June 21st, 3 B.E. — Five years ago

Many weeks after the events of Sonic Adventure

A portly man in a brown suit meticulously polishes the surface of an orange checkerboard counter in a slightly tacky-looking diner, humming an old tune as he works.

A bell rings as the front doors open, pushed by the shoulder of a slightly younger Sonic the Hedgehog.

The man running the Burger Shop looks up from his work, greeting with open arms, "Well, look who it is! You're a bit early for the grand reopening, Sonic."

"Can't stick around for a meal, actually. But I found something that belongs to you." Moving awkwardly under his heavy load, careful not to let it hit the top of the doorway, Sonic turns to reveal the life-sized statue he holds, almost indistinguishable from the man working on the other side of the counter.

The burger man cheers, "My statue! He survived!"

Sonic carefully drops the statue onto the tiled ground. "Try not to let him go on any more surprise trips." With that said, Sonic turns to leave, making a quick flick of his hand in farewell.

The burger man calls after him, "Anything I can get for you before you go?"

"No, really, it's—"

"Chili dog for the road?"

Sonic stops halfway out the door. "Aww, shoot, you got me." He turns around and moves back inside. "But, uh, would you mind making that two?" He holds up two fingers to demonstrate.

"Not a problem at all!" The burger man briefly disappears into the door to the kitchen, coming back out a few moments later with two foil-wrapped meals. He tosses them both over the counter to Sonic, who easily catches them. "If there's anything else I can do for you, just say the word."

"Actually, yeah. Do you have the time?"

"Sure, it's uhh…ten to noon."

"Perfect, thanks." Sonic turns to leave for real this time. But as he opens the door, he sees a woman dressed for work at the Burger Shop standing on the other side.

The shy woman greets quietly, "Oh, hello, Sonic. I've, uh… I've decided I'm going to ask him today." She glances briefly over at the man now seen working in the kitchen, who waves hello, causing her to look away again with a blushing smile.

Sonic steps aside, gesturing for her to come in as he holds the door open for her. As she passes, he encourages in an equally quiet tone, "Remember. Confidence." Once she's passed, he continues out the door.

Although the skyline of Station Square is still filled with slanted skyscrapers covered in shattered glass, the buildings in the City Hall District look polished and new, the roads freshly-paved, grass and trees newly-planted. Even the missing manhole cover of the nearby sewer entrance has been replaced. Sonic takes a long breath in as he looks out upon the rebuilding world with a big smile.

"Hey, Sonic! Think you could give us a hand over here!?"

Sonic looks first to the right, in the direction the voice came from, then to the left, towards City Hall, where a crowd of people appear to be gathering. He ponders for a moment. "Ten minutes…I got time." With a nod, he speeds off towards the right.

A small team of construction workers, some of them manning heavy machinery, have gathered around the shuttered-off entrance one of the tallest buildings in the Central District, across the street from the train station. Large amounts of rubble and debris are piled up around the building's sides.

One of the workers explains, "We're supposed to be reinforcing the Cyber-Net building today, but it could take hours to clear out all this rubble first. We could use a speed-up."

Sonic gives a thumbs-up. "Gotcha covered." Throwing his chili dogs high into the air, he once again takes off at full speed, circling the building over and over again, clearing out more of the debris with each pass. In a matter of seconds, the floor is practically sparkling. But, apparently miscalculating, Sonic stumbles as he barely snatches the first falling chili dog out of the air in time, then dives forward onto the ground, stretching his arm out as far as it will go to catch the second. He breathes a sigh of relief. "Phew. Gotta work on that one."

With the rest of the team already getting to work, the worker says, "Nice work. Thanks, Sonic!"

Getting up and dusting himself off, Sonic waves back, "No problem." He turns around and begins walking back in the direction of City Hall.

"Hey, Sonic!" The woman at the newsstand grabs his attention with a wave as he passes. "Need the paper today?"

Sonic waves off the idea. "Oh, I already know what's going down today. Might come back for a copy of the evening edition, though."

"I'll save one just for you!"

Sonic laughs congenially as he continues on his way. As he continues down the street, voices call out from all around, "Hey, Sonic!" "Go Sonic!" "Thanks for everything, Sonic!" "Daddy, look, it's Sonic!" Sonic waves to every one of them, the smile on his face growing with each greeting.

Finally, in sight of City Hall, where the crowd has grown even larger, Sonic stops to breathe another sigh of contentment. "A few more perfect days like this, and I might never wanna leave."

As if to interrupt his basking, the distant sound of helicopter blades suddenly grows much closer, close enough to blow a downdraft onto Sonic from behind. He turns around in confusion, shielding his face from the wind. "What's this all about!?"

Before the military craft has even fully landed, an armed soldier drops onto the street. As the volume produced by the landing craft decreases, the soldier demands, "Are you Sonic the Hedgehog?"

Sonic crosses his arms, carefully eyeing the weapon in the soldier's hands. "The one and only. Who's asking?"

"We are the Guardian Units of Nations. And we have orders to bring you aboard. Immediately."

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 2, Episode 6

Adventures in Hedgehog Hunting

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

Daily Log, January 9th, 1 A.E. Sonic the Hedgehog reporting.

Rouge and Hero came back from their mission with a box of parts for Omega and a heck of a story to tell. Good news is, they took out an entire robot production facility on their way out. Bad news is, they may have discovered something a lot worse than Eggman we'll have to deal with.

Personally, I always thought GUN was pretty shady. But Rouge is insisting that this is a whole new level of abuse of power. Whatever it is, it's another problem we don't need.

They brought back one other thing, too. A stray. I'm about to meet with him personally. This'll be interesting.

—–—

Emerald Canyon — Rebel Camp Alpha

Sonic, leaning back in the chair behind the desk in his tent, carefully eyes the soldier standing on the other side. Finally, he breaks the silence by greeting curtly, "What's your name?"

The soldier throws a salute. "Captain Johnnathan Naka, weapons specialist of the Advance Munitions and Mechanical Operations unit, reporting for duty, sir!"

"And what is it that you're doing here, Captain Johnnathan Naka?"

"Formally requesting permission to be transferred to your unit, sir!"

Sonic chuckles a bit. "Cute."

Naka appears confused. "Sir?"

"The whole…" Sonic waves his hand in the general direction of Captain Naka. "…perfect soldier thing. Very cute. But you're in the wrong place."

"I don't think I understand, sir."

Sonic begins counting off on his fingers. "Okay, three things. One: drop the sir. This isn't a military organization. Two: you can't be transferred here from your GUN unit, this isn't a military organization. Three: you should turn around now. This isn't a military organization. It's clear you aren't comfortable with that."

"Understood, si—… Uhh… Understood. Permission to speak freely?"

