"There he is!" Gizmo called out as she spotted the familiar form of the Sea Fox descending towards the five of them.

To avoid attracting too much attention from other citizens, or the Empire, the group had moved to the small plain between Casino Night and Hill Top. The she-wolf then had Remi track her comm signal to home in on, and from there, it had been a matter of waiting.

Now that they were seeing the robot for the first time in another form, both Charmy and Espio were intrigued, though the latter kept his interest visibly more reserved. Vector, however, was focused on a different matter when he gave the Sea Fox a once over.

"How're we gonna fit?" he asked as he pointed out the rather snug cockpit, "looks like you could barely get two in there!"

Espio was also concerned by how they would manage that feat, but then, he noticed that the twins weren't worried. They first opened a panel on the side of the Sea Fox, where they dug out replacement belts for the ones they'd lost. The red wolf also swapped out his pair of gloves for another that was identical, except that they were fingerless, displaying the black claws he had at the end of his vermillion digits. The siblings loaded up each pouch with a different object, the amount of which struck him as odd. It was almost like the storage could hold more than would be possible for its size.

From there, Gadget hopped in the pilot's seat and checked over the instruments, while Gizmo leapt atop the vehicle and took position near the right fin. Charmy, meanwhile, floated on over next to the red wolf and made to perch on the edge of his shoulder. Just before he did, there was a gentle poof of smoke, and the bee was suddenly a fraction of his normal size, no bigger than Gadget's hand. The chameleon blinked, having been thrown for a loop as he watched the bespectacled canine glance over in the insect's direction and smile amicably. The one wearing goggles couldn't help laughing as she saw Vector's jaw drop at the sight of the tiny bee.

"Three, actually, thanks to Charmy's 'flight mode' there," Gizmo answered, clicking the grapplers on her wrists.

The big young crocodile gawped at that, then scowled at the teen insect. "Since when could you do that!?"

"Since always," Charmy replied in a much higher voice, still chipper as ever, "I just haven't had to use it since I met you guys."

Espio shook his head and allowed himself a slight smirk, contrasting the other reptile's voluminous grumbling. Gadget chuckled softly, clearing his throat once he'd had his fill of amusement.

"In any case, one of you gets to ride with Charmy and I," the wolf said, then peered up at his sister, "while the other one gets to surf on the roof with...Gizmo. It's going to take a bit to get used to that."

Vector was about ready to throw his hand in the air, only to have Espio lightly slap it down midway. The larger Animal glared, but the smaller one paid it no mind.

"I will ride on the outside with her," the chameleon volunteered calmly.

The purple lizard vanished out of sight for a blink, reappearing atop the Sea Fox with his head bowed and arms crossed, one foot braced against the left fin. The croc let out a puff of air as he reluctantly strolled over and climbed in behind the red wolf. A gleam showed in Vector's eyes as he scanned over all the buttons, switches, and knobs, his hands twitching. Charmy appeared to be on the same wavelength, as he also felt the temptation to mess with the extensive console in front of them. But, to their disappointment, when their gloves pressed and moved a few of the controls, nothing happened.

"Miles made it so that, unless he overrides it, only those with genetic registration can have their input received," Gadget remarked as he wiggled his bare fingers at them, "meaning him, my sister, and myself. It helps keep Remi out of enemy hands," he paused as he gave the two younger Animals a knowing look, "and reckless ones."

Vector withdrew and folded his arms, turning his head away and pretending he hadn't just tried anything. Charmy stuck out his tongue and returned to his place on Gadget's shoulder, humming and idly kicking his legs. The wolf tapped at a few more commands, closing the canopy and engaging the vertical thrusters. As the Sea Fox gradually rose into the air, Gizmo fired her right grappler so that the cable wrapped around the base of the fin, tugging her wrist to make sure it was good and tight. She watched as Espio knelt down and rested one hand on his own fin, the other one placed down against the surface with his palm flat.

"You might not be anchored enough there," she warned him in a half-playful tone, "Remi here can get mighty fast."

Her companion smiled politely and waved off her concern. "I will endure it, as I have other trials."

"Suit yourself," said the verdigris canid as she grinned, "I've got Gadget's grappler primed just in case you go flying."

With the flip of a switch and the pull of a lever, the jet engine on the back of the craft roared. The Sea Fox lurched forward, causing the two on top to buckle and nearly get thrown back by the force. Gizmo thanked the wire for keeping her steady, and was impressed to see that despite having no tether himself, Espio kept hold well enough. With how hard the wind was whipping, the she-wolf was forced to slide her goggles down, while the chameleon kept his eyes shut.

Inside the cramped cabin, Vector was pinned against the back of the dome, suddenly thankful he wasn't the one riding on the outside. Charmy cheerfully resisted the g-forces acting on him by clinging to Gadget's shoulder with one hand, the other pumped in an excited fist.

"Woo! Hang on, buddy, we're coming!" the bee proclaimed, pointing determinedly at the steadily approaching skyline of Metropolis outlined against the fading daylight.


The GBK was in a rather good mood, all things considered. They'd laid an effective siege on the nearby city, brought home a slew of prospective soldiers (avian or not, numbers were numbers), and procured enough materials to finish the doctor's latest and possibly greatest weapon ahead of schedule. Best of all, he'd expected two Emeralds to be delivered, only for twice as many to fall in his lap when Speedy and Fukurokov had returned. Only another pair remained, then the world would belong to the Empire.

There was the unfortunate damage to his son's exosuit, as well as the loss of the latest Mecha Golem. It also irritated him that Speedy, great as he was, was also apparently lacking in battle. Not only did he let the fox get the upper hand, he allowed his guard to drop when the doctor came to aid him. It was utterly embarrassing that the successor bearing the family name had performed so poorly. Even that last hit he got in on one of the teen's allies meant little in the grand scheme. At this rate, even if they won, that boy wouldn't be ready to assume his rightful responsibilities.

On the other hand, while Dmitri had been the one to inflict the most harm on Speedy, the Emperor reserved his anger; the boy should've been able to dodge it anyway. Besides, the aging engineer had been the one to snatch three of the Emeralds, and unlike the prince, had forced Prower to team up with his friends. True, the owl still lost in the end, but at least the enemy hadn't managed to steal the gems back from him. That the frail old bird had done this much, nevermind his other contributions, was worthy of recognition. To show how...magnanimous he was, he'd done away with the punishments he'd planned for the doctor after their victory.

