The ongoing skirmish continues between Saiox and his Specters while Danny and Gustav try to eliminate them. While that was happening, the Phantom Ruby had created ruby-mist around Amy since she was holding it. Inside the mist, a fake version of Sonic approaches Amy Rose. She was a bit worried but was not bothered by it as Sonic gets closer.
"S-Sonic…" She muttered.
Sonic approaches Amy's Face and was about to kiss her until a void projectile ricochet off the Ruby knocking it out of her hand. The mist quickly subsided as Amy was brought back to the ongoing reality ahead of her. Amy was shaken from the illusion she was in. Tails and Sonic approached Amy to see if she was okay.
"Amy are you alright?" Sonic asked.
"Y-Yeah…I'm fine." She said nervously.
Before anyone else can say anything, they were interrupted and looked down below.
"Bloody Hell! Can you animals get your arses down here! We are getting gutted!" Danny was furious as his accent was slipping out.
The gang nodded in agreement and proceeded to help Danny and Gustav. Sonic and Tails had jumped down below as Amy grabbed the phantom Ruby and puts it away. One of the Specters had gotten a hold of Gustav and prevents him from using his gun. Gustav struggled to get the Specter off him until he called for help.
"Furry Comrades! I require assistant!" Gustav was still struggling.
Sonic saw Gustav and spin dashes into the Specter holding him down. The Specter was knocked to the ground and was finished off by the blunt end of Gustav's rifle.
"Dziękuję Ci Comrade!" Gustav smiled.
"Heh No problem!" Sonic smirked as he continues to fight.
As the battle rages on, Danny had looked up to the crystal noticing that the shield was disappearing and reappearing. He rushed towards Gustav and points him towards Saiox before dodging projectiles. Gustav fires his machine gun to distract Saiox and focus his fire on him. In the meantime, Amy was swinging her hammer crushing and defeating some of the specters right as Danny shown up by her side with tails watching her back.
"Oi! I got an Ide…!" Amy swung her hammer down at Danny's foot.
"BLOODY HELL!" He screamed.
"Blast it woman! Are you off your knocker!?" Danny grips his foot as he was in pain.
Amy looked at Danny with disgust.
"That was for tackling my Sonic earlier." Amy responded.
Danny hopping on one-foot as he tries respond.
"Alright! Alright! You nutter! I got an idea that crystal up there is reacting to the that specter that's trying to shield everyone. If we focus our efforts on him or his minions, we can force him to lower the shield and gives me the possibility to shoot the crystal with this." Danny explained while he looks for the rocket launcher.
"What did I do with it?!" Danny panicked.
Sonic spin dashes through multiple specter minions then stops infront of Danny and Amy while holding the rocket launcher.
"You mean this? Sonic smirked.
Danny takes the rocket launcher from Sonic.
"Uh…Thanks." He stuttered.
"No problem." Sonic replied.
"Right then…as soon as the shield drop, we can fire at the crystal!" Danny prepares himself and takes aim.
Saiox was struggling to keep his shields on his specters and reverts all his strength to himself and the crystal.
"You…will…not… DESTORY THIS CRYSTAL!" Saiox was ready for them and sealed off the exits.
Danny gets up from the ground then Gustav finally groups up with the others as he finishes off the last specter.
"Do we have a plan B Danny?" Gustav asked.
"I thought I told you to keep firing at that thing?!" Danny yelled as he punched Gustav in the chest.
"I can't waste my ammo on blasting away at the shield with no effect!" Gustav yelled back and pushes Danny back.
As Danny and Gustav bickers back and forth, Amy was fed up and shouted at both.
"Enough!" She shouted.
"There is no need for you two to argue." Tails added.
Danny and Gustav looked at each other and regained their focus. With everyone back on track now they can come up with a plan B to get rid of the crystal.
"I'm going to take over everyone. Sonic can you distract that creature while Tails and I get Eggman out?" Amy commanded.
"Alright!" Sonic responded.
"Uh…" Danny muttered.
