Rhinox rammed Shadow across the area and he hit a stone wall. The wall crumbled under the impact and Shadow found himself on top of the rubble. Rhinox laughed, "So this is the might Shadow that I have heard so much about." Rouge ran up behind him and lashed out with a jump kick. Rhinox turned with lighting speed and grabbed her leg, "I may not be able to turn my neck, but I do have sensors and radar." Rhinox swung her around and smashed her into the ground. Rhinox scanned the perimeter with his sensors, "Now where is the other one?"

Shadow stood up and shook his head, "That hurt!" He blasted forward and curled into a ball. As he reached the bot, he punched Shadow and he shot into another wall and smashed through it. He rolled across the ground and fell into a hole. Shadow hit a ledge under ground and rolled off it. He finally fell into a shallow pool of cold water. He uncurled and stood up, "Damn! He fell down into the water.

Rhinox checked his hand and only found a few cracks in the metal fingers, "Minor damage!" Sonia set the crystal down behind a rock and ran toward the cave. Rhinox's sensors picked her up and he turned toward her direction, "You think you can out run me?" He powered up his thrusters, "Think again!" Rhinox blasted forward. Sonia managed to run into the cave and grab onto the cable. As Rhinox reached the mouth of the cave, the wind erupted to life. The wind blasted Rhinox out of the cave and onto the ground a few feet away. He sat up, "What was that?"

Sonia hung on with all of her strength as the wind blew. As she was about to lose her grip, the wind died down and stopped. The squirrel looked around, "Huh!" She shrugged and ran deeper into the cave. Rhinox picked himself up and charged into the cave.

"Shadow!"

The hedgehog held his head up, "What?"

"Shadow! 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. The pool erupted around him and a small metal gauntlet appeared on his arm. A blue gem shined on the top of it.

"Who are you?" There was no answer. Shadow found renewed strength and stood up. He held up the gauntlet, "I don't know what is going on here. And I don't care. Ascend!" The gem exploded with energy and Shadow was enveloped by water. When the water died down, Shadow was dressed in blue light armor and he had returned to his super form. Shadow looked up toward the hole he had fallen down, "Let's try this again!"

Sonia reached the back of the cave and found a gray crystal sitting on a small stone altar. She slowly approached it, "I guess this is it." The cave suddenly began to shake and she could feel a strong wind building from the crystal. She quickly ducked behind the altar as the wind erupted to full force.

Just a few feet away, Rhinox had to dig his feet into the ground to keep moving forward. He reached out and came within a few inches of the crystal. The gears in his legs started to spark and he simply jumped up. The wind blasted him out of the cave. He landed on the ground and pulled himself up, "Need a better plan!"

"Hey! Horn head!" Rhinox turned toward the voice and a sphere of ice smashed into his head. Shadow stood a few feet away with twin small swords in his hands, "It is my turn to put you into the ground."

Rhinox activated his thrusters and blasted forward, "I am going to turn you into road kill."

Sperk sat in the pilot seat of the small shuttle he had rented. Leda sat in co-pilot chair behind him. He had said little as they boarded the small craft and took off. The echidna took a few deep breaths, "Speed?" The green hedgehog tilted his head slightly towards her. Leda managed a small smile, "Thanks for the rescue. I know that you don't like playing the part of the hero."

Sperk turned back to the front, "Forget it! I wasn't going to let you get killed." He tapped a few controls, "But you and I do need to have a talk."

"About what?"

"Our future! I cannot stop being who I am. I am Sperk the Bounty Hunter! I know that is why you left me. But I want to make it clear that what happened between Sally and me was a mistake that we both regret. I will not say sorry, nor will I dwell on it. And if you're still mad at me, then I guess I will have to live with it."

"But I love you! I love Speed! That is who you are."

Sperk sighed, "I just changed my name!"

"But you act differently when you're in your guise as Sperk. Your cold and you kill!" Leda held her blue necklace, "When your Speed, you're the man I fell in love with. The man that saved me and took care of me."

The hedgehog removed his shades and he seemed to lose the composer he had only a few seconds ago, "Leda! If you can't accept me as I am, then we should end this now. A war is appearing over the horizon. And I will face it as Sperk. I will not allow my real name to be smeared with blood." He slipped back on his shades and he sat up straighter, "It is your decision!" Leda sat in silence as the ship continued across the ocean.

Shadow rolled away as Rhinox flew past him. Even with the armor, Shadow found his agility still at its peek. The robot roared in frustration, "Hold still!"

"Why?" Shadow stood ready to fight, but he knew his energy was low, 'It appears that my power dwindles when I am far from the ocean. That pool wasn't enough to charge my powers.' Shadow charged at the bot, "Lets do this!"

