Tikal's scream echoed through the darkness. Silver, while startled, was comparably quite calmer – after all, he could just save them from the fall with his… huh?

Despite his efforts, the cyan rings on his hands refused to glow.

Why were his powers not working?

It's okay, okay – no pressure, he told himself. Just stay calm-

He could not stay calm – and his panicked yells joined Tikal's in a horrific chorus. There was no way to go but down, and there was very little he could do to control the descent. He tried reaching out for Tikal's hand and she attempted the same – but the distance between them was too great

Why had he even entertained the thought of trusting Metal? Was this seriously how it was going to end for them? No, there had to be something he could do! He just needed to focus, needed to think-

Metallic claws seized his waist, and Silver let out a gasp of surprise. "Metal?!" Silver exclaimed. "What the heck-?!"

Anger morphed into confusion as, now one of the robot's arms, he realised Metal was using his jets to boost towards Tikal – and caught her in the same way with the arm he had to spare.

Wait, why bother saving them after he had just-

Silver lost control of his train of thoughts as his ears flickered towards sounds coming from above. Loud, harsh wails rang through the air around them – and he could have imagined it, but their cries almost appeared to kick up gusts of wind blowing against his face.

Metal Sonic was still flying the trio downwards through the limitless pit – away from the agonized screams. Silver squinted, wanting to identify the source of the noise – but everything was empty.

Until a green light shone.

The hedgehog stared up at it with fleeting wonder, before realising it wasn't just a pretty light show – it was a cause for concern.

Arrows and spears barrelled down from the glow. No, not chaos spears or anything of that calibre – weapons in the most traditional sense – sticks and sharpened stones tied together. While they might have had a frankly ancient design, they were just as capable of causing fatal wounds.

Silver flinched, and Tikal yelped – burying her face into Metal's neck.

The robot didn't even need to look at the incoming barrage – he activated his black shield, surrounding the three with a protective barrier that deflected all of the projectiles without issue.

Then that was that - the attack just ended, leaving Silver even more baffled than he was before. Were they really in the clear already? Metal was keeping his shield up, perhaps as a cautionary measure.

Silver dared to look down, and his eyes widened as he saw there was actually ground below - some sort of cobblestone street, wet and shining as though it had rained not too long ago.

This realm, timeline... whatever it was - it was quickly growing more and more unusual. Before they reached the ground, Metal Sonic paused - hovering as he finally allowed his shield to drop. He then slowly descended the last few inches until his feet touched the cobblestone - and he promptly let go of the hedgehog and echidna, setting them down so they could stand on their own.

Silver found himself staring down a linear path, each lined with identical buildings with yellow lights glowing from the windows.

"Oh-!" He heard Tikal exclaim, and turned to look upwards again - seeing the black void above their heads suddenly disappear and reveal a navy sky - alight with glittering stars.

It completed the scene of the seemingly never-ending street, the lights from the houses illumnating the night provided an oddly cozy feeling to it all, already such a contrast from the nonsensical landscape of snow and flying creatures that weren't supposed to fly.

Oh well, that was enough cotemplating. He found himself turning to look at Metal, the pieces of the puzzle starting to come to him, and allowing him to piece together the reasons behind Metal's actions. "You pushed us into the whole to protect us from our attackers... right?" He asked the robot.

Metal Sonic quickly nodded.

To think not moments ago he had thought the tin can had most certainly betrayed them. Metal really did seem to be abiding by his new protocols, and it was a huge relief to him.

Silver noticed Tikal's shoulders relax, and she was able to breathe easier after that scare.

"Thanks." Silver gave a genuine smile to Metal Sonic. While the robot stared back at him, he didn't achknowledge his gratitude in any other way.

"I am... truly indebted to you." Tikal admitted gratefully, giving Metal a bow.

It yielded no reaction for him again - that was fine. It's not like Metal really had a face that could emote very well or a voice that offered more dialogue options. Still, Silver wondered how easily Metal could get some pivotal information across.

"So then, did you see who or what was attacking us?" Silver asked him.

Silver was beginning to realise that most of the time, Metal stood perfectly still like a statue. However, whenever he did move - it was always a sudden jerk of movement - one that could easily startle those not expecting it. Silver almost stepped backwards instinctively as Metal Sonic snapped his arm into position... to point at Tikal.

What? How did that make sense?

"I'm... sorry?" Tikal questioned, blinking a few times with a mixture of hurt and confusion written on her face.

"That can't be right." Silver immediately said. "Metal, are you sure you understood the question?"

The machine nodded again.

"Then... no, I'll ask again. Is Tikal the one that... somehow attacked us?"

In a contradictory move, Metal Sonic shook his head.

"Then why are you pointing at her?!" Silver's voice cracked with frustration, causing him to then clear his throat.

Metal understood it as a question rather than an exclamation of irritation - so he stood to the side of Tikal, holding out his hands as though he were presenting her as part of a magic show.

"Do you- do you genuinely not understand how confusing you're being-?"

