Leda stood barefoot on a beach somewhere she didn't know. The echidna was dressed in a yellow sundress and had a straw hat on. She looked around, "How did I get here?" In front of her was the ocean and behind her was a dense jungle. She spotted a green hedgehog standing in front of the ocean with his back to her. She started to walk toward him, "Speed?" A large transparent image of Robotnik filled the horizon as Speed turned crimson. He turned to her with burning red eyes. He flexed his sharp claws and bared his fangs. He growled and attacked her.

Leda shot up in bed as she screamed. She took a few breaths and realized she was just dreaming. She was still in the same apartment she rented in Echidnatropolis. She just hoped she hadn't awoken Sonia who was sleeping in the next room. She grabbed her robe from the chair next to the bed and put it on. She went to the bathroom and turned on the shower. Her fur was damp in a cold sweat. She looked in the mirror and she looked exhausted. It had only been a week sense her escape from Luxor and the death of her son. She tossed off her robe and got into the shower, "What now?"

Snively gulped as he looked at the latest data from one of the probes. He hit the intercom, "Sir! You might want to look at this."

Robotnik walked into the command room and sat in his command chair, "So how are we feeling?"

"Much better, Sir!"

Robotnik's eyes flashed red, "Good! So why have you called me? My sky fleet is just a day away from capturing Angel Island!"

Snively hit a few buttons and the screen filled with a factory in flames, "Swatbot plant forty-three has been completely destroyed."

"Freedom Fighters or Luxor?"

"Neither sir!" Snively magnified the center of the blaze.

Robotnik leaned forward and sneered, "HIM!" A crimson light shone in the center of the destroyed factory. Robotnik sat back, "When it rains, it pours. Any suggestions?"

"Tankor is near the sector, sir! Surely he will be able to destroy that hedgehog once and for all."

Robotnik nodded, "I agree! Send a squadron of hedgebots to support him."

"Yes sir!" Snively left to send the bots.

Robotnik drummed his metal fingers on the arm of his chair, "Tankor should be able to kill off that hedgehog. My sky fleet will reduce Angel Island to dust and bring me The Master Emerald. All that is left is Luxor!"

"And the princess my lord?"

Robotnik chuckled at the voice in the shadows, "I have special plans for her."

Shadow, Knuckles, Stryker, and Remington sat in the military command bunker. Stryker slammed his fist onto the circular table, "Robotnik's fleet will be here in less than twenty hours. We need a battle plan!"

Knuckles waved for the dingo to calm down, "We need cool heads here. Constable?"

The brown echidna activated a small hologram above the table, "Robotnik's fleet consists of six egg carrier class ships, three whale class ships, one super egg carrier and a dozen or so smaller craft. Rough estimates place the number of bots at about five hundred thousand." He sighed, "We are completely outmatched and outnumbered."

Stryker laughed, "Maybe with your pathetic echidna logic. We dingoes are ready to fight to the death."

Knuckles tapped a few buttons built into the table and an image of Angel Island appeared, "Perhaps we won't have to fight. Long ago the ancients installed a series of shield generators that would surround the island in an impenetrable force field."

"But The Master Emerald overloaded them each time they tried to activate them."

Knuckles nodded, "I know, but they are our only hope. If we can get the shield up, then we will have plenty of time to think of a better plan."

Remington nodded and stood up, "I hope your right. I will prepare maintenance crews to get those generators up and running."

Stryker also stood up, "And I will mobilize our forces. We will try to hold the bots off long enough for you to get the shield up." The two left.

Shadow stood up, "I will take a look at the power transfer nodes. My knowledge of emeralds should be helpful."

Knuckles watched him go and sighed, "I can't help but to feel that the future Sperk predicted is coming true." He stood up, "But I will die trying to prevent it."