Speedy had been furious at that. The heir hadn't spoken out, but the GBK had seen the smoldering in his son's eyes. The boy had been off lately, ever since Miles came knocking around again. He'd been restless and yet contemplative, though reticent to share his thoughts. It also seemed he harbored greater resentment towards the doctor, especially following the most recent mission.

'He was insistent on seeing the progress of our new weapon, too,' the leader considered, 'though if he thinks he'll be along for the maiden voyage, then he's mistaken unless he makes up for his faults.'

His ruminations were interrupted by one of the combatants at communications standing up straight with start. The little bird spun around and stiffly saluted, sweat running down his brow.

"Milord, units in Metropolis requesting immediate support!" he reported succinctly.

The GBK peered his way and nodded at the monitor in the center of the command room. "Open visual channels. I want an idea of the resistance before sending reinforcements."

The operators did as ordered, retrieving the feed from the survey drones they sent out. The sight that met them made their commander grip at his armrest so firmly, his fingers started denting the metal. Several cameras were inactive, indicating that the drones had either been disabled or destroyed. And in many more shots, the GBK saw his soldiers in rather bad shape. Walkers and pods were utterly scrapped, troops were laid out or recuperating, and the ruined shells of Badniks littered the streets along with the Animals the Empire had slain. His eyes darted over to one video, where he saw the perpetrators responsible.

That amber fox and his new blue hedgehog ally were blitzing through the city in the direction of the factory in front of the Battle Fortress. The former was cloaked in cyan light, bouncing between Badniks, Robo Kukkus, and ground troops like a pinball. The latter picked up the rear, taking out any stragglers that the older Animal passed by with little trouble himself. Closer examinations revealed that, for the most part, their forces had been struck in their most vulnerable spots, whether physical or mechanical, minimizing the effort needed to take them down. It was a brutal efficiency that the Emperor could respect, though the fact that his greatest foe was the one employing it just made him all the more livid. And at their speed, those two would be at the manufacturing plant soon.

"Put Dr. Fukurokov on the line," he ordered, taking in a few breaths while he lifted his specs and rubbed tiredly at his eyes.

A moment later, the engineer was on-screen, tapping away at his console. Upon seeing his leader, he snapped to attention.

"Is there something you need of me, Your Majesty?" he inquired.

"Prower has entered Metropolis and is currently heading east to our position," the GBK informed the doctor, "he'll be at the factory any minute." He slammed a fist down on the edge of his throne, startling the old bird. "Use whatever is at your disposal to keep him from sabotaging our operations and reaching the Battle Fortress." He grinned maliciously, something that sent shivers down the owl's back and made him involuntarily gulp down a mouthful of air. "Don't disappoint me as we near the last hurdle, Dmitri."

Dr. Fukurokov wasn't even given a chance to respond before the feed was cut. The old bird engaged the lift to Ovi's chamber, hoping that the man had something good for him. He wasn't ready to send out their bigger guns yet, especially as those were needed onboard the station. There were also more subjects that needed to be converted, so he couldn't go out himself. And who knew where the prince was after he excused himself from the debriefing?

When he arrived, however, he found neither hide nor mustache hair of the human. The work table where he'd been drawing up blueprints was bereft of papers and instruments, save for a curious disc-shaped object. The doctor waddled over and snatched it up, adjusting his spiral glasses as he examined.

"'To my friend, Dmitri,'" he mumbled, "'please accept this notice of my resignation'!?" His gnarled hands nearly tore at the edges of the paper from how they trembled. "'I am thankful for being able to achieve some of my dream designs with your aid, though I regret that I cannot stick around to see them take off. You know how it is, places to go, weapons to make, people to peddle them off to. More lucrative than world domination, though not that different if you think big enough. Maybe I'll build that theme park, too, once I can afford it. Anyway, I hope what you've gleaned from my work will help with your future endeavors. Sincerely, Dr. Ivo Robotnik.

"'P.S. I have decided to keep one project we'd been working on as my personal intellectual property. And a significant number of your more useful tools and designs. Also a reasonable contingent of Badniks. Think of it as payment for my services in lieu of legal tender.'"

Dr. Fukurokov shredded the note, then hastily went back up the lift to his lab and bolted out the door as fast as his aching bones would allow. He made his way to the elevator, where a couple of grunts were in the car that arrived. They saluted and moved aside, giving him plenty of space.

"Take me to the main vehicle bay, now!" he growled at them.

The combatants knew better than to question their superiors when they were in a mood and subsequently brought the elevator to where he'd demanded. They escorted him through the gunmetal gray hold lined with all their forms of transport and combat, from the little walkers to large cruisers. When the doctor reached one particular corner of the bay, he was further incensed to see a bare spot that he was expecting to be filled.

"That bloated bastard took the prototype hoverpod!" he screeched, stamping one foot childishly, "I hadn't finished getting all the specifications for it and he knew that! If I ever get my talons on him..."

The two combatants glanced at each other as their Number Three devolved into a tantrum. Today certainly was a mixed bag for one of their longest serving members.

"Scramble, damn you!" the owl commanded them, "His Majesty needs all available units to apprehend the fox!"


The front entrance of Metropolitan Industries was blown off its hinges as Miles plowed through the doors with a Chaos-powered Rolling Attack. To say that the open-air factory was massive was an understatement. It was like a town unto itself with its metallic green roads, towering brick and steel structures, tunnels composed of copper mesh cylinders, giant screws and lug nuts, and pipes of all shapes and sizes transporting all manners of materials. It was the sort of place that Miles would have loved, were it not being used for nefarious purposes.

"Slow down, big guy!" Sonic called after the fox, a bit surprised with himself, "man, I've never had to say that before."

The teen barely heard him, slamming into the knees of a walker with a Spin Dash and making it crumple.

"You've seen what they'll do, Sonic!" he shouted, "we have to take them down before it gets worse!"

He jumped and rolled over two pistons, riding the centripetal force of a mesh cylinder and then grinding up an incline. He pounced up a gap and propelled himself off a makeshift spring, Rolling up into an Attack that dismantled another barrier. The fox was given little time before a crab Badnik launched its larger pincer his way, which he avoided easily enough. Still clutching the cyan Emerald, Miles flipped over a second strike meant for him and delivered a fearsome axe kick to the main body, scrapping it with ease.

A pair of presses slammed up and down a handful of meters away, seeming a hazardous obstacle. Miles contended with them by tossing a pair of bombs at the base of their structure, making them fall apart and allowing the two to pull through the now-vacant gap unabated. They dropped through two shutters before they came to a road that would lead them higher or lower into the facility, electing to take the former of the two options. One of the many mantid Badniks that they'd encountered along the way stood in their path, flinging its scythe-like forearms at the fox. He bounded over the projectiles as though they were in slow motion, then caved the robot's head in with the Pikkon Hammer.

