Ray and Barby were brought into the Sanctum, Ray immediately started geeking out "I can't believe I'm here". Khan walked past completely deadpan "Neither can I" "So how did you know you were a man of magic? Because my nana says that we have it in out family and sometimes I get these tingling in my hands" "Talk to your physician". Tails came through a door and hugged Barby "Hey, hey. I'm so sorry for dragging you into this. I just need help finding thee guys" "You don't have to apologise. You got us a second shot at MU. It's fine". Ray nodded in agreement "So how did these guys get here". Khan started walking upstairs "We screwed up a spell trying to get you into college" "What. I thought Tails saved the MU lady". Tails nervously laughed "No. That was after. Let's just focus on the good news, okay?". Khan leaned against the railing "No, let's just focus on the bad news. As of now, you have detected zero multiversal trespassers, so get on your phones, search the internet, scour through the shit!". Barby gave a fake laugh "You're telling us what to do, even though it was your spell that got screwed up meaning that all this is your mess. You know, there's a couple of magic words I can think of myself, starting with the word please" she smiled. Khan paused "Please scour through the shit. You can work in the undercroft".
Ray turned on a light in the cell area which revealed most of it to be a washroom "Badass". He ran in and started admiring objects on the tables. He saw something leaning against the wall "Oh, cool, a torture rack" "That's a pilates machine". Tails looked guilty "Look, guys, about this whole spell thing-". Barby stopped him "It's totally okay" "Really?" "Yeah. I mean, I get it. You were just trying to fix things, and so… Maybe just run it by us next time, you know? That way, when you're thinking, I'm about to do something that could break the universe we could, like, help you workshop something or brainstorm ideas". Tails smiled "Deal". He looked to Ray "Ray?". Ray walked forward holding a crossbow "Oh, dude, I don't care. It's seriously not a big deal" "Corporal Ray?". They all paused and looked to Eclipse who was staring directly at Ray. He gulped and stepped forward "You know me?". Tails saw in Eclipse's left eye that he regretted saying it "Originally a member of the Chaotix before becoming one of the Babylon Rogues. You are a traitor to the Empire". Ray grinned and looked back to Tails "Did you hear that. I'm part of two superhero teams" "Good for you, buddy". Barby nodded "Okay, focus, guys. Back to the plan. We find out where the rest of the guys are, you zap them, Doctor Magic will send them back, and when we get into MU, round of stale doughnuts, my treat". Ray nodded holding a crossbow looking very confident now "Let's catch some multiverse men. Hey, cool. Who's that guy?" he pointed at Goldy.
Barby and Ray were both on their computers searching for signs of strange individuals. Tails was on the phone "Yeah, Bunnie. I gotta find these guys. I'm sorry" "It's okay. Try and come by later if you can. We're having a drive" "Okay love you". He hung up and Ray stood up "I got one. I got one". They both ran over to his computer "What've we got" "You can take the guy out of the chair, but you can't take the chair out of the guy. There's a disturbance near a military research facility outside of the city, and witnesses say that they saw a monster flying through the air". Tails nodded "It's gotta be the Scourge I saw on the bridge. He was on that board like the one Jet used". Tails looked up to Eclipse "Anything I should know about him?". Eclipse just stared at him, "I saw you're face on the bridge. You know him" "I grow impatient of this, boy". Tails agreed with that and turned back to Ray "Alright, where do I go?".
