Images flashed through Rassilon's mind. Station Square. Green Hill Zone. Mazuri. Then finally, he got it. He teleported away before Martha could turn around and ask him where he was going. He didn't need to tell her though. Telling her could put the whole time line at risk.
Eggman was just putting the finishing touches on his latest project. He'd been working on it for years, little by little each time. It was time to go back to his original plan from when that blue pest had first begun interrupting him; roboticisation.
"With an able-bodied workforce I can multiply my progress, but where am I going to get one...?" He thought for a minute before a beeping came from a monitor by his side. It was made to advise him of any anomalies, and there was a huge one above Station Square. Numbers were displayed at the bottom, but the weird thing was that he recognised them. He laughed to himself, remembering the last thing to come through a gaping hole in the space-time continuum. What he was wondering was 'what would come through this time?'
The back of 'his' head was stuck in Rassilon's mind. Was it him? What if it wasn't? He couldn't take any risks. Standing before him moments later was a silvery creature, looking on towards the horizon. It didn't look around, but seemed to know that he was there.
"What are you here for?" asked the creature, whose voice was obviously different from what Rassilon was expecting.
"Who are you?" he asked back.
"It's common courtesy to announce your own name before asking someone else's." Rassilon looked on, a bit annoyed, but willing to comply.
"My name is Rassilon."
"I've heard of your work. I am Nazo. I also help to protect time... And space. Like I said, what are you here for?" Rassilon continued to stare at him and clenched his fist.
"It's none of your business," he answered. "How do you know me?"
"Word of the work you have done with Sonic has spread. Like most, I like to stay up to date. But tell me..." Nazo finally turned around, revealing a young looking face. "What are you here for?"
"I don't have time for this..." grumbled Rassilon, his anger getting the best of him. "If you don't leave, then I'll have to make you." He clenched his fist harder and looked straight into Nazo's eyes.
"Come on then." Nazo stared back. "This should be fun..." He gave a quick smirk before appearing behind Rassilon, back to back, and punched behind himself. Rassilon just laughed and froze time, but Nazo's fist still hit. The gold hedgehog's laugh became a snarl as he was sent forwards. He launched himself back, his fist flying before him. It just hit its target. As it did, a flash of red lightning roared across the sky. Neither of them noticed its strange colour as they continued fighting, but as they did, it got worse. It wasn't long before two bolts clashed, creating white sparks. Nazo stopped fighting, holding both of Rassilon's fists. "Finally, he shall come."
"Who?"
"The man who will save us all... The Doctor..."
People swarmed to the centre of Station Square to catch a glimpse of the miraculous sight. Before them stood a weird blue box which had seemed to have just materialised out of nowhere. From its door could be heard a slight creaking and it opened. A man walked out, talking to himself.
"2009... Great year, well mostly..." He opened his eyes and looked around before quickly realising where he was. "This isn't the same dimension I was in..." He sniffed the air. "Definitely 2009, but with the tiniest hint of chilli dogs. Wait a minute..." He rushed back inside the box before emerging back out again. "Power's gone, again. Now how am I going to get back?" He breathed deeply, then suddenly realised the crowd around him. "Chilli dogs...?"
Sonic ran by the window of Tails' workshop, hoping that the golden fox would notice him. It wasn't long before Tails left the building and asked what Sonic was up to.
"Remember the Doctor, Tails?"
"Which one? Eggman, Nega, that creepy one that always smiles but never talks..."
"THE Doctor... The one that helped with the Daleks before?"
"Why? Is he back?"
"Sounds that way. Amy told me that she saw the TARDIS in Station Square."
"Can we go see him, please?!"
"Sure!"
The Doctor was back inside the TARDIS, messing about with the controls. That last power cell had done him well since that time he was stuck on the parallel Earth, but it had finally lost its charge. He needed a different source of energy. Something that could get him back to the right dimension. Then he saw it out of the corner of his eye; a Chaos Emerald. He went over and picked it up, examining it closely. A smile spread across his face.
"I got it..." he murmured to himself. "Now I just need something to locate the other emeralds with, but first... I need to find Sonic."
Sonic sped off with Tails in tow towards Amy. She was waiting at the back of the crowd, trying to get a good look at the Doctor as he ran at the crowd, getting them to let him through.
"All right everyone, out of the way!" he shouted. Everyone did as they were told, until he got to Amy. She stood there with her arms out as if she was not going to let him pass, but, because of her size, he kept running and tripped over her.
"Hey, what was that for?" she demanded, wiping dirt off her dress.
"Sorry... Amy, wasn't it?" Before she could answer he continued talking. "Have you seen Sonic anywhere?"
"He should be here any minute. That's why I tried to stop you."
"That's brilliant. In fact, it's better than brilliant."
Eggman was looking about in Apotos. According to his readings, there had been another anomaly there, and he had hoped that there would be something to help him. The first thing that he had found was one of the emeralds. Near it lay several robotic bodies, each of which raised a hand when he neared them. They got up slowly and cried out in unison.
"DELETE!"
When Sonic approached, the Doctor held out a hand to greet him and pulled him in for a quick hug. Sonic pushed his way out of the embrace, putting on a confused smile.
"Hey, I missed you too..."
"Sorry about that, really. Anyway... I need your help, Sonic."
"What's wrong? Dalek's invading again?"
"Nothing like that... I just need you to help me get home. If I can call it home..."
"Can't you just use your TARDIS again?"
"That's the problem. The power's completely gone. There's not even enough energy to make a good old cuppa'" Sonic looked at him again, confused. "Never mind... We need to find the emeralds. I already have one. If we find them all, then I should be able to harness some power from your super form to get the TARDIS working again."
"I get it..."
The robots were closing in on Eggman, surrounding him from all sides. They reached out towards him, but he seemed unfazed. Each of them took a step closer before he moved.
"You really think I'd come here unprepared? Think again." Eggman reached inside his pocket and pulled out an item that resembled the Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver. He aimed it at the robot before him and pressed the button, disabling it. "Now tell me, what are you?"
"WE ARE CYBERMEN! OUR PRIMARY OBJECTIVE: TO UPGRADE ALL LIFE!"
"You could be very helpful in my plans... Will you join me?" The Cybermen conferred between themselves.
