The group came out of the other end of the Warp Point, all of them aside from Knuckles blown away by the sight that awaited them in the bright blue sky above the clouds. The ruins of the Sky Sanctuary were made of white and lime-green marble, with vegetation such as moss and a few palm trees growing over many of the structures. These were supported by long green pillars evenly spaced out across the path, and topped by thick stone roads that came to glass bridges with strange patterns etched in them. Book-ending many of these isolated platforms were tall and thick verdant columns with rows of small dark windows across them, blue circles along the top, and tapered to a point at the bottom. Silver water fountains and purple stands with clear spheres dotted the landscape here and there, along with plenty more crumbled pillars. There were also some purple posts that occasionally reached up high into the ruins, some of them sporting a green pole that moved up and down between them.

Even though it was apparent that the place had been long abandoned by its creators, and despite being exposed to the elements so openly, it was all rather pristine. However, they weren't there for sightseeing. The clouds several hundred or so meters below and out from their position began to part as a massive shape pushed its way up through them, none other than the top of the Battle Moon. Through the binocular function that their specs had, the twin wolves could see many more figures dispersing from the colossal craft and heading in their general direction.

"Well, they sure responded fast," Gizmo commented in a less than thrilled manner.

Gadget returned the focus on his glasses back to normal zoom and retrieved his Baton. "With all the Chaos Emeralds back at full power, we're like a shining beacon on their Radar. Avoiding their main force won't be an option once we're aboard."

"Unless I draw them away from the rest of you," Miles proposed, patting the pouches on his utility belt.

The siblings glanced at one another with uncertainty. They weren't comfortable with the idea of the fox acting as bait, even if he was the most capable among them. But, as though he could feel their worries, Sonic stepped up to his partner and held out a hand. Miles tilted his head curiously at the gesture, drawing an annoyed sigh from the kid.

"If that's the plan, I'm not gonna let you do it alone, big guy," he firmly told the fox, "so gimme one of the Emeralds!"

Miles was momentarily taken aback by the boldness of his young protege and initially, he wanted to refuse. But, after remembering the hordes of Badniks and Kukku creations they'd faced up until now, he chuckled and shook his head. Wordlessly, he reached into one of the pockets and pulled out the green Emerald, then tossed it over to Sonic. The hedgehog caught it with a pleased smirk before slipping the gem into one of his own pouches.

"If you are all prepared," Knuckles said, turning and pointing to the end of the platform they were currently on, "then follow me. I shall take you as high and as close to the Battle Moon as possible."

"Hold on a second," Gizmo spoke up, reaching back and pulling the Pikkon Hammer from one of her pants pockets. She strode up to the fox and held it out handle-first to him. "Here, before either of us forget again."

Truth be told, Miles had almost let it slip from his mind. He smiled and took back his weapon from his sister, glad to feel the weight in his hand again. He gave it a few swings, spun it around in his fingers a handful of times, then brought it to a stop with his hand around the bottom of the shaft. With a light chuckle, he slipped it into a spot between the pouches and tightened his belt a little.

"Thanks again, Sis. It feels good to have it back," he told her appreciatively, then nodded at Knuckles, "okay, now we're ready."

With that, Knuckles started things off by gliding to the platform across from theirs and hitting a switch, activating a bridge to connect the two. After getting across, all of them except for Miles used one of the pole "elevators" to reach a ledge, where a couple of Robo Kukkus descended to accost the group. The echidna and fox went after the pair of robots, using their fists and tails respectively to clear the way for the others. Everyone dropped down a few outcroppings to a moss-covered bridge, hurrying across when the stones began collapsing behind them. It seemed even ruins as durable and long-lasting as these had their limits when it came to being disturbed.

Knuckles led them past a silver fountain and Jumped on top of one of the buildings on the way, and then glided towards a pair of fluffy clouds. Instead of dropping through them, a strange whump filled the air as the Guardian bounced off of them to reach a higher point than where the path led. The other four did as he did, following him to a second set that propelled them past the lower end of a sloped bridge. A small squad of Kukku fighter planes swooped in to try and gun them down, but the group scattered away from their blaster shots. While his grappler was all but useless now, Gadget's Baton served as a worthwhile substitute when it came to snagging one of the pilots from his seat, not to mention stunning him. Gizmo went for the more direct approach of using her sidearm to fire through the nose of an aircraft, then used her own wire to get the combatant before he could fall below the clouds. The remaining three planes were handled by an uppercut, a Rolling Jump, and a Tail Attack from Knuckles, Sonic, and Miles, their pilots thrown to ground right after.

Leaving those soldiers stranded for the time being, the quintet continued to a large spinning green platform, riding the rotation around so they could get to the top of a thick marble column. One of the flame thrower-toting walkers that had given Miles some trouble as a kit served as little more than a roadblock for him and the others, though the Kukkus at the controls certainly tried all the same. Once it was dealt with, Knuckles glided across the next gap, while Miles carried Sonic and the twins made use of narrow castle stone platforms that were floating just as mysteriously as the rest of the place. A few smaller walkers got in their way, only to be bowled over by amber, blue, and red spheres coming through with well-synced Rolling Attacks. Thanks to more of those weird clouds, the group made it to a Warp Point that brought them to another slanted bridge that was much higher up than they were previously.