At sunset Tails flew above a forest past power lines. Barby and Ned were able to see through his lenses from their computer "Keep an eye out on the trees. We don't know where this guy is" "Uh, how do you do this without throwing up?". As it got dark Tails landed where the picture was taken. He started walking when he felt a strange breeze "What is that?". He looked around but there wasn't a sign of anyone. He then gets a feeling "What's happening?" Barby asked. Tails sees flashing lights coming from behind him. He got his cannon ready "Are you getting the tingle thing?". Tails turned around and saw a strangely shaped figure inside a magenta-coloured sphere "Are you guys seeing this?" "Yeah. It's not too clear here. Is it Scourge?". Tails scowled as he recognised the shape of the head "No. I know who this is". He took a breath calming down, he might not be like the other one "Hey, are you from another universe!?" he yelled. There was no answer "Tails, I don't like this. Just send him here". Tails turned his cannon orange and he fired at the figure but it just went right through and instead hit a tree. The figure reacted to the sound and looked down at Tails. Beams fired out of his hands down at the ground forcing Tails to dodge "This guy's magic!". More beams fired, Tails took to the sky and tried to get away, but it then appeared in front of him and punched him to the ground. It fired a beam directly at him but suddenly a tornado formed in between him creating a shield from the blast. Eyes formed in the tornado. Tails jumped to his feet. The eyes watched him curiously at his fear "Miles Prower. It is I, Ixis. Do you not remember me?" "Uh, I'm Tails, but I'm not your Tails". This Ixis creature narrowed his eyes "I do not understand. What is going on? The Force feels so strange here" "Look, I'll explain everything, but first, can you help me stop this guy?" "Very well".
Tails nodded "Okay, you surround and keep him busy so I can get a good shot on him. Let's go". Tails took off, Ixis grew in size and took all the blasts easily until he managed to surround the figure "I cannot hold him for long!". Tails flew as close as he could, turned his cannon green and fired. The blast hit the figure, the sphere around him disappeared and the figure took solid form. It slowly fell to the ground, Ixis dissipated and moved away next to Tails. He tried to pat Ixis' back "Thanks" his hand just went through "Oh, sorry" "It's quite alright". Tails then approached where the figure landed. He was right, in the crater was Infinite the Jackal wearing his mask looking around disoriented. Tails clenched his fists. Infinite looked down at his hands "I am not a genie. I don't have a Ruby". Tails took a few breaths "This isn't the same Infinite" he said under his breath before approaching "Hey, this is gonna sound really crazy, but this isn't your universe" "Pardon" Ixis said. Infinite seemed to comprehend "Mmm. That's why the magic feels different". His head seemed to hurt "Its capabilities are limited but it's range… I like it". His visible eye flashed magenta, "Remain calm" Ixis said. Tails gulped "You wouldn't happen to want to destroy half the universe, do you?". Infinite's eye narrowed "You're as dim-witted as your counterpart. What would be the point in that? There would be less to rule over" "Okay, that's… better, I guess. It's actually my fault you're here". Infinite looked around "The universe, or the woods? I despise the woods" "I meant the universe, sir". Infinite crossed his arms "Well, not that this hasn't been fun learning that there's more than one of you, Fox, but may you send me back. I was enacting my vengeance when you brought me here". Tails paused trying to think of a way to explain before giving up and just shooting Infinite with the orange setting sending him away. Ixis turned to him "What was that? I cannot feel his presence" "Whoa, no. He's fine". Ixis began to threateningly advance on him. Tails raised his arms "Wait, you have to trust me" "I have no reason to trust you, Miles Prower". Before he could do anything Tails shot him as well.
Ixis reappeared in one of the cells and tried to break through "What is this?" "It seems you picked the wrong side". Infinite looked at the other cells, Eclipse was staring at him. Infinite didn't recognise him, but Eclipse seemed to . Infinite shrugged "Do I know you?". Eclipse looked away. Infinite then looked in the next cell with Goldy and his eyes widened "Scourge?". This got Barby's and Ray's attention "Wait. That thing's Scourge as well" "They must be from the same universe". Infinite grinned "Yes, I know him. I hired him and the rest of the forty thieves to help me steal half of the Omochao". He started to laugh "I see Jules' hunt for the metal virus didn't go so well". Gold Scourge banged his fists against the wall and growled "He tricked me! Him and his son, Sonic". This stopped Infinite "Sonic. Jules' was Sonic's father". His eyes flashed magenta "Oh, if only I had known that I'd…". Now Gold Scourge was the one laughing "You would have done nothing, Infinite. I've been to Shamar since our last meeting. I didn't see any sign of you or that fiery throne you kept bragging about. And believe me no amount of money was worth hearing that". Infinite scoffed sceptically and looked away. Ixis looked to Ray and Barby "Where, may I ask, are we?" "It's complicated" "A wizard's dungeon? No real way to sugar-coat that. It's literally the dungeon of a wizard" Barby answered.
