There was an unusual silence in the Agency. Vector sat on the couch, a paper in his hand. He was reading, but he wasn't exactly taking in the information. His mind was elsewhere. All he could think about was the fact that once again, he had lost a member of his team. His family. Once again, it was all his fault. The big crocodile looked up from his paper and stared dead ahead. "Hey, Espio?" he muttered.

The chameleon that sat at the desk looked up from a well-read tome of haikus and other poems written in a language that to the croc looked like a bunch of lines. "Hmm?" he muttered back.

"Do you think I'm a bad person?"

Espio stared at him for a moment. "No," he replied at last. "I think you're a person who means well but makes a lot of mistakes."

"How do I stop making mistakes, then?"

"You learn from them."

The croc looked down at his paper once again. "I see."

Espio but his book to the side and headed for the door. "I'm going out for a while," he said. "You're welcome to accompany me."

Vector put the paper down next to him. "Eh, what the hell," he grumbled. "I need to get out of this place for a while." He got up and followed his friend outside. The chameleon led him to the garage. Inside was Vector's old hummer that he hardly used these days. Espio climbed in the driver's seat. Vector followed suit on the passenger side.

"Didn't think this old thing worked anymore," he joked. "Where are we going?"

Espio turned the keys in the ignition. "It is not where we are going," he said, looking straight ahead, "but to whom."

A look of concern crossed Vector's face. "What are you talking about?"

"You have two options, Vector," the chameleon continued, ignoring his question. "You stay in this car and accompany me on this journey and face what lies for you at the end of the trail, or you get out now and continue to hide from your past. The choice is yours. Whichever you chose, I will offer up no judgment. I can not speak for others in your life, however."

Vector sat in the car for a moment, unsure of what to do. Never before had he been put on the spot like this- especially not by Espio. He closed his eyes and thought for a moment, and let out a sigh. "I can't do it," he said finally.

Espio closed his eyes, trying to hide his disappointment. "I understand," he said in a low voice.

"Not dressed like this."

The chameleon's eyes shot open and he turned to face his friend. "What?"

Vector looked at him with a soft smile. "Give me ten minutes. No more, no less. if I'm not back by then, I ain't going."

With that, the hulking croc got out of the car and ran back inside. Confused, Espoo shut the car off. He sat in the driver's seat, thumping his fingers on the steering wheel. "Oh, shoot," he muttered, before finally buckling himself up. At the ten minute mark, he let out a sigh and booted up the engine. He looked over his shoulder and backed out of the garage.

Suddenly, the whole car shook violently. In a panic, the chameleon looked around for the source, only for his eyes to land on the passenger side of the car. His oversized friend had just slammed against the side of the vehicle in an attempt to catch up to the car. Vector opened the door and climbed in, buckling instantly. "Alright," he said, "I'm ready now."

Espio focused his attention on the croc's new outfit. A giant brown trench coat with patches on the elbows, some slacks, a button up shirt, loafers and a brown fedora. He looked straight out of an old detective movie. The chameleon looked at his friend in confusion.

"It's the most formal outfit I got," Vector explained with a shrug.

Espio didn't say anything. Instead, he simply closed his eyes, shook his head and let out a chuckle before focusing his attention back to the road.

"I reckon it's gonna be a long drive," Vector said. "You up for some music?"

"We have rather different tastes in music," the chameleon replied.

"True." Vector pulled a CD case out of the car compartment and held up one in particular. "But we both like one artist."

Espio glanced at the case. It was black and white and featured the face of an old wolf in a white shirt and leather jacket. The label read, "JOHNNY CASH'S GREATEST HITS."

Espio smiled. "That we do."

Vector popped in the CD and cranked up the volume on the radio for the long drive ahead. The radio crackled to life, and the sound of guitar began playing.

"Well you wonder why I always dress in black,

Why I always wear bright colors on my back

And why does my appearance,

Seem to have a somber tone?