"Man, this really is incredible," Miles commented to Knuckles as they climbed the collapsing structure. He was capitalizing on all the photo opportunities for the Miles Electric as well, knowing J would be over the moon to get them. "To think that the echidnas had the means to create teleportation devices back then, and this place looks like it used to be a city."

The echidna led them from one pillar to the next, the lot of them flying past a fountain when they finally touched down on solid ground again. "My parents told me the Sky Sanctuary was a holy place for our people long ago. I am inclined to believe them, as I have noticed some similarities between the ruins here and the Hidden Palace, in some places."

"I just wonder how it all stays afloat," Gizmo wondered as she and her twin brother swung from pole elevator to a spinning platform, "is it because of the Master Emerald?"

"Yes," Knuckles confirmed, guiding them down a decline and over a gap to another rotating circular structure, "with it no longer in its proper place, I do not know how much time we have before the ruins start to fall."

The group felt like they were in a bouncing castle for a moment from the number of clouds they vaulted off of to reach the next hovering mass. They ducked beneath a swinging spike trap and rushed down a glass bridge to the next Warp Point, coming out in front of yet more Robo Kukkus. Miles brought out the Pikkon Hammer, eager to give it a go again after having thought it lost forever not that long ago. He slipped under a beam from one of the thing's eyes, grinning in satisfaction as he gave its head a good slug and caused it to collapse. He didn't let it linger long, though, and helped the other promptly deal with the rest of their company.

"They're really putting in the effort to slow us down," Gadget growled irritably as he slashed through one of the bots with his Baton's sword form.

Sonic Spin Dashed through his own target, then made a U-turn to ram into another. "How much longer 'til we get to the top, Knux?"

"Are you referring to me?" the echidna asked, getting a look from the hedgehog for his answer. He punched apart a droid, then pointed onward. "If memory serves me right, there should be two more Warp Points before we reach the highest tower in the Sanctuary."

And from there, they would have the best vantage to try and get on the Battle Moon. Once the Robo Kukkus were scrapped, the Animals leapt from a turning platform to a point between two purple poles, dodging a spike hazard that swung up from below a gap they crossed just past them. They ran down a straightaway and up onto a higher ledge, where things took a decidedly more vertical turn. Knuckles climbed up the sides of the drifting buildings, Gizmo used her grappler to scale them while carrying Sonic on her back and shoulders, and Miles airlifted himself and Gadget doing what he did best.

They eventually came up to a spinning dial that brought them around to a short stretch of land, where they were confronted by Kukku hover pods and a few flying combatants. Miles flew in to grab one of the troops by the scruff, then hurled him into the others, with Sonic coming in to whip around them like a small tornado. This sent them flying into the hover pod pilots, who were left contending with the added weight, and also vulnerable to Knuckles and the twins' efforts. The group kept up the pace once those guys were no longer a threat, crossing a crumbling pathway to a lone platform with a Warp Point on it. On the other end, they went up further to one of the massive green columns, with this one having an opening in it. Knuckles went in and made use of a red spring within the building to get to the roof, the others soon following. Over a series of bridges and crossings, all of which collapsed behind them, they eventually arrived at what Knuckles had said should be the final Warp Point. When they peered up, they could see a single tall tower atop a relatively small, but thick marble platform. And looking down, they could see that the Battle Moon was getting closer and closer to them, though they couldn't spot any more soldiers or machines coming out of the vessel.

Figuring that the worst was behind them, everyone leapt into the light that the Point's gem produced, ending up at the base of the tower. Before any of them touched down, the receiving Warp Point was suddenly shattered into pieces by a metallic amber blur. They spotted a buzz saw of the same color pass above them and then touch down on the other side of the platform, unfurling to reveal itself as Miles' artificial double.

"Mecha!" the fox called out angrily, stepping in front of the others as he faced down his copy.

Mecha raised one of its hands in a challenging manner. "I have been ordered to eliminate you, Enemy Number One."

"No surprise there," Sonic snarked, "look, Tin Tails, we're in a hurry, so we don't have time for a play date."

Miles could swear that he saw a brief flash of annoyance in his doppelganger's optics at the remark, which he found somewhat amusing. But, even though his partner had a point, he knew that they would be wrapped up with fighting Mecha regardless, given the bot's persistence. Or so it seemed until Knuckles took up a position in front of the organic fox.

"Your young friend is right," the echidna stated, glancing back at the teen, "allow me to handle this one while you all go on ahead." He flashed a grin. "My warrior's honor will not allow me to tolerate that blindsiding it gave me before."

Miles wasn't certain that Knuckles would be able to handle Mecha, given that he was pretty drained as far as his stamina went. He also knew that by doing this, the Guardian was giving up his chance to go after the Master Emerald himself. But then, that struck the fox pretty strongly when he thought about it, realizing what it meant. With a resolute hum, he clapped Knuckles on the shoulder.

"Thanks, Knuckles. I promise we'll get the Master Emerald back," he swore to the echidna, playfully shaking his other fist, "and I'll be sure to give the doctor and the Emperor your regards."

Knuckles nodded and jerked his head toward the tower, then rushed at Mecha. The robot locked its claws with his gloves and tried to push him aside, but found it difficult to get the mighty monotreme to budge. The fox didn't waste any more time, grabbing Gadget and flying up to the lowest part of the outer catwalk that wrapped around the structure all the way to the top. Gizmo followed him with Sonic in tow, and from there, they started up the winding path to the roof, every brick and tile breaking apart in their wake.

