Disclaimer- I don't own Sonic and co.

Updated this in under a month! That's what I call progress, people. Defeating work and procrastination one step at a time.

Beta'd by 18204!

Chapter 10- Trust your instincts

"They're done!"

VC beelined for the beeping oven, leaving dusty white footprints in his wake. The croc donned a pair of frilly pink mittens covered with melted chocolate chips and grains of sugar. He reached forward and gripped the oven handle, hoping with everything he had that these weren't burnt.

"Just open it!" Grey ran up to his side, fretfully rubbing his forehead and streaking white powder on it in the process. "Honestly, nothing can be as bad as the first batch we made." Those things were more brick than cookie.

Despite the ordeal they had gone through, Rogue still managed a tired chuckle as he landed on the other side of the crocodile. "Really, bro? What about the third?"

Lingering in the bat's shadow, Mephiles raised a weak arm – he had stirred once and his muscles hated every second of it – and held up four fingers.

Rogue nodded at him. "Oh yeah, and the fourth. Those two didn't even make it to the oven."

"Okay, alright, it was my bad for sneezing in the dough, but the fourth wasn't my fault!" Grey jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at a giggling CB. "I wouldn't have slipped if he hadn't dropped those eggs on the floor!"

"You could've used your powers on the batter!" CB jovially shifted the blame off himself.

"And risk nasty bruising? No, thank you."

"I think we're all to blame here because we underestimated the anger of…" VC shuddered, hating that his self-control in the presence of cookies usually plummeted to zero. "Just hush so I can focus."

All of the boys waited with bated breath as VC opened the oven and pulled out the tray of freshly baked cookies. Rogue cleared a spot on the counter, scooting over a multitude of dirtied bowls and utensils. Grey caught a couple spoons that had tumbled off the edge.

VC clanked the tray down on the counter and stepped back. They all tensely examined the batch.

"Nothing looks like it's burnt," Grey muttered.

Rogue leaned marginally closer. "Not too raw either." Mephy nodded in agreeance.

"And there aren't any huge clumps." VC's hopes were rising. "They look… good."

CB excitedly gasped, buzzing in the air. "Did we finally do it?!"

"I'll be the judge of that!" The group of novice bakers parted, allowing Amy to approach the warm desserts. A nervous atmosphere settled around the boys as the pinkette's keen gaze inspected every single cookie.

Rogue didn't like the silence. "What's the verdict?"

"Hm, looks delicious!" Amy smiled at them, and they collectively sighed in relief. "But-" All happiness was wiped away by the glint in her eyes. "-the real test is the taste."

Concerned glances were shared, and she chuckled. "I'm not gonna be that strict! I just don't want them to be insanely bland or sweet, contaminated with foreign DNA, or hard enough to weaponize. You already are halfway there!"

VC's taut muscles relaxed with a heavy exhale. "Thank you, because I'm pretty sure it's not healthy to inhale as much flour as I have."

"Don't thank her yet, man." Rogue advised while wiping a stray eggshell off his shoulder. "We're not out of the woods."

"We almost are!" CB chirped, not bothered at all to be around this much sugar. He hovered closer to the tray. "If they're good, can I have one?"

Amy rolled her eyes at him. "Nope! These are for the rest of our friends." Her tone sharpened. "You've already had enough, haven't you?"

The bee warily snickered, slowly floating away. "Yeah…"

The pinkette's smile returned, and Grey was happy that Rosy wasn't this intimidating. "Alright! Now, we wait."

Approximately ten minutes later of CB habitually checking the temperature – Amy observing closely so he wouldn't take a nibble – she picked up the closest cookie. Again, the boys held their breath as she took the first bite.

There was no immediate spit take or any expression of intense disgust. A heavy weight was lifted off the bakers' shoulders at the pinkette's pleased hum. "They're really good!" There were high-fives all around. "They're not quite my quality of cookies, but-"

"Not too shabby, right?"

"Yeah." Amy giggled at CB as she finished her treat. "Not too shabby!" She went over to one of her cabinets, pulling out the same cookie box that had been unrightfully ambushed. "Now, we have to get Mephy back to Shadow, right?"

Mephiles was a bit hesitant to meet back up with Shadow at this point. They had been gone for a long time, and he had known the striped hedgie long enough to notice his very limited patience.

Grey crossed his arms and groused, "Like thirty minutes ago."

"All the more reason to hurry!" Amy responded like she wasn't one of the main reasons they were late.

Rogue wasn't going to walk out of there looking like he had survived a cake grenade. "Can we get cleaned up in your bathroom?" Amy nodded and waved in the general direction of it. "Sweet."