Silver was cut off by Metal's harsh, messy beeps as he brought the palm of his hand to his face in a face palm, shaking his head as he walked away from the duo and out further into the street

Silver sighed. "I guess it doesn't really matter... for now at least, we've got other problems. You okay, Tikal?" He then turned his attention to the echidna, who was staring down at her feet with a narrowed gaze - as though she were quite intensely contemplating something.

"Hm? Oh yes, I am very well." Tikal said, as Silver brought her back to the present - meeting his eyes with a soft smile.

"If you're sure." Silver said. "I don't know why Metal pointed at you like that-"

"It's certainly unusual." She interjected, a little too quickly. Silver eyed her for a moment, before flitting his gaze back to Metal.

"Ah, well - I guess we should catch up with the tin can." Silver shrugged, and Tikal agreed with the sentiment - so they both picked up their paces to fall in line with Metal Sonic. The robot was thankfully not moving at too quick of a pace - and Silver saw his red eyes darting between the houses on both sides of the path.

Every building was quite literally identical, but Metal seemed to be scrutinising everything in attempt to spot a difference.

Silver wondered if there was any point investigating one of the buidlings - as the lights were clearly on inside them, could it be possible that there were people inside them? On the other hand, he thought about how if they stepped inside - what would be waiting for them? Another death trap like the black hole? At least out on the street it was safe-

Suddenly, rain began to pour down onto the trio - each drop felt like an icicle pinching his skin. For the first time since finding himself in this new realm, he actually felt cold - a different temperature. It was relentlessly heavy, the water already clinging to his fur - with Tikal in much the same predicament, but finding her clothes starting to get soaked through.

"Heavy shower..." Silver said awkwardly, closing his eyes quickly to avoid the rain getting in them. "Do we... wanna try getting in one of these-?" He pointed to the buildings with his thumb. Tikal tilted her head, gritting her teeth uneasily before sighing - eventually nodding.

"We can pray that these roofs will be our sanctuary."

Metal Sonic took the lead once the decision had made, testing the door handle of the nearest house. It opened. The robot hedgehog stepped inside and Silver internally hoped that the robot would wait at least a second for the other two before going ahead all the time.

Silver then heard a screech from inside. "IT'S- IT'S METAL SONIC!"

It was a voice he didn't recognise, but it was brimming with fear. Silver ran inside the building, sprinting and almost stumbling in the coridoor leading to the living room - looking over Metal Sonic's shoulder. A group of five mobians had pinned themselves to the farthest corner away from the entrance of the room.

"Guys!" Silver called to them, putting on an assuring smile. "It's okay! He won't harm you."

They looked between themselves, then back at Silver - before slowly breaking away from each other and standing awkwardly.

"Silver?" A pale owl asked, as though she couldn't believe her eyes. She then turned to the group with a new found spark of hope in her eyes. "If the heroes are running around - things are bound to get fixed up soon!"

"About time-" A blue goat grumbled.

"Hey, guys - sorry, I'm going to need to ask a lot of questions-" Silver excused himself with an embarrassed laugh. "How did you guys end up here?" He asked.

"It was very weird, one minute we were going about our daily lives, and then we all- we all sorted of started turning blue and glitching out - and then- and then we woke up in this house. Us? Yeah, we didn't know each other before all this-" The owl explained a little shakily - but everyone else with her nodded to that statement. "And well, nothing has happened since. We haven't left this place besides looking at the other houses nearby and sure enough - people just like us are occupying some of them too, whiile some are empty-"

"And you guys... you sure you're okay?" Silver asked them with concern.

"Oddly, we're perfectly fine." A pink gerbil spoke up suddenly. "Like- listen, we haven't needed to sleep, eat, or shi-"

"It's like all our basic needs are suddenly out of the window." The owl cut in quickly.

"I've noticed that too..." Silver admitted softly. Metal Sonic shifted his gaze towards Silver, and the hedgehog only just now noticed that Tikal was lingering behind - glancing away shyly from the group - blinking at the walls in the coridoor. "Guys - I have to be honest, we don't understand what's going on either. Not really- We're trying to figure it out."

Sure, Silver could explain how Eggman had created a new timeline - but how did that really describe this realm? This was still supposed to be the timeline they were familiar with but if that was the case - why is everything so messed up and not making sense? It was like the world had flipped upside down. He'd rather spare them from such confusing information.

"You gotta do what you gotta do." The pink gerbil lady said with a nod. "If you guys are trying to shelter from the rain, next door to the left there's an empty house where you can rest." She told them.

"Thank you." Silver smiled sincerely. "I- If I had more questions you could answer, I'd ask them - but I think we're all just as confused as each other." The hedgehog said with a small sigh. "I'm sorry I don't have more."

"You're trying your best." The owl said. "That's what matters."

"And we're not going to stop until we solve this." The determination in his voice could not be mistaken. "Again, thank you all for your help."

He'd get his two allies to the house next door, and wait for the rain to ease - it was something small, but it was objective he could follow that gave him some direction for the first time in days. At least... he'd assumed it had been due to how often he felt the signal of Sonic sleeping. Ugh, frankly - he was quite looking forward to having an excuse to rest and think everything over.