He dashed around Saiox taunting him as he focused on Sonic this time.
"Danny and Gustav. I need you two to find a different way to destroy the crystal understand." Amy commanded.
Danny was not pleased with Amy taken charge.
"Oi! I'm in charge of this operation! What I say goes!" Danny yelled.
"No offense comrade but most of your plans have been 50/50. Best to let her take lead." Gustav responded.
Danny was about to say something he would regret, but he held his tongue and respected his friend's decision.
"Alright. Alright!" He took a deep breath. "Where do you want us at?" He asked.
Amy had quickly glanced at ledge and pointed at it.
"I want you on that ledge. Like you said as soon as that shield goes down, you have an opening to destroying the crystal." She ordered.
Danny understood and made his way towards the wall and climbs up to the ledge. Gustav had followed behind Danny to assist him. Amy and Tails proceeded to attempt to release Eggman from the cage.
"Amy!? Tails!? How did all of you ended up here!?" Eggman questioned.
"Were just as surprise as you are Eggman. How ever we are not forgetting what you did to us." Tails said.
Eggman nervously laughs.
"Awww… come on Tails old buddy it was just a joke…uh who are those two that's with you guys?" Eggman asked.
Before Tails was about to respond Amy finally got the cages gate unlocked.
"Okay I got it!" She responded.
"I'll explain later." Tails said.
Tails, Amy, and sneaks away and hides while Saiox was still getting distracted by Sonic. Danny and Gustav are in position and are ready to fire.
"Heh your too slow!" Sonic taunted Saiox.
Saiox timed himself to where Sonic ran in front of him and clasped his hands halfway trapping the hedgehog in a void barrier. He raises Sonic towards his face.
"You're not going anywhere!" Saiox aggressively crushes Sonic.
While Saiox was crushing Sonic, Gustav pulls out an unstable 9-Bang and throws it in the air.
"Sonic! Shield your eyes!" Gustav yelled.
Sonic closes his eyes quickly as the 9-bang was going off stunning and blinding Saiox. He was caught off guard and drops the hedgehog, leaving him and the crystal vulnerable.
"Target locked! Firing!" Danny yelled as he fires the rocket at the crystal.
The impact was strong enough to crack the crystal but didn't destroy it. Saiox had recovered from the effects of the 9-bang and analyzed the damage of the crystal.
"Your puny weaponry is no match…." Saiox was interrupted.
A massive hammer was thrown directly into the area where the crystal was cracked causing further damage. Everyone looked at the crystal as the cracks spread all over almost ready to shatter.
"What…have you creatures done…?" Saiox was concerned.
Beams of light was coming out of the crystal as it exploded all over the chasm. Everyone besides Saiox took cover. Emerging from the light was a giant lanky figure that is slowly uncurling from a crutching position.
"…L-Lord Vectus…" Saiox muttered.
Vectus's feet had finally touched the ground. His arms were behind his back as he walks towards Saiox. Vectus towers over Saiox as he finally moves one of his arms from behind his back.
"Saiox…Envoi of the Specters… Member of the Council of Judgement… Long I have waited for this moment…your pathetic leader Rayuka couldn't get rid of me." He was wielding a double edge sword and strikes down Saiox splitting him in half.
"And neither could you…" His sword disappeared as Saiox's body fizzled and disappears.
Vectus slowly turns towards everyone else.
"This will not be the last time you all see me… all of you will suffer the same fate." Vectus disappears.
Everyone got out cover and was processing of what had just happened. Danny and Gustav climbed down from the ledge and tries to contact Ava.
"What was that thing?" Sonic asked.
"Your guess is as good as mine." Tails responded.
With no response from HQ or Ava Danny was stumped. He decided to look for an exit out of the chasm. Gustav and the others looked at Danny wondering what he was doing.
"We need to leave this chasm and get to the surface." Danny said.
"What about Lord Vectus?!" Tails shouted.
Danny had a brief pause and walks away departing the chasm into the caves.
"What's up with him?" Sonic asked.