The two Rolled up and coasted down a steep decline that took them to a copper platform. It sank down once it registered their weight, bringing them into a hall where they passed through a second cylinder and found a floor switch. Shutters opened up, the pair dashing across a short stretch and dodging a second pair of giant pistons before coming to an odd groove in the terrain. Using momentum, the fox and hedgehog followed the curve and propelled themselves up a tall shaft lined with numerous yellow bumpers that served to bounce them to the top.

There, they encountered a team of four Robo Kukkus, all of which emerged from production pods, primed and ready. Their sights locked onto Miles and they opened their beaks, firing a volley of energy his way. The fox leapt over the blasts and whipped his tails to boost forward, Rolling up and smashing one of the machines to bits. The others scattered, repositioning themselves to try and gain an advantage over their foe. Sonic seized the opportunity, given that the Robo Kukkus weren't paying him any mind, and threw the Boomering at one of them. The projectile latched onto the leg of the robot maneuvering behind Miles, dragging it back to him and delivering it into his arms. The hedgehog hurled it at the one to the fox's left, causing both Robo Kukkus to fall to the ground at the same time the teen dismantled the third one with a quick and strong hammer blow. He holstered his melee weapon, then reached into one pouch and flung a bomb at the remaining two stunned robots, a shower of shrapnel following as the explosion consumed them both.

Miles didn't wait to catch his breath before destroying the pods and moving on, momentarily leaving Sonic behind. But, the hoglet was by his side just as they came to another tunnel, scaling a half-pipe incline and bouncing off a few more bumpers to reach a higher point in the factory, where a huge lug nut rested at the bottom of a towering bolt. The boys leapt atop the huge hunk of metal and started to run, feeling the nut rotate beneath them and steadily ascend up the access shaft. Around the halfway mark, Sonic pointed out a pair of light yellow starfish machines with gray holes in their cores that contained red eyes, and each of their five points had gray speartips. Just as both Animals noticed them, the robots seemingly self-destructed, firing their spines at their targets.

Miles grabbed Sonic with his free hand and hopped high in the air, handily avoiding the speartips and then putting his two tails to work. Once at the top of the passage, the fox saw that they had yet further to climb, or they could take a detour. The hedgehog coaxed him on the former option, and to make the journey faster, he tapped into the Emerald's power to increase his vertical speed. They passed and ascended another two nut and bolt towers, coming to a copper platform that moved on a track the moment they touched down. While thankful to rest his tails, Miles wasn't given much time, as a large group of starfish Badniks exploded above them, sending down a rain of spikes. Sonic threw up the Boomering to try and swat some away, while Miles threw out a couple bombs to blow them off course.

While not all of them were redirected, dodging the remainder was relatively easy, even with the limited space. At the end of the track was another mantis Badnik, which was downed by the Boomering before it could throw out its blades. Crossing two gaps lined with more yellow bumpers, the boys felt the air rapidly heat up. After a dozen or so meters, they stopped in front of a pool of molten metal with two conveyor belts carrying tiny platforms up and down.

"That's not very safety compliant," Sonic quipped.

Miles nodded and crossed his arms. "Yeah, but it's no problem for guys like us. You want to clear this in style?"

"Style is my middle name," the hedgehog said cockily.

The fox smirked. "I thought it was 'the'."

"Ahah, let's hear more talk like that. Folks like a wisecracking hero, after all!"

Miles rolled his eyes, but smiled all the same. "Come on, let's do this flashily."

The fox charged up a Spin Dash and took off, rolling down a brief slope and then jumping right at the edge. He soared over the expanse of bubbling fire and landed atop a platform on the further belt. Sonic was right behind him as he leapt to one of the bits of metal on the first belt, springing off of it on his hands. He flipped a few times in the air, then threw the Boomering so that it tethered to one of Miles' tails. The fox curled his rear limbs like a catcher's mitt, providing a cushiony landing for the incoming cobalt sphere. A few seconds later, when they reached the top of the belt, Miles used his tails like a catapult, hurtling Sonic through the air towards the other side. He went after the younger boy, performing a couple of tricks as he did so, like grabbing his heels with one hand and making a peace sign with the other. One after the other, they stuck a three-point landing, giving each other a thumbs-up.

After their short celebration, they came to an access point that, much like the ones in the Chemical Plant, forced them to Roll and shot them through the tube. Many yellow bumpers bounced them up the shaft on the other side, right into the path of a mantis and a pair of Kukku grenadiers. In tandem with the robot's blades, the birds tossed their own bombs at the boys, reaching into their belts to grab more. The ceiling in this corridor was low, but just high enough for Miles to lift himself and Sonic out of harm's way. He lobbed the younger Animal over the mantis, the blue boy Rolling into one of the grenadiers and knocking him flat. The other was about to retaliate with a second explosive, but Sonic reacted faster, snatching it out of the avian's hand with the Boomering. He kicked the bomb towards the insect Badnik, which was summarily dispatched, while Miles closed the distance and, with a swift blow to the neck, sent the remaining Kukku to join his unconscious friend.

Now unimpeded, the duo descended down a corridor with two colossal cogs at work, followed by a small pool of molten metal with two copper platforms above it with cross-shaped patterns and holes in the center of each side. Right as they were going to jump, Miles and Sonic stopped upon seeing spear points shoot out of said holes. Erring on the side of caution, they simply took several steps back, then dashed and leapt over the gap to the other side. The boys hopped up a high ledge and used the lug nut they found to go up the bolt shaft. They spotted two more of the starfish Badniks, though they could make out a passage that was almost hidden in some nearby copper mesh. Just as the robots did their thing, they ducked into the opening and came out in a brief drop towards another lug nut.

Sonic and Miles found themselves over yet more hot metal, but there was a safe path for them close to the end of the bolt. The two took this route, jumping across a short gap and continuing on through an automatic door, nearly running right into another crab Badnik. Miles flew above its restrictive punching range and used a Drop Attack to make quick work of it, leading him and the hoglet to a large chamber. A moving platform, two huge cogs, a vertically moving platform, and another of those spear cubes filled the space, with two openings at the top. Boring though it may have been, the fox went with the practical approach, once more lifting himself and his partner towards one of the presumed exits.

