Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, Sega do. All rights of characters go to them.They don't endorse this story (and never will).
Tails gazed up at the stars. He had a good life. He lived in a flat with an old friend, he had a easy job which paid well and it had been nine years since his life had been last threatened. Tails dropped his head. It was not good, he couldn't kid himself. It hadn't been good for nine years. For nine years Tails had lost his best friend and others. Tails decided he couldn't let himself get wrapped up in the past. Tails returned inside his flat. His flat wasn't big, nor was it small. It had two bedrooms, a living room, a bathroom and a kitchen. As much as Tails wanted. Amy came out of the bathroom, blow-drying her hair. She looked a lot different from her days as a Sonic chasing lunatic. Her Hair was now short and her normal wear was a purple coat and skirt."Miles, be sure to buy more soap tomorrow." Amy told Tails. Tails had lost his nickname years ago and now was simply called 'Miles'. Tails nodded and walked towards the living room. He collapsed in his chair and switched on his T.V. On it was the news. On it a woman was talking with a picture of a some blurred large green thing that Tails couldn't make out behind her.
"Today a 29 year old crocodile was brutally murdered." Amy took the towel off her head and looked at the T.V. " 'Vector the Crocodile' was found in a ditch with five bullets and a knife in his body." Tails was taken aback. Amy dropped the towel in her hand and looked at the T.V
"I don't believe it..." Amy started. Tails was shaking his head over and over again.
"Who would want to kill him, I mean except...." Tails voice trailed off. Amy put a hand on him.
"It's not him, Miles, don't worry." Amy gave Tails a smile. Tails tried to smile back, but failed. Tails went to bed as he could not handle what had just happened. Out of nowhere someone had killed Vector cruelly and dumped his body in a ditch. It couldn't have been 'him' so who would have done it? Tails massaged his head as he shut his door. Amy continued to watch the news. She was hoping that they had some lead to who had done the deed. They didn't. They said it was like he was killed by a ghost. No prints, DNA, no trace what so ever. Amy fell back in her chair. It looked as if the nine year peace was over.
A week later a funeral for Vector was being held. Tails noticed many faces from his past. Espio, Charmy, Knuckles, Big, Cream, even Mighty, who was hard to get hold of. They all looked so different. Big was thinner, Charmy and Cream were now wearing black leather, which seemed to become fashionable between teens, Knuckles was now covered in the tattoos from his tribe of old. Espio and Mighty, however, just seemed taller. Charmy seemed to be the most hurt by Vectors death. He was finding it hard to control himself. Espio kept his position as the disciplined one and managed to show no emotions. Tails imagined that he must have been hurting inside a lot. Knuckles walked up to Tails.
"Good to see you Miles. I was hoping that Sonic would have come." Knuckles admitted
"Did you really think he would have come?" Tails asked
"No, not really." Admitted Knuckles.
"How are you doing Knuckles?" Tails said, steering the conversation elsewhere.
"Since Nine years ago no one has even tried to steal the Master Emerald. I had nothing to do really." Knuckles looked awkward. Mentioning nine years ago was awkward for any of them. Tails smiled at Knuckles and went to talk to some other old friends. Amy was in conversation with Big. At one point Amy and Big used to go fishing a lot. Not many people thought Amy would have liked fishing, but she surprised everyone. It was then it happened. Grenades fell like hail from above. Knuckles noticed them first.
"Fire from above!" Shouted Knuckles as he warned everyone of the danger. Explosions appeared on the ground continuously. Amy and Big made cover behind the chairs set up. Knuckles Digged a hole and hid underground, Mighty followed. Charmy flied off, but Cream was shocked by the suddenly and quantity of the attack. Tails, seeing this, ran to her rescue. Tails hadn't flied for seven years and didn't want to risk trying now. Tails dodged and jumped explosions. He managed to grab Cream when he heard a cry. A grenade had hit Espio directly and sent him flying. Tails got out of the line of fire and began to run after Espio. Knuckles stopped him. "Miles, I'll get Espio, you fly up there and stop this." Tails looked to see a cliff where the grenades were coming from.
"Knuckles, I haven't flied for.."