When it seemed the others were a safe enough distance away from the two fighters, Knuckles wrenched his hands out of Mecha's grip and knocked the replica away with a headbutt. The robot skidded back several meters and screeched to a halt with the brakes in its heels, raising one of its arms to retaliate with several energy blasts. The echidna was thankful that he'd gotten some practice in against the real Miles, as the attacks were familiar enough to the Chaos Bullets for him to handily dodge. Flipping and dipping between shots, the Guardian closed in on his target and gave it a good straight between its LED-powered eyes.

Meanwhile, the quartet had just reached the top, gazing out at the sea of clouds below them, along with the steadily rising form of the Battle Moon.

"We're gonna have to bunch up together if we wanna make the landing," Sonic said to the others, stroking his chin as he looked over his partner, "think you can carry all of us, big guy?"

Miles mulled it over in his head for a few seconds, then nodded to the boy. "Yeah, I can."

"Then let's go," Gizmo urged them, "we've got a cat and giant emerald to save!"

"And a pair of Kukkus in need of a serious kick in the tail-feathers," Gadget added, cracking his knuckles.

The two wolves came in on either side of the fox and put their arms around him, with the teen doing the same to each of their waists. Sonic hopped up onto his back and held him tight by the neck and shoulders, trying not to cut off his air. Once everyone seemed to be secure, Miles took a deep breath.

"Okay, hang on, everyone!" he announced.

With significantly more effort, the fox twirled his two tails around and slowly lifted the four of them up. He'd never tried toting this many people or this much weight before, but while it did strain him a bit, it wasn't that bad. With a grunt, he guided the lot of them over the edge and out into the air, letting up on his effort a little bit so that they would slowly hover down towards the Battle Moon.

Mecha's head whipped back from the blow, but it barely received any damage despite the strength behind the punch. It answered in kind with its own jab to the monotreme's gut, causing Knuckles' eyes to widen in pain as the air was forced out of him. The bot followed up by raising its tails up like scorpion stingers, then brought them down in an attempt to skewer its foe. However, the echidna caught them with his mitten-like gloves, grimacing as the limbs' serrated edges cut into his palms. With some difficulty, he shoved the tails away and delivered a fierce Punch Attack, knocking Mecha back a good bit.

As it recovered from the hard hit, the Kukku creation's head swiveled to one side and caught sight of Miles and the others flying down and out to the Battle Moon. Mecha engaged the thrusters in its feet and was ready to go after them, only to find itself stuck. It glanced down and saw that Knuckles was holding fast to one of its ankles, the echidna's other hand having punched a hole into the marble to anchor himself. The droid tried to fire at him with its arm cannon, only for the Guardian to shout and slam it down into the ground. He then chucked Mecha towards the opposite end of the platform, yanking his other arm free from the stone and shaking off the rubble.

"Our battle is not finished, metal fox," he told his foe, tilting his head back and forth to work out the kinks, "I told Miles that I would deal with you, and I shall do just that!"

Mecha's hands whirred as they rotated a few times, then clicked back in place with a flex of its fingers. Knuckles was ready to get back to business, only for the robot to just...stand there idly. Uncertain whether or not this was a ploy, the echidna stayed put and kept his eye on Mecha. Several moments passed before it finally moved again, its optics narrowing in on Knuckles more intently. Seconds after it did, the air was filled with a low rumble as the colossal form of the Battle Moon rose past the platform they were on.

"I relayed the complications in fulfilling my stated objective to Dr. Fukurokov," it informed the echidna once the noise subsided, "and I have received new instructions. Given that your assistance is no longer required for the Empire's operations to proceed, and you pose a notable threat to it, your elimination has been authorized. Following that, Miles Prower and the rest are to be eradicated, as per my original mission."

So, the doctor had shifted priorities. In a way, Knuckles felt a sense of pride that the old owl would see him as that much of a threat. But it wasn't the time for an inflated ego, not with a killer robot that was now completely focused on him.

Mecha resumed its assault using its Buzz Saw Spin Dash, tearing through the marble on a collision course with Knuckles. The Guardian dove to one side and scooped up some of the broken ground to hurl at his enemy. The duplicate of Miles spun around as it returned to its normal state, both of its hands receding so that it could shatter the rubble with its cannons. The shower of stone had merely been a distraction, however, for Knuckles to swoop in with a gliding attack and ram it with both fists. A few sparks flew from its chest plate upon impact, but Mecha dug in its heels and once again tried to skewer him. The echidna flipped back to avoid a gruesome fate, gathering up a bit of energy in one hand and then pointing at the robot.

"Take this! Lightning Arrow!" he bellowed out, directing a stream of electrified Chaos Energy down onto his opponent.

Mecha's optics notably shifted to a fearful expression, and then to what appeared to be pain once the bolt struck. The robotic vulpine spasmed and twitched, falling to its knees as it tried to keep itself upright. At the same time, Knuckles felt more fatigue start to weigh on him. He'd been holding it together since the Hidden Palace, but the fact was that he had given Miles most of his remaining stamina. Perhaps he could afford to use his abilities a few more times, though pushing himself any further would just add to the soreness he'd feel later. That was, of course, assuming he came out of this alive.