They went through a mesh cylinder and up another half-pipe curve, and kept on rising through the facility. Two bolts awaited them to scale, along with three mantids that were easily dealt with, now that the boys were quite familiar with how they operated. Flying to the highest part of this next chamber, Miles and Sonic used another access point that put them in front of a sliding door. On the other side, they continued upwards, utilizing two sets of yellow bumpers to make it to the top of the next stretch. Two more conveyor belts with platforms were there, and thankfully not dipping into metallic magma. Miles gave his tails a breather and rode the makeshift lifts with his friend up to the outcropping at the end. They passed through yet another cylinder, used a moving platform to reach yet more bumpers, and finally came out to a more open part of the town-sized factory.

It was here, however, that there were also several assembly lines and production pods that were hastily putting together more simple walkers, hoverpods, and Robo Kukkus. The latter of these constructs already had a few rows that hadn't been shipped out, all of which flickered to life the moment the two organic beings got close enough. The fox briskly counted their number, figuring them to be a few dozen strong, then pulled out the other Emerald and put the two gems into his tail fur for a moment as he tossed his utility belt to the hedgehog.

"We don't have time for this! Every moment we're delayed could mean more deaths and converts!" Miles growled, once more taking up the stones in his hands, "get out of my way, you defective rubbish!"

A cyan aura wrapped around his form, accentuated by small flashes and arcs of white lightning. His sclera seemed to glow along with the electric-blue shade and crackling his irises displayed, and his hair stood up as though it was charged with static. When the Robo Kukkus moved to engage, that's when the chaos happened. Sonic flipped open the bomb pouch and scattered almost the entire remaining stockpile into the air around the massive area, letting them rain down on the crowd and the assembly lines. Miles, now wielding two Emeralds, revved up a Spin Dash and released a miniature sonic boom as he barreled into the horde of artificial birds, the shockwave knocking many down and into the path of the falling explosives. He ricocheted off several of the machines before he uncurled, aiming the cyan Emerald at few more and letting loose a volleyball-sized sphere that matched the mineral's color. He would dodge and counter as needed, switching between Rolls, Jumps, and Spin Dashes as needed, using the gem's power a tad more sparingly to attack from a distance and heal injuries he sustained.

One after another, Robo Kukkus fell to the fox's onslaught and the hedgehog's improvisation, not to mention the spiny kid's own natural talents and use of the Pikkon Hammer. They eventually started dealing more damage to the production itself, and in the end, every last robot and vehicle, along with their means of creation, had been put out of commission. While the action had felt as though it dragged on, it had been a brief affair overall, though it still left the two panting a bit. Miles retrieved his belt and put the two Emeralds away, then took a moment to sit down.

"That might have saved us some time and effort, but I need a few moments," the fox said as he panted, one hand rubbing his forehead, "it's been a while since I've concurrently tapped into more than one Emerald."

Sonic wore a worried frown at his partner's winded state. "You haven't stopped using one until now, ever since we saw those folks in the streets...I'm upset, too. But, don't push yourself too hard, big guy. We've still got the final fight to deal with!"

"I'll be alright, kid," Miles attested, running a hand through his hair to smooth it down, "I just need to collect myself."

It took a little longer than he would've liked, but the teen soon felt good enough to get going again. At the end of their path was a set of brown platforms that led them out to a structure being moved counterclockwise by two immense cogs. They used this to reach an access point that was guarded by one of the punching crab Badniks, handily taking care of it before entering and moving on. The boys cleared the second set of cogs they'd found in this part of the complex, timed a sprint across a couple large pistons, and came to a bend that put them at the base of a nut and bolt shaft. The fox's ears perked up at the pop that he'd come to associate with the exploding starfish, grabbing his partner and diving beneath the lug nut to weather the rain of spear legs.

Once clear, Miles and Sonic worked together to get the nut to the next ledge, where they discovered a huge platform much like the one they encountered at the start of this area. The boys rode it up to a red spring, which they utilized to Roll up the wall and along the ceiling through an automatic door. The two balls of fur and spines kept up the pace to a half-pipe rise, leaping from the outcropping there to a higher ledge. A lengthy mesh cylinder exited out to an access tube that left the two in front of a steam press that frequently rose and fell. The pair hopped atop it, and at the apex, used the force beneath their feet to gain some extra air and reach lines of yellow bumpers further up the walls.

They ended up in a long corridor with three conveyor belts, a couple more steam presses, and a small pool of hot metal. The fox backed up the hedgehog once they cleared the final gap, propelling themselves up and landing in front of a mantis. The hoglet reacted quickly and Jumped at the thing just as it threw its sickles, crumpling it on impact. Miles made to avoid the blades, but moved more sluggish than he'd been expecting and took a hit to his left shoulder and one of his tails.

"Augh!" he cried out, dropping to his knees as he clutched his other arm and flipped his affected tail over his lap.

He'd lost some fur and was bleeding considerably, but it thankfully appeared to be nothing worse than moderate lacerations. With the same arm that had crimson dripping into the amber and tawny fluff, he reached into his belt and brought out the cyan Emerald. Through gritted teeth and icy hot pain, he mended the tears in his body back together, letting out a strained sigh once the energy faded.

"Easy, buddy," Sonic said as he helped the fox back to his feet, "you're getting sloppy. Maybe we should rest a bit more before we move on."

Miles pocketed his gem and shook his head, resting a hand on the other boy's shoulder. "No, I'm good. We just have a little further to go, right?"

The hedgehog said nothing after that, choosing to silently follow his partner up more yellow bumpers. With considerably more effort than he'd needed to expend prior, Miles carried them above and beyond a set of spear cubes and molten metal to a set of three cogs. Past the highest of these rotating parts was one more access port, though there were two mantids waiting on the other side, one on ground level and the other latched onto the ceiling. Not wanting his friend to suffer more of the same, Sonic hurled the Boomering at the upside down insect Badnik while using a Spin Dash to close in on the second. The weapon did its job on the first one, and the boy made sure the other focused its attention on him as it let loose. He Jumped over the blades at the last instant and brought down the second robot, catching the Boomering right after uncurling.

They ascended one nut and bolt shaft, then another right near the top of the first. Five successive pops sounded off, forcing the two to dodge and duck for cover under another volley of starfish spines. Afterwards, they spun the nut up the second bolt and bounded into yet another tube for them to be fired through. The path ended at a copper platform on a track that appeared to go over to the roof of an entirely separate building in the complex. But further east, about another kilometer or so away, was the shadow of the colossal Kukku craft that the fox knew all too well.

