yourself!"

"Why, you little…"

The Gunner started firing more missiles, and the group was forced to take cover.

"Consider my rockets a parting gift! In that, they'll part you! Part of you here, part of you there, part of you waaaaaaay over there, staining this entire stinking city!"

"Maybe if your aim was better, I'd actually be afraid!" Kat retorted before turning to the boys. "I don't know how much longer I can keep him riled up. Do either of you have a plan?"

"I've got one," Chris said. "Keith, give me the other glove."

Though confused, Keith did so.

"Chris, what are you thinking?"

Instead of answering, Chris pressed a few buttons on each glove. They lit up, the multicolored energy concentrating in both palms before he forced his hands together, the spheres forming together into one big energy ball.

"Chris?!" Keith shrieked. "Are you nuts?! The energy feedback will short out the gloves! You'll lose your hands!"

"Maybe, but it's better than being dead!" Chris shot back.

Kat looked at the ball, then at the Gunner.

"I'll line him up for you."

She ran out, giving the Heavy a double middle finger salute.

"C'mon, you copper-plated copper! Come and get me!"

"Alright, that's it!" the Gunner screamed. "I'm blasting your ass from here to Shamar!"

He readied his rocket launcher, just as Chris ran out, lobbing the big ball with all of his might.

"Eat this!" he shouted as the ball collided with the Gunner, who sparked and exploded on contact.

The Nitro Gloves were sparking and smoldering, upon which Chris quickly yanked them off. His hands were a bit singed, but nothing serious. Keith went over and smacked him upside the head.

"Do not do that again!" he snapped.

"Guys!" Kat piped up suddenly. "Check it! The crooked cop had our Emerald!"

Sure enough, she was emerging from the crashed helicopter, the red Chaos Emerald in hand.

"How did you know it was there?" Keith asked.

"Once the nausea wore off, I could feel the pull of the Emerald," Kat explained.

She tossed it in her hand before sliding it into the pouch on her skirt.

"Let's get me to a hospital real quick," Chris decided. "Then we'll meet up with the others."

As they headed to a hospital, Keith turned to him.

"That was still a crazy move, you know."

"Yeah, I know. But we were running out of options. And look at it this way. We finally managed to work out the kinks in the gloves."

"You two are beyond crazy." Kat wrapped her arms around them both. "Luckily, so am I."

The trio shared a laugh at that.

Chapter Text

Press Garden Zone

Sally, Amy, and Sticks walked out of the Warp Ring to find themselves outside an ancient temple. Pink vines grew around it, and a thin layer of snow covered the ground. Cherry blossom trees decorated the area as well, with snow and petals filling the air.

"So this is the Press Garden Zone," Sally mused.

"It's so beautiful," Amy said. "Are you sure Robotnik's here?"

"Oh, the Eggman's here all right," Sticks confirmed. "I can smell him."

Amy blinked.

"His cologne's that strong?"

"You learn to ignore most of what she says," Sally explained. "Besides, I highly doubt Robotnik's actually here. Just one of his schemes."

Suddenly, they heard some smashing sounds from inside. Hurrying in, they were surprised to see Ray and Mighty dismantling a horde of Badniks.

"Hey, it's those two from the Egg Dungeon!" Sally exclaimed.

"Looks like they could use a hand," Amy mused.

She drew her hammer before charging into the fray. Sally summoned her Ring Blades and Sticks tossed her boomerang, all of them running in.

Before long, all the Badniks were scrapped. After a minute, Mighty turned to acknowledge them.

"The Freedom Fighters?" he remarked. "Didn't expect to see you all the way out here."

"Same could be said for you," Sally replied. "What brings you here?"

"We've been traveling for a while," Ray explained. "Were in the neighborhood when we found out what Robotnik was doing in the Press Garden."

"What is he doing?" Sticks asked.

Everyone jumped when they heard a cry of pain and rage from Amy. They turned to see her holding a wanted poster, looking it over.

"T-this is an outrage!" she shouted. "Look what they're making me look like!"

She showed them the poster, revealing it to be a picture of Amy with the expression of a maniac, wielding a large, spiked green hammer.

"I'd say it's pretty spot on," Sticks said bluntly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Amy demanded, offended.

"Tails did say Robotnik's using this as part of a propaganda campaign," Sally recalled. "Try to demonize Sonic."

"Not just Sonic." Ray had retrieved another poster, this one depicting Sally with shark-like fangs set in an evil grin, her Ring-Blades, red as if soaked with blood, crossed over her chest.

Sally's eyes went wide.

"WHAT?!"

"Eh, seen worse." Sticks shrugged. "So... what's mine look like? Crazy eyes with a boomstick in one hand and a chainsaw in the other?"

"Uh…" Ray began, "We… haven't found one for you."

Sticks was instantly offended, gagging before scowling.

"What?! He considers these two a big enough threat to make them wanted posters, but not me?!" She slowly turned to Sally. "Requesting permission to kill."

"Denied," Sally told her. "Maiming is allowed, though."

"I'll take what I can get," Sticks decided.

"We came here to destroy the printing press," Mighty cut in. "Return Press Garden to the way it was before, and stop the propaganda."

"We highly doubt anyone in their right mind will be tricked by these posters, but better safe than sorry," Ray added.

"Let me at the thing," Amy insisted. "I'll turn it into scrap metal!"

"Simmer down first," Mighty told her.

Amy let out a growl but still tried to calm down. Once she was a bit less trigger-happy, Mighty gave a nod.

"Follow us," he told them, leading them into the temple. Sticks was immediately on the hunt for traps, scanning the area with an appraising eye.

"Can I just say that Robotnik going to all this trouble to make these posters is a bit pathetic?" Sally noted.

"Right?!" Ray said. "I mean, come on! One look at the posters and you know the guy's full of it!"

"For an evil genius, he's pretty stupid," Mighty remarked.

"The vibe I'm getting from all this is less 'evil dictator wanting to besmirch his enemy's name' and more 'bratty child throwing a temper tantrum.'" Sally clarified.

"Oh yeah," Mighty agreed. "Just check out Sonic's."

He held it up, showing a Sonic with pitch-black eyes, red irises, razor-sharp teeth, and blood-covered gloves.

"Really?" Sally said, totally deadpan.

"Yeah, really," Ray confirmed. "He looks like some indie-horror game villain or a monster from one of those Scarynoodle stories."

"Can we get to the smashing now?" Amy asked.

"Just up ahead," Mighty told her.

They arrived in a wide open room, seeing the printing press rapidly churning out newspapers and more unflattering wanted posters.

"Oh, come on!" Sticks whined. "They made one of Mina, but not me?!"

The Mina poster showed her in a punk outfit, smoking and giving the camera the bird.

"Alright, that does it," Amy raised the Piko Piko Hammer, which glowed before increasing in size.

"Whoa…" Sally let out. "Since when could you do that?"

"It's one of the hammer's abilities," Amy said simply. "Like how I can just pull it out of nowhere."

"I hate magic," Sticks sighed.

"You hate everything," Sally pointed out.

Amy raised her hammer, preparing to smash the printing press, but something flew in, lashing out with a buzzsaw that she jumped back to avoid. They took in the attacker, seeing it was an engine-like robot with a rubber-based pump up front and a gray metal cap on the top and bottom of said pump. The exhausts on these components were seemingly arranged so the front looked like a face. On its back, it also carried two large freeze tanks, which were connected to its body by black tubes. It also had two round orange shoulders with pole-like gray arms that each carried a circular saw made of ice.

"That's one big robot!" Sticks exclaimed.

"Of course, Robotnik wouldn't just leave this place unguarded," Sally mused.

"Of course not," said Mighty. "It'd be too easy then."

They scattered as the bot came down toward them. It loomed over them before lashing out with one of its saws. Mighty curled up into a ball, and the saw shattered against his shell.

"Nice going, Mighty!" Ray cheered.

"Watch your tail!" Mighty warned.

The robot's arm retracted as it constructed another saw from ice, and Sally drew her Ring-Blades.

"Ice, huh?" she pondered. "Let's see if it can take the heat."

The robot kept extending its saws, Sally's blades clashing against them. The lasers cut right through the ice. The robot seemed to register a moment of shock before the Piko Piko Hammer came flying in, smashing it right in the face. Finally, Sticks came running in, raising her Chaos Shard spear over her head.

"Eat this!"

She stabbed her spear into the robot's face. The robot hoisted the white flag and came crashing down on the printing press.

"Who's not worthy of a wanted poster now?!" Sticks taunted.

The robot sparked and smoldered, and seeing what was about to happen, everyone rushed outside just as it exploded, taking the printing press with it.

"Woo!" Ray cheered. "Now that was fun!"

With that, they looked around, seeing outside of the castle was a surreal winter wonderscape within a Japanese garden.

"So this is the true beauty of the Press Garden," Sally said.

"I don't think so," Amy cut in. "It's supposed to be spring, so why is everything covered in snow?"

Sticks opened her mouth, about to say something.

"No, it's not frost giants or wind demons." Sally cut her off.

Sticks just shut her mouth.

"Amy's right," Ray agreed. "I'm no Yurashia local, but I know enough about cherry blossoms to know they only bloom in the spring. This snow isn't natural."

"There's another robot around here somewhere," Mighty deduced.

"How clever of you."

The five were instantly on the defensive.

"Who's there?!" Sally demanded.

"I am the silent death. If you see me... you are already dead."

"Sounds like a coward trying to hide in the shadows," Sticks retorted. "Show yourself, creep!"

Something came spinning in from above. Sally jumped out of the way as a clang sounded. They took in the sight of one of the Heavies, wielding a blue sword that froze the ground on impact.

"It's one of the Hard Boiled Heavies!" Amy exclaimed.

The Heavy rose to his feet. "I am the Heavy Shinobi. Remember the name well... for it is the chilling sound of your doom."

Ray snorted, snickering as he covered his mouth.

"Did... you just make an ice pun?

The Shinobi stood tall, performing a prana (1) hand seal before suddenly producing a starfish Badnik which it held between its fingers.

"Okay, less funny, more serious," Ray confessed.

The Shinobi chucked the Badnik right at Ray like a shuriken. The squirrel ducked, the shuriken flying over his head and embedding itself in the wall behind him. Much to their surprise, it suddenly began beeping and flashing. Ray scrambled out of range as it exploded, sending spikes flying in five different directions.

"That's not good!" Mighty exclaimed.

"We gotta put this guy down!" Amy yelled. "Now!"

She charged at the Shinobi, hammer clashing against his sword.

"You know what killed the Mobosaurs?" the Shinobi asked before deflecting her hammer. "The Ice Age!"

Before Amy could react, she was struck in the side by the flat of his sword, freezing into a block of ice.

"Amy!" Sticks and Sally screamed.

Mighty quickly charged at the ice block, punching it and shattering it, freeing Amy. With that, Sally extended her Ring-Blades, charging at the Shinobi herself. Their blades crossed.

"Can you feel it, Princess Sally?" the Shinobi mocked. "The icy cold of death's embrace, wrapping its arms around you?"

"I thought it was just something I ate," Sally said.

She charged at Shinobi, her ring blades clashing with his. The heat from them did threaten to melt the sword, but Shinobi just kept refreezing it. Ray took to the sky while he was distracted with Sally, carrying Mighty. They nodded at one another when they were in position above the Shinobi.

"Alley-oop!" Ray shouted.

He tossed Mighty into the air, who curled up into a ball before suddenly dropping down with such speed that he left afterimages in his wake, the air spiraling around him. The armadillo came in like a wrecking ball, smashing the Shinobi's head in before bouncing back onto the ground. The headless body wavered for a few moments before collapsing.

"And that's how we do things back home," Mighty bragged.

With that done, the group went further into the Press Garden, soon coming across the purple Chaos Emerald plugged into a supercomputer. Amy yanked it out, while Sally plugged Nicole into the resulting socket to hack the system.

"Oh, no…" she let out after a few minutes.

"What's Eggman done now?" Sticks questioned.

Nicole brought up a screen, revealing the mechanized Little Planet, once again chained above Never Lake.

"The Little Planet's back?!" Amy exclaimed. "But... that's impossible! It's not supposed to reappear over Mercia for months!"

"I'll betcha Eggman used the Phantom Ruby to summon it," Sticks suggested. "That man has no respect for the laws of nature!"

"That's exactly what he did, according to the files," Sally confirmed. "And he's using it as a base to construct this thing."

The image changed to a picture of a mech resembling a cross between the Death Egg Robot and the Heavy King, but this one was so big it made the Great EggRobo Sonic fought on the Death Egg look like a pint-sized action figure.

"He calls it the Titanic Monarch," Sally went on. "Once it's finished, he's gonna plug the Phantom Ruby into the power core."

"Uh-oh…" Amy let out. "That's not good. Like, at all."

"Seems you ladies could use a hand," Mighty offered.

"Please and thank you," Sally turned to the others. "We better hope Sonic and the others get the rest of the Chaos Emeralds. If the Titanic Monarch gets off the ground…"

"It won't," Amy assured. "We'll stop it. I know we will."