"Just do it!" Shouted Knuckles. Tails swallowed. He span his tails, ever so slowly he began to take off. The flying expertise Tails got in his youth came back to him. In very little time Tails was able to fly himself to the top of the cliff. When Tails got there he saw a robot firing the grenades. Tails approached it cautiously. He reached out hand and slightly hit it. The robot exploded and out of it came a small bird. Just like with... Tails glanced to his left. On top of the highest cliff stood a figure. The figure was wrapped in a brown robe. It stretched out an arm with a white glove on it and a gun. The figure fired at Tails. Tails felt the cold steel pierce his body. He took a look down. The bullet had entered his chest, far bellow the lungs. Tails Stumbled backward. The figure took a second shot. This time Tails felt the bullet enter his shoulder. Tails fell off the cliff and blacked out.
Tails woke up three days later in hospital. He had bandages around his chest, shoulder and a cast on his leg. Tails presumed he broke his leg in the fall. Amy was sitting next to Tails reading a book. When she noticed Tails was awake she turned her attention from the book.
"You're Okay!" Amy smiled
"I wouldn't say that." Tails smiled back. Tails looked at his foot. "This mean I'm going to be on crutches?"
"Yes, but it's better than Espio." Amy looked at her feet. She handed Tails some thing. Tails looked at it. It was a yellow horn. Tails guessed where it came from. On it someone had engraved some words.
"Fear the return of the Egg empire," Tails turned the horn. "What should have been nine years ago." Tails Looked up at Amy "Espio... is dead, and this warning..." Amy looked Tails straight in the eye.
"We need Sonic back." Tails shyed away briefly. Amy looked hard at him. Finally Tails responded
"He won't come back, not after what happened nine years ago." Tails lied down in his bed. "Sonic has locked himself away from everything. He is no longer Sonic." Tails paused "and if this is... him... we have no chance of getting Sonic on board."
"If this is Eggman," Tails flinched, he had not heard anyone say that name for nine years. "Wouldn't Sonic want to help, to settle the past?" Tails looked at Amy. Her nether ending hope was still there. Tails almost smiled
"To Sonic nothing will settle the past, he can't forgive himself. I'm sorry Amy, but Sonic is not the hero he was once." A look of determination appeared in Amy's eye which had not been seen for nine years.
"We can try." Amy's voice became more level. "You know where he is, take me before more go the way of Vector and Espio. Please." Tails looked and Amy and sighed.
"Twenty one and still as determined to get him." Amy gave Tails a sharp look.
"I'm past that stage." Tails smiled slightly
"I know, I will take you to him." Amy nodded.
Knuckles sat beside the Master Emerald on the floating island. He couldn't deny he was disturbed by the recent events. That was another way he had changed. Knuckles rubbed his eyes. He knew if Eggman had returned, then he would go after his Emerald. Knuckles glanced around. Nothing. Knuckles tried to relax a little. Eggman couldn't have come back it was impossible. Knuckles started to drift off. Suddenly Knuckles felt a sharp pain in his chest. He looked down. There was a knife in him! Knuckles Jumped up to see he was at point blank range from a gun being held by a shrouded figure. Knuckles didn't make a move. He looked hard at the opening which the person saw through. He couldn't make out if it was or wasn't Eggman. the creature then talked
"Prepare for the new Egg Empire." Knuckles was shocked, that voice!
"You're..." The robed figure fired at him. Knuckles fell to the ground. taking no notice of the blood on his robe the figure took out a knife and stuck it in Knuckles. He then used it to carve a message in Knuckles back; 'Eggman was a pleasant dream compared to me'. The figure picked up Knuckles' carcase and flinged it across the area. It smashed straight through the Master Emerald, destroying it and cutting Knuckles body with Emerald shards. The corpse then flied off the island and fell to the sea. The figure then walked to the side of the island and watched as it plummeted down to the Earth. The Island landed with a almighty, wave creating thud. The figure walked off the island and pressed a small button in his hand, activating bombs set all over the island and creating a mighty blast which ended the mighty floating island. The figure smiled. No one could stop him, not even the legendary Sonic.
