AN – This chapter should be longer. I also have a forum up for this story, check it out. Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story. Thanks to my reviewers, I'd enjoy some other ones though. I want to hear about what you think.

Maverick87: Thanks.

playstation14: You never know, Shadow could be different then who you think.

Chapter 2: The Renegade Pilot, Emerald in the Fog

The Tornado still flew over the vast ocean. Everything sparkled with life as they kept a steady pace. Sonic let his legs limp over the side of the plane. He listened to the engine which strangely put him to a relaxed position.

"Just a few more hours, Sonic." Said Tails, trying to keep his hedgehog friend awake.

"I thought this ride would be faster." The blue hedgehog complained.

"Central City is further from Station Square. " Replied Tails.

The blue blur was bored out of his mind. All he did was think, Why couldn't Tails come up with something like light speed for this… He kept thinking about running as they passed in the sky. As the minutes passed, nothing happened. Then Sonic noticed something right above the plane.

"Tails!" The hedgehog shouted, "Look up!"

The fox lifted his head and got a stern look on his face. Swiftly, he moved the plane in an agile spin. Sonic almost fell out of his seat because he wasn't wearing the straps Tails had designed, "Next time put those on! We have an incoming fighter approaching. He doesn't look friendly judging by the attack positions he's pulling."

"Wow, Tails. You've really been doing some research." Said Sonic, putting the straps on.

Tails shielded Sonic with the glass again. He pulled the plane up. The G-force strained both their bodies back. The fox spiraled upwards and then flipped behind the enemy fighter. Locking onto the menace with his targeting system Tails rocketed some missiles toward the enemy. Easily, however, the opposing pilot dodged with advance maneuvers. Turning his jet, the unknown pilot flew around and came right next to the Tornado.

The hedgehog and fox looked at him taking a hard glimpse at him. A beak confirming him to be a hawk, and a completely black body. His hair like feathers came over his head, over his right eye, and a bit near the nose. The hawk wore unique sunglasses with blue shades and jagged rims near the nosepiece. One other noticeable feature was his crimson eyes.

The two also looked at his plane as he did theirs. His was black, with red tips on the wings. It carried a load of firepower. Nothing was noticeable however. Sonic and Tails were immediately intimidated from this person. The hawk smirked once at them and put his hand up as if taunting them.

The hawk's jet turned to the right and came up right behind Tails. The fox couldn't believe how stupid he had been.

"Tails!" Shouted Sonic, "We need to get out of his line of fire!"

"I'm trying! He's just too fast. I can't shake him!" The fox panicked in this time. He flipped a few switched, switches that would use most of the plane's remaining energy. The tornado shifted its direction and with agile motions he was behind the hawk again. Red alarms went off however. Tails knew that he would have to cut all his weapon systems off in order to regain energy.

"Tails, what happened?" Asked the hedgehog.

"I had to use a last resort method and shut all the weapon systems off. Even the Chaos Emeralds have to recharge energy." The fox replied.

The hawk looked behind him seeing his enemies. Missiles came from his jet and hit the Tornado. Tails and Sonic were rocked around as if in an earthquake. Tails had to stay in the air until the Tornado was completely finished recharging, then he could show this man his real power.

The fox started to dive in order to gain speed. As soon as he was ten feet near the water he picked the plane's nose up and lifted. This didn't keep that black hawk off their tail however. He immediately caught up right behind them and then something sparkled from his cockpit glass. Sonic looked behind to see, and he knew right away that he was powering up a laser strong enough to knock the duo out of the sky. How could a cockpit be a laser at the same time though?

"Tails!" Exclaimed the hedgehog, "He's charging a laser!"

"The energy is at thirty percent. I don't know if I'll be able to boost the speed to dodge."

The fox turned his plane and the laser fire. It scratched the wing and pulled them off balance for a short period. Tails got everything steadied and then pulled back to gain some speed. Looking at his energy ratings, the fox noticed that the plane was charging up faster now.


