Disclaimer- I don't own.

Chapter 38- Ready or not…

It almost felt surreal being back here, being among the stagnant waters and the large ruins of once elegant castles.

Silver had never thought that he would make a return to Kingdom Valley. Actually, he made an effort to stay away from the general area in his own time, not wanting to revisit those nightmarish memories. It was unfortunate that he had to return to the desolate place, and it wasn't even on good terms.

His friends were taken, and well…he didn't know how well he would take their deaths a second time.

The psychic believed in Espio. The purple chameleon had already called in about Shadow's, Sonic's, and the Master Emerald's location. Cooling winds combed through his low hanging quills as he stood at the edge of a towering wall they all were waiting on, golden eyes focused downward in the direction the entrance of Aquatic base was. He could see it, but hopefully anyone who exited it would not spot their group right away. All they had to do was to wait for Espio to show back up unharmed; Silver was assigned to go pick him up and bring him back over so the reptile could fill them in.

Then, they would take whatever measures to bring that evil chameleon down. It was only a matter of time.

"Do you wish that we could've met him?"

The psychic tore his gaze off of the ruins and trained it on Blaze, who had just joined him on the ledge. Her arms were folded across her chest, expression solemn yet curious as she glanced at him. Silver automatically knew who she was talking about, the hedgehog/cat duo having been filled in on most of the events that had happened before they showed up.

Most importantly, they had learned about the other Mephiles.

Silver pondered the cat's question for a moment before subtly shrugging. "I mean…yeah I guess. It would've been awkward at first, but I'm sure that it was like that for everyone else. They ended up really liking him, so…" he trailed off, deeply sighing. He couldn't imagine what it was like for them to lose him.

Blaze's golds softened a bit as she nodded. "I have no doubt that we would've also. He was a hero, saving Cream and Penumbra." She turned her attention to the gloomy sight below. "The complete opposite of the one we knew."

Silver hummed in agreement; however, before he could properly respond, another voice butted into their quiet conversation. Coincidentally, it was Silver's own. "Hey other me. Do you see Espio yet?"

Both the psychic and feline peered over their shoulders to spot Grey jogging his way over, done speaking with Rogue by the small plane Rouge had somehow procured from G.U.N to facilitate the journey here for the non-fliers. Tails' aircraft could only hold so many people.

Silver shook his head when Grey stepped up on the other side of Blaze, looking down at the semi-flooded landscape. He didn't know what to make of his dimensional twin. On one hand, he seemed nice enough, but on the other…Silver had been informed about – and had experienced – his double's extreme mood swings. "Not yet, but he should be back any second-"

"Are you sure though? I mean…" Grey ran his fingers through his forehead quills, biting his bottom lip. "He's been down there for a while and it's been a while since he last called in and…" Silver blinked in surprise when tears pricked the corner of his doppelganger's eyes. "What if…they got Espio? And if they got him, then they know that we're out here, and then they'll kill Shadow and Sonic just to spite us!" Grey faced the stunned pair. "Th-They're doomed, aren't they?"

Blaze opened her mouth to obviously disagree, but no words passed her parted lips. Grey had clung to her dress and had rested his head on her shoulder. Sobbing filled the air along with incomprehensible mumbles. Blaze seemed like she didn't know what to do, her body instantly tensing up, so Silver took over.

"Um…Grey?" Silver went over and placed a hesitant hand on his twin's arm. "Give Blaze her space, would you? She doesn't exactly like people in her bubble."

Grey promptly released her, sniffing. "Sorry! Sorry! I-It's just that my Blaze-" Silver noticed that the feline's mouth twitched downwards, and he could understand why she didn't like that her twin had been nothing but a domestic house cat. "-likes to cuddle and it h-helps when I get upset. With Charmy not being here, i-it's just hard, you know?"

Blaze didn't respond, focused on fixing her dress. Silver didn't miss her pointedly gesturing over to his double though. The psychic inwardly groaned as he held up his arms. "Come here." The words barely had formed before Grey hugged him, crying into his chest fur. Silver awkwardly patted him on the back. "Everything's going to be alright! Espio's on his way now. Don't cry…please?" There was no answer, and he locked eyes with Blaze only to notice an amused glint in her gaze. Silver weakly glared at her.

Grey lifted his head, tear stains on his cheeks. "You sure?"

"I believe him," Blaze responded as she whirled her body to face the ledge again. Her eyes were narrowed, focused on something far below. "Because I see Espio right now." Silver's brow creased at that. Blaze's tone was way off. Something wasn't right.

