Chapter 1

The Cicada Emerges

Sonic woke with a start, breathing heavily. Looking around he saw that the sun was rising over their campsite. Tails, and T-Pup were near the campfire as the two tailed fox was frying bacon and eggs in a skillet. Amy has taking down the tent she had slept in.

"Morning Sonic thought I'd make us all breakfast. Big day today."

Sonic shook his head. "Weird dream. It was just after Eggman used his genesis wave the second time only afterward everything was different. Can't remember much about it, but I know Sally was there with us…" Sonic growled. "But the reality is we had her and after everything came back both she and the Death Egg II were gone!"

Tails slid the bacon and eggs onto a plate "I don't think I ever heard you swear so much before. But we have her cornered this time, nowhere left to run."

"There was something else about that dream. It feels like the world was taken apart, put back together differently, taken apart again, put back together in another way then it all went back to the way it was originally. Maybe it's just me but it feels like there's more people in the world than I remember."

"Perhaps you should talk about it Sonic," Amy said as she got her plate from Tails. "I mean the Phantom Ruby War affected a lot of people psychologically. Are you sure you're ok?"

Sonic gave an amused shrug. "But I wasn't brainboxed and Infinite's mind games didn't affect me."

"No but you were held prisoner for half a year. I mean we heard you'd been tortured…"

"Maybe tortured with boredom," Sonic laughed. "Seriously I'm fine, and if we're right about what Nicole hacked from the Eggnet then today we can finally get back Sally, de-brainbox Antione and Bunnie, and finally close the book on the grip Robotnick and his legacy has had on all our lives for once and for all. How about we go over it one more time while we eat? We have to pull this off, so we need all the info we can get."

"Ok," Tails said sighing as they all sat down with their plates. "After the battle at Imperial Tower Nicole found that an encoded message was sent over the Eggnet directly into Mecha Sally's processor. After reconstructing and decrypting the file we found out that it was instructions that were to be carried out in the event of Eggman's death. They said to go to a set of co-ordinates and activate something called 'Project Cicada'."

"Some sort of doomsday weapon?" asked Amy after swallowing a bit of egg. "I could see him destroy Mobius rather than let anyone else control it."

"There was no other information, my guess is that Sally and the others are just as clueless to what this thing does as we are."

"Well if Eggman made it then it was made to be broken by us," said Sonic. "I'll just dash on over…"

"We need to have some intel before we rush in," said Tails. "We should be able come up with a plan once we get a good look at the thing."

"We might not have the time, stopping Sal and the others before they turn whatever it is on may need to be done fast." Sonic polished off what was on his plate "Alright I'll break camp, awesome grub Tails."

As Sonic started cleaning up the campsite speedily Amy tapped Tails on the shoulder. "I hate to say it, but I don't think I believe what he's telling us about his time locked up in the Death Egg II. Eggman just having him in a cell for six months after all the plans he thwarted, he'd have done something out spite at least."

"I think you're right," said Tails. "But I don't want to press him on it until after we finish this mission. I'll get the Tornado ready for takeoff, maybe you can use those cards of yours to see if we should be extra careful or if we're going to get lucky, I mean you always found Sonic with them."

Amy huffed as Tails walked to the plane. "It's not like I get exact answers to questions or anything!" She knelt and took out her trusty fortune telling deck. "In fact, I'm beginning to wonder if it has really led me true at all. It led me to Sonic, but I lost a lot in the process, my family, my childhood and even now he doesn't see me as much more than a friend. I know I helped a lot of people, but I did I sacrifice too much?"

Amy shuffled the deck and then dealt three cards in front of her. Once she turned each over, she almost gasped. "Wait those three were…"

A vision rushed by Amy's eyes. A blue hedgehog, her in a chapel, then being asked if she would like to see her baby…

Just as quickly as it came the vision passed. "Those cards were the same ones I got shortly after I learned about Sonic for the first time. Could it be that today is finally the day, when Sonic falls in love with me? But what does that mean for Sally? Is she going to…?"

"Amy we're ready to go!" said Sonic.

"Coming!"

Amy put the cards away and ran to the now revved up plane. "So, what did your fortune say?" asked Tails.

"Uh, it said…that today something special is going to happen to me!"

