"Hit me, Red!" Sperk sat in on his favorite bar stool in his favorite bar. The human behind the bar placed another drink in front of the hedgehog and took the empty glass. Sperk downed the drink in one gulp and slammed it onto the bar, "Another!"

"I think you had enough!"

"That was only my second one!"

The human took the glass and filled it with water, "I have known you for a long time. When you need more than one drink, then there is a problem."

"Is it that obvious?" Sperk sighed as he sipped the water, "I tried to live a simpler life, but something always brings me back to this. I guess I just can't let Sperk go!"

The human ran his hand through his short red hair, "Listen Speed! I understand you're having trouble with your wife and that the world is becoming much more complicated. But you can't let Sperk be your escape."

Sperk smiled, "You know your only one of four people who knows my real name." He finished his water, "I just wonder if I married her just because I was looking for an excuse for leaving this profession."

Red shrugged, "Do you have a picture of her?" Sperk glanced up at his friend with a puzzled look, but he pulled out a small disk that was attached to the side of his gun belt. He set it on the bar and turned it on. A small hologram of Leda appeared. It was only a foot tall, but it was a perfect image of her. Red tapped the base of the hologram, "Expensive!"

"At the time it seemed to be the best thing to have."

Red nodded, "I can see! Now I want you too look very at this image very hard and think. And if you can honestly tell me that you don't love that girl, I will buy you all the drinks you can handle." Red walked into the back to get some more beers. After a few minutes, he returned and placed the crate down, "So any ...." Sperk was gone. The only thing left was a small pile of credits on the bar. Red smiled, "Go get her!"

Robotnik sat in his command chair as he receives reports from his drones. The drones themselves were nothing more than large orbs with sensors, but they were highly efficient at gathering data. Snively had been taken to Robotnik's personal med ward for recovery. While Robotnik didn't really give a damn about the small one, he did like they way he groveled. Bojack stood behind the chair shifting through reports that might have something to do with Luxor. Bojack picked up a small computer pad and walked up next to the dictator, "Luxor's forces have vanished. Our drones went through Knothole and found it deserted."

"So he has gone into hiding. No doubt trying to find a way to counter your abilities."

"Luxor and me fought a lot in the past. I can handle him." Bojack looked at the pad, "A ship matching the markings of The Hunter was spotted heading toward the northern territories." Bojack handed Robotnik the pad, "And an echidna matching the profile of Speed's wife was seen near the Great Swamp."

Robotnik took the pad and nodded, "Send a few drones to follow the ship. And have Blade bring the girl in. At the very least she will make a good drone."

"I'll retrieve her!"

"No! I want you here just incase Luxor makes a move. I know you want revenge on Speed and Sonic, but you will have to wait."

"Yes sir!"

The sun was setting as Shadow landed the ship on the outskirts of The Ruins of Arci. The place was near a mountain range and was almost a mile long radius of stone ruins. Shadow, Rouge, and Sonia walked into the ruins. Sonia held the small computer crystal Lazar had given them. They spotted a large cave at the far edge of the ruins and figured that was the place. Shadow left the girls a few feet away and stepped up to the mouth of the cave. He saw nothing unusual and started to walk in. As he got five feet into the cave, a strong wind blasted from deep within the cave and blasted Shadow out of the cave. The hedgehog flew through the air and landed twenty feet away. The wind died down. Shadow cursed and activated his hover sneakers. He skated into the cave, but barely got ten feet until the wind roared to life and blasted him out again. Rouge ran up and stopped Shadow from trying again, "Let's try to think of a better idea!" Shadow nodded and sat down on a fallen pillar of stone. Rouge sat down next to him, "Hey Sonia! Does that computer have anything on this cave?"

Sonia hit a button on the crystal and a female voice emanated from it, "The Cave of Storms blasts out winds at a rate of one hundred miles per hour. Anyone trying to enter the cave will be forced out by the winds. Only the pure of heart can enter the cave."