"You were here before, big guy," Sonic said as they strolled onto one of the numerous catwalks that dotted the perimeter of the Battle Moon's interior, "does this place seem familiar?"

Miles made a cursory search, then shook his head. "No, this is a completely different area than where I ended up the first time I was aboard."

"Good thing we downloaded the schematics," Gizmo mentioned as she pulled them up on her comm, "though it looks like there are a number of ways through this oversized egg."

The fox did the same with the Miles Electric, already determining which ones would be best. "You and Gad should find where they keep the escape vessels first, then look for Fuchsia after that. Sonic and I will head for the core power station, where the Master Emerald likely is along with the doctor and the Emperor." He flashed the cyan Emerald at them, then slipped it back into his pocket. "Hopefully, having the Chaos Emeralds on us will keep the pressure off of you two."

It sounded like a good enough plan, as nobody had any objections. But before they scattered, the siblings each bumped fists with the fox and the hedgehog, with the red one in particular also giving Miles a light punch in the chest fur.

"Give them hell, Bro," he said in a softer tone than he most likely wanted to use.

Miles nodded at him, gave his multitool a once over, then put it away as he stepped forward and gestured for Sonic to keep close to him. "Alright, let's split up and take this thing down!"

The fox and hedgehog rushed forward, leaping over a spike projectile thrown from a strange woodpecker Badnik and taking out the robot itself. They came across a bridge that was composed of light beams, which Miles found to be solid after tapping his foot against them. The projection wasn't constant, however, flickering on and off every few seconds, so the boys had to time it properly in order to cross. Hopping up a high ledge, the two came to an odd structure composed of several turquoise barrels that shifted from the boys' weight. But, with Miles' ability to fly, he simply lifted them both past it so that they wouldn't have to bother.

Continuing down a slope, the two of them came to another light beam bridge that curved upward instead of going straight across the gap in front of them. Given the choice between riding it up to some sort of device or waiting for it to disappear and keep going, the fox figured the latter to be better. They shot through a passage, using their Rolling Attacks to build up momentum and, in Sonic's case, bounce off of another woodpecker Badnik to soar over a pit. He saw a spike trap on the wall he was headed for, and he was ready to use his Shield Projector until his partner caught him and lowered them to the ground.

It appeared to be a dead end down there, but after taking a second look around, the boys discovered a sort of maintenance access passage high up in the wall. The fox and the hedgehog boosted themselves up there, where they found numerous Kukku combatants either performing minor repairs or supervising the ones working. And upon realizing that they had company, as well as the nature of said company, the dozen or so birds all froze in the middle of their tasks.

"I-it's the fox," one of them spluttered.

He hesitantly reached for a spanner and clumsily wielded it in place of a proper weapon. Some of the other Kukkus followed suit, using whatever they had on them, whether wrenches, wire cutters, welding torches, or anything else. Miles tilted his shades down as he regarded the avians, wagging a finger at the lot of them.

"Hey now, that's no way to use your tools," he admonished them, turning to Sonic, "I think these guys need a lesson on how to properly handle their equipment, don't you?"

The hoglet snickered and rolled his shoulders. "Yep. Good thing we're here to teach 'em!"

The tunnel was filled with the battle cries of Kukkus soldiers as they rushed the pair, only to be replaced by the sounds of pain. A Spin Dash and Rolling Attack here, a Rapid Tails Attack and a few swipes of the Pikkon Hammer there, and within seconds, the team of birds were laid flat. One of the grunts that had been reluctant to participate had to shield his eyes from the carnage, until he, too, was dragged into it. The duo left their handiwork behind, eventually coming to a hatch that covered a narrow tube leading down. They dropped through it, just managing to dodge a missile from a wall panel, and landing onto a large treadmill-like structure. Fighting against it, the pair pulled into a long hall that ended with a rising staircase, putting them in the path of another missile slot, which they ducked away from just as it fired.

Past that, a second set brought them down into a rather tricky tunnel with a pair of spike traps, and some sort of electrical hazard that reminded him of fluorescent lights. Erring on the side of caution as well as practicality, Miles flew Sonic and himself over the obstacles, then up to a high ledge past yet more missile ports. Navigating their way further up into the station, they smashed a spiny Badnik and came to a sliding door, which Sonic eagerly rushed through. He cried out as he discovered there was no floor beneath his feet beyond it, but was fortunately grabbed by the fox before he could tumble down into the darkness.

"Phew! Thanks, Tails!" he exclaimed.

Miles hummed and set him down beside him gently. "You've got to watch out for that first step, Sonic. Imagine what would've happened if I wasn't here to save your spiny little butt."

"I'd be a hedgehog pizza," the boy replied in a relatively unphased manner.

The teen winced at the image that popped into his head and shook it to try and clear it away. "Anyway, we've got to be careful. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few shafts that serve to eject waste from the station. Don't want to go flying out when we've worked this hard to get in."

The kid nodded and then grabbed hold as his partner brought them up to the top of the pit he'd nearly fallen down. They Jumped up to an outcropping and proceeded through a short hall into a massive room with several glass barrels set up and blue pipes lining the walls. But the most peculiar thing was that the instant they entered, gravity shifted so that they were falling towards the direction they were facing. The boys flipped and bounced off of springs and hard, yet elastic platforms, as well as a cylindrical device with numerous yellow buttons along the outside. The fox noticed that they turned red when he hit one of them, and that the way forward was blocked as well. It wasn't hard to make the connection between the floating equipment and the door.