Well there's a reason for the things

That I have on…"

Vector leaned back and listened to the radio, taking in the late morning sun. "No more running," he thought. "Not anymore."

"This damn company…" a young man mumbled, staring up at a towering office building. He wore a simple suit. He worked there. He had worked there for years. "Thirty years of my life… wasted. Never changing positions. Never making friends. Never getting a bonus. Never getting a salary boost. Nothing."

The man clenched his fists in anger. "Thirty long years, all for nothing. Meaningless paperwork. Nothing of use to society. Nothing of value to the world. This building and all in it… are perfect for an example to be made out of." The man nervously began to unbutton the jacket of his suit. "The perfect world they have promised us… I will be the first to initiate it's emergence!" Sweat dripped from his forehead as a twisted grin warped his face.

He threw his jacket to the ground and rolled up the sleeves on his button up shirt. It was clear from one look at his arms he was not a normal human. Attached to his arms were all sorts of metal, woven in with the flesh. It was as if they had sewn metal and flesh together, like thread with a needle. He panted heavily from excitement, the nervous drips of sweat running past his glasses and filling his salt and pepper hair.

"Single… no friends… no family… no future…" His twisted grin gradually turned to a frown as his anger grew. "If I can't have that… none of them should be able to!" A large puff of air practically blew his whole shirt off his body, but he didn't seem to even notice. His whole upper body was metal. Pipes flowing out steam emerged from his shoulders, and his forearms opened into flamethrowers. He stared at his own body with awe.

"Incredible!" he screamed with excitement. "It activates to my thoughts, just like they promised!" The man turned his attention to the building once again. "Now, for my retribution… and the beginning of their new world!" He began to March towards the building menacingly, revving up the flamethrowers on his arms. Until he fell face first after a ball of spines hit his back. "GAH!" he groaned. The man pressed his hands against the ground and began to get up, starting over his shoulder.

There stood none other than Sonic the Hedgehog himself. He smirked at the man on the ground. "Ok, I've seen a lot of robots and evil businessmen in my time," he said, "but an evil cyborg guy? That's new."

The man groaned and got up, staring down the hedgehog. "The clone…" he muttered. "The imperfect, organic twin… I can't believe I've found you so soon…"

Sonic's eyes widened the moment he saw the man's face. "Wait, you're that missing person I was looking for- Alan Gates! Where have you been? I've been looking for you for months!"

"Shut up!" Alan screamed. "Alan Gates is a dead man! He was imperfect… but me? I'm perfect! A fusion of flesh and metal!" He sprayed some fire in the air for emphasis. "I'm Firewall, now! Get that in your head, you pest!"

Sonic grimaced as he readied a battle stance. "Alan, I don't know what happened to you, but it doesn't have to be this way."

"Oh, but it does!" Alan yelled with a maniacal grin. "They need their vessel! And I will be the one to return it to them!"

Alan rushed towards Sonic, ready to attack. However, a portal of light blue energy opened behind him and before either him or Sonic could react, he was tackled to the ground.

Silver the Hedgehog jumped off Alan, throwing something on the ground behind him, and ran between him and Sonic. "Looks like I made it just in time!" he yelled, panting heavily.

"Silver?!" Sonic asked, confused. "What are you doing here, buddy? I haven't seen you in ages!"

"Now's not the time to chit-chat! I need to focus." Silver raised his arms and began to glow with psychic energy.

Alan stood up, angry. The sight of Silver puzzled him. "You?!" he spat, hostility in his voice. "You're not supposed to be here! They didn't account for you…"

Silver smirked. "Bet they didn't account for this either."

"Wha-?!"

Alan was cut off by the sound of something latching onto his back. Within moments, he was screaming in pain as electricity sparked from his body. Before long, he dropped to his knees, unconscious. Silver immediately ran up behind him and put a special pair of energy cuffs on him. "Silver," Sonic said, walking up to him, "what is going on? Why did you step in like that?"

"Call G.U.N.," the time-traveling hedgehog said coldly. He looked up at Sonic. "I just bought you at least five more years."