The messy group began to migrate out of the kitchen, but a voice stopped a certain hedgehog in his tracks.

"Hey Grey, you mind helping me clean up later on?"

"Are you serious?" Something sounding like a mixture between a groan and a whine escaped his throat. "Why just me?!"

"Because, oh I don't know, you're the one who tricked me?"

Grey had so many arguments, but nothing passed his gaping lips. He finally gave up with a pout. "I'm not getting out of this, am I?

"Nope!"

Upon swooping down into the rabbits' front yard, a multitude of gazes landed on them. One was a heated glare.

Shadow was borderline scowling as he approached them, absently noting the unexpected appearance of Amy before zeroing in on a nervous Grey. "Why the hell did you take so long? What were you-"

Amy interrupted him before her bakers could get yelled at. Punishment from her was more than enough. "Don't get mad! I ran into them, and after filling me in on what happened, I suggested we all should bake some cookies to de-stress." Her bright jades raked across the yard as she lifted her box of desserts. "Anyone want some?"

Shadow was about to say something else, but Rouge didn't give him a chance. "Oh? Don't mind if I do."

Amy's diversion worked, for Shadow had to side-step out of the way as eager Mobians surrounded the pinkette. Shadow folded his arms across his chest, indignant, before leveling his glare onto Mephiles occupying Grey's shade. Mephy gave him a wobbly apologetic smile in response.

"Whoa!" The last thing Tails expected coming back here after constructing the tracker was sweet deliciousness. He chewed happily, forgiving their lateness. "This is really good!"

"Better be," Grey muttered. "We poured our blood, sweat, and tears into making them."

His words were so low that Tails couldn't catch them. "What did you say?"

A look from Amy made Grey widely smile. "Nothing! Just talking to myself."

Tails furrowed his brow but dropped the subject.

Amy patted herself on the back before regarding Penumbra, whose tail was wagging crazily back and forth. She didn't let him get too close to the box, gripping a cookie and holding it out to him. "Enjoy!"

She handed it over, receiving a large smile in return. Amy knew then that she had to busy herself before Nummy could threaten her supply. Focusing on one of the hedgehogs who hadn't gone for a treat yet, she ambled past a munching Cream and Blaze, her positive mood not squashed by how unamused her target was.

Shadow's expression remained stone-cold when she presented the box. "Sorry again for making them late!" She gently shook it, rustling the cookies inside. "This is our apology! Take one?" Shadow didn't move a muscle. She shook it again. Scarlet eyes narrowed. She shook it one more time.

Amy inwardly cheered when he wordlessly plucked one out of the box, still unhappy as ever. He didn't acknowledge her as he bit into it, instead turning his attention to Mephy. "Mephiles, let's start. Stand by yourself."

The blue-striped hedgehog obeyed without argument. He stumbled out of Grey's shade, the psychic ready to help if need be. Some of Amy's jubilance waned when his legs shook with the threat of buckling right around the corner.

Mephy neglected using his legs at her apartment, so this was her first time witnessing how severely death had affected his body.

Maybe she shouldn't have lumped him with the others in the cookie punishment…

"Miss Amy?"

Amy was thrown out of her thoughts by Cream. She smiled at the bunny. "Yes, Cream? You want another one?"

Cream returned the expression, but it wasn't as full. "Yeah, but um… I want to take it to Mr. Boom because he's too hurt to walk." She glanced over her shoulder, and Amy followed her line of sight.

Boom was sitting against the wall of the house, glaring in the opposite direction of the group. One of his legs was wrapped up in bandaging.

During the earlier chaos, Grey had given Amy the run-down on what happened with the blue speedster. It was safe to say that he and Mephy should never be in a room together because Boom had serious problems.

"How about I take it to him?" Amy suggested, not wanting Cream to be the target of misplaced anger. "He's gonna need convincing to take it, and as one of the chefs, I'm sure I can do it!"

Cream nodded. "Okay! I wanted him to have one because cookies always make people smile!"

Boom would be a major exception, but Amy wasn't going to dampen Cream's spirits. "Right!" She beamed before steeling herself, strolling over to the brooding hedgehog.

He didn't acknowledge her existence until she was standing right in front of him, but even then, there was no eye contact. "The hell do you want?"

Amy huffed. "Sorry if I'm interrupting your pouting time." He was looking at her then, features twisted into a glower. "But Cream wants you to be happier, so-" She gestured to the box. It was growing lighter, but there still were enough for the Chaotix group when they got back. "-take one!"

"I don't want any of your damn cookies." He spat. "Leave me alone."