"AFFIRMATIVE!" they cried.
"Excellent..." Eggman laughed maniacally and held the Sonic Screwdriver copy in the air. "Your first mission: round up as many people as possible from the city. It's time for an upgrade..."
Sonic, Tails, the Doctor and Amy had made their way to Holoska in search of the next Chaos Emerald. They looked a few minutes before Amy began moaning.
"I'm tired, Sonic..." cried Amy. "Are you sure the emerald's even here?"
"Well, even if it isn't, we can still play around in the snow!" he joked. Sonic continued digging in the same spot. The Doctor cleared his throat, grabbing the other three's attention.
"We can always speed up the process..." said the Doctor, pulling out his Sonic Screwdriver. He scanned the area before pointing towards the target. "It's over there!" Tails flew over to the area and saw a faint light blue glow below him. He signalled to Sonic, who started to dig out the emerald.
"That's two down, five to go."
Eggman was back at his base. The Cybermen had brought along six civilians, two each.
"Who'll be first...?" Eggman eyed up the small group, trying to make up his mind. He pointed to a young woman. A man called out from behind her.
"Please, no... Take me instead!" The woman looked back at him, her eyes filled with tears. "Take me... Just don't hurt my fiancée..." He looked downwards, tears falling from his head.
"So touching..." said Eggman sarcastically. "Ok then, you first!" He signalled the Cyberman who held the man. It dropped the other person it was holding to the ground and pushed the man into a small chamber. Lights and sound, especially screaming, erupted from the roboticisor, until eventually the man emerged from it, completely roboticised. Eggman inspected the first attempt before giving his result. "Not bad, but it could be better..." He looked at the Cybermen. "I know... Let's change a few details..." He went over to the control panel and punched in a few characters. "That should do it... Bring the girl here next!"
"NO!" she cried, her eyes bawling with tears. "You promised him, please, NO!" A different Cyberman pushed her towards the roboticisor.
"Don't worry, it won't hurt... Much." When the machine finished, the woman stepped out. Her form was different to her fiancée's and she resembled a Cyberman. "Perfect..." exclaimed Eggman.
"I cant believe that I didn't notice this before!" exclaimed the Doctor after scanning both emeralds. "The Chaos Emeralds appear to have the same wavelength..."
"...Which means that they 'talk' to each other!" interrupted Tails.
"That's right. So if we can use one to find the others. This is fantastic! It won't take long, but I should be able to decode the signal." He kept the Sonic Screwdriver pointed at one of the emeralds for a moment while Sonic built a snowhog.
"He looks almost as good as me, but I'm still cooler!" he joked. Amy made another Snowhog next to his so that it looked like it was trying to kiss the other. The grin on Sonic's quickly melted, so it went from a smile, to a straight face, to a frown.
"He even acts just like Sonic!" Amy smiled before pouncing on Sonic and he struggled to escape.
"I've got it!" shouted the Doctor. "Quickly, to the Mystic Ruins!"
Big sat down at his favourite fishing spot with Froggy. A small pile of fish was next to him and he had just caught something else. He reeled the line in to find that a Chaos Emerald was attached.
"Wow, Froggy! A Chaos Emerald! Don't eat it!" As he looked at Froggy he had no idea of what had just emerged behind him. It reached out its cold metallic hand towards him.
"YOU WILL COME IN FOR TESTING, BY ORDER OF EGGMAN!" Big turned when he heard this and Froggy hopped away. He backed off as far as he could, hitting his back on a tree. "COME WITH ME OR YOU WILL BE..." Before the Cyberman could finish his sentence he fell to the floor. On his back stood Sonic.
"You all right, Big?" he asked.
"SONIC!"
The Doctor, Tails and Amy ran up to the scene, out of breath.
"Don't ever do that again..." said the Doctor between breaths. "That's the fastest my hearts have beaten for a long time..."
"Hey Doc!" called out Sonic. "Think you could scan this thing?" The Doctor stood still. "HEY DOC!" Sonic shouted.
"Sonic, get away from that thing, NOW!" Sonic jumped off of the Cyberman, confused by the Doctor's sudden burst of anger. "It's a Cyberman. A metallic body controlled by a brain. They're a lot more dangerous than they look. Something about what it said seemed strange." He scanned it to make sure that it wasn't operational before approaching it. He flipped it over onto its back and removed a small circular panel, kneeling down to get a closer look. "See this?" he said as he pointed out a weird flesh-like thing. "That's how the brain controls it."
"A nervous system!" exclaimed Tails.
"Right you are. But remember what it said about Eggman?"
"He must be behind the whole thing!" realised Sonic.
"I can't think of many more people who would do this kind of thing. Actually, that may be a lie..." The Doctor thought about what he had just said, but continued anyway. "Hopefully, we should be able to get a little more information now." The Cyberman slowly rose its right hand towards the Doctor. It stopped abruptly, then looked him in the eye.
"WHO ARE YOU?" it asked.
"I'm the Doctor. I'm here to help."
"I FEEL... COLD!"
"Don't worry, I'm here. What's your name?"
"LUCY..."
"Do you know what happened?"
"I WAS CAPTURED... BY ROBOTS! ME AND MY FIANCÉE!"
"And what was his name?" Lucy's head bobbed back a little. "Stay with me now." Her head returned to its position.
"DAVID! PLEASE DOCTOR! I MISS HIM SO MUCH..."
"What was the last thing you remember?"
"I WAS SHOVED INTO A DARK CHAMBER! THE LAST THING I REMEMBER... WAS A CRAZY LAUGH!" Sonic's eyes rolled.
"It's gotta be Eggman..." he said almost sarcastically. Amy and Tails agreed.
"PLEASE DOCTOR! I FEEL COLD!"
"I'm so sorry about this." The Doctor plunged the Sonic Screwdriver into Lucy's nervous system and shut her down. Permanently. A tear escaped his eye and he stood up. Big got up from his space under the tree and walked up to the Doctor. He didn't speak, but offered to give him the Chaos emerald that he had found. "Thanks," was the Doctor's reply. They smiled at each other and Big gave the Doctor a big hug.
"A friend of Amy Rose's is a friend of mine!" he said before letting the Doctor go. The Doctor smiled again and gave Big a quick hug back.
