It was kind of weird now.

The past few missions they were on involved just the team. A squad of five people braving the elements, now the only element they would be facing was the hardened concrete ground.

"Things have definitely changed since last time." said Sonic turning to see all the buildings around. "The Station Square I knew does not look like this!"

"Great he's freaking out again." said Cream, "Somebody get the morphine."

Amy over-laughed and nudged Cream in the arm.

"Your so funny." Amy wiped a tear before grabbing Sonic. "C'mon Blue things haven't changed that much.

"That car just floated by, you can't tell me that's not a change." Sonic smirked.

"I hate this place." Tails and Rouge pouted. They looked at each other and Rouge smiled.

"Shadow came here when he was released from the lab he spoke about. This is the city where we met." Rouge explained. "Such bad memories."

"I didn't like the place 'cause they never had the slushy flavor I liked." Tails' reason suddenly started to feel miniscule.

"That was awfully rare." Rouge thought. "Was that a bit of a comedic side?"

"So where are we headed in the city?" asked Sonic. A car spun out of control and went for the five on the sidewalk.

"Crap." yelled Tails. He leapt in front the car and started forcing out magnetic waves. "Magna Fox: Repel!"

"Don't there's someone in there!" yelled Amy. The civilian car hit Tails hands and slightly slid away as a result. The car causing the trouble sped up and past the team. It had multiple G.U.N. cars and robots flying after it.

"No one throws cars at Sonic the Hedgehog!" he announced while on top of the bystanders car.

"Sonic NO!" Tails commanded. The Blue Blur became his nickname and darted after the robots.

"That freaking idiot! Make sure we don't lose him." Tails barked orders.

Sonic sped through the cavalry of G.U.N. Robots and up to the getaway car.

"Intruder! Intruder! Intruder! Intruder!" many robots stated as they added the hedgehog to the list of offenders.

Sonic smiled and poured on the speed to get in front of the car.

"Sonic Wind!" he said. He slammed his hand into the hood and the whole car split into sections. The jaguars riding in the car tumbled to the streets as the robots quickly surrounded.

"No need to thank me. It's all in the hero's job description." Sonic brushed his shoulders off.

"Vigilante!" The robots turned to Sonic and closed in. The Jaguar thieves started to pounce away when a robot snatched them up in a net. The robots closed in on Sonic and launched the nets.

"Sonic." Amy pleaded.

Tails thrusted his hand out.

"Wait for it." he whispered.

"You guys are wasting all of the confetti on me?" Sonic clutched his hand to his chest. "You guys are too good. Sonic Tornado!"

The nets flew up in a flurry and covered over the robots. The nets got scrambled up in their propulsion jets and they hit the ground hard.

"Signaling motorcade." the robots chimed in.

"Are you stupid or something?" Cream dropped next to Sonic. "Every Fighter in the core knows that we're not supposed to attract attention in Station Square."

"Sonic, c'mon we need to lay low." Amy grabbed his hands.

"I hate this." Tails stated.

"Please move your vehicle or have it crushed in the process." yelled a voice through a bullhorn.

"Crap! Move!" yelled Tails. He darted past Sonic with the others close behind.

"What's goin' on?" asked Sonic.

His eyes grew wide.

It came smashing around the corner with huge treads. It was G.U.N. truck with a couple of Soldiers operating the thing. Its bumper nearly graced Sonic's hide before he high tailed it and ran. The truck went into overdrive and was matching Sonic's pace. Sonic took a huge right when the truck ducked past the corner.

He maneuvered around the city and caught up with the team.

"What the F is that!" Sonic screamed.

"G.U.N. has been trying to round us up ever since we stole a few image emitters from them." Tails explained.

"Now that sounds like the Freedom Fighters I know!" Sonic yelled. The truck stopped before the speedsters and closed off the intersection tightly.

"That's why? For all this time?" asked Rouge.

"We're really sorry if it helps." Amy said. The Freedom Fighter screech to a halt and begin to turn back when a fleet of walkin mechs rained down from the sky and onto the pavement.

"This is so right up my alley!" Sonic exclaimed. "I can take 'em all."

The soldiers in the truck didn't move. They were probably taking down the description or cowering behind the bulletproof glass.

"Send in Omega." said one of those soldiers.

Rouge gasped.

"What is it Rouge?" asked Tails.

"We need to run." she stated.

Sonic smirked.

"No one's running." he shot back.

"He'll kill us all." she stated.

