The six air cruisers had landed outside the cave, their noses pointed straight into the cave entrance. Probably so they could all shoot.

Tails swallowed as he ran, charging through and around the combots, between the cruisers. His heart pounded and he whipped his tails together.

He hovered towards the remains of the closest cruiser, mentally wrapping the ring shield around his whole body. The combot blasts ricocheted off the energy field behind him. At least half the combots were following him.

The minute Tails reached the first cruiser, he dove beneath its underbelly, past its burning nethyl packs, and began ripping at the maintenance door to the nose of the cruiser…and the machine gun compartment.

Please shoot, please, please still shoot.

The knockout gas crept over the fading edges of Sonic's shield.

Sonic had tried pushing forward, hoping he could somehow force the combots back with his shield. But it flickered too much. The more he spread it out, the thinner it got and the shorter it lasted. He could have tried taking Sally and running again, but then the combots would just follow in the cruisers.

He grit his teeth. It was a now or never deal. His best bet was to stay put and hope Tails once again knew what he was doing.

Sally had lodged as many flat rocks into the crevice as she could, like a series of levers. She pushed and pulled on them and bit by bit the stone block began to pull free from the wall.

Sonic coughed. The shield thinned and gas billowed through the edges. The ring's glow dimmed.

Sonic made a face. An acrid taste hit the back of his mouth and tiny black spots started to stab at his vision.

"How's it goin'?" He blurted.

Sally breathed hard behind him. "It's—it's-"

"When this thing goes down, I'm going to pull with you as hard as I can, okay?" Sonic said. He wrinkled his brow. It was hard to talk. "You got that, Sal?"

"Yes…yes, I do," she grunted.

Sonic pinched his lips together. She sounded spacey.

The taste of the gas pressed into his consciousness, seeping into his pores, trying to smother him.

"Blech," Sonic spat, dropping his head.

He blinked. The next thing he knew, his knees hit the ground.

Sonic gasped, shaking his head. He crouched against the rocks covering the cave floor, gritting his teeth. He coughed hard and forced a cynical smirk.

C'mon, being put under twice in one day? That just stunk.

"Sonic!" Sally's voice mumbled over him. "Don't let the shield fall!" Her weight dropped against his backspikes and her arms slipped around his waist. Something, probably her, tried to pull him back to his feet, but then she fell next to him.

The two of them sat, braced against each other. Sally started crying again.

Sonic tried to pat her back. "Shh, shh," his voice slurred.

He was still holding the ring, right?

He checked and saw Sally gripping his arm, trying to hold it up, trying to steady the ring. She was off balance, they both were.

The ring evaporated before their eyes. The shield broke.

Gas cloaked the room.

Sally's head slumped against his shoulder.

Behind the gas, combots marched, coming closer.

Sonic gazed at them, his eyes glassy. Oh, yeah…He had to run.

Sonic tried to get up, but he made a face. He couldn't feel his legs. That should have scared him, but it didn't.

He was tired.

Where was Tails?

"Thanks for trying, Sonic," Sally mumbled.

"Hey…no…prob…," he said.

He'd always liked her.

Shadows of the combots approached through the gas. Sonic's ears flicked up, listening to their footsteps grinding across the cave floor, towards them.

For a second, clarity shot through Sonic's eyes.

They were going to kill her.

Sonic lay back, pushing his body over Sally. She didn't move beneath him. He stared up at the cave ceiling and frowned at it, clenching his fists. His chest heaved as he sucked in a last breath-

And the world swirled before his eyes. Somewhere at the center of the swirl, a blurred shadow loomed over him. He tried to speak, but his mouth couldn't move. A long arm extended towards him and cold metal seized his throat. The muzzle of a blaster pressed against his temple.

Something blew up…

…And the swirl closed in on itself, blacking out the world.