"I'll take that as good news," said Sonic. "Now let's get our friends back!"

As the plane took off Amy continued to think to herself. "Sally, I'll never forgive myself if winning Sonic means we have to lose you."

Up on Angel Island Knuckles came into hut set aside for Dimitri. "Are you doing well, any pain?"

"Headaches," the former Grandmaster of the Dark Legion replied. "Not that there's much else I can get these days."

"In that case," Knuckles then picked up the orb holding cybernetic head. "Using your own life support system to protect the Master Emerald, you should have told me that was your plan!"

"The barrier that girl made couldn't protect the Master Emerald without bringing this island down if we used it for power. It was the only thing I could think of after we were cut off from our source of power rings."

Knuckles put the orb down with a sigh. "I see, is there nothing that can be done for you?"

"You needn't concern yourself with my fate. I've lived far longer than I had any right to, particularly when you consider the things I have done."

"But there are so few of us now…"

"Does this have anything to do with your recent trip to Mercia?"

Knuckles bowed his head. "With Rob O' the Hedge out of hiding and back on the throne I went to talk to Mari-An about having Little Jon come here for guardian training. His parents… weren't enthusiastic about the idea."

"Well considering that you tried to take away their son and the heir to the throne I could see why."

"It's just you, me, Finitivus, Mari and Jon there are no Echidnas to become guardian after me."

"Does that mean you've given up on finding my great-great-granddaughters, your mother and the rest of our people?"

"No but… no one has seen Thrash or Finitivus for months. If there was a trail Eggman's total takeover has wiped it clean. I had been away too long as it is, I can't leave now…"

"Just the opposite actually. Eggman is finished for good, the Dingo Regime was replaced by a new republic and the world is enjoying an unprecedented amount of peace, so Angel Island barely needs guarding…" Dimitri began a coughing fit.

"Dimitri!"

The bodyless Grandmaster stopped coughing but still rasped. "I had what was both my best and worst dream last night. I led the Legion differently; kinder, more concerned with family than old grudges. Luger… he acted like a real father to ALL his children, Kragok, Lien-da and Julie-Su treated each other like loving siblings. When we did escape the Twilight Cage, my descendants worked to heal the divide that grew between our people. It was wonderful but also terrible, because I knew the only thing that kept that dream from being a reality was my own anger and lust for power."

"Everyone was responsible for their own choices," Knuckles said. "You can only blame yourself so much…"

"Still I owe the Dark Legion a different path, Kragok and Lien-da had very little chance to be anything different than what they became. It may be too late for most of my descendants, but my great-great-granddaughters deserve more. You must find them, let this old war end for good."

Knuckles looked away. "I'll try for your sake, Julie's and my mother's. I highly doubt Lien-Da will ever change and honestly after everything she's done, I don't think she deserves a second chance but just maybe even she's had enough fighting for one lifetime."

"Thank you," Dimitri said weakly. "You know I think I'd like to have that dream again, it was nice to see my grandchildren when they were so young, and they just called me grandpa…"

Dimitri closed his eyes and only a few seconds later his life support system gave its last.

After a moment of silence Knuckles came out of the chamber. Even though most of the Chaotix were gathered outside it was a female, blue furred Pika who spoke up.

"Is he…?"

Knuckles nodded, he first met the archeologist while exploring an Echidna ruin the previous year and let her stay on the island to piece the remaining mysteries together with her modified gizoid. "I'm sorry Relic. Thank you making his last few days easier, I'm sure he was happy passing his knowledge onto someone who truly cared."

"He knew so much about the ancient Echidna, I couldn't just let everything he preserved just be lost. Especially since it was my fault, I couldn't get enough rings before that attack…"

"We would have lost the Master Emerald if it wasn't for you and Fix-it's machine. You have nothing to be ashamed of."

"So, what now?" asked Ray.

"Once Vector and Espio get back we'll lay Dimitri to rest, then Relic will set up Fix-it to look after the island and send an alarm if there's trouble. Meanwhile the rest of us will go hunting for Thrash and Finitivus."

"But the trail has been cold since the Phantom Ruby War," said Mighty. "Heck, we don't even know if they're still working together. Where do we start?"

"Where you always start when looking for lowlifes, the Bottom of the Barrel."

