I sincerely apologize for not updating this story for quite a long time. My old laptop, where I saved the drafts for my stories, finally expired the other day, and as a result, I lost each and every file related to this story. Nothing remains, the fight with Zavok, gone. Therefore, I have to write the new chapters from scratch. Additionally, I still have finals and part time job to worry about (I'm current stressed over linguistics for I'm sure my instructor was speaking Latin when I sat his class, not English – at least, he sounded like he was speaking in Latin…and Russian).

However, the good news is Tet is just around the corner here, and I have three whole weeks off from everything, so I will try my best to get this story done if possible. But no promises there. My instructors just love throwing nasty things at their students.

Okay, I suppose that is enough rambling from me, let's get on with the show.

Chapter 20:
Tyrant

Running along the dimly lit and eternally glooming and ominous corridor of the once great space colony ARK, Sonic felt that he could not for all of his might, shake off a nasty tingling in his chest that something bad would soon take place. Therefore, he could not stop himself from stealing a few occasional glances at his back, seeing past the two comrades who were silently following him.

In all honesty, Sonic knew very well the root from which his maddening and foreign anxiety stemmed – his newly rescued best friend and brother Tails. The fox had only just been rescued and freed from the grasp of the tyrant Zeti and was without still weak in his recovering state, so Sonic, despite his ever optimistic faith in all of his friends, was having doubts that Tails would be able to accomplish his task without further jeopardizing his health and, from the little Sonic had seen while conversing with the fox, his mentality.

Without his knowledge, a pronounced frown suddenly found itself embedded on the hedgehog's face, obscured by the dreadful shadows that seemed to be forever haunting the deathly still corridor, yet still somewhat visible to Knuckles.

Thus with a frown of his own, the echidna picked up his pace until he was running right beside Sonic, who only realized the fact too late when a gloved hand made contact with the side of his head. The blow was light, not enough to leave any mark, yet it still managed to achieve the desirable effect of breaking the worried speedster out of his self-induced trance.

"Ouch! That hurt! What on Earth was that for, knucklehead?" Sonic hissed in genuine surprise and annoyance, his hand rubbing the spot that was struck while his feet never once slowing down.

"Stop doing that!" answered the echidna with a tone lacing with irritation and, if one listened more carefully, a subtle hint of concern for his younger ally. As to be expected, Sonic could only look at his friend with confusion decorating his features.

However, before Sonic could even open his mouth to ask Knuckles to elaborate, the echidna himself continued, his voice still possessing the same tone as before.

"Tails will be fine! So stop worrying yourself stupid, stupid!" he said with all finality and decisiveness, leaving no place for further argument from his counterpart.

"Wha…What?" Sonic responded, his voice almost mechanical as a result of his surprise. To be absolutely honest, even the hedgehog himself could not believe that Knuckles, his socially awkward and headstrong buddy, had somehow managed to pick up on his innermost thoughts like he was an open book. "I…I never…"

"Great, now he's in denial!" Knuckles quite rudely cut off Sonic again, and the younger could easily picture his amethyst eyes rolling beneath the shades that the echidna was wearing. "Exactly who do you think you're trying to fool, huh?" he added, but from his tone, it sounded like a challenge, a dare.

"I am not in…"

"Tails will be fine!" interjected the echidna yet again, silencing all upcoming protests that Sonic was about to make.

"…How can you be so sure?" asked Sonic quietly after a brief moment of silence.

"Because he's got Amy with him, and that Egghead, but I'm not putting any dime on that goofball and his floating golf ball of a robot. Just Amy alone will more than suffice."

"I know, but still, I have this weird feeling in my chest…like something is due to happen soon…something bad, really bad" replied the hedgehog, having decided to drop his façade already.

"Do you trust me?" asked Knuckles with an unusually soft tone, yet his seriousness could easily be heard.

"Of course" came the instant reply from Sonic without missing a single beat, his eyes narrowed in confusion.

"How about Amy?"

"Without a shadow of doubt in my mind!"

"Tails?"

"I'll gladly entrust my life in his hands" Sonic answered each and every question with such decisiveness that truly clashed with his carefree image he had created for himself.

"Then why are you doubting what I'm saying and their abilities?" asked Knuckles, effectively stunning Sonic into silence. He tried to think up an answer to the echidna's question, but found none that he thought would prove satisfactory and relevant. Therefore, instead of words, he diverted his gaze forward and avoided eye contact.

"I don't know…Just…I can't help but feel worried about the whole thing. Tails has only just recovered from who knows how many massacres he's been forced to commit. And now, getting back to the place that he's spent fifteen years of his life as a killing machine to help us…I'm worried for his sanity and his health, that's all."

"I understand what you're saying, I believe me, I feel the same, but you need to know that Tails is strong, especially in the mental department. After all, he's got the biggest head on Earth."

At this, Sonic chuckled slightly at the fact.