Shadow managed a small laugh, "Should've asked that thing first. Anyone pure of heart here?" Both girls pretended to be interested in their nails, "Should have guessed!"

Hovering above them a black orb with a red sensor eye watched them as it relayed its information.

It was nightfall and a light rain had started to fall. Leda parked the bike under some large trees and started to set up a tent. As she finished she clutched the small blue jewel that hung around her neck. Deep inside the crystal a small tracking device was scanning her vital signs. She had toyed with the idea of putting herself in danger to set it off. She sat against a tree and played with a small blaster in her hands. She didn't know where she was going or what she was supposed to do. She wiped some tears away from her eyes, "I am so sorry Speed!" She dropped the gun, "I just don't know what I can do without you." She pushed herself up, "You rescued me, took care of me, and loved me. Why did I doubt you?" Leda picked up the blaster and walked back to the bike, "I won't take the weak way out." She dropped the blaster into the cargo bag, "I'll find you somehow." As she walked to her tent, the bike exploded. Leda dropped to the ground as pieces of the bike flew over head. She stood up to see a humanlike robot walk toward her. Six foot tall, it had green glowing eyes and its armor was black with blue trim. He had a pair of blasters on hip holsters. Leda pulled a knife from her boot, "Who are you?"

The bot bowed as the rain started to pour, "My name is Blade my dear. And after seeing you, I am sure you are the wife of Speed. Leda is it?"

"Yes!"

Blade would have smiled, but his lower face was nothing more than a grill, "Excellent! If you would be so kind and come with me, we will get you out of this dreadful rain."

"I'll pass!"

Blade shrugged and slowly approached her, "I am afraid that your choice in the matter is quite mute my dear." His leg shot forward and rammed into Leda's gut. The echidna fell back into the muddy grown and the knife slipped from her grasp. Blade snapped his metal fingers and a pair of robotized monkeys dropped from the trees and pulled Leda to her feet. The bot stroked her chin, "Sorry about the rough handling. Now you can walk away from this! All you have to do is tell me where your husband is." Before Leda could answer, Sperk jumped over Leda and landed a kick to Blade's shoulder. The bot rolled away as Sperk shot the monkeys in the chests. They fell to the ground and sparked as rain fell into holes in their chest. Sperk curled into a ball and smashed into Blade as he stood up. The bot flew out of the swamp and landed in a grassy field. Sperk transformed into his super form and shot toward him. Blade managed to roll away as Sperk impacted the ground with his fist. Blade drew his blasters and opened fire. The shots hurt, but Sperk's form aloud him to shrug off most of the damage. He summoned his pike and deflected the rest of the shots. Blade re holstered his blasters, "So you want to go that route!" He rolled his shoulders and blades extended from his elbows and sharp points extended from his knuckles, "Now to show you why my father named me Blade."

"First Luxor now Robotnik! How many homicidal maniacs are going to have their followers call them father?"

"Your guess is as good as mine!" Blade lashed out at Sperk with his arm blades. Sperk blocked with his pike and tried to counter, but Blade managed to jump free, "Your skill with that weapon is pathetic."

"Shut up!"

Shadow carefully walked up to the mouth of the cave and aimed the grapple arm launcher he found on The Hunter. He only hoped the fifty feet of cable was enough. The sensor on the large bazooka-like weapon couldn't even detect the back of the cave. Shadow held his breath and fired. A large steel claw shot from the launcher and into the cave. After a few seconds, the launcher beeped. That told Shadow the claw had clamped onto something. The cable only had about ten feet left on the reel. The hedgehog anchored the launcher to the ground grabbed onto the steel cable, "I am going in!" Rouge and Sonia nodded from a distance. As soon as Shadow stepped into the cave, the wind started. It swept him off his feet, but he managed to hang on. He slowly pulled himself deeper into the cave. After he got a few feet, the wind picked up and he was blasted out of the cave once again. Shadow just laid on the ground fifty feet away from the cave where he landed, "Maybe it is better in there."