Two days later Tails was allowed out of Hospital. He was true to his word and took Amy to where Sonic now lived. Tails lead Amy down a putrid, graphitted street. drugged up hobos littered the area, some walking around half dead, some sleeping in there own sick. Amy was discouraged. What has Sonic turned into living here? Tails kicked away a stray newspaper. He looked up at a old, half demolished building. Many if not all of the windows had been smashed and the door had been kicked in and pathetically been replaced by some odd planks of wood. It was into here Tails lead Amy. Amy was lead through a hallway, flight of stairs and some undeterminable room only to see black wall after black wall, where the only colour came from the areas paint were pealing off. They ended up in a small room which looked no different from the others, except a collection of whisky bottles and sheets in the corner. Amy looked at Tails, not sure what to say. Tails cleared his throat and spoke the sheets.
"Sonic, you have visitors." The sheets moved. From underneath one a hand emerged. It picked up a whisky bottle and chucked it at Tails. Tails dodged it, then continued to talk. "Nine years and that's the reception I receive?" The sheets started to cough violently. Once the coughing stopped Tails was given a reply.
"I told you not to return." The voice was more deep and angry than Amy ever remembered Sonic's voice to be. Tails looked at Amy, giving a worried look.
"Sonic, we need you back..." Amy couldn't take a spectator seat any longer
"Sonic, Eggman has returned." The sheets stayed still for a second. Then out of them emerged a blue hedgehog. His quills were long, his face was covered in stubble and over his body an old trench coat was worn. This what Sonic had become.
"Eggman can't return." Sonic looked at Amy with weary eyes. Amy was taken aback by Sonic's appearance, but tried not to show that she was.
"Well, someone is going around, murdering us one by one."
"He did this to me!" Tails added, gesturing at his broken leg. Sonic stared Amy straight in the face.
"He couldn't have come back." Amy looked downward for a moment before looking Sonic in the face again
"What actually happened nine years ago. I know the gist of it, but no one has ever gone into allot of detail." Tails looked at Amy. What was she doing?
"Amy, we're trying to get Sonic to..." Tails didn't managed to finish when Sonic cut him off.
"It was a cold November day. Eggman had another plan to rule the world. This time he had captured his rouge robot, Metal Sonic, and was planning on downloading his data into millions of E- series robot, making a unstoppable army. Shadow and Rouge had managed to get wind of the plan before us and had gone to put a stop to it. When we discovered of the plan Tails discovered that Metal Sonic had to have altered his major components to gain his data copying abilities. Therefore he was no longer compatible with Eggman's machinery and trying to connect him to them would initiate his self-destruct system, destroying everything in the immediate area. We had little time to get to Eggman's base. I ran there as fast I could. Meanwhile Shadow and Rouge infiltrated Eggman's base. Eggman was almost ready to download Metal Sonic's data. I was... I could have..." Sonic was muttering. He shock his head. Swallowed and continued. "Eggman was downloading the data. I was so close, I could have made it but..." Sonic buried his head in his hands. Tails looked at Amy and mouthed the word 'Boom'. Sonic managed to continue. "I arrived to find a large pile of rubble. We searched the rubble for three days. We found the bodies of Rouge, Eggman and parts of Metal Sonic. Last we found Shadow, hanging onto dear life. He only managed to say a few words before passing." Sonic was in tears. "He said 'bring hope to humanity..." Sonic was finding it hard to continue. "I am Sonic! I don't arrive too late, I could have saved them!" Amy walked over to Sonic and put an arm around his shoulder.
"Sonic. You can't control such things. If you did arrive in time you would have just died as well. Sonic, there is a way you can forget the past. Help us stop this new egg emperor." Amy stared hard into Sonic's eyes. Sonic sighed. He looked at Tails and Amy.
"You said people were being murdered, who."
"In order, Vector, Espio and Knuckles." Sonic went thoughtful for a minute before airing his opinion
"He seems to be going after the Chaotix. Charmy or Mighty could be next." Tails smiled slightly. Amy may never have caught Sonic, she defiantly knows how to appeal to him. Tails had an idea.
"Sonic, come live with us until this is over. I can sleep on the coach." Sonic looked up at Tails.
"No, I don't want much more to do with this." Amy clasped his hands.
"Please Sonic, we need your help." Amy made wishful eyes. Making eyes was a specialty of Amy. Sonic got up and smiled
"I suppose I'm fed up of this scenery." Tails nodded. Sonic never let him down.
"Amy, take Sonic back. I'm going to help Mighty and Charmy." Amy gave Tails a strange look.
