"Let me get this straight, If Chris doesn't kill Damian and Kamilla, then Gigakahn is going to kill Michael and Jasmine?" asked Amy.

"He said it as if he was asking us what we wanted on our pizza."

"Well it's no contest." said Sonic.

"Imbeciles! You need me!" said Damian.

"And why do we need you?"

"I created Gigakahn! I'm the only one that knows how this monster thinks! And I know for a fact that even if you kill me and Kamilla he'll kill Thorndyke's precious babies anyway!"

"He said he'd spare the twins if we killed the two of you." said Shadow.

"No, he said if you didn't kill us he'd kill the babies! And before any of that he told us and I quote, "You're all going to die." Human life means nothing to him! He thinks we don't deserve to exist! All he cares about is power! And besides, if you touch one hair on Kamilla's head I'll turn you animals into a bath robe!"

"And how do you expect to do that?" asked Rouge.

"I don't need my dragon mutagen to kick some ass. YYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!"

"Yeah, what you need is to be free of those shock restraints." said Sonic.

"Just say the word." said Knuckles.

"That will not be necessary." said Chris.

"But Chris he said that…"

"Nobody is gonna die Helen, I'll see to that. Jacob!"

"Yes sir."

"Get me the President of the United States of America."

Within hours the National Guard had arrived and so had the S-Troopers, an elite squad of American soldiers who had been given special privileges to use some of Chris' robot exo-suits. Under the circumstances Damian and Kamilla had been relocated to the manor because it was more secure then the house they had been given. Because they couldn't be sure what the Guard-bot's might have done during their escape, Chris had the whole house searched from top to bottom, but they found nothing. After the fruitless searches Chris ordered Jacob to place the house under emergency lock-down so that no one would get in or out. Jacob had been ordered to shut down anything electronic that was potentially dangerous. By nightfall the house had been a media circus.

"Good evening! This is Scarlet Garcia reporting live from outside the grounds of Thorndyke Manor. Security is air-tight and with good reason. We have received confirmation that Christopher Thorndyke has no intention killing Damian Dracul or Kamilla Savreea. As midnight approaches we can only wonder if this… Gigakahn will make good on his threat to kill the Thorndyke twins Michael and Jasmine."

"It's nearly midnight, and everything is ready. But I thought the plan was to destroy that blasted hedgehog and his friends." said Eggman.

"Patience doctor." said Gigakahn. "The hedgehog is our main objective, but it must be done carefully. It's not enough that we just destroy him, first we need to demoralize him… we need to make him suffer… make him wish he were dead… and then at just the right moment we'll grant his wish."

"I like it!"

"I'm glad you approve, now if you'll excuse me I need to use the phone."

Gigakahn broke contact with Dr. Eggman and was all by himself in the digital world.

"Fool… It's like a simple game of chess… You need to know how to manipulate and use all your pawns to the full extent of their power; each and every pawn is disposable… And you must do whatever it takes to win the game… Now we'll see how my enemies react when I take their first few pawns…"

Michael and Jasmine were fast asleep, Damian and Kamilla had been locked in a secure room somewhere surrounded by S-Troopers, Chris had donned his own armor and had Kiryu on standby in the hanger, Sonic and all the others kept watch from inside the manor, and in the grounds all other soldiers who had been called to guard the manor either kept a silent vigil or did their best to keep the press out.

"Damn vultures." said one of the soldiers.

"There is no way in heaven or hell this Giga person is going to get through us; we've got the manor surrounded."

"Remind me again why they called in the National Guard to protect four people?"

"Christopher Thorndyke has a military contract with Washington, so he and his family get special treatment."

"What's the time?"

"About a minute till midnight… Wait what's that?!"

He pointed up at the sky, there was a small cardboard box attached to about 5 balloons floating overhead.

"Better not take any chances, shoot it down!"

Several soldiers opened fire and the box fell to the ground. They went over to where it fell and heard something ringing.

"Is that a… phone?"

They opened the box and found a cell phone inside.

You have 1 text message

Surprise

KABOOM!!!

"What the heck!?!"

"WARNING!!! WARNING!!! INCOMING ABOUT A DOZEN U.!!!" said Jacob.

"All batteries fire! FIRE!!!"

Outside several turrents came out of the ground and started blasting away at the incoming U..

"How many people have anti-aircraft guns in their yard?" asked Sonic.

"I don't take any chances." replied Chris "As a wise man once said, he who gambles lives in shambles."

"Sir, the soldiers outside are being battered by a bunch of robots and can't seem to hold them off."

"Oh great, calling all S-Troopers! Lock and load!"