"Really?" Grey beamed, his emotions performing a complete one-eighty. He leaned away from Silver and joined Blaze. "I was so stupid for thinking that-" When that smile swiftly melted off of his double's face, Silver believed that it was time to be enlightened on exactly what was going on.

He stepped back up to the ledge and squinted into the distance. He swore that his heart skipped a beat. Espio was coming their way, but he definitely wasn't alone. "That's…That's Eggman!"

"And Boar," Blaze hissed, her tail snapping back and forth in agitation.

"Do we know for sure that it's your Espio?" The beginnings of a growl leaked into Grey's voice before he shouted back at the oblivious group behind them. "Espio's coming! But we don't know which one it is!"

Everyone was suddenly on guard. "The hell you mean you don't know?" Boom barked from his place by the Tornado.

"Exactly what I said, jerk!"

"The Espio we're looking at has Eggman and Boar with him," Silver clarified, his hands clenching into fists at his side. The psychic's gut was telling him to go down there and fight until he was satisfied because it made absolutely no sense why Espio would be joined by that doctor and that future murderer. But…his mind stopped him. The evil Espio wouldn't do this. It would be too risky. So…was it or was it not…?

"Boar?!" multiple voices shouted out in alarm.

Rosy bounded over to a confused Penumbra, the striped hedgie cocking his head at her when she stood protectively in front of him. "We can't let him get close to Nummy! We are not letting that happen!"

"That can't be our Espio!" Knuckles bared his teeth. "We need to-"

"Don't attack!" Everyone whipped their attentions to Tails, who was settled in the cockpit of the Tornado. The kit had been the one in charge of the communicator and of documenting Espio's location using a modified radar in his plane's dashboard. The vulpine held the device up higher so that all could hear Espio clearly. "I'll explain everything when I get up there!"

Vector bounded over to the fox, and Tails tossed him the radio when he held his hand out. "How in the heck do we know that this isn't some kind of trick? Because I PROMISE if-"

"Charmy's favorite candy is chocolate."

The croc scoffed. "That was a lucky guess."

"You, Charmy, and I first met Red and Rosy in Spagonia. Rosy almost attacked me with a bush-" Said pinkette scratched her cheek sheepishly. "and you were angry that the Professor didn't have a job for us."

"I don't remember that bush part…" Vector increased his grip on the device. "But, you better have a good explanation, Espio!"

"I do." The line was cut.

It seemed like it was their Espio meeting back up with them, but Silver was still iffy about Boar joining as well. They couldn't trust robots – well, the robots conjured up by that wicked chameleon himself – because they either self-destructed, putting everyone's lives in danger, or they were just simply homicidal. However, it seemed like he didn't have a say here. Boar was coming whether he liked it or not.

Boom's quills were beginning to bristle already. "I swear if that bucket of bolts tries a single damn thing, I'll-"

"What are you going to do?" Red rose a dubious brow. "That thing is chock full of the Master Emerald's energy. I can sense it. The best course of action here is to not provoke him. Espio is bringing him up here for a reason."

The azure hedgehog just scowled. "Shut up, Dreads."

"I think he's right though, dude." Rogue faced Boom. "If Espio's a good guy, and if Boar hadn't attacked him, doesn't that make Boar a good guy…?"

Boom's scowl morphed into a glower. "Keep that logic bs away from me. I just know what that thing can do, and all I'm saying is if he goes for Penumbra, then Imma raise hell."

"There's no need for that." Silver, Blaze, and Grey all startled when a familiar voice piped up behind them. The trio whirled around to find Eggman, Espio, and Boar floating behind them. The mammals swiftly shuffled backwards to make room and to increase the distance between them and the metallic hedgehog.

All pairs of eyes were on the newcomers now as they landed.

Silver's wary gaze first examined Espio, searching for any injuries as the chameleon climbed off the robot's back. There were none. The psychic then focused on Eggman, who wasn't in the best condition. He had bags under his eyes, oil and dirt stains on his clothes, and looked like he was fighting to stay up on his feet. Silver frowned, remembering what future Penumbra told him about the doctor. Had Eggman really killed his friends? He wasn't exactly in the best condition right now.

The white hedgehog pushed that thought to the back of his head as he trained his wary gaze on Boar. The mech looked the same as he did in the future: violent and deadly. A cold shiver travelled down his spine, and he resisted the urge to throw the bot off the thick wall. Don't provoke him, he reminded himself.

"There isn't any need for fighting, right now at least." Espio continued after his previous statement. The chameleon gestured over to the human and robot. "Eggman and Boar are on our side."