"That's your natural born right, and no one's stopping you."

"Well then, sir, according to GUN bylaws, Article 8, Section B, in the instance of a global catastrophe resulting in a disruption of communication with the chain of command, the officer of highest rank, accounting for seniority, within known contact range, takes on the position of High Commander, until such time as communication with any officer of higher rank is restored. Technically, that would be Shadow the Hedgehog, who has held the rank of Commander for longer than anyone in known contact range. However, in that role, he has the power to defer command at any time for any reason. As he has done so, that would make you the High Commander of GUN, sir. Which makes this a military organization."

Sonic groans at the sound of him being in charge of GUN. "I'm not here to argue with you, Captain. It's clear that your goal is to rebuild GUN from the ground, which is very noble of you. But that's not our goal, and it never will be. If you can't accept that, the exit's that way." Sonic points with his thumb. "But if you want to join this team, you'll have to."

"My goal, sir, above all else, is to protect and serve the people of Earth. It is my honest belief that I can best accomplish this goal as a member of this team, sir."

"In that case, I think we should start over. What was that name again?"

"Capt—…" He hesitates for a moment. "My friends…call me Johnny."

"Now we're getting somewhere." Sonic extends his hand across the table. "Nice to meet you, Johnny. I'm Sonic. Sonic the Hedgehog."

Somewhat uncomfortably, Johnny takes the hand. "Actually, sir…we've already met."

"Is that so? When was that?"

"About five years ago, I served for some time as the pilot of Sigma-Alpha 2. We…arrested you. Sir."

"Oh yeah… I remember. You offered me a ride. That was a pretty mean little joke."

"Actually, sir, the initial offer was genuine. Our orders changed rather suddenly. I'm afraid you just…accepted the wrong one."

"There's no way I could've gone with you the first time. I had somewhere to be."

—–—

Five years ago

"Orders to bring me aboard? And take me where, exactly?"

The soldier, a younger Johnny, puts on a smile. "To the Executive Office in the Capital City. The President of the United Federation has taken notice of your exploits here, and has requested a personal meeting. Most likely, you'll be awarded a medal, or some other high honor."

"Geez, sounds important. But, uh, I actually have somewhere to be right now, so thanks anyways." Sonic turns to leave.

"Sir, I really must insist. This is considered an urgent matter."

Sonic stops. "Okay, tell you what. I'd rather run there anyways, so how about you get going now, I'll take care of business here first, and then I'll wait up for you once I get there. Sound good? Good." Sonic takes off at a run this time, not allowing time for an answer.

Johnny is left there alone, scratching his head in confusion.

—–—

Sonic ducks and weaves his way through the crowd gathered around City Hall, making his way to the right of a simple wooden stage that has been set up in front of the main entrance. Waiting there impatiently is Amy. Sonic waves for her attention as he approaches. "Hey, Amy!"

Amy's mood doesn't seem to improve when she catches sight of him. She demands in a hushed voice, "Where have you been!? Tails was worried you weren't gonna show up!"

"Hey, I'm here now, aren't I? I just had a few things to take care of."

Amy eyes the foil-wrapped chili dogs in his hand. "Like buying lunch? That couldn't have waited?"

"It's fine, one of them is for Tails. I know what I'm doing."

This seems to satisfy her. But then she looks back to Sonic with a new question. "You didn't get one for me, did you?"

Sonic appears somewhat distracted as he tries to get a look at the other side of the stage. "Nope. Oh, hey, look, it's starting." Amy can be heard sighing in disappointment.

The Mayor of Station Square steps out of City Hall and onto the stage, and the murmuring voices of the crowd begin to settle down. After a moment to test the microphone setup, the Mayor begins to speak. "Welcome, citizens of Station Square, and thank you all for coming on this momentous day. We have much to celebrate in these times—the completion of the rebuilt highway, the reopening of our business district, and of course, the defeat of the creature that caused all this damage in the first place—however, we must all remember that we would not have a city to repair, nor a reason to celebrate, were it not for the prior actions of one brave young lad. This boy—this hero—single-handedly took on Dr. Robotnik, and disarmed the life-threatening missile he planned to use to wipe out our entire city. For those who have not already had the pleasure, it is my great honor to introduce you to that lad—the hero who saved Station Square—Tails Prower!"

To the sound of an applauding crowd, Tails steps up onto the opposite side of the platform, appearing quite nervous. But the moment he catches sight of Sonic, a big smile appears on his face. He walks the rest of the way with an extra skip in his step, and happily shakes the hand of the Mayor.

"Anything you'd like to say to the people, my boy?"

Tails takes another glance at Sonic, who gives him an encouraging thumbs-up. Clearing his throat, Tails turns back to the microphone. In his young voice, he begins, "I guess…if there's one thing I have to say…it's that… Well… Sometimes…it may seem like there are things that are just…too high to reach alone. But if there's one thing I've learned in the last couple months, it's that…there's always something you can do. And there's always something that only you can do. And most importantly, no one's alone. So if we all help each other, and put together the things we can do, then there's nothing that we can't do."

Another round of applause sounds out.

The Mayor steps back up to the microphone. "Well-said, my boy." His voice quiets the crowd once again. "Now, as a testament of his heroic deed, the city of Station Square would like to present Miles 'Tails' Prower, with our famed prize, the Chaos Emerald."

As he watches the Mayor produce the sparkling yellow Chaos Emerald, Sonic complains aside to Amy, "Famed prize? They found it on the street like two weeks ago."

Amy silences, "Just let Tails have his moment."

As Tails takes the Emerald, a photographer in the front row snaps a photo with a bright flash. The crowd begins to cheer once again. But this time, someone in the crowd notices, "Hey, isn't that Sonic the Hedgehog over there?" Another voice agrees, "It is, it's Sonic!" The voices quickly pick up, "Hey, Sonic!" "Sonic, over here!" "Let me have your autograph!"

Sonic rubs a hand over his face, groaning, "Oh, no…" Left with no other choice, he races up onto the stage, placing a hand on Tails' shoulder. "Hey, everybody! Let's hear it one more time for my buddy, Tails!"

At Sonic's request, the crowd hoots and hollers louder than ever before.

"Great, perfect. Now we gotta go, bye!" Sonic grabs Tails by the arm, and drags him off at full speed.

—–—

Sonic doesn't let go until he finally stops atop a tall building, beneath a brand new electronic display screen that silently broadcasts the weather report to the streets below.

Back on his own two feet, Tails questions, "What was that all about?"

As he steps closer to the edge of the building, Sonic answers, "That was a rescue. I know you're not into the big crowds, that's why you moved into a lab in the middle of the jungle, right?"

"Yeah, but…I'm starting to see the appeal."