"There it is, Sonic," Miles said grimly, "the Empire's main base and greatest weapon: the Battle Fortress. Of course, it's partly submerged at the moment, so that's not its true size." He scanned around the area, noting how open it was, then nodded towards the seeming end of their trek through Metropolitan Industries. "That roof over there would be a good open spot for the others to meet up with us. Then we can make a plan of attack that'll allow us to get in, grab the Emeralds, and cripple the Battle Fortress, not to mention foil whatever else they've hatched up."

With step one right in front of them, the fox and the hedgehog rode on the platform over the vast chasm between buildings. It was only when they looked down did they realize they were at dizzying heights, comparable to skyscrapers in other parts of the city. And upon arriving at the other side, they encountered a sight that neither had been expecting.

There was a rotund man sitting in a small, egg-shaped hovercraft with black and yellow hazard stripes on the sides. It had a black circular hemispherical underside, rocket engines on the rear for propulsion and a small circular lamp on the front. The cockpit itself had a comfortable driving seat, a small windshield, and a control system that would've confused most minds. Not the fellow that was driving it, though, for he was none other than the one that had designed it, as well as many other things the Empire had made use of.

"Wo-ohohohoho!" the big fellow chortled, peering down at the Animals through his pince-nez specs, "so this is the mighty Miles Prower and his little sidekick." He frowned, leaning in to get a better look at the hedgehog. "Huh, you seem familiar, for some reason."

Sonic's eyes widened as he did the same, stroking under his chin and furrowing his brow. "No way. Is that you, Mr. Tinker?"

"Ugh, I hate that name," the man grumbled, sitting up straighter in his seat, "my real name is Dr. Ivo Robotnik, you furry little freak! And I am an unrivaled scientific genius, one unlike any the world has ever seen!"

Miles ran a hand over his face and sighed. He already had enough on his plate dealing with one evil scientific engineer that proclaimed himself as an unmatched visionary. He was a bit curious about Sonic's connection to the human, though that would have to wait. The fox had a bad feeling about where this strange sort-of reunion was going to go.

"And until recently, I had offered my services to the Battle Kukku Empire," Ivo went on, sweeping his arms in a wide and grand gesture, "now that I'm freelancing again, I think I'll set up shop in this wonderful little factory." He growled as he pointed at Miles. Scores of Badniks filed in around and behind him, composed of all sorts of land and air-based creatures they'd seen up to this point, as well as some that they hadn't yet fought. "So, away, before I make mincemeat out of you, fox boy!"

The fox cast his eyes the doctor's way, then all around at the horde of robots to contend with. While he was reluctant to admit it, the frequent and extensive usage of the Emeralds was starting to take a toll. On top of all the events that had transpired since that morning after leaving Casino Night, he was really feeling the fatigue starting to set in. Engaging a foe he knew little about aside from his contributions to the Kukkus wasn't the wisest move, even if he was familiar with how most of the Badniks operated. Retreating and recuperating before the storm to come would be the better move here.

'I can't just let someone else terrorize the people around here, though,' he debated internally, 'ooh, guess I'll just have to grit my teeth and dig my heels in.'

Just as he was about to dig in, Miles' sharp ears tilted in the direction of a far-off sound. It rapidly grew closer, becoming more clear and distinct, and after a few seconds, he recognized it as the roar of the Sea Fox's jet engine. He turned his head and saw the flying form of his little robot diving from the orange and red skies towards their position.


(Some minutes ago...)

"Yo, captain," Vector said as he leaned into the back of the pilot seat, "you seem kinda tense. Everything alright?"

Gadget kept his arms close and his form hunched over the console as he meticulously monitored and worked the controls. He wiped sweat off his brow with the back of his glove, glancing out at the city and the ominous form of the Battle Fortress.

"Today was the first time in a while sis and I've had to fight," the red wolf told the young reptile, "and now we're about to go for the main target itself." He swallowed nervously. "I just...with what happened earlier, I'm afraid I might not be up to snuff."

Charmy, who'd moved to the top of his friend's head in the interim, gave him a pat between his curved ears.

"Well, Miles wouldn't have asked you to help if he thought you'd get in the way, you know?" the bee reasoned in his ever optimistic way, "besides, we've got your back!"

Gadget smiled appreciatively. Miles was always supportive, and while Gizmo sometimes gave him a hard time, that was just part of being his. Having another old friend here as well helped quell his doubts, as did the additional help that he brought with him.

But before he could get too lost in his thoughts, a loud and consistent series of beeps blared to his right. The wolf glanced over, noticing a blinking dot at the top of the craft's radar, which lined up close to where the Battle Fortress was. It seemed to be coming from a sprawling industrial complex that was lit up even more than much of the rest of Metropolis. He figured that was the signal from the Miles Electric, and by extension, where Miles would be. And as they drew closer, a rapid succession of orange flashes lit up part of the factory, smoking soon billowing up from those spots.

"When I told Miles we'd look for the place with the most explosions, I didn't think he'd take it to heart," Gadget muttered, "I better hurry if he's in trouble."

He tilted forward on the throttle and leaned into the yoke, urging their ride to go into a fast and deep dive. Meanwhile, atop the Sea Fox, Gizmo had also caught sight of the distant blasts. The increased velocity made her tremble with anticipation, and she turned to Espio with a thrilled glint in her eyes.

"Hey!" she yelled over the turbulent winds, "looks like the fun's already starting! Time for us to get in on it!"

Before the chameleon could ask her anything about it, the she-wolf grappled the other fin, thankfully without tying him up in the process. His mouth slightly gaped as Gizmo let the gusts blow her off of the Sea Fox, only for the cables to keep her from going further than a few meters. She wasn't helpless, though, not from the way she extended her arms out in front of her and straightened her body. It appeared that she intended to make quite the entrance, and judging from the vehicle's adjustments during flight, Gadget was on board with the plan, no doubt wise to his sister's shenanigans. The few minutes it took for them to close in on their destination felt like a slow crawl until things started to come into view. There was a lone, but tall building on the edge of the facility, where amber and blue dots grew steadily bigger, as did a number of other shiny and colorful figures. Within a few more seconds, they were on top of the big group, Gadget yanking back hard on the yoke to pull up at the last moment.

"I'm gonna rock you, baby," Gizmo sang out, narrowing her eyes on the most ideal target, "like a wrecking ball!"