Rouge, standing beside a silent Omega, eyed those two up and down. "Are you completely sure about that?"

Instead of the chameleon, Eggman responded with a nod, readjusting his glasses. "As much as I despise working with all of you annoyances, especially now that there are more of you, I hate working with that cursed reptile even more," he spat, "So yes, I don't mind having a momentary truce. I-" When a guttural growl interrupted him, Eggman scanned the crowd for the source of the noise. Nummy was snarling at the human, a fire raging in his maroon orbs. The scientist subtly scooted closer to Boar. "Ah Penumbra. It's good to see you again."

Rosy was pushing against Nummy as he crept forward with his lips pulled back. "Stop it Nummy! They aren't the enemy right now!" Penumbra seemed to be ignoring her, and she pleaded to the crowd. "Can somebody help me out here?"

"Actually no. Nobody move." Boar crouched down to Nummy's level, his metallic spines expanding and his voice becoming more jeering. He snickered when Penumbra turned his attention to him, still growling. "Let him loose! I haven't gotten to kill anyone yet, and the rat would be a great warmup."

"No, you dense robot! Did you not hear what I just said?" Eggman chastised, and Boar rolled his eyes. He settled on his hind legs, somewhat relaxing his stance.

"Tell him that." The mech gestured over to an intimidating Penumbra. "Or else I might get a little testy…"

"You better gain more control of him, doctor." Blaze narrowed her hardened golds at Boar, everything about her stiff and alert.

"And you better just worry about yourself, kitty-cat," Boar retorted coldly, "Never know what might happen to you."

"Are you threatening me?" Blaze's ears were flattened against her head, and Silver could feel heat coming off of her.

"Blaze…!" Silver had the plan to calm her down, but he was ignored.

"Well, I'm sure not complimenting your bright personality, now am I?"

When Blaze's hands were engulfed with flames, the psychic decided that it was time to cool things down. The cat never got riled up like this, and while Silver understood why, now was definitely not the best time.

He stood in between the feuding duo. "Calm down, Blaze! We need you levelheaded right now!" He then gave Boar a pointed look after the feline put out her flames, trying to keep his own anger at bay. "We all need to work together to save Sonic and Shadow."

"Those names mean absolutely nothing to me."

Silver's brow twitched. Espio took charge at his annoyed silence. "We need to get focused, for we don't have a lot of time before we lose our advantage." He glanced over to a still clearly agitated Penumbra. "Especially him."

Red went over and placed a mitt on Nummy's shoulder, temporarily gaining the attention of the striped rodent. "Stop, Penumbra. Believe it or not, we're all friends here."

Nummy looked at the echidna like he was spouting nonsense, but eventually, he backed down. His glare directed at the human and robot did not lose any heat.

"How long are you talking about, Espio?" Amy asked, tearing her stare off of the menacing Boar. Her uncertainty about this whole situation was obvious on her face.

"Fifteen minutes, and I'm being optimistic." The chameleon took a deep steadying breath. "That's how long it would be until they realize that he's missing." He bobbed his head over towards a barely listening Boar.

"And there is no telling what that chameleon would do to those two walking pincushions when he finds out." Eggman added on, rubbing the mysterious collar around his neck.

"It's nice to know that you care, doctor." Rouge's lips had marginally curved upwards.

"I do not! I just want to destroy them and all of you on my terms, not his!"

"Yeah yeah, knowing that the doc has a heart is fine and dandy, but…" VC ended that conversation. "We need to go save them, like NOW."

"No. Not all of us." Those statements from the purple reptile halted any potential actions. "Everyone shouldn't go down there and become a target, and also, everyone isn't needed. For Shadow and Sonic to escape, all they need is for Penumbra to teleport them out of there."

Grey glimpsed over to said hedgehog before scrunching his nose up. "Yeah um, no offense, but you must be out of your mind if you think sending him down there by himself is a good idea. Penumbra's not all the way with us yet, and well…having him back in the other you's greedy little grasp is a giant step backward. It'll be one more trapped friend for us, and one more weapon for him."

"I never said that he was going alone," Espio corrected him, and Grey blinked owlishly. "I was going to suggest that he go in with you and Silver, actually."

Silver was just going to go with it, understanding the urgency of the situation, but it seemed like his twin wasn't satisfied without a reason. "Why us?"

"It's because of your powers," Tails provided an answer, tapping his chin, "Your telekinesis will still work on the robots, so if you run into any of them, you can hold them off until Penumbra gets to Sonic and Shadow." The kit then hopped out of the cockpit and hovered over to Silver, handing over a spare communicator. "I can guide you guys to the exact location thanks to Espio."