Sonic sits down on the edge, letting his feet dangle many stories above the ground, staring out at the sprawling view of the city. "Yeah…you and me both." He finally holds up one of the foil-wrapped chili dogs. "Got something for ya."

"Oh boy, I'm starved!" Tails excitedly runs up to sit down beside Sonic, taking the gift and unwrapping it immediately. Once the food inside is exposed, he holds it up to Sonic as if to propose a toast.

Sonic meets him in the middle, and they each take one large bite. With his mouth still half-full of food, Sonic marvels, "Chili dogs." He swallows loudly. "I can't believe I wasted so many years of my life never trying one of these." After taking another bite, he puts the food down, and stares out at the half-repaired city skyline once again. "This city's great. I can't thank you enough for convincing me to check the place out."

"There are lots of other big cities, you know. All around the world, and every one has something unique to offer."

"That's…part of what I wanted to talk with you about, actually."

"Whaddaya mean, Sonic?"

"Some military troops showed up saying they were looking for me. Said they wanted to take me for a ride to meet the President."

"The President!? Seriously? Oh, you just had to show me up on my big day, didn't you?"

"Tails you, know it's not like that." He places a hand on Tails' back, and looks him in the eye. "I'm proud of you. Really."

Tails looks down bashfully. "Thanks."

"Anyways…I gotta head for Central City."

"Well you can't just run there, Central City's on another continent. I'd be happy to take you in the Tornado, I've been working on—"

"No, no, I'll figure it out. You and Amy should stay here and keep working on the reconstruction efforts. The people still need you."

"But if you need me more—"

"I don't. Tails, I'll be fine. I promise."

Though he doesn't seem happy about it, Tails finally agrees, "Okay…"

His meal finished, Sonic gets back to his feet. "Oh, and, I guess this whole thing is gonna be a pretty big deal, so…" He points up at the screen above them with his thumb. "…keep an eye out for me on those new satellite TVs you installed, yeah?"

Tails nods happily. "Definitely."

"Well then…" Sonic gives a wave in farewell. "Later, Tails."

—–—

Present day

"Sir…why exactly are you telling me all this?"

Sonic reclines back in his chair, propping up his feet on his desk. "I thought this might be a good way for us to get to know each other better."

"I'm…not sure what you mean by that, sir."

"Maybe you haven't noticed. This group is held together by a lot more than just a common goal. We're friends, and I trust every one of them with my life. That's just how we operate. If you want to be a part of that group, I have to be able to trust you as much as I trust any of them. If I can't, then I'm sure Captain Fox over at Camp Beta will be happy to have you."

A squeaky voice announces, "Cha…?"

Johnny turns around to look at the young Chao crawling its way into the tent. "Well, who's this?"

Sonic answers, "Oh, that's Chadis. She's sort of like our mascot around here."

Chadis stops at Johnny's feet, looking up at him questioningly."Cha?"

Gesturing down to the Chao, Johnny questions, "May I?"

Sonic nods. "Of course."

Johnny bends down to lift Chadis up in one arm, using his free hand to gently stroke her head. She happily leans in to his hand, and her skin almost seems to lighten by a shade. "Man, I haven't been this close to a Chao since…the petting zoo when I was kid, I guess."

Sonic nods, watching the exchange with satisfaction. "Yeah, they've been a lot harder to come by in recent years. Anyways, as I was saying, I want to hear your side of the story."

"My side? What for?"

"Because I think it will tell me everything I need to know about you. Beginning to end, or pick up where I left off, I don't care. Just tell me about you. The whole truth."

Johnny gently sets the Chao down as he begins to ponder. "My side… Well… I suppose I can begin after you rejected our initial offer. We…took you at your word, and started heading back to the Capital. Not everyone agreed with that decision, but I was the pilot, and I had the final say."

—–—

Five years ago

It was a long flight, so we had to make a stop at Headquarters for refueling and a quick meal.

In a crowded and noisy mess hall, Johnny sits down at one of the less crowded tables with a tray of food of no distinguishable type. The woman sitting across from him immediately begins questioning, "Well, how'd it go? Did you meet him? Is he here?"

Johnny looks up to the woman with a smile. Her jet black hair reaches out from underneath her standard-issue soldier's helmet, all the way to her shoulders. Johnny finally answers, "I could hardly believe it, Ayanna. He was just a kid. And he had the attitude to match."

The woman, Ayanna, teases, "Oh, you're one to talk."

"You wouldn't be saying that if you'd met him. He turned down a personal escort to meet the President. I mean, who does that!?"

"What, you weren't able to sway him with your usual charm?"

Johnny clearly blushes a bit. But before he can answer, a powerful hand slaps him on the back, forcing him to drop his utensil. The owner of the hand greets with a voice to match his strength, "Hey, Johnny!" The large, musclebound soldier drops down onto the seat next to him. He's removed his helmet, revealing his short blonde hair. "Guess who just got promoted to the Spider Troop."

Reclaiming his dropped spoon, Johnny still looks happy to see him. "That's great, Victor."

Ayanna questions, "What'll they have you flying?"

Victor answers excitedly, "They call it the Big Foot. It's got a gatling gun and two full batteries of missiles!" He gives a hearty laugh.

Johnny answers, "Sounds perfect for you."

Ayanna suddenly stands, moving a hand up to her radio. "This is Agent Brown, go ahead." She whispers to the two of them as she leaves, "Sorry, I have to take this."

Once she's safely out of earshot, Victor nudges Johnny in the shoulder. "So when're you gonna pop her the question, huh?"

Johnny blushes once again. "Hey, lay off it already, Vic. We're still a long way off from that."

"You're wasting your time, pal. How many years have you been together now? You need to get over your nerves and go for it!"

"Oh, like you know more about girls than I do? Just give it a rest, I'll ask her when I'm ready."

"If you say so…" Noticing Ayanna coming back over, he suddenly changes the subject. "So anyways, I'll be manning the Big Foot by tomorrow night. All those hours in the simulator are finally paying off."

Johnny boasts, "Yeah, maybe if you get some practice with the real thing, you might get your simulator scores up high enough to match mine."

Ayanna interrupts, "Johnny, the Commander needs to see you. It's urgent."

"The Commander? Me? Why didn't he–" Shaking off his own questions, Johnny quickly stands and involuntarily begins to smooth out the wrinkles in his uniform. "Thanks for letting me know. See you tomorrow." He turns to march off at a quick pace.

Victor calls after him, "I'll just finish your food for you, if you don't mind!"

—–—

Johnny steps into the Central Command Room to find it in complete chaos. Several different alarms are wailing. On the main viewscreen, the camera tracks a silhouetted hedgehog as he zips across the confined room being recorded with incredible speed. A radio communication from the source of the recording reports, "This is Scorpion Troop Hot Shot, enemy is stronger than expected! Request additional support!" On the screen, the hedgehog leaps straight for the camera, and the footage suddenly cuts out.