Awkward as it was, Miles and Sonic got around to changing every button on the cylinder to red, and as expected, the door at the end of the gravity room opened. The passage they shot through was even more chaotic, causing the two of them to bob up and down as though they were in an elevator that was repeatedly dropping and rising at breakneck speeds. Miles found that using his tails didn't help much when it came to navigating the irregular gravity. What did, on the other hand, was using his feet to propel himself off of the floor and ceiling as he went along. Sonic did as he did, and the two of them made it out back into an area of normal gravity soon enough. A charged up Spin Dash let them ride up the wall and blast through another door, where they found themselves at the bottom of a wide and deep shaft.

Miles would have used his flight, but his curiosity made him examine a tall turquoise post with a display screen on top. The instant he got close, though, he was forced into a Rolling Attack much like when he traveled through the pipes in the Chemical Plant Complex. The screen on top of the post lit up with red LEDs, counting down from three as a ping accompanied each digit. Once it hit zero, the fox was sent through a tunnel of light rings that snaked through the air in figure-eight patterns towards the top of the pit. He uncurled just when he reached the ledge and put on the brakes with his heels, spinning around to stop the hedgehog that followed after him without fail seconds later.

"Haha, that was pretty neat!" Sonic whooped, "if I see another one of those, I'm getting on!"

The fox rolled his eyes, but allowed himself a smile at his partner's sense of fun. They took some rising stairs past a pair of missile ports up to a small stretch that had another of those poles they'd just encountered. Just as he said he would, Sonic went ahead and locked himself into the treads that got him spinning, while Miles elected to bypass it. The hedgehog hollered as he went through loops and twists like he was on a roller coaster, while the teen ran across a long catwalk beneath him. The latter skipped over a few rockets that came at him, then flicked his tails so that he could run up the curve of a platform.

From there, he fluttered after his young protege to where the ring trail was taking him, descending yet more stairs into a narrow hall, where shutters came down behind them. The two entered a roomy chamber that consisted of the wide catwalk they were on, many machines with deep blue and yellow checkerboard patterns that contained massive turbines, and a blue-gray pillar in the center. It certainly seemed like a place where most of the station's power would be, but just to be sure, Miles brought out his multitool and overlaid the schematics of the Battle Moon with the Emerald Radar.

"From what I can determine, this is the core power station," he told Sonic, scratching at his ears in confusion with his other hand, "but the Master Emerald isn't here. According to this, it's..." He trailed off as he squinted at the reading. "It's somewhere in the outer layer, possibly on the outside of the Battle Moon, among its orbital platforms."

Sonic punched the palm of one hand with the other fist. "Then let's juice on over to it!"

There was no argument there, but before they could make their exit, an alarm blared throughout the room, and they heard a whirring above them. The two looked to see a huge mechanical red eye staring back at them from within the column, startling both of the Animals.

"What the heck is that!?" Sonic shouted.

He got his answer when eight large spheres that were about the same size as him came down and started orbiting around the eye's position. They then dropped down to the boys' elevation and spread out from the pillar, forcing them to jump to avoid being bowled over.

"No doubt a defense system for the core," Miles answered. He brought out the Pikkon Hammer in one hand and the cyan Emerald in the other, gripping them both tightly. "And it looks like it's not going to let us leave without a fight."

The hedgehog grinned and stretched his legs. "Fine with me. I was starting to get a little bored with how few robots we were coming across."

While they geared up to battle the core defense system, Sonic's comment did give Miles some pause for thought. They hadn't faced that many Badniks or Kukkus at all on their way here, which made him worry for his two siblings. Had he unknowingly sent them into a trap? He wasn't given long at all to ponder the possibility before he had to dodge the oncoming spheres once again.

Just looking at the structure, it was easy to determine that the eye had to be the weakness. With its ability to manipulate those orbs, getting close to it or hitting it from afar would both prove to be tricky. However, as the two of them circled around the pillar to try and find an opening, Miles noticed that the range on those things was limited. Furthermore, it seemed that they couldn't be independently operated, as each time they moved to attack the pair or defend the core, it was always done together. If that was the case, then the fox already had a plan to deal with their opponent.

"Sonic, I'll draw its attention to get those things out of the way of the eye," he proposed, "then you give it a good Rolling Jump!"

The hoglet grinned and put some distance between the pillar and himself. "Got it, big guy! Then you do the next one to keep it guessing, right?"

"Exactly," the fox replied, happy that his partner was quick to catch on, "if my assessment is correct, the A.I. inside that thing is pretty simple. We should be able to run circles around it."

Miles dashed up to the base of the pillar and gave it a good whack with his Hammer, getting the eye to focus on him. Those metallic spheres dropped down as he expected, skipping back to avoid their initial attack. Sonic made a break for it the moment the orbs expanded their orbit, going into a Rolling Jump just like his partner suggested. The fox gave him a boost with both hands, sending him careening right into the eye of the core. It sparked and flashed for a moment, and then, one of the orbitals exploded into a shower of spiky shrapnel. Both of the boys managed to get away with only a few scratches, though it did give them both a scare.

