Disclaimer: Sega owns all

Disclaimer:  Sega owns all.  Need I say more?

Acknowledgements: Jesus, Padawan Nik-ka, Orin, Gingerninja, Chewbacca, and whoever else.

Okay, okay, this is WAAAYYY overdue.  I think, anyway.  Exams.  Exams.  Exams.  I gotta sneak out of studying to type this since nobody's gonna let me dump it.  I'm gonna say Knux is a bot, since most pple already figured that out (actually, I was trying to hide it).  Anyway, hope you like this chapter...

Chapter 2

"Okay, the Factory is located in the North of Metropolis.  Tails, you will take the first team and create a diversion in the South.  Sonic, you lead the second team into the Factory and try and find out what Robotnik is up to.  It can't be good," Sally's voice reached Sonic's ears, but though he heard her, he wasn't listening.  He was afraid he would leave someone behind again.  Afraid.  Sonic prided himself on being brave, and here he was, letting fear take over him.

Tails is right.  There's nothing I can do about Knuckles now.  But he couldn't banish the fear.  What if?  Sonic didn't mind being in danger himself, or even getting himself killed, but he did mind having to shoulder the responsibility of someone's death.  And if it happened again, so soon, Sonic wasn't sure he'd be able to bear it.

"Is everyone clear about what we have to do?"  Sally's voice drilled through Sonic's thoughts.  He forced himself to listen, or else, he reminded himself, someone else would get killed.

"Then we'll leave in an hour."  The Freedom Fighters left the hut silently, all but Sonic.  Sally remained too.  Watching Sonic with concern.

"Sal," the hedgehog started hesitantly, "I don't think I can do this."

"Of course you can, Sonic.  You've done it before."

"I don't want to be responsible for another life taken," Sonic stared at the floor. "Like Knuckles.  He was counting on me, and I failed."

"Look, Sonic," Sally held his hand gently, "I can put someone in your place to lead the team, but we're hard-pressed as it is, and no-one can lead a team as well as you can."

"Maybe I can't lead at all," Sonic's voice was low, betraying his grief and sadness.

"Yes you can.  And you can't back down now, we need you most.  At this time.  Robotnik's planning something big.  And we gotta stop him again.  Just take this one last mission, Sonic, and if you feel you can't do it, then I'll swap you next time," Sally fervently hoped she wouldn't have to do what she'd just promised.

Sonic nodded dumbly.  There wasn't much else he could do.  All that Sally said was true, and she was too wholly involved in the Freedom Fighters to be swayed by what he said.  He got up and left the hut quietly, walking quickly into the Great Forest.

"He's dead," Sonic said aloud to the tall, forest trees.  "Knuckles is dead.  And it was my fault."  Somehow, that seemed better.  Rather than everyone telling him that it hadn't been his fault. 

Sonic clenched his fists in bitter anger and frustration.  "Why?" he asked.  "Why?" He let anger fill his voice, so that tears wouldn't come.  And then, he sat down with his back to the tree.  Trying very hard to forget what had happened. 

It wouldn't work.  He couldn't banish the memories of Knuckles' presence.  And somehow, he didn't want to.  Knuckles had been brave, strong, loyal, but always more of a loner.  Still, he had befriended Sonic as his only close friend, for some reason Sonic would never know.  And he had trusted Sonic with his life.  And now, Sonic had tripped, and Knuckles was gone.

"Sonic!" Tails' shouted for the hedgehog. 

"Here," Sonic answered, getting to his feet.  An hour had flashed by so quickly, he hadn't noticed.  Nor had he actually wanted to.

"Sally says it's time to go," Tails skidded to a stop, kicking up a cloud of dust which set him coughing. 

"I think, Tails, that you'd better have a crash course on how to stop running safely," Sonic said it as soberly as he could, then started laughing. 

Tails grinned sheepishly.  "C'mon Sonic, let's go."

"Try that door," Sonic whispered to Rotor, pointing at a large, metal sliding panel with a row of flashing lights above it.

"Okay," the walrus ran up to the control panel and entered a series of codes.  The door slid open easily.  Too easily, Sonic thought.  He entered the room carefully.

This room was unlike any of the others the Freedom Fighters had broken into previously, following Tails' diversion – which was still going on.  Many rows of control panels lined the room, with flashing light displays and computer terminals.

"Must be something big," Rotor murmured to Sonic.

Sonic scanned the room.  Nothing caught his eye as very unusual, until he saw a holographic image played on a table.

"Let's check it out," Sonic beckoned to Rotor.  The pair walked over to the table.

The image showed a large, metallic object vaguely resembling a ground satellite.  Sonic ran his eyes quickly over the heaps of diagrams and plans piled messily on the table, his heart skipping a beat.  Robotnik was planning to steal the Chaos Emeralds.  Not that that was unusual, since he'd already made a few grabs at the gems.  But now, he had an even more sinister plan.

"He plans to use this ground satellite thing to beam a ray to other satellites in space.  He's using the emeralds to strengthen the ray, and then shoot it back down onto Mobius," Rotor said in disbelief, "And that ray would roboticise anything it touches!  This is one mad, smart guy."

"Maybe he knows Knuckles is dead and he's gunning for the emeralds with Knux outta the way." Sonic answered, with a sinking feeling.  "Let's get outta here before anyone else comes in."  He took one last look at the plans, trying to remember everything he could.

Sonic and Rotor left the room silently, and managed to get out of the Factory through the ventilation shafts.

The creature moved silently from shadow to shadow, a near impossible feat accomplished only by habit and long practice.  And adaptation to his new form. 

His sensitive hearing picked up the sound of footsteps, and he shrank back into a back alley.  He prepared to attack, but stopped just as the Freedom Fighters passed the alley.

"Report in," the mad scientist's harsh voice came from the comm. unit that he held in one hand.

The creature turned slowly, abandoning all plans to attack the Freedom Fighters.  As he turned his head to look back once at the blue hedgehog and his companions that passed, the light from a lamp struck his face, glinting off the cold steel that encased both eyes and half his face, but unable to penetrate his dark heart.  He was no more Knuckles, the Guardian echidna.

Ok, thanks for reading.  I'll probably have the next chapter up in about 1 week or so… I hope.