Amy put a hand on her hip, exasperated. "I don't get you! You were showing some signs of being nice when you offered lessons, but now you're mad at Mephiles, who just came back from the dead. Do you not want him back or something?"

"Shut up!" Boom snarled, quills bristling. He swiftly snatched a cookie, jostling the box. "I got one, now fuck off."

Amy puffed out her cheeks, vexed beyond belief, but she did what he said. Not because she was scared of him or anything; she refused to let one moody hedgehog ruin her good day.

She subtly peeked over her shoulder and scoffed at Boom glaring into the distance again, chewing a chunk of the treat.

While Amy was distracted, Rogue sidled up to Rouge's side, the agent primarily focused on the hesitant and slow steps Mephiles was taking. However, her twin's presence caused her to cock an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Aren't you full of surprises?" She faced him with a smirk. "Didn't know you baked."

Rogue scoffed. "Nah, I don't." When curiosity shined in her eyes, he explained, "Let's just say that we didn't necessarily help Pinky. It was more like she watched while we suffered." Rouge blinked in surprise, mirth lurking beneath the surface. Rogue grinned and shrugged. "She's kinda scary when she wants to be."

The agent finished off her first cookie, about to start on her second. "You must've done something bad, hm?"

"It's a long story, but wait!" Rogue held out a hand, his suddenness making Rouge pause. He smiled in apology before softly asking, "Can I have your cookie?" She was too confused for words, he could tell. "Pinky would flip if we ate what we made, so please, Roo?"

Comprehension flooded her features, and a jeering smirk came right after. "So whenever I need you at my beck and call, all I have to do is sic Pinky on you." Rogue rolled his eyes, but he couldn't argue with that statement. Rouge held the cookie out for him to take. "You're lucky I'm nice."

Rogue spun on his heel so his back was to Amy, biting the treat. It wasn't as good as the pinkette's, but he'd buy them out of a store any day. "Thanks, Roo. Owe ya one."

Rouge simply hummed.

Away from the sneaking bats, Mephiles was currently losing a war with his legs. He could stay up just fine – fine being a relative term – but each step was a violent battle. He knew that building muscle period was difficult enough, but his situation made things so much worse. Especially now that they were counting on him to-

Mephiles' body froze on the spot when a wave of sensation crashed into him, leaving him near breathless. All of his nerves were alight with energy, sending just one message to his brain: move.

Move where? His muscles were hardly listening to him, twitching in anticipation for something Mephiles couldn't fathom.

Grey was talking, and he noticed that he was the center of attention now. He didn't and couldn't respond. The tingling inside him swamped his entire system, his mind too distracted to comprehend. Shadow was speaking to him as well, brow furrowed, but the desire to move grew stronger and stronger until-

"I'm back!"

Sonic zipped into the yard with a brightly shining green Chaos emerald.

Mephy's gaze snapped to the gem, and every fiber of his body was screaming to go.

"Keep it away from Mephiles." He heard Shadow say, the striped hedgehog still staring at him. "We don't want a repeat of last time."

His body reacted to those words before his mind had time to process. He submerged into the ground in the blink of an eye, rushing from shadow to shadow with celerity that left most of the Mobians speechless. Shadow was the outlier, yelling something Mephy blocked out.

By the time Sonic caught onto what was happening, Mephy was already in his shade. Mephiles leapt out of the ground with outreaching hands, itching to touch the emerald. Sonic attempted to keep it out of his reach, but his proximity made it a futile effort.

"Wait, Mephy!" Sonic's words penetrated his hazy mind. "We don't-"

Mephy didn't know if Sonic finished his sentence or not, for a completely different feeling flooded his system when he got both hands on the emerald. He stilled with wide eyes as chaotic energy cascaded into him, energizing his body. No… not his whole body, just his limbs. His arms and legs were being warmed from the inside out, his muscles saturated by the connection he had with the raw power.

Mephiles was breathing heavily as he stared at the iridescent gem, his fingertips buzzing where they touched the smooth surface. He then locked gazes with Sonic, who had a hold on the emerald as well, ready to jerk it away at any moment.

Sonic was frowning with his brows creased together. He was more worriedly curious than upset. "Mephy, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry." Mephy mouthed genuinely, making the other pause. "I felt a pull, and…"

"A pull?" Sonic glanced around to all of the viewing eyes before returning back to him. "So, you can feel the emerald's energy?"

He could do more than just feel it, but he nodded nonetheless. He was going to explain further; however, the buzzing began to taper off. The unnatural warmth faded until he – or the Chaos emerald, he wasn't exactly sure – broke the connection.