Panels on the bot's shoulders opened up and reviled six micro missiles on each, "If you insist." The missiles fired and hit Shadow dead on. The hedgehog was blasted back and hit the ground hard. His armor was burnt and scorched, but he felt little pain. Rhinox slowly walked toward his opponent, "You had me worried there for a second, but it appears I was mistaken."

Shadow gritted his teeth and jumped up. He tossed both of his swords and they impacted into Rhinox's armor. He held his palms out, "Hydro Blast!" The swords flashed blue and a large ball of water appeared in-between them. It slammed into the bot and sent him flying to the ground. Both swords were knocked free and Shadow quickly retrieved them, 'Got to hurry!' He leapt into the air and kicked the robot onto his back. Shadow slammed his swords together and they formed one sword. He held it high and prepared to bring it down. As the blade was about to hit, Rhinox grabbed the blade and shoved Shadow back. He rose to his feet and backhanded him away. Shadow hit the side of a rock, "So close!"

Rhinox chuckled, "Time to end this game!"

They landed at a hidden hanger in The Great Swamp. Three of Robotnik's probebots had followed them, but Sperk paid them no heed. He wasn't planning on being round this place long. As he walked toward his private hanger, Leda suddenly stopped walking. Sperk turned towards her, "Leda?"

"I can't stay with you if your going back to the way you were." Leda turned and started to walk away. Before she got two feet, a wall of lightning formed in front of her. She spun around angrily, but her face softened up at the site she saw. Sperk had transformed into his knight form and was kneeling toward her. His pike laid on the ground.

"All right! I will be what you want me to be."

"Speed!" Leda walked over, but another wall blocked her from reaching him.

Sperk looked up at her, "Leda! You have always been my conscience! The one who kept me from slipping into darkness." Sperk slipped off his shades, "You are the only source of good that I can connect with. But I must continue to live with the darkness that lives in my heart. I have killed more than I can remember. Used others to further my career. But when I met you, I felt that there was more to me than being a bounty hunter."

"But you don't have to be that person anymore!"

"My name is Speed! I am your husband and I love you" He put his sunglasses back on, "But I am also Sperk. The war ahead requires stronger methods. As Sperk, I can fight the enemy on their terms." He stood up and dropped the walls, "But if you wish for me to stop, I will! Not for me, but for you!"

Leda stepped back and looked toward the sky, "Can you fight as Speed?"

"Yes! But I wouldn't fight at full. I have fought as Sperk for so long, it is the only way I know how."

"Teach me!"

"Huh?"

Leda walked up to him, "I want to fight with you. By your side."

Sperk armor vanished and he returned to normal, "It won't be easy, but if it will keep us together, I'll give it a go." Leda hugged him tightly. Sperk smiled, "Only in my armor will I fight as Sperk."

"Thank you!"

Speed kissed her, "Come on! We have work to do."

Sonia ran out of the cave with the crystal in her arms. Rhinox noticed her, but figured she was little to no threat. He placed his huge metal foot onto Shadow's head, "Father will be pleased when I scrape your carcass off the bottom of my foot."

"Stop!" Sonia tossed the crystal at him.

Rhinox chuckled and slapped them away, "Fool! What makes you think that a puny rock would hurt me?" The crystal bounced along the ground and landed next to Rouge. Both her and the crystal were enveloped in a huge cyclone of wind. Rhinox sighed, "Why me?" He started to press his foot down, but a gust of wind blasted him off Shadow.

The cyclone died off and Rouge floated down in a skimpy gray armor. She held a Chakram in each hand. She landed on the ground and held both circular blades close, "Your move!"

Rhinox stepped back and addressed his options. He had received damage from the fight with Shadow and the cave. And Rouge appeared to have the upper hand in this area. Rhinox hit a control on his arm and a large jet sled flew over him. He jumped on, "We will meet again!" The jet shot into the sky.

The bat ran to Shadow and dropped her weapons, "Shadow?"

"Your here too! I thought I was doomed to the fiery pit."

Rouge smiled, "Your fine! Your head is just a little jumbled." She helped the hedgehog up, "Come on Sonia! We need to get to Angel Island."

Robotnik drummed his fingers as Rhinox groveled in front of him, "And I should spare you why? At least your brother Blade had the good sense to die in battle."

"Father please! Give me another chance!"

Robotnik sighed and waved him away, "One more chance! Now get out!" Rhinox bowed and quickly ran out. Robotnik leaned back in his chair, "Angel Island is covered, but I wonder what that bounty hunter is up to. And where is that blue rodent?" Robotnik sighed, "Bojack!"

The fox walked out of the shadows, "Yes sir?"

"Kill Sperk and that girl he is with. No sense in taking any more chances."

Bojack smiled, "Yes sir!"