"Take care Big."
High above, Rassilon and Nazo continued staring at each other. Their gaze had been unbroken since they had finished fighting.
"So who's this 'Doctor' then?" asked Rassilon.
"A Timelord from the planet Gallifery. He's much like yourself, but he is only a traveller. Despite this, he has saved countless lives from annihilation."
"Ok then. What was that red lightning for?"
"That was the only way of getting him to arrive."
"A rip in the space-time continuum." The Doctor's reply to Tails' question was instantaneous. The young fox had asked how the Doctor had returned.
Eggman had just sent another person in to be roboticised. At last, he had created his dream army. One which would make the ground tremble beneath it and take care of that blue rat once and for all. The Cybermen stood around their new leader, staring straight at him. Their faces expressionless, but their minds racing, formulating plan after plan.
"Cybermen!" began Eggman. "Our time has come! With your help, I shall be the new ruler of this pitiful planet! With your help, I shall gather what I need to make my dreams a reality!" He pulled the Chaos Emerald he had found out of his pocket and raised it into the air. "This... A Chaos Emerald! On it's own a magnitude of power can be harnessed, but together with the other six, I shall have a limitless source at my disposal! Cybermen, your mission is this... Gather the missing Chaos Emeralds! Find them and we shall defeat that blasted hedgehog and the Doctor... forever!" As soon as Eggman had finished, clapping could be heard. He looked around, but it wasn't any of the Cybermen. Then he saw it. A silvery glimmer caught his eye.
"Well done Doctor. That was a magnificent speech." The figure moved closer, but he was still obscured by the Cybermen. "Should I introduce myself to your little friends?"
"That'll be quite alright. What do you want here?"
"A proposition... I can find the Chaos Emeralds for you easily."
"What's the catch?"
"Catch? Surely you know me well enough by now. I only want to help. Besides... I have a fail-proof plan."
"Your plan failed before; what makes this one so special?"
"Just trust me on this, Doctor." The figure walked forwards, revealing himself to be Chronos. "It's either my brother, or the Earth..." A smile appeared on his face, growing rapidly.
"How's Shaun and Penny?" asked the Doctor.
"We haven't seen Penny since the last time we saw you," said Amy. "But we can take you to see Shaun."
"Ah, what's he up to?"
"We'll just let that be a secret." Sonic tapped his nose and sped off towards Central City whilst holding Amy, Tails and the Doctor.
Rassilon's gaze suddenly broke as he closed his eyes. Flashes kept coming, faster and faster. Chronos' head still stayed there, looking the other way. Other faces appeared. Sonic. Shadow. Knuckles. Tails. Amy. Rouge. Someone he had never seen before, but he guessed it to be the Doctor. Chronos again. This time his head slowly turned to reveal a menacing smile that lowered Rassilon's guard. The last face showed Martha, crying. His eyes suddenly opened. Was she ok? Tears streamed down his face as he thought of her. He had to see her once more.
"Go," said Nazo, who knew why Rassilon was crying. "Bring her back. She's vital to this course."
Rassilon nodded and departed for the future.
Shadow and Rouge knelt before the marble table and great swivel chair in front of them.
"Commander, if you please? We've dealt with Chronos before. Surely we can defeat him again." Shadow stared at the chair.
"If we want to defeat him, then Rassilon is the key." The Commander's reply was instantaneous. It hadn't been long since Chronos' last rampage. "Any ideas Rouge?"
"If we wait, then I'm sure that he'll come. Rassilon often does when we need him." Just as Rouge finished Sonic burst through the door. The Doctor was still wondering why they had gone to the Commander's room.
"Really, Sonic... You can't mean that Shaun is..." The chair turned after hearing a familiar voice. "...The Commander..." A smile quickly appeared on Shaun's face.
"Nice to see you again, Doctor," he said as Shadow and Rouge looked in amazement.
"I'm surprised that you seem to remember me so well..." The Doctor scratched his head.
"How could I ever forget you and what you did for so many of us?" Shaun's response came quickly.
"Well... I couldn't just leave you all alone, could I? Anyway, what are you up to?" He glanced at Shadow and Rouge. The bat answered first.
"Did we ever tell you about Rassilon?" The Doctor shook his head. "He's sort of like you..." She had his full attention now.
"Rouge, what about Chronos?" Shadow asked.
"Oh yeah..." she sighed.
"Can I help?" asked the Doctor. "Who's this Chronos?" Shadow and Rouge stared at each other, as if they were communicating through facial expressions. Finally, Shadow answered.
"He's Rassilon's brother. We had a lot of trouble with him a few months ago."
"What happened?"
"So that's your plan?" queried Eggman. "I must say; that may be going a bit far."
"Oh hush, you old coot!" A gun appeared in Chronos' hand and he pointed it at Eggman. The Cybermen started to close in towards him. "So... They're under your control?" Eggman nodded. Chronos turned around and shot one. The others all came closer, their arms outstretched. The echidna disappeared, reappearing behind the crowd. "My, you are a pathetic bunch, aren't you? This is exactly why you need all seven Chaos Emeralds. ...And my help"
Martha stood with Rassilon, hugging him. She gripped tightly, crying into his chest.
"Where were you?" she managed through her sobs.
"I had to see something in the past. I met someone. He told me that I needed to bring you."
"Why?" she asked as she started to calm.
"I don't know, but he said that you're vital." They looked into each other's eyes before leaning in for a kiss. When they parted they hugged tightly again.
"Don't ever leave me again..." sobbed the rabbit.
Everyone finished explaining to the Doctor about Chronos and what he had caused last time.
"I've seen whole planets brought to their knees before," the Doctor said as he thought back. "I've watched civilizations crumble. People have died in my name. But there's one thing that's kept me going all these years... Determination. Us Time Lords -and I suppose all time folk- have a duty to keep the time lines in order. Whatever Chronos is up to, we have to stop him before he can begin." Everyone else cheered. Some cried a little. Sonic gave him a thumbs up and Shaun, Shadow and Rouge saluted to him. "Please. No saluting," he insisted.
Martha and Rassilon appeared before Nazo. The two hedgehogs looked at each other, then nodded before warping.
"Here's the metal you wanted, Chronos." Eggman stared at the echidna; disgust forming in his face. "Why don't you tell me the real reason why you wanted it?"