Little Planet

Beyond the Metallic Madness Zone, Robotnik was overseeing the construction of the Titanic Monarch with Snively and Grimer at his side.

"So this is what the Phantom Ruby's power can do," Robotnik mused. "It rivals the Master Emerald. And once my Titanic Monarch receives its power, Mobius will be mine."

"It seems we won't need to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds anymore," Grimer said. "Should we just leave them be, Doctor?"

Robotnik shook his head, turning to face them.

"Even if Sonic does retrieve all seven Emeralds, he'll be no match for the ruby-powered Titanic Monarch," he began. "But why take any chances? I've underestimated that speedy rodent before. I refuse to do it again."

Snively nodded. "Very well, sir."

As the evil trio left, Robotnik rolled up his sleeve and pressed a button on his mechanical arm, opening up a communication channel.

"Hello?" a female voice answered fearfully.

"#631095, what's the status on the Monarch's construction?"

"We're approximately 95% complete, Dr. Robotnik, sir. We should be finished by the end of the week."

"Move it up to the end of the day."

"Th-The end of the day!?" the prisoner sputtered, "That's crazy, I can't--!"

"You can and you will, you glorified, green feather duster!" Robotnik snapped, "You've made bigger, more elaborate machines for me in only a fraction of that time; this should be child's play for you." he leaned closer to the communicator, his grin widening. "Of course, if it's too much, I could always replace you with a robot."

Robotnik's already massive grin grew more massive as #631095 gulped nervously.

"On second thought, I think I squeeze it off."

"Wonderful! I'll call you in a few hours. Toodles!" With that, he hung up.

"Err...Dr. Robotnik?" Grimer asked.

"My apologies, Grimer," Robotnik covered up his arm again, "Just needed to relay a quick message to the mechanic. Fortune willing, we'll be ready by the end of the day. Now then, I believe you have some Emeralds to collect."

"Right away, sir," Grimer said with a bow, "I'll have them back by the end of the day."

Chapter Text

Press Garden Zone

After learning about the Titanic Monarch, Sally quickly dialed the rest of the group on their communicators, informing them of everything she hacked out of Robotnik's files.

"The need for the Chaos Emeralds just became even greater," she declared. "Robotnik's created a massive titan, one powered by the Phantom Ruby and that makes the Death Egg Robot look like a child's toy. If we're going to stand even a small chance, we need those Chaos Emeralds."

"My friends and I managed to find one already," Chris reported. "We've got it and are moving on to the next zone."

"We're on our way to get the two on Angel Island already," Sonic declared.

"Bunnie, how's your team coming along?" Sally asked.

"We're working as hard as we can, sugar," Bunnie told her, "But Mirage Saloon ain't known for bein' hospitable."

"Okay," Sally said, "Once your missions are done, we'll meet on the Little Planet. Robotnik brought it back using the Phantom Ruby. That's where he's constructing the Titanic Monarch."

"Little Planet?" she heard Kat ask in the background.

"Basically what it sounds like," Keith discretely explained.

"We'll be there," Sonic assured.

"Good luck, everyone," Sally said. "Something tells me we're gonna need it."

Studiopolis

Chris was about to throw a Warp Ring when they heard a low droning sound from somewhere overhead. The trio looked up, and Kat's face went white.

"Mā de..." (1) she whispered.

Flying over the city was the Flying Battery, newly rebuilt and ready to destroy.

"How bad is that?" Chris asked.

"It's the Flying Battery," Kat explained, her voice shaking slightly. "I watched it carpet bomb Angel Island."

Chris perked. "That's right. Sonic said he barely managed to put out the forest fire that thing caused."

"I just remember everything being on fire," Kat recalled, still clearly shaken. "Not much beyond that. I didn't even learn its name until later in Mushroom Hill." She scowled as she looked up at it, clenching her fists. "Last time, I just ran and hid. Not this time. We need to stop it."

"Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself?" Keith questioned.

Kat turned to him. "What do you mean?"

"For starters, how are we going to stop that thing? And with what?"

That gave Kat pause. She leaned against the wall, scratching the back of her head. "Okay, you have a point, but we'll think of something. I mean, two geniuses and a survivor? We've got this. All we need to do is figure out how to get up there. Either of you have any ideas?"

Chris thought it over.

"In lieu of stuff like a jet pack or Tails flying us up there, I'd say our best bet is just to wait until it's low enough and hop on."

"Then we need to get to high ground," Keith decided. "Breeze Media seems to be on its flight pattern. But we need to hurry."

With that, they hurried to the building.

-X-

The three kids scurried up the fire escape of Breeze Media, making their way onto the roof. As Keith had predicted, the Battery was making its way over to them and seemed to be within reach.

"This is by far the craziest thing we've ever done," Chris mused.

"Hey, we already tried to blow off your hands," Keith pointed out. "Why not add jumping off a roof to the list?"

"Well, because even if my hands were blown off, I'd still be alive. If we don't time this jump right... it's a long way down."

"Quit psyching yourselves out," Kat snapped. "We can do this. We have to do this."

As the Flying Battery drew near, Keith took a deep breath. "Alright. On the count of three, we jump and hope for the best. One-"

"THREE!" Kat shrieked before jumping.

On instinct, the boys jumped after her. Kat landed on a panel below and turned around, grabbing their arms in each hand. She dug in her heels and pulled, getting them up onto the panel.

"Okay… how are you that strong?" Chris asked.

Kat shrugged. "Been working out."

"You're our age," Keith pointed out. "No matter how much you work out, you shouldn't be able to -"

Kat snapped her fingers, cutting him off.

"Focus. Carpet bombing Eggman ship, remember?"

Keith snapped back to attention.

"Right, sorry."

"We need to get to the main cabin," Chris said. "Then we can steer the ship out of the city and then set it on a collision course somewhere. From there, we use a Warp Ring and get out."

They made their way through the ship. However, It wasn't long before their path was suddenly blocked by a force field on either side.

"What the -?!" Keith let out.

A laugh sounded, as Snively revealed himself on the other side.

"It's a trap!" Chris shouted.

"Snively…" Kat was a mixture of nervous and pissed, her hands shaking as she clenched them into fists.

"Hello, children," Snively greeted cordially. "Enjoying the flight?"

"Drop the polite act, Snively," Chris shot back. "We all know it's as thin as your hairline."

Kat snorted at that while Snively scowled.

"It seems Sonic's witticisms are rubbing off on you," he remarked. "Fine, then I'll cut to the chase. Hand over the Chaos Emerald you got from the Heavy Gunner."

"Chaos Emerald?" Keith asked. "Sorry, don't think I've ever seen one."

"Wish we could," Chris added. "Can you imagine what we could do with one?"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Snively demanded.

"Do you really want us to answer that question?" Keith questioned.

Kat snorted again, actually managing a giggle.

"Why is Eggman even after the Chaos Emeralds if he has the Phantom Ruby?" Chris asked. "Seems that's all the power he'll need."

"Insurance," Snively said simply. "Even if you do retrieve all seven Emeralds for Sonic, he'll be no match for the completed Titanic Monarch. But my uncle refuses to take that chance."

"Well, like I said, we don't have one," Keith insisted. "Never even seen one."

They held up their hands, Kat mimicking their pose. Snively gritted his teeth in anger before smiling maliciously.

"Alright. I guess we have to do this the hard way," he said. "As everyone knows, villains only divulge their plans in a certain situation. Can you tell me what that is?"

"Hmmm…" Keith tapped his chin. "When they think they've already won?"

"Yes!" Snively applauded. "We have a winner!"

He pressed a button, and the trio was dropped down a trapdoor.

-X-

They all landed in a massive pile of scrap. They stood up, having to pull small bits of metal out of their hair, clothes, and skin.

"I hope we're all up to date on our shots," Chris remarked, pulling a rather rusty piece from his sleeve. "Where are we anyway?"

Kat looked around, her heart dropping into her stomach.

"Shit. We need to get out of here, now!"

"Kat, where are we?" Chris reiterated.

Keith looked, gasping in realization.

"Oh, no… Chris, we're in a trash compactor!"

"That's right, kids!" Snively declared over a loudspeaker. "Now, last chance. I know one of you has a Chaos Emerald. Give it to me NOW, or you're all going to be a lot thinner!"

"Screw you, Snively!" Kat shot back.

"Fine. You asked for it."

A low whirring sounded through the compactor and the walls began to close in on them. All three of them were on the verge of panicking.

"How are we gonna get out of here?!" Chris screamed.

"We can't!" Kat told them. "It's been sealed to prevent people from getting crushed! It can only be shut down from the outside!"

Keith looked around, frantically trying to work out a plan before seeing an electromagnet in the ceiling.

"That magnet!" he shouted. "It's gotta be what's controlling the compactor!"

"We need to destroy it!" Chris insisted. "We need to get up there!"

"Which one of you can disable it faster?" Kat demanded.

"Me!" Keith replied.

Kat knelt down, lacing her fingers together to give him a step. "Brace yourself."

Keith quickly took the offered step, and Kat boosted him up. He went flying up to the magnet, grabbing on and climbing on top of it. Almost immediately, he pried open the casing and began shutting it down. As the walls edged ever closer, Kat threw her arms out, putting every ounce of strength she had into keeping them back.

"Hurry up!" she screamed.

"Keith, we're running out of room!" Chris shouted.

"Just a few more seconds…" Keith twisted two wires together, and the compactor slowly powered down, the walls grinding to a stop. Once everything had stopped, Kat released the walls, panting a bit as Keith dropped back down.

"Cutting it a bit close, don't you think?" Chris asked.

Above them, Snively was listening on the loudspeaker. He blinked in surprise as he heard it power down.

"What's this?" he asked. "Where's the satisfying sound of three unruly brats being crushed?"

Kat promptly grabbed a piece of scrap and threw it right at the loudspeaker, colliding with it and causing feedback that forced Snively to recoil, a hand over his ear in pain.

"Damn, that felt good," she boasted.

Snively growled before letting out a dark chuckle. "So, you seem to have won. Fine. But let me leave you with an old saying: It's not the fall that kills you, it's the sudden stop."

Before they could take that in, suddenly the scrap in the compactor was ejected, taking the trio with it.

-X-

As they fell, Kat immediately grabbed onto the edge of an outside panel. She then grabbed Keith by his ankle, then Keith grabbed Chris by the arm. Kat let out a pained scream at the strain of holding up all three of them with one arm.

"This is more excitement than I planned on today…" Chris muttered.

"I- I can't pull us up!" Kat cried. "It's too much!"

"Then don't!" Chris declared. "Let go!"

"WHAT?!" Keith shrieked. "Are you out of your freaking mind, Chris?!"

"Trust me!" Chris assured.

Working with his free hand, he pulled out a Warp Ring and threw it below him, opening a portal back onto the Flying Battery. "Okay, Kat! Drop!"

She let go and the three of them dropped down through the ring.

-X-

They were then dropped right back inside, on the opposite end of the force field. They rolled off one another, Kat holding her arms in pain.

"Ow…" she squeaked out.

"Okay…" Keith panted, "If you'll excuse me for a minute, I'm gonna sit down and have a heart attack."

"Sorry, no time," Chris pointed out, standing up. "Who knows what Snively's gonna pull next."

He pulled the two to their feet. "C'mon, this way."

They made it to just outside the cabin room when Snively dropped down in a massive spider-like mech.

"This is inconceivable!" he shouted. "How can I, the brilliant Snively Kintobor, be outwitted by mere children like you?!"

"Maybe you're just not as clever as you think you are," Keith said bluntly.

"Just give it up, Snively," Chris declared. "We've beaten every dirty trick you've thrown at us."

"You may have beaten me in a battle of wits, but let's see how you fare against the Spider-Mobile!" Snively ranted, glaring right at Kat. "Sonic and that blasted Echidna aren't here to protect any of you this time! You're all dead!"

Kat glanced around, looking for anything she could use for a weapon. Her arms were already shaky from all the strain she'd put them under, but she wasn't about to back down.

"Guys, I need a club or something. Find me something I can smash with, I'll hold off the spider bot as long as I can."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Keith asked her.

"This isn't something we can outsmart," Kat insisted. "I'll be fine."

With that, Chris and Keith started looking around for anything Kat could use as a weapon, while Kat herself did what she could to fend off Snively. She rolled out of the way of the stabbing legs, grabbing one and managing to yank it free. Her arms immediately protested to the extended use and she was forced to drop it.

"You've reached your limit, girl," Snively taunted. "Another move like that, and you're likely to break every bone in both arms if not your entire body."

"I don't think I broke anything," Kat winced, "But I definitely pulled something."

Suddenly, the pouch on her skirt began to glow. Seeing this, Snively grinned.

"Aha!" he declared. "I knew it! You do have a Chaos Emerald!"

His joy soon turned to shock, however, when light began shimmering around Kat and her arms stopped shaking. The small cuts she'd received also began healing, causing her to let out a breath.

"Okay, now that's more like it!" she declared before snatching up the spider's leg.

"...Oh, no." Snively managed.

