A red laser zinged off off the ground narrowly missing Sonics foot and leaving a burn mark where it landed. The blue hedgehog leapt sideways then steadied himself before aiming a spindash at the robotic arm that had fired at him. He was trying his best to be careful and only hit the weapon not the robot. The elf robot seemed to sense his trepidation and countered easily.

Sonic gritted his teeth. This was impossible! The elves had engaged the restoration in battle no sooner than they had arrived. Sonics friends were trying their best to get through the blockade of Elves to fight the badniks but the Elves were not letting up. Sonic suspected they were deliberately shielding the badniks for some other nefarious purpose. The smaller, lighter robots all seemed to be heading further into the town. Sonic was trying his best to get through and find out what they were up to but the elves thwarted him at every turn.

He hoped Tails and the doctor came up with a plan soon, there seemed to be no safe way to incapacitate the elves. Overhead Sonic could hear the whirring of the tornados engine and the occasional 'pew pew' of the little fox firing down at the badniks bellow. There was another sound way above his head. A whistling noise growing closer and closer. Dodging another shot from the Elf he was fighting Sonic turned his attention skyward. Something was rocketing towards him. Something black and blue.

Sonic followed the incoming blurs trajectory around the corner into a side street where it crashed hard into the ground with a scream of metal and a shower of sparks.

"Shadow?" Sonic gasped as the black hedgehog jumped up and away from the blue creature embedded in the pavement. "And metal?"

The robotic copy of Sonic was slowly getting to its feet. It looked as though it had been in pretty bad shape even before it had crashed out of the sky. It's paint job was flaked and wires were exposed around its core. Judging by the fact that it hadn't insulted him yet Sonic guessed it's voice box must have been damaged after its last butt whooping.

Shadow aimed a flying kick at its face but the metal monstrosity countered. It grabbed hold of his leg and swung him painfully hard into the wall. Dust and brick filled the street.

Sonic attacked and hit Metal hard in its chest. It flew a few feet backwards in a crumpled heap. As the creature rose to it's feet Shadow dusted himself down and joined the fray.

"Nice of you to drop in." Sonic quipped. The two hedgehogs whirled towards the robot. "I don't recall your invite reading 'plus one' though."

"We were ambushed on the egg carrier." Shadow grunted and he lifted Metal Sonic high above his head and threw him into a waiting Sonic. The blue hedgehog volleyed the robot back towards his moody counterpart.

"The carrier?" Sonic said quickly. "And who do you mean we?"

"Myself, Rouge, your girlfriend…"

"Not my girlfriend." Sonic interrupted. Metal had taken advantage of him being distracted and booted him hard in the ribs.

".. The wolf and the lemur." Shadow finished. "Eggman was anticipating our arrival. He set a trap for us using the master emerald."

"Where are the girls now?" Sonic demanded urgently.

Shadow punched metal in its face breaking the casing around its eyes. "I was a little distracted by blue boy here." He growled. "I'm sure they're holding their own."

Sonic jabbed at his ear piece.

"Ames, can you hear me?" He called. No response.

After all that had happened with Santabot Sonic had insisted that Amy bring her communicator with her on this mission. If she was ok there was no way she wouldn't answer.

"Girls?" Sonic tried again. This time he heard an eerie laughter in the background.

Enraged Sonic turned to his copy.

"We're going to have to wrap this up." He snapped.

Sonic span straight at Shadow who grabbed the blue blurs arms and flung him straight up into the air. Once he had gathered momentum Sonic turned himself into a ball and rocketed like a bullet from a gun hard into Metals chest. As he ground deeper and deeper into the metal the light in the robots eyes and he slumped to the ground. Sonic back flipped and landed next to Shadow with a flourish.

"We need to get onto the carrier." Sonic said firmly. "We're not gaining any ground here. We have to help the girls out with this weapon. Lets head outside the city so Tails can land and get us"

Shadow nodded his agreement. Both hedgehogs were preparing to retreat when a large shadow blocked their path. An elf was lumbering towards them.

"Crap." Sonic swore. He turned back to the other end of the street when he became aware of a bright light behind him and an intense heat.

Spinning around he saw a purple cat surrounded by flames. She was facing the elf with a ball of fire growing between her paws.

"No!" Sonic yelled.

He and Shadow moved forwards as one and slammed into the cat, knocking her off of her feet. The cat turned on them angrily, her eyes glowing more dangerously than the flames that surrounded her. When she saw it was Sonic her face fell into a look of pure confusion.

"There's a kid in there!" Sonic shouted.

Blaze dimmed her flames and leapt to her feet alongside the two hedgehogs. The three of them ran back out into the wider street where Sonic had been fighting before Shadow had fallen out of the sky. All around them the restoration were trying anything they could to slow the elves down without hurting them.

"The Sol emeralds have sent me here believing you are all in danger." Blaze explained.

Sonic gave a half hearted laugh and waved vaguely at the chaos all around them. "What ever gave them that idea?"

"What is the situation?" Blaze asked.

"Don't hit the big robots." Sonic instructed. "Eggmans put kids inside them. If we break the robot we break the child. Shadow and I are heading for the egg carrier. There's some sort of weapon on board that can destroy the whole town."

"It appears the Egg carrier is coming to you." Blaze pointed out.

Sonic and Shadow followed her outstretched finger up into the sky above the town. The carrier was moving slowly into place over the town center casting a dark shadow on the streets below. Sonic noted that there was an indentation in the middle of the carrier. Something green sparkled at its epicenter.

"The master emerald!" Knuckles shouted.

"That boys got a one track mind." Sonic sighed.

Vector emerged from amongst the crowd and ran over to Sonic flanked by his fellow chaotix.

"The badniks have been pushing everyone towards the middle of the town." The crocodile snapped. "Right underneath the emerald."

"It's going to fire straight down on them!" Charmy squeaked. "What can we do?"

Sonic thought hard. Their best shot of stopping this was still getting aboard the egg carrier and stopping eggman from activating the weapon in the first place.

"Just keep trying to get through to the center!" Sonic instructed the others. "Shadow, Blaze, Silver with me."

The others followed Sonic quickly through the streets as he headed for the large open space outside the city. He stuck his finger in his ear as he ran.

"Tails," He shouted. "We need a ride. Meet us outside the town ASAP."

Overhead he head the tornado swooping into position. After a few moments Tails voice buzzed in his ear.

"Not sure that's the best plan at the moment." The fox said cautiously.

"What?" Sonic demanded as he screeched to a halt at the town gates. "Why?"

Tails didn't need to answer. As they reached the open fields beyond the town Sonic and his companions were stopped in their tracks. There were four new elves stood waiting for them. But these elves were different. Although similar in size their casing was completely transparent. Eggman wanted him to see who was inside these robots.

"Amy?" Sonic breathed.