"He's fine...we better move." Gustav responded then glares at Eggman.
"Can we trust him?" Gustav asked.
Sonic, Tails, and Amy looked at Eggman.
"Eggman what were you doing down here?" Tails asked.
Eggman crossed his arms and laughed.
"I had planned on taking over a city called Orion, but I got lost." Eggman explained.
"Yet you ended up here near one of these old outposts…your story doesn't add up with me. I got my eye on you." Gustav threated him.
Eggman was scared and leaves the chasm. The others looked as he left. Gustav removes his empty sack on his person and gives it to Amy. She was confused then takes the sack.
"What's this for?" She asked.
"Right before I was taking out the specters. I saw a pinkish mist from that cliff up there. Whatever you have found in the caves, is going to come in handy. Now come furry comrades! We must get topside." Gustav smiles at them before leaving.
"Heh I'm starting to like Gust. Alright let's move!" Sonic runs out of the chasm.
"Wait up Sonic!" Tails follows behind him.
Amy was the last one in the chasm as she puts the phantom ruby in the empty sack Gustav gave her. She looked up as everyone had left her behind.
"HEY! Wait for me!" She yelled as she leaves the chasm as well.
As everyone enters the caves again, it was getting darker and darker. Danny was far ahead and had turned on a flashlight to see where he was going. He moved more slowly as he stumbled on a robotic chassis in the middle of the ground.
"What the hell is a robot chassis doing down here?" He asked.
He shined the flashlight all over the ground then ahead of him revealing a bunker door. Everyone else had caught up to him as he was still shining the light.
"Anyone has anything to get this open? It could be our way out." Danny asked.
"Danny, I don't think you can get this open with brute force." Gustav responded.
Danny rolled his eyes as he shined the flashlight onto a nearby control panel.
"Hey tails can you get that panel to work?" Sonic asked.
Tails walked over the panel and examined it. The panel was completely shut off. He tried to rewire the system but was locked out.
"Huh that's weird I got lock out from the system but its off." Tails was concerned.
"Is there someone on the other side?" Amy asked.
Alarms were going off as the bunker doors was opening. Tails backed away from the panel as the alarms was going off. Due to the age of the bunker, it was having trouble opening. Danny and Gustav aimed their guns as the door was fully opened. Two canisters of nitrous oxide were thrown and rolled towards the group unleashing the substance.
"Is that…NITROUS OXIDE!? Hold…your…breath…" Danny had panicked at first then collapsed.
"COMRADE!" Gustav yelled.
"Fall back everyone!"
The gas was spreading throughout the cramped caves. As Gustav tried to drag Danny's body back but he collapsed as well.
Sonic and the others tried to fall back but a trap was triggered causing the metallic wall to block their escape. The nitrous gas had filled the contained cave as everyone else passed out from inhaling it. Emerging from the gas-filled cave was three Battle-robots that was taking the group inside the bunker. All of them was taken inside as the one of the robots dispose the nitrous oxide canister and releasing the metallic wall trap before closing the bunker door.
30 minutes had pass by as the group was captured and separated then they were taken to the top of the bunker and into the old lab. They were in hand cuffs as the battle robots placed them down in front of their leader. Their leader was looking outside of the bunker facing the rest of No Man's Land.
"Doctor. We found intruders by the old west gate. We stripped the other of two of their weapons and gear as they are part of the Metallic Mercenaries." One of the battle robots said.
The doctor was interested to what his robots has found and turned around a bit.
"What about the others? He asked.
"We have no data on these 'outsiders. We suggest they are not from this world. As we stripped them down as well and found this." The battle robot pulled out the Phantom ruby from the sack Amy was carrying.
The doctor was amazed by the artifact. He could think about harnessing the power to charge up the rest of the bunker and his teleporter. The doctor reaches and grabs the phantom ruby as it created a illusion of him getting revenge on his former teammates of the Hydrain Military and restoring woodland city to its former glory. He quickly dropped the ruby while amazed by its power.
"Fascinating." He spoke.