"How are you going to help with this?" Amy said, tapping his cast. Tails looked sideways and pulled out a gun.
"I only use tranquillisers." Sonic looked surprised. Tails with a gun? Allot had changed. He was going to have to get up to speed.
Amy took Sonic into Tails bedroom. Sonic looked around and smiled.
"Fairly plain." Sonic observed. Amy laughed.
"Miles isn't known as a top designer of bedrooms." Sonic took a mental note: Tails now is know better as Miles. Amy started to leave the bedroom. She stopped at the door. She stood still for a second, then turned back to Sonic
"While you're here, I would like to apologise for being such an annoying brat nine years ago. Always running after you, annoying the hell out of you." Sonic chuckled at this remark
"To be honest, it was nice to know I was loved." Sonic and Amy smiled at each over. "Just so I know, you're not still obsessed over me?"
"I'm not twelve anymore and you're no longer a dashing knight in shiny armour." Amy paused. "To be honest you're still cute." Amy winked. Sonic laughed slightly and winked back.
"Well, I think you have grown into a very beautiful woman." Amy put her hand on her heart, half mockingly. She walked up to Sonic and gave him a quick kiss.
"No wonder I used to like you." Amy smiled. She had forgotten what Sonic could be like. Sonic and Amy were both smiling at each over. Sonic and Amy looked each other in the eye. Amy then realised she was leaning in on Sonic slightly. "Is what I thinks about to happen about to... happen..." Amy drifted off as Sonic and Amy leaned in more. They closed there eyes and tilted there heads. Slowly there lips touched...
Big's body was slammed to the ground. The cloaked figure pulled a gun out and fired at the body. He then pulled a knife out and proceeded to skin the body. Upon completing his task the figure dipped his finger in Big's blood and wrote another message on the skin. This time he wrote a message reading 'All who submit to the Egg empire will not end up like this.' The figure laughed. Soon he will strike. Soon the world shall know what the Death Egg is capable of.
The next day Amy was making pancakes. Sonic was still asleep, probably been awhile since he had slept in a proper bed. Amy was just about finished when Tails hobbled in on his crutches. His face was fuelled with anger. He hobbled over to Amy and spoke
"Sonic was wrong, Big has been killed! I just found out on the news." Amy clenched her fist.
"He's not going after Chaotix." Tails slammed his fist on the table hard.
"We have a Eggman obsessed lunatic killing us with no rational order!" Tails then heard a voice come from his bedroom.
"Eggman obsessed... I know where he is..." everyone turned around to see Sonic in Tails' bedroom doorway. "If you were obsessed with restoring the Egg empire you would use Eggman ultimate weapon..." Tails looked confused for a minute, Sonic cleared up the confusion "The Death Egg!" Tails looked sceptical.
"One problem. The remains of the Death Egg where on the floating island, the guy blew it up." Sonic replied quickly.
"He didn't completely destroy it. I bet the area the Death Egg is in will be untouched, only the actual path there will be destroyed." Tails smiled.
"There is more than one path." Tails took out a small remote and pressed a button. A rug in the middle of the room rolled away by itself, a large metal set of doors where underneath. The doors opened and a platform rose. On the platform was a fond site for Sonic
"You still have the Tornado." Tails nodded. Just like old times.
Tails drove the Tornado over the scattered remains of the floating island. Sonic's prediction seemed to be correct. A large grassy area of the floating island was still intact. Tails lowered the Tornado as they approached. Suddenly a large green laser flied up at them from the forest. Tails made the Tornado out of the way, almost dropping Sonic who was on the wings and Amy who was on the tail fin.
"Hold on!" Tails shouted as he dodged the large lasers being fired at them. Tails was coming down way to fast. Then a laser skimmed the wing. The Tornado was crashing! The Tornado was uncontrollably spinning. Sonic went flying off the wings. Sonic was suddenly throw back at the Tornado, landing back on the wing. Sonic shouted down to Tails
"Why didn't we install Bungee rope seat belts up here years ago?" Tails shouted back up at Sonic
"Got them cheap the other day, apparently most see them as pointless."