A large bot walked into the charred ruins of the factory. Standing fifteen feet tall with large metal arms and legs. It sported two large cannons on its shoulders, a pair of blasters on its left arm, a plasma launcher on its right, it looked like a walking tank. Its red visor scanned the area, "No life forms detected. The target must have moved on!" A large sphere of energy hit its left force field. The bot turned its small head and spotted the crimson hedgehog standing several feet away. The bot turned and aimed its shoulder cannons, "I am Tankor! Master Robotnik desires your destruction. Surrender and it will be painless." Speed shot forward and slammed into the bot's chest. Its center field useless against physical attacks. The bot fell back and landed in its back. It activated the three black metal talons that formed its right hand and tried to grab the hedgehog. He jumped off the bot and stood a few feet away. Tankor pushed itself up and aimed its blasters. Purple energy shot from the double barrels. Speed back flipped out of the way and leapt on top of a pile of rubble. Tankor fired its shoulder cannons and two explosive shells shot at Speed. Speed fell back and the shells exploded on the rubble. Tankor summoned the twelve hedgebots Robotnik had sent, "Bring out the hedgehog!" The twelve bots curled into balls and rolled into the ruins of the factory. They stopped in the center of the assembly line and uncurled. Their sensors scanning the factory for any sign of the hedgehog. One of the bot's head exploded and it fell to the ground. The bots looked up at the remains of a large catwalk above the factory floor. Speed was dressed in his Sperk outfit. His crimson trench coat flowing behind him in the wake of his energy aura. The remaining bots activated their eye lasers and fired. Speed vaulted off the catwalk and pulled four of his daggers from his coat and threw them. All four each impaled a bot in the chest and exploded. Sperk drew his blasters as he landed and shot two others in the head. The five remaining bots surrounded Speed, "Surrender Speed!"

Speed smiled, "The name is Sperk!" Sperk curled into a ball and shot into of the bots. It was sent flying and exploded against a wall. Two bots lunged at him, but Sperk spun around and shot them. They fell to the ground. The last two looked to each other. Sperk laughed, "Don't know what to do?" He holstered his blasters and drew two more daggers, "Attack me!" The bots fired their lasers, but Sperk jumped up and launched his daggers. Both exploded! Sperk landed and looked around at the destroyed bots, "Soon I will have my freedom!" He heard an explosion out side, "I just need one more piece."

Shadow connected the last power node to the base of The Master Emerald and walked over to the control consol, "Last node is hooked up. I overhauled their capacity, but I won't know anything till we power them up."

"Understood!" Knuckles's voice came over the radio, "We're activating the shield."

"I suggest a slow power up. Start at ten percent and slowly move up."

"Got it!" There was a low hum as energy poured into the ten power nodes and green energy flowed through the nearly transparent power cables. The cables disappeared into the crystal walls and connected to ten generators around the island. The hum slowly grew in intensity, then three of the square nodes sparked and another exploded, "Crap!" Knuckles was shouting at someone, "Shut it down!"

Shadow sighed, "What happened?"

Knuckles grumbled over the radio, "The shield shimmered for a few and collapsed."

Shadow ran over and checked the damaged nodes, "These things can't handle that much power."

"Can you fix them?"

"I'll try!" Shadow shut off the radio, "So close!" Shadow open his tool chest and got back to work.

Tankor slowly scanned the ruined factory, "What is taking so long?" Its shoulder cannons were loaded and ready to fire. The bot didn't have to wait long, Sperk shot out of the factory, curled into a ball and slammed into Tankor's chest. The bot went down and Sperk stood on top of its chest. Before the bot could move, Sperk summoned his halberd in a flash of crimson light and slammed the blade into Tankor's visor. Blinded the bot tried to get up, "I will crush you!"

Sperk chuckled and slammed his weapon into the bot's chest. He craved out a hole in the armor and reached in. Tankor brought its arm up to knock him away, but Sperk pulled The Chaos Emerald that served as its heart and power source. Tankor's arm dropped and the bot shut down. Sperk pulled out his weapon and held the emerald up. Its green glow washed over him, "Finally!" The crimson hedgehog looked up at the probe bot hovering over him. He smiled and slipped his sunglasses on, "Your time will come!" He vanished!

Robotnik leaned toward the screen and hit his com unit, "Speed up the attack on Angel Island. I want my forces back here as soon a possible!"