The heroes realised that standing around an alley would get them caught by robots eventually, so they opted for a place to go that was safer - the criminal underground.

The irony certainly wasn't lost on Sonic.

Whisper seemed the most informed and was able to lead the other three to the entrance of the sewers. Tangle had rambled on about how the underground sewers were home to the people that refused to comply with the Empire - but this didn't exactly translate to innocent people taking a stand. No, in most cases - it was the murderers, thieves, and thugs that hadn't followed the whims of authority even before Eggman's takeover.

Now that they were inside, the smell was making Sonic's stomach churn - and it was hard to comprehend that there were people living here on a day to day basis. He eyed the people that were sat on the floor, backs against the wall with their heads hung low - dressed in rugged clothes and having matted fur and hair. It was a dreadful sight.

Sonic turned his focus to the stream of green sludge making its way through the centre. For a moment, Sonic imagined what tripping off the platform would result in. If you were to fall in that... would you even be able to move, or would it ensare you and drag you down like quicksand as you found yourself unable to move despite your best efforts?

His intrusive thoughts were surprising him - but it was something else to think about, rather than...

"We can sit here." Whisper said, indicating to the empty floor where there was space - no one else loitering near the area.

Tangle sat down, fidgeting with her hands and Sonic joined her with his back leaning against the grimey wall - whatever, he'd wash it off later - he just wanted to rest himself at least a little.

Whisper hesitantly joined them on the floor - and Knuckles was the only one left standing, arms crossed as he stared away from the other three. Sonic knew that expression well - lips just slightly pursed, eyes burning with a rage contained within. His anger was stewing like a pot of water boiling on a stove, vigurously bubbling with a lid barely able to prevent the contents from spilling over.

Sonic couldn't blame him, and it was about to get worse.

Tangle broke the silence between them. "Sonic... why did you run off from us when you saw Shadow? Is this to do with your chosen one... thing... knowledge?" She asked.

Sonic closed his eyes. "You could say that... I- I made a wrong call." Sonic admitted right out of the gate. In hindsight, trying to reason with Shadow had yielded results that Sonic should have anticipated - there was very little chance it would have ended in the blue hedgehog's favour. "I know why that guy wants the emeralds... and we should be worried."

Everyone had their full attention on him now. Sonic's fur bristled.

"Shadow is trying to gather the Chaos Emeralds to destroy the world, there's a space ship that needs the emeralds to activate a doomsday code that will send said space ship crashing into the planet - destroying everything as we know it."

All was quiet. Agonizingly so.

"What?" Tangle choked out.

The bomb went off. "And in your infinite wisdom - you decided that the best course of action was to run towards him... while you had an emerald on you?! And you thought that was smart?! You didn't think that it would backfire?!" Knuckles yelled, pointing down at him.

"And I know now that it was wrong-" Sonic found himself gritting his teeth, while he perfectly understood Knuckles' frustration - he hated to be reminded of his failures so plainly and loudly.

"Hah! Well that hardly helps, does it?" Knuckles pointed out. "Somehow, I don't think you undersand how important these gems are-!"

"I understand a little too well, actually..." Sonic commented quietly, despite it being unwarranted - invoking the echidna's rage further.

"They are some of the most powerful gems in the world! Second only to the Master Emerald itself!" Knuckles went on to explain. "Last time I fought him - he had the power of chaos control - and now he has an emerald that's going to make him even stronger! And he's going to have an easier time tracking the locations of the other emeralds!"

Sonic opened his mouth, but was quickly silenced by Knuckles' tirade. "Don't! Don't try to argue! You're such a... such an idiot! Even with the world at stake, you're making stupid decisions- What use is a chosen one if they can't even use the knowledge they've been granted correctly?!"

"GUYS!" Tangle suddenly snapped over them. "Please... what's done is done. Look, I don't - I don't understand it either Knuckles, I'm mad too. But arguing isn't going to get us the emeralds, or save the world. We need to figure out what to do..."

Sonic didn't say anything in response, but looked towards Whisper. Her expressions were hard to read due to the way she was always squinting - but her face seemed somewhat sweaty.

It was only his, but did he Knuckles yelling at him about it right now?

"Just- UGH!" Knuckles threw his hands up in frustration. "All we've done so far is fail in what we've been trying to do, and sometimes even just making things worse rather than better! This... oh Sonic's fucked up, he fucked up big time-"

"That's why we need a plan going forward." said Tangle firmly. "I think it's safe to say that our new main priority is stopping this Shadow guy from... well, entire world destruction-" She spoke nervously as she thought about the prospect.

"If I may..." Whisper managed to speak up. "I... wish to help with this. I am willing to work with you to put an end to this individual."

Sonic blinked, the heroes stared at her with disbelief.

"You sure?" Tangle asked her. "I heard you were quite insistent on working alone before - so these guys told me."

"Yes, but... I believe saving the entire world is more important than my personal preferences... I will leave you once this threat has been dealt with. But, I wish to help for now - I feel as though you will need all the help you can get." The wolf explained her reasoning.