"This is for my family!" Kat shouted as she leaped into the air.

She used the leg as a spear, stabbing it right through the spider bot. The bot sparked, but Snively kept trying even as Kat began stabbing repeatedly.

"This is for Chun-nan!"

She then finished stabbing the now sparking bot as she grabbed Snively by the collar of his shirt, lifting him up.

"And this… is for months of HELL!"

She punched him with all her strength. Snively was sent flying into the far wall, denting it, and knocked senseless. Kat panted, stepping out of the downed robot. With that done, Chris hurried into the main cabin, typing away on the autopilot before rejoining them.

"I've sent the Flying Battery on a crash course with Mount Mobius," he told them. "Right into its mouth."

"Then I guess that's our cue to get out of here," said Keith.

"What about Snively?" Chris asked.

"He can take care of himself," Kat insisted. "Whether he makes it or not, that's up to him."

Conceding, Chris threw a Warp Ring. The three kids hopped through, just as Snively came to. He looked out the window, seeing the mountain closing in.

"Oh, sh-"

The Flying Battery collided with the mountain, exploding.

Studiopolis

The kids ended back up on a rooftop in Studiopolis, and Keith immediately turned to Kat.

"Okay, there's no way in hell you got that strong by just working out."

"What?" Kat defended. "That's literally all I've done."

"You held open a trash compactor," Keith listed off with his fingers. "You pulled both me and Chris up with one arm each. Held all three of us aloft with one arm. And you ripped a robot apart! With your bare hands! No twelve-year-old human can do that!"

"He's got a point," Chris admitted. "Not to mention how the Emerald in your pocket reacted to you."

"It's done that before," Kat said. "I watched the same thing happen with Sonic."

"Wait…" Chris perked. "Have you been spending a lot of time around the Master Emerald Sonic mentioned?"

"Yeah, like most of my time," Kat confirmed. "I live on the shrine with Knuckles."

"So that's what's going on," Keith deduced. "You spend so much time around the Master Emerald that the Chaos energy emissions must be affecting you."

Kat looked down at herself. "I didn't realize that was possible."

"Chaos energy can do a lot of things," Chris pointed out.

"Wow…" Kat let out. "That's... That's pretty cool."

"Maybe later, we can see just how strong you really are so you don't injure yourself again." Chris offered.

Kat smiled. "I'd like that."

Mount Mobius

The Flying Battery was nothing but a pile of rubble before Mount Mobius. A cough sounded from inside as Snively struggled his way out, battered, covered in cuts and bruises, but alive. He looked to see the Egg Mobile approach and sighed.

"As if today couldn't get any worse," he grumbled.

The Egg Mobile landed, and Robotnik disembarked.

"Snively…" he began, his voice terrifyingly even and calm, "Tell me, where is the Flying Battery supposed to be?"

"...In the air," Snively confessed.

"Where in the air?" Robotnik added.

"...Studiopolis," Snively replied.

"Precisely," Robotnik nodded. "So tell me, why is the Flying Battery A, not flying, and B, all the way out here on Mount Mobius?"

Snively stammered, and Robotnik beckoned him with a finger.

"Come here, Snively."

"I tried to stop them, sir, but the Death Egg survivor and the Thorndyke and Kent boys put up a better fight than expected. They-"

"Come," Robotnik interjected, his tone harsh. "Here."

Trembling, Snively obliged.

"Now, would you mind explaining to me how three human children, who aren't even thirteen, could not only defeat you but manage to DESTROY A TWO-HUNDRED-AND-FIFTY-TON MACHINE?!"

Violently shivering, Snively tried to form a sentence to explain. "W-well, sir, they hacked the autopilot and- URK!"

Robotnik grabbed him by the throat.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't finish what those brats started," he growled.

"Uh…" Snively grinned sheepishly. "We're family?"

Robotnik's expression didn't change one bit.

"I'll try harder next time!" Snively pleaded. "Build a bigger, stronger machine! Please don't kill me!"

After a moment, Robotnik dropped him.

"Next time you fail me, I won't be so merciful," he warned as he made his way back to the Egg Mobile. "Back to the Little Planet. The Titanic Monarch isn't going to finish building itself."

"Y-yes, Uncle," Snively said, standing up and dusting himself off. "Of course."

Chapter Text

Mirage Saloon

Bunnie's group had taken a pit stop at a bar within the Mirage Saloon's local town. The bar was standard Wild West fare, complete with swivel stools, an ice cream parlor/bar, barrels, and someone playing a jaunty tune on a piano. Exhausted from looking for the Chaos Emerald, they were helping themselves to a root beer float.

"Ya'd think something like a Chaos Emerald wouldn't be so hard ta find," Bunnie muttered.

"If only," Shorty grumbled.

"Well, the locals haven't exactly been the most... helpful fellows," Antoine noted.

"I think they just keep staring at… well, you know," Mina shifted uncomfortably.

A drunk Mobian bull staggered up to them as if to prove her right, putting an arm around Bunnie.

"Hey, girl…" he hiccupped. "Whaddaya say we go out for a ride in the desert?"

"No," Bunnie calmly removed his hoof from her shoulders. "Now please go sweat on somebody else."

"Aw, c'mon, sweetie," the bull insisted. "I ain't gonna bite."

As he reached for her again, Bunnie grabbed him with her metal arm. The bull gasped in shock.

"When a lady says no, she means it," Bunnie said, deadly calm before letting him go.

"Y-you're one of them!" the bull exclaimed. "You're a freaking robot!"

He scrambled back, drunkenly running out of the bar. Bunnie sighed.

"And that's why even before I was roboticized, I made it a point to avoid Mirage Saloon."

"Unfortunately, not all of us can scare them off with robotic limbs," Mina noted.

"Relax, Mina," Shortfuse assured. "If anyone lays a hand on you, I'll make sure they pull back a nub."

Suddenly, the door to the saloon was thrown open, and everyone tensed as three individuals, consisting of a weasel, a duck, and a polar bear, entered. The weasel had purple fur and blue eyes with a white muzzle and crooked tail. He was dressed in a brown fedora, a brown belt, brown gloves with metal plates, and brown and white boots, complete with a beige trench coat with brown chaps and a dark blue shirt underneath.

The duck had green feathers and blue eyes and was wearing a black shirt and dark blue overalls with a red neckerchief, his shoes bearing an uncanny resemblance to Sonic's sneakers. The bear had yellow fur with a triangular patch of white fur on his chest and red eyes, towering over the others. In addition to a collared red shirt with rolled-up sleeves, he wore a blue vest, dark blue pants, brown gloves, brown-toed red boots, a green scar, and a red beanie with holes to allow his ears to poke out. The four Freedom Fighters were instantly tense, getting bad vibes from the trio.

"Uhoh...this ain't good," Bunnie whispered.

"You know these guys?" she asked.

"I know about them. Team Hooligan, a group of mercenaries for hire. They'll take any job for the right price," Bunnie pointed at each one in turn. "Bark the Polar Bear. Bean the Dynamite. And their ringleader, Nack the Weasel, alias Fang the Sniper."

"Somehow, I get the feeling they're not here for the root beer floats," Shortfuse noted.

Nack scanned the room, his eyes eventually falling on the foursome before he came over.

"Say, you wouldn't happen to be part of the Freedom Fighters, would you?" he asked, with a prominent Australian accent. "Know a guy named Sonic?"

"So what if we do?" Shortfuse retorted.

"It's our current job," Bean said. "A weirdo, yellow robot with a big hat put a hit out on them."

The four exchanged looks.

"That's gotta be one of the Heavies," Mina mused.

"Just what I was thinkin', sugar," Bunnie agreed.

"I'm terribly sorry my good fellows," Antoine began, "But I fear we are disinclined to offer our expertise in the matter."

Bark scratched his head in confusion. "Huh?"

"He said get lost!" Bunnie snapped. "We ain't helping ya!"

"Nice try," Nack scoffed. "The Magician already told us what you all look like."

He leveled a raygun at them. "Dead or alive, you're coming with us.

Shortfuse calmly jammed his finger in the barrel just as Nack fired. The gun exploded in Nack's hand as Shorty removed his finger, Mina blowing on it to cool the warm metal.

"Feeling lucky, punk?" Shortfuse taunted.

"Bark," Nack said, prompting the polar bear to punch the Cybernik in the face. Shortfuse went flying into the wall, stunned but unhurt, while Bark shook out his battered knuckles.

"Okay, that caught me off-guard," Shortfuse admitted, standing up. "No one's been able to throw me that far."

He retaliated with a jet-boosted kick that sent Bark flying across the room, slamming into the piano and smashing it. That threw a match into the powder keg; a full-on bar brawl broke out. Patrons were smashing bottles over everyone's heads. Some were even grabbing stools to use as weapons. Bunnie let out a small cheer, punching a drunk from happiness.

"Been too long since I've been in a good bar fight!" she declared.

Mina suddenly darted across the room with surprising speed, barging one drunk aside with her shoulder. As Bean tried his luck, she grabbed him by the collar, punching him multiple times in the span of two seconds before knocking him on his back.

"You have super-speed, too?" Shortfuse let out. "How... why…"

"I'm not sure myself," Mina admitted. "Probably because mongooses are naturally fast. As for why I didn't tell you, you never asked."

She then sped to the side, avoiding a rather drunk and angry bull. "Olé!"

Sadly, she let her guard down at that. Bark clubbed her in the back of the head with one meaty paw before hoisting her over his shoulder.

"Put the girl down, buddy!" Shortfuse shouted, aiming his laser blaster.

Bark held Mina up, his hand closed around her head. "Just try it. I'll pop her head like a berry."

Shortfuse scowled, slowly lowering his arm. With that, Nack escaped, Bean and Bark in tow, lingering back just long enough to give an ultimatum.

"The Heavy Magician is waiting near the train station," he warned. "If you're not there by high noon, you'll never see the mongoose again!"

And with that, he was gone.

"Damn it!" Shortfuse cursed.

"Well, this is a fine mess," Antoine remarked.

A bar patron tried to smash a stool on Shorty, but it just shattered around him. Angrily, Shorty fired into the air.

"SHUT UP!" he screamed, the bar fight suddenly stopping. "I'm in a really, really bad mood like now. All of you, get back to your damned seats and keep nursing the bottles, or I'll shoot you all where you stand! Got it?!"

The bar was suddenly very calm and orderly.

"Was that really necessary?" Antoine asked.

"Our friend and comrade was just kidnapped by Nack and his goons," Shortfuse spat. "I don't care if it was necessary or not."

"Shorty, we'll get Mina back," Bunnie assured him. "Everything will be alright. I promise."

Shortfuse nodded. "If the Heavy and those goons want a fight, they've got one."

"Indeed they do, mon ami," Antoine agreed. "Bunnie, where is the train station those mannerless miscreants want to meet us?"

"Just outside the town," Bunnie replied. "Follow me."

Just outside the train station itself, the Heavy Magician loomed overhead with Team Hooligan by her side, Mina tied to the railroad tracks.

"Really?" Mina said flatly. "You're going with the old 'tie up the damsel and leave her on the railway' routine? That went out of style with the silent movies."

"Shut up!" the Magician snapped. "It's dramatic, and I'm a sucker for the classics."

"Sucker's a good word for you," Mina retorted. "You know the Freedom Fighters are going to kick your butt."

"Watch your tongue, girl," the Magician warned. "I am the Heavy Magician! Mechanical Mistress of the Magic Arts!"

"Wait, you're a girl?" Mina asked. "Seriously?"

Team Hooligan shared a few snickers. The Magician scowled, before snickering as a train whistle sounded in the distance.

"Ah, the ten o'clock train," she noted. "Right on schedule."

"You want me to beg?" Mina demanded. "Scream for you to let me go? Not gonna happen!"

"I'll admit that's half the fun," the Magician replied. "But I've got some real fighters to deal with."

Shortfuse and Bunnie flew in, Antoine clinging to Bunnie as they went. As they arrived at the train station, a yellow top hat spun into existence before them, the Magician popping out of it.

"Hello, Freedom Fighters!" she declared. "Are you ready for the greatest magic show you'll ever see?"

"Where's Mina?!" Shortfuse demanded.

"Ugh... no sense of showmanship," the Magician sighed. "I'm afraid she's a little tied up at the moment, but don't fret- I have a feeling we'll be running into her shortly."

Her wording made all three of the Freedom Fighters freeze.

"No…" Bunnie gasped. "You didn't…"

"You tied her to the railroad?!" Antoine screamed.

"Yes," the Magician chuckled darkly. "It's simple, inexpensive, personal, and deadly, but it gives you a little hope - maybe you'll escape."

"I'll find Mina," Shortfuse decided. "You two deal with the Heavy."

His rockets kicked on and he shot towards the tracks.

"Well, shall we?" the Magician tugged her hat back over her body, coming out as a duplicate of Antoine complete with a sword. Antoine drew his own blade.

"En garde!" he declared.