"You thought I was lying?" Chronos retorted. "Why else would I ask you to invent a heatproof metal?"
"You don't really intend to destroy the Earth, do you?"
"Doctor... Let's just say that revenge is a dish that I prefer WARM!" He began to laugh to himself. "And besides. There's always the slight chance that I won't need to use it... My brother would go to any lengths to defend this planet. I suppose even if it costs him... His life..." He laughed again, trying to get Eggman to join. The scientist looked at him, worried, but put on the best laugh he could muster.
Rassilon looked around where Nazo had taken them. It was dark inside, but light enough to see everywhere. Buttons, levers and dials covered a hexagonal panel, which surrounded a peculiar looking tube. The golden hedgehog leant in to touch it, but Martha held him back, gesturing toward Nazo. Rassilon realised what she meant.
"Why did you bring us here? Where are we?"
"This is the Doctor's TARDIS. I brought you here because..." Nazo didn't get to finish his answer. The doors opened and in stepped a prominent figure. It stepped forward as if not noticing the hedgehogs and Martha, who stood at the sides. The figure lifted up a panel of the floor and pulled out a box, which he rummaged through. Finally, he found it. He inspected it closely before looking back up and stuffing it into his pocket. A golden shimmer caught his eye and he turned to face Rassilon. He hesitated before approaching the hedgehog.
"Rassilon?" The hedgehog was startled by the man's knowledge.
"Yes?"
"So it is you! Sonic and co. have told me all about you!" said the Doctor.
Chronos stood with Eggman, still laughing. He'd recently come back from a short 'excursion'.
"The bomb's in place, Doctor. Now all we need to do is wait for Rassilon."
"You don't mean...?"
"Of course I do. If my brother doesn't agree to my conditions, then this planet and everything on it will explode." Chronos pursed his lips. "BOOM!" He continued laughing.
The Doctor, Nazo, Rassilon and Martha left for the GUN headquarters. Rassilon was still unsure about the Doctor, but the other two seemed to like him, so he went along with it.
"So, Doctor..." asked Martha. "How did you end up here?"
"Well... Long story short, I suppose... Rip, bang, power's out." Martha looked confused, but Nazo laughed. "If I told you all the scientific stuff, then you wouldn't listen," he joked. Martha laughed. Rassilon heard it and looked at the Doctor with disgust. He walked faster and stopped in front of the Time Lord, pointing a finger at his face.
"Watch it, Doctor, she's mine."
"What...?" Now the Doctor was confused.
"I'm not gonna..." Rassilon's eyes opened wider before he could finish. Flashes appeared in his head again, showing Chronos laughing. "...Lose her again..." He collapsed. Tears formed in Martha's eyes.
"Doctor!"
"We'll take him to Sonic. Hopefully he should wake up by then..."
Rassilon woke up in a familiar room. His head was pounding and he rubbed his eyes. Darkness was all he could see for miles. He heard a laugh and thud behind him and turned around. Lying on the ground was Sonic... Dead. Blood poured from a fresh wound in his back. Chronos stood behind the body, wiping a knife. He turned to look at Rassilon from a side-on view.
"It's a shame you couldn't be here earlier to save him..." Chronos' voice echoed through the room. Rassilon's fist tightened and his breathing became heavier. "You're weak... Pathetic... And you'll never save her..." The hedgehog's face took on a more angry look and he charged towards Chronos at full speed. He tried to punch his brother, but he scattered like smoke. He looked around. No sign of Chronos. A hand touched his shoulder, but he was quick to hit it away. All that could be heard was Chronos' laugh.
"Is he awake?" asked Amy.
"I think so," answered Tails. Rassilon sat up. He stayed still until his eyes had adjusted to the light.
"Had us worried there," said Shaun. Rassilon just looked at him. "Good to see you again!" He looked around again. Sonic, the Doctor, Nazo and Martha were nowhere in sight. Shaun saw the shock on the hedgehog's face. "Something wrong?"
"Where's Martha? ...And Sonic?"
"They're upstairs. You gave us quite a scare just then." Rassilon thanked Shaun and rushed upstairs. Sonic, Nazo and the Doctor stood around a bed. The looks on their faces were enough to answer his fears. Nazo was the one to break it too him.
"Don't worry, she's not dead." A wave of relief blew over him. "But she'll be out for a few more hours."
"What happened?" The others conferred between themselves. It was the Doctor's turn to talk.
"You did this... She tried comfort you when you started to sweat, but you lashed out." Rassilon seemed to remember. The hand.
Sonic and the Doctor had gone back downstairs to see if they could find out where the other Chaos Emeralds were. As the Doctor scanned one, he discovered something weird.
"It seems that the other four emeralds have already been found... I'm getting a big reading from one place. It looks like... The outskirts of Apotos..."
"It's gotta be Eggman!"
"Calm down. Remember, that Chronos is here too. I'm sure he'll have something to do with it too."
"How come?"
"Remember what I said about the Chaos Emeralds 'talking' to each other?" Sonic nodded. "I couldn't help but scan Rassilon, just in case Chronos shared the same wavelength with him." The blue hedgehog was confused again. "When Rassilon was unconscious he had a stronger reading. I'm guessing that Chronos was somehow contacting him..."
"Like the Chaos Emeralds!"
"Exactly!"
"Ok, Doctor. Here are all the emeralds I could find." Chronos handed Eggman three Chaos Emeralds before leaning against a Cyberman.
"Excellent work, Chronos," he said while examining them. "That hedgehog and his friends must have the other three."
"They're gonna be coming here soon. Just keep up your end of the bargain." Eggman turned round to face the echidna again.
"Don't worry, I will." He sat down to finish work on a special pair of handcuffs that seemed important to Chronos. The echidna couldn't help but laugh. His plan was coming along perfectly and there was nothing that anyone could do to stop him. Nobody he expected at least...
Shadow sat in an armchair with Rouge opposite him. The phone by his side began to ring and he answered it. It was Sonic.
"Shad, we're going. Now!" Sonic cut off. Shadow set the phone back down.
"What was that?" asked Rouge.
"The signal..." he answered.