Sonic realised quickly the reason for Whisper's sudden change of heart. She felt herself responsible for the loss of the Chaos Emerald due to Shadow's blackmail - and Sonic realised that he'd have to tell her, if he could get to her alone, to get that idea out of her head - it wasn't her fault. Still, her help would be appreciated all the same.

"Yeah you're uh- definitely right on that one-" Tangle admitted with an awkward laugh.

"Great." Knuckles said, lacking in enthusiasm - clearly impatient and wanting to move things along. "Right... I should be able to try something if we travel back home." Knuckles said finally. "By using the power of the Master Emerald, I should be able to shut off the power of the Chaos Emeralds for as long as I need to. Shadow won't be able to use their power at all, not to enhance his own abilities - not to power this... space ship you speak of."

"Oh!" Tangle blinked. "That's a great soluti-!"

"But doing so will mean that if we are to continue hunting for emeralds, the emeralds will not be giving off a signal I can track. Rouge, I have no doubt, will inform Shadow of who I am and what the Master Emerald is, and if they put two and together might attempt a direct attack on the isl-"

"Hol' up-" Sonic interruped with narrowed eyes. "What's Rouge got to do with this?"

"Oh yikes, you don't know..." Tangle said with a grimace. "They're kind of... working together? They're- Oh my gosh!" She suddenly exclaimed, worried. "She's working with a guy that wants to destory the world! Oh no, oh no - she's not doing that intentionally... right?" She asked desperately.

"I... can't imagine she'd genuinely want the world to be destroyed, no-" Sonic said with a slow shake of his head. Shadow and Rouge working together was, of course, nothing knew to him. Rouge had worked with him even while he was enacting his revenge plot in the old timeline - but instead of actually being an ally, she had been a spy sent by the government - never truly desiring the same outcome as the villains.

No, Sonic was confident that this wasn't what she wanted - that Shadow was witholding his true intentions from her.

"Of course... of course she wouldn't-" Tangle told herself repeatedly.

"Are we done interruping me now?" Knuckles glared at them, and they both looked at him guiltily so he continued on. "If I cut off the power of the emeralds, Shadow might launch an offensive on the island to attack me or try to claim the Master Emerald for himself in an attempt to restore the Chaos Emeralds... not that he'll be able to." He huffed. "So that's something we will have to prepare for."

"Well... if we all work together, we can defeat Shadow if he comes to us." Tangle spoke firmly. "He'll be fighting on our home terrain, and most importantly - we'll be preventing him from using the emeralds for his doomsday plans. So yeah, seems like the best we can do." She smiled up at Knuckles to give some assurance.

"Yeah... it works." Sonic slowly said - contemplating what would happen if Shadow really were to come to the island in response to Knuckles de-activating the emerald? Would he just try to take the Master Emerald and use it instead? He knew Knuckles wasn't going to let that happen in a million years - would Sonic ever have a good opportunity to reason with Shadow?

He found himself getting more worked up the more he thought of the black hedgehog - what had Amy said all that time ago that finally made Shadow change his mind?

Whisper just nodded in agreement with everyone else - and thus, their next course of action was settled upon.


Orbot could do nothing but watch as Miles' attempts to get his father to speak to him, even look at him - grew more and more desperate. They say that attempting the same thing over and over again expecting a different outcome was the definition of insanity, and well - he supposed in all honesty, Miles was well beyond that point.

The fox had requested Orbot provide him with some of the data he had gathered on the doctor - such as the times he drank coffee, so Miles could be there and ready with a freshly made cup as soon as thought crossed the old man's mind.

Robotnik pretended he didn't notice his efforts, insistent on ignoring him.

Orbot was getting tired of watching from the sidelines as each of the fox's gestures were left unappreciated, stirring up sympathy within his non-existent heart. Miles was a very hardworking kid with loads of potential - one that he was quite proud to have been involved with raising, but he never seemed truly good enough for Robotnik.

Nothing ever was.

Before, he would have ignored his own doubts about the doctor's actions and carried on with the duties expected of him. It wasn't his position to question anything his master did or said - just to do as told.

Something had changed, perhaps because it involved someone else he cared about - rather than his own opinions that didn't matter, but he found himself with a new urge to finally say something.

"Robotnik, sir-" Orbot began. The man in question was hunched over his desk, working on some blueprints.

"What is it, Orbot?" Robotnik asked, the only reason that he didn't snap at the robot for talking to him was due to the fact he was mostly engrossed in his work.

"Well... I had a- question-" Orbot began uneasily, shifting his gaze quickly to look at the wide window and the darkness of space on the other side.

"Spit it out." Ah, there was the doctor's usual tone - he was paying more attention now.

Orobot looked back at him. "I can't help but notice how much you've been ignoring Miles since we lost control of Project Shadow - and while I understand it was a signficant blow to the Empire... ignoring your son for this long. It's- well, it's a bit cruel, isn't it? He's been trying his absolute hardest to get you to even just look at him-"

"Bah!" Robotnik abruptly threw down his pen onto the desk. "Oh Orbot, trying to speak as though you have a single ounce of intelligence." He swivelled his chair. "My goal is not to be a loving father, it's to have an efficient worker-"

"He's 14, sir." Orbot pointed out.