The yard had been stunned quiet until Mephiles reluctantly dropped his hands. VC was the first one to regain his voice. "What in the world was that about?"

"I don't know…" Silver's mind was stuck on how fast Mephy reacted to Sonic's appearance. Why had he wanted the gem so badly? "But at least that Chaos emerald didn't transform like the other one had."

Shadow was in full agreement, but his mind was elsewhere. Sharp scarlets narrowed at Mephiles, who was clenching and unclenching his fingers.

Mephiles was one of his newer acquaintances, but Shadow knew that it was strange for him to dash right for the emerald without heeding any orders to stop and disregarding the dangerous risks.

Another thing that had caught his attention was the blank stare. As soon as Shadow had felt the incoming gem, Mephiles had frozen. His eyes were unseeing until Sonic had announced his presence.

And then the pull. Shadow had trouble accepting that. He could internally track the emeralds, but never in his life had he felt a pull, especially one that caused an irrational need for it.

Questions whirling in his mind, Shadow marched over to Mephiles and sent him a withering look that conveyed how much he appreciated that risky move. Just like earlier, Mephy sent him an apologetic almost-smile, ears folding downward the closer Shadow got.

"Don't be so mad, Shads!" Sonic attempted to placate him, gesturing to the emerald. "It's still in good shape!"

"But he had no way of knowing that it wouldn't be corrupted," Shadow rebutted harshly. Sonic sighed but couldn't argue, and Mephiles signed what he believed was another apology. Shadow grunted dismissively, asking, "Do you still feel the pull?"

Mephy glimpsed at the green jewel and shook his head. Interesting.

"Now tell me why the hell you jeopardized the fate of another emerald?"

The shadow hedgie opened and closed his mouth a few times before dropping his gaze back down to his hands. A pensive frown grew for a moment until Mephiles stepped out of the shadow he had morphed into.

He stood on solid ground, and Shadow's frown grew as Sonic gasped in surprise. Mephiles wasn't struggling to carry his own weight anymore. His knees weren't trembling, and his face wasn't twisted up in utmost concentration. He had healed himself with Chaos energy.

Shadow hadn't seen it coming, but he passed it off as yet another latent ability that rose its head. He was dumbfounded about how quickly the healing was done. Mephiles had rebuilt deteriorated muscle tone in what looked like his legs and arms in under thirty seconds.

Shadow was sure he couldn't achieve that feat, and he'd been manipulating chaotic energy for years.

"Did you just… Did you just heal yourself?" Sonic's awed tone kicked him out of his internal ramblings. The blue hero beamed, clearly not having the same feelings as Shadow. "I don't care that you almost tackled me anymore! That's awesome, bud!" He raised his unoccupied arm.

Mephiles smiled back at him and high-fived his hand. He examined his limb afterwards in awe, curling a tight fist.

"Oh my gosh! You're seriously not weak anymore?!" CB shouted from behind before hovering over to Mephiles. He laughed when he plopped down on Mephy's head, causing him to stumble backwards. He regained his footing just fine. "That's so cool! I can do this without worrying about you falling over!"

Mephiles silently chuckled at the bee as he walked in a circle, showing off for his friends and himself.

There was excited chatter as the crowd migrated over. Cream and Grey were the next ones to gush over Mephiles' new ability, Amy right behind them.

Shadow tore his apt attention off of Mephy when Silver stepped up to his side. The psychic was staring Mephiles down with uncertainty in his gaze. "Another one of his powers, huh?" he lowly asked. "Well, that you assume?"

Shadow side-eyed him, taking note of the doubt in his tone. "Yes."

Gold eventually met scarlets, and Silver quieted. "I'm not saying it's anything, but this Mephiles wasn't the only one with a strong affinity with the emeralds."

"Your point?"

Silver chewed his cheek. "Look, I know you have your dream late-bloomer theory…" He went back to watching Mephy. "But you have to admit that this is at least a little weird."

Shadow did the same. After a beat, he uttered, "You're acting like you haven't witnessed things stranger than this."

"I just-"

"Hey, Mephy!" Their conversation concluded prematurely when Tails bounded up to the blue-striped Mobian. "Now that you have your strength back, why don't you try to conjure the power that affected the other emerald?"

"Not with the emerald so close." Shadow cut in, causing the kit to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. He then regarded Sonic, "Did you forget why you went on a hunt in the first place, Faker?"

Sonic tossed the jewel up and down. "I didn't forget! All the excitement just had me distracted!" He scanned the nearby area, finding a particular hedgehog by Cream. "Nummy, can you go heal Boom's foot for us?"