The teal wolf used the wires and sudden change of direction to swing herself like what she'd described into the apparent ringleader of the gaggle of robots, curling up into a Rolling Attack to help complete the image. The hoverpod she slammed into went careening off to one side, with all the present Badniks looking on as their master struggled to right himself. She disconnected the cables, recalled them to her as she unfurled, and stuck a four-point landing just a few meters away from the fox and the hedgehog. A cloud of smoke burst next to her, clearing away to reveal a cool and collected Espio with a few throwing stars between his fingers as he stared down the enemy group. A few seconds later, the Sea Fox touched down as well, Gadget hopping out of the seat and pulling Vector to his feet, with Charmy buzzing out and returning to his full size. Once Gizmo tossed her brother his grappler back, the five arrivals gathered up around the fox and the hedgehog.

Miles let out a relieved puff through his nose. Now that everyone else was here, he could allow himself to relax a little. Or at least, he would have liked that, but the doctor didn't appear the type to let that happen. Ivo flew back onto the scene, his face as red as the rest of his coat as he stared down the seven Animals.

"More miserable miscreants!" he cursed, grinding his teeth, "you all are trespassing on my property!"

Remi returned to its master's side and went into pack form, whereupon it was returned to its rightful place over his shoulders. Once he put the utility belt into storage, the fox stepped to the front of the group along with his hedgehog partner.

"Really? Where's your property deed?" Miles quipped, smirking when the man's scowl grew. He flipped a hand through his bangs and let out an exaggerated sigh. "Look, doc, I'll admit that your hoverpod looks way nicer than any of the Kukku models, and your robots are better put together." He then frowned himself, mirroring the pointing gesture the human had used mere moments ago. "But given how much you've done for the Empire, I can't just walk away and let you do what you want!"

Sonic mimicked his friend, though his expression was more confident. "I thought you were this cool guy I knew, but if you're not ol' Ovi, then you're just a faker! Better get ready, Eggman!"

"He kinda does look like an egg, doesn't he?" Charmy laughed.

His cheeriness infected the others and got them to join in with varying levels of amusement. The fox and the red wolf quietly chuckled, while the teal wolf and the croc were more open in their derision, and the chameleon settled for a wry smile. Predictably, the balding man was further infuriated by the unflattering nickname he'd been designated.

"Mock me, will you?" he growled, slamming his hands down on his console so hard, the pod rocked a bit, "I was nice enough to let you leave, but it seems Dmitri overestimated your intelligence, you mangy canine!"

"Vulpine," Miles corrected him, "foxes are canids, but not canines like wolves, coyotes, and jackals are. You fail at taxonomy, genius."

The grin left over from his little laugh widened as he spotted a noticeable bulging blood vessel in the man's forehead. Good, he was easy to rile up, just like the old owl. And it was in that moment of unchecked anger that Ivo decided he'd had enough of being made a fool of.

"Badniks!" he bellowed as he pressed a few buttons. Seven mechanical orbs about a quarter the size of the hoverpod flew out and began revolving around it in myriad directions, but always maintaining a ring formation. "Dispose of this smartass and all the rest!"

The swarm of robots heeded their master's orders and surged forth. Miles and Sonic both met the front line with a coordinated Spin Dash, breaking through a group of ladybug Badniks before splitting up. The fox focused on the big boss himself, whipping out the cyan Emerald and whipping his tails behind him to get a running start. Dr. Robotnik changed the course of his orbitals and aimed the lamp of his hoverpod at the fox, the light changing from yellow to hot white. Miles panted as he dodged around the energy blasts that came his way, but only just. Even with the gem's power, it was getting harder to fight against the growing fatigue, and he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up. Nevertheless, he managed to close in on Ivo and slam into the underside of his vehicle with a Rolling Jump, knocking the man back and away a fair bit. One of the pods around the doctor desynced from the others and transformed into what appeared to be an inflatable decoy of his. The fox's curiosity as to what it could do was sated when Espio flung a shuriken he'd already drawn at it, which caused an explosion comparable to one of the Sea Fox's torpedoes.

As Miles planned another angle of attack and contended with some of the rabble, Sonic leapt over his head and smashed into two hornet Badniks, then tossed the Boomering at one of the eagle robots circling above. It squawked in confusion as it found itself unwillingly giving a ride to the hoglet, rolling, diving, and rising to try and shake him off, but to no avail. The spiny boy jerked the machine's head this way and that to alter its course, weaving through the other Badniks to get an opening on the doctor. The man brought up his defensive ring to try and knock the kid out of the air, but Sonic ejected just before the eagle crashed. With his own Jump, he caused a small spider web of cracks to form in the windshield, as well as a big dent in the metal beneath it. This released another bomb decoy, one that would have collided with him if he wasn't yanked back by a sudden tug around his waist. The hedgehog looked back to see that Gizmo had been the one to genuinely pull him out of danger.

"Keep it up, spiny boy!" the she-wolf said encouragingly after she caught him.

Gizmo then whirled him around and sent him soaring back into the fray before she detached her grappling wire. From there, she lashed the end of it against the decoy, triggering its payload and taking out a few Badniks that had been nearby. As she recalled the cable, she sifted through one pouch and brought out what appeared to be a compact beam pistol with royal purple and silver trim. She fired in quick succession at an oncoming trio of red and silver triceratops with wheels much like the ladybugs. They were replaced by yet more punching crabs, whose massive pinchers she rolled to one side to avoid. But before she could answer in kind, someone else jumped in to help.

It was Vector, who batted away one claw, then grabbed another when it was just short of socking him, swinging the Badnik into another unit and breaking them both. He went on to bite through the metal of a lady bug that tried to ram him, chucking it towards a couple more with a flick of his head. Gizmo had read that some Animals were very strong even when they're young, but seeing it in action was something else. Even more eye-opening was that the crocodile wheeled about to meet another oncoming mob and opened his jaws to unleash a gout of flame! While this slagged most of the wave, a crab managed to make it through and made a swing for the boy, but he was ready for it, stepping to the side and seizing its limb.

"You call that a punch?" he scoffed as he squeezed down on the oversized claw, "lemme show ya a real man's punch!"

Vector yanked the Badnik his way and threw a powerful straight with his other fist, sending it flying...whereupon it smacked right into the side of Dr. Robotnik's hoverpod.

"Oh, come on!" Ivo griped as a third orbital came free and buoyed through the air in the direction of the crocodile, "that was a fluke!"