"I guess it would've been a little too easy if there wasn't something else to the defenses," Miles remarked as he traded his Hammer for a handful of bombs, "but at least there's one less obstacle protecting the weak point."

Sonic pumped a fist. "Just gotta keep it up, and it'll be defenseless in no time!"

Just as they'd planned, Sonic distracted the machine with some fancy footwork, leaving it open to getting peppered by Miles' explosives the instant it tried to smash the kid. A pair of spheres unleashed their prickly payloads, which the boys dodged and then doubled back to set themselves up for their next maneuver. The A.I. brought up its remaining projectiles to try and cover itself, but enough of a gap had been formed for Miles to carry Sonic over to the eye and, with the right timing, let the hedgehog Jump from his hands right into it. The fox dove through the air to slip through the rain of spines while a Spin Dash on his partner's part got him out of the affected area.

As they kept up their assault, some of the turbines in the chamber were starting to suffer wear and tear from the errant projectiles from the exploding spheres. The whine of machinery shutting down echoed through the room, replaced by the blaring of sirens, while the blinking hazard lights had become a near constant red strobe. Eventually, it came down to the tower having only one of the projectiles left to use against them, and while it would have been simple enough to strike it at the right moment, Miles knew Sonic would prefer that they ended things flashily.

"So, little bud, what should we do this time?" the fox asked his partner.

The hedgehog stroked his chin for a moment, then snapped his fingers. "Let's go for another one of those game-winning kicks of yours!"

"You've got it!" the teen replied with a smirk.

Miles flew into the air and held out his hands, which Sonic Jumped into right after. The flying fox rose up into the air while he juggled his balled-up friend, making him spin faster and faster. The core computer swung its orbital at him, but he tossed the kid up higher while dropping back himself, letting it swing and miss both of them. The fox whirled his tails and cocked one of his legs back, rising up to meet the hoglet just as he came down. Once he judged the angle to be right, he brought his shoe in against the Rolling blue sphere.

"Thunder Shoot!" he yelled out as he punted Sonic with a good, firm strike.

As the hedgehog ricocheted off of the eye of the machine, the last orbital erupted like all the rest, but it didn't stop there. The central pillar was rocked by numerous blasts, electrical arcs snaking along its form while panels and pieces of circuitry warped and cracked. The surrounding power units, which had already been failing before, were shutting down even more readily, though the alarms hadn't ceased and the way out hadn't opened back up. It should have done so when they defeated the core A.I., right?

That was when the heroic duo learned that their fight wasn't quite over yet. With the groan of twisted metal, the red-eyed machine wrenched itself free from the pillar in a large, silvery drum-shaped body that floated freely through the air. A pair of circular platforms lined with spikes on the undersides hovered in place next to it, but soon began to vertically rotate about it in slow, measured circles. Its optic zoomed in on the boys and the port beneath its main body fired a broad beam of blue energy their way, scorching much of the catwalk as it did.

Sonic leapt onto one of the platforms, and when the opportunity presented itself, drove himself up into the eye from below. The machine responded by unleashing its beam and wildly swinging its improvised weapons, letting out a shrill whine all the while. It allowed Miles to fly up and over the chaotic tantrum the thing was throwing, catch his partner and then fling a few bombs at the robot's backside. Notable scuffs and dents showed where they exploded, proving to the fox that this body's casing was less durable than the tower's. It also caused the thing to wheel around and come after them with even more fervor, though this played right into Miles' hands.

'Oh, doctor,' he thought as he shook his head, 'you project your angry little heart into everything you make, don't you? So predictable.'

He hurled Sonic past the machine, now putting it between the two of them, and waved his hands to get its attention. As expected, the A.I. prioritized him and hovered his way, intent on dicing him up and then charring what was left. The hedgehog charged up a Spin Dash and let loose, Jumping up so that he landed on one of the platforms as it rose, leaving him in the perfect position to keep on Rolling right into the spot the fox damaged. The robot wobbled and turned over from the hit, steam shooting from the top of its body. The eye darted back and forth between the two targets, unsure of which one was the greater threat, unable to decide whether it should turn its platforms clockwise or the other way.

With the core component confused, both Animals took the chance to take out their Shield Projectors. Sonic changed the setting to flame, making sure to show Miles, who had been debating a different one. However, he understood what his partner was going for after a few seconds, and then did the same. They activated their devices and were wreathed in fiery red and orange barriers, taking up positions on either side of the flailing robot.

"Alright, on three!" the fox called out as he dug in his heels, "one!"

"Two!" the hedgehog answered after roughly a second had gone by, clenching his fists.

"Three!" the pair shouted at the same time.

They Jumped up high so that they were level with the core machine's eye and the platforms were out of their way. Miles and Sonic's Flame Shields became white hot in both intensity and appearance as they streaked into the Kukku creation from each end. The Fireball Spin Dashes slammed into the robot with a pair of metallic thuds, followed up by the whir of such durable material straining to hold together. The speed and power behind their blows only offered it a fleeting moment of resistance, though, and then it was over. Both fox and hedgehog severed its wires and fried its circuits as they punched out of the opposite sides they entered, flipping a few times and sticking a three-point landing. The machine and its platforms fell to the ground, sparked and shuddered a few more times, then erupted into a shower of fire and scraps.