Tails, Sonic and Amy landed, if you could call it that, near the source of the fire, the 'face' of the Death Egg. Sonic remembered seeing this face as the Death Egg rose in sky sanctuary zone all those years ago. However, Sonic didn't have time for memories, for on the 'nose' of Eggman's finest creation stood the robed figure. As when Tails met him he was holding a gun, aimed at Tails. Sonic looked at Tails, trying to disguise the rush he was felling once again being the hero.
"This is why you needed me." Sonic looked at the figure and then disappeared. The figure was taken off guard by the blue blur heading for him. Before he had time to react a blue fist had hit him. His gun fell to the floor and Sonic grabbed him by the scruff of the neck. The figure laughed
"I underestimated you Sonic, I thought nine years would have slowed you down. Sonic was taken aback
"That voice, it sounds familiar" Tails flied up, carrying Amy, and landed next to Sonic. They knew the voice, but couldn't believe it. Sonic pulled back the hood to reveal the face of... "Espio." Espio's smiling face looked back at Sonic. The murdering, mad Eggman follower was Espio!
"Were you suspecting, say, Eggman?" Sonic looked at Espio with the rage of a thousand lions.
"Why?" Espio laughed again.
"Why? Because, I have been working for Eggman since the start. I told him of the five chaos rings, I supplied him with the means of escape when held captive by Metal Sonic, I have been playing double agent for him before his first attack on Mobius. Who do you think gave me the money for ninja training?" Tails couldn't believe what he was hearing, it was insane! "But Eggman had to go and blow up! Well since then I have been working on the rebirth of the Egg empire, under my rule. I have used parts of the Death Egg to create my own doomsday weapon, the Death fleet! Millions of ships, all using Death Egg mechanics. Now, so close to my victory, I decided I will destroy anyone who could stand in my way, including you!" Espio managed to stab Sonic with a knife. Sonic released Espio, who went invisible. Sonic looked around, before being whacked from nowhere off the Death Egg's 'nose'. Tails then saw the gun begin to move. He used his crutch to slam on to the gun. The crutch crushed Espio's hand, making him scream and turn visible. Espio grabbed the crutch with the other hand and lifted it . When freed Espio punched Tails into Amy, both who fell over. Espio went to grab his gun, only to find it in the hands of Sonic. Espio laughed again.
"What? Are you going to shoot me? HA! You can't do it. Your hand is shaking!" Espio wasn't lying. "Sonic, you haven't killed a single person in your life. It takes a sever lack of guilt to do so." Espio calmly walked up to Sonic, punched him in the face and took his gun back. Espio aimed his gun at Sonic's head "So long, look at the bright side, at least you lived a long happy life, oh wait, at least you lived." A gun shoot followed. Espio turned. Tails was standing there, holding a tranquilliser gun. Espio pulled something out of his back, a dart. Espio shock his head. "Tails Tails Tails, all you've achieved is putting my aim off." Espio moved aside so Tails could see Sonic, blood pouring out his chest. Tails looked at Espio. To angry for words Tails threw Espio a bottle. Espio looked at the bottle, then the dart. "Poison. Nice. How long do I..."
"A hour." Tails showed no emotion. Espio smiled.
"Better make the most of it." Espio laughed. He turned around and jumped down. He started to leave, but before going completly out of site he looked up at Tails "Well played Tails, you're more ruthless than I thought." Espio saluted, then disappeared. Tails and Amy ran up to Sonic. Sonic was still alive, but just barely. Tails tried to pick Sonic up.
"Sonic, if we get you to a doctor we might be able to save you!" Sonic smiled and coughed, then answered
"Do not bother. I have wasted the last nine years of my life and wish to not waste any more." Amy was in tears. She hugged Sonic. Sonic hugged her back. "Amy, take good care of yourself, and my next generation." Tails looked puzzled by that statement, until its meaning hit him like lightning
"Wait, Amy, you're having his..." Tails turned to Sonic. "Isn't this more reason to get you to a doctor?" Sonic grabbed Tails on the shoulder. "I have lived my life, I don't want to slow down my sons." Sonic laid down to stare at the sky. "I have finally been stopped."
Espio injected a green liquid into his body. He turned to another robed figure.
"You have installed the final parts?" The hooded figure nodded. Espio finished his injection and walked to the window. "Soon the Egg empire shall rise under our joint leadership. Espio laughed, while the other figure sat there, stabbing the table with his spiked Knuckles...