With all the commotion Sonic and the others woke up. They were shocked as they struggled to break free.
"Wa…what the!" Sonic yelled.
"What's happening?!" Tails was scared.
Everyone was freaking out until the doctor step down in front of them.
"SHHHHHHH! Don't not be afraid… I am Doctor Hallow former member of the Hydrain Military. I've been listening to you all on your comms and heard that you're in a bit of trouble. You managed to make your way down here but caused a major problem. Releasing an old Haragier overlord Vectus, getting a Specter envoi killed and bringing this artifact here…and now your involved in a war between the Metallic Mercenaries and the Ascendants of the Mavic Plane." Hallow explained.
"Eclipse please release them." Hallow ordered.
"Affirmative." Eclipse removes the locks on Sonic and the others.
Sonic and Tails looked around the old lab wondering where Danny and Gustav are.
"Where is Danny and Gustav?" Tails asked.
Hallow frowned in disgust as he walks to his old security camaras swapping to the prison cells.
"I had them sent to the prison cells. Hydrain Military and Metallic Mercenaries doesn't have a great relation ever since the battle of Woodland city." Hallow explained.
"I have several questions Dr. hallow." Tails asked.
Dr. Hallow turned around from the computer and nodded.
"Who is this, Lord Vectus?" He asked.
"Lord Vectus was the former ruler of the Mavic Plane. He and his haragiers prefer chaos and destruction amongst the other species. In fact, the other species tried to thrive under their rule, but their efforts were worthless. The specters mostly tried to unify the other species together even with the chaos and destruction, the specters spiritual rituals kept things at bay for the time being. From what I've seen specters do not engage in battle unless it was necessary. But whatever they did to seal away an overlord like that and nearly caused genocide to the haragiers had caused them to abandon their spiritual ways and become hostile… Well, most of them." Hallow explained.
"Woah…" Tails was surprised.
"I guess that answered everything." Sonic muttered.
"But there still is one more thing. We need to find our friends and go back home." Amy spoke.
Hallow turned back to his computer and attempts to access any remaining cameras left in Crino. He cycled through most of them and spotted Knuckles and Tangle running through the city slums.
"That's them!" Amy yelled in excitement.
"We still need to get to the city first but how." Tails wondered.
"I know of a way, but it hasn't been used in years." Hallow spoke as he got off the computer.
"What do you have in mind?" Tails asked.
"Before I separated from the Hydrain Military, I have been working on a one-way teleporter to send supplies and troops to locations given by the higher-ups." Hallow explained.
An idea came to tails.
"Is it possible to convert the teleporter to an interdimensional one? Tails asked.
Dr. hallow had a brief pause.
"Its possible but it well require more power and I need another hand." Hallow responded.
Dr. Eggman moved Sonic, Tails, and Amy out of the way.
"Ahem, I believe I can help you." Dr. Eggman blustered.
Dr. Hallow was confused.
"Who are you?" He asked.
"I am Dr. Ivo Robotnick! The greatest Scientific Genius in the world! HAHAHA!" He boasted.
Dr. Hallow backs away from Eggman in disgust.
"Okay then…ahem…me and Dr. Eggman will convert the teleporter once we send you to Crino. It will only bring to the edge of the city and from there you will have to navigate to their location." Hallow proceeded to activate the teleporter and set the location.
Sonic, tails, and Amy stood on the platform and waited.
"Eggman you better not try anything." Sonic smirked.
"Teleporter is ready. I will alert Danny and Gustav that you're heading to Crino. Good luck everyone." Hallow flipped a switch and activated the teleporter sending them away.
"Okay Dr. Eggman lets get to work." Dr. Hallow proceeds to upgrade the teleporter.
While Dr. Hallow was busy and the robots had left the room. Eggman had quickly grabbed the Phantom ruby and tucked it away in his coat from the other side of the lab. Sonic, Tails, and Amy were on their way to Crino without Danny and Gustav but will be sent to another location and will have to regroup with Garrett and Whisper.