The psychic tossed the device once. "Sounds like a plan." I would do anything for the fate of the future.

"Sure does!" Grey smiled confidently. "Well get them out in no time! No worries!"

"Good. Now that's set." Knuckles tapped his foot in thought. "But what about the Master Emerald? I believe that now's the perfect time to get to the gem as well."

"I second that." Rouge agreed with the guardian. "When they find out that something's not right, who knows what they'll do. My fear is them somehow taking the beauty somewhere else."

Espio seemed to ponder that for a second. "That's not a bad idea," he muttered, an amber iris zeroing in on the radio in his palm, "I can lead you two there, since the room it's kept is farther away." The ninja then addressed Tails, "But just in case-"

"Being the GPS for two different groups would be kinda hard." The kit scratched the back of his neck. He then peered back at TT, his quiet twin occupying the seat behind him. "Think you can help with this, other me?"

TT blinked in slight surprise, recovering a brief moment later. "I…s-sure?"

"It'll be easy." Tails grinned as he searched for another communicator.

"I'm going after the Master Emerald too." Red stepped up beside Knuckles. "If that thing is stubborn as hell, then you'll be glad that I'm there," he said in response to the guardian's change in expression.

"I'm going t-"

"No you're not."

Boom's brow creased at Red's swift decline of his offer. "And why the hell not? I'm not just gonna sit up here and wait-"

Silver barely noticed the echidna's glimpse over at Eggman and Boar, and by the inaction of those two, he believed that they hadn't caught it. The doctor looked barely awake, and the robot wasn't paying attention to their talk at all. He was gazing blandly out at the landscape.

"Just in case," was all that Red said.

Boom huffed, irked, but he yielded anyway. "Hurry up and shut down that thing so I can kick some ass."

The echidna's lips twitched. "That's the plan."

"We'll call for reinforcements if things go awry and we can't handle it alone." Espio nodded over to the twin foxes before focusing on Silver. "Good luck."

"You'll need it we than we will." The psychic tucked the device in his glove, gesturing over at Penumbra a second afterward. "Let's go Nummy. We have to go save Sonic and Shadow."

Penumbra frowned confusingly at him, and Silver didn't know or not whether the striped Mobian had completely understood him. It was weird and something to get used to. However, before he could attempt to change his words up, determination shone in Penumbra's dark eyes. "Save Sonic and Shadow. Have to."

Silver watched as Nummy approached, wondering if he would end up the same as he was in the future…minus the murder happy part. Or would his personality path change after this? Only time would tell.

When the darker one got close enough, the white hedgehog used his powers to make Penumbra float, planning to help the other get down to solid ground. Penumbra didn't seem to mind. Golden irises then drifted over to the other group, seeing them lining up at the edge of the wall. Red and Knuckles were going to glide, and Rouge was going to carry Espio down.

Silver turned toward Blaze when a thought popped inside of his head. She was looking askance at Boar out of the corner of her eye. "Just stay away from him," he advised lowly, "I know that this feels all sorts of wrong, but he isn't on the evil Espio's side anymore. And technically, he hasn't killed anyone."

"Yet." The cat's stare pierced his. However, it was clear that she had lost some steam. "But I'll keep that in mind. I shouldn't have let him get to me like that. He's currently an ally, no matter how untrustworthy."

"Enough talking to your girlfriend!" Silver grunted when one of his arms were grabbed and pulled. Grey's impatience had apparently taken over. "We gotta go!"

Silver managed to put back together his scrambled mind just in time to surround himself in cyan when he was suddenly airborne. "She's not my girlfriend!" he harshly whispered.

To his chagrin, he was waved off and left behind by Grey who was following Espio's group down to the entrance.

Silver then addressed an observing Penumbra. "Don't listen to him."

Nummy blinked. "Okay?"

Feeling slightly better, Silver trailed after his flying double.

"There was not anyone up there. You are just paranoid and-"

Metal Sonic silenced himself once he had flown into the room containing the Master Emerald, realizing that his specific audience was nowhere to be found. All that greeted him was the jewel itself and the lesser robots finishing armor that the chameleon had imagined up.

The blue bot grounded himself in the middle of the busy room, noticing loose wires curled on the floor by the luminescent gem. That reptile must have taken the doctor and Boar to join in with the rest of those children. The next individual who referred to him as an 'uncle' would be immediately dismembered without a second thought.