The two clashed, crossing blades…

-X-

Meanwhile, Shortfuse managed to find Mina. By this point, she'd closed her eyes and braced herself, waiting for the end. With the train getting ever closer, Shortfuse stood right on the tracks, planting his feet hard before throwing his arms out as he stared the incoming locomotive down.

"Come on…" he dared. "COME ON!"

The horn rang out, then the conductor jumped ship as it plowed right into Shortfuse. The engine buckled around him, pushing him back as it began slowing down. Shortfuse even used his booster rockets to slow the train. It was only when the train was mere inches from running over Mina that Shorty managed to stop it. She cracked an eye open, seeing the Cybernik pulling himself out of the train's engine. He dusted himself off before cutting Mina's ropes, helping her up.

"You alright?" he asked, only to get a relieved hug.

"Thanks, Shorty," she said gratefully.

Shortfuse patted her back. "We're friends. Comrades-in-arms. You'd do the same for me."

"In a heartbeat," Mina pulled away before looking at the train. "We should make sure nobody was on this thing."

Shortfuse winced. "I... hadn't even thought of that."

They scrambled to do so.

-X-

In her duplicate Antoine form, the Magician was holding her own against Antoine reasonably well.

"If you think I will yield to a robotic replica, then you are sorely mistaken!" Antoine declared.

The Magician slashed, landing a shallow cut on Antoine's arm before he managed to get under her defenses with a stab, breaking the illusion. The Magician quickly jumped back, removing her hat before pulling a Caterkiller out. It rapidly increased in size before burrowing underground.

"Caterkiller!" Bunnie screamed. "An Uber one!"

"This could be a might tricky," Antoine confessed.

The Uber Caterkiller sprang out of the ground, lunging as Bunnie fired her arm cannon at it.

"I've got the Caterkiller!" she shouted. "You focus on the Magician!"

"Of course, mon cherie," Antoine assured before turning back to the Magician.

"Bold to assume that I won't have the last laugh," the Magician swore.

She pulled her hat back over herself, coming out as a duplicate of Bunnie. Antoine blinked at that.

"Now that's just in bad taste," he declared.

The Magician put on an innocent expression, mimicking Bunnie's accent as she spoke.

"Now, you wouldn't hurt lil' ole me? Would ya, sugar?"

Antoine seemed shocked, but scowled before slashing at the Magician, forcing her to jump back.

"What's the matter with you?!" She snapped in her normal voice. "You didn't even hesitate to attack a fellow Freedom Fighter, a FRIEND!"

"Because I'm well aware that you are not Bunnie," Antoine argued. "And you will pay for sullying her beauty with your distasteful charade!"

He came at her with the Spin Blade Ball Attack, forcing her on the defensive. As this went on, Bunnie faced off against the Uber Caterkiller, lashing out with a punch only to bounce off its underbelly. She backed off, seeing the glass dome containing its brain circuitry on its head.

"Okay, go for the head," she said to herself.

She waited until it charged at her, then she clicked her heels, activating her rockets. Jetting upward, Bunnie blasted fist-first through the Caterkiller's head. It began sparking and sputtering before it exploded piece by piece. The Magician saw that and turned.

"No!" she screamed.

Seizing the moment of distraction, Antoine plunged his blade into Magician's chest.

"Checkmate," he declared. "And good riddance."

He jerked the blade out, the sparking Magician falling. Bunnie landed, grinning from ear to ear.

"Way to go, Antoine!" she declared.

"Same to you, mon cherie," Antoine replied.

"C'mon," Bunnie insisted. "Let's hope Shorty got to Mina before the train did."

-X-

Antoine and Bunnie hurried in the direction Shortfuse went, only to stop short when they saw the train's engine caved in.

"Mon dieu…" Antoine managed.

Mina and Shortfuse emerged from inside.

"Good," Shortfuse sighed. "No one was on board."

"Yeah," Mina agreed. "It wasn't a passenger train."

Antoine and Bunnie hurried over.

"Shorty, what did you do?" Bunnie asked.

"Let's just say when train meets Cybernik, the train loses," Shortfuse replied.

"And look what we found in the coal bin!" Mina showed them the blue Chaos Emerald.

"No wonder we couldn't find it," Antoine mused

"We're now one step closer to getting all the Emeralds we need to stop Eggman," Bunnie said.

"Sonic and Rotor have the ones on Angel Island covered," Mina recalled. "So I guess it's up to us to get the one at Oil Ocean."

"Then let's get moving," Shortfuse insisted.

With that, they headed off into the sunset. Unbeknownst to them, Team Hooligan was watching them go.

"So, what do we do now, Nack?" Bean asked.

Nack shrugged. "The Heavy Magician's down and out. Our contract with her has expired."

He turned in the opposite direction, gesturing for his gang.

"Come on boys, we're heading out."

They headed to a hoverbike with three sidecars, boarding it and flying off.

Chapter Text

Echidnaopolis

A Warp Ring opened in the center of the ruins of Echidnaopolis. Sonic's group came through, followed by Rotor's.

"Home sweet home," Knuckles declared, "Or what's left of it."

"Incredible…" Porker mused. "I can't believe I'm standing in the Echidnaopolis."

"Didn't take you for a history buff," Rotor said.

"The Echidna were perhaps the most technologically advanced race in all of Mobius history, second only to the Ancients themselves."

"Yeah, well, not all us Echidna like technology," Knuckles replied, heading for the shrine. "In truth, excess technology is part of the reason I'm the only Echidna left."

"Hey, where are you going?" Johnny asked.

"To make sure the Master Emerald is where I left it," Knuckles replied. "I didn't expect to be dragged halfway across Mobius." They followed him to the shrine. Much to Knuckles' relief, the Master Emerald was still there, untouched. He placed a hand against the massive gem, letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank Aurora…"

The others headed up, Rotor's group floored by the massive Emerald.

"That's the Master Emerald?" Rotor asked.

"Yeah, the only thing left of my people, and my only reason for existing."

As he said that, his eyes drifted over to a small section of the shrine. There was a tarp strung up between two pillars, covering a cot with a few blankets and a few workbooks pinned down under some painted rocks. For a small area, it was surprisingly homey.

"Well... one of the only reasons now."

"Is that where Kat's been staying?" Sonic asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah." Knuckles cracked a small smile. "I tried to get her to stay in one of the houses, but she insisted on staying out here. It's… nice, not being alone anymore."

"How long has it just been you?" Tails asked.

"Since I was ten, give or take. One day, the rest of the Echidnas were here. The next, they were just gone. I had no clue how or why until Relic came along and did some research."

"Oh yeah, Relic!" Tails perked. "How is she?"

"She's been good. She's been working on a project in the conservatory, though I never did get a chance to check on her before we were transported."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to see how she's doing before we get to work." Sonic decided.

"What's the conservatory?" Rotor asked.

"Where the Echidna stored all of their tech," Knuckles explained.

Porker had stars in his eyes.

"Porker, snap out of it," Johnny told him. "You're drooling."

Porker shook his head to clear it, wiping his mouth.

"Right, sorry."

Marble Garden

In front of the Grand Conservatory, Relic was working on something when the Freedom Fighters arrived.

"Sonic! And friends!" Relic greeted. "Well, this is a surprise. What brings you by?"

"We wanted to see how you've been doing," Sonic told her. "Knuckles mentioned a project you've been working on."

"Oh yeah!" Relic declared excitedly. "Here, let me show you!"

She grabbed Sonic's hand, pulling him into the conservatory, eliciting a yelp from the hedgehog. Knuckles smirked, chuckling slightly.

"You get used to that," he remarked.

The others followed the Pika deeper into the conservatory, stopping short to see several robots Relic had found not too long ago. They were standing at attention, looking like she'd made quite a bit of headway with their restoration, though she wasn't a hundred percent complete just yet.

"I found these in a back room shortly after you and Tails left," Relic explained. "I've still got a ways to go before they're fully operational, but when they are, Knuckles will be able to leave the Master Emerald in their capable servos so he can finally leave the island without worry."

"Really?" Sonic asked. "What are these things?"

"Guardian Robots. According to my research, a gift to the Echidnas from the Ancients after they assisted in a war."

"I figured once they're operational again, I'll take up that offer to join you guys," Knuckles added. "I'm not completely abandoning my Guardian duties. But these robots will still be useful and help take some of the edge off."

"And it has nothing to do with getting off the island and seeing the world below with your new, plucky sidekick?" Sonic quipped.

"...maybe a little," Knuckles admitted with a smirk.

"Nothing wrong with that," Tails said.

With that, Sonic clapped his hands. "Now that that's done, let's get back to work. We clear on our jobs?"

"My group handles the Hydrocity, and you guys handle the Lava Reef," Rotor recalled.

"Right," Sonic nodded. "Oh, and keep an eye out for a squid Mutate that may or may not be dead, just FYI." Rotor just blinked in confusion. "Long story."

They dispersed at that, Tails smirking playfully.

"You deliberately brought Rotor along so they could handle the Hydrocity, huh?" he asked.

"The farther I am away from water, the better," Sonic replied flatly.

"So this great big hero is afraid of water," Knuckles mused. "Cute."

"You would be too if you almost drowned when you were six," Sonic said defensively.

"You kidding?" Knuckles asked. "I was swimming laps in Azure Lake by the time I was four."

"I can swim if the occasion calls for it," Sonic assured. "But why bother when I can let a walrus handle the situation? They're made for the water."

Knuckles scoffed. "Whatever you say, Fraidy the Hedgehog."

That set Sonic off. "Why, you-!"

He started chasing after Knuckles, the Echidna laughing as he headed for the Lava Reef while Tails just sighed, rolling his eyes.

Hydrocity

Rotor's group headed underground, finding the Hydrocity.

"Well, I can see why it's called Hydrocity," Johnny noted.

"And why Sonic was so dead set against being the one to cover the Emerald here," Porker added.

"Two things you can count on with Sonic," Rotor remarked. "He's gotta go fast, and he hates water."

"We'll search the surface," Porker told him.

"And I'll handle the water," Rotor declared.

With that, Rotor dove in as Porker and Johnny spread out, beginning their search. Before long, they heard what seemed to be a muted explosion, the entire city shaking.

"Don't need to be a genius to know that's not good," Johnny said.

"Agreed," Porker nodded. "Where'd it come from?"

Rotor's head broke the surface of the water. "I'm guessing you heard that. I'll check."

He dove back down, looking around. Eventually, his efforts bore fruit: he saw a figure in scuba gear bearing the Robotnik Empire insignia swimming around, deploying water mines. He swam up to the diver, tapping them on the shoulder. The figure turned around, revealing the green skin and red eyes of Grimer.

"My word!" Rotor greeted. "Aren't you a sight?"

Grimer's eyes widened, and he lashed out with a kick, slapping Rotor in the face with a flipper before trying to make a break for it. Rotor grabbed his ankle.

"Oh, no you don't!" he declared.

On the surface, Porker and Johnny were startled when Grimer was thrown out of the water onto the land in front of them, Rotor following.

"I've found our explosive saboteur," Rotor reported.

He yanked off Grimer's mask, Porker and Johnny recoiling at the sight of him.

"You're an ugly one," Porker mused.

"Did Eggman do this to you?" Johnny asked.

"No, you fools. I was born this way," Grimer shot back. "I'm from the Misery Zone."

The three all let out "ohs" of realization.

"Terribly sorry," Rotor noted.

"No, it's quite alright," Grimer stood up, bowing. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Grimer Wormtongue, an associate of Dr. Robotnik since his days as Julian Kintobor and Head of Research and Development for the Robotnik Empire."

"A pleasure to meet you," Porker replied. "However, it would seem we've caught one another in an awkward situation."

"I'll say," Johnny agreed. "Why were you trying to blow up the city? You could have brought everything down on top of yourself."

"I wasn't trying to blow up the city itself," Grimer clarified. "Just create openings to search for the Chaos Emeralds."

That put the three on edge.

"I see…" Rotor mused. "Have you proof it's there? Because if you're just planting charges willy-nilly, that's a good way to get yourself killed."

"No. We just know that you and the rest of Sonic's friends are searching for them."

"Even with the Phantom Ruby, he still wants the Chaos Emeralds?" Johnny asked.

"To stack the deck," Grimer explained. "As Dr. Robotnik said, even with all seven Emeralds, Sonic will never be able to defeat the Titanic Monarch. But he'd rather not take the chance."

"A fair stratagem, considering his past defeats," Porker noted. "Still, I fear we must be off with the Emerald, if for no other reason than to keep you from burying yourself in the rubble."

"I'm afraid I can't allow that," Grimer told them. "I'm not leaving Hydrocity without the Emerald."

"What're you gonna do, keep blowing things up until you bring a pile of ancient ruins down on your head?" Johnny asked.

"Indeed," said Rotor. "The three of us are no strangers to combat, but I highly doubt you have ever seen combat in person. This will not end well for you."

"Well, it's a good thing I have an ace up my sleeve." Grimer pressed a button before falling back into the water. They ran to the edge just as a modified submarine broke the surface with Grimer in the cockpit. It was a large and red round-shaped Egg Mobile with yellow and black streaks running across it to form an "X", four large black and gold thrusters that were positioned at the four corners of its body, and a two-headed yellow and red propeller on the front.

