Episode 35 - Chapter Fourteen: Sol Heist

As the Egg Carrier (2) was leaving Chun-nan, Dr. Eggman was in his lab aboard the ship, examining the charred remains of Metal Sonic.
"Hmm... It's going to take a lot a time and effort to repair Metal Sonic..." He said to himself. "And I've got a world to conquer. I don't have time for that scrap heap! Prepare to send Metal Sonic's remains to Robotropolis' junkyard!" He ordered as he left the lab. As robotic claws approached Metal Sonic, it's red eyes activated.

Meanwhile back at Chun-nan, Sir Lamorak was standing atop of a mountain, feeling nothing but shame.
"*sigh* What do I do now?" He asked himself. "I have no place in the World Grand Prix."
"You could always return to the Kingdom of Mercia..." Suggested a female voice Lamorak was familiar with.
"Percival?" He asked as he turned around to see a purple Mobian cat in armor. "What are you doing here?"
"I have searching for the Knights of Mercia for many months, now." Percival replied.
"Why on Mobius are you willing to do that?"
"Because we were wrong, Lamorak! Ever since the Knights of Mercia disbanded, our Kingdom has been reduced to a wasteland! And so, King Rob 'O the Hedge has instructed Lancelot, Galahad and myself to track down the remainder of the Knights. Will you come back to Mercia, Lamorak?"
"I may as well." Lamorak replied while shrugging. "There's no place for me here..." And so, along with Lamorak, Percival began to travel back to Mercia...

Back in the Sol Zone, Blaze had just awakened in what looked like Rad & Marine's house.
"Mornin', sleepyhead." Said a young, female voice.
"*groan* ...Marine?" Blaze asked as she rubbed eyes.
"Yep. You were out for quite a while." Marine replied.
"Oh, great." Said Blaze, not happy. "How long this time?"
"Just a day this time, Blaze." Said Sonic as he and Rad walked in. Before they said anything else, Blaze felt something familiar...
"What is that I'm sensing?" She asked the three.
"Oh. You mean this?" Said Sonic as he revealed a familiar looking gem that made Blaze gasp.
"A Sol Emerald!" She exclaimed.
"Yeah. Darndest thing: Fell outta the sky when Eggman Nega retreated!" Sonic pointed out as he handed the red Sol Emerald to Blaze.
"Wow... I can feel it's power flowing through me..." She said as she closed her eyes, before suddenly opening them. "And there are three more Emeralds not far from here!"
"...you got that from just a gem?" Asked Rad, not understanding the situation.
"Dude, the Sol Emeralds are kinda special..." Sonic told him. "Like the Chaos Emeralds back home..."
"So... where're the Emeralds, Blaze?" Asked Marine.
"They're... on an island..." Blaze replied as she had her eyes tightly shut, as if she was asked the two Sol Emeralds the same question. "...an island filled with all sorts of machinery..."
"Ring any bells, you guys?" Sonic asked the raccoons.
"You're kiddin', right?" Marine asked back.
"She's talking about the Machine Labyrinth island." Said Rad. "There is a large number of Babylonians living there, including a friend of mine."
"Could explain why the place is high-tech 'n all..." Marine pointed out. Sonic looked confused.
"I thought you said the Babylonians were part of your world, Sonic..." Blaze said to him.
"Well, I only know of the three that I told you about, and even that info's kinda sketchy..." Sonic replied.
"Bugger that. Let's go check out the island!" Marine announced as she ran for the port.
"Marine, wait!" Sonic, Blaze and Rad yelled as they chased after her.

A short time later, the hedgehog, the cat and the raccoons were getting close to the island filled with machinery...
"So, what's the story on this island, you guys?" Sonic asked the other three.
"Machine Labyrinth island has all sorts of steam-powered technology on it." Said Rad. "The Babylonians colonised it hundreds of years ago."
"Ay, guys!" Marine shouted before pointing up to the Babylon (Sol) Rogues. "Looks like we're gonna have company..."
"We must get to the Sol Emeralds before them." Blaze said before Sonic and Rad revved-up the waterbikes.

After the four landed on the island, they all walked further into the Machine Labyrinth. Little did they know that someone was watching them...
"Hold up, Marine." Sonic said while grabbing one of her boomerang-shaped pigtails, making Rad and Blaze stop, aswell.
"Ay! What was that for?" She angrily asked.
"There's someone watchin' us..." He replied.
"How do you know that?" Rad asked.
"Can't you hear that scampering?" Sonic asked.
"You must have super-sonic hearing, 'cause I can't he-"
"Wait. I hear it, too..." Blaze pointed out. The four of them then looked up to a tower, and saw a little green parrot spying on them. He had blue tail feathers and brown eyes, wore glasses, a red bowtie, white gloves and white & yellow shoes. When the little guy realized the he was found, he started running away.
"Hey, come back, little guy!" Sonic shouted as he jumped after him. "You guys cut him off. I'll go after him!" Blaze and Rad nodded.
"Ohh, but I wanna go with Sonic!" Complained Marine as Rad grabbed her hand. Sonic was now chasing the parrot boy, but he kept losing him whenever he turned a corner!
"Dang! I maybe fast, but it looks to me like speed isn't gonna help me this time..." He said to himself.