Metal eyed the metallic suit being assembled in the corner of the room before making his way toward the Master Emerald. It was about time that he got a taste of the power the newer series was bathing in. The azure mech gingerly picked up the wires, examining the ends of them. They should fit perfectly. One small panel on his side slid open to revel notches underneath.

The abiotic Sonic connected the wires to himself, and when they were secure, Metal shifted his focus to the machine holding the Master Emerald. He pressed a couple buttons, flipped a couple switches, and waited for a change. There instantly was one.

It was like he was being filled up with a mix of raging fire, crackling lightning, and radioactive waste. It was tingling inside of him, causing him to feel – as living people would label it – numb. However, it didn't cause him alarm. Metal rose his arm and gazed at his open palm, it prickling under the surface of his metallic hide. The energy was changing him, empowering him.

Metal Sonic then let his hand fall when the machine signaled that the process was done. He disconnected the wires and gave the glowing green diamond in front of him a long look. It was at this point right now that Metal believed that dumping that fat doctor was the best choice he had ever made.

Eggman was a fool, inadequate. He made grave mistakes that kept Metal from his end goal. Granted, the purple chameleon was keeping him from killing his irritating copy as well, but this was planned. Metal had agreed to causing the hero much harm before seeing the life flee from his tortured eyes.

With that image floating around in his artificial mind, Metal returned his gaze to the suit of armor. It was almost complete, and he would be able to infuse the energy into it. However, Espio was more than able to do that himself. Metal Sonic would babysit while the reptile finished the project that he started. The bot was done with anything construction.

So going with that course of action, the azure mech turned on his heel, activated his boosters, and went to search for that crafty chameleon.

It didn't take too long to locate them. When Metal had gotten close enough to hear the yells and the cheers and the explosions, all he had to do was to follow the noise…after stopping his energy circulation of course. Couldn't be too careful.

The blue robot decreased his speed and touched down as he approached a set of automatic doors, voices coming from beyond them. They weren't as loud as before, but they were still noticeable.

It wasn't long before the motion sensors detected him, and he was greeted with an interesting sight. The chameleon and the robots he had taken were currently in a medium-sized room with one wall being completely glass so that one could view the marine plants and animals. However, the clear pane wasn't what was eye-catching about the space.

There were blood stains splattered randomly along the walls and the floor, accompanied by burn marks on the metal with no set pattern as well.

Espio was leaning leisurely on the left wall, arms loosely crossed with a satisfied smirk on his face. Whatever that was causing the entertained expression was positioned in the center of the room.

There, Bat was sitting comfortably on top of an unconscious – Metal could unfortunately see him breathing – Shadow. The striped hedgehog had seen better days. Bruises that stood out even against his dark fur littered his entire body, hand-sized portions of fur had been burned away, a thick puddle of blood was forming below the still body, and an arm was bent at a horribly wrong angle.

Neither Bat nor Espio were paying attention to the Ultimate Lifeform though. They were intently gazing at Psy and Omega. The white mech was holding Rabbit's bat up with his powers close to the red and black bot. One of Omega's hands had been changed into a flamethrower, and flames were swallowing up the top half of the sporty weapon.

Rabbit stood to the side, watching while red and orange tendrils danced. Wrapped up in one of her elastic ears was a barely conscious Sonic. The azure Mobian was hanging by his wrists. He was in no better condition than Shadow, panting heavily with his expression permanently twisted up in a pained grimace. Metal discerned the fright swirling beneath those emerald orbs of his.

He saw that Boar and Eggman were nowhere to be found. The chameleon must've grown tired of the doctor as well, having milked him for what he was worth. Boar was a convenient garbage disposal.

Bat was the first one to notice the new arrival.

He waved enthusiastically as Metal stepped fully into the room. "H-Hey Uncle M!" Sonic's metallic double resisted the very strong urge to tear the winged one apart. No. Not now. After this plan was a success, then he could dish out some discipline. "Y-You're just in time!"

All eyes were on him now. He reveled in how tense Sonic became when the hero locked his unfocused gaze onto him. "For what?" he questioned, avoiding a red stain as he went to stand by Bat.

"Wh-Whack a mole!"

"WHACK A HEDGEHOG, TO BE TECHNICALLY CORRECT." Omega rectified, cutting off the fire spouting from his arm.

Rabbit bobbed her head over at Psy. "It's his turn up next, but… Psy, do you mind giving up your turn to Uncle since he just got here?"

The psychic bot communicated a silent negative as he moved the baseball bat in Metal's direction, its handle closest to the Sonic look-a-like. "Go to town," he said as Metal grasped the tool.