Penumbra perked up, catching the gem thrown over to him. Grey had to lean to the side so he wouldn't get hit in the face. The psychic snorted. "Forgot the jerk was here." He leapt into the air, wrapping himself in his powers as he sneered over to Boom. "You've been pretty quiet over there! Must be thinking hard and long about that apology, yeah?"

Boom flipped him off, snarling. "It's none of your damn business!"

"Mephy's business is my business, so why don't you-" Grey's words died out when there was a tug on his ankle. Mephiles was shaking his head, expression pleading. You're just making it worse, Grey understood from the look. He sighed as he grounded himself. "Alright, I'll shut up. For now."

Boom glared harshly at the congregated group, failing to burn that psycho to ashes like he wanted.

"Don't be mean."

Cold emerald irises snapped over to Penumbra; he was trotting over with the Chaos emerald in hand, a frown curving his lips.

"I'm not mean, I'm-" Irritated, annoyed, surprised, mad that he had been surprised, ticked off that Mephiles had uprooted something he couldn't do, pissed at the ounce of relief he felt when Mephiles healed his frail body.

He was angry. The scars hadn't disappeared, the psycho had been stopped from chewing him out, and all Mephiles had was sadness.

He didn't deserve sadness.

"It doesn't effing matter," Boom ultimately bit out as Penumbra squatted by his injured foot.

Nummy hovered his hand over the bandaged gash, but there was a lack of chaotic energy being transferred from palm to ankle. "No…" He retracted his fingers, causing Boom's blood to boil. His voice was slightly heard over the encouraging chants in the background. Penumbra plopped to the ground and sat crisscross. "It does effing matter."

Boom bristled his quills. "The hell do you think you're doing? Heal-"

"No." Boom clenched his fists when he was met with frustration. "Mephy is better. Why you not happy?" He was starting to hate that word. "Mephy alive and can walk. And you mad. I can't…" Nummy's hold on the gem unconsciously tightened as he thought about his next words. "You di-diff…diffic-"

The blue speedster grinded his teeth together. "I'm not difficult!" Penumbra nodded at him, almost proud that he had figured it out. "You're the one who's not doing what they've been told to do!"

Penumbra pointed at him. "Difficult." Boom took a deep breath because he was sure Shadow wasn't going to heal him if he knocked the chatterbox out. "No heal until you tell why."

He must've lost his stupid mind. "What the – I'm not telling you shit!"

"Okay."

And Penumbra sat there with the emerald tantalizingly in his lap.

Boom liked him better when he scarcely talked.

He struggled to keep any venom at bay. "Look, I'll tell you why after you heal me up and get away from nosy assholes." Penumbra blinked at him, and he upped the ante. "As a way to say thank you."

Nummy cocked his head; Boom withheld his victorious grin when the other held his hand out, healing his slash. "Remember."

"Yeah, whatever."

A multitude of gasps caught their attention. Boom glanced over to the large group where there were a handful of awed expressions. He instantly focused on Mephiles, barely able to see him through the bodies. Enough was visible though.

All eyes were drawn to Mephy's right hand. It was palm up and overflowing with a misty darkness that dripped between his fingers, dissipating before it hit the ground.

Boom sat up straighter, breathing out, "The hell?" That's what ruined the Chaos emerald?

"It's so amazing!" CB excitedly yelled, enraptured. "What can you do with it, Mephy?"

Mephiles' shrug was delayed, awestruck by his own powers.

"Come on!" Tails was tugging at his elbow. "Let's go to my plane so I can record its energetic frequency! We'll get the Chaos emerald back in no time!"

Mephiles was borderline dragged to the aircraft resting close by, the darkness leaving a wispy trail behind him. The kit talked animatedly about something or another, and Mephiles was obviously only half listening. The flowing shadows were a major distraction.

And not just to Mephy, for Boom didn't realize he was staring until a dull ring gained his attention. He watched Vanilla excuse herself, going inside to answer the phone. It was then that Boom noticed Penumbra gazing at the plane as well, neglecting his job.

"Finish healing me, dammit!"

"Sorry!"

The tingling returned to his injury, and Boom huffed. He was out of here as soon as Nummy was done. He'd shown his face – unwillingly – and dropped off the kid, so there was no reason to be here.

He'd have to do it in a way so Penumbra couldn't find him. That nose of his was annoying.

"You all might want to come in here!" The concern laced in Vanilla's risen voice turned heads. She pointed back inside of the home, all positivity gone. "The Chaotix are on the phone."