Sonic and the others rushed over to Apotos in the Tornado as fast as they could. Rassilon had reluctantly followed on Shaun's orders while Nazo stayed behind to look after Martha with him.
"What do you think he's up to this time?" asked Amy.
"Knowing Chronos it's probably something like mass murder or revenge," was Sonic's reply.
"Whatever it is," began the Doctor, "we can't let him achieve it."
Rassilon shared a seat with Rouge since there were only six seats. It was obvious he was worried, even though he tried his best to hide it.
"You men are all the same."
"Whys that?" he responded.
"You worry over the smallest thing. Martha is going to be fine with Nazo. Trust me." Rassilon thought for a moment, then nodded.
"You're right, Rouge."
"Of course I am. I'm always right."
"You don't love him."
"YES I DO!"
"You wouldn't give him a second chance without his ability to take you anywhere."
"I love him."
"Him or his power?"
"I LOVE HIM!"
"Just because he protects you? ...Can take you anywhere you want? Is that really love?"
"GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
"If he loves you so much then why did he leave you?"
"GET OUT! I..."
"Remember, Martha. Think carefully..."
Martha woke up in a cold sweat. Nazo sat down, asleep, on a chair next to the bed she was lying on. Tears flooded from her eyes as she remembered the dream she had just had. Was it true? Did he really not care for her? She tried to remain calm and positive, but couldn't. Her head was ringing. The only thing that she could think of was what she thought she really thought of Rassilon. She was confused. Her heart said that she still loved him, but her head was disagreeing. Her head scanned for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. The only other creature in the room was Nazo. As if by instinct, she wrapped her arms around him, still crying, still confused.
"Don't ever leave me..." she managed through her tears to a half-asleep hedgehog.
"They're ready Chronos."
"Good..." Eggman handed the echidna the handcuffs he had been working on. "Not even time can escape these." He began laughing again. "Soon Rassilon will have no choice but to follow my orders..."
Tails had just closed in on Eggman's base. Shaun was contacting the Tornado from GUN headquarters.
"Tails, do you read me?" he asked.
"Loud and clear!" answered the fox.
"Martha's woken up. Something seems odd about her though..."
"What do you mean?"
"It looks like she's fallen in love with Nazo."
"How?"
"I don't know, but I wouldn't tell Rassilon yet in case he gets the wrong idea..."
"You got it."
"Commander out."
Rassilon woke up. He'd fallen asleep on Rouge's shoulder while she looked out of the window. She hadn't wanted to bother him, but the sight of Eggman's base had spurred her into action. His head had fallen off of her shoulder when she moved, but at least he was ready to fight. Rouge turned to face him.
"Great timing. We're here."
"You ready?"
"Ready as ever!"
Sonic's voice came over a speaker.
"Let's go kick some Ro-butt-nik!"
Tails landed the Tornado and they all jumped out. There was no one waiting for them. The Doctor looked around.
"It's too quiet..."
"Where are they?" asked Shadow.
"I don't know," answered Sonic, "but we're gonna have to go in to find out."
"That's basically suicide!" responded the black hedgehog. "Eggman's probably laid a trap for us!"
"It's a better risk than putting the whole world in danger!" retorted the blue hedgehog.
"How would we save the world if we're stuck in a trap!?"
"...Sonic makes a good point..." Rassilon burst into the argument. "I'd rather be stuck in a trap than let the world be destroyed. Even so..."
"There's always the chance that we can get out of the trap!" interrupted Sonic. Shadow thought about it. He hated to be wrong, but he had to admit that Sonic was right for once.
"Alright then. Let's go!"
Nazo still had Martha hugging him. He was confused.
"Martha...? Don't you love Rassilon?"
"NO!" Her reply came quickly.
"But you do."
"I don't. I love you!"
"Ok then... Why?"
"Rassilon kept leaving me alone, unlike you... You'd never leave me, would you?" She pushed her nose closer to his, but he pulled back. Nazo began to sweat. "What's wrong? A little hot under the collar?"
"No." She gave him puppy-dog eyes to put him off guard then leaned in for a kiss. Nazo felt as if he were under a spell and couldn't break away. Martha released first, then looked surprised as if it were Nazo's fault.
"I'm sorry..." she apologised in a different tone. "I don't know what came over me..."
"Martha... Who do you love?"
"Rass..." she began. "I mean you, Nazo." Her reply came in the same tone as before the kiss.
"There must be something, or someone, messing with her mind..." thought Nazo to himself. "...Chronos..."
As the group ventured further into Eggman's base they kept their eyes peeled for traps. Nothing had awaited them so far, but they could never be too sure. The dark hallway seemed to expand on forever. A light shone at the end, as if calling them.
"You think they're where that light's coming from?" asked Sonic.
"Who knows?" answered Tails.
"It looks like we're about to find out," announced the Doctor as the light seemed to bathe them in its glow. When they emerged from it they saw Eggman and Chronos, waiting for them.
"So glad you could come, brother..." began Chronos.
"Chronos..." mumbled Rassilon. His anger got the better of him as he ran forward, ready to punch Chronos. The echidna just stood there.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Rassilon stopped "You see... If you lay a finger on me, then I'll have no choice but to destroy this planet." The hedgehog looked angrier.
"You're bluffing, aren't you?"
"Now, now brother... You know me better than that... If I say I'm going to destroy the Earth, then that's what I'm going to do."
"Why you little..."
"There's no need for that now, is there?" A remote appeared in Chronos' hand. "Remember, one touch and I'll detonate the bomb." Rassilon then noticed something hiding behind Chronos' back.
"What do you want?"
"Nothing much. Just to see you in these." He pulled out the handcuffs.
"I could break out of them easily!"
"Yes, but then you wouldn't get to see your beloved Martha again, would you?" Chronos clicked his fingers and pictures of Martha flew through Rassilon's head. She was hugging Nazo. "Pity she doesn't really love you..."
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?!" Rassilon ran towards his brother again.
"Ah, ah, ah. Remember?" he said as he held the remote. "First, do as I say." Chronos waved the handcuffs in Rassilon's face.
"I guess I don't have a choice..." The hedgehog reluctantly put on the handcuffs while Chronos laughed. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing. Except... I forgot to mention..." Chronos pointed at a Cyberman and erased it forever. "...While you wear them, I have complete control over your powers." He laughed maniacally while everyone else, except Eggman, looked on in shock.