The entrance to the chamber opened back up, but so did a door on the other side. Rather, it had been the covering to a deep blue barrel-shaped pod with a long pipe attached to the top of it, one wide enough for an Animal to fit through. It wasn't an elevator, as there was no car to take them. Miles wondered if, perhaps, it was like those transporter tubes in the main Metropolitan Industries building, or the system in the Chemical Plant Complex. Using his multitool, he analyzed it and discovered it to be more like the former, and that this one, in particular, would bring them to the outer layer of the Battle Moon.

"So, what's the verdict?" Sonic inquired as he walked up next to him, hands behind his head.

The fox stowed the Miles Electric away after he got everything he needed. "Well, this should take us where we need to go. I detected artificial gravity and atmospheric conditions on the other end, so we should be good."

"Alright, let's speed!"

The hedgehog ran into the opening, then let out a whoop as he suddenly shot into the tube. With a chuckle and a shrug, the teen went in after him, feeling the rush of air on his face once he was sent rocketing upward.


The GBK slammed a fist down on his throne furiously as he watched the footage from three different perspectives. The fox and his friends had boarded his station, thanks to the echidna keeping Mecha at bay. Prower in particular had just destroyed their core defenses, and he and his pincushion of a partner were on their way to him! If the Battle Moon hadn't been adjusted to take in the Master Emerald's energy, they would have been going down yet again. But at the rate things were going, it wouldn't be long before he would have to use its power for the doctor's newest and truly greatest weapon.

Those wolf twins had also proven to be a rather big thorn in his side. Whatever forces weren't dealing with Prower were taking them on, but they were having a rough time of things, thanks to those tools and weapons the lupines let loose. Their trajectory was leading them towards the Emergency Bay, and the Conversion Therapy Lab wasn't far beyond that. No doubt, they were looking to destroy the latter, then find their feline friend and return to the former in order to escape. Well, rather than having them run around, why not send her to them, knowing full well they'd be reluctant to harm her?

"Private Pink," he hailed the cat through his built-in communications, "cease whatever you are currently doing. I have a mission for you."

There was a momentary click in his receivers that signified the other line was picked up. "Roger that, Sire. What do you need me to do?"

"I'm certain that you've noticed we have intruders," the Emperor informed her, "the dangerous two-tailed fox and his friends, your poor deluded lover among them. He's on his way to the doctor's therapeutic laboratory, where we helped you. If he does what Prower has no doubt ordered, then we won't be able to afford him the same treatment."

To his dark delight, Fuchsia let out a worried gasp. "Oh no, then Gad would be stuck under Miles' control!"

"Precisely," the big bird crooned to her, "and I know well how much you wish to help him. Therefore, to give you the power you need to get the job done, I am temporarily granting you the same authority as a lieutenant. Take a platoon of combatants and robots to the Lab, then intercept him and his sister. We can work on getting them the aid they need once they've been apprehended."

There was a moment of silence, and then the cat answered. "I understand. I'll get over there ASAP, My Liege."

"I expect to hear good news soon, Private Pink," he said, cutting the line afterward.

With preparations made for two of their three problems, the GBK went back to examining the remaining issue. Knuckles was handily standing up to Mecha despite the injuries he'd sustained from the earlier scuffle. Yes, the synthetic fox had managed to get a few good hits in, but it was clear that the echidna was superior in terms of close-quarters combat. And even as the Guardian started to noticeably tire, the damage that Mecha was taking on just kept piling up.

The Emperor growled as he witnessed Mecha dash at Knuckles, only to be grabbed in mid-air, spun around like an Olympic hammer, and then thrown into the ground. The echidna flipped forward and delivered a double axe hand to the prone robot, knocking it deeper into the marble. He then yanked the metal vulpine out of the hole and drove an explosive punch into its torso, sending it flying back. Once upright, Mecha grounded itself and used the wheels in its heels to charge at Knuckles, only for the Animal to Jump right into its face. The impact caused it to lose its balance and begin sparking a bit more, its optics glitching out for a brief moment, but it soon recovered.

Mecha went into a Buzz Saw Spin Dash, slicing and bouncing its way across the platform in an attempt to disorient its target, but Knuckles wasn't falling for it. The echidna kept calm and only moved when he had to, conserving his energy while keeping a close eye on the robot. It uncurled after a moment and opened fire with its twin cannons, forcing Knuckles to run and glide to avoid its energy blasts. The echidna closed the distance and punched down at the ground to make it crack beneath Mecha's feet, causing it to briefly lose balance. Knuckles took the chance to reach around and grab its tails by the base, where there weren't any protrusions he could cut himself on. He gave them a fierce tug at the same time that he sprang from the balls of his feet, driving his head into Mecha's chin. As the bot tumbled over from the hit, the Guardian yelled out and whipped the thing around by its rear limbs to club it right back into the crumbling marble.

Unable to stand seeing such a display any longer, the GBK rang for Dr. Fukurokov. A few moments went by before he heard that creaky old engineer on the other end.

"Yes, Your Grace?" the owl asked him meekly.

The commander snorted at the sniveling tenor in the other bird's voice. "You know why I'm calling, Dmitri. Isn't there anything you can do about that failure of yours that's locked in combat against that vexing echidna?"

He heard the owl's feathers ruffle at calling his creation a "failure", as well as a barely audible clench of the beak. Good, it meant he was listening. And given a little more time, he eventually heard the owl let out a labored sigh.

