a/n: Thanks for all the support, I appreciate it. Hope you all enjoy.
"Start the operations. Prepare the ship for take-off as soon as possible. I don't think we quite have time to finish everything right now…I want to shut that arrogant bastard up!"
Ellen Pearson was pacing in her command room, the lights from all of the complicated equipment there dancing around her and painting the room different colours. Her eyes betrayed her emotions: she was angry, very angry. What that fat buffoon had said in his announcement set her off. She wanted him knocked out of the skies as soon as possible, and she had just the tool to do it with.
The large aircraft rose from the ocean depths, something resembling an oversized space shuttle with a similar delta-wing design. Nuclear-powered thrusters sat on the rear of the craft, as well as on the back ends of each of the wings. Thrust wasn't a problem.
Adapting from the Harrier jump-jets, massive air jets could be swivelled downwards to push the craft upwards before take-off. Ellen ordered her crew into the craft as soon as possible, staring at the nose of the craft for a moment before heading inside herself.
"Amy, come in."
"I'm here, Ellen."
"Have you arrived at the place, yet?"
"Not yet. I have about five miles to go."
"That's fine. I'll be stopping by myself. Get ready in case anything happens."
"I will…" Amy cut the transmission and pushed herself faster, her emotions bubbling up inside of her as she ran. Eggman…that arrogant fool!
"I'll tear you apart…for everything you've done…" Anger was clouding her mind, but she ignored it. There was no time to stop, and there was a mission to complete. She raced across the plains parallel to the gigantic battleship as it rose higher and higher into the sky.
Tails had no time to survey the devastation around him before he took off. Elise had finally run out of energy, collapsing to the ground in a heap. The fox sniped a Halo Knight with his arm cannon as Omega ran in to grab her, taking off quickly with a jet of flame from his thrusters. Tails then took the human girl, still extremely warm, and spun his tails hard as he moved out to the tarmac. Omega swivelled his body and provided covering fire as they ran.
"Plane's in sight…"
"We must separate immediately."
"What?" Tails gave the robot an incredulous look, but remembered that Elise had been on a rampage, killing both Earth and alien soldiers alike as they tried to neutralize her. She was an enemy of both sides, now…
"Alright. Just make sure you get out of dodge!" Tails laid Elise down for a moment, reaching into his pack and installing several extra magazines of ammunition into Omega's compartments. "Good luck, buddy. Report when you're done here!"
"Affirmative." Omega reloaded his weapons before boosting towards the soldiers, weapons blazing. Tails moved as quickly as he could with the Princess, eventually reaching the chartered plane.
"No pilot? Of all the-"
The fox quickly strapped Elise into the co-pilot's chair before taking the helm, getting the plane moving down the runway as quickly as possible.
"Come on…don't fail me now, G5…"
He took off and breathed a sigh of relief as he made it into open airspace. They were safe, at least for now.
"Alright…onward to Soleanna. Just have to pass Eggman's huge fortress…" The more the fox thought about it, the more ridiculous it seemed. He called it 'Black Hill', which made sense because of the colour and the fact that it had hills made of rolling black grass on the ship surface…which also happened to absorb solar energy that powered his equipment. Tails figured that he had to have a few nuclear reactors on board to sate the energy demand such a thing would need.
"Seems a bit excessive, but…that's Eggman for you." Sonic was probably already heading for the thing, and no doubt Knuckles would have seen it from his perch on Angel Island.
Black Hill continued its steady rise into the atmosphere as Tails pushed the Gulfstream 500 jet as fast as it could go. He had more than enough fuel to cover the flight range at his current sub-sonic speed.
Sonic was running on the plane opposite to Amy, and he could sense the younger hedgehog's presence. He just hoped that she didn't do anything crazy.
The Emerald was giving him another vision, but he couldn't understand it. Other things had been jumbled up in his visions the last time he checked, and it had to do with an abundance of fire. Wilhelmina…he knew that she was gone by now, but he had no time to mourn her fate. If he could get to her body at some point, he'd have to give her at least a decent burial.
"Fire…what's that got to do with this…?" He mulled it over as he ran, watching the fortress rise higher and higher into the skies.
"Slow it down…we're well within range." Ellen could see her massive target just ahead. The words of his 'broadcast' came back to her, and she felt her anger spike up.
"I…will never…"
"I, Doctor Eggman, provide two solutions each to the people of Earth and the alien invaders. You can either join me and reap the riches and endless glory from our victory over these stupid aliens, or simply…well, rot and die. You see, I have my pride as well. I'm not going to let my planet simply transfer hands without a fight. And your so called 'world leaders' and 'Guardian Units of Nations' have done nothing but bumble about, letting your planet fall into the hands of the enemy! Will you stand for that kind of insult, that kind of outrage! Of course not, since I won't!
Now, you say I only have robots to do my bidding. But you all underestimate me. I have already mass-produced my Prototype-1 machines, and they're all unmanned, powerful, and efficient. My handcrafted helpers, Metal Sonic, Metal Knuckles, and Tails Doll are quite capable of causing mass havoc on their own. And of course, I've already recruited several platoons of Earth citizens, man and beast alike! I respect the will of the people, the will to fight and defend their planet.