"YOU CHEATER!" yelled Sonic in anger.
"I'm the cheater? That sounds like fighting talk from someone who cheated death," responded Chronos, almost calmly.
"How did you know about that?"
"Your good old friend Eggman here told me about it."
"But Eggman was..."
"Frozen in time? Yes he was. But he's a genius. He had to come up with a suitable theory for how he went from his base to a green field."
"What's up, Nazo?" asked Martha.
"What...? Oh, nothing." He had been continuously thinking about his theory and finally an idea came to him. "Martha...?"
"Yes?" she replied in a seductive tone.
"I was just wondering if you wanted to go see Rassilon. Make him a bit..." he sniffed the air, "...jealous?" The rabbit gave the hedgehog a cute giggle and agreed before they both disappeared.
"Can't you break out of them?" asked Tails. Rassilon tried to escape from the handcuffs, but to no avail.
"It's no use..."
"That's because they absorb all of your power, even physical strength. Then all of it gets sent to me! In other words... There's no escape..." Chronos began laughing again. He had finally defeated his brother, once and for all.
"There's still a chance..." began the Doctor.
"And what's that?" asked Chronos.
"ME!" The Doctor ran towards Rassilon, trying to unlock the handcuffs with his Sonic Screwdriver. "I'll have you out of here in a jiffy."
"Are you sure that'll work?" asked the hedgehog.
"...partly..." The tool stopped humming, but the handcuffs were still on. "Well that didn't work... Must be a deadlock seal... Or wood."
"It's neither," intervened Chronos. "This glorious metal that you see before you is one that Eggman created only yesterday. We called it Ivomium after Eggman himself." Two Cybermen appeared behind the Doctor and captured him. "Put him and his friends in the Ivomium cell."
"AFFIRMATIVE, CHRONOS!" Two more Cybermen grabbed each member of the team and carried them off to their cell.
"Come on, Eggman. Let's just leave my brother here. It's not like he can do anything." Chronos kicked Rassilon's face before leaving.
About ten minutes had passed since Sonic and the team had been put in the cell. Shadow and Rouge marched around, testing to see if any of the bars were loose. The white bat stopped first.
"Just leave it, Shadow. Even Eggy's not a fool."
"Yeah... See Sonic, this is what I meant. We're stuck in a trap with no way out. What now, genius?" Sonic was about to answer with a witty comeback, but his ears perked as he heard footsteps.
"Who could that be?"
"Shush!" warned Nazo as he peered around the corner. Martha stood behind him. He tried looking closer and didn't see anything else except his target. "Looks like the coast is clear. Let's go!" The duo swept across the floor towards the imprisoned hedgehog.
"Rassilon...?" asked Martha first. His head looked up to see her smiling face beaming back at him.
"Martha... You're OK...!" Rassilon tried to hug her, but his arms fell short and dropped to the floor. The rabbit just looked at him, not bothering to help.
"What's wrong?" asked Nazo. Rassilon's eyes were fixed upon Martha. Her gaze was unpredictable, shifting from place to place around the room as if she didn't care.
"Martha..." A tear ran down Rassilon's face. Martha caught this from the corner of her eye and, as if on command, she leapt at him for a tight hug.
"Don't ever leave me again..."
The footsteps got louder. Which each passing second the team's heartbeats got quicker. Eventually they stopped. Shadow squinted his eyes to see who was there. No one. Suddenly, Chronos' face met his and began to laugh as the black hedgehog leapt backwards.
"Me and Eggman came up with a plan for you six. If you want to get out of here alive, then you need to beat both of us in battle. To make it fair, two get to fight Eggy while the other four get me. To make it unfair, we already chose who gets who." Chronos clicked his fingers and six Cybermen appeared. He pointed at two in particular. "You two take fox-boy and the freak. The others... Round up the hedgehogs and bat-girl. This is gonna be fun...!"
Nazo watched on as Rassilon and Martha continued to hug. It was Rassilon who let go first, remembering what Chronos had said earlier.
"The bomb! Chronos has a bomb planted somewhere!"
"Do you know where?" asked Nazo.
"Not at the moment... Even if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop it."
"Why?"
"These handcuffs sap my power and give it to Chronos. Unless we find a way to take them off then I can't go anywhere." Nazo thought about the problem.
"I have an idea. Hold them out in front of you." Rassilon did as he was told. Nazo pointed at the handcuffs and enveloped them in a bright light. After a minute he discovered that his attempts were futile. "I can't erase them... Not even ageing them to rust will work..."
"Don't give up!" said Martha. "There's got to be a way to destroy them."
"Of course, they're made of metal!" Nazo face palmed himself. "I can't believe I didn't think of this..."
The two Cybermen dropped Tails and the Doctor to the ground. Before them stood Eggman, and next to him was his Egg Walker.
"So... The Time Lord and the fox have agreed to our plan?"
"Of course, Eggman!" announced Tails.
"That's good!" replied Eggman, who pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver copy and aimed it at the Doctor's pocket. The Doctor quickly pulled out his own Sonic Screwdriver and aimed it at Eggman's. "You're quicker than I thought... But are you fast enough to outrun missiles?" He jumped into the Egg Walker and pressed a big red button. Missiles launched from the Walker, all aimed at the Doctor and Tails.
Sonic, Shadow, Amy and Rouge had just entered a large room. Chronos appeared on the other side with the other four Chaos Emeralds in hand. Behind him came a mobile roboticisor.
"Guess what this is for?"
"Roboticisation..." Sonic whispered under his breath. The other three heard him, but had no idea what he was on about. "You're sick. You know that?"
"Now, now, hedgehog. Eggman wanted me to do this. If you lose then blame him for your misfortune... Oh wait, you'll be under his command anyway."
"What do you want?"
"Like I said before, it's a bit of a game. You beat me, then you get to go free. I win, then you four get roboticised."
"How's that fair?" asked Shadow. "You've got all of Rassilon's powers plus your own."
"I thought you'd ask that... Instead of four-on-one, we'll have a two-on-one battle. I already know you have the other three Emeralds. You two, Sonic and Shadow, can have these four too. We're going to see which is better. Your power and determination, or my god-like abilities..."