"Exactly! An adult!" Robotnik exclaimed, as much as that didn't make sense to Orbot at all. "He doesn't need me to hold his hand, that's not how I'm going to get the results I'm after. Let's see here, how do I explain this simply enough for you..." He twisted his moustache as he thought for a moment. "If you want people to do as you say and do it right - you need to understand what makes them tick. In Miles' case, he steps up his performance once he realises he's disappointed those around him. He can't bear the thought of disapproval, he clings to words of affirmation like a leach and will do absolutely anything to hear them-"

"Then why-?"

Robotnik wasn't finished. "Miles works best when he's desperate. Now more than ever, the Empire needs successes, it needs developments. The rebels are getting bolder, Shadow is on the loose, and Sonic is back-"

"Back?" Orbot questioned with a tilt of his head. "What do you mean, sir?"

Silence hung in the air. "I'm running out of patience speaking with you." The doctor eventually growled before waving his hand away, signilling for Orbot to leave. "Go! Shoo! Clean the labs!"

"Understood, sir!" Orbot gave a brief salute, before hovering out the door of the workshop. Robotnik certainly said some weird things sometimes... but he could hardly think about that. That conversation had been a flop, it had changed nothing - he had let Miles down. He was glad that his voice box was developed enough to allow him to sigh.

What else could he have expected?


"Um, Miles? When was the last time you slept...?" Cubot asked hesitantly, making the mistake of peering around the door and finding the fox sitting on the floor among of a pile of papers laid out haphazardly among the random energy drinks strewed across the ground.

Miles held up a finger. "Do not ask me irellevant questions." The fox said through gritted teeth.

Cubot thought to himself. "And uh, what type of question would you consider relevant?"

"Nothing." The fox replied bluntly, peering closer at a half-torn piece of paper in his hand. "I doubt you could add anything of value to my research."

The robot dared to inch closer, hovering to where he got a clear view of what was written on some of the documents. He decided to focus on reading one in particular, trying to grasp what had gotten Miles so transfixed and obsessive.

Diary #63 - Gerald Robotnik

Project Shadow's vitals remain stable, and his pace of learning is so quick, far greater than I had anticipated. He already understands quadratic equations - I thought Maria's textbooks were going to keep him busy for a while, but he's quickly outgrowing the content. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if in a week I could be teaching him about quantum mechanic. As much as I'd personally enjoy coaching him on the subject, I doubt he would feel the same way - I can tell he's not keen on math. He's more interested in literary theories - only natural I suppose for someone wanting to learn more of the world's history and culture. Perhaps I'll spare him from advanced mathematics and science, at least for now.

Some of my fellow scientists have approached me with concerns about Shadow's "limited emotional range'. Bah! What nonsense! He's not very expressive in the face, I'll admit - but that will come with time. If they actually took the time to get to know him, they'd learn his subtelties - the way his ears flcker when he's curious or the way his eyes quickly shift off to the side when he was getting impatient. It's all in the little details! Their lack of observational skills is causing them to spread unecessary fear throughout the ARK - comparing Shadow to a sociopath lacking empathy, and how that might increase his likelihood of going rogue.

Honestly, what nonsense!

At the very least, I'm glad he and Maria are getting along - quite comfortably might I add! I actually saw Shadow smile for the first time the other day after she told a joke! Maria just seems to have that effect on people - she's undoubtedly someone relaxing and warm for Shadow to come to, unlike the scientists that can often be so blunt or dismissive. I really need to have a talk with the team - alienising Shadow as they insist on doing so is negatively impacting his development. To teach him to be human, we need a human approach.

Although, there was something rather funny I saw a few days ago. That weird kid, Abraham, visiting his father on the ARK - took one look at Shadow - screamed his head off, and ran as far as he could! It was hilarious - I couldn't stop laughing, and Shadow looked so perplexed too! It was worth every stare I got from my colleagues, seriously - I don't know that got into the kid, it was like he'd never seen a hedgehog before. I'm chuckling as I write this, his face was far too funny.

These diary entries are becoming more personal than I intended, but I suppose that isn't a bad thing. I have more than enough systems I keep dedicated to record keeping. I should write here more often, quite soothing after a day's work.

"Any particular reason you're lurking around?" Miles asked Cubot tiredly, bringing the robot back to the present.

"Just reading-" Cubot replied. "Gerald seemed to care a lot about Shadow, huh...?" Quite frankly, Cubot wondered what it would be like to recieve the same level of affection from his own creator. If only he could dream...

Miles almost seemed capable of reading Cubot's mind when he next spoke. "Robotnik cares about you too. It's just - pleasantries are simply a waste of time. If we all get too close with each other - it will impact our work, make us weak."

Yep, the kid was definitely brainwashed.

"Sure, sure." Cubot shrugged off, realising there was little point in disputing that. "What's with you looking at all this stuff anyway?"