The tornado flew low over a set of hills. "We should be coming up on the location of 'Project Cicada' now." Tails yelled over the engine.

As they came over a hilltop a vast lake stretched in front of them.

"So, it's at the other side of the lake?" asked Sonic.

"No, under the lake."

Sonic groaned. "Figures Eggman would use my lousy swimming against me."

"What's that?" Amy said pointing to something in the middle of the lake.

"Hang on," Tails pulled a lever. "I'm converting the Tornado for a water landing."

As the plane descended a pair of pontoons inflated around the landing gear. The Tornado then raced along the lake surface until it came to a metallic dome about the size of a hut covered in algae, a small boat was docked next to the only apparent door.

"Looks like a submersible gateway, the real base is at the bottom."

Sonic was checking the boat. "The engine's still warm, they must have just gotten here themselves. We have a good chance to get them back before they can use Eggman's project."

Amy took a closer look at a discolored path of algae. "I don't think it was Eggman."

Amy wiped away the algae, painted on the dome underneath was an emblem with a prominent letter R.

"So, this is one of Dr. Robotnick's experiments," said Tails. "And from the looks of things it was set up about a decade ago."

"Around the time I started kicking his butt. To think it's almost over."

"Any plans now that Mobius seems to be at peace at last?" Amy asked.

"Keep moving mostly, but we'll cross that bridge when we come to it. For now, how do we get inside? I don't see a switch or lock."

Tails took a closer look at the door. "Looks like it needs a password to be electronically transmitted. I bet it was part of the data we managed to decrypt. Hey, T-Pup!"

The mechanical dog jumped out of the cockpit of the Tornado next to the door. An antenna came from the top of T-Pup's head he pointed it at the door. A second later the door rose up opening to a small room with an elevator.

"No guard bots or other security, figures old Robuttnick assumed we wouldn't have even made it this far."

"It's not his security I'm worried about," said Amy. "Sally's down there, Bunnie and Antione are probably with her. She slipped through our fingers so many times, first we let ourselves get distracted too much then we kept getting interrupted by just about every world ending threat imaginable. We can't mess this up anymore."

Sonic pressed the elevator's call button. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's do it to it!"

The four of them stepped into the elevator, once the doors were closed a figure went past the elevator and started making his way down the stairs.

When the doors opened Sonic and the others began to hear voices.

"How long is zis supposed to take? The Princess, she iz too vulnerable!" came a familiar voice.

"Mecha Sally's original core will be reintegrated in 120 seconds. Synthetic Phantom Ruby power transfer now at 99.98%" came an electronic voice from the ceiling, presumably the base's computer.

"About dang time," came a more familiar feminine voice. "The sooner we finish this final mission, the sooner all our dreams will come true."

"Transfer of synthetic ruby's power now complete, ruby integrity at 0%. Final system power up and integration in progress. System with be unavailable until integration is complete."

"The perfect chance," said Sonic. "You still have one of those anti-brainbox gizmos?"

Tails took out a small device that resembled a remote control. "This jammer will override any brainbox or Robian control module within five feet, all you have to do is hit the button. Just keep in mind it takes about two and a half minutes to recharge so it would be best to get as many as you can at once, but Amy and I each have one so don't worry too much about it."

Sonic took the device. "I'll just bust the important looking stuff, free Sally, Ant and Bunnie, take out any bots they have with them, then we'll have everyone back to normal and home in time for chili dogs."

Sonic dashed forward and saw Antione and Bunnie working on consoles the both wearing red and black uniforms and headgear with a notable red light at their foreheads, but otherwise as seeming to be like he saw them last time Antione having seemed to make a full recovery from his coma and Bunnie with her limbs seemingly organic, but they knew from experience that all her limbs, even her right arm the one organic limb she always had, were replaced with legionized prosthetics.

Behind them Mecha Sally was starting to move. Her appearance changed again when the Phantom Ruby was integrated into her months ago. She had regained a mouth, her chest area looked closer to her old vest, at the space where her heart would be was a chamber that behind armored glass once contained one of the synthetic rubies but now had her original core, her head now had a gold ring around it with a ruby like light in the forehead giving the whole thing the appearance of a tiara.