The Doctor stood still, awaiting the missiles. Tails stood by his side, knowing the plan. As the missiles got closer, the fox began to get more worried.
"Just a little more..." murmured the Doctor. "...NOW!" He pointed the Sonic Screwdriver at the missiles and two clashed in mid-air. Eggman watched on, a look of triumph on his face as the cloud of smoke slowly drifted. Quickly, his expression changed as the other missiles came back towards him. The Doctor stood there with a smile on his face. Eggman quickly aimed his Sonic Screwdriver at the missiles and they froze in mid-air. "Remote guidance system... Easy enough to hack into."
Super Sonic and Super Shadow began their battle against Chronos. Sonic went first, his fist flying towards the echidna's face. Chronos grasped it with ease and began to crush it, forcing the golden hedgehog to writhe in pain. He was about to deliver a blow to Sonic's stomach, but Shadow uppercutted him from below, hitting the echidna in the jaw. Chronos let go of Sonic, who stood back for a while whilst Shadow and Chronos exchanged blows, trying to find each others' weak point.
"Ok then. How are we going to get these off?" asked Rassilon.
"You'll see..." answered Nazo. He grabbed Rassilon's hand and warped. They re-materialised in the Earth's core. The magma bubbled as they drew closer. "I want you to dip your hands into the magma."
"Are you sure this will work?"
"Positive." Rassilon got closer and closer to the magma. He was about to touch it when, all of a sudden, flashes went through his mind again. When they subsided, he shouted to Nazo.
"THE BOMB'S IN THE MAGMA!"
Shadow was beginning to get tired. As he tried to jab Chronos' muzzle the echidna grabbed his fist and kneed him in the chest. The impact caused him to cough up a bit of blood, which landed on Chronos' shoe.
"Hmm... I thought there'd be more..." Chronos then roundhouse kicked Shadow, sending him flying towards the wall.
"Shadow!" shouted Rouge as she flew up to catch him. Sonic was still recovering, but he was determined to try and stop Chronos. As he flew towards him, Chronos fired a beam from his finger.
"Why you..." Eggman was obviously annoyed at the Doctor's discovery. How had he managed to figure it out so quickly? A deep determination burned in the Time Lord's eyes. "What are you...?"
"Your worst nightmare..." The words sprung from his mouth as if he had said them many times before (which he had). Eggman heard a noise behind him and looked around. Tails stood there with a wrench in his hand, loosening one of the Egg Walker's legs. He turned the walker to try and crush the fox, taking his eye off the Doctor.
"Any last words?" he asked as the foot rose.
"Nope."
"What?"
"I think they can do the talking for me..." Tails pointed behind Eggman. The missiles that were once suspended were coming towards him.
Sonic spun around the beam, narrowly missing it. Just as he was about to connect with Chronos he disappeared, reappearing behind the golden hedgehog.
"Sonic!" Amy yelled. "He's behind you!" But Sonic wasn't quick enough and was sent crashing towards the ground. He caught a glimpse of Shadow, who still seemed strong enough to fight. He looked at Sonic, who nodded back. Then, just as quickly as he had been sent across the room, Shadow sprung up towards Chronos.
"CHAOS..."
"Not so fast..." taunted the echidna as he flew towards Shadow, aiming for his head.
"...BLAST!" Chronos was sent flying in the opposite direction, towards the roboticisor, and deliberately dropped the detonator as he did so. Sonic saw this and tried to catch it, only to have it land upside down in his palm. Chronos bounced off the floor into the roboticisor and two Cybermen closed the door and operated the machine. Banging could be heard from behind the door as the robotic arms lowered. An unfamiliar screaming pierced the then brought upon silence until... nothing. When the door opened a lone Cyberman lay on the floor, dead. A message was etched into its back. It read;'you can't kill me that easily'.
In the Earth's core, the bomb had already begun to count down. Rassilon had tried Nazo's idea, but it didn't work; the handcuffs were still on his wrists.
"Well... Looks like that didn't work..." murmered Rassilon.
"Of course! The bomb's made of Ivomium! It's heatproof, but I can think of one thing hot enough to melt those handcuffs..."
"You don't mean..."
"Yep... The sun!" And with that both hedgehogs disappeared.
Meanwhile, Eggman lay on the floor, acknowledging defeat.
"Tell us, Eggman! What were you doing with all those Cybermen?" queried Tails.
"He was going to build an army. That's all." The Doctor stared at the wall. "And now it seems like old Chronos has detonated that bomb of his..."
"How do you know?" asked Tails.
"Think about it... If he's going to destroy the planet then where would be the best place to put it?"
"The Earth's core?"
"Right you are, Tails! A bomb that big would vibrate quite heavily. Just enough for you to feel the tiniest one."
Sonic looked at the detonator in the palm of his hand. His eyes were stuck on it.
"No... We've come so far just for this? What's Rassilon up to?"
"Probably more than you..." whined Shadow. "There can't be much time left. He's our only hope now."
Martha still stood in the same spot that she had been on for the past hour or however long she'd been there for.
"Come on, Rassilon..." she murmured under her breath. "You can do it..."
"Who can do what now?" came a familiar voice. The rabbit screamed, but there was no one else around to hear. "You'll do perfectly..." Chronos said before he disappeared while holding her.
The heat of the sun was intense, even for Nazo and Rassilon.
"Are you sure about this?" panted Rassilon, who was already sweating.
"I can't destroy it alone. I need your help. There's no other way..."
"...I trust you." With that Rassilon thrust his hands into the sun. He winced through the pain and drew them back out, looking at his burnt palms. "My powers my be weakened for a while... At least Chronos doesn't have them any more though."
"Think you can help me with the bomb?"
"I'm still strong enough for that!"
Three Cybermen walked into the room. The Doctor stood in front of Eggman, staring one deep in the eye.
"What are you up to?" he asked. Tails was a bit confused.
"What's wrong, Doctor?"
"It's not like the Cybermen to follow orders from a human. They have a plan, and I want to know what it is..."
Eggman weakly rose a little, before saying "what are you babbling on about? I've been spearheading this operation with Chronos!"
"That's what they want you to think... They just see you as an inferior being. Why would they work with you?"