Sonic knew that it was only a matter of time. Eggman always jumped back up after being taken down, but so soon? Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if he'd gotten his grubby hands on a regular emerald, or if anyone else had been attacked.

Luckily Red was there to help, but Rosy and TT had wanted to take a breather from everything. It wasn't fair that they – that she – had been dragged into an Eggman scheme after what happened.

And of course Egghead had to recycle Bat of all robots.

The fight had been rough, from what Red told him over the phone. He couldn't blame them for losing the emerald. They hadn't been prepared, and talk about the emotional toll his presence had to be.

Well, considering what the emerald itself had done, Sonic believed it had Bat beat. Not only could it create visions, but it could influence hearing too? No wonder Eggman had it on his radar, and that was the exact reason why they had to snatch it as soon as possible.

"How much longer, Tails?"

"Almost done…"

Sonic had asked that question in favor of the entire group, for he wasn't the only one itching for some action. All of his friends were gathered around Tails' plane, waiting for the radar to pick up the emerald.

No one else was saying a word, still stunned into silence from the news and some fuming on their feet. The extremists were Mephiles, Boom, and Grey.

Mephiles was sitting on the ground, holding his head in his hands. Boom was basically trembling with rage. Grey left the area and still hadn't returned. The occasional crash of a fallen tree in the distance was a hint of his location.

"Finished!" Tails yelled out, and the group as a whole leaned in.

"Nummy, go get Grey," Sonic absently uttered as he eyed the beeping radar in the plane's dashboard. A weak gust of wind signified Penumbra's departure, and Sonic furrowed his brow at what the device was showing. "Wait, isn't that where-"

"Pyramid Cave is located, yeah." Tails pressed a few buttons to zoom in on the location. "Definitely the same desert."

"Where is he hiding?" Grey shouted as he burst back into the yard, a frowning Nummy at his heels. A growl rumbled in his throat. "Tell me where he is so I can tear his head off his shoulders!" He smiled apologetically at the aghast rabbits, but he didn't take it back.

Sonic whirled on him, raising a halting hand. "That's not-" He harshly exhaled. He had a feeling that this might happen. "We're goin' to the base to get the emerald and scare the crap out of Eggy by destroying his hideout, but we're not touching him, 'kay?"

"No promises." Grey jabbed a finger in the direction of the house. "He attacked our friends out there! Rosy didn't deserve-" He pulled at his ears. "We can't let him walk away like last time!"

Sonic ran his fingers through his quills. "Listen…" He managed a grin, going over and putting a hand on the psychic's shoulder. "How about this: we let you handle Bat while we take care of Eggy, alright? The bot's the one who attacked them, after all."

Grey marginally brightened. "That's more than alright. I'll crush that robot down to the size of a soda can."

Once the white hedgehog was placated, Blaze asked, "What's the plan here? We can't all simply run in there without rhyme or reason." There were too many margins for error.

"First off, I'm not taking the emerald, so there is no all." Shadow was sharp and cutting, this being his first words since the call. When faces twisted in confusion, he continued, "The corruption could be contagious. Rouge." He tossed the emerald over to the bat. "You're in charge of it."

Rouge cradled the gem, her eyes not quite matching her smirk. "I'm flattered, hon."

Shadow's nod was subtle. "This will be a quick job. We go in there, destroy any plan the doctor had put together, and leave. Faker, Tails, and I are going because of our experience with the base." Scarlets drifted to his double. "You too, Penumbra, for tracking." Penumbra's nod was curt.

"You must be out of your damn mind if you thought I wasn't going." Boom growled, and Shadow wasn't surprised at all. He expected it.

"I'm going too, which is obvious." Grey added. "And I don't take up a spot on the plane." He rose a brow over to Silver. "You coming too, twin?"

Silver nodded. He was all for going in fast and hitting hard. But also, he was going to keep a keen eye on Grey, Penumbra, and Boom. Particularly the former two. Just in case they forgot what the definition of a hero was.

After one visual sweep of the plane's size, Blaze noticed that one potential seat was open, and she was about to voice her inclusion. It was obvious that hard hitters who were quick on their feet were the go-to's for this mission.

However, Mephiles stood up and gestured to himself. The determination in his eyes caused her to back off, understanding. He was the one to create the troublesome emerald, so he would help get it back.

Shadow regarded Mephiles before glancing over to Boom, who was scowling at nothing again. Regaining eye contact, Mephy nodded, resolve unshaken.

"Fine, but don't get distracted." Shadow only let Mephiles join because of his sneaking prowess, and it was the perfect time to learn what his new ability was capable of, besides sending Chaos emeralds into a frenzy. Potentially, it could reverse what the gem had gone through in the process.