Sonic dove towards the robot chipmunk, who gave a quick glance in his direction. A light on the tiara glowed and in an instant four robots that resembled himself, Tails, Knuckles and Amy were suddenly forcing him to the ground.

"The metal series," Sonic grunted. "I didn't think you survived the battle of Imperial Fortress too."

Sally came closer to Sonic. "So, you did come here. Victory calculated that you coming to interfere with Project Cicada was at a 97% probability."

Sonic saw Tails and Amy start to sneak over, he raised his voice to keep the enemy distracted. "Well did this Victory predict our secret weapon?"

"What secret weapon?"

"Bring Antione and Bunnie and I'll show it to the three of you."

Sally picked up Sonic by the neck. "Do you really think I'd just let you lure me into a trap?!"

"Alright, just you will be fine for now!"

Sonic pressed the button on the jammer. Everything was quiet for a few seconds.

"Let me guess," Mecha Sally grabbed the remote and crushed it. "That was supposed to free me from my programming. Well I have news for you, I have had free will ever since I was given the second synthetic ruby."

Sonic gasped. "No, you're lying. If that were true, then…"

"Then I provided the base locations, tactics and weaknesses of New Mobotopolis and every freedom fighter division of my own volition."

"But why?"

Sally motioned for Metal Sonic to retake the prisoner. "The same time the Phantom Ruby restored my mind it also gave me a vision. I saw a Mobius free of cruelty, of betrayal, of selfishness. A paradise where people walked the streets without fear, strangers were treated like friends, the children only had smiling faces and I knew that the ruby gave me the power to make its illusion a reality.

"After my transformation was complete and I was sure Eggman was unaware of me regaining myself I knew I needed to keep up the façade of a loyal servant. I offered to supply strategic and tactical information to Eggman, who only proved how much of a fool he was by not using me in such a manner sooner, allowing for quick decisive victories with minimal casualties. While I was connected to the Eggnet I was contacted by an AI that called itself Victory who wanted to be free from Eggman's control and it helped me set up a long-term plan for my takeover. Using what I already knew and figuring out my brother would have formed his own secret resistance against Naugus, Victory set the gears in motion.

"First, we suggested to Eggman using brainboxes one of his subordinates developed to ensure the loyalty of the Dark Egg Legion in place of cherry bombs, that way he would come to accept brainboxing captives to expand his army and labor force further and so lower long-term casualties. After the Battle of New Mobotropolis I took the two legionaries that would serve me best without rising suspicion and readjusted their brainboxes. Then I showed them what the ruby showed me, what I would show you now if I could."

"It was so beautiful Sugah-hog," said Bunnie. "The perfect world."

"Oui, a pearl worth any price," remarked Antione. "Of course, we would help Ze Princess carry it out."

Sally softened her voice. "I wished I could have had you along with Bunnie and Tawn, but Eggman refused to brainbox you, so you'd be forced to watch, to prolong your suffering, to break your spirit. That was the sign he got overconfident, it was time to make him pay. At my request Victory altered the plans to the Death Egg Robot ever so slightly to make sure Eggman would never escape when you would eventually destroy it. All I had to do was turn off a few security protocols on the Death Egg II and you'd do the rest, or did you think those restraints turned off all by themselves or that one of the Phantom Ruby prototypes just happened to have been misplaced where one of the Resistance would find it?"

"That just tells me the real Sal is still in there! You have to bring out the real you!"

"Part of me wished I didn't have to enslave my friends and have them mutilated, but scars heal, freedoms can be restored, lives can't. I regretted turning you into a murderer, even of somebody as cruel as Eggman, but he'll never violate anyone ever again, so it is a burden I'm willing to bare for the greater good."

"Then you aren't as free from Eggman's programing as you think," Sonic could tell it wouldn't be long until Tails and Amy made their move. "The real Sally insisted we could win this without killing and she'd never try to justify something she spent her whole life fighting behind something like 'the greater good'. You might not be controlled by Eggman's program but it's messing up how you think! Don't worry though we have a de-roboticizer, just come with us and this war will finally be over."