"I was at the meeting today." said King Geoffrey St. John. "There was talk of rebellion in my city."

The skunk stormed in and set his crown down on the bed. His wife was sitting in a chair across from the foot of the bed. There were used tissue all around and tears falling from her face.

"It's worse than that." said Queen Sally St. John. The King turned to Sally and his face contorted as if he were smelling something bad.

"You know I do not like bad news."

"They're threatening Nicole's deactivation… if we don't concede to their demands."

"Dammit, Sally!" He raged. He threw a small fit and picked up his crown again. "I have to do everything myself don't I!"

"Geoffrey, they had solid evidence against Nicole's codes. We have to do this."

"Nicole will face deactivation!"

"No!" Sally stood up with more tears falling from her face. "Nicole is my best friend, she's been there before the village, before the freedom fighters, before you! I won't. I can't let you kill my friend."

Geoffrey rushed Sally and hugged her. His voice became soothing like an ocean breeze.

"Ssshhhh… Relax Sally-girl, your strong you can make it through this."

"I don't know what to do without her. I love her so much."

"Don't worry, my love, after a few days you will adjust to how things will be without her. Make due with the time you have now."

The King released Sally from his arms and walked out of the room.

Sally lay there on the floor not feeling any better about the situation. In fact she was worse. She fell into depression.

She knew she would be restless for the next couple of hours. She didn't have much time before her husband would make some sort of action. She slightly rose from her depression and grabbed the cloak in her closet.

Sonic and team took a step back.

This was the first they've seen any robot like this.

"What is this Rouge?" Sonic wanted to quiver.

"This is E-series robot E-123 codenamed: Omega." Rouge explained.

"Stand down, life-forms. I do not wish for the others in my battalion to clean up so much blood."

"A warning huh?" Sonic stepped forward.

"One more forward advance and you will meet my cannons."

"It doesn't talk like other robots." Tails scoffed.

Omega's hand turned into a machine gun when Tails jumped out in front.

"Get out of here." said Tails. Bullets rained from Omega's gun as the others started to book. Sonic however was enjoying the show. The bullets were deflecting from Tails' Magna Fox Attack.

"Sonic Wind." yelled Sonic as he leapt over his comrade with the wind swirling in his hand.

Omega raised a force field around him and loaded a rocket launcher in his opposing hand. Sonic bounced off of the field and onto the ground when the rocket fired.

"Ahh!" he yelled. He got to his feet and in a dash in an instant. The rocket couldn't make the turn like true blue and it smashed a huge hole into the truck beyond.

"Thanks Cream!" yelled Sonic.

"You owe me!" she bluntly stated. She walked toward Omega and raised her hands. She was almost in range when Omega tore through his arsenal and found a deadly attachment. He aimed toward Cream and launched a series of uncountable unpinned grenades. Cream had to focus on catching them all within her control field or else it would be curtains. She also had a time limit to work with as well.

"Don't worry child I got you." Rouge intervened.

"Crystal Rouge!" she chanted. She directed her hands toward the young bunny and she was crystallized in an instant. The grenades drop to the floor and explode in a flurry of debris. Tails Sonic and Omega were interrupted by the explosion and sent packing toward the fleet of walking mechs. Tails and Sonic got upright and looked around. The whole fleet of mechs were in the same color scheme as Omega was and the colors went on for a city block. Sonic was smashed hard into a machine as Omega reeled his wrecking ball hand back.

"Miles Per Hour!" said Tails. Omega felt his systems start to slow down in their functioning. He was nearly paralyzed with each passing second.

"Lightning's Tail." he yelled. He turned his finger and thumb up and held onto his wrist and he pointed his hand, shaped like a gun, toward Omega. The ball of lightning started to form when Omega vanished.

"What happened?" thought Tails. The young fox was then smashed with a wrecking ball attachment too. Omega appeared from his cloaking and walked to tower over the pair.

"It was nice to meet you two." Omega said while turning his hands into machine guns again.

"That's!" started an old animal's voice. Omega paused and took a few steps back.

"That's enough Omega." said the old tiger. He was in high-officers gear with many badges and ribbons from his suit coat. He was tiger and a tall one at that. His stripes were old and grey and his threatening teeth filed down from usage. The most distinctive thing was his eyes. His right was brown and his left was blue.

"Commander? I am not computing." Omega pleaded. "You said I was to spatter their brains."

"No Omega that's only for that one mission."