What wasn't a chance shot was the follow-up star that Espio threw through the decoy, leaving the doctor with nearly half the orbs he started with. The chameleon darted around the rooftop, his agility so great that he appeared to be in multiple places at once. A swift kick here and a pinpoint chop there was applied to a weak point of each Badnik he met during his rush, taking them down and moving on before they could retaliate. There came a moment where he was surrounded, and though the doctor would assume the reptile to be trapped, it was far from the truth for Espio. He lunged for the nearest Badnik, a pink and gold caterpillar with spikes along its spine, extending his arms and then proceeding to rapidly spin his body around. The chameleon collided with the robot, dismantling it as one of his hands chopped through its head, and was soon bouncing off of others like a runaway top.

"Behold, ninja power!" Espio shouted as used his rotation to produce a small, but strong whirlwind to blow away a line of mantids and their blades, then suddenly vanished from sight.

Despite the mayhem, Charmy was having fun. He dipped down and punctured one of the ladybug Badniks, bringing it up as a sort of shield as he flew backwards. The impromptu cover protected him from the projectiles of the hornets, leaving him free to ram into them and use them to replace his backside coverage as needed. He lured eagles and fly bots over to Gadget, where the wolf reached into one pouch with his right hand, retrieving a tiny cocoon-like device as well as a black palm-sized disc. As soon as the bee ascended to shake off his pursuers, the canine threw the small object on the ground in front of him and pressed on the button in the center of the other device. A blue honeycomb barrier bubbled into existence just around him, shielding him from a huge surge of energy just in the nick of time. The clatter and crunching of crashing metal met his ears, and after a few seconds, he was greeted with the satisfying sight of shorted out Badniks; not just the ones that had been flying at him, but many around him as well.

'Task for later: adjust payload of micro bolt bombs,' the wolf mentally noted.

Just as that was going down, Miles whipped his tails in a broad, yet swift circle, slicing through a line of attackers. Coming out of the spin, he slipped his free hand into Remi and threw a cluster of bombs the doctor's way. To his surprise, while the Badniks around him were engulfed by the explosion, Ivo's pod and the makeshift ring around it was largely unaffected. Putting the consideration to upgrade his bombs aside for later, the fox made use of this newly made gap in the enemy's numbers to close in on the human. As before, despite the doctor's efforts to impede him, the teen got a clean hit on the craft, prompting another decoy to separate and attempt to track him, only for it to be "popped" by an octopus sent barreling into it.

Little by little, the Badnik forces were whittled down until they were only a fraction as strong as they started. The remaining numbers rallied around their master, and the Animals advanced in kind. Sonic tossed the Boomering up at one of the hornets, tethering and then bouncing off of it to gain some altitude. Like a stone skipping across water, the hedgehog used Badniks in his path to maintain forward momentum. Anticipating where he'd end up before reaching him, Ivo fired his front cannon in what he believed to be the perfect shot. Sonic, however, had reacted faster than calculated, bounding extra high off of the last robot he wrecked. He stuck out his tongue as he once more hurtled the Boomering, striking the doctor's hoverpod and then the decoy on the return arc. Charmy was there to nab him just after he caught the weapon, beaming at the boy that wasn't much smaller than himself while they flew to a less frantic spot.

"You've got some pretty cool tricks, Sonic!" the bee complimented him, laughing when the hedgehog stuck his nose up proudly, "I'm kinda jealous you and Miles get to have fun like this."

The boy smirked. "I'm sure he'd love to have you and the other guys along on his next adventure!"

"Hah, that'd be nice, but we'll see about that later. Gotta take care of these guys and the Kukkus first!"

The two returned to the fight below, splitting up to corral more of the machines away from their friends. Espio blinked back into view and used his long, prehensile tongue to grab a pink, spiky hermit crab and toss it into a few more of its kind. He saw Gadget getting backed into a corner, the wolf unable to use anything more than his grappler and his own limited combat experience due to his attackers not giving him a moment to switch up his tactics. The chameleon seemed to teleport as he moved to assist, flinging a few shuriken and going into a top spin to make room between himself and his ally. He showed himself just as capable of the "normal" Rolling Attack and Jump as the others, using them to great effect along with his acrobatics to evade and counter his enemies.

The opening Espio provided was all Gadget needed to grab what appeared to be a simple night stick, at least until he twisted the top and bottom halves in opposite directions. A meter-long blade of neon blue lightning erupted from the tip, which he promptly used to slash cleanly through a broad, red and yellow mole Badnik with a drill and treads in place of a nose and legs. He followed up with another twist around the shaft, the electrical "edge" bending like a whip, and then flicked his arm to swat a few hornets and fly bots out of the air. Seeing that, Espio drew a kunai and fought his way closer to the wolf.

"Follow my lead," he said once they had a moment.

Over on the other side, Vector stopped a triceratops in its tracks with one hand, gripped it by its center horn, lifted it up, and promptly used it as a club to swat a few hornets. He glanced over to see Gizmo backing his way, using her blaster to and grappler in tandem to both pull foes closer and keep some at a distance.

"Hey, Gizmo or whatever it was!" he called over to her, catching her attention.

"Yes, Vector or whatever it was?" she teased in return.

The young reptile grunted in annoyance. "Make me a wrecking ball, like you did when we got here!"

The teal wolf blinked at the proposition. After considering it for a hot second, she nodded and smirked. The image in her head was too amusing, and potentially awesome, to pass up.

"Alright, let's do it!" she whooped, hyping herself up.

She aimed her grappler at the kid, who'd started to sprint to build up energy for the swing to come, and fired the moment he curled up into a Rolling Attack. With a hearty pull, Gizmo lifted Vector from the ground and whacked several Badniks out of the air with the green sphere, his red scales adding an outline that made him seem more like a razor-sharp yoyo than a solid ball. The she-wolf applied similar principles to the toy, retracting him back her way, only to snap him in another direction and loosen the line as needed. Whether on land or in the air, any Badnik that crossed their path was bludgeoned with extreme prejudice, more and more parts and scraps littering the ground with each swing. In short order, they punched a gap in the doctor's defense, which Gizmo was quick to exploit by rotating herself and the "ball" at the end of her wire with ever increasing speed. As though doing the Olympic hammer toss, the wolf "let go" of the crocodile, sending him flying into the hoverpod, nearly knocking the man right out of it on top of deepening the damage the others had already done. Gizmo retrieved Vector with a quick pull, grunting when he smacked into her chest roughly, his eyes swirling a bit as he uncurled from his spherical state.

"Let's go on the coaster again, Ma," the young reptile slurred.

