AN: Once again I took liberties with Gazebo's character. I did try to make my description as close to his concept art as possible, but his personality is something I made up. I also listed King Cyberooski for the purpose of giving background to the kingdom.

Vector froze firmly in place, shock and awe both rooting him to the spot. A faint tingle teased the tips of his fingers, forcing him to bunch his hands into fists. Wanting to laugh and cry, he could find no middle ground between the torrent of emotions that were swarming through his chest. Grief, sorrow, excitement, relief, confusion. They welled inside his skull, creating a faint yet persistent headache.

'Professor Gazebo Boobowski?'

It was a a rhetorical question. The detective knew exactly who was staring up at him, having heard many stories of the successful scholar. Many a time he had flicked through a magazine or scoured a newspaper, coming across an article about the respected manx. Despite being generally shy towards the media, Gazebo had made a name for himself in the world of science. He was an incredibly intelligent man, and despite not having as high an IQ as the doctor, he certainly had more fans.

Gazebo lived in a distant kingdom, ruled by the reclusive King Cyberooski, an enigmatic ruler who mostly kept to himself. Boobowski had become something of a celebrity amongst his peers, having perfected the ancient art of ring smithing. He was, however, well known for being rather absent minded, often misplacing his reading glasses, or leaving important documents lying around.

But the man in the cell resembled nothing of his picture, being a mere shell of the person he once was. Dark circles marred the stumpy cat's eyes, making them appear sunken and worn. A bushy unibrow decorated his forehead, angled towards the ceiling in a display of misery. Two elbow length gloves lay torn and tattered along his arms, whilst a now stained lab coat swept along the floor as he moved.

His posture was sloppy as he half heartedly slumped against the bars of the cell, seeking refuge in the knowledge that he was no longer alone. Stubby fingers slid along the cold metal as he tried to prop himself up, lacking the strength to do anything beyond topple hopelessly into the rattling steel. Only a day had passed since he'd given them that fateful call, yet so much had already been endured by the poor man.

It baffled the croc as to why he was even there. Gazebo had already delivered the six rings of order to his captors. Had he not given them what they wanted? Part of the deal had been to release Tiara once they got the items they desired, yet not a single trace of the girl could be found. The unfurling knot once again began to tighten in the pit of Vector's gut. Something was definitely not right.

'What're ya doin' here?' The croc began, then paused, remembering his manners. He cleared his throat and prepared to introduce himself. 'I'm Vector, founder of the Chaotix Detective Agency.' He gestured to his team, waiting patiently behind him. 'And these are my friends. We're here to rescue ya.'

Gazebo's eyes narrowed as he strained to see through his perpetually bad eyesight. A pair of round glasses sat atop his head, though he seemed to have forgotten their existence. As a result of his impaired vision, the team appeared as nothing more than imperfect blurs molding into one another. A rainbow of inconsistent shapes that swayed to and fro, making the manx feel dizzy.

'Excuse me,' Charmy offered, tapping his helmet. 'You'd probably see better if you put your glasses on.'

Placing a hesitant hand atop his head, the cat began to pat his tangled fur, blindly feeling for the familiar curved frame of his pince-nez spectacles. As he tugged them down over his button eyes, a glimmer of recognition washed over his perplexed expression, alleviating the timid manx of his previous distrust.

'Praise heavens, it really is you! Forgive me, but for a moment, I thought Robotnik had sent those hideous clones to torment me again.'

'Clones?'

Espio shared a fleeting glance with the crocodile, feeling an icy chill clamber up his spine. He didn't want to find out about the twisted machinations of a depraved genius, but that single word had instilled a newborn dislike of the doctor. A mad man brimming with unbridled passion for mass anarchy. The chameleon knew in no uncertain terms that Nega was influencing the doctor. Pulling the strings, as it were. Situations were beginning to escalate to the very peak of problematic. They had to be stopped.

So that's how he did it...

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Vector took a moment to compose himself, applying more force than he needed to. The flesh between his fingers seared beneath his strong grip, leaving a distinct imprint that stood out against his scales. His thoughts drifted to the Babylon Rogues, to the video that Wave had shown them. Their attack on G.U.N headquarters had seemed almost legitimate, and now the croc knew why.

Despite being nothing more than clones, the real culprits were still very much products of the Chaotix DNA. They shared more than just a striking resemblance, and in a horrifying sense, the trio were undeniably responsible for everything that had happened. Their duplicates may have been complete opposites in regards to personality, but physically they were walking reflections of the team.

'I assume these clones are still in the building?' Espio queried, his brow slightly furrowed.

'Yes, I'm afraid so. Though I haven't seen them in a while.'

Silver pushed through the hovering crowd, kneeling to examine the strange man staring up at him. The psychic knew little of the Boobowski legacy, vaguely aware that his name carried some significance in the future. History books had made passing reference to the professor's achievements, but the hedgehog couldn't remember any of them. It was a subject that simply didn't interest him.

'Tell me about the ritual,' He all but demanded, lacking any sense of concern. 'Time is running out, we need to know exactly what Nega has planned.'

'Oh, w..well,' The manx stammered, falling clumsily over his words. 'It's a rather complicated spell, but I shall do my best to explain. You see, in order for the ritual to succeed, the doctors must make use of a number of obscure items. The Master Emerald, the Rings of Order, and the moon. Those are the main ingredients for the spell.'