He examined it for moment, agreeing with the prospect of swiftly beating and burning his target at the same time. However, Metal had been basically doing things fast his entire existence. It was time to go slow.

"I will pass on that childish game," he commented, strolling toward a clearly uneasy Sonic.

"N-Now that was unnecessary…"

Metal disregarded Bat as he stepped up to the battered hero, staring his infuriating copy in his black and swollen eyes. The robot expected for the other to tremble in fear, knowing that he was completely powerless in this situation. But he should have known better. It seemed to take a lot out of Sonic to scowl and glare, his quills quivering in a weak attempt to bristle them.

There was a promise in those green eyes that would never get fulfilled if Metal had anything to say about it.

"Your attempt in threatening me is laughable, copy." The azure robot reached up and tore the cloth around the Mobian's neck away with his unoccupied fingers. Sonic silently yelled out in agony as the gash met open air again. Metal watched as blood dripped from it. "Try harder next time."

The mech dropped the stained wrapping before grabbing a handful of Sonic's head spines and yanking them down. Now he had better access. The hero weakly struggled as Metal rose the red-hot bat to the hedgie's throat. He wasted no time in pressing the scorching metal against the other's delicate skin, tears rolling down purple-splotched cheeks as sizzling filled the air.

Sonic's wriggling had increased in intensity, and his eyes were squeezed shut. Metal waited until the hero had ceased moving to remove the baseball bat. The blue body was limp, but his chest was struggling to rise and fall. He was still alive.

Metal Sonic returned the weapon to Rabbit. "Drop him," he ordered, and she did. Sonic slumped to the floor, his neck angrily blistering.

"How long have you been waiting to do that, huh Metal?" Said mech peered over his shoulder at the question. Espio pushed off the wall and sauntered over.

The not-Sonic produced a sound similar to a snort. "Long enough."

"I'd hate to be him right now." Rabbit nudged an unresponsive Sonic with her foot.

"I-I second that!" Bat chuckled.

"FROM ONE TO TEN," Omega started, "HOW MUCH DID YOU ENJOY THAT?"

"Seven," Metal replied after a moment, "When I kill him, my prime objective would be complete."

Espio's smirk widened. "All in due time." It then waned however when the chameleon glanced the way Metal had come. "Where's Boar and Eggman?"

"I should be the one asking that." Espio knew where those two were, not him. "You took them."

Metal did not understand why the chameleon suddenly tensed up. "I took them? What?"

Espio couldn't have possibly forgotten. The robot was beginning to believe that something wasn't quite right here. "You watched the doctor and I finish Boar, and then you sent me to investigate a suspicious noise. When I came back, you, Boar, and the doctor were gone."

The chameleon's eye was widened to its fullest. This was the most shocked Metal had ever seen him. "That wasn't me…" he muttered.

"What do you mean that he was not…" The metallic Sonic trailed off, finally understanding his grand mistake.

"That wasn't me, Metal!" Espio hissed, his glare hotter than a thousand suns. He jabbed a finger over at Shadow and Sonic. "You take them back to their room and guard them!" Before Metal could respond, the reptile pointed at the bunny. "Rabbit, you and I are going back to the Master Emerald. Bat, Psy, and Omega, fly outside and search! Kill anyone you find," he growled, "Go!"

At first, no one moved. Psy tilted his head and addressed his coworkers. "Has he ever been this mad before?"

"N-Nope." Bat slowly stood up. "L-Like…he's really pissed right now."

Espio was basically trembling in rage. "And if you don't want that aimed at you, leave!"

The trio flew out of the room at record speeds. Rabbit hovered over to the chameleon, painlessly curled an ear around him, and soared out of sight. Metal was left alone with the two dead weights.

He had half the mind to just leave them where they were and go find the other sneaky chameleon, but then the plan would be in more jeopardy than it already was. If the two hedgehogs were rescued, then their chance of success would decrease about twenty percent. He couldn't allow that.

Sucking it up, Metal Sonic grabbed his meddlesome copy and the Ultimate Lifeform by the scruff of their necks and zoomed out of the painted room.

A handful of minutes passed before he turned onto the hall that contained the closet he was looking for. He noticed that the door was open, and he assumed that Espio had just forgotten to close it again after retrieving the captives.

His assumption was wrong.

The door had been broken down, and by the time he realized that, it was too late.

Metal only caught a glimpse of something white and black within the narrow space before he felt himself being hurled backwards, the rodents being ripped out of his grip as well. The robot bounced against the floor once and then remained in the air, having stabilizing himself.