"I'm searching all of the files we have on Gerald Robotnik and his projects to look for a way to override the doomsday program that Shadow's planning on activating. But - there's nothing... nothing here!" The fox suddenly threw the paper in his hands into the air. "All I can find are diagrams, data sheets, and pansy diary entries!" He snapped. "How could there be no record of this?!"

"Maybe he just didn't write it down. Maybe he like, just forgot-"

"Cubot, stop being stupi..." His voice faded out, then he tapped his chin. "Maybe he didn't write it down... maybe- well looking at all this, it seems he would only have wanted to install a doomsday program after the infamous raid... which means he updated the Eclipse Cannon's code while in G.U.N. captivity!" Things were finally clicking into place for the fox. "He must have been a genius! Just like Robotnik is saying - perhaps... there might be something in the old G.U.N. databases-" Miles stood up, fully intending to set off on yet another researching journey.

Cubot moved in his path. "Woah, slow down there dude! You've been working for the past few nights - don't you think you should be sleeping? That information isn't going anywhere-"

Miles appeared ready to argue back, glaring at the robot before the need to yawn overcame him. It was loud, an undeniable sign of the fox's sleepy state - as if the dark circles around his eyes hadn't been enough of an indication.

"Fine-" Miles said stiffly as he could no longer deny how he felt. "Fine, I'll- go to sleep."

"Get ready for bed - I'll clean your room while you're doing that. Cans for the trash - and those papers will be on a pile on your desk!" Cubot assured him cheerfully, happy he had managed to convince the fox to look after his health.

The fox let out an exhausted sigh. "Thanks, Cubot..."


Wave was the easiest Babylon Rogue to talk to by a long shot, and she was carrying most of the conversation - dancing between every topic from mechanical engineering to planting tomatoes. It was hard for Amy to keep up, so she retorted to nodding with the occassional hum of agreement.

Jet was still being miserable, following behind them like a rainy storm cloud. Storm, on the other hand, seemed cheerful enough despite not speaking, carrying everyone's shopping bags - Amy was figuring out quickly that Storm seemed to religiously follow whatever Jet did - and if Jet wasn't being sociable, he wasn't going to be either.

She wondered why Storm had decided to be so devoted. Especially when Jet was so... prickly.

They were a few paces away from the apartment before a voice called out to them all from behind.

"Yoohoo~!"

They all turned in unison, wearing the same baffled expression at such a flamboyant and eager sounding call.

"Do you have a moment to talk about our glorious Emperor?!" The human lady asked far too eagerly, bending down to their level with shaky breaths.

"Nope." Jet told her bluntly, immediately turning away.

Amy found herself too disturbed to look away from the lady. Everything about her outfit and auburn hair was prestine, but her eyes were wide in the way a crazy person's would be. Amy wasn't sure if she had even blinked yet.

"Ignore him." Wave forced herself to smile pleasantly for the woman. "What did you wish to say?" As Jet realised Wave was continuing the conversation, he paused his walk with a grumble - waiting for his team.

"I just- Oh, forgive me!" The lady begged them before breaking out into a sudden stream of laughter. Amy's fur was standing on end. "I'm so happy! Robotnik has helped me feel true happiness!"

"Oh..." Wave said at a loss for words. "Sounds... nice-"

"Have you felt it too?!"

"Every...everyday-! Haha..." Wave's false smile faltered uneasily, sweat beading down her face.

"Our lives... they were so futile before!" The woman's eyes brimmed with tears as she properly fell to her knees. Amy stared at the car crash in front of her, horrified but in a manner she couldn't tear her eyes away from it. The human broke out into further cackles.

"Alright - that's enough creepy weirdness-" Jet spoke up again, grabbing hold of Wave's shoulder and pulling her back. While momentarily startled, Wave seemed legimitately grateful for an excuse to leave, walking by Jet's side away from the weeping woman.

"Amy!" Jet snapped at the hedgehog. The pink hedgehog finally turned away, a whirlwind of questions swirling in her mind as she followed after the birds.

"What... what was with that woman?" Amy asked once they were enough of a distance away.

Jet and Wave eyed each other, then nodded - as though they had almost communicated their thoughts telepathically to each other. "She's probably just come back from Robotnikland."

"We said earlier - once you go there, you don't come back as the same person." Wave tagged on. "Mina was the same when she came back from there, until eventually she settled - now she's just, a smiley husk - barely more than a robot really. That woman is likely on course for the same fate-"

Amy's eyes widened. "This... this sounds like a horror movie-"

"We've been living in one for the past three years." Jet pointed out, taking out the keys to enter the apartment complex. "We've just started to get used to it. But that old man? He's always got new tricks up his sleeve... that's one thing I'll give him."


Starline swirled in his chair, phone up to his ear. "By the way... you did give an invite to Amy Rose, as I requested - didn't you, Clutch?"

"Of course." Clutch's voice replied on the other end.

"Splendid work. I assume you can already predict as to why I'm so eager to make sure she gets there." Starline said.

"Ah, so you weren't just wanting to give a colleague of yours a good time." Clutch joked, causing Starline to snort - they both knew that would never have been the intention.