It took an hour for G.U.N. to arrive on the scene. Silver was busy talking to someone in a lab coat that had shown up alongside them. Apparently, he was from the "Temporal Anomalies" division, established after the Time Eater incident. Alan was loaded in the back of a heavily armored truck. He had since woken up, but the cuffs Silver had put on him seemed to nullify his technological enhancements. "The great one will free me!" he screamed as he was shoved in the back of the truck. "We will rise! We will conquer! The imperfect shall become perfect! The-"

"Oh, shut the hell up!" A G.U.N. a soldier yelled as he slammed the door to the truck.

Sonic watched from the sidelines. He had been asked to step aside by Silver the moment G.U.N. arrived on the scene, stating he needed to speak to them in private. The sudden tonal change was not something he was used to. To him, this was a run-of-the-mill bad guy. The fact Silver was getting involved made it all seem… off. The hedgehog from the future wrapped up his conversation with the man in the lab coat and walked over to the blue hero.

"So, you gonna tell me what's going on now?" Sonic asked, a serious look on his face.

"I can't tell you much right now, unfortunately," Silver replied. "But I'm gonna say this- all of you need to get ready. Something big is on the horizon."

"Why can't you just tell me what it is?"

"Because I don't know who's listening."

Sonic eyed him down. He hadn't really noticed before, but now that he was paying attention, Silver looked… tired. Beat up, older almost. Maybe even broken. A scar ran down his left arm, and one of his eyes looked cloudy and gray.

The blue blur rested against a fence. "You're not the Silver who calls us every now and then, are you?"

Silver shook his head. "No, I'm not. I don't know what happened quite yet, but something caused things to go down a wrong path… that Silver hasn't figured it out yet, but he will." He looked down, sorrow in his eyes. "Hopefully, he won't have to see what I have either."

Sonic sighed. "Alright. What do we do?"

Silver looked him in the eyes. "Prepare. Stay vigilant. Live your life while you can." He looked up at the sky. "I will return five years from this day, Sonic. You and your friends can live like normal until then. But on that day, you must all be prepared."

The blue hero nodded softly. "I understand. For me it will be five years, but for you it will be a few minutes, right? Take care of yourself."

The time traveler. "If anyone asks why they need to prepare, tell them the Time Walker told them to. That's the alias I use to communicate with my past self."

Sonic crossed his arms. "Why can't I just tell them that 'future Silver' told me all this?"

Silver sighed. "I know my past self. He'd never believe you."

"Fair enough."

"Oh, and… another thing."

"What's up?"

"Pay the old doctor a visit. He's not involved in this, but he might know something." Silver opened a portal in time and turned to it, looking over his shoulder at the other hedgehog. "His clock is ticking."

Sonic paused. "Duly noted," he said at last. "So, this is goodbye then, huh? I'll see you in a few seconds, I guess." He gave a wink to the time traveler.

Silver smiled for the first time since he arrived. A weak one, but a smile is a smile. "I'll see you in five years, Sonic. Watch your back." With that, he walked in the portal and vanished, the portal immediately closing behind him.

The blue blur stood there for a few moments, taking in what just happened. A G.U.N. soldier walked past him, and he snapped back to the present. "Hey, you there! Buddy!"

The G.U.N. soldier turned around, revealing himself to be a meek-looking coyote. "Who, me?" he asked, nervous. "How'd ya know my name?"

"Uh, I didn't," Sonic admitted. "But, uh, ok, Buddy, you know who I am right?"

Buddy nodded. "Gosh, I'd be a fool not to! Nice to meet ya, Mr. Sonic, sir."

"Yeah, nice to meet you as well. Hey, could you tell your higher ups that I want to pay the old egghead a visit."

"Uhhh… sure thing! I'll pass the news along right away!"

"Good to hear!"