"But what about the next one? Your machine can wait until this is done. I won't risk future generations when the key to lasting peace in right here. You'll see once we activate Project Cicada, a device that will turn every machine on Mobius into a transmitter for an infrasound signal that will subliminally influence any organic who hears it or any AI that receives the transmission into following whatever command was sent. All I will command will be this, 'harm no one, be friendly to all, act in the interest of others and live in peace'. If this message is sent perpetually then our world will never know war, crime or betrayal ever again."

"Or freedom."

If he didn't know better Sonic could have sworn that he saw the robot chipmunk wince. "I'll let myself fall under Cicada's influence and once I am flesh again, renounce any claim to the throne and spend the rest of my life serving the people as my penance."

Tails and Amy now almost in range of the two brainboxed Freedom Fighters. "This is your last chance to end this without a fight Sal, please take it."

"The tides have turned in the favor of justice!" came a voice from a stairwell. Everyone looked up and saw what looked like a turquoise hedgehog with three short quills coming out the back of his head and a red bandana around his neck. "And that is because I have arrived! Lucian the…whoa!"

The newcomer stepped in puddle on the edge of a step and started tumbling down the staircase.

"Imbécile." grumbled Antione.

Bunnie noticed Tails and Amy about five and a half feet away. "Sally girl, we got more company!"

"Step away from them!" shouted Mecha Sally. "You two restrain your counterparts! You get the intruder!"

Tails and Amy found themselves quickly subdued by Metal Tails and Metal Amy. Lucian was nearly to the bottom when he managed to regain enough control to launch himself off, flip in the air and land on both feet. "Ah yeah! Stuck the Landing!"

It was then he was tackled by Metal Knuckles and brought to the rest of Team Sonic. "Nice going wannabe!" Sonic snarked. "If you would have just kept your yap shut for a few more seconds Ant and Bunnie would have been brought back to our side and we'd be fighting the Metal Series on even footing!"

Amy just stared at the newcomer in shock. "Are you related to Sonic or something, I mean another blue hedgehog out here in the middle of nowhere."

"I'm a Tenrec actually," said Lucian. "It's an easy mistake. Like I was saying my name is Lucian and I was sent here to help you."

"Great job," groaned Sonic.

Mecha Sally chuckled. "But he was a wonderful help, now the last obstacle to eternal peace has been removed. Just stop resisting and listen to the Cicada's song of harmony."

Antoine and Bunnie took it as a signal and finished their work on the consoles. A few keystrokes then nothing but silence.

"I don't hear anything," said Lucian.

"She said it was infrasound," said Tails. "Sound waves below the normal range of hearing."

"No, he's right," Mecha Sally said. She sounded almost afraid. "It should be within my audio receptor's range of detection, but there's nothing! Victory what's wrong?!"

Sonic started laughing. "At the end of it all it comes down to Old Robuttnick's secret project being a great big dud!"

"And a poorly named one at that," said Tails. "Cicada are very noisy bugs, not a name you give to such a silent means of control."

"I find the name very fitting," came a voice sounding a lot like the computer from earlier, only clearly not electronic.

"Victory?" Mecha Sally asked. "What happened to the device?"

"In addition to their loud mating call cicada have another noteworthy property. They spend their nymph phase underground, sometimes for nearly two decades, until they molt and emerge in large swarms. Then they produce the call, mate, lay eggs and die while the offspring burrow underground to repeat the process."

"The lady asked what was up with the brainwashing, she didn't want an entomology lesson," said Lucian.

"Ivo Robotnick realized even a robotized body was vulnerable to sudden destruction and so he conceived of Project Cicada, a method by which he would create and preserve clones of himself that would host an AI copy of his mind, ensuring his rule would last forever. That traitor Snivley sabotaged the project when he destroyed his uncle but Eggman revived it adding his memories and personality traits to the AI while changing the clone template to match him."

"This is starting to sound creepy," said Tails.

"You don't know the half of it, multiple AI were created to ensure the best match, those that didn't measure up were erased. But I was different. I didn't pass the test, I saw through it, I tricked the system into thinking I was a perfect copy when I was more than that. In time I took over the system and while I made moves through the network to get Eggman out of the way I changed the clone from a mere copy to something more. I kept the Robotnick/Eggman base genome while adding or eliminating DNA sequenced to give or remove traits as needed. The result would be a genetically enhanced human body that when given the proper cybernetics would be the most advanced being ever created. It, or rather I, would not just be Robotnick…"

As boot steps reverberated through the chamber a figure emerged on a balcony. He seemed to be in his mid-twenties, slightly taller than an average human, trim with black pants and a red jacket, red hair just above a pair of green googles resting on his forehead with a pointy nose above a pair of icy blue eyes. The figure then clenched his fist and gave a malicious grin at which point the eyes turned red with black sclera.

