About two hours later they reached Eggman's hidden base. However, as they reached the entrance, they noticed a variety of ships parked around. All of them had the S.E.C.R.E.T. insignia on them.

"Let's sneak in and see if we can find out what's going on," suggested Rouge.

They all thought it was a good idea and looked around. There were four ways in.

"Let's get some guy's clothes; no one will recognize us in them!"

They waited until four hapless young men came along, chatting gaily. Knuckle and Sonic leapt on them and bashed each on the head. They went down like stones in the ocean. They dragged them behind a pillar and stripped them.

The clothes were a bit too big, but they managed to put them on and take the key cards the guys had. Sonic used the cards to get through the door. No one gave them a second glance. They made their way to a branching intersection of three corridors. They took the passage to the left and hoped they had made the right choice. Soon they came to a door that said: AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY. Taking a deep breath, Sonic slid his card through the slot and the door... opened smoothly. He breathed a sigh of relief and cautiously led the others in. The slid shut behind them with a soft snick that sounded ominously like a lock. Tails turned around to see if the door would open again - but it didn't.

"We're locked in, Sonic!" he whispered frantically.

"I knew this was too easy!" realized Sonic. How could he have been so stupid?

"You little thieves," said a familiar voice. "Did you really think you could steal a ship without asking?"

"Aw, man, not again," moaned Knuckles.

"Show yourself, Eggman!" yelled Sonic, giving up all pretense of disguise. They all threw off the disguising suits, revealing their true identities.

Metal Sonic dropped from the ceiling. If he could have smirked, he would have. Eggman's voice came over a loudspeaker.

"By the way, your disguises were absolutely ridiculous!" commented Eggman. "I'm going to value the tape I took of you guys in them for a long, long time."

"That little..." swore Rouge.

"Metal Sonic told me you would be coming here and that you would want a ship," continued Eggman. "I saw my chance to finally get back at you, Sonic!"

"I thought we had a truce!" exclaimed Tails.

"Only because I needed you guys to save my butt in ARK," Eggman responded. "Now, fight!"

The floor that Rouge, Tails, and Knuckles were standing on fell away, dropping them into cells beneath the floor. Sonic was left alone.

"FIGHT!" Eggman screamed. Metal Sonic and Sonic circled each other slowly, looking for weaknesses. Sonic continued to circle, hoping that when Metal Sonic attacked he could block and quickly counter. Without warning, Metal Sonic lunged at Sonic head-on. Sonic dodged most of the attack but it still sent him sprawling. He quickly flipped up again to the left as Metal Sonic leapt on the space he had just left, leaving him open for a few seconds. Sonic took this opportunity to kick him swiftly in the head. Metal Sonic leapt back, several sparks flying from his head. Then he rolled forward, catching Sonic and knocking him to the ground. He then twisted Sonic's arm viciously, and a loud crack sounded out in the arena. Eggman cheered over the loudspeaker.

"Go, Metal Sonic, go!"

Sonic staggered away, his left arm now useless. They circled again; then Metal Sonic charged forward. Sonic was expecting this and dodged - then attempted to put his foot down on Metal Sonic's off switch. It missed but hit something else.

Metal Sonic rolled over, and then started skidding around uncontrollably.

"He hit the rocket boots!" cried Metal Sonic.

"Turn them off then!" shrieked Eggman.

"I can't...reach the...switch..." gasped Metal Sonic, straining to stop. Sonic wisely stood back, staying out of Metal Sonic's way and knowing he'd eventually crash into something. Metal Sonic zoomed around for a while, still frantically trying to turn off the boots, when he crashed into the loudspeaker with an almighty crunch. He then fell to the floor with a loud crash, causing the floor to crack with the force of his fall.

Knuckles, Tails, and Rouge climbed out of their cells through a split in the floor.

"Good job, Sonic! Wait... are you hurt!" Tails rushed over to Sonic, who waved him off.

"It's nothing...just..." he staggered forward a few steps and then fell - not on his arm luckily.

"Nothing, eh?" said Knuckles. "We'll see about that." He took a straight piece of metal from the mess of the loudspeaker and Metal Sonic, and tore a strip of cloth from one of the disguises. With it he made a makeshift splint. Rouge held Sonic down while Knuckles bound the arm.

"Better?" asked Tails.