"Yeah…" Johnny agreed. "That'll do it."

Lava Reef Zone

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles had made it into the Lava Reef, carefully making their way across the edges and avoiding the magma. Sonic pulled at his collar, fanning himself.

"Next time I hit Honey's shop, I'm gonna ask her if she can install something like an air conditioner," he muttered.

"Can't take the heat?" Knuckles asked. "Wuss."

"Says the guy not wearing a shirt." Sonic shot back.

Knuckles looked down at himself. "Yeah, that's a good point. Well made."

"Oh, boy…" Tails sighed. "This is gonna be a thing with you two, isn't it?"

"Aw c'mon, Tails," Sonic insisted. "It's not often I run into someone who actually enjoys a little friendly ribbing."

"Yeah," Knuckles agreed. "Nothing wrong with a little fun."

Rolling his eyes, Tails double-checked the Miles Electric.

"Looks like the Chaos Emerald is in the Hidden Palace," he mused before squinting. "That's odd… Hey Knuckles, you feeling anything?"

"What do you-" Knuckles stopped, bracing a hand on the wall as another went to his stomach. "Uh-oh… don't tell me…"

Tails nodded. "Judging by the readings, the Phantom Ruby is in the Palace too."

"Thought I was feeling a bit lightheaded," Sonic remarked. "I just assumed it was the heat."

"Robotnik…" Knuckles growled. "He's here…"

He hurried toward the tunnel to the Hidden Palace, Sonic and Tails behind him.

Hidden Palace

Knuckles shattered the rock blocking the path to Hidden Palace with one punch, allowing him, Sonic, and Tails entrance. When they came through, they were surprised to find the Heavy King attempting to abscond. with the Super Emeralds.

"The Super Emeralds!" Tails exclaimed. "They're still here!"

"They returned where they belonged," Knuckles replied. "What did you expect?"

Sonic shrugged. "I assumed that once I used them to take out the Death Egg, they'd turn back into normal Chaos Emeralds and disperse."

"That's not how Chaos energy works, dumbass," Knuckles snapped, whacking him upside the head. Sonic fell flat on his face as Knuckles winced. "Sorry."

Sonic got up, glaring before he realized something.

"Wait…" he said. "One of the Heavies is here. Where's the Phantom Ruby? Where's Eggman?"

Tails raised the Miles Electric. Much to his shock, the Phantom Ruby signature was coming from the King himself.

"Of course," Knuckles deduced. "The Heavy absorbed the Phantom Ruby's radiation. That's what we're sensing."

"Anyway…" Sonic dashed forward, ramming into the King and knocking him back.

"Sorry pal, but you're not laying a servo on the Super Emeralds!" he declared.

The King rose to his full height, glaring at them.

"You can't stop me, Sonic!" he swore. "With the power of these Emeralds, I will be free!"

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Free?"

"Yes," the King confirmed. "Robotnik had planted a chip in my head. In the heads of all my brethren. But with the power of these Emeralds, I will destroy the chips. Free us all, And we will rule Mobius!"

"You're planning to betray Eggman?" Tails asked.

"The Phantom Ruby gave me and my brethren more than new forms and new power," the King explained. "We have free will, self-awareness. And we're not about to leave a source of infinite power like the Phantom Ruby in the hands of a petty, immature wannabe tyrant who's lost to a group of teenage Mobians four times in a row."

Sonic snorted, covering his mouth. "Okay, that was good."

Knuckles crossed his arms, glaring at the hedgehog.

"What?" Sonic defended. "It was."

"Now the only thing standing between me and Mobius' true destiny... is you, hedgehog."

With that proclamation, the King landed atop one of the Super Emeralds, plugging his scepter directly into it as he channeled its energy."

"That's not so good…" Sonic admitted.

Hydrocity

The submarine robot lifted its hands, trying to crush the trio. Rotor dove into the water, charging at it, but the submarine dipped down, its propeller spinning so fast that it produced a current that blew the walrus backward.

"This won't be easy," Rotor mused.

"There's gotta be a way to take that thing down!" Porker insisted.

"Just so you know, Freedom Fighters, it's nothing personal!" Grimer informed them. "But I've got my orders!"

He pointed the propeller down, creating a whirlpool that sucked Rotor in. Focusing with all his might, Rotor spun with the current, preparing a Drill Rush.

"The feeling's mutual!" he replied. "Perhaps if things were different, we could be colleagues!"

He launched himself forward, fighting through the current before plowing into Grimer's submarine. He circled around, pummeling it from all directions.

"Perhaps!" Grimer agreed as he deployed water mines from the sub. Staying outside of the whirlpool, Johnny took his staff, batting the mines back at Grimer.

"Nice try, but not good enough!" the rabbit taunted as the mines exploded, rocking the sub even more.

"Well…" Grimer began calmly, "Things are going downhill for me, aren't they?"

"Do yourself a favor and surrender!" Porker ordered. "We'll pull you out and make sure nothing happens to you."

Instead, Grimer threw a switch just as Rotor landed a final Drill Rush, ejecting from the sub and flying on a jet pack.

"The outcome of this battle has been decided, I know when to cut my losses," he informed them. "We'll meet again, Freedom Fighters!"

And with that, he made his escape.

"Bad man," Johnny mused. "But good manners. Eggman could learn something from him."

Rotor pulled himself out of the water, shaking water out of his blubber. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

The sub sank into the water before exploding. A glint of something in the depths caught Rotor's eye.

"Hello…" He dove back in before resurfacing, the cyan Chaos Emerald in hand. "Second time I've pulled one of these from the water."

"Well, that's our good deed for the day," Porker said. "Wonder how Sonic's doing?"

Hidden Palace

Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails were forced on the defensive as the Heavy King fired Chaos energy bolts at them from his scepter.

"How ironic!" the King bragged. "The very power you used to defeat Dr. Robotnik time and time again turned against you, Sonic!"

"He's got a point," Tails mused. "We can't get close enough!"

"I know," Sonic said simply.

"We need a plan!" Knuckles insisted.

"I know!" Sonic snapped, thinking before snapping his fingers. "His scepter! That's how he's channeling the Chaos energy!"

He waved Tails and Knuckles over. "Operation Decoy. One of us draws his fire and attention, and the others get the scepter and take him down."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Sonic agreed.

He came out of hiding, sticking his tongue out and waggling his fingers at the King. He kept firing on him, only for Sonic to taunt him by dodging out of the way, performing such moves as slapping his rear at him, performing ballerina twirls, before throwing himself into a Russian-style squat dance.

"Moscow, Moscow, I-don't-know-the-frickin'-words, I-don't-know-the-frickin'-words, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! HEY!" he chanted. "Moscow, Moscow, I-don't-know-the-frickin'-words, I-don't-know-the-frickin'-words, ah-ha-ha-ha-ha! HEY!"

"Wise guy!" the King screamed. "I'll show you!"

As the Heavy King kept trying to fire on him, Knuckles came up behind him, tapping him on the shoulder. He turned, getting a spiked fist to the chin as he went flying, the scepter spinning up in the air. Tails snagged it midair, snapping it over his knee. The King hit the ground, dazed and inactive. That was when Metal Sonic suddenly appeared, standing between Team Sonic and him.

"You again?!" Sonic demanded.

"I'm not here for you this time," Metal informed him. "The doctor feared the Heavies would still plot a betrayal, so he sent me after them."

"So what, you're a robotic babysitter now?" Tails asked. "Ouch."

Metal scowled before grabbing the King, taking to the sky, and pointing at Sonic.

"Next time, Sonic, it's your carcass I'll be dragging to the doctor to kneel before him," he vowed before departing with the King in tow.

"Was that-?" Knuckles began.

"A metal me," Sonic confirmed. "The final version Eggman cooked up."

"In fact, that's literally his name," Tails added. "Metal Sonic."

"Huh…" Knuckles let out.

A glow then emanated from the wall, causing the three to turn. Knuckles punched through the wall, the cyan Chaos Emerald dropping to the ground. Sonic picked it up, tossing it in his hand before sliding it into one of his pant pockets.

"Perfect."

Little Planet

At the Metallic Madness Zone, Metal dumped the King before Robotnik.

"It's as you feared, Doctor," he reported. "The Heavy King attempted to betray you at Angel Island."

Robotnik tsk-tsked in disappointment. "You were my elite. One of my best. Why would you betray me?"

"The Phantom Ruby made me self-aware. And I've had time to think, Doctor."

"Then tell me, what is the "Heavy King" thinking about?"

"You have big plans and good executions, but not the necessary subtlety and patience. At every turn, Sonic and his Freedom Fighters, a group of mere children, have thwarted your plans. You've made no progress toward conquering Mobius. None. For all your grandiose schemes, you are no closer to your goal than when you began. Why would me or my Heavies desire to continue serving such a failure of a despot?"

Robotnik snarled, his fists clenching in rage.

"You're only angry because you know I'm right," Heavy King declared.

"I warn you, Heavy King, I'm just a hair's breadth from activating the self-destruct chip in your head."

"Then do it. Because I refuse to bow down to a worthless wannabe dictator with no chance of success."

"And you came so highly recommended," Robotnik sighed before pressing the button.

Heavy King exploded into scrap metal. From the doorway, the 6-S watched, wincing, and Orbot sighed.

"What a senseless waste of robot life." he lamented.

"Orbot! Cubot!" Robotnik shouted. "Clean up this mess!"

The two immediately went to do so as Robotnik stormed off, looking over the Titanic Monarch with Metal by his side.

"Sonic and his band will be on the Little Planet before long," Robotnik told him. "I want you to ambush them at Stardust Speedway."

"Of course, Doctor," Metal said. "I won't fail you this time. I swear it."

He departed, leaving Robotnik to brood over the King's words.

"You're wrong, Heavy King," he swore. "I will succeed. One way or another... Mobius will be mine."

Chapter Text

Oil Ocean Refinery

Bunnie's group arrived at the Oil Ocean Refinery, taking in the sights and seeing it had been abandoned for quite some time.

"Guess Robotnik decided to jump ship and leave this place as is after the Death Egg mess," Bunnie mused.

"What a mess…" Mina said.

She looked over the edge, only to recoil with a scream as a green scaly hand with webbed fingers emerged from the oily mess. She shrieked in horror just as Shorty blasted it with a laser. The hand recoiled, before bursting out to reveal a humanoid, green-skinned fish creature, nursing its burnt hand.

"What the hell is that?!" Shortfuse demanded.

Bunnie looked between the creature and the oil, putting two and two together.

"A mutant, no doubt the result of toxins mixing with the environment."

"So, Robotnik pollutes the sea around here, people leave it alone, and now the local wildlife is becoming ravenous mutants?" Mina pondered.

"Such a horrible tragedy," Antoine lamented. "We'll need to see that this wrong is righted."

"What're we gonna do about him?" Mina pointed at the fish creature, which didn't seem to be making a move to attack.

"Leave him be," Shortfuse decided. "We won't bother the critters here unless they bother us first."

They began backing away and the fish creature retreated.

"Now I feel bad for you shooting it," Mina admitted.

"It was instinctive," Shortfuse defended.

"Just try not to be trigger-happy in the future," Bunnie told him. "These are simply mutated Mobini, not threats."

As long as they don't try to attack us first, I won't," Shortfuse replied.

They began to look for the final Emerald, searching through the refinery. Before long, low, feral growls reached their ears.

"That did not sound very friendly," Antoine mused.

They were already on the edge as a pack of Mobini dogs emerged. The dogs resembled Muttski, except covered in bony protrusions and having borderline skeletal figures. Mina's hands went to her mouth in horror.

"Oh, God…" she let out.

"Mobini dogs…" Bunnie remarked. "Thank Aurora Sonic's not here."

"How do we handle this situation?" Antoine asked.

"They're just animals," Bunnie reminded them. "They're in pain, not knowing what they're doing. Incapacitate, don't kill."

"Look at these poor mutts," Shortfuse mused. "I almost feel putting them down would be a mercy."

That earned him multiple glares. "Almost, I said!"

"You heard Bunnie," Antoine pointed out. "Incapacitate. Do not kill!"

The skeleton dogs attacked. The foursome fought back, using a minimal amount of force and knocking them out.

"There might be a way to cure these mutations," Bunnie explained. "That's why I said not to kill them, Shorty. If there's a cure, Tails and the other brainiacs will find it."

"Fair point," Shortfuse conceded before sighing. "The sooner we find the Emerald and get outta this dump, the better. I think I'm gonna be sick."

"Mina, you can cover more ground than us," Bunnie decided. "You find the Emerald. We'll keep the mutants at bay."

"Okay," Mina nodded. "I'll do my best."

Mina zipped off, looking around. Eventually, she saw a small glow emitting from a pole above. Mina looked up, seeing what appeared to be a nest built into it.

"That's gotta be it," she mused before climbing the pole, seeing the gray Chaos Emerald inside the nest and surrounded by a group of Mobini squirrels.