"You heard Mr. Thorndyke, get ready to turn those clankers into scrap metal!" said one of the S-Troopers.

Sooner then they knew it something started to hammer away at the front door, despite the fact that it was sealed with a steel wall.

"Here they come!"

The door was blown down and several fierce looking robots stomped into the house.

"Gigakahn is online!"

"Are those the Guard-bots?" asked Amy.

Suddenly Gigakahn's voice came over the speakers.

"Yes they are. They've received a few upgrades, compliments of your dear friend Dr. Eggman. It's too bad I'll have to exterminate your children now Thorndyke, but let's face it, everything that breathes air must die."

"We can't let them reach the kids! Tear them apart!" yelled Chris.

Knuckles started to do what he does best, Sonic and Shadow started playing robot pinball, and Amy started to pound away with her hammer.

"Don't you know it's rude to show up someplace uninvited!" she said beating one into the ground.

Amid the chaos of the fight several of the robots had corned Cosmo.

"Hands up plant girl!"

"Okay… Oh my sweet heavens! What the heck is that!?!" she said pointing behind them.

The robots looked back.

"What? I don't see anything."

Cosmo blasted them out the window with her mental powers.

"I can't believe they fell for that old trick."

Meanwhile several robots had broken through the fight and found the place where Damian and Kamilla were.

"Hold it right there Dracul!"

"I surrender." said Damian with his hands over his head.

"You do?"

"Not!"

Damian dashed at one of the robots and kicked it down the stairs, then the other tried to blast him, but he leapt into the air, landed right behind it, and sliced it in half with his claws.

"How did you do that?" asked Kamilla.

Damian smiled and said, "Like I told Thorndyke's animal friends, I don't need my dragon mutagen to kick some ass."

In the midst of the fighting Chris got a call from the soldiers outside.

"Mr. Thorndyke! We're getting pulverized out here! We could use some help!"

"Okay, stand by. Cream! Release the little one!"

Outside the US soldiers were getting beaten by the robots. Then suddenly Cream came flying down in front of them.

"Bad robots! Go home!"

"Chow!"

The robots started laughing, just then little Godzilla jumped out from behind Cream and landed in front of the robots with a roar!

"CHHHHAAAAAAAAAARAGH!"

Some of the robots started to panic, but others stood their ground.

"What are you so scared off? It may be 12 feet tall but it's still just a lizard! Take this!"

The robot threw its electro staff at little Godzilla, but it just bounced off his skin and he didn't even singe. Then his dorsal fins started to glow, and then he opened his mouth and fired his atomic breath incinerating the robot. The rest turned and ran, and little Godzilla started jumping for joy causing the ground to shake.

"Okay, easy boy!" said one of the soldiers.

Just then everyone got an emergency call over their comlinks.

"Everyone! They've got Jasmine!"

Sonic chased the robot carrying Jasmine all the way to the cliff at the end of the grounds.

"Let the baby go."

"Very poor choice of words."

The robot dropped Jasmine over the cliff and took off.

"I'll save you Jasmine!" yelled Sonic jumping over.

Sonic ran down the edge off the cliff and then jumped out to grab Jasmine in mid air.

"Got ya!"

Just then Sonic looked down and remembered that he couldn't swim.

"Uh oh."

Sonic plummeted down into the ocean water below.

"Somebody help me! gugggle guggle guggle… I'm drowning!!!"

Sonic kicked his legs as hard as he could, struggling to keep himself afloat while holding Jasmine above him.

"Oh great, I'm gonna die just because I tried to save an innocent baby." he thought.

Just then Sonic and Jasmine started ascending back up the cliff.

"Are we defying gravity here? Wait… Cosmo!"

Cosmo had used her mental powers to pull Sonic and Jasmine out of the water.

"Are you guys okay?"

"I'm a little… cough… waterlogged but… cough… I'm fine… Jasmine's okay too… cough…"

"Sonic…"

Sonic froze and looked at Jasmine.

"What'd you say?"

Jasmine smiled.

"Sonic…"

"Oh my gosh! You can talk!" said Sonic picking her up.

Suddenly the others came running out.

"Jasmine! Sonic!"

"They're okay." said Cosmo.

"Chris! Helen! She can talk! Say it again Jasmine."

"Sonic."

"Oh my sweet baby girl!" said Helen taking her in her arms.

"Where are Amy and Tails? I know they'll love this."

"Amy, Tails, do you read me? Jasmine just said her first word… Amy? Tails? They're not answering."

"Oh no. Search the building!"

They searched all night but Amy and Tails were no were to be found.