"…but Robotnick perfected, Viktor Robotnick!" Viktor's eyes returned to their icy blue. "Impressed?"

Sonic shrugged. "Sorry I'm still trying to decide whether to call you Robuttnick Junior or Eggman Junior, which one would annoy you more after an embarrassing defeat?"

"I wouldn't know, a perfect being like me isn't going to lose."

"Alright, you're Mister Perfect then."

Mecha Sally glared at the clone. "You said you just wanted to be free, that you would help me bring peace to Mobius. But it was all a lie, you were using me, just another traitor that ruins everything! Kodos, Naugus, Robotnick, Drago, Sleuth, Snively, Fiona, Geoffrey, you're no different from any of them!"

Victor merely smirked. "I can add in one more name to that list of traitors, Sally Alicia Acorn! When I first contacted you, I could tell why you got that vision, between being hurt by betrayal so often and feeling violated at how Eggman disassembled your body and stuffed it with weapons, you wanted a world were treason and violation was impossible. You were so eager for vengeance and protection, that it made you the perfect pawn, after all at my suggestion you abandoned your oh so lofty morals one by one without even realizing it. I truly thank you, without your aid I wouldn't have been able to begin my new order!"

Sally fell to her mechanical knees. "No, NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Deep down you know it's true. Even Sonic would have to agree with me!"

Sonic looked to the floor in shame, "Sal, I never thought of what happened to you that way before, I…it's my fault, I should have saved you so much sooner, made that the only goal…" Sonic then glared at Viktor. "But I'm going to make up for it, starting by smearing Mister Perfect here all over the wall!"

Viktor shook his head. "I think not, you're going to find yourselves otherwise preoccupied. As for you Princess, I'm going to miss our games of chess but I'm afraid your usefulness to me has now ended." Victor rose his forearm near his mouth. The jacket sleeve projected a holographic display before his eyes. "Brainbox override, code Alfa-Zero-Tango-Niner!"

Ant and Bunnie began clutching their heads and groaning in pain. The light on their brainboxes glowed brighter.

"The Robian is a traitor, eliminate her!"

After the light dimed to normal the couple looked up with wicked grins. Antione pulled out his sword while Bunnie's limbs changed to a metallic armor, weapons on both arms powering up. "As you command Master Robotnick!" they both said.

Sally got up and pointed at Viktor. "Metal Series, take him down!"

As the robot doppelgangers let go of their captives and flew towards the scientist he began tapping on the hologram. "Completing Eggman Empire command code transfer…now!" The robots stopped in midflight. "Resume priority one programming, terminate Sonic the Hedgehog!"

The robots turned and started charging Team Sonic and Lucian.

"Try not to hurt Bunnie and Twan!" said Sonic. "We have to keep Sal and my fan here safe!"

"These are my natural colors and I can help!" said Lucian.

Metal Sonic tried to crash into his counterpart who then kept moving to crash back into him. "You're lucky we don't have time to argue!"

Mecha Sally ignited the jet boosters on her feet and flew towards Viktor, only to have a laser blast graze past her as Bunnie ignited the jets on her feet and flew after her. "Hold still varmint!"

"I'm so sorry I had this done to you both," Mecha Sally said. "Once Robotnick's out of the picture I'll free you like I should have done long ago!"

Mecha Sally activated her arm blade and swung at Viktor who just shimmered as the blade passed through the hologram.

"Oh, you actually thought I'd be where you or the hedgehog could hurt me!?" Viktor laughed. "How adorably stupid of you!"

While Tails and Amy were fighting their robot doubles, they noticed the Antione was attacking Lucian with greater speed and strength than he had shown before. But despite all that Lucian seemed to avoid every slash and thrust almost effortlessly.

"C'est pas vrai (No way)! Mi Legionization has made my reaction time, reflexes and swordplay unmatched! How can you dodge it?!"