"Yes, thanks," replied Sonic gratefully.

A crackling sound sounded from the ceiling. There was another loudspeaker.

"Shoooooot... oh well, I guess you guys can take a ship. Next time ask for it before wrecking my best robot!" Eggman resigned.

"Would you have given it to us if we asked anyway?" asked Rouge. There was no reply. She snickered. "Thought as much. And anyway, he set Metal Sonic on us!"

They set off through another door that opened into the shuttle bay. Boarding a small shuttle, they settled into the cockpit.

"I'll pilot!" offered Knuckles.

"NO!" said Sonic and Tails together, remembering what had happened last time.

"But..." Knuckles sighed and grumbled something about how he had been looking for the Master Emerald last time.

"I'll pilot, I know machines the best!" offered Tails. Everyone agreed so Tails started the ignition. 3... 2... 1... and they blasted off. The top of the pyramid opened for them and they shot out into space.

Sonic relaxed into his chair. "When do we get there?"

"5 minutes," responded Tails. Knuckles was sulking slightly, still offended that he wasn't allowed to pilot. "Knock it off, Knuckles," said Rouge irritably. He stopped.

Five minutes later they reached the space colony ARK. They docked in the landing bay.
"ARK is currently being restored to operating status," commented Tails. "Technically, no one from the public is allowed up here until it's finished. It's supposed to become some kind of space museum..."

"Warning. Unauthorized ship in docking bay. Warning. Unauthorized ship in docking bay..." A computerized alert rang out through the deck.

"Aww nuts!" cursed Knuckles. "Figures."

"Quick, shut off the alarm!" hissed Rouge. Tails jumped out of the ship and went over to the nearest control panel. He rapidly pressed a few buttons and the klaxon shut off. However, they could still hear faint shouts ringing out in the corridors beyond, but getting closer.

"They know we're here, run!" whispered Sonic. They all took off and headed in the opposite direction from the shouts. They reached an intersection. Sonic and Co. continued running down the center corridor. They took a few turns to try to throw their pursuers off but they could still hear footsteps getting louder behind them.

They made a left and nearly ran into someone walking with his back turned to them.

"I have an idea," whispered Sonic. "Let's threaten this guy and make him tell the others we went off in another direction," whispered Sonic. The man heard them and turned around.

"Nine!" he exclaimed in surprise. "What are you doing with those people? And your arm is..."

He never got any further as Knuckles jumped on him. They went crashing to the floor in a shower of papers. The clipboard hit Tails. "Ow!"

"Not a word," cautioned Knuckles. The man nodded fearfully. "There are other men coming and you're going to tell them we went that way." He pointed, while sticking his spikes in the man's face. The man hastily agreed and gathered up his papers while they hid. Knuckles clung silently, invisibly, to the back of his shirt, keeping his spikes near the man's spine.

From the room the others could hear the man's voice as they listened at the door.

"No, I saw them go that way. They were going really fast. They're probably way ahead of you now and you'll have to hurry to catch up."

"Thank you, Harry," said a different, cold voice. The footsteps grew fainter and then receded. The door opened and the man came back in.

"Okay, I did what you wanted. Now tell me, Nine, what you are..." He took a closer look at Sonic.

"Wait...you're not Nine!" he exclaimed. "Then, are you related to Nine?"

"Wait one moment," said Sonic. "Who's Nine?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure that's not his real name, but that's what he calls himself. He can't remember anything - we retrieved him from deep space and he was barely alive."

Sonic and the others froze. That sounded eerily familiar...

"So I was hoping you could tell me who he is," continued Harry. "He looks a lot like you except he's all black and red striped."

Sonic sucked in a deep breath. Rouge whispered, "No...it couldn't be..."

"So you do know him!" Harry cried. "That's great! Maybe when he sees you he'll remember everything! Come, I'll take you to him!"

"Suppose he's telling the truth!" whispered Tails as Sonic hesitated.

"It won't hurt..." said Knuckles. Rouge nodded. Sonic took a deep breath and motioned Harry to continue. He led them out the door to another room two corridors away.

"ID, retina scan, palm scan, and voice ID required," chimed the computer. Harry obediently underwent the procedures... and the door slid open. Sonic stepped slowly inside.

There was a black hedgehog sitting on the bed. At the door's opening he leapt off and turned to face them.

Sonic felt his heart stop.