Knuckles surfaced the area of Angel Island in search of the Master Emerald shards. Gliding over the various locations in the jungles the echidna looked. Looking upward he could sense a faint energy near by, "That's got to be one of the pieces." Knuckles thought as he ran towards a tall cliff. With his fist he stabbed the rocky surfaced side and started to climb. The cliff was very high, but being a native to the land he's crawled far worst.

The red guardian approached the top in a matter of minutes. The top was filled with plentiful vegetation filled with trees and brushes. Yet up on this forest level fog blocked the site of any visual preference. Knuckles had to continue forward though. The chaotic power he felt was up here, and he knew it. He knew because its strength would draw stronger as he forwarded through the exhilarating place of life.

Everything seemed so strange up here though. His whole life, Knuckles had never been up here. Now when he finally approaches this land it was filled with silence and an eerie feeling. The smell was odorless, everything so cool… It seemed strange to the echidna but it wouldn't make him back off.

As he closed in he could see a green glow. It generated back and forward, simultaneously. Knuckles ran forward to examine it. He thought he found the first piece, or pieces. He thought he was in a step of recreation, recreation of the Master Emerald. It was his job as guardian to find every piece.

Instead of a pack of Master Emerald pieces however, Knuckles found a different emerald. A green Chaos Emerald and he knew it right away. The red echidna picked the emerald up. Standing up he turned around. He said to himself in a soft tone aloud, "Sonic and Tails will want to hold onto this. I just hope that they can find that emerald."


Both pilots burned with a vengeance. Tails did his best to avoid any hits. It was near impossible though; this hawk was more then at equivalence of Tails. He was better in every way.

"Tails." Sonic said, "I want you to bring down the window.

"What? Why?" Asked the fox.

"I need you to get right next to him. I'm going to latch onto him. One of us has to survive and get that Chaos Emerald." Replied Sonic, "When I jump I need you to blast off at full speed and with as much energy as you can."

"It's too dangerous. I can't!"

"You can do it. Besides Tails, it's me. What could possibly happen?" Asked the blue hedgehog.

"Right." Tails opened the window. He flew higher up and then down. The next thing he knew, he was right next to the hawk again.

Sonic unstrapped himself and then got on the rims of the window. He looked at his buddy once more and then put a thumb up for good luck. He made a grin and then jumped forward to board the other pilot's plane. An unanticipated action occurred. The enemy plane pulled its wing away and Sonic missed, barely gripping onto the wing. Tails looked in fear and the hawk frowned and then evened his tilt. He knew Sonic wouldn't be able to pull himself up, seeing as he was slipping. The hedgehog's hand fell back a bit and then he struggled to maintain a grip. Sonic fell, holding his hand up. He splashed into the water beneath himself and that was it.

"Sonic!" Tails gasped. His friend who was with him only moments ago had now fallen off the plane and into a vast ocean. Even being a renowned hero, Sonic wasn't able to swim.

Tails closed the window and gained an angry look on his face. He tried to clench away the tears but couldn't. He burst into mixed emotions of hate and sorrow. Tails sped past the hawk, leaving him in a single spot as so he couldn't catch up. Why did he even attack us? Tails wondered. The fox had to stay strong in order to complete this mission. It was what his friend would have wanted.

He continued forward towards Central City without further contact of any threat. In a field, the fox landed the Tornado. He opened the latch and shut all systems down. Using his voice automated password, no one could steal the machine.

The fox ran forward at his usual pace. He extended his speed by using his tails. When he came near the construction zone the area was massive. How far was the emerald exactly? Tails began a search for the emerald. Even if he had a reason to stop Eggman, he probably wasn't allowed in the construction zone. For now he would search the perimeter.

Still, the only thing Tails could think of was Sonic. Why did I let him jump? The fox wondered in confusion. He kept reminding himself though. "One of us has to get this emerald. I have to do it. That's what he told me and so I will." Tails thought.

AN – This isn't the longest the chapters will be. I've just explained everything I need to for now. Please review, thank you.