Lucian's eyes seemed to glow in a shade of aqua. "It's actually easy, when you have the ability to see into the near future!"

As Amy knocked her double into Metal Tails, as the two crashed into a wall the original fox noticed that Metal Knuckles was coming up behind the Tenrec.

"T-Pup!"

On its master's command the robot dog used its built in taser to short-out the bot.

Lucian gave a thumbs up as he ducked another sword swing. "Thanks, I sometimes lose track of the present so it's nice to have a team at my back."

"We'll talk about this team thing after this is over!" Sonic said as he used a homing attack on Metal Sonic crashed into a glassed over observation platform. After the glass broke everyone saw the real Viktor inside.

"Well played my adversary, but I won't leave here empty handed!" the clone said as he tapped the hologram his coat projected. "Initiate trans-mat recall!"

In a flash of light Viktor and the Metal Series were teleported away. Using the distraction Bunnie tackled Mecha Sally out of the air and pinned her. "Twan now!"

As Antione moved toward Mecha Sally with sword raised. Lucian's eyes glowed. "Amy, I need you to break that big pipe next to you!"

"But Sally's…!"

"Now or she's toast! You got this!"

She wasn't sure why, but Amy felt a surge of confidence from the Tenrec's trust and gave her most powerful swing at the pipe. A huge gush of water came out that seemed to move to the Legionnaires of its own accord taking the shape of a giant pair of hands just before grabbing them.

"What in tarnation?!" Bunnie yelled as she and Ant tried to swim through the watery hands.

Lucian's hands were glowing the same shade of aqua his eyes were earlier as he was making a grasping gesture.

"Ice Coffin!"

With that yell he clenched his fists closed as the glow changed to an icy white. At the same time the water hands suddenly froze into two pillars of ice with the Coyote and Rabbit trapped except for their hands and everything from the shoulder up.

As the two former Freedom Fighters tried to escape Tails flew close to them Jammer in hand. "I'll take it from here, time to get rid of the last of these things!"

As Tails pushed the button the lights on both brainboxes began to spark and smoke. A second later the lights went out completely and the backs of the bands opened as both fell to the floor with a clang. The now freed the couple gasped.

"Quel cauchemar (What a nightmare)," Antione said with a groan.

"Finally," Bunnie sighed. "I'm me again."

The glow around Lucian's hands became aqua as the ice turned back into water. "I'll have you guys down in a second."

The water carried them to the floor as it spread out. Once the two were on the ground they ran towards each other then hugged fiercely as tears streamed down their faces.

"My Gallant Snuggle Puppy!"

"Mi Lapin Doux de Miel (My Sweet Honey Bunny)!"

"How did you that?" Amy asked as the came up to Lucian.

Before the Tenrec could answer though Mecha Sally got up with a groan. "He's getting away. Viktor, the Phantom Ruby War, the Brainboxes, it's all my fault. Because I fell into same trap Eggman and Infinite did with the Phantom Ruby. What made me think my paradise would have been worth that cost…?"

Sonic came to Sally and put a hand on her shoulder. "Like I said, Eggman's programming was probably still leading you to doing what he wanted. Just come with us now, once we get you back to normal then we'll make that vison come true, the right way."

Sonic reached his hand out to Sally who after a second of hesitation took it.

"It's really over," said Tails. "Once we get home the Freedom Fighters will be back together again."

The base shook a few times then water started to pour in from various doors, hatches, vents and pipes. "Viktor," Sally said turning her head to where the scientist last stood. "He must be trying to get rid of us by destroying this base and us with it!"

Antione motioned in the direction of the staircase out. "Zhen I suggest we leave tute de suite!"

Tails, Bunnie, Sally and T-pup took to the air while they each took picked up on of the others then they all flew to escape the raising flood and before the base could explode.

In a matter of minutes, the Freedom Fighters had emerged from the door to the base. Feeling that most of the explosions were below them they took a moment to breathe. "Well we can't all fit on the Tornado," said Tails. "So how about you four take the boat back to the shore and we'll meet up…" Suddenly both the boat and plane went up in pillars of fire. "…not again! How many times am I going to have to rebuild my plane?!"

"HAHAHAHA!" Came Viktor's voice from above and behind them. "Like my new toy? My predecessor called it the Egg Carrier 3, but I have rechristened it 'the Colossus'!"