Shadow didn't bother with any more conversation. He gracefully hopped onto the right wing of the plane, commanding, "Let's go."

Penumbra settled into the open spot beside him without hesitation, muscles tense as he crouched on the inside portion of the wing. "Let's go," he echoed with a hint of a growl.

After taking a deep breath – he'd done this before with arguably more risk – Mephiles climbed into the seat behind Tails. Boom wordlessly took a spot on the left wing, leaving more than enough space for Sonic between him and Mephy.

"Okay then…" Sonic jumped into that space, mock-saluting those not embarking on the trip. He didn't mind being the fence because Boom hadn't exactly been the most rational of individuals. "Can't keep the doctor waiting!"

The engine of the plane roared when Tails pulled a lever. The ones not part of the mission waved as the aircraft rolled forward.

"Be safe out there!" Cream called after them.

Amy cupped her mouth. "And you better bring back that emerald!"

CB punched the air. "And kick Eggman's butt too!"

"You can count on it!" Sonic grinned as they took off into the air, Grey and Silver darting behind with waves of their own.

Rouge lowered a hand when the aircraft disappeared over the overreaching branches of trees. She tapped her fingers on the beauty in her grasp before asking her neighbor, "Why didn't you want to go, sugar?"

"There's no point, really." Rogue linked his hands behind his head, his steely turquoise orbs contrasting his relaxed stance. "Those dudes will get more than enough hits in for me. Plus-" He grinned at her. "Don't think bat ears are great with vibrations."

"True," she said, amused as she watched CB made one last plea to Amy about those cookies of hers. Pinky stood her ground. "And I don't know if you would be able to handle the ghosts."

Rogue wanted to laugh it off as a joke, but she uttered it so flippantly that maybe, just maybe he had dodged a serious bullet by staying behind.

"There she is! In all her beauty!"

Grey gave Sonic an odd look as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, squinting against the harsh sunlight. "You can't be seeing what I'm seeing."

Sonic chuckled at the flying psychic above them, hand protecting his eyes from the blinding rays. The massive pyramid they were steadily approaching was nothing flashy, but... "C'mon, don't you think it's cool?"

Grey barked out a laugh. "You gotta be crazy to want me to believe that one of Eggman's bases is cool."

Boom, speaking for the first time on this flight, scoffed. "Ironic, coming from you."

"Hey!"

They were locked in a heated stare-down, and Sonic snickered while also hoping that they would be better team players inside the base.

On the other side of the plane, Silver was sizing up the behemoth of a structure. "It's huge." He glimpsed down at the two red-striped hedgehogs beneath him. Both Penumbra and Shadow were gazing at the pyramid with intensity. "Shadow." One black ear twitched. "Please don't tell me that the whole thing is the base."

"We'll split up if need be."

Silver inwardly sighed, and Mephiles fought to control his nerves. Mephy knew this shouldn't be as nerve-wracking as his break-in at Westopolis. He was surrounded by heroes with tons of experience and those who lacked the skill had the determination and drive to make up for it.

It was just…the pyramid was so massive, and even with eyes around him, he was going in blind and Bat was in there along with the emerald he ruined that could possibly-

No, he had to calm down. He couldn't be dead weight for them. He started this problem, so he was going to fix it. He'd taken on Metal Sonic alone; how hard could this be?

"There's no robots patrolling around." Tails switched a few levers, decreasing the speed of the plane. "The whole perimeter looks clear, actually. I'm going to drop you guys off at the entrance."

Mephiles took in a sharp breath and released it shakily. He could do this.

"Wonder if he blocked off the old one we used," Sonic mused.

"Won't stop us if he had!" Tails replied as he angled the aircraft in a gentle decline.

Even so, Shadow had to clamp a hand on Penumbra's shoulder to help him keep his balance on the wing.

The base of the pyramid was surrounded by ancient raised platforms in varying degrees of collapse. The ones closer to the impressive landmark were in better condition; Tails landed the plane on a square platform connecting to the aforementioned entrance. The kit sighed in relief when his new ride didn't tumble into the sands upon contact.

Grey stepped onto the short stone walkway in front of a wide door with Eggman's smiling face painted on it. "What a narcissist," he commented while resting his mind. This trip was nowhere as long as the one he and Rogue had taken over an ocean, but it wasn't a walk in a park either. And it was hot.

Silver landed beside him, his thoughts on whatever was behind the mocking entrance. "Do you think Eggman knows we're here?" he asked those disembarking the aircraft.