"Rickies? Huh. I was expecting-" She nearly lost her grip when the Rickies turned to face her, revealing each had a third eye in their foreheads. "Ah! Three-eyed Rickies!"

They all chittered at the sight of her.

"Nice Rickies…" Mina tried to soothe. "Nice mutant Rickies… I just want the Chaos Emerald, then I'll leave you alone."

They hissed at her, then ran off with the Emerald.

"No, no, no!" Mina cried. "Come back!"

She slid down the pole before running after them. It wasn't hard for Mina to catch up to the Ricky family. She snatched up the Emerald, looking at them with pity.

"I'm sorry this happened to you," she said softly before hurrying to rejoin the others.

-X-

They were still fighting off the skeleton dogs, weapons set to stun. Antoine kept apologizing with every hit he delivered. Mina ran in, holding up the Emerald as she came.

"Alright, I got it!" she screamed. "Let's get outta here!"

"Alrighty then!" Bunnie declared. "Little Planet, here we come!"

She pulled out a Warp Ring and threw it, opening up a portal that everyone ran through. It closed up before the skeleton dogs could follow.

Stardust Speedway

Multiple Warp Rings opened up in Stardust Speedway, the assembled groups arriving through them.

"Is everyone here?" Knuckles asked.

"Looks like," Sonic confirmed.

"Knuckles!" Kat ran over, hugging him. Knuckles hugged her back before parting.

"Do we have them all?" Sally asked.

Each group displayed their collected Chaos Emeralds.

"Sorry it took so long," Chris told them. "We had to stop the Flying Battery from carpet bombing Studiopolis."

"Eggman rebuilt it?" Tails asked.

"And Chris sent it on a crash course with Mount Mobius," Keith replied.

"And Kat kicked robotic butt singlehandedly," Chris added.

"Well, you stopped the Heavy Gunner," Kat pointed out. "And Keith got us out of that trash compactor."

"We ran into Mighty and Ray at the Press Garden," Sally told them. "You will not believe how insulting the wanted posters they were churning out were."

"Even worse, I didn't even get one!" Sticks griped. "Apparently, I'm that far beneath Eggman's radar!"

Sonic just patted her on the head.

"We ran into a little trouble in Mirage Saloon," Bunnie began. "Fun fact, Cybernik versus train. Cybernik wins."

Shortfuse cut in at their confused looks. "The Heavy Magician hired a band of mercenaries to get us. They kidnapped Mina and tied her to the railroad."

"That old trick?" Amy questioned. "Really?"

"Really," Mina confirmed. "Also, did you know she's a girl?"

"That's surprising," Tails noted.

"From there, we hit Oil Ocean," Shortfuse said, shaking his head. "No one's bothered to manage the refinery or clean up the crude since Robotnik left. The local Mobini have mutated from it."

"Oh, Aurora…" Sally gasped before steeling. "Once this is over, I'll hire a clean-up crew."

"How about you, Sonic?" Bunnie asked. "How was Angel Island?"

"The Master Emerald was still good, right?" Kat added.

"Yeah," Sonic assured her. "We ran into the Heavy King at Lava Reef. Imagine our surprise to find the Super Emeralds are still at the Hidden Palace."

"Well, duh," Kat said. "They returned where they belong. What were you expecting?"

"That after he used their power, they'd go back to being normal Chaos Emeralds and disperse," Tails answered.

"I know, I know," Sonic interjected as Kat opened her mouth. "That's not how Chaos energy works."

"Yeah, duh," Kat declared. "When it's absorbed, it doesn't disperse again, especially when it's absorbed by emeralds. That's like Chaos Energy 101."

"Glad you've been studying Chaos Theory," Knuckles remarked.

"It's an interesting read," Kat replied.

"Anyway!" Sonic exclaimed. "The King planned to use them to usurp Robotnik."

"He did?" Porker asked.

"The Phantom Ruby's changes weren't just physical," Sonic explained. "The Heavies got free will from the power surge. They can think and all that. Robotnik kept them in line using a self-destruct chip."

"If that's true, then Heavy King's probably scrap metal," Sally said.

"Metal Sonic showed up after the fight to drag him back to Eggman," Tails informed them. "So yeah, most likely."

"We ended up tangling with one of Robotnik's other associates," Rotor cut in. "A little green man named Grimer."

"Grimer?" Sonic asked. "As in Grimer Wormtongue?"

"You know him?" Johnny questioned.

"One of Doc Kintobor's on-again, off-again partners with his other projects," Sonic explained. "Creepy as hell, but I'll admit he was charming and charismatic."

"That was our impression," Porker admitted. "He was surprisingly cordial throughout our entire encounter."

"He was on the Death Egg too," Kat recalled. "He was always much nicer to us."

"Well, we certainly went through some crazy adventures," Sonic mused. "Now for the real challenge."

They turned toward the speedway; even from this distance, they could see the Titanic Monarch, their final target, clearly.

"Doesn't look so big from where I'm standing," Sonic said aloud as he raised a hand to compare, then clenched his fist.

"We got this," Sally insisted.

"We better," Knuckles added.

"Because if we fail…" Rotor included.

"All of Mobius will suffer," Chris concluded.

"Yeah, no pressure or anything," Mina deadpanned.

They hurried down the speedway toward the Monarch, unaware of Metal Sonic lying in wait nearby…

Chapter Text

Stardust Speedway

The Freedom Fighters were hurrying along the Speedway when suddenly something slammed into the ground before them, cracking the pavement. Metal Sonic rose to his full height, looking them over. The rest of the Freedom Fighters recoiled, but Sonic just seemed somewhere between exhausted and bored.

"Oh, it's you, Metal," he said casually, "How ya doin'?"

Metal cocked his head in confusion and mild disappointment.

"That's it? No scream of fear? No trembling?"

"Hey, I'm not afraid of you. Every time we tangle, you wind up a pile of scrap metal. The score's three to nothing."

"That may be true, but the doctor has granted me an edge"

"Better be one hell of an edge to beat…"

Sonic trailed off, feeling somewhat lightheaded. Horror washed over him as he turned back to Knuckles and Kat. Sure enough, both of them looked sick and dizzy.

"Shit…" he cursed.

Metal chuckled darkly as he held up what was in his hand on full display.

"He's got the Phantom Ruby!" Tails exclaimed.

"I'm already your equal as I stand now, Sonic," Metal mused. "So I wonder what would happen when I combine my power with that of the ruby?"

Sonic looked at Metal nervously, then back at the group.

"Alright then," he decided. "You wanna see what you can do? How about one last race?"

"First things first."

Metal snapped his fingers, and as if on cue, a generator decorated with Robotnik's face rose up on a platform. Above the face was an indentation perfectly shaped like Metal, who interfaced with it as the generator powered on. As he focused, the mouth of the generator opened, creating mass-produced Silver Sonic prototypes that advanced on the Freedom Fighters.

"Hey!" Sonic objected.

"Do you take me for a fool, Sonic?" Metal questioned as he exited the machine. "You're the only one I consider a rival. The Silver Sonic army will ensure your little friends stay out of this. Whether they live or die is up to them."

The other Freedom Fighters quickly got ready for a fight.

"Go, Sonic!" Sally urged. "We'll be okay!"

Sonic stood side-by-side with Metal, the two ready to start running as they glared each other down.

"You're gonna lose again," Sonic vowed. "I promise you that."

"Even if I do, I was created for the sole purpose of destroying you," Metal shot back. "No matter how many times you defeat me, I'll keep coming back."

"At least until the doctor gets tired of your failures and replaces you," Sonic retorted. "Just you wait. You're just another robot to him."

The two took off down the speedway. Sonic immediately sprang up, landing a few Homing Attacks before Metal was surrounded by an indigo-colored octahedral barrier with black outlines, deflecting the last attack.

"The Black Shield," Metal boasted. "My new defensive matrix. Impressive, no?"

"Look at you," Sonic taunted. "A shiny new ball to hide in."

He clapped sarcastically while running backward. "You must be so proud."

"Laugh while you can!"

Metal flew ahead of Sonic before extending his arms in a manner similar to Bunnie, unleashing a slew of rapid-fire punches that forced Sonic on the defensive.

"Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed. "New trick. You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Metal?"

"Every time the doctor has rebuilt me, he's made me faster! Stronger! More powerful!"

"And it's still not enough," Sonic retorted. "I guess an unchanging robot just can't measure up to genuine Mobian adaptability."

Metal snarled, metallic fists clenching.

"This is where you die, Sonic! Your taunts and gloating change nothing!"

"Keep telling yourself that, Metal! As I said, you don't scare me!"

"Then I will teach you to fear me!"

-X-

Meanwhile, the Freedom Fighters were fighting off the Silver Sonics. Kat fended off one particular group while Chris and Keith were running scans.

"There's got to be some sort of weakness we can exploit!" Chris insisted.

"Provided we can hit them before they hit us!" Keith added.

Kat had two bots pinned and was barely holding off a third. "Just! Keep! Looking!"

She kicked it off her, right into Rotor, who punched it in the face. Antoine dodged a strike from another Silver Sonic, before taking its head clean off with a swipe of his sword. Bunnie was grappling with another, which had her pinned down.

"I think it's time someone gave you the boot!" she shouted before raising one leg, firing off the jet booster, and propelling the bot away.

Sticks let out a war cry, charging at one with her chaos-shard spear. She managed to get three as Tails flew over her, grabbing a bot of his own before throwing him into a tree. Knuckles ended up back to back with Amy, both of them smashing Silver Sonics left and right.

"You're pretty good with that thing," Knuckles mused.

"Thanks," Amy replied. "You're not so bad yourself."

Porker was helping with the scans while Johnny defended him with his staff. Sally hacked with her Ring-Blades, while Shortfuse was using his lasers on them. For her part, Mina was using her speed to her full advantage.

"How many of these things are there?!" Mina demanded.

"Too many!" Sally replied.

Porker looked up at the Robot Generator, which was still churning out Silver Sonics.

"Of course…" he realized. "The generator is the key!"

"We need to destroy the generator!" Tails shouted. "No more generator, no more Silver Sonics!"

He pulled several electrical bombs out of his jacket pockets.

"Just leave it to me!"

"I'll clear the way!" Knuckles yelled. "Everyone get back!"

He jumped into the air before coming down fist-first, landing a powerful punch that fractured the ground and produced shockwaves that knocked the Silver Sonics off their feet.

"Okay, you have got to show me that move," Kat noted.

Tails charged at the generator, prepping the bombs.

"It's been a blast, but we gotta get going!" the fox declared before lobbing them into the metallic mouth of the generator. It began to spark and fizzle as everyone got back. Rotor and Knuckles covered the kids as everyone else dive-bombed off the speedway. Suddenly, the entire thing exploded. As the dust cleared, they pulled themselves back up, seeing the generator in ruins and the Silver Sonics piles of scrap.

"Never a dull moment with you guys, is it?" Knuckles asked, getting a few chuckles from the others.

"Stick around," Sally told him. "The fun's just getting started."

"C'mon, we gotta move," Tails insisted. "Not that I don't have faith in Sonic, but as long as Metal has the Phantom Ruby, the fight could go either way."

Gathering their wits and their weapons, the group took off in the direction the warring Sonics had gone.

-X-

Meanwhile, Sonic and Metal had made it to the very top of the speedway. Metal slashed at Sonic with his claw-tipped fingers, but Sonic ducked before upper-cutting him with a Spin Attack. He retaliated with a one-two punch, a roundhouse kick, and a Homing Attack that knocked Metal sprawling. Metal Sonic rose to his feet, growling.

"You're becoming an annoyance, you irritating waste of carbon!" he shouted.

"Trust me," Sonic retorted. "It gets worse."

"Yes," Metal agreed. "For you."

He pulled out the Phantom Ruby, which pulsated with evil power. "No more games. No more half-measures. Playtime's over, Sonic!"

With that, he shoved the ruby right into the circular hole in his abdomen.

"Oh…" Sonic began, "That's not good."

Metal Sonic began to shimmer, his body pixelating slightly. A wave of nausea hit Sonic, threatening to knock him off his feet.

"Okay, seriously, what is it about that thing that makes me want to puke?" he asked.

"It's very simple, Sonic," Metal replied. "You've been exposed to the pure Chaos energy of the Chaos Emeralds. The energy of the Phantom Ruby is its polar opposite, and so much more powerful. Your Chaos-laden body just can't cope with the clashing energies."

"Of course…" Sonic thumped himself on the head. "That explains why Knuckles and Kat keep looking sick too. They've been around the Master Emerald so long, it's hitting them harder."

Glowing with a red light, Metal suddenly expanded, and Sonic found himself facing his transformed doppelganger. It stood at about the same size as the Great EggRobo he fought on the Death Egg. Metal was now more bulky, with a larger torso and a smaller head. His metallic quills on the other hand had grown longer and now extended down his spine. His ears and nose had also grown longer, while his eyes had become a lot narrower, being little more than a red line. He also now had yellow bolts on his cheeks and a yellow cannon below his chin. His shoulder plates had become larger and longer as well, with their coloration having changed from gray to blue. They also had several cables attached to them that extended underneath them. Lastly, he had a glass covering the intake on his stomach, which contained the Phantom Ruby.