The sixth decoy was taken down with little pause, and just as Gizmo and Vector pulled back, Espio moved in. Still clutching the one kunai, he deflected the flying blades of a pair of mantids, then felled the robots with a pinpoint cut to their necks. The end of Gadget's grappling wire flew past him, hooking into an unflattering chameleon robot and drawing the red wolf to it. The lupine bounced into the air after kicking off the thing, fixing his aim at an eagle and doing much the same as he'd just done. Below, Espio flicked a few shuriken with his other hand to keep company away from Gadget, while he sprinted closer to the doctor. Once he felt he had a good range and angle, the reptile drew his kunai back and prepared to throw it at the hoverpod.

"Oh please," Dr. Robotnik jeered, "you think some primitive weapon's going to penetrate the armor on my–"

He yelped as the sound of breaking glass and deeply scarred metal scratched at his ears. The projectile had been hurtled so fast that he didn't see it until after it was stuck in the head lamp.

"Oh, right, that was made of lighter materials," he grumbled.

The noise made by yet another busted bot caught his attention, and the human's eyes widened behind his specs as he saw that Gadget was a mere couple of meters away. Upon noticing the lightning whip in the wolf's hands, he shouted in fright and scrambled to get his hoverpod moving. It was too late, though, as the red canine closed in and coiled the flexible current around the kunai sticking out of the broken light socket. While the ninja weapon might not have been enough to trigger the final decoy, the surge of electricity certainly was. Gadget swung from the kunai, looking back to see the doctor's hoverpod falter from the shock and unceremoniously thunk to the ground, the man's head crashing into the controls.

Miles eliminated the last orb, then made a beeline for the downed hoverpod. He hovered near the unconscious Ivo and, much like he'd done with the giant octopus, smashed the machine's inner workings beyond reasonable repair. The few Badniks that were left were mopped up without issue, now that their master couldn't issue new commands at the moment. The fox smiled, watching both his old and new friends cheer at a job well done, his young partner bumping fists with everyone else before coming around to him.

"Whew, that was tight!" the hedgehog exclaimed, his glove meeting the older boy's in a solid bump, "we showed that Eggman!"

Miles chuckled, though his expression became a more neutral and thoughtful one as he peered over at Ivo. "What do we do with him, though? We can't just leave him, but I don't want to miss the chance to get into the Battle Fortress while their guard's somewhat lowered."

"Don't worry about that, buddy," Charmy said, jabbing a thumb into his chest, "the guys and I will take care of this weirdo, then we'll meet back up later!"

"Hey, yeah!" Vector agreed, "if we get in good with the fuzz here, then maybe they'll let us help on cases!"

Espio sighed, but didn't protest the decision of his two younger colleagues. He produced a length of rope and bound the man's hands behind his back, then used the rest to secure them against his torso. Vector hefted most of Dr. Robotnik over his shoulders, while Charmy tugged some of the weight from above using the rope. The chameleon bowed to the others and escorted the bee and the crocodile as they made their way over to the lone door on the roof, likely the stairwell access. Once they'd left, Miles let out a tired puff of air and fell back onto his rump. He wanted to get back up, but his body felt so heavy, especially in all six of his limbs.

'Ugh, I feel like I'm full of lead,' he thought, 'a short rest isn't going to be enough to keep going. But...damn it, we're so close!'

"Come on," Gizmo told the fox as she came over and helped him to his feet. She bent down a little so he could sling one of his arms around her shoulders, then wrapped her left arm around his waist to keep him stable. "You and your friend have been through a lot today. Let's see if that place Gad and I booked is still standing. I technically never checked out anyway..."

"But–"

"You know better than to argue with Sis when she gets like this," Gadget chastised him, giving Sonic a piggyback on his shoulders. The hoglet was pretty tuckered out, too, if his slouched posture was anything to go by. "I'm with her on this one, too."

Seeing as both his siblings were against him straining himself any further, Miles relented. Even if he wanted to go on, he was too wiped out to do much of anything, and aside from himself, everyone else would be going in blind.

"Fine," he mumbled, "we haven't come up with a solid plan of attack yet, anyway."

The fox gave the Battle Fortress one last glare, silently promising that he would be back, before leaving with the twins and his partner.


The combatants in the command room screamed and dove to one side to avoid one of their leader's bombs being chucked into the center of the room. The resulting blast didn't damage anything important, but that wasn't what they were afraid of.

In stark contrast to his earlier mood, the Great Battle Kukku was positively furious after receiving the latest intelligence regarding his vulpine nemesis. Many forces that had been stationed en route to Metropolitan Industries were beaten down, their weapons and mechs dismantled. The production lines they'd set up in the complex itself were entirely destroyed, and while that wouldn't matter much in the long run, the loss of a steady source of materials was the bigger pain. And then, a huge number of those new robot types, Badniks he believed they were called, had been scrapped by Prower and his allies.

"So much good news and bad news in a single day," he growled, a malicious smile showing in his crooked teeth, "I've grown tired of this whelp's interference!" He tilted his head so quickly towards one underling that they heard the bones pop. "Open a line to the doctor and my second."

The soldiers didn't think to question him in this state, bringing up Dr. Fukurokov and Speedy in separate windows on the communications screen.

"Milord," the prince greeted him politely, with a tense edge beneath the surface tone. His father didn't seem to notice, though.

"Er, yes, good evening, Your Grace," the owl stuttered, his index fingers tapping together nervously.

"Hardly good, Dmitri," the Emperor snarled, causing the both of them to flinch, "we must move up our schedule. First thing tomorrow morning, we launch it!"

Dr. Fukurokov was about to argue, but the deathly glare he could sense through his lord's glasses made him feel like he'd been dunked in ice water. The owl nodded his head rapidly, trying to clear his throat as he felt himself start to choke up.

"O-of course, Your Highness!" he managed to get out, wiping the sweat that was forming on his brow.

"And as for you, Speedy," the GBK decided, "you'll take command of the Battle Fortress in my absence. I'll be aboard our new weapon with the doctor to oversee its operation."

Speedy clenched his hands, keeping them behind his back to hide his resentment. So, this was how it was. Even now, when the old man had failed to stop Miles in Metropolis, his father still showed him more favor. The Kukku patriarch could dress it up as the heir's responsibility as much as he wanted, but it wouldn't rid him of these feelings. He knew that unless he stopped the fox tomorrow, or the doctor messed up worse in the event that he didn't, the GBK's opinion of him was probably shot. As far as the latter outcome...there was a way to make that happen.

'Is this the sort of choice you say I'm too afraid to make, Miles?' he contemplated, a big part of him dreading what the next day would bring.