"I got you!" Amy fell from the sky with hammer first. She swung violently and smashed Omega on the top of his head. Omega didn't even flinch but kept his conversation going.

"Yes, Commander Tower. I remember now." said Omega. "Then this is not the hedgehog?"

"Hell no soldier. This is a fine outstanding member of the New Mobotropian civilization. Omega this Miles "Tails" Prower and his team of Freedom Fighters."

"Freedom Fighters?" Omega turned to look. "How could I not process this any sooner? There is creative Cream, and the seductive Rouge, and the fierce Tails, and the incomparable Amy."

"Glad to be noticed." said Amy polishing her hammer.

"And this is…" Omega turned toward Sonic. "Who is this?"

Sonic fell to the ground.

"Surely you know who this is." the commander approached.

Sonic stood proud again.

"Uh… who is this maggot?" asked the commander.

Sonic fell to the ground again.

"This is the Hero of Knothole…" Tails started.

"Sonic, Sonic the hedgehog." he said. "Faster than lightning, quieter than a mouse."

"Oh this is Amy Rose's cousin." Omega interjected. Amy rushed over to hold back an extremely irate Sonic the Hedgehog.

"Forget about him he's obviously worthless." said the commander. "I really want to talk to Tails here."

"Yes, Commander Tower." stated Tails.

"Now I've noticed you like machines so much you have conjured up a few of mine."

"I'm sorry sir." said Tails. "I promise to…"

"Nonsense youngling." Commander Tower interrupted. "You see I have been recently appointed to head up a fugitive who had terrorized this fare city not too long ago."

"Your still chasing the dream eh Commander?" Rouge smirked.

"I'll get to you in a second, miss slapstick agent for hire." Tower shot back. "I have deal I'd like to cut with you especially since you're here trashin' my machines and whatnot."

"We uh… actually don't have any time for things like that at all so we'll be cruisin'" stated Sonic as he started to walk off.

"You know you're startin' to look an awful lot like that black hedgehog we've been searchin' for."

Sonic turned around.

"You're looking for Shadow?" asked Tails.

"You bet your ass I am." said Commander Tower.

"Nicole." said Sally approaching her console.

"I'm afraid it has begun." she said from the speaker of a nearby screen. "They've already cut my access to the real world. The next severance will be my personality and appearance."

"Nicole I can save you." Sally started clicking away at the keyboard.

"Please do not get yourself into trouble for my sake." Nicole semi-pleaded.

"Nicole don't…"

"Princess Sally, you are my master and my favorite Mobian of anyone else. You have a special file in my hard drive that no one will be able to send to the recycling bin."

"How will this place be the same without you?"

"It will remain the same, all you have to do is remember."

"I will."

"Yes. Memories will remain with you but what I speak of is regarding my own well being. All you have to do is remember."

"Just tell me."

"I cannot. My statements are being monitored at this very second. I will just have to trust that you can remember."

"I swear I will. For the sake of New Mobotropolis I will."

"I… believe you can do this. I am loading one final holorealmatic process."

"What is it?"

Nicole appeared before Queen Sally but was fuzzy and static like a bad television.

"This is all the power I could spare." Nicole held her arms open wide as she approached Sally. Sally spouted tears from her eyes as they embraced in a hug. It was the closest they have been in a long time.

"The city has been divided, Queen Sally. Some are for Hamlin and his cause and some are for the Crown's cause. I am instructing you to be careful and remember. Be careful of the Reckoning as well, I still don't know what that is."

"Nicole I will miss you."

"I wish I had more time… to spend with everyone."

The holorealmatic image rippled and faded away leaving Queen Sally in more ways than one.

"Sal, ya'll are okay down there?" asked Bunnie. She had been standing guard while Sally and Nicole said their goodbyes.

"Yes Bunnie, I'm… fine."

"Well, don't count your chickens before they hatch. We got a li'l ol' problem up here."

Sally rushed up the stairs and saw the unexpected.

A huge mob of Mobians were marching toward Castle Acorn. They wielded torches and clubs as they angrily march toward its exterior. Leading the way were Hamlin and Archie, the directors of New Mobotropolis' Democratic Affairs Committee. In one hand was a signed-sealed-delivered petition for King and Queen to step down as acting leaders and in the other was burning torch.

That chapter was full! My hands hurt from all that tying. Nonetheless babes and babettes will look forward to chapter 14 of the groundbreaking series Sonic 51. Until next time………………