"Haha! Oh no, oh no - of course not. I need her investigated, thoroughly - make her a main priority target. I still have my suspicions that her alleigance does not truly lie with our Emperor." Starline's face twisted with disgust.

"I understand, Starline. We'll get her talking, one way or another." Clutch assured the platypus. "Although it's sort of funny to be looking into the woman who was just responsible for saving the Emperor's life."

"Well, you tell me what's smarter - try and kill a man with no guaranteed success, or save his life once - earn his trust, and once he's vulnerable around you - you make a killing move that is far more likely to succeed." Starline reasoned.

"Hmmm... I see." Clutch remarked with light amusement.

"You know, it is an absolute relief to hear your buttery voice. Repairing Thunderbolt's mech suit with her screeching almost made my ears bleed-" The platypus whined.

"I don't envy you." Clutch said. "Other than annoying chinchillas, how are things in Station Square?"

"Operations are going swimmingly!" Starline replied eagerly, happy someone was taking an interest. "Although there was one minor hiccup where a few rebels decided to steal a plane, but I'm not too concerned. I sent badniks and a few ships after them, that should have taken care of that problem."

"Rebel activity has increased somewhat, wouldn't you say? Haven't heard of this many incidents in a short span since the Diamond Cutters were still alive." Clutch said thoughtfully.

"Well, we all saw Whisper at the festival did we not? She's carrying on despite the loss of her teammates, perhaps as a consequence - it's been inspiring others that are... misguided, to also try and make a stand-"

"Half-a-job, Mimic eh?" Clutch chuckled softly. "Ah well, none of these rebel forces seem all that organised. Rouge was a problem for a while but now she's running with off with the science experiment, she's painted an even larger target on her back."

"Yes, it is most bizzare." Starline smiled. "This chat has been delightful Clutch, but I'm afraid I simply must get back to my work - these files don't write themselves, unfortunately. Although I suppose I could program them to!" Starline added with a laugh.

Clutch's laugh was soft again. "Of course, of course. Twas a pleasure to catch up Starline. I'll inform you of important updates. Goodbye-"

"Good-" Starline was cut off as Clutch hung up the phone call. Starline smirked to himself, pleased with all the progress he had made. Ruining Miles' reputation, eliminating Amy Rose - Robotnik would have to achknowledge his efforts eventually! Maybe then he could finally earn the recoginition he deserved...


"Shadow... why are you mumbling to yourself?" Rouge asked tiredly.

"I thought you were sleeping." Shadow countered.

"Yeah, well, thanks to you-" She yawned in the middle of her sentence. "- I'm awake again."

Rouge was laid out across the back seats of the car, a newly acquired blanket wrapped around her. At last, no longer finding themselves being interrupted by nuisances, Shadow was able to gather the supplies needed for the journey. Well, he hadn't really needed anything for himself - the supplies were for Rouge. She now had food and water in the trunk of their newly stolen car, enough that would last her the journey - as well as spare clothes, just in case. Shadow had tried to gather as many things as possible as he could fit into their next stolen car - as he really didn't want to have to make another stop before Apotos.

Shadow exhaled slowly. They had told each other about their individual encounters. Rouge had encountered some of her old teammates - and Shadow, although he had fought him at the festival, was still surprised that an echidna was part of that team. Gerald had always told him that he was fairly certain that echidnas were not instict like everyone else believed - and it seems like he was proven right by the revelation.

Guardians were renowned as powerful, but he had retreated from their last encounter. Shadow was confident he could seize the Master Emerald for himself, he just needed to be smart about it.

However, there was a bigger issue plaguing his thoughts. "Rouge... the blue hedgehog was a part of your old team - wasn't he? Who is he? Where did he come from?"

He knew too many things he simply shouldn't have - how did he know about the ARK and the Eclipse Cannon? How did he know about the program that would activate when the Cannon was used? How did he know that's what his own intentions were? How did he know about Maria...?

"That's the funny thing - we have no clue where the fuck Sonic came from..." In her tired state, Rouge's words were a little slurred and hard to make out. First thing he asked me when he met me was about the Chaos Emeralds... and the Master Emerald, and he knew my name before I even told him it-"

Did... did this Sonic have omnipotence?

"He remembered where he was born but said he didn't remember his parents... so weird honestly. Could never bring myself to trust him."

"He is certainly puzzling. I wouldn't trust him either." Shadow thought back to Sonic's attempts of getting him to stand down and back away from the path he had chosen. If Sonic had so much knowledge of events to come, he should have foreseen that Shadow's resolve was absolute - the world was going to meet its end.

"Finally - someone agrees with me." Rouge smiled, closing her eyes again. "Now do try and stay quiet, I'm a light sleeper."

Shadow rolled his eyes, but quickly fell back into a state of contemplation - Sonic's eyes had been pleading, phrases such as 'This isn't you' pouring out of his mouth, confounding him entirely. Sonic had never known him before - how could he saw what was him, and what wasn't?

If they ended up encountering each other again, Shadow would get his answers - whatever it took.