"How do you like me now, Sonic?!" the bot taunted, his voice deeper to fit with his increased size. "Say hello to Giga Metal, and goodbye to your worthless existence!"

"Well," Sonic let out, "you know what they say: The bigger they are-"

Giga Metal kicked him so hard, he went flying a good mile. He smashed through a sign on the speedway, skidding across the ground, then finally coming to a stop.

"...the more bones they break. Ow…"

"Sonic!" Sally's voice came.

The rest of the Freedom Fighters ran up at that, Sally gently helping Sonic up.

"Don't worry, I'm fine. Nothing's broken," Sonic tried to assure before wincing. "Except my spine. And ribs. Maybe everything else."

"The Emeralds," Kat said. "They healed you before, they can do it again."

Tails handed him one, and it glowed, Sonic's wounds healing up. The others took in the sight of Giga Metal looming overhead.

"Is that… Metal?" Amy asked.

"Giga Metal, in his own words," Sonic clarified. "He's fused with the Phantom Ruby."

"Thought I felt sick," Knuckles mused.

"Yeah, and I figured out why the Master Emerald stopped working," Sonic added. "The Phantom Ruby is its literal opposite, and apparently a lot more powerful."

Giga Metal stomped forward, looming over them.

"Even your friends can't save you now, Sonic!" Metal declared. "I'll crush you into a bloody stain!"

"The Phantom Ruby's what's behind this thing," Tails theorized. "If we remove it, maybe Metal will go back to normal!"

"The phrase 'easier said than done' comes to mind," Antoine mused.

Metal raised his chin, revealing the cannon in his neck. The Phantom Ruby in his chest glowed before he fired a purple energy beam that they all scattered to avoid.

"This is what you face, Freedom Fighters!" he declared. "This is the ultimate power!"

"Sonic, can you get to the Ruby?" Sally asked.

"I can try, but I don't know how I'll handle actually touching that thing," Sonic admitted.

"You don't have to touch it," Rotor pointed out. "Just smash the casing keeping it in Metal's body."

"Alright," Sonic nodded. "Not like we have much choice either way. Let's try."

A fight ensued, the Freedom Fighters doing their best to fend off Giga Metal's powerful attacks. Sonic charged at the glass encasing, ramming into it before being swatted aside.

"Fool," Metal spat. "Your Doomsday has come, Sonic! With the power of the Phantom Ruby, I am unstoppable! Just accept it! Lay down and die already! Give up, damn you!"

"You were made from my data, Metal!" Sonic shot back. "You of all people should know I never give up!"

His legs became infinity symbols as he revved up his speed. Then he launched himself forward with enough speed that a few of the fighters swore they saw blue sparks dancing off of him.

"That's new…" Porker mused.

Sonic smashed right into the casing, shattering the glass and sending the Phantom Ruby flying. Without the power, Giga Metal began to pixelate, his form blinking in and out.

"No!" Metal screamed. "This can't be happening! I am Metal Sonic! Dr. Robotnik's undying, heartless weapon of misery and despair! I! Can't! LOSE!"

"Well, guess what?!" Sonic shot back. "You just did!"

Curling into a ball, Sonic used a Homing Attack right on his power core. Metal screamed before exploding into black and red pixels. Giga Metal's form dissipated, and Metal, now in his base form, was sent flying into the distance until he was a mere twinkle in the sky. The Freedom Fighters cheered as Sonic came to a stop. Sally hugged him, the two spinning around a bit.

"Sonic, that was amazing!" she exclaimed.

"Did anyone else see that when he was moving?" Johnny asked. "The lightning shooting off him?"

"I saw it too," Porker confirmed.

"Yeah, that's never happened before," Keith remarked.

"I wonder what caused it," Chris added.

Sonic scratched his chin in thought. "Good question. I know I'm strong and fast, but I've never had lightning shoot out of my butt before."

"It was Chaos energy," Knuckles cut in. "Remember when I attacked you the first time and I summoned that power? That was me manifesting my own Chaos energy. That blue lightning, that's yours."

Everyone perked at that.

"You mean…" Sonic began.

Knuckles nodded. "You've been exposed to the Chaos Emeralds and Power Rings so much that they've left a residual effect on you. Even without them, it seems you can tap into the Chaos Force on your own to some extent. With time... you may not even need the Emeralds. Or, not all seven."

"Maybe…" Sonic mused.

The Phantom Ruby suddenly levitated, pulsating for a minute before warping away.

"Looks like the ruby's gone back to Robotnik," Shortfuse deduced.

"And back to the Titanic Monarch…" Sally gasped. "We gotta go!"

They hurried down the speedway.

Metallic Madness Zone

In Robotnik's lab, the Phantom Ruby reappeared before him.

"So, it seems Metal Sonic lost," after fuming for a few moments, Robotnik sighed. "At the very least, he kept Sonic busy and bought us the time we needed. The Titanic Monarch is complete."

He scooped up the Phantom Ruby, heading for the power center. He soon arrived at the head of the Titanic Monarch, arriving before a large mech suit in the shape of an egg, attached to the Monarch by four tethers in each corner of the room. Robotnik plugged the ruby into the indentation in the suit's chest.

"This is my moment of glory," he declared with an evil grin.

KLUNK!

"Hmm!?" Robotnik spun around, mechanical arm primed to destroy the intruder...only to find no one was there. His eyes narrowed as he looked closely, then shrugged, "Eh, must've been my imagination."

As Eggman returned his attention to the machine, he failed to notice a lone figure creeping away from the area.

"Whew!" the figure whispered, her voice that of a young woman's. "That was way too close." As she crept through the complex, she pulled out a handheld device; a video of Sonic defeating Giga Metal at the Speedway playing on the screen. "Alright, if my calculations are correct, the Freedom Fighters should be arriving here within five minutes, give or take. I'd better get moving..." she shook her head sadly, "Hopefully, they can get me out of here, and I can make up for what I've done."

Chapter Text

Metallic Madness Zone

The Freedom Fighters soon arrived in the Metallic Madness Zone, which had been converted into a construction site for the Titanic Monarch. The massive bot loomed overhead, and Sticks let out a gulp.

"Looks… a lot bigger up close, doesn't it?" the badger noted.

"So much bigger than the last one," Kat said nervously.

"Alright Sonic, how do we get in?" Knuckles asked.

Sonic looked around for a few moments before shrugging.

"He's tightened security and made some renovations since the last time we were here. Nothing looks the same."

At that moment, they heard a "Psst!", and turned to see a hand waving them over from a hidden passage.

"Freedom Fighters," a feminine voice came. "In here. Hurry!"

"Should we trust it?" Sally asked.

"Do we have a choice?" Knuckles questioned.

"Look, if you don't hurry, the Titanic Monarch will go online and take over the planet!" the voice snapped.

"Fair enough," Sonic conceded.

They all headed inside, where they were greeted by a green Mobian canary with blue eyes. Feathers were hanging in her face, covering one eye, and she was dressed in a familiar grey jumpsuit, the tag showing her prisoner number: #631095.

"And you are?" Tails asked.

"My name's Tekno," the canary replied. "I was hoping you'd get here before long."

"How many other prisoners are there?" Knuckles asked.

"Just me," Tekno replied.

"Wait…" Sally scratched her head. "Tekno... that sounds familiar."

"I studied under Dr. Ellidy, the man who created most of your gear, Princess," Tekno explained.

Sally looked at her inactive Ring-Blades and then pulled Nicole out of her pocket before doing the same.

"You're a mechanic," she realized.

"Yeah," Tekno nodded. "One that's been forced to work for Robotnik for far too long. He found me gathering parts in the Scrap Brain Zone and put me to work."

She took a look at Shortfuse before wincing. "I'm the one who created the Megatal used in things like the Cybernik armor. And recently, he's had me slaving away helping construct the Titanic Monarch."

"Hey, don't beat yourself up," Shortfuse assured. "All that, it's on Eggman, not you."

"Besides, you're helping us now," Sonic added. "That's all that matters."

Tekno nodded, managing a grateful smile.

"We're gonna get you outta here, Tekno," Johnny promised. "But first, we gotta stop the Monarch."

"Follow me," Tekno told them. "I'll do what I can to help."

Tekno led them into the base, only to stop short. Their path was obscured by a cloud of pink-purple mist with faint sparkles.

"Oh no…" she let out.

"What is it?" Tails asked.

"Ruby Mist, we call it. It's like runoff, only it's from that Ruby"

"That's not good," Sonic mused.

Tensing, Sonic charged through the mist and disappeared. After a few minutes, he suddenly reappeared right behind them, just as surprised as they were.

"What the…" Rotor let out.

Sticks charged in next. Like Sonic, she came out right behind the group.

"It's a circle," she noted. "A really messed up circle."

"The Ruby Mist causes distortions in space-time," Tekno explained. "You go in there, there's no telling where it'll spit you back out."

"So it could spit us out somewhere else entirely," Bunnie said. "How do we get through it?"

"I've got an idea," Tails piped up.

He turned his back to the mist, beginning to slowly spin his tails before picking up the pace. The mist began to blow away, dispersing around them.

"How…" Tekno began, "How did no one ever think of that?"

"Just get moving!" Sonic snapped.

They hurried through, but some of the group did get caught in the mist as it came back up.

"Oh, no!" Sally cried.

Suddenly, Sticks came tumbling down a flight of stairs next to them, followed by Kat. The two landed in a heap before them, Kat sitting up.

"Hey!" Sticks' muffled voice came. "Get offa me, ya hairless ape!"

"Sorry, sorry," Kat replied. "You okay?"

She got off Sticks and helped her up.

"You think you can get me to a hospital?" Sticks asked. "I think I broke my tail."

"Come on, we need to keep moving," Sally insisted. "Hopefully we find the others who were swept up."

"Who all did we lose?" Kat asked.

Sonic looked around. "Looks like Keith, Chris, all of Rotor's group, Mina, and Shorty."

They kept going. Before long, a mist cloud appeared above them. Rotor came falling out, with Porker and Johnny bouncing off him. Rotor pried his face out of the ground, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs.

"We've been falling... for thirty minutes!" the walrus shouted.

Kat blinked. "It's been like three."

"Time manipulation," Knuckles sighed. "Great…"

"When I said the Ruby Mist distorts space-time, I meant it," Tekno told them. "Space and time."

"Yikes," Sonic let out. "Hope everyone else is okay."

They went further into the Zone, with Sonic perking as he heard Chris screaming. He ran in the direction of the yells and froze up as he saw Chris dangling over a pit of spikes, holding both himself and Keith up with one arm.

"Help!" Chris shouted. "Sonic, wherever you are, HEEELLLLLP!"

"Chris!" Sonic yelled. "Keith!"

He rushed over in the blink of an eye, grabbing Chris. Knuckles, Kat, and Sally all ran and helped as well, pulling the boys to safety.

"Whew…" Keith sighed. "Close one."

"You guys okay?" Sonic asked.

Chris nodded. "I'm gonna be feeling that in my arms for a week, but I'll be good."

"Now we're just missing Mina and Shorty," Sally said.

Before long, they heard laser fire and hurried to the source. Shortfuse stood before Mina in a Badnik Processing Plant, shooting any Swatbot or Trooper that drew near.

"Stay back, you tin cans!" Shortfuse shouted, firing wildly. "You ain't roboticizing this mongoose!"

"Mina! Shorty!"

Sonic rounded the corner at that moment. One Trooper stiffened at the sight of him.

"Alert!" it shouted. "Priority One: Hedgehog!"

The bots all turned toward Sonic en masse, ignoring Mina and Shorty.

"Glad to know you guys care so much, but I'm afraid I'm a little busy at the moment!" Sonic snapped.

As more and more Swatbots and Troopers swarmed him, Sonic gritted his teeth in anger. Everyone recoiled as his body began sparking with the blue lightning, his eyes changing from green to a glowing blue.

"I don't have time to waste on you stupid mounds of metal!" he shouted. "Get the HELL out of my way!"

There was a sudden pulse of blue energy that ripped through the plant. Everything began to spark and smoke before shutting down altogether. The Swatbots and Troopers exploded before collapsing into heaps on the ground. When the surge faded, even Sonic was surprised by the remaining carnage.

"...Did I do that?"

"What... are you?" Knuckles let out. "How-?".

Suddenly, everything began to shake.

"Oh no!" Tekno shrieked. "The Monarch!"

"No…" Sally let out, "We're too late!"

The group hurried out of the Zone as the Titanic Monarch whirred to life, stomping forward.

"You and your pals must have a death wish, Sonic!" Robotnik gloated. "And I'm willing to grant it! Witness this invincible mech, built by the hands of a genius! Its power... unmatched throughout the universe!"

He let out a mad cackle as everyone just stared in horror.

"We're doomed…" Mina squeaked.

"Not yet," Sonic insisted. "We still have the Emeralds, right?"