Later, the parrot boy had arrived at a small lab deep within the heart of the island, where another parrot, a magpie, and a rooster were waiting for him...
"*pant pant* Okay... they're on their way here..." He told them. "Now please, let my father go." The older, female parrot then stroked the parrot boy's beak.
"Patience, little boy..." She said. "Once I get what I want, we'll release your old man."
"But you have already taken the three Sol Emeralds that my father found! Please, just leave this island." Pleaded the parrot boy, making the magpie and rooster feel a little uncomfortable... little did they know that a certain blue hedgehog was listening in on them...
"*chuckle* Oh, you poor, naive boy..." Said the older parrot. "I don't just want these Sol Emeralds... I want all of the Sol Emeralds, so I can merge with Iblis again!" Suddenly, the door bursted open, and Sonic came charging in!
"Don't count on it, Swell!" He yelled as Blaze, Marine and Rad arrived aswell.
"Gadget! You all right, buddy?" Rad asked the parrot boy. He nodded back.
"Hand over those Sol Emeralds, Swell." Demanded Blaze.
"What Sol Emeralds?" Swell asked. "You took the one I had stolen from that robot!"
"Don't play dumb with me! I can feel all three of those Emeralds here. Hand them over, now!"
"If you want these Sol Emeralds so bad..." Said Swell as she jumped on her board with the Sol Emeralds, while Mach grabbed Gadget and jumped on his air rider, and Gust picked up the cage with Gadget's father inside, as he jumped on his bike. "...come and get 'em!" The three then blasted out of the lab!
"Get back here!" Sonic shouted as he and Blaze raced after them as fast as they could!

While Blaze chased after Swell and the Sol Emeralds, Sonic Spin Dashed into Mach & Gust, making them drop Gadget and his caged father, but Sonic caught them both!
"Can you get him outta there, kid?" He asked Gadget.
"Y-yeah..." The parrot boy replied.
"Cool." Said Sonic as he gave Gadget a thumbs-up.
"Wait, take these." Gadget said to Sonic, holding out a handful of small bombs.
"Uhh... okay." Sonic replied as he took them, and raced off.

At that moment, Blaze was now right behind Swell, but just as she was about to attack, something grabbed her from behind!
"Heh. Thanks, guys." Swell said to Mach & Gust.
"Uhh... we didn't do anything, Swell..." Mach replied via radio. Before Swell knew it, Sonic was ahead of her, and threw the bombs he got from Gadget at her, creating a big cloud of smoke!
"*cough cough* Where is that hedgehog?" Swell yelled, but she didn't find him at all. "Oh, well. Blaze is gone, and I have my Sol Em-NOOO!"
"Thank you, Sonic!" Shouted Blaze as Sonic approached the group WITH the three Sol Emeralds!
"C'mon, that was a piece of cake!" Sonic replied. At that moment, Gadget managed to get his father out of the cage.
"Ohhhh, that wasn't good for my back..." He said while stretching.
"Are you okay, Dad?" Asked Gadget.
"*chuckle* I'll be fine, son." His father replied while rubbing Gadget's head, before looking at Rad. "I suppose I have you to thank again, Radical?"
"Not this time, sir." Said Rad before pointing at the blue hedgehog, who was giving Blaze the three Sol Emeralds. "It was all Sonic here."
"Ahh, it's good to see that the Princess has control over her body..." Said Gadget's father, which confused Gadget.
"That means there's only two Sol Emeralds left, right?" Sonic asked.
"That's right." Answered Blaze, before looking up at the sky. "(Why are you fighting me like this, Swell? I thought we were friends...)"

Meanwhile, Sir Galahad and Macho were leading Knuckles, TodStar and Julie-Su (they were carrying Meg-Le) towards Mercia.
"Not too much farther, fellow travellers!" Macho said to them. Suddenly, TodStar heard a scream not too far away...
"What the?" He asked out loud.
"What's wrong, TodStar?" Asked Knuckles. TodStar then ran off without a second thought. "Hey! Where're you going?"
"Just get Meg-Le to Mercia! I'll meet you there!" He shouted back. "(Whoever that was that screamed just then... they sounded like they were in trouble...)"

END OF CHAPTER

Emerald Counter:
Grey, Red, Blue, Green and Yellow Sol Emeralds - Sonic and Blaze
The other two Sol Emeralds - Eggman Nega