The heroes blinked into sight onto the steps of the altar. Due to it being night, the island was still - those in camp were resting away in their homes. Knuckles ran up the steps and got to a point where the Master Emerald was visible at the top - and Sonic noticed how Knuckles' facial expression softened. At least the emerald was safe.

Knuckles went right up to the gem, while the other three lingered on the previously established boundary step. "Are you- are you doing this now?" Tangle spoke up, tilting her head.

"What use would there be in waiting?" He pointed out, before turning his head back to the Master Emerald. The echidna closed his eyes and placed a hand on top of the large gem.

"The Servers are the Seven Chaos..." Knuckles recited. "Chaos is Power... Power enriched by the Heart. The Heart is the Controller, the Controller is the one that unfies the chaos... ancestors, heed my call - protect our weary souls from the power we can't fathom - halt the flow of energy to the Chaos Emeralds!"

The emerald glowed a bright green, Sonic's mouth hung slightly agape - it was hard not to stare in wonder.

Knuckles suddenly let out a cry of pain as a jolt of energy shot through his body. The echidna fell to his knees with a groan - beginning to pant. Sonic, without thinking, sprinted up the steps to the top of the altar, kneeling beside Knuckles.

"Knux!" Sonic called to him with concern as he placed a hand on the echidna's shoulder. "You okay?"

Knuckles didn't reply to the question, nor did he yell at Sonic for being too close to the Master Emerald - instead, he stared ahead at the large jewel - eyes wide and glassy. "It..." His voice came out barely louder than a breath. "The emerald... it rejected my call..."


Their new house had everything they could possibly need. Silver, letting his curiosity get the better of him, was investigating the closet in the living room - which was an odd location for a closet to begin with - but the clothing inside was even more strange. Among generally normal looking pieces were an astronaut costume, a dinosaur suit, but something in particular caught Silver's eye - so he quickly tried on the garment.

Hw turned around to face the other two sat on the couch, and spread out his arms. "Ugly Christmas sweater!" He announced, a little too excitedly. "I've always wanted to wear one!"

Tikal let out a small giggle. "You look... interesting, draped in such cloth-"

Silver did some poses for dramatic flair, causing the echidna to laugh louder at the absurdity. The previous family had been right, this house was empty for them to use. It was nice for more reasons rather than just being shelter from the rain - it also provided a place to finally rest. Silver hadn't felt sore or tired by all the walking - but he had most certainly been bored.

Now they could rest, and entertain themselves for a while.

Silver turned away from the two and began sifting through the clothes again.

...

Tikal heard a whisper in her ear.

"The Servers are the Seven Chaos... Chaos is Power... Power enriched by the Heart. The Heart is the Controller, the Controller is the one that unfies the chaos... ancestors, heed my call - protect our weary souls from the power we can't fathom - halt the flow of energy to the Chaos Emeralds!"

What was Knuckles doing? First trying to steal Shadow's power, now this - all these big chants that were going to bring him that much closer to falling to his ruin. No, she was sure he likely had a good reason for it, but she could not allow him - she couldn't risk it.

"Sorry, Guardian." She whispered under her breath, pressing her hand against her necklace. "Not today."

Silver had heard and seen nothing - Metal was a different story. His eyes were transfixed onto her, and Tikal felt her face flush with embarrassment. "I, um- forget you heard anything - okay?" She whispered urgently to him.

Metal darted his eyes away from her, focusing instead on the carpet.

Creak.

All three of them lifted up their heads, their ears perked and alert as they heard the creaking of floorboards from upstairs. Tikal's heart began to beat furiously. Contrary to what they had assumed... this house wasn't empty.

They weren't alone.


AAAAH STRESSFUL WEEK ALERT, my university applications are sent off and I had an exam today - I actually died in that exam so I am actually posting this story as a ghost and will continue to upload from the afterlife. We cool with that? Okay, gucci.

SO BOYS - More In-Between shenanigans, what mysterious face will they encounter next? Who attacked them in the void? Why did Tikal refuse Knuckles' request? SO MANY QUESTIONS BABY, HENCE THE NAME OF THE CHAPTER. Knuckles is a mad boy, and the heroes did their best to try and cut off the emeralds but Tikal said nope - but hey, turns out Shadow doesn't even want the emeralds anymore anyway so that's something. Miles is unappreciated by his dad, Orbot thinks Robotnik is bad father (which is very true), Starline and Clutch had a villainous phone conversation, while the Babylon Rogue squad encountered a crazy lady - and Shadow is questioning who the fuck Sonic even is.

I promise all these questions, and the previous questions I've set up are getting their answers soon!

NEXT TIME! An unexpected problem hinders the heroes from making progress, children cause some trouble, and the In-Between squad find out whether the person they're in that house with is a serial killer or not, and we check in with an old timeline friend ;))) - That and much more to come!

AGAIN. BLESS YA'LL FOR THE LOVE AND SUPPORT WITH THIS FIC - It means so much to me! Please feel free to leave a review letting me know what you thought! As always though, I'll see ya'll later! :) I'm back to crying in the corner counting down the days til Sonic Prime releases.