"Also, like I said, he's got Amy and Egghead by his side, so no worry. And both you and I know well that Amy is not the type to just roll over and let her allies get hurt on purpose. She's scary when her friends are concerned. Eggman, well, he can fight…somewhat" the echidna added the last word after a pause, not willing to admit that he at least had a certain amount of faith in his former nemesis to anyone.

At that reassurance, Sonic could do nothing more than let out a light-hearted chuckle.

"Thanks, Knux. Maybe I'm being a bit paranoid about the whole thing."

"Now you know how I feel about my guardian duty to the Master Emerald" Knuckles replied with a snort, making Sonic's eyes open wide as a light bulb went up in his head.

"Now that you mention it, where exactly is the Master Emerald?" asked Sonic, curious.

"Safe with the Nocturnus Clan. Long story, don't ask. It happened way before this whole mess."

"Meh, not exactly in the mood for a back story, anyway."

Suddenly, a silent cough reached their ears, prompting both Sonic and Knuckles to turn their gazes towards the final member of their current team, Master Zik, who had yet to utter a single word during the entire run as a whole.

"We're almost there. I can sense Zavok's presence" the old warrior said, his voice dangerously low.

"Wait a minute," Sonic asked, "If you can sense him, doesn't that mean he can also sense your presence?"

"My range is much farther than Zavok's thanks to my telepathic gifts, which are strong and rare, even among my people. I can tell that he's close."

"Alright, then let's go!" said Sonic as the trio sped up, navigating through the various mazes and obstacles littered around the ARK while trying their absolute best to keep a low profile.

…

"He's beyond that gate" said Zik in a whispered voice from where he and his allies were hiding in order to avoid detection from the enemies.

After a long time trying to pass through every layer of security within the ARK, Sonic and his team had finally reached the highest level of the space colony, where the personal chamber of the tyrannical Zeti was located.

At the moment, the three were standing at the entrance leading to an open space, where multiple robotic henchmen of the tyrant were patrolling around and keeping an eye out for the slightest of motions with great vigil. In addition, from where they were hiding, Sonic could clearly spot various security cameras on the walls, leaving absolutely no blind spot.

"Are you sure?" asked Knuckles as he tried to get a closer look, only to get rudely pushed back by Sonic, much to his annoyance. The hedgehog made no effort to conceal his mirth as he pushed Knuckles' face back into the shadows on the pretense that he did not want to reveal their location. He loved teasing his friend whenever the opportunity arose.

"I do not jest when it is time to be serious" replied the old master calmly, his eyes carefully assessing the enemy's forces. "Zavok is without a doubt beyond that gate, the last obstacle that stands in our way."

"And a bunch of killer robots hell-bent on blasting us to high heavens" Sonic chimed in jokingly. "So, what's the plan, pop?"

"Simple, I'll deal with the cameras from here, while you go in and finish everything else…quietly."

"Roger!" replied Sonic and Knuckles as they watched their Zeti ally exert his influence over the security cameras, remotely disabling them for a few seconds and allowing Sonic and Knuckles to work their magic on the bodyguards.

A few seconds later, the entire battalion was reduced to a heap of useless junk.

…

"Couldn't you have made it, oh I don't know, more inconspicuous so that we do not jeopardize the entire operation?" asked Master Zik with obvious irritation oozing out from his reprimanding tone as he surveyed the wreckage around him. He had used his power and made the cameras show the footage from the previous day in hope of fooling Zavok into a false sense of security. However, the old master could not help but feel annoyed by the fact that his teammates had just practically set off a chain of explosions outside the maniacal tyrant's doorstep.

Around the trio, numerous pieces of scraps and junk littered the floor, representing the pitiful remains of Zavok's bodyguards.

"Hey, we got the job done, didn't we?" asked Sonic rather smugly as he casually tossed the head of a fallen robot over his head.

"Never mind, let's go" replied Zik as he forced the gate open.

Thus, without another word, the trio headed inside, ready to face the final challenge of their journey.

…

Beyond the gate, the three infiltrators were once again greeted by another gloomy veil of shadows and foreboding darkness that seemed to be thicker than the brooding one that eternally enveloped the corridors outside. There was also an invisible and suffocating tension in the air that could easily be felt, but none chose to comment upon for they already knew where that nasty sensation came from.

Zavok was undoubtedly near, so near that they did not need Zik's mental gifts to sense his presence.

With extreme caution, every fiber of their beings standing on alert and every sense they had working overtime, the trio wordlessly treaded along the long corridor that led further inside the ARK, ending at a spacious oval room where they could see a huge ornate staircase at the far end of the chamber.

At the top of that staircase sat a throne, and on that throne their target. Zavok was sitting behind a veil that only allowed for his silhouette to be seen.

Knowing that they had reached their final destination and that hiding was no longer a viable option, the trio stepped into the spotlight and confronted Zavok personally.

Behind the veil, they could see movement from the Zeti, followed by a rumbling noise that very much resembled a clap of thunder.