"Oh yeah, definitely." Sonic grinned as Tails shut off the engine. "Or at least he knows that we're on our way." He walked up and examined the door as well. "How'd you get this door open last time, Tails?"

The fox hovered over with a frown. "Well, there had been a bunch of robots synched to the door, and when I destroyed them, it opened." He tapped his chin, scanning the area. "Now, I don't-"

His sentence died off when the solid barrier was encased by a cyan glow. After a synchronized grunt, the door rumbled as it slid open. Grey and Silver lowered their arms when the interior of the pyramid was revealed for everyone to see.

Sonic clapped Silver on the shoulder and gave Grey a thumbs up. "Great job! Knowing psychics back then would've made navigating this bad boy a whole lot easier. Hourglasses are the worst, I tell ya."

"This isn't the time for reminiscing, Faker. We have a job to do." Shadow borderline snapped as he crossed the threshold. "Didn't I tell you not to get distracted?"

"I thought that was only for Mephy!"

The hedgehog in question wasn't engrossed in the conversation, instead taking in all of what they were about to dive into. As expected, the inside seemed as rough and worn as the outside. The walls that shaped this curved tunnel were covered with cracked red, white, and green paint. Chunks of the ceiling were missing, leaving jagged holes.

The winding hallway was scarcely lit, with only one light source on the wall that he could see. The visibility was fine now because of the sunlight filtering in behind them, but once they explored deeper, who knew if-

"Don't just stand there like a damn idiot."

Mephiles' gasp was silent as he stumbled forward, barely preventing a painful meeting with the ground. He cradled his throbbing right shoulder, gaping. Boom was strolling in front of him like nothing had happened, catching up with most of the others who were already inside.

Mephy frowned at the speedster's back, at a loss of what to do. Interacting with him didn't work and ignoring him clearly wasn't the answer either. What in the world had he done?

The shadow hedgehog stiffened when a sizable piece of stone was launched at the back of Boom's head. The thud seemed to echo, and so did the resulting curse.

Boom whirled around with a blazing inferno in his eyes. "What the fuck!?"

"Stop being mean." Penumbra viciously hissed from beside the appalled Mephy, his glare matching in intensity.

The others had paused at this point, wondering what was happening.

Grey peered over his shoulder. His curious golds snapped between the two bristling hedgehogs. "Don't know what the jerk did, but I'm sure he deserved it."

Shadow wasn't in the mood to babysit. "Penumbra, calm down now, and Sonic, if you can't get a handle on your issues, then there's the damn door."

Boom whirled on him, hissing, "I don't have effing issues!"

"Then prove it."

Tails and Silver were wide eyed while Sonic lowly whistled.

Shadow gave the irate Boom another pointed look before dropping the time-wasting spat altogether. "Penumbra, come up to the front." Nummy, who had relaxed his stance and gaze, nodded. Mephy hopped in his shade, still reeling about what just happened. "We need you to track Eggman's scent if we come across it."

"Okay." Penumbra crouched low to the ground. "I try."

Shadow got into the position to dart forward, but a shocked gasp from behind prevented him from doing so. He spun on his heel, ready to attack any threat that had snuck up on them.

That wasn't the case.

Instead of a robot or Eggman himself, an expansive metal wall stood tall where the entrance had been.

Silver had frozen, for he was the only one to see it materialize in the corner of his eye. "How? Where did that even come from!?"

Grey's pulse was already pounding in his ears. "I-It didn't make a sound!"

"Stand back!" Sonic sprinted to the wall and jumped, curling himself into a tight ball. Quills tensed, sparks immediately sprayed everywhere once Sonic rammed into the solid structure. After a couple seconds of sawing at the obstacle, he fell to the ground, confusion flooding his body.

He hadn't sliced clean through the wall; there was no sign that he'd touched it.

"Well…" Sonic stood from his crouch, eyes roaming the anomaly in front of him. "That's new." The plain wall didn't look reinforced at all and there was no sign of Master Emerald trickery, so what-

"P-Pretty cool, right?"

A familiar robotic voice emanated behind them, and their shock increased tenfold. No one had heard the approach. The group were in an enclosed tunnel; any boosters and whirling gears should have echoed and warned of his presence. But they didn't. Penumbra was as baffled as everyone else because it seemed like he had appeared out of thin air.

The heroes faced the newcomer in one swift move, bared teeth and cold glares coming into play.

Bat wasn't bothered in his slightest. His broad smile twitched. "Y-You're gonna have a blast in this place."

You know you're doing something wrong when Nummy tries to discipline you. And would you look at that, Bat has been taking some stealth lessons. Weird.