"Was that Sonic!?"

Johnny's outburst causes the man sitting in the command chair to turn around. But that man is not the Commander. The three scars running down his face mark him as the Sergeant.

Realizing his mistake, Johnny stands at attention. "Lt. Johnnathan Naka reporting as ordered, sir!" He begins to look around the room in slight confusion. "Uhh… W-where is the Commander, sir?"

The Sergeant gives a surprisingly amiable smile. "The Commander is indisposed at the moment, you'll be taking your orders from me. As you just saw, there's been an incident at the Prison Island facility. With the assistance of Dr. Eggman, Sonic the Hedgehog is presently breaking out of the facility, with a stolen research project."

"Project: Shadow?"

The Sergeant does not seem surprised by the question. "You were present when the data regarding the project was stolen from our systems several weeks ago, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"What do you know about the project?"

"Only the name, and the fact that it was leaked, sir. And that the Commander was…quite incensed about it."

"Good. That's all you need to know. This is all very confidential, and, even given this incident, you are not permitted to speak about the project to anyone. Is that understood?"

"Of course, sir."

"In that case, you are to relay the following orders to all personnel. Sonic the Hedgehog is now G.U.N. enemy number one. He must be captured, alive, and returned to Prison Island at any cost. Understood?"

"But…sir…I don't understand. Why would Sonic do this? Isn't he on our side…sir?"

"You have your orders, and you are not to question them. The correct response is: 'yes, sir'."

Johnny bows his head down. "Y…yes, sir."

"Dismissed."

Johnny salutes before exiting silently.

The Sergeant turns back in his seat towards the static-filled viewscreen, reaching up for the radio in his ear. "Report, soldier."

A voice responds, "Shadow is gone, Sergeant. I'm sorry, he was too strong—"

"That's quite alright, soldier. No one agent is a match for Shadow the Hedgehog. That's why it's so important that we reacquire him without alerting the world of his existence. So long as the world is focused on that rogue, Sonic, they'll never be the wiser."

"Sir, if the Commander discovers that Shadow is out, there's no telling—"

"The Commander won't find out. He's already halfway to Adabat for a well-deserved vacation." The Sergeant momentarily smirks at his own deviousness. "Return to base for debriefing."

"Yes, sir."

The Sergeant next turns his attention to the many workers diligently performing their duties on the floor below. "Attention!"

At once, all of the workers stand and salute, echoing "Yes, Sergeant!"

"Alert the media and local law enforcement. The Hedgehog hunt has begun."

—–—

"Hey, Johnny!" Hanging halfway out of the parked military helicopter, Victor waves hello with his standard bellowing greeting. "Where ya been!? Refueling was done almost ten minutes ago!"

"Had to relay some orders. Shouldn't you be reporting to Spider Troop, Vic?"

"Gotta finish this mission first, don't I?"

"The mission's changed. All agents are under order to arrest Sonic the Hedgehog."

"Arrest him? For what!?"

"For breaking out of the Prison Island facility."

"Wait, wait, wait. Don't you have to be in a place to break out of it? We just saw him, he was on the other side of the planet. Even if the rumors about his speed are true, no one can move that fast."

"The orders are coming from high up, and a lot of it's classified, that's all I can say."

Victor jokes, "So, I guess he can just teleport, then? You must see that this doesn't make any sense!"

"We have our orders, so are you coming, or not?"

"You bet I'm coming! I'm gonna see what's going on here for myself!"

Johnny steps up into the chopper, clapping Victor on the shoulder as he goes. "Glad to hear it." He sits down in the pilot's seat. "I sure can't sort this all out on my own."

With a big grin, Victor shuts the door and takes a seat next to two other soldiers waiting in the fuselage.

Johnny flicks a switch on the controls, and calls into the radio, "This is Sigma-Alpha 2, preparing to depart."

A female voice responds, "SA2, you are cleared for launch. Good luck out there, Johnny."

Johnny smiles at the voice. "Thanks, Ayanna."
Above them, the bay doors open, exposing them to the open air above as the chopper lifts off.

—–—

Sonic the Hedgehog speeds over the grassy hills, skidding to a stop at the top of one that is particularly tall. A gentle breeze causes a few of the leaves in the surrounding trees to flutter down as Sonic holds up a hand over his eyes, getting a look at the city skyline in the distance. "There it is. The Capital City. I knew I'd find it eventually." The sound of descending helicopter blades turns his attention backwards once again. "And it sounds like I'm right on time."
The door to the chopper opens, and both Johnny and Victor jump out. Victor immediately growls, "Alright, Hedgehog—"

Johnny holds up a hand to stop him. "We've been looking for you. How was the run?"

Sonic smirks innocently. "Even more fun than I was hoping."

Johnny glances from Sonic back to the chopper. "Well… You can't get where you're going without our escort. They won't let you in. And we'd love to show you the scenic side of the city. So…would you care to join us this time?" He steps aside, gesturing the way into the chopper.

Sonic gives a shrug. "Why not?" He casually strolls past them, and hops into the chopper. "Looks like we're going for a ride."

Johnny and Victor look to each other for a moment in shared confusion.

"You guys coming, or what?"

Johnny nods. "Of course." He moves back to his seat, waving Victor along with him. "Please stay seated until we've reached altitude."

Sonic answers as Victor takes a seat next to him, "Yeah, yeah, I know how it works. I have a plane, you know. Not that I…usually sit in the seat…but I have one."

"Is that so?" Johnny flicks the necessary switches to put the vehicle back in the air.

Sonic yawns, stretching his arms up behind his head. "So, where's the entertainment on this flight?"

"We'll be over the city in a few moments. Please stay seated."

"Geez, I heard you the first time." Sonic obediently moves his hands back down to his lap. "You military guys aren't any fun, are you?"

Johnny glances back to ensure that Sonic is remaining still. "Do it now, Vic."

At Johnny's command, Victor locks the concealed handcuffs to Sonic's wrist.

Sonic jumps up in surprise. "Hey, what's this!?" He tugs against the chain. "Handcuffs?"

Victor begins reciting, "Sonic the Hedgehog, you are being placed under arrest by order of the Guardian Units of Nations—"

"Wait a minute!"

"—for your role in escaping from the GUN facility on Prison Island."

"What are you talking about? I'm not a deserter from any military facility!"

Johnny answers from the pilot's seat, "We're sorry about this, Sonic. Just sit tight, and we'll get it all sorted out."

"If this is some kind of joke, it sure isn't funny."

"I wish it was." At this, Sonic goes silent. Johnny reaches for the radio. "Contacting the facility now." He clears his throat. "Sigma-Alpha 2, heading due south over the city. We're en route, everything's a go."