He trained his red opticals in the direction of his assailant. Or to be more precise, assailants.

There were two white hedgehogs…two Silvers. One psychic had his palm facing the Metal Sonic, baring his teeth and radiating hatred. The other was completely ignoring him, appalled at the conditions of the two speedsters laying at their feet. He was probably the one who had torn them out of Metal's grip while the more aggressive one had shoved him away.

There was a third newcomer as well, nearly identical to the bleeding Ultimate Lifeform on the ground. Penumbra was crouched low, his sharp dark irises glaring at Metal. Snarls escaped his mouth as he moved over Sonic and Shadow.

It was when Penumbra touched the two downed rodents and when the two psychics huddled closer to them that Metal knew he was on a very short timer. The robot activated his boosters and beelined straight for the small group. They couldn't get away. He refused to let another get away.

There was a bright light, and Metal's fist hit nothing but a resistant wall.

The mech just stared, frozen, but then he punched the tough surface again and again until there was a deep enough dent in it. He pulled back with his hands clenched at his sides. He had to find them. They could possibly be anywhere, and that was the problem. However…it would be idiotic of them to teleport somewhere in the base. They had to be outside.

Metal whirled his head in the direction of the exit. Psy, Bat, and Omega were ordered to kill whoever they saw. He had to get to his copy first.

Resolve set, the robot took off.

There was no proper conversation after the two groups left. The only words produced had been by the pair of kits, who had both been looking at the radar and giving directions when it was needed. Tails had gone silent however, and the ones that noticed figured that Silver's group had made it to their destination.

Boom wasn't one of those people. He was too busy eying Boar with his arms crossed and foot tapping. The hedgehog wished that the bot was a pile of scraps – and that he was the one to make that happen – but he fully realized that having the mech on their side would…help their situation.

Boom felt sick just thinking that.

And he could bet anything that he wasn't the only one who felt that way. The others were giving the red and black replica wary glances, Boar himself either not detecting them or not caring. He was staring at the shallow waves below.

Eggman was the only one not keeping an eye on the mech, for the doctor was barely keeping himself awake. The human had sat down and was fighting exhaustion. Boom didn't feel any type of sympathy – it was the doctor's own damn fault for letting the chameleon get close in the first place – he just added another thing on the list to hate that jackass.

The blue hedgehog returned his keen gaze to Boar, and he narrowed his eyes. The robot was slightly leaning over the edge now, like he was looking at a specific something in the distance. Boom zipped over to the ledge beside Boar. "What in the hell do you-" His breath hitched when he spotted a clump of bots by the entrance of the base. There was a white one, a winged one, and…and the other Omega. Boom let loose a guttural growl before snapping his attention to Boar. "You weren't going to effing tell us?!"

There was a gleam in those carmine opticals that the azure Mobian didn't like. "What? You don't like surprises?"

Boom turned away before he did something he regretted. The trio of mechs had flown apart now, most likely searching for them. The speedster backed away from the edge and saw that everyone was curiously staring at him and Boar.

"What's going on, man?" Rogue questioned.

"Psy, Bat, and Omega are down there," Blaze, who had investigated as well, answered lowly.

"And those shits are probably flying around to get us," Boom whispered, "So if everybody shuts up, then we won't be found." Even though his nature was telling him to go down and fight, he knew that would do nothing but make things ten times as difficult.

"But…they'll find us eventually, won't they?" Rosy had more than a hint of worry in her voice.

"Hopefully we'll have Sonic and Shadow by then…" Tails commented optimistically, "And the second group would have shut down the Master Emerald so we can actually damage them."

VC ran a hand down his face. "I really don't like this."

"It doesn't matter if you like it or not, handbag," Boom spat, his nerves growing worse by the second, "Because it's happening."

Before the croc could say anything about the nickname, a bright light filled their retinas. It was gone after a millisecond, and in its place were five hedgehogs. Three were standing, and two were laying limp on the ground.

Boom couldn't help but to gasp at the state of Shadow and Sonic. They were both in horrid condition with broken bones and burns and bruises. What…What did that fucked up chameleon do to them?

"Oh Chaos!" Rosy covered her mouth in horror as everyone – sans Eggman and Boar – gathered around them.

"Sonic!" Amy quietly cried out before kneeling by the unconscious hero. "Shadow!" She scanned both of them as tears formed in her eyes. "What…happened?"

"We don't know…" Silver breathed out. "We just saw Metal Sonic bringing them back to the room."