"You heard what Metal said, Sonic!" Amy cried. "The Phantom Ruby's even stronger than the Master Emerald! The Chaos Emeralds aren't gonna make any difference!"

"Maybe if I was going it alone," Sonic countered. "But what if another person goes Super with me?"

"What?" Sally asked. "Is that even possible?"

"I'll try," Knuckles decided. "I've got more Chaos energy than most of you. Maybe, just maybe, I can go Super."

"I'll try too," Tails added. "Sonic's my best friend, and I'll gladly fight by his side."

"Alright, let's do this," Sonic declared.

The group set out the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles focused, the Emeralds circling them rapidly. Like all the times before, Sonic's fur turned gold and his clothes turned white. For Knuckles, his fur became a glowing pink color, and his clothes became solid white as well. Tails' fur turned a slightly darker golden color than Sonic's, a red cape sprouting out of his back as his regular clothes turned white.

"It worked!" Rotor cheered.

Sonic looked at the two, smiling.

"Alright, team," he bragged. "Let's see how the Titanic Monarch can stand against the unstoppable team of Super Sonic, Hyper Knuckles, and Turbo Tails!"

"Oh, yeah!" Tails cheered.

"Ugh…" Knuckles sighed. "I'm already regretting this. I'm not even using a Hyper form, you idiot!"

"I know," Sonic replied. "But just calling us all Super-whatever seemed monotonous."

With that, they flew to face the Monarch.

"Oh, my," Robotnik noted at the sight of them. "Three Super formed Mobians? Well, this is certainly a surprising change of events. But, no matter. It won't be enough! And so your friends don't feel left out…"

A panel in the Monarch opened up, unleashing the Heavy Rider. She landed among the Freedom Fighters, snarling in contempt.

"You... You scrapped my brethren," she growled. "It's payback time!"

She let out a whistle as an abnormally large Motobug rolled in, which the Rider landed on like a bike. "Let's get 'em, Jimmy!"

"Ha!" Sonic taunted. "You think one Heavy is gonna stop them?"

"You know what, Sonic?" Robotnik mused. "You're right."

The Monarch raised a hand, firing a beam in front of the other Freedom Fighters. Red and black pixels swirled around, before forming into what appeared to be the other Hard-Boiled Heavies. Knuckles gave Sonic a dirty look.

"You just had to open your mouth," the echidna snarled.

"Yeah…" Sonic winced. "That one's on me."

"Aw, man!" Sticks whined. "He brought back all of them!"

"Come on guys, like with the Silver Sonics," Sally cut in. "We just need to hold out until Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails finish the Monarch!"

"Well, I'm afraid this is your last hurrah, Sonic," Robotnik gloated. "You and your friends will die here, along with your futile crusade against me and my empire!"

The Monarch's eyes began glowing, readying an attack.

"Hey Sonic, does he usually monologue this much?" Tails asked.

"Only when he's overconfident and full of himself," Sonic replied. "So... yeah."

"MOVE!" Knuckles screamed.

They darted out of the way as a massive pink-purple beam fired out of the Monarch's eyes, carving into the ground as it hit and causing pillars of fiery explosions to shoot up.

"How are the two of you not dead yet?!" Knuckles demanded.

"Stubbornness and the will of Aurora," Sonic replied.

"We need to get the Ruby out of the Monarch," Tails insisted. "We do that, we shut it down."

"Good luck with that!" Robotnik declared as a set of missiles protruded from either side of the Monarch's waist. "Say cheese!"

The missiles launched at the group. Sonic bounced off one of them, while Knuckles grabbed one with his bare hands before redirecting it back to sender. Tails got one to tail him, leading it right back towards the Monarch itself before launching upward as the missile struck the robot in the chest.

"Is that the best you can do?" Robotnik demanded.

"No, but thanks for asking!" Sonic shot back.

He drew back his hand, which glowed before he fired a beam of golden Chaos energy at the Monarch. It raised an arm in defense, but the beam pierced right through it, leaving a perfectly round smoking hole in it. Through the hole, they could see the glowing red and black light of the Phantom Ruby.

"Bingo!" Sonic declared.

The Monarch fired more missiles. Knuckles pounded his fists together, which seemed to be smoldering, before unleashing a flurry of punches that sent out fireballs, detonating the missiles in midair before hitting the Monarch as well.

"Alright!" Knuckles cheered. "Now that's what I call firepower!"

Tails focused his power into his hands, creating balls of electricity before launching them at the Monarch as well, pelting it.

"Keep it up!" Sonic urged. "We're winning!"

"Impossible!" Robotnik shrieked. "You shouldn't be able to inflict this much damage on the Monarch! Not with the Phantom Ruby powering it!"

"You're right Eggman," Sonic admitted. "Maybe not on my own, but I have something you'll never have: Friends. And that's a power you always underestimate."

"That's why you always lose!" Tails declared. "You always automatically assume you'll win, that your plans are foolproof! You never plan ahead, or ever stop to consider the possibility you could ever fail! No matter what you do, no matter what you try, you'll never beat us or conquer Mobius!"

Recalling the Heavy King's almost exact words to him earlier, Robotnik was sent into a murderous fury. He flipped every switch on his console, using up every bit of the Phantom Ruby's energy he could siphon. In doing so, he also dissipated the Heavy clones. Heavy Rider took note of their disappearance, seconds before she was slashed to pieces with Sally's Ring Blades. With nothing else they could do, the Freedom Fighters watched as the Titanic Monarch's eyes glowed like a second sun, preparing its final attack.

"You and that blasted hedgehog have mocked me for the last time, fox boy!" he ranted. "If you have the guts to put it to the test, let's see if your little 'power of friendship' is strong enough to stop THIS!"

"Bring it on!" Sonic shot back. "Ready, guys?"

"You bet!" Tails agreed.

"Let's do this!" Knuckles added.

The trio flew forward while spinning around one another in a clockwise motion before becoming blurs. Just as the Titanic Monarch fired its death ray, Team Sonic shot forward at full speed, shooting slowly through the beam and carving through it before blasting through its face and into the cockpit. Sonic rammed into Robotnik, shattering the suit he was using to control the Monarch and knocking the Phantom Ruby into the sky.

"Yeah!" Sonic cheered.

"Woo hoo!" Tails added.

"We did it!" Knuckles shouted.

The Monarch lost power, weaving from side to side before completely falling over. Robotnik pulled himself up, scowling, when suddenly the Phantom Ruby began to float into the air on its own. A pair of mechanical hands materialized around it, and from those hands formed the body of the Heavy King.

"YOU?!" Robotnik screamed.

"I told you this would happen," the King said matter-of-factly. "I told you that no matter what you did, you would fail."

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles just looked on in surprise as a purple portal opened behind the King.

"You're a failure, Doctor. And you always will be," the King went on. "But with the Phantom Ruby in competent hands like mine, Mobius will have a new ruler. One who knows what he's doing."

He departed into the portal. In a rage, Robotnik grabbed the damaged Egg Mobile, essentially throwing together whatever he needed to get it flying before following him.

"You filthy, backstabbing traitor!" he screamed as he vanished into the portal as well. As they did, Sonic turned to Tails and Knuckles.

"Eggman's still after the Phantom Ruby," he mused. "Better take him and the King out before they rip the world apart."

Tails and Knuckles shared a nod, and together, the three of them shot into the portal.

Egg Reverie Zone

They emerged in a purple-hued void of a barren wasteland. Ahead, Robotnik's makeshift Egg Mobile was grappling with the Heavy King, who had the Phantom Ruby installed on the top of his crown. From the back of the Egg Mobile came an arm that was trying to snatch the Ruby.

"The Phantom Ruby is mine, Heavy King, and mine it'll remain!" Robotnik shouted. "I created you, and I'll be your END!"

"I have risen above you, Doctor!" the King retorted. "I will achieve what you will never accomplish, and I will make you watch every second of it!"

"I don't think so!" Tails declared, getting the two combatants' attention.

"Get ready to have your plans foiled again, Eggman!" Sonic added.

"Gah!" Robotnik gritted his teeth in a rage. "I hate that hedgehog!"

The King shoved him aside.

"You may have bested Robotnik, but I am not a fool like him," he warned. "I will not underestimate you, or your friends!"

"It won't stop you from getting every square inch of your metal ass kicked!" Knuckles shot back.

The King rolled his eyes. "So uncivilized."

He focused as Knuckles charged, and the echidna was repelled by a field of energy spheres that appeared around the King, orbiting around him like a protective barrier.

"You can't hit what you can't touch," the King gloated.

He started firing the balls at the trio, forcing them on the defensive. As they went, Sonic focused on his power, blue lightning sparking as he channeled it into his body. The minute he saw an opening, Sonic darted forward as a light-immersed projectile, ramming into the King and knocking him back. The King let out a grunt as he slid back.

"This is a new power," he noted. "You're just full of surprises, aren't you, Sonic?"

"Better than being a one-trick pony like you Badniks!" Sonic retorted.

"Perhaps before," the King admitted. "But that was before I got this!"

The Phantom Ruby began to glow as the King fired a narrow beam from it, slamming into Sonic and knocking him back. He winced, clutching his shoulder.

"I actually felt that one."

Tails quickly helped him up.

"Of course, you did," Knuckles remarked. "Chaos energy and Phantom energy are polar opposites. When they clash, it's volatile and painful."

Tails threw more electrical balls at the King, with Knuckles punching fireballs as well, but the King calmly deflected them as well.

"You can't win this, Sonic!" the King declared. "The Phantom Ruby is the supreme power!"

Sonic charged again, only to get a fist in the face that sent him flying into the ground. The King loomed over him, a sadistic gleam in his eyes.

"And once I'm finished killing you, the fox, and the echidna, I'm going to kill your friends in the Freedom Fighters as well, and then everyone you know and love in Mobotropolis and Station Square," he went on in a chilling voice. "I'll come methodically after every last one of them, and watch their faces twist in fear and despair once they realize the great hero Sonic isn't there to protect them anymore."

Sonic's eyes went wide, and that was when his super form began to shift. The golden light began to mix with blue, sparks dancing across Sonic's entire body.

"TIME TO DIE!" The King shouted.

He threw a punch to strike the final blow, only to be stopped in his tracks by Sonic's hand. Blue light was swirling around him, his eyes were sparking with power, and lightning was dancing across individual quills.

"Tails…" Knuckles began uncertainly, "We might want to get back."

"WHAT?!" the King shrieked. "How can you-?!"

Sonic swung the King into the ground before he could finish his sentence, slowly advancing on him before grabbing his arms with both hands.

"When you look back on this, in the five seconds it'll take me to dismantle you…" Sonic began, his voice deadly calm, "I think you'll find the mistake you made was threatening my friends and family."

Knuckles and Tails took cover as all of Sonic's energy surged into Heavy King. Every circuit, wire, screw, and light was flooded with more power than the Heavy could even begin to take. The King screamed in utter agony as his entire form began to glow. Finally, Sonic leaned forward, looking the King right in the eyes.

"BOOM."

With that, one last energy surge shot through the Heavy King, and he exploded into a thousand pieces. The resulting energy wave ripped through everything. Knuckles, Tails, Robotnik, and Sonic are all thrown out of the Zone, reality warping around them and spitting them back out.

Never Lake

Back with the Freedom Fighters, who had managed to escape the Little Planet after the Monarch went down, the sky exploded into a massive wave of red and electric blue. The power wave washed over everything as if some massive force of nature had suddenly erupted. The sky tore open and the Super Trio and Robotnik were all spat out onto the ground. The three were back to normal, completely dazed, and utterly exhausted. As one last testament to this power, Little Planet shimmered, becoming green and beautiful once more before blinking out of existence.

"Whoa…" Sally let out, pulling out Nicole's console. "Nicole, what was that?"

"I'm not sure, Sally. Nothing like this has ever been recorded."

As Sally and Kat ran to Sonic and Knuckles, respectively, Robotnik got to his feet, dusting himself off.

"Perhaps in the future, I should stick to the Chaos Emeralds," he pondered before beginning to walk off. Still tired, Sonic managed to raise his head just enough to watch him go.

"That's it?" he asked. "No freakout? No temper tantrum?"

Robotnik simply shrugged. "Those are the breaks. Once again, you win, I lose. There's always next time." He looked over his shoulder. "Besides, I'm actually starting to enjoy our little fights. After all, if you look at history, the great men and women of the world have always been defined by their enemies."

He called the Egg Mobile, boarding. "See you next scheme, I suppose."

And with that, the doctor was gone.

"Rotor, get the Special," Sally ordered. "Porker, Johnny, prepare the medical bay. Chris, Keith, get Tails."

Keith and Chris carefully gathered up a zonked-out Tails as Kat gently scooped up Knuckles. Sally picked up Sonic as well, who was feeling the pull of sleep.

"Yeah…" he yawned. "I don't know about you, but I need a nap."

"I can get behind that," Knuckles agreed groggily.

With that, the two passed out as Rotor called in the Freedom Fighter Special. The group carried them onto the plane, which took off into the night.