A male voice in the radio responds, "This is control tower, we have you on radar. Report cargo status of captured hedgehog aboard, over."

"That's a 10-4. Cargo secured on board, and…" Johnny glances back to find three soldiers knocked out on the floor and no sign of Sonic. "What!?"

The voice in the radio demands, "Didn't copy that, over!"

Johnny has already begun, "The hedgehog is gone, he's taken out everyone aboard, and—" Sonic's hand, handcuffs still dangling from it, suddenly covers the radio. "What in the world!?"

"Sorry, but I gotta get out of here." Sonic points back to the soldiers on the ground. "I'm sure they'd appreciate it if you kept this thing flying."

The muffled voice in the radio continues to demand, "What's wrong!? Come in, over!"

Sonic has already begun pulling the emergency lever on the inside of the door, allowing him to kick out the door completely. The sudden depressurization of air flings him outside, but he can be seen grabbing onto the helicopter's weapons mount.

Unsure what else to do, Johnny demands, "Freeze! What do you think you're doing!?" He glances back to Victor, who is struggling to get back to his feet. "Get that hedgehog!"

Victor stumbles over to the open door, but by the time he gets a look outside, Sonic, having muttered something made unintelligible by the harsh winds, has already dived off of the vehicle with nothing but a strip of metal ripped from the vehicle attached to his feet.

Johnny and Victor look to one another with shock and confusion.

—–—

Present day

"Right… Heh heh…" Sonic scratches at the back of his head. "Sorry about that."

"Actually, in hindsight, it was all…quite impressive. Especially considering that you survived that fall."

"What can I say? I die hard. Mind if we take a break from the story for a minute?"

"Of course not, sir. Is there something else you'd like to discuss?"

"There is. You said you're a weapons expert, right?"

"That's right."

"What sorts of weapons are we talking about?"

"All kinds, sir. As part of my duties with AMMO, I've tested more than two hundred experimental weapons to determine final approval for general use, ranging from firearms and explosives to space-worthy fighter crafts, and everything in between."

"Most of us don't tend to use weapons around here, especially not where civilians could potentially be involved. If you ask me, any weapon that can kill in one blow is far too dangerous to use for our purposes. I make an exception for Omega because his weapons are a part of him that he has full control over. If you want me to trust you in the field with weapons like these, you'll have to prove that you know them like the back of your own hand."

"I don't think that will be a problem, sir."

"Then tell me about this one." Sonic gestures towards Johnny's rifle, which has been placed on the table between them. "Everything you know."

"That, sir, is a GUN standard issue 32X Semi-Automatic Plasma Rifle, built using principles that were studied from Black Arms weapons after the invasion. It loads a standard SK lock-on plasma cartridge, which gives it about sixty shots before reloading. Because of its non-traditional ammunition, its magnitude of free recoil is nearly zero, giving it a higher than average effective single-targeting range at up to 900 meters. However, after a certain distance, varying by the density of the plasma which can be adjusted using this dial, the plasma cools enough to become effectively impotent, which has been shown to reduce the danger posed by stray shots. Closer range means less plasma spent with each shot, so the lowest setting is usually recommended to preserve ammunition, unless the weapon is being used for sniping purposes. However, a more traditional—"

Sonic holds up a hand to stop him. "Alright, you know your weapon. But I happen to have a few others here." Sonic indicates the container of parts stolen from the SCOPE base for the purpose of repairing Omega. He reaches into the container to pull out a weapon. "Can you tell me anything about this one? Keep it brief."

"That, sir, looks to be the business end of an SD05 Close-Range Flamethrower, ten meter effective firing range, good for about eight minutes of continuous use on a typical fuel canister, nothing too fancy."

"Good." Sonic pulls out another. "What about this one?"

"That would be an experimental SCD Laser Refractor, also based on Black Arms technology. It fires a continuous beam which reflects off of polished surfaces, making it very dangerous. I had one tested and sent back for further research. A more advanced computerized safety system was necessary to ensure that the beam would be automatically shut off if it posed a danger to non-targets. I'm surprised to see it here, but there's no reason SCOPE couldn't have continued with testing and production since the war started."

"A laser, huh? Omega's gonna be happy about that one." Sonic puts the weapon back, and sits back down. "You definitely know your stuff. In fact, I'd call you downright enthusiastic. You can definitely be useful around here. But there's still the question of trust."

"I'm…not sure how I can help with that, sir."

"I already told you how. Go ahead and finish the story now, I won't interrupt."

"If you say so, sir." Johnny pauses for a moment as he remembers his place. "After you…escaped, Victor was ordered to report to Spider Troop, while I was deployed among the ground force pursuing you. After you broke out like that, we were all convinced that you were guilty. That is…until later that night."

—–—

Five years ago

I'm sure you remember what happened after you engaged the Big Foot…

Shadow the Hedgehog tosses the green Chaos Emerald into the air, then catches it again. "There's no time for games. Farewell!" He holds the Emerald out in front of him, and it flashes with a blinding light.

The sound of police sirens rapidly grows as Sonic shields his eyes from the light, knowing that Shadow is already gone. "Shadow…what is he?"

One blinding light is suddenly replaced by another, the spotlights of GUN Beetles, identifying Sonic for the hordes of shield-bearing GUN soldiers that now surround him and the wreck of the Big Foot mech he destroyed. An amplified voice orders, "Don't move! Stay where you are! Keep your hands in the air!"

As the front row of soldiers approaches, Sonic moans, "Not again…"

With two soldiers forcing Sonic down by the shoulders, a third cuffs his hands behind his back. The fourth, Johnny, watches from up close. "We're not taking any chances with you, this time."

Sonic seems to recognize him. "So much for getting this all worked out. I'm being framed!"

"Tell that to the soldiers I watched you assault."

Sonic at first seems angered by the comeback, but then his expression begins to shift as he realizes his guilt in the matter.

"Get him out of here. And don't take your eyes off of him." An absurdly large number of soldiers and robots escort Sonic away silently. Johnny remains behind, turning at the sound of a hatch being opened. He runs over to help up the pilot of the Big Foot. "Are you okay, Vic?"

Victor stands with a look of frustration on his face. "Nothing hurt but my pride. And my sense of justice. I have something you need to see." He produces a small data pad, and presses a button to begin playing a video.

Recorded from inside the cockpit of the mech, at an odd angle partially obscured by one of the mech's shoulder-mounted missile launchers, the video looks up through the cracked glass at the side of Shadow the Hedgehog. "It all starts with this…" Shadow lifts his Chaos Emerald higher into the air. "…a jewel containing the ultimate power."

Sonic's voice can be heard commenting, "That's the…Chaos Emerald!"