"Jeez…" Rogue seemed physically ill. "That looks worse than how we had it…right Silv?"

"Unfortunately for them, yeah." Grey swallowed thickly before pointing at the duo. "Penumbra, heal them."

"And do it quick too," Blaze added, gazing around before focusing on the scene in front of her. Her expression was one of concern and of anxiety. "The evil Omega, Bat, and Psy are out here looking for us," she informed the psychics. Silver gritted his teeth, and Grey pulled at his ears.

"Just great!" the latter whined.

"Hurry up!" Boom barked at Penumbra when the hedgie hesitated. "Heal them!"

Nummy seemed distressed, examining both of their bodies. It was like he didn't even know where to start. "Where?" he asked.

"Start with the worst first," Vector provided, biting his lower lip. "The broken bones."

Penumbra leaned over to begin working on Shadow's bent arm, but a voice stopped him. "Wait!" It was Eggman by the edge, more awake at this new development. He was trying to conceal his worry, but it wasn't working. "You have to set the bones first! Otherwise…"

"They'll heal wrong!" Tails hovered out of the Tornado and sat by Sonic, on the verge of breaking down. The kit gently grabbed the hero's broken leg. "S-Someone help me with this!" Amy, eager to help, positioned herself. By Shadow, Rogue had taken hold of the striped Mobian's arm. Tails counted down. "O-Okay, three…two…one!"

Disguising snaps filled the air.

Ruby and emerald eyes flew open.

The two speedsters shot up from their laying positions simultaneously, groaning in unison.

Red orbs darted all around at the people surrounding him, and the striped hedgehog marginally relaxed when he didn't see any threats. He was safe. He was in agony everywhere, but he was safe. Shadow gave Sonic a sidelong glance to notice how immensely relieved the hero was. The blue Mobian was attempting to smile, but it came out as a pained grimace instead.

"Sonic! Shadow!" Silver gained both of their attentions, and Shadow creased his brow at the sight of him and another Silver standing beside him. Was that…the Silver they knew before? The time traveler? Why was he here…with Blaze?

"What…?" he inquired, perplexed.

"It's a long story," Silver provided before changing the topic up, "What did they do to you?"

"Doesn't…" Shadow's voice cracked, and every word – every breath – pained him. "…matter. Need to…" He felt chaotic energy emitting from Penumbra. Or more specifically, Penumbra's quills. He mentally locked onto that Chaos emerald, and began the process of painstakingly healing his internal injuries.

"It does matter!" Amy refuted, "We have to know so they can pay!" She faced the azure hero. "Sonic? What happened?"

Sonic slowly shook his head, his lips pressed in a thin line. When he caught Shadow's dull gaze, the Ultimate Lifeform informed the rest. "He…can't talk…" Sonic subtly nodded when the shocked others focused on him. Shadow continued, "Tribute to…Mephiles…"

Boom resisted cursing loudly at the sky. He was literally two seconds from exploding. What kind of effed up shit was that!?

Vector violently stomped the ground. "Now that's just messed up! Forget his leg, heal his throat first!"

At that, Penumbra directed his hands toward Sonic's neck, but the hero shook his head frantically before gesturing down at his severely broken leg. Nummy gave him an odd look, but placed his palms on the speedster's thigh anyway.

Blaze sighed. "Should've expected that."

"So where's…" Shadow took a steadying breath. "The others…?"

"Knuckles, Red, Espio, and Roo went in the base to shut down the Master Emerald, bro." Rogue enlightened him before tensely rubbing the back of his neck. "Oh and uh…we just found out that the evil Omega, Psy, and Bat are out here searchin' for us."

Both Shadow and Sonic stiffened in alarm. "Dammit…" the former hissed, trembling in pain and anger. "We have…to hurry then…so-"

"Hey you four down there! The people you're looking for are up here!"

A person could hear a pin drop.

It was silent when the group swiveled their necks in Boar's and Eggman's direction. The Penumbra look-a-like was waving at something down below. They could all guess what.

"No…" Grey was panicking. "No no no no no!"

Boom sped to the ledge, wishing that the damned robot was just pulling their legs. There was no one down there. Boar wasn't speaking to anyone.

His wish didn't come true. When he peered over, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of Omega, Bat, Psy, and Metal Sonic gathered by the entrance of the underwater base. They were all staring back up at him.

If looks could kill, Boar would have been a melted puddle of goo.

"What?" the mech asked innocently, shrugging his shoulders, "I was bored."

No one likes a snitch, Boar.

Next chapter…here they come!