"What do you mean by 'inferior'?! I'm the greatest mind on the planet!" Eggman was ready to say more, but a Cyberman interrupted.
"WELL DONE, DOCTOR...! WE WERE ABOUT TO MAKE DOCTOR EGGMAN OUR CYBERKING!"
"Weirdly, I'm okay with that... Probably because you won't get very far, mind you... But tell me, why?"
"WE ARE AT WAR, DOCTOR!"
"With who?"
Rassilon and Nazo went back to the core. They both pointed towards the bomb, but Rassilon was interrupted by a 'mind-flash'. It was Chronos...
"I have one final choice for you, little brother... You can either save the world, or your girlfriend. Which one?"
"YOU'RE BLUFFING!!!"
"Oh, am I?" From behind Chronos came Martha.
"Rassilon..." she managed weakly. Rassilon was in dismay. His head told him the world, but his heart needed Martha.
"Why...? WHY MUST YOU TORTURE ME?!"
"Short answer... Because it's fun!" Chronos smiled insanely. "Now choose!"
"NO!!! There's got to be some other way..."
"I'll kill her slowly and painfully... See this knife?" Chronos grabbed a knife from nothingness. "I'll plunge it into her heart, and while the blood slowly drains, I'll tell her how it was all your fault. Tell you what... I'll give you a minute to decide." He quickly vanished, leaving Rassilon in the core with Nazo.
"What happened?" asked Nazo.
"He's got Martha... He's going to kill her if I don't let the bomb detonate..." He looked at his hands. "I don't have much of a choice..."
"It's got to be the world this time." Nazo started thinking of another way. Suddenly his brain clicked. "Chronos doesn't know about me! I may not have enough power to move the bomb, but I believe that you do." He smiled at Rassilon. "I'll save her."
"No! I promised her that I'd always be there...!"
"Listen, Rassilon! Martha loves you. I think she'd love you even more if you saved an entire race from annihilation. Trust me, you're a lot stronger."
"But..." Nazo's gaze broke Rassilon's sentence. "Ok. I'll do it." Just then, Chronos came back in Rassilon's mind.
"Have you reached a decision yet?"
"Yes. I'm sorry, Martha... But I have to save the world."
Back at the base, Chronos was about to stab Martha.
"Any last words?" She just stood straight, ready to await her death if it meant saving the world. "Good!" Chronos plunged the knife at her and stabbed her heart. The strange thing was, the groan sounded like... Nazo.
Rassilon quickly pointed at the bomb and teleported it to the sun. It began to flash and ticker faster and faster.
"This is for Martha!" he yelled as he dunked it in. He saw the metal begin to bubble as the whole thing started melting, frying the circuits, which caused tiny explosions to erupt around the bomb. "That should do it..."
"Who are you?" asked Chronos to the body that lay on the floor beside him.
"I'm Nazo... Your worst nightmare!" Nazo grabbed the knife and pulled it out quickly, slashing at Chronos. The echidna disappeared as Nazo began to catch his breath. He hadn't expected the blow to be as fatal as it was. The blood on the knife caught his eye and he looked at his chest. "There can't be much time left for me now..."
"Right you are!" Chronos reappeared, roundhouse kicking the hedgehog in the back of the head, sending Nazo flying across the room. Martha watched Nazo get back up. A gash on her left arm stung heavily. Nazo had pushed her out of the way faster than she could think.
"What exactly is he anyway? He never told us..." Nazo overheard this and turned his head to her.
"You really want to know?" She nodded. "I'm Rassilon..."
Sonic and Shadow stood with Amy and Rouge, still in their super forms. A door near them opened to reveal Tails running in.
"Hey! Did you forget your promise?"
"What?" thought Sonic as he casually looked at his hands. "Oh... Right!"
"The Doctor didn't forget."
"Now?"
"Probably not now. It looks like we've got a bigger problem..."
"But... You can't be..." Martha murmured.
"I am." Chronos was getting a bit curious now and began to listen. "When Metal Sonic took Rassilon's powers Rassilon gained more, awakening his true power. I was formed from the power that was lost when Metal Sonic was defeated. In other words, I am half of Rassilon. When I die, he will become far more powerful than you can imagine, Chronos." Nazo laughed, knowing that the battle was nearly over. A flash temporarily blinded him.
"What'd I miss?" asked Rassilon. Martha ran up to hug him.
"It's a little complicated, but Nazo is part of you."
"He is...?" The hedgehog looked Nazo in the eye intently. He quickly understood. "So that's it, huh?"
"Yes. I should have told you before."
"It doesn't matter, Nazo. If I had known then I would have been more reluctant to let you save Martha."
"Quick! Let me help you!" interrupted Martha.
"No, Martha! My song is coming to an end. This is what I was made for... To help Rassilon."
"But...?"
"Let him be, Martha..." Rassilon said. "If Nazo dies then the world will be safer."
"What if I had died then? Why must I live?"
"Because I couldn't live without you... Without you, I'd lose everything..." The pair's hug suddenly became a kiss. Martha was the first to break away.
"Just kick Chronos' butt for me then, would you?"
"With pleasure!" As soon as Rassilon sprinted forward, Nazo died. Rassilon's quills began to extend and his muzzle became hairier. A deep golden aura surrounded him and nearly blinded Martha. As if by instinct he pulled his arm back and threw it toward Chronos. The echidna teleported across the room, but Rassilon was faster. He appeared behind him as soon as he got there and made contact, sending Chronos back where he came from. Chronos wiped a bit of blood from his lip.
"So he told the truth..."
"I could kill you right now!"
"But you don't have the heart, do you?" The aura faded and Rassilon's quills and hair returned to normal. He smiled. "What's so funny?" Martha hit Chronos over the head with a metal bar and Rassilon picked him up by the throat.
"Thanks, Martha!"
"Any time!"
Meanwhile, Sonic and the Doctor were conversing about their plan.
"What do you mean you can't go yet? I can't hold this form forever!"
"I think that your world may be in more danger than before... There's an alien race coming and if it's the ones that I'm thinking of then you'll need my help." The ceiling opened up to reveal hundreds of spherical ships darting towards Earth.
"What are they?" asked Amy as Sonic and Shadow phased out of their super forms.
"...The Sontarans..." answered the Doctor.