Silver let out an exasperated sigh, 'You're not making any sense. What exactly is this ritual, and how did Nega get his hands on it?'

The cat's glasses slipped off his face, forcing him to push them further up his nose. 'That is a long story, but if you so wish, I'll tell you everything I know.'

Hundreds of years ago, echidnas and manx lived alongside one another as neighbours, but despite their close affiliation, peace was not a word they were familiar with. Both factions were growing in size, and both yearned to harvest new land. The abundance of grass flowing between them provided a perfect opportunity, but tensions soon began to rise when it became apparent that both clans wanted the same thing.

Bitter rivalry spurred the tribes into a heated battle, creating a vicious war that threatened to tear both sides apart. Many casualties occurred, and many homes were left in piles of useless ash, yet still the warriors refused to cease their senseless fight. It lasted for many months, and in that time, two villagers worked relentlessly for a way to save their precious homeland. One a manx, the other an echidna.

Though their efforts seemed futile, one fateful day the pair finally created a spell powerful enough to birth a God, or more accurately, become one. The performance relied on using a combination of items that held magic properties. These consisted of the moonlight, used to create an impenetrable barrier capable of containing powerful magic, the Master Emerald, used for uniting the souls of those involved, and the Rings of Order, which transformed into a single large ring for which to hold the deity. Once all of the objects were in place, the ritual could begin.

That night the duo ventured into the forest, using the four shrines built to specifically filter the moon's energy. They completed the spell, abandoning their mortality to become a being capable of giving life, and of taking it. However, despite their good intentions, the pair could not cope with the power surge. Both of them became overwhelmed. It drove them to insanity, causing them to rain fire upon the very people they were trying to protect, annihilating everything in their path. Many villagers fled, leaving behind the last remnants of their livelihood. Those who stayed bore witness to the sheer magnitude of destruction.

After many hours, the bloodshed came to an end. The God vanished in a beam of light, having burned out the very souls used to create it. The scroll detailing the ritual was buried in the valley, whilst the Rings of Order were returned to the manx. Once the incident was over, both clans went their separate ways, choosing to remain ignorant of the discarded spell. Eion, the very being born from their hope, had brought about their downfall.

'It's ironic,' Gazebo said, a soft chuckle vibrating from his throat. 'In a way, they really did bring about peace.'

Silence befell the dank, dreary room, nothing but the distant clank of banging chains, and the whistle of a passing wind to break the tension. Eggman and Nega were trying to perform the ritual and now they had everything they needed. Vector shook his head, trying to clear his muddled thoughts. Sitting back on his heels, the croc ran a hand up and down his arm, absently running his fingers along the torn flesh.

If they completed the spell, they'd have the potential to do whatever they pleased. They could form a new world born in their image. They could enslave humanity, slaughter their foes, bring about the end of the universe. It was truly horrifying. The crocodile felt a pang erupt inside his chest. It was a heavy sort of thump, like a great weight had lodged itself inside his heart, rooting him like a slowly wilting flower.

Nega must have discovered the scroll's location, dug it up, and travelled to the past to persuade Robotnik of his grand scheme. Eggman would never have turned down such a ploy, and his wicked counterpart would be hard-pressed to find someone more suited to be his partner in crime. That's why he travelled to the past, everything he needed was well within his grasp. The croc shuddered, it all made sense.

'Professor, where is your daughter?' Espio edged closer to the bars, eager to find out the whereabouts of Tiara.

As if he had just been slapped across the face, Gazebo's eyes suddenly began to water, 'Oh it's horrible. Just horrible. They never planned on letting her go.'

'What do you mean?'

The scholar removed his glasses, wiping away the tears that had begun to form, 'It's the ritual. It was only intended to be performed by members of the respective clans. As the doctors are neither, it became necessary for them to provide substitutes that they could draw inherent magic from.'

The ninja gave a brief nod, 'And they chose Tiara.'

'I tried to beg them to take me instead, but they just laughed. In the end they threw me in here. I guess they were afraid I'd alert the authorities.'

'Hang on,' Tails interrupted, scratching behind his ear. 'When you say substitutes...?'

'Yes,' The cat perched his pince-nez atop his head. 'Two sacrifices are needed in order to balance the spell. One must be a manx, and the other-'

A sudden ear piercing scream reverberated off the walls, leaving the team's ears ringing painfully as it evanesced into the unforgiving breeze. Vector lost his vivid colour, almost stumbling over when he tried to lurch into a stand. He wanted to run, but a calculating fear glued his feet to the floor, leaving him staring helplessly at the door. He'd been foolish to leave the guardian on his own. A complete idiot.

Keeling over, the crocodile held his stomach, feeling sick. His gut roiled and churned threatening to regurgitate the pancakes he'd previously eaten. Tiara was the first sacrifice. Knuckles was the second. If they didn't hurry, both hostages would perish, the doctors would succeed, and everything would come to an end. Now was not the time to be feeling sorry for himself. He had to act, and fast.

'Listen up, there's no time to explain, so just do as I say!' He thrust a finger towards the cell. 'Silver, I want you to bend the bars and free the professor. Tails, I want you to take him somewhere safe.'

'What are you going to do?' The fox asked, taking a step forward.

'I'll tell you what I ain't gonna' do. I ain't gonna' be makin' anymore stupid mistakes. Tonight, we end this. Once and for all.'