Rouge sat down above his head and gently pulled his head into her lap, "You're not going to get anywhere with that attitude." She rubbed his forehead, "I am sure we will come up with a way to get in there and grab whatever we came to get." Sonia simply stayed back and waited for the two to be done.

Shadow couldn't help but to purr a little as Rouge scratched his ears, "Maybe failing to get in the cave wasn't such a bad thing."

"No complaints here either!"

Sperk hit the ground hard for the fifth time and stayed down. Blade smashed his foot into the back of his head, "Be a good lad and stay down." He picked up the pike and tossed it away, "You'll have no further need of that." Several energy shots slammed into him, but did little but spark against his metal skin. Blade turned to see Leda with one of Sperk's blasters in her hands. The hedgehog had lost them sometime during the battle. Blade chuckled, "Now what do you plan to accomplish with that?" Blade drew his blaster and shot the gun from her hands. He dropped his aim and shot her in the shoulder. The echidna fell over grasping her bleeding shoulder. Blade chuckled, "And I thought this was going to be mildly interesting." He stomped his foot one more time on Sperk's head and walked toward the fallen girl, "You were foolish to attack me!" He slammed his foot into her gut, "Now you are just like him. Mud under my feet!"

Sperk managed to gather enough strength to push himself up onto his knees. Blood dripped from his mouth and he had a hard time focusing his vision, "Darn! I have to beat this guy." His super form had died off and he felt every ach and pain in his body. He dug his fingers into the wet ground, "I wish I had my berserker system! I wish I had any power." The rain fell hard and a bolt of energy struck down from the sky and hit Sperk's left arm. He felt no pain and a small metal gauntlet appeared on his arm. A yellow gem shined on the top of it.

"Speed! You have proven yourself worthy of the power you have unlocked. Go forth and fight as one of the Elemental Knights." The voice seemed to come from everywhere, but it seemed only Sperk could here it.

"Who are you?" There was nothing but the storm, wind, and Blade laughing. Sperk managed to stand up, "Hey metalhead!"

Blade turned and chuckled, "Still standing? You're either very determined or very stupid."

Sperk hit the gem on his gauntlet, "Time for round two. Ascended!" The gem exploded with energy and Sperk was enveloped in light. When the light vanished, Sperk was dressed in white light armor and he had returned to his super form. Sperk's eyes sparked as they narrowed at Blade, "Bring it!"

"Done!" Blade closed the distance between them and lashed out with his blades. Sperk quickly dodged each attack and slammed his fist into Blade's chest. The bot backed up, "You have improved."

Sperk cracked his neck, "More than you will ever know!" He transformed into a lighting bolt and shot toward his pike. He reformed and picked up his weapon. He rushed at Blade, but exploded into energy before he reached him. He reformed behind Blade and impaled him through the chest. He lifted the bot up, "This is for touching my wife!" Energy blasted through the pike and into Blade. Blade twitched as several circuits blew. Sperk swung the pike and threw him off his weapon. He walked over and slammed his metal boot into the bots chest, "How do you feel about being mud under my boot?"

Blade laughed, "There will be others. Father has built a force that will crush you."

"Maybe!" Sperk slammed his pike into the bots head, "But you won't be around to see it." Sperk pulled out his pike and walked away. The bot exploded. Sperk's armor and super form vanished and he stopped as Leda stood up. They stood there in silence for several moments, before they embraced each other. They held each other as they walked out of the rain.

Shadow rolled his shoulder as he took a firm grip on the cable, "All right! One more time!" As he started his walk, he heard a stomping sound and quickly jumped out of the way as large robot ran by. It ran almost as fast as Sonic. It stopped in front of the cave. He was eight feet tall and built like a rhino. He stood on two feet and his head was built into the top part of the chest. A large metal horn was on top of his head. Shadow stepped back, "Who are you?"

"My name is Rhinox! My father Robotnik has ordered me to crush you."

Shadow transformed into his water form, "The only one that is going to be crushed is you."

Large thrusters on Rhinox's back activated, "Your dead rodent!"