The robots that were in position on the small land strip, ready to stop the hedgehog with their blockade, began to fall back. Sally smiled to herself as she began to move the tank through the now cleared out area. The plan was working perfectly.

"This being invisible thing is pretty cool." Jerome smiled.

"Ya, must be they saw sugar-hog and took da bait. Just like we 'all planned." Bunnie replied.

Sally looked to the two and gave a nod. "It's not over yet though, we still need to get to Gimmick, and save Tails."

A beeping made all three of the Freedom Fighters jump a bit. The princess takes the palm computer, Nicole, out of her boot. When she looked into the screen she couldn't believe her eyes. "What? This can't be right…"

"What's wrong Sally-girl?"

Looking up to Bunnie, the squirrel pushed a button on the computer which showed a holographic projection of a weather map. There was a big red spot heading in their direction from the mountain. "There's a storm that's coming in from Gimmick."

Jerome scratches behind his large ear. "Whoa, hold on, didn't we check the conditions earlier? How did they change so quickly?"

Nicole replied to the question, even though it was not directed at it. "Source of storm appears artificial in nature."

Sally knew this was always bad news… Snively must have had something vile up his sleeve. She hoped Sonic would be alright.

The hedgehog held on tightly to the metal bar of the glider. He could see the edge of the lake coming up on the horizon. His attention was soon diverted from the ground to the skies ahead, though, as ominous clouds loomed toward him. This confused Sonic. Hadn't Nicole showed them that the air was expected to be clear for the next few days?

They didn't look like normal storm clouds either; they rolled across the sky and bolts of electricity shot out in random directions. Sonic hoped he could get across the lake before this storm struck, but as the wind began to pick up, the hedgehog realized that he was in serious trouble. As the sky darkened and the wind began to rip across the lake more violently, Sonic's flight became more unwieldy.

There was a strange sound that filled the hero's ears, it didn't sound like wind or lightning. It sounded like a crackling, like someone was crumbling up a large sheet of paper. The sound continued to grow louder and louder, and as it did Sonic felt his back became hot. Looking over his shoulder the hedgehog saw the source of this heat and sound as his glider was burning. A sharp pain started to attack the hero's hands as the heat of the flames transferred to the metal of the handle bar. He had to think fast, which fortunately, was something he was good at.

Sonic quickly descended to a few feet above the lake before he leveled out again. If he could spin dash at the right angle, he'd skip across the water like a stone. But if he came in too steep, then he would plunge into the depths.

Right as Sonic leveled off and got ready to let go, a metallic form flew in front of him. The hedgehog gasped and went wide eyed as he instantly recognized the jade figure as Dulcy. That would explain the storm, as her species of dragon were said to have the power to control the weather. Dulcy never really knew how to use this inherited ability, but since she was a robot, Snively probably found out how to unlock those powers.

"Damn you Snively." The hedgehog growled as the dragon robot let out a blast of fiery breath straight at him. Sonic let go of the bar, quickly rolling up into a ball. The hot flames nicked the rolled up hedgehog's back, incinerating his glider.

Using the momentum of his fall, Sonic started to spin forward. He held his breath, preparing for if he came in too steep. As he felt the cool water brush against his quills before ascending again, he let out his held breath in a sigh of relief. His plan was working. What he couldn't see though, was that he was heading straight for a large, rocky pier sticking out of the water.

Sally felt her heart skip a beat as she saw a blinking yellow light on her area map fade out. They had placed a tracer on Sonic's glider in order to know where the hedgehog was on his trip across the lake. When the tracker lost its signal, it was just a bit more then halfway across; this was not a good sign. It was easy for the princess's comrades to spot her worried look.

"What's wrong Sally-girl? Is Sonic alright?" Bunnie asked, her own concern growing.

"I don't know Bunnie. We've lost the tracer from the glider. The storm could be interfering with the transmission, or…" the squirrel pauses, not really wanting to think that it could mean Sonic had an accident. Deep inside though, she knew it was a great possibility.

Jerome looked to the princess. "Maybe we should stop and search the skies for him. We could aim the outward surveillance to look for him, right?"

Sally nods. "That's a good idea." She agreed, bringing the tank to a full stop so they wouldn't bump into anything. Changing the angle in the front right camera to the skies above the lake, trying to find any sign of the glider. It wasn't easy because of the dark clouds that filled the skies.

After moving the viewer back and forth for a good five minutes, Sally felt for the worst. There was no sign of the white glider, or Sonic for that matter. Suddenly the squirrel saw a flash of light in the darkness of the sky. "What is that?" she wondered aloud, zooming into the point.

"Oh my stars! Is that who I think it all is?" Bunnie gasped.