"Well, there is one thing we could still employ," the doctor notified him uneasily, "but I've not had the proper chance to test it yet, and without the Chaos Drives I'd originally installed, it may not work as intended!"

The GBK wasn't having any of it, though. He'd heard enough excuses from his chief engineer just about this expedition, much less all of their previous endeavors.

"Do you think I care about that when we've got our enemies on our doorstep!?" he thundered at his second-in-command, "they intend to throw everything at us, so it would be foolish not to do the same! Activate whatever it is in Mecha that has you so skittish, and then get your final weapon ready! Prower and his sticker brush of a sidekick will be on top of you soon, so prepare for my arrival!"

He closed the link and then stomped over to the back of the room, pressing a panel on the wall. It slid away to reveal a cylinder with a long tube that went up into the station, the same sort he'd just seen Miles use. He hurried into it, tucked his arms and legs close, then allowed himself to be carried away by what felt like reversed gravity. Convenient though it was, he was still getting used to how disorienting the experience could be.


Knuckles panted as he braced himself against a flurry of punches from Mecha, his feet sliding back on the stone closer and closer to the edge of the platform. Just when it seemed as though he'd sail over it, he dropped down and used his namesakes to shuffle along the rim and get behind the bot. He ducked below a slash from the things tails and gave it an uppercut, then grabbed its feet to throw it back into their arena. Mecha righted itself with its jets just in time to take a gliding strike from the echidna.

Its form flashed and sparked a bit more as yet another dent was added to its collection of scrapes, chips, and bent metal. The replica began to slow down more and take additional time between each of its attacks, which themselves sported notably less impact than a few minutes ago. Knuckles assumed that the damage he'd dealt to it was finally taking effect, which he was quite thankful for, as he wasn't sure how much longer he would be able to keep it up. He took the opportunity to slide past a sluggish tail swipe, then tripped up Mecha with a shot to the shins. The echidna grabbed its shoulders as it fell and gave it a hard headbutt, watching it stumble back for a second before raising one hand into the air.

"Fall already! Lightning Arrow!" he shouted.

As before, a bolt of Chaos Energy crashed down from the heavens and connected with the conductive machine. But unlike the previous time and all the other instances Knuckles had hit hard, Mecha appeared as though it had finally had enough. It shuddered and spasmed, unceremoniously dropping back onto its hands, feet and tails with its head tilted down. The optics had gone entirely dark, and the only bit of commotion from the robot was the occasional bit of electricity arcing over its body every couple of seconds. Knuckles waited for a short while, and when his foe did not move beyond its spot, he breathed out in relief and slumped back against the tower.

"And now I await their return," he mumbled to himself as his eyes trailed up to the shrinking form of the Battle Moon.

His distracted gaze, however, failed to notice one of the robot fox's hands twitching, its fingers spasming ever so slightly, until they calmed and closed into a fist. The sparking and shorting from Mecha's suddenly ceased entirely, a low hum filling the air instead. When the echidna finally noticed that something was up, he witnessed the machine's head lift up and its optics activating once again. Rather than cyan-blue, though, the LEDs that made up Mecha's "eyes" were now a menacing red. It slowly rose to its feet, the noise coming from its speakers only growing louder, yet deeper, until it was fully upright. Mecha's hands folded over its chest plate, and Knuckles began to feel a surge of power welling up from within the machine...one that felt like energy from the Master Emerald!

"Authorization for use of stored Chaos Energy has been granted," the metal fox droned out, "engaging Overclocked Mode."

Bolts flew across Mecha's form once again, but not because of its injuries this time. These were because of what it was doing, and realizing what was about to happen, Knuckles rushed in to try and stop it. He was flung back by the violent power coursing over the robot, however, forced to do little more than sit and watch. Mecha gradually rose into the air, its limbs curling in on itself in a fetal position as the light show proceeded to become ever more chaotic. And when it reached a crescendo, the Miles replica spread its arms and legs, letting a blinding flash engulf the area.

Once Knuckles could see again, he clenched his jaw. Mecha's paint job had taken on a midnight blue-indigo color that pulsated between lighter and darker shades. Its bulky forearms had shifted so that its cannons sprouted above its wrists, while the engines in its feet now seemed inexhaustible, letting it fly constantly. Its already daunting features had become even more pronounced, with its tails in particular now being razor sharp and barbed all over. The Chaos Energy had created a thin aura of deep purple light that flickered and danced over the robot like fire, lending it an almost otherworldly glow.

"This form was modeled after the bestial transformation exhibited by Miles Prower during the previous Battle Moon incident," Mecha informed the Guardian, hovering a bit lower so it could better look him in the eye, "its power may not be to scale with the original, but that is irrelevant. Your chances of survival, now that it has been activated, are negligible."

Knuckles scoffed at the claim as he put up his dukes once more, letting his adversary see that he was grinning. As tired as he was and as dire as the situation seemed, he couldn't help but be a little excited.

"No one knows the Master Emerald's power better than me," he boasted as he fell back into his tried and true stance, "you cannot beat me with borrowed might, impostor!"

Mecha "narrowed" its crimson eyes and floated back up into the air, taking up its own position. Animal and machine, organic and synthetic beings stared one another down, ready for the second and final round between them.