Johnny interjects, "The one Sonic stole from the federal reserve a few hours ago!"

Victor counters, "But that's not Sonic who has it. He's seeing it for the first time."

The camera turns to look on Sonic sideways as he continues, "Now I know what's going on… The military has mistaken me for the likes of you!" He begins to step closer. "So…where do you think you're going with that Emerald?" He picks up to a run. "Say something, you fake hedgehog!"

Shadow's voice finally responds, "Chaos Control!" The camera turns up to look at him, but only catches a blinding flash of light. It looks back down to Sonic just in time to catch him and Shadow flashing past one another for just an instant.

Sonic skids to a stop, and looks upwards with shock. The camera follows his gaze to Shadow, who now stands high atop a building.

Shadow declares loudly, "My name is Shadow! I am the world's Ultimate Life Form! There's no time for games. Farewell!"

Victor shuts off the video. "That Shadow must be the one that escaped from Prison Island! Sonic is innocent!"

"That wasn't exactly a confession Shadow made. It doesn't prove anything."

"But he was in possession of the stolen artifact!"

"So he's a criminal. That doesn't make Sonic innocent."

"You know as well as I do that it does! What is it that you're trying to accomplish by shooting this down!?"

"I'm trying to protect our jobs, for one thing. Project Shadow— Uh, I mean—"

"Did you say Project Shadow? Is that the project that got leaked out a few weeks ago? Of course, it all makes sense! GUN needs to know about this!"

"No, you aren't supposed to know! We could both be thrown in prison right along with Sonic if we bring this theory to anyone!"

Victor holds up the data pad. "I'm taking this evidence to HQ whether you're coming or not."

Johnny sighs. "You're right as always, Vic. As GUN agents, our duty is to protect the innocent. Just…don't mention the project. You've never heard of it, it doesn't exist."

"I'm not as stupid as I look, kiddo. No one's going to prison except that Shadow character."

Johnny nods. "I'll see if I can be stationed to guard Sonic on Prison Island. I can make sure he's safe until this all gets worked out."

—–—

Victor barges into the central command room quite unannounced.

The Sergeant turns around in his seat calmly. "Agent Voynakov. You weren't ordered here. Is there something I can help you with?'

Victor slams the data pad down in front of him. "I have video proof that Sonic the Hedgehog is innocent."

The Sergeant puts on a curious expression. "Is that so? Show me."

Victor plays the video. "Look there. That hedgehog has the Chaos Emerald, the one Sonic was blamed for stealing."

The Sergeant watches the video closely. "Intriguing. Sonic appears to have acquired the ability of teleportation."

"Teleport—!?" Victor groans as he rubs a hand over his face. "That's not Sonic. That is. They're different people. Look here, you can see them both in the same frame."

"If this so-called Chaos Control is truly instantaneous, it would operate faster than camera can—"

"Okay, what about this?" Victor skips to the end. "Here. He introduces himself as Shadow. To Sonic. Shadow framed Sonic, and Sonic is innocent!"

The sound of Shadow's name puts a scowl on the Sergeant's face. "Regardless of whether he is or isn't innocent of one particular crime, Mr. Voynakov, Sonic the Hedgehog, in addition to resisting arrest, has assaulted several government officials, and caused billions in damage to property both private and military. He's locked up exactly where he belongs."

"But—"

"Who have you shared this information with?"

Victor hesitates for a moment. "Just you, sir."

The Sergeant eyes him suspectingly. Still, he slowly nods. "As you should have. I must thank you for bringing this information to my attention. I'll have my people look into it immediately. Unfortunately, this video contains classified information, and you are forbidden from investigating the matter any further. Dismissed." Victor reaches for his data pad, but the Sergeant pulls it away from him. "You'll be issued a new one. Dismissed."

Victor turns and storms out with a growl.

Watching the video replay, the Sergeant reaches for his communicator. He doesn't even have to put out a call to be greeted by the voice on the other side.

"Yes, Sergeant?"

"Have agent Victor Voynakov transferred to the Scorpion Troop, immediately. He can guard the Security Hall, where he'll have no one to spread his ideas unto."

"Is he being recruited, sir?"

"Negative. We're just keeping an eye on him."

—–—

The next day…

Johnny stands guard in front of a steel door surrounded by a dense tropical jungle. The voice in his radio blares, "All units, high alert! Dr. Eggman has been sighted in the Weapons Bed. Mechanized and arial units are moving to engage. Maintain your posts unless otherwise ordered."

Johnny mutters to himself, "Eggman's back already? None of this makes sense. I need Sonic's side of the story… But orders are orders." After a moment, he glances back to the door behind him. "Would anyone really know if I were to…?" He shakes his head. "No, that would never work. But maybe if I…heard a noise…and was forced to investigate…"

"Somebody, HELP ME!"

Johnny looks in the direction of the girl's voice. "Not exactly what I had in mind." He reaches for his communicator as he races off. "Intruder alert, Sector 6! Preparing to engage!"

He comes to a stop as he reaches the source of the voice: Amy Rose, on the verge of tears. "Please, sir, you must help me!"

Johnny aims his weapon threateningly towards Amy. "This is a restricted area! Put your hands in the air!"

Amy obeys, but continues, "Please, sir! My boat started to sink, and this was the only land nearby! I need to repair it, but I couldn't get it out of the water. You can help me, can't you, sir?"

Johnny hesitates for a moment. But then he reaches for his communicator. "Stand down. False alarm." He lowers his weapon. "Sure I can help you. But we'll have to make it fast, this place is dangerous."

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much, sir!" Amy waves him along a narrow path. "It's this way, follow me!" Johnny follows Amy until they reach a clearing in the trees, looking down on a thin strip of beach below. Although there is no boat in plain sight, Big the Cat appears to be fishing off in the distance. Amy points down to the beach. "My boat is right there, you can get it out of the water, can't you?"

Johnny bends down to get a closer look. "Boat? I don't see any boat…"

"Oh, it's there." While his back is turned, she snatches an ID card from his belt. "Just keep looking…"

They both suddenly look up as a jet flies right over their heads, close enough to rustle the leaves of all the trees in the forest. "Isn't that…"

—–—

The Sergeant slams his fist down onto the arm of the command chair. "The what!?"

The voice in his ear repeats, "The Commander's private jet, sir. It's just landed on the island."

"That idiot! He was supposed to stay out of this! He could ruin everything!" His rant is interrupted as a beeping chime is emitted from the opposite arm of the chair. "What is it now!? He forcefully presses down on a button, and the chime is replaced by a voice.

"Commander, this is Rouge! I have an urgent report!"

"Agent Rouge, your reports are to be made to the President. What are you doing on this line?"