Sally couldn't believe what she was seeing. She had almost forgotten about Dulcy, and now a green, robotic dragon was flying right around the area where Sonic's signal disappeared. There was a somber silence as it slowly became clear that they weren't imagining things. Sally shook he head. Why didn't Dulcy come with them? The princess felt her head start to hurt, just when she thought her day couldn't get any worse…

"Why didn't I make her come with us?" she thought aloud, hoping that she hadn't harmed Sonic, because if he was gone, she felt nothing would matter to her anymore.

"How disappointing…" Snively sneered as he saw the blue hedgehog bounce across the lake and smack into a rocky pier.

As the rodent fell into the water below, Tails cried out his friend's name. "Sonic!" The fox knew the hedgehog couldn't swim. Every passing second, as the water settled with no sign of motion, Tails could feel his hope dwindle.

"I didn't think the rodent would fall so easily, what an easy defeat." The human chuckled deviously.

The kit couldn't believe what he was seeing… his friend… his best friend couldn't die. Sonic was indestructible. At least, he had seemed to be so in the young one's eyes. As the diabolical man continued to laugh at his victory, the vulpine felt himself become angry. If his hands weren't bound up, he would have whipped away a tear that fell down his cheek.

Snively looked to the fox and laughed. "Stop your sniffling… soon you'll be a robot and you won't even remember pain."

"You're wrong! Even though one's will is destroyed, they still feel. That's what Uncle Chuck told me! They know all they have hurt, and all the vile deeds they have done. It doesn't matter what you do to me, I'll still fight you." Tails glared at the tyrant.

The human returned the angry stare. "You've grown quite a big mouth, little twerp, shut it or I'll shut it for you."

Tails continued to speak. He was too upset over what happened to Sonic. "I don't care! Aunt Sally won't let you get away with this. She'll come and make you pay for this."

Snively grinned. "I know she will. She'll come after you, but not to worry, I'm ready for her as well." He laughed loudly as a door slide open, revealing a red glow of a lava pit. An empty harness dangled above it. The harness was connected to a grapple hook that looked like it could be opened, causing the bind and its occupant to fall into the lava below.

With a chuckle, Tails shook his head. "So let me guess? You're going to put me in that and lower me into the fiery depths? That's cliché, even for you." He joked, having recognized this kind of plan villains, from the comic books Sonic gave him, would use.

"Not exactly twerp, you have a lot to learn." Snively sneered pressing a button and a form stepped into the room. Tails gasped as he saw something he would have never expected. Himself. At least, it looked like him. The twin namesakes of this copy were tied up, and he looked far more helpless. "You see, I had a doll made after you. It's not as complicated as the Sally double that Robotnik made, but it doesn't have to be. All it needs to say is one thing."

With a press of a button a loud sound of the kit's voice echoed in the room. "Sonic! Aunt Sally! Help me!" The pleas were followed by sniffles. This display was very unsettling for the real Tails. He now could see what the human was up to. Similar to how he had tricked them all with a fake likeness of his uncle he was going to do the same thing with the doll. Lure those he considered family with their desperation to save him.

"You… bastard." Tails said, looking down. He had never said anything remotely bad all of his life, but right now he couldn't think before he spoke. His emotions of anger, and worry, and guilt of being used were too strong.

"Language, language." The human tsked. "You might upset our other guest."

Other guest? The vulpine wondered, looking up and around for any signs of another presence. A flash of silver caught the corner of his eye. As he turned toward it he let yet another gasp. There was a robotic hedgehog standing there, and at first the kit thought he was seeing things, but when Snively spoke he realized the form was real. "Are you fully charged, Metal Sonic?"

"Affirmative."

Tails shook his head. "Knuckles told us he destroyed you on the Sky Sanctuary! That you fell into the water below."

"The damage sustained was substantial. However, still salvageable. My master has made me stronger, and I am ready for a rematch with… the hedgehog." The electronic voice stated.

Snively played with the few strands on his bald head. "Hmm… I think D.U.L.C.Y. already handled him Metal Sonic, but I will allow you to help me dispose of the other miserable Freedom Fighters."

The robot looked a bit disappointed, "Very well… I calculated he was weak… I could have beaten the robot dragon with both upper appendages disabled."

"I'm pretty sure you could have... but let us not worry about that for now... let us prepare for the arrival of the other rodents..." The short human chuckled in amusement, this was all working better then he had ever dreamed.

Sonic felt himself drift, downward into the depths of the massive lake. As he drifted further down, the world around him got darker. His shoes felt like anchors as couldn't rise to the surface and he was dragged deeper and deeper. Light pierced sporadically from the thunder claps above.

As the hedgehog felt his head become numb, one thought crept through.

Was this the end?

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Sorry this one was shortish and all, school is catching up on me. I will keep being persistant though, and so my next update will be on March 10th. Trust me this month will come in like a lion. (Battle scene coming up, yay!)

Until then, thank you for reading and appreciate all the new feedback coming in, it's really helping with a nasty bit of writer's block I'm facing. I'm out.