Buddy ran off to report to a superior, leaving Sonic alone once again. He look up at the now late afternoon sky. Thinking over the events of the day so far. "Something's on the horizon… something big," he thought. "Whatever it is, I've gotta be ready for it. But everyone else… I can give them time to enjoy the calm while I get ready for the storm." This was something he could face alone, at least for now.

His friends had lives. They grew up. Got jobs. He was still fighting bad guys, all by himself now. Unlike them, he had no real life. No life outside of the wind beneath his feet and the pummeling of bad guys. The responsible thing to do would be to tell everyone about the Time Walker immediately.

But when has anyone ever put "responsible" and "Sonic the Hedgehog" together in the same sentence, anyways?

By the time they arrived at their destination, it was dark outside. Espio pulled into a driveway of a suburban home next to a car that was already parked there. Vector took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled. "You ready?" Espio asked him.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Vector muttered.

"Then follow."

The two got out of the car, Espio locking it up behind him. They walked up to the door and Espio turned to his friend, who gave a nod of approval. After knocking on the door a few times, they waited out in the cool night air, illuminated by the dim porch light. After a minute, the door opened up a bit. In the door frame stood a yellow flying squirrel in a white T-shirt and shorts. "Espio?" he said, a little surprised. He gave the chameleon a big hug. "No way, I wasn't expecting to see you! It's been a while since you visited. What brings you here so late? We're about to have a late dinner."

Espio hugged him back. "It's good to see you as well, Ray. I'm here because the day has come."

Ray pulled back from the hug, confused. "The… day? What-"

It was then that Ray noticed the hulking crocodile partially obscured by darkness. The joy in his face seemed to drain instantly. "Oh… the day," he muttered. He let out a sigh, and forced a smile on his face. "Hey… Vector."

Vector took off his hat out of courtesy and held it in front of him. "Hello Ray, it's been a while," he said nervously. "You look well."

"I'm alright. Come on in you two, it's cold."

Espio walked inside, but Vector stayed there on the porch, unsure of whether or not to come in.

"You can come in, Vector," Ray said to him. "I reserve the right to throw you out later though."

The crocodile nodded. "That's a fair deal," he replied as he made his way inside, turning to the side so he could squeeze in the door frame.

The interior of the house wasn't what Vector expected. He wasn't sure what he expected, but it wasn't the average white walls with pine furniture he was greeted with. "We got two guests, honey!" Ray called into the kitchen, putting extra emphasis on the last word of the sentence.

"So I heard!" a voice called back from the kitchen. "Hope they're alright with what I'm cooking."

"I know one of them will enjoy it, at least!" Ray shot a dirty look to the crocodile before looking back in the direction of the kitchen. "I'll go set the table!"

As Ray walked off to the dining room, Espio looked up to Vector, who in turn looked back at him. "Nobody said this would be easy," the chameleon whispered to him.

"Didn't expect it to be," Vector whispered back. He looked around the house. He saw plenty of photos of Ray and Mighty hanging out with Sonic, Espio, Charmy… none with him. Not that he had expected there to be any of him, it's just that the confirmation his assumptions were right didn't ease the pain. He didn't mind the pain, however.

In every sense of the word, he deserved to feel the way he did right now. After all, he had made them feel far worse. It was only fair.

"Table's ready!" Ray yelled, snapping him back to reality.

The croc put his hat back on and looked at his chameleon friend for a boost of confidence.

"Whatever happens tonight," Espio said to him, feeling Vector's eyes on him, "it is better that you came than didn't come at all. That's how I feel, anyway." With that, he walked to the table.

Vector took a deep breath to calm his nerves. It didn't help, but maybe if he convinced himself it did he would settle down a little bit. He followed Espio to the table. "Whatever happens, happens," he thought.

Author's note: This story isn't super close to the end just yet, but I got a good idea of how it's going to end. Firewall's storyline won't be followed up in this story, but after this tale is finished, you just might learn more. As for Vector, the next chapter is dedicated entirely to his interaction with Mighty and Ray. Hope you're all ready. Thank you for reading, remember to read & review. Thank you for all the amazing support, it makes me really happy.