"Whoever you are, I repeat, it's urgent! The President can't help with this! Dr. Eggman has rigged the island to explode! The timer is set for fifteen minutes, you have to evacuate the island! I repeat, evacuate the island, immediately!"

The Sergeant seems about to respond, but he stops, and slowly takes his finger off of the button. "The island is going to explode… The island that the Commander just landed on. Along with those two troublemakers, Naka and Voynakov. And of course, Sonic the Hedgehog. Perhaps this is an opportunity to eliminate several problems at once."

Rouge's voice urges, "Hello? Do you copy!?"

The Sergeant puts his finger back on the button. "Copy that. Thank you for the information, Agent." He presses another button to terminate the communication.

The voice in his ear questions, "Is there a problem, Sergeant?"

"Negative." The Sergeant leans back in his chair, putting on a devious smile. "No problem at all."

—–—

As the exit ramp of the armor-reinforced aircraft descends, Johnny is already waiting on the bottom, standing at attention. "Commander! An unexpected pleasure, sir!"

Armed with a pistol in hand, the High Commander's polished boots echo loudly with each deliberate footstep down the ramp. He asks simply, "Where is that hedgehog?"

"We have him in custody. If you'll follow me, sir."

The Commander does so, holding his weapon up close. "I've waited far too long for this day…"

"Sir…I feel it important to inform you that—"

"Keep quiet. That's an order."

Johnny bows his head. "Yes, sir."

—–—

Rouge delivers the final blow, and the Flying Dog crashes to the ground.

Victor, once again the pilot of the mech, shouts, "It's just not possible! The Flying Dog can't be destroyed!"

Rouge rolls her eyes. "Oh, quit being so dramatic and listen to me!"

Victor tries to open the hatch of the broken mech, but it appears to be stuck. "You won't get away with this, thief! You're stuck here until every agent we have on the base comes to arrest you!"

"I'm not a thief, I'm an agent!" To prove it, Rouge flashes an official GUN badge up to the cracked windshield for him to see. "I could've told you earlier if you'd stopped shooting at me for ten whole seconds."

"If you're an agent, why are you stealing the Chaos Emeralds!?"

"Because I'm working undercover! Just tell me how we're supposed to get out of here, we're on a bit of a time crunch."

"There is no way out! That's the point of the trap. It can only be opened by an agent outside."

"Well someone's coming to get you for the evacuation, right?"

"E…vacuation?"

"Oh, for the love of—" Rouge drags a hand over her face in frustration. "Yes! Evacuation. As in, the island is going to explode, everyone needs to evacuate. You got the call, didn't you?"

"I didn't get any call like that! How long do we have!?"

"Less than ten minutes!"

"Ten minutes!? That's not enough time! The other agents aren't stationed near the vault!"

Rouge stumbles backwards as the realization hits her. "Not enough…time…?" She slides down against the wall she backs into, onto the floor. With a blank expression still on her face, she pulls out her handheld radio. "This is Rouge… I've…got a small problem?" She takes another breath. "I can't believe that I'm trapped inside this locked safe with a Chaos Emerald! I guess I won't be able to call myself a treasure hunter anymore…"

Victor watches her defeated expression, and slowly activates his own communicator.

—–—

"He's right through here, Commander. I was hoping to—" Johnny stops as he looks upon Sonic's open, empty cell. "Oh, not again…" Realizing something, he quickly feels around his belt, finding no ID card there. "That girl! She must've— I told her to—"

The Commander questions, "Girl?"

"Uhh…"

Before Johnny can come up with a response, Victor's voice shouts through his radio, "Johnny! Johnny, do you read me!?"

"Victor? What's going on?"

"Johnny, please tell me you've evacuated from the island!"

"Evacuated? What for?"

"You need to get off this island before it blows up with you on it!"

"Blows up!?"

"Yes, the island's set to blow in eight minutes! Get out of there, now!"

The Commander appears to have heard all he needs to, as he pulls out his own radio device. "This is the Commander to all units! Evacuate, I repeat, evacuate! Ready emergency escape rockets! Leave no man behind! You have five minutes, don't risk any more than that! This is not a drill!"

Already, sirens have begun wailing at his command. Johnny stands at attention. "Sir, as the only available officer, it is my duty to see to your safe evacuation as well, sir!"

"My jet isn't close enough, we'll have to take one of the rockets. Let's move."

"Yes, sir!"

—–—

"Three… Two… One… Fire!" Johnny watches out of the window as the rocket tears away from the platform in the Metal Harbor, launching into the air.

"That's it. We made it out, Vic. So which rocket are you on?" He cranes his neck to get a different view through the window, at some of the higher rockets that launched earlier.

"I'm not on any rocket, kiddo. But I'm glad to hear you made it out."

"What!? Victor, you're not still on the island, are you!?"

"I think this is it for me, Johnny. But I need you to listen real close. Somebody planned this. That substitute in the Command Room, he was alerted about the bomb threat, but he did nothing about it. He wanted us to die on that island, probably because of what we knew about Project Shadow. Maybe erase all evidence along with us. This is not just a mistake, this is a conspiracy. Don't let him win. Don't let this be for nothing."

"Vic… You can't…"

"I don't have much of a choice, kiddo. But since you're listening to me anyways… Just propose to her already. Call it my last wish."

Johnny can't seem to say anything. A tear falls from his eye.

"Hey, wait! No, take me with you! Don't—"

Johnny shudders as the voice suddenly cuts off, timed perfectly with the first in a long chain of massive explosions that expand over the island below. The shockwave causes the rocket to rumble a few moments later. "Victor… Victor, do you copy? Victor!?"

The Commander places a hand on Johnny's shoulder. "Agent Voynakov was one of our finest. And he just saved hundreds of lives. We'll hold a memorial when this is all over."

Johnny wipes off his eyes and straightens up. "Sir…it is my duty to inform you that we…that…I…suspect that there may be an infiltrator in the ranks of GUN."

—–—

The Commander told me everything after that. About Project: Shadow, and his personal connection to it. He wanted to prove to me that this conspiracy was much of a shock to him as it was to us. And even though he admitted that he wanted to go after Shadow more than anything…duty came first.

Both with weapons at the ready, Johnny and the Commander step into the Command Room, ready to fire. But the room is dark and empty.

A voice announces behind them, "Commander. Shouldn't you still be on vacation?"

Johnny and the Commander turn on the Sergeant at once. The Commander barks, "Cut the act! Who do you work for!?"

The Sergeant throws his hand into the air. "I-I don't know what you're talking about, sir. I'm a loyal agent of GUN, over fifty years of service. As the highest-ranking Commander, other than yourself, sir, I took charge during your vacation."

"Why did you frame Sonic the Hedgehog!?"