"I see that you've made it" said Zavok, his low and eerie voice echoing throughout the silent and darkened chamber and intensifying the dreadful tension that had been haunting the trio since the moment they set foot into the space colony.

"Zavok" said Zik as he directed his gaze toward the high and mighty enemy, venom dripping out from the use of his former student's name.

"Ah, Master Zik. What a pleasant surprise to see you once more. Oh, where are my manners? Allow me to be the first to formally welcome you to my humble abode. I must admit, I am impressed. You managed to elude me and get to my personal chamber without my knowledge. Your skills have improved exponentially so it seems, master."

"Yet you hardly seem surprised" replied the older Zeti, his voice dropping even further.

"Of course not. I recognize your trick with the cameras when I see it. That little trick never ceased to impress me," the larger Zeti replied, his voice filled to the brim with sarcasm.

In response, Zik only growled, discarding his usual calm demeanor and indifferent exterior almost completely. Zavok, at that time, tuned his head a bit and looked at Sonic and Knuckles from behind the veil.

"Sonic," he said, his rumbling voice like thunder as the name of his most hated enemy rolled off his tongue. "How absolutely wonderful that you can join us here today! By the way, now that you're here, how is my little Tenebrae doing? I trust that you are taking care of that slave and not letting him wander around the ARK where there is a high chance he can get mortally wounded or...worst case scenario, killed. You know I would hate to lose such a talent in my arsenal."

"How about we just skip the whole farce and get to the part where I can beat you and stop your plans once and for all, savvy?" replied the hedgehog, trying his very best to keep his anger in check as he laid his eyes on the tyrant that had for so long tormented and ended countless lives, including those of his dearest friends. Though normally cheerful and never one to be quick to anger, Sonic was currently plagued with a foreign urge to leap forward and tear the evil Zeti to shreds for all he had committed.

"And his name is Tails! He is my friend and brother, our family and ally, and most certainly not a slave of yours! Tenebrae is dead and gone, deal with it!" he added with a surprising amount of passion, his fists clenched and trembling with poorly concealed fury.

It took an iron grip of his echidna friend to ground him down and stand where he was.

"Don't" Knuckles ordered, his hold on Sonic's shoulder firm, "He's only messing with your head to get you riled up. Trust me, I know how he works. But try to remember what I told you. Our friends will be fine."

Sonic, at the reassuring tone of his old friend, managed to calm down just a little, his strange desire for the overlord's blood dwindling somewhat but still silently lurking inside the back of his mind, quietly demanding his body to take aggression against his adversary. With his best efforts and Knuckles' help, however, Sonic was able to subdue his darker emotions. With a nod, he stepped down a few steps and quietly thanked his friend.

"Well, someone has to be the voice of reason around here" said the echidna in jest, which actually made Sonic chuckle, and replied, "I thought that was my role?"

"I'm older and much wiser than you, blue boy."

"Yeah, yeah, just keep telling yourself that, red rad" Sonic said dismissively, silently thanking his buddy for his timely assistance. However, the humor quickly left his face when he heard the sound of Zavok standing up from his mighty throne.

The tyrant then slowly emerged from his personal space, sweeping the veil aside with his large hand and heading down the staircases, shaking the very earth with each step he took.

With every action the Zeti made, no matter how subtle, Sonic swore he could feel a great shift in the air. The tension continued to rise and finally reached its peak when Zavok was standing right before them, his form no longer obscured by the shadows.

In front of the trio now stood the large Zeti overlord, his sturdy and enormous body clad in multiple armor pieces. A huge metallic black plate now covered most of his broad chest, and around his shins and wrists, they could see similarly colored gauntlets and shin guards, all of which were adorned with strange gems of different colors on the surfaces. On his left gauntlet, a strange dark violet gemstone was attached, whereas a brightly yellow stone was embedded into his right. On the surfaces of both shin guards, however, two glimmering emerald orbs could be spotted shinning against the dim lighting of the large chamber.

Zavok finally stopped a little distance in front of his foes, his purple eyes looking down at them with animosity unconcealed. With a sneer, the stocky overlord brought his hands together and spoke.

"I suppose you are correct, Sonic" said Zavok mockingly as he cracked his fingers, letting the nasty snapping sound echo throughout the place. His ominous fighting aura was oozing out from his larger frame, slightly intimidating his opponents. "We're not here to make idle chats. So I do agree also that it is to the best of our interest that we skip the meaningless pleasantries and get down to the main event."

Thus, with a deafening roar that easily shook and could easily be heard anywhere within the entire structure of the enormous space colony, the beastly tyrant took his stance before his throne, muscles flexed, fists curled, fangs bared, eyes narrowed with terrifying concentration and raring to enter the war.

"So then," he asked, his voice now void of any and all emotions that he had been using to taunt his enemies and his eyes looking between his foes in a manner that resembled a predator stalking its preys, "Who wants to die first?"

In response, Sonic, Knuckles, and Master Zik silently took their stances and got themselves ready for the final battle – one that they were sure they would not make it out scotch free.

...