Now, as for the indigenous peoples of the Galactic Empire of Gloriole…you've seen what destruction I could bring by my hand, eh? Why don't some of you join the winning team? Heck, all of you can do so! Just surrender and pledge your allegiance to me and to the Eggman Empire. I will create my utopia for human and alien alike, known to all as Eggmanland, right here on this beautiful planet known as Earth. Together, we can crush all who oppose us, and assume our rightful place as rulers of the entire universe! Ohohohohoho!
Ahem…so, just consider the options given to you. Pick the right one, and you get to rule the universe and enjoy the spoils with good old me! Pick the wrong one, and…well, let's not dwell on that, eh?"
"That Eggman's sick…"
Knuckles had started his long glide towards the Black Hill, fully intending to give the rotund scientist a piece of his mind.
"If I'm lucky, I might run into Sonic and Tails…I'll hold off on the Chaos Emerald theft so that we can work together for the time being, at least." He knew that the three of them were virtually invincible together – there wasn't a plan of Eggman's that they hadn't stopped while the trio was all present.
Sonic made the long jump from his position onto the grass of the Black Hill, noting the nostalgia he somehow felt from being there.
"Feels familiar for some reason…" He took off into a sprint, intending to look for an entrance to the interior of the base. Fighting a wave of Egg Dragoons didn't seem like much fun, so he wanted to take out as many of them as possible before he was forced to stand and fight.
If I could go Super, this wouldn't be such an issue…
The communicator on his wrist beeped. "Wonder who that is…?"
"Sonic!"
"Tails! Hey, there! You okay, buddy?"
"Yeah, Omega managed to buy me some time back at the airport. Listen, I'm passing by Eggman's Black Hill right now. I'm gonna drop off Elise in Soleanna."
"Thanks, lil' bro."
"Yeah, no problem. Uh…Sonic…"
"I know…Wilhelmina. I couldn't make in time, Tails…"
"She gave up herself to save Elise and us…but don't worry! I won't let her sacrifice go to waste!"
"I know you won't, Tails. Get there safe and hurry back, 'kay? I have a feeling that Knuckles is gonna join the party some time, and Amy's around somewhere. The Triple Threat Plus One! How's that sound?"
"Sounds like a plan, big bro! We have to take down Eggman…I'll see you later, Sonic."
"Copy that, kid."
Ten miles away and five miles below, the nose of Ellen's vessel spiralled inwards, revealing a large turbo laser that started to glow with light as it charged up.
"It's almost here…"
Amy landed on the Black Hill just after Sonic did, and she could just spot him in the distance. Her ears twitched as a plane flew nearby, its jet engines roaring as it zoomed through the shadow of the fortress.
"Uh…Doctor?"
The madman sat in his white chair, barely paying any attention to his spherical henchman.
"What is it, Orbot? Can't you see I'm busy savouring my absolute victory?"
"We're detecting a large energy source ten miles south," he said with a sigh. "But it's probably nothing important…"
The doctor frowned as his screen filled with static, before revealing the face of a young woman.
"What the devil…"
"Hello, fat man. I suppose you don't know me, do you?"
"Actually, I do…Ellen Pearson, if I'm not mistaken."
She clapped her hands. "Very good! I'm happy that you know me so well!"
"What is it that you want?"
"I heard your transmission, and I wanted to…give you a little something. In commemoration of your launching."
"Oh?" He smiled. "Well, thank you. You're one of the smart ones, I see. So, what is it that you have for me, Miss Pearson?"
Her eyes lit up, and she laughed like a maniac, clutching her sides and barely able to stand up on her own. Blue eyes shook with lunacy as she stared at the screen, grinning madly.
"I'm sending it long distance, Doctor. It'll be sure to make an IMPACT!"
"Uh, boss?"
"Not now, Cubot!"
"Boss, I think-"
"I said to shut up!"
"Doctor, the laser!" Orbot shouted.
"What about that damned-" He stopped and looked at the girl laughing psychotically on his screen.
It was then that the realization hit him.
Long distance.
Impact.
Large energy source.
"Oh, sh-"
The laser fired, actually sending the large craft back a bit with the recoil it created. A massive, destructive beam of light raced towards the Black Hill, aiming to exterminate with extreme prejudice.
Sonic saw the bright light from where he stood. He saw the plane start to dip below the horizon of the fortress.
Tails turned his head to the left, seeing nothing but bright light through the cockpit window.
It was then that the plane disintegrated.
Amy Rose could see nothing but pure white as the laser tore through the ground in front of her, only a few meters ahead.
Knuckles let loose a string of curses as he drifted down, watching the beam rip through the Black Hill.
There was nothing but silence afterwards.
Amy's heart started to beat out of control…she couldn't see anything. Nothing at all. But she could hear just fine.
She could hear a familiar voice rise into an agonizing scream across the way.
He was crying out for his brother.
"Tails…?" The plane came into her memories, and it was then she understood. Tears fell from her eyes, and she could still hear him screaming out.
Still calling for his brother…who would not be coming back to him.