Infinite looked around the room "Mine was better. Although". He looks down at his hands "This power here… very interesting". The wall of his cell started to flash; Ray panicked "What did Khan say?" "Push the second circle to strengthen it". Ray ran to the bowl, turned the arrow to Infinite's cell and pushed the second circle restoring the wall to full strength. Infinite surprisingly laughed admiring it. Ray calmed down and walked over to the cell where the tree had appeared. Barby's phone ran and she answered "Oh, Tails, hey" "Hey, did those guys come through yet. There should be Infinite and a cloud with eyes" "Yeah, they're all here and locked up" "Okay, good. I'm gonna make sure nobody here is hurt. And hey, I couldn't' do any of this without you, so thank you". Barby smiled "Yeah, it's okay". Ray touched one of the branches which was partly broken through the cell "Hey, ask him if this is like a tree monster or like a scientist that turned into a tree". Infinite rolled his eyes "It is just a tree, you imbecile". Gold Scourge looked impatient "Are we gonna get sent back. I need to rebuild the forty thieves" "The what thieves?" Ray asked. Gold Scourge smirked and made a flamboyant pose "I remember a time when… crime was… sublime…". He looked up at the roof as everyone stared at him as if he were insane "Where is it?" "Where's what?" Barby asked. Gold Scourge kept staring up "The music". Infinite looked surprised as well "You don't sing here?" "Sing?" Ray and Barby both said confused. Gold Scourge was surprised and then smirked "Huh".
Early in the morning Scourge was in an alleyway putting the finishing touches on his board which he was adding a piece of technology he stole to. He covered it with an old blanket and then picked up a newspaper. He couldn't read this planet's language, but he found an image of Tails on the front page. Next to it was a picture of Bunnie's food shelter.
Tails had finished searching the woods, he couldn't find any injured. He did however have to fix some damage to the power lines. His phone started to ring, and he answered "Hey, Bunnie" "Hey, Miles. I'm at work, and, um, I think one of the guys you're looking for just walked in". Tails' heart sank and he immediately took off.
He passed a sign of the Prowl with paint over it saying "Forelock was right". He ran inside the shelter "Bunnie! Where's Bunnie". A dog pointed to the door to the kitchen "Thank you". He burst in "Bunnie!". He was surprised to see Bunnie sitting with Scourge with two cups of coffee. Scourge was wearing a large cloak over his black jacket. Bunnie smiled "Oh, hey, here he is. Mr Scourge, this is my nephew". Scourge looked Tails up and down with a terrified face. Tails narrowed his eyes "Scourge?" "I saw you on a picture with this place. I thought you could help" "You… want my help?". Bunnie nodded "He just wondered in. He's a lot nicer than out Scourge". Scourge let out a deep breath "I-I didn't know where else to go. I don't know what planet I'm on. Everyone is afraid of me. My home is gone. The Force feels so weak. My brother doesn't exist. I don't know what's going on. It doesn't make sense". Bunnie took his hands calming him down "It's okay, Sugah". She got up and walked over to Tails "He's lost. And I don't just mean in the cosmos. I can see it in his eyes. He's so lost. Are they all like this?" "I don't know. Some of them have their own issues" "Well, he needs help and maybe the others do". Tails didn't understand "You don't mean… No, Bunnie, this isn't my problem". Bunnie held his shoulders "Miles, not your problem?" "Bunnie, their chance of getting help is way better back where they came from. Sending them home, that's the best thing that we can do for them". Bunnie looked disappointed "For them? Or for yourself? Look around you. This is what we do. We help people" "This is what's best for them. Trust me".
Moritori Rex was now making a broadcast in his now very expensive studio "But the fact remains, the Prowl is a menace. We'll be right back after a brief word from Rex Supplements. The only other fix you need" he held up a container. Once they cut and assistant handed him a phone "What?" "I got eyes on him. He's with his aunt and some guy hiding under a cloak. They're just leaving the shelter" "Okay. Don't lose him".
Bunnie drove the truck to the Sanctum. Scourge pleasantly smiled "Thank you, Lady Bunnie. I hope to see you again". He got out; Tails was about to follow but "Hey. He trusts you. So do I". Tails looked back at her "Thanks. See you later" he ran after Scourge.