"Frame? Sir, it was a simple case of misidentification. I believe Lt. Naka there was in agreement with my initial assessment."

"I've heard enough of this. Lt. Naka, arrest this man."

Johnny nods, "With pleasure, sir."

The Sergeant seems appalled. "Arrest me? For what!?"

The Commander leans right up to his face. "For gross negligence of duty resulting in the death of an agent. Unless you have an excuse for that one, as well?"

To this, the Sergeant says nothing.

"Get him out of here."

"Yes, sir."

Commander Feuxson, or so he claimed to be called, was tried and discharged for his crimes, and for my role in uncovering the conspiracy, I was promoted to the rank of Captain. We honestly believed that we'd rooted out the problem. But it was probably a fall guy who ended up going to prison in his place. Or maybe Feuxson was a prisoner who only ever existed on paper. Either way, we were wrong.

By the time that was done, the ARK incident was already over. And I'm…sure you remember what happened after that.

—–—

The transporter pad in the center of Eggman's pyramid base begins to glow. With a flash of pulsating purple light, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, and Rouge all appear in the center of the room. Tails looks around in surprise. "Wow! We're actually back on Earth!"

Rouge shrugs. "I told you guys Eggman was using a space transporter to get up there."

Knuckles questions, "If he was using this the whole time, why'd he have a space shuttle at all?"

Johnny announces his presence at the doorway by clearing his throat loudly.

Sonic, remaining quiet all this time, slowly begins to step forwards. "Alright…" He stops in front of Johnny, and offers his wrists out. "Here we go again. Not too tight this time, if you don't mind."

Tails exclaims with concern, "Sonic!"

Johnny can't help but laugh. "Your cooperation is appreciated, Sonic, but I'm actually here to inform you all that you've been pardoned by the President of all crimes."

Amy comments, "Phew, that's a relief."

"By the way…where is Dr. Eggman? He…wasn't pardoned."

Rouge answers, "He bailed a while ago. Could be anywhere by now."

Johnny continues, "Well, if you happen to see him, please inform him that this base has been confiscated and shut down by GUN. Regardless…if you're willing, Sonic…the President would like to present you with a medal for your role in saving the planet today."

Sonic's only response is, "What about Shadow?"

"I'm afraid…there is no Shadow. The project is still classified to the public."

"Then count me out. Shadow is the one who saved the world. I won't accept any honor that doesn't go to him, first." Without waiting for another word, Sonic walks out. Tails hurriedly chases after him.

Knuckles questions, "So, what about us? Do we get medals?"

Amy objects, "Oh, be quiet, Knuckles! You didn't do anything!"

"Oh, you're one to talk. At least I opened the way to the core and stopped the Chaos Emeralds, what did you do?"

Rouge advises to Johnny as she walks past him, "Just ignore him. He has illusions of grandeur."

"What!? I'll show you grandeur, you little thief!" Amy has to restrain him to stop him from attacking Rouge, who laughs on her way out. Johnny can't help but laugh as well, reminded of a friend of his own.

—–—

Outside, Tails finally catches up. "Sonic! Where are you going?"

Stopped, Sonic sighs as he stares out at the open blue skies. "I think I'm gonna take a break from the big cities. Maybe run out on my own for a while. I have some stuff to think through."

"On your own? But what if we need you?"

"Tails…if you've proven anything these last few days, it's that you don't need me. You're strong enough to handle anything."

"But what if… What if I just really wanna hang out with my buddy?"

"Well…in that case…" Sonic looks back at him with a confident smirk. "…you can come find me anytime."

This is enough to get Tails smiling again. "See you later, Sonic."

Sonic throws a mocking two-fingered salute. "Later, Tails."

Tails watches with the smile still on his face as Sonic speeds off towards the desert horizon.

—–—

Present day

"So that's the story, sir. As you now know, I…was unknowingly complicit in a plot to have you arrested for a crime you didn't commit. I failed to discover the truth for myself, I failed to stop the man responsible for it, and I failed to save the life of my friend. I couldn't even follow my orders right with how many times you escaped from under me. If this means that you cannot trust me, sir, then I willingly accept that scorn."

An involuntary chuckle escapes from Sonic's lungs. "Is that what you got out of that story?"

"Sir?"

"Let me tell you my interpretation. Your story tells me a few things. As a soldier, you are brave and loyal. As a thinker, you're bold, but cautious. And as a friend, you're honest and caring. And I think you'll fit right in around here." Sonic offers out his hand. "I would be honored to have you on our team."

Johnny happily takes the hand. "Sir, thank you, sir. I won't let you down, sir."

"Didn't I tell you to drop the 'sir'?"

"You also granted me the right to speak as I please, which I am choosing to exercise, sir."

"Can't argue with that. You should go see Knuckles, he'll set you up with our usual initiation."

"Initiation? Should I be concerned?"

"Only if you aren't comfortable around glowing green gems."

"I've…found that they tend to bring trouble…"

"Well, trouble is what you're signing up for here. You good with that?"

"Absolutely, si—…Sonic."

Sonic nods in satisfaction. "Good. Then get out of here and start making friends. That's an order."

With a smile and a salute, Johnny heads towards the exit.

Realizing something, Sonic interrupts, "Wait."

Johnny obediently stops and turns around. "Sir?"

"I meant to ask…about that girl. Ayanna. Is she…?"

Johnny closes his eyes and lets out a long sigh. "The wedding was planned for last Spring. I'm sure you can imagine how that turned out. I haven't heard from her since the day the war started. I can only assume…"

Sonic grimaces at the thought. "I'm…sorry for your loss."

"I appreciate that…Sonic." With a nod, Johnny continues on his way out.

Sonic leans back in his chair, staring up at the roof of the tent with a long breath. "These SCOPE guys…sure sound like a lot of trouble."

—–—

Five years ago

The Sergeant steps into his own Command Room, not unlike that of the GUN base, though predictably lacking in color. He appears to already be engaged in a radio communication as he sits in his chair. "Has Shadow's body been recovered?"

"Negative, sir. Dr. Eggman appears to have had a number of machines ready and waiting for that purpose, preempting our own attempt. We couldn't engage without risk of exposure."

The Sergeant muses, "Impressive foresight, Doctor. But we can't have you acquiring our most valuable asset."

"Sir?"

"Track the asset wherever it goes. Once the Doctor turns his back, have the location leaked to Agent Rouge. Anonymously, of course. Some manner of secret treasure should be ample motivation for her, and she's certain to deliver the asset once she's found it."

"Sir…what use do we have for the dead body, sir?"

"I assure you, Shadow the Hedgehog is very much alive, just as he was the last time. And we will have him back."

"Yes, sir."

"And one other thing. Have our newest agent sent to my Command Room. I have some…special instructions to deliver."

To be continued…