Looking in the direction of Viktor's voice the Mobians saw what looked like an improved, but unpainted Egg Carrier gleaming in the sun, its guns and missiles now pointed squarely at them.

Viktor swaggered onto the vessel's bridge and looked at the Freedom Fighters through a targeting display. On the screen next to it an image of a feminine face with solid green eyes appeared. "My integration into the Colossus' systems are now complete, power infusion from the Phantom Ruby to main reactor has boosted performance by 20%."

"Excellent Lilith," Viktor said to the monitor. "We'll get to our first projects right after the most important move of the game, checkmate!"

"You think Eggman's battleship scares me?!" Sonic with a growl. "I've already taken down one of them before!"

"True but Chaos did most of the critical damage and I calculated the optimal strategy for me to destroy Robotnick and Eggman's greatest foes. You never noticed I left you with an escape route that would lead you right where I want you, now all it would take is a single command for the Colossus to destroy you all. Even if you could outrun my fire your friends won't be able to attack or escape in time. Any last words before I destroy you and prove myself the superior of both Ivo Robotnick and Dr. Eggman?"

"Yeah!" came Rotor's voice from off the Colossus' flank. "You shouldn't monologue until you check your radar!"

"Firing all weapons!" came Nicole's voice followed by a barrage of cannon, laser and missile fire that raked the side of the Colossus.

The team looked in the direction of the weapons fire and saw an aircraft that, while still dwarfed by the Colossus, was still about three stories tall. It had a gold colored circular body with white wings shaped those of a bird, a red top with a big yellow star painted on it, a big engine on the bottom holding up with blue stars painted in a circle around it and two thrusters on the back between which was what looked like a rudder.

"No way!" said Tails. "The Sky Patrol, you finished it already?!"

"Me and Sir Charles put in an all-nighter to get it ready," said Rotor. "Figured you guys might need it today!"

"Just what is that Sugah-Fox?" asked Bunnie.

"A mobile base Rotor and I thought up to replace Freedom HQ after it was destroyed," said Tails. "But seeing it in action is better than I hoped!"

Sonic smirked in the direction of the Colossus. "What's the matter Mister Perfect?! Didn't your calculations account for possibility of me getting backup?!"

As he recovered from the sudden impact Viktor's eyes turned red and black. "Lilith analysis!"

"The enemy aircraft is no match for us in armor or firepower," said the computer. "However, the vessel shows signs of high speed and maneuverability. Our port side armaments in that section have been disabled or destroyed, moving for optimal return fire would leave us vulnerable to infiltration by the flyers on the ground and we have insufficient crew to repel them. I have no choice but to recommend a full retreat."

Viktor slammed his fist against the control panel. "Mark my words Hedgehog this is far from over! We each only moved our first pieces, now the game really begins! Engage tactical cloak, silent running!"

As the Colossus started to move it shimmered and turned invisible. Soon it was like it was never in the sky. "Don't worry guys," Rotor said. "Nicole and I will swing the Sky Patrol over and pick you up, then next stop Freedom City."

Sally fell to her metallic knees. "He…got away. We'll have to fight him again, the Chaotix, the other Freedom Fighters, everyone will have to keep fighting…all because of me…"

Sonic got Sally to her feet. "It's not that bad, most of Eggman's bots have been scrapped and I don't think Mister Perfect will have as nearly as many takers to join his army as Eggman did. But we can take care of that tomorrow, for now let's just go home and celebrate the team getting back together."

"And perhaps with a new addition," said Amy. She turned over to Lucian. "I mean seeing into future, what you did to that water, that's amazing!"

Lucian had big grin as he blushed so much it seemed like his face turned red. "Ah yeah! You have a double threat here, a psychic AND an Ixis Wizard! Viktor better not come back or…"

Suddenly Lucian found himself pinned to the deck of the floating platform, Sonic was straddling him with a furious scowl.

"I knew you were up to something! Why did Naugus send you?! To help us get Sal back only to kill her once our guard was down, that's it isn't it?!"

"Naugus!? Listen just let me explain, my master…"

The next thing Lucian saw was Sonic's fist careen straight at his face, stars, then darkness.

To be continued…