Daily Log…Little Planet, time has no meaning. This is Tails reporting.

We followed SCOPE to the Little Planet. We found Cyber Sonic there. I challenged him to a race, with his fate as the prize. I won. But our troubles were only just getting started.

—–—

Stardust Speedway — Empty Future

The SCOPE Master Sergeant holds out his free hand expectantly to Cyber Sonic. "The Time Stones. Hand them over."

Sonic lets out a groan. "I don't have time for this." He looks over to one of the Sonic robots standing beside him. "End him."

Mecha Sonic crouches down and jets straight towards the Sergeant.

The Sergeant smirks. "Wrong move." He throws out an elbow, catching Mecha Sonic firmly in the jaw. Mecha Sonic's entire head pops up like a toy, exposing the one large glowing orange eye inside. In one swift move, the Sergeant draws a knife from his belt and plunges it into the exposed eye. Mecha Sonic topples to the ground.

"Mecha! How did you—"

The Sergeant starts walking forward. "Everything has a weakness."

Sonic snarls as he throws a hand forward, directing another robot to attack. Robo Sonic's wheels fire up, launching him along the ground.

The Sergeant chuckles. "This one has a weakness you built in just for me." He pulls out a small remote and presses a single button. Robo Sonic falls to the ground before ever reaching him. "Thanks for using the parts we provided."

Before Sonic can even give an order, Metal Sonic rockets forward next. "Metal, no!"

The Sergeant rolls his eyes. "This one is just overconfident." He raises the sparkling stone in his hand up to his lips, and whispers against it, "Future."

Metal Sonic flies forward, preparing to strike with his claws. But the claws meet only a thin trail of sparkles that fly just a few steps ahead. The Sergeant reappears behind Metal Sonic's back, throwing back an elbow to knock him away. Metal Sonic is undeterred, turning to attack again.

The Sergeant is ready with the Time Stone. "Past."

Metal Sonic once again misses his mark. The Sergeant comes back into existence behind him, suddenly holding the same knife that was left in Mecha Sonic's eye. With the same motion, the knife is plunged into Metal Sonic's neck, and he falls to the ground.

Silver Sonic and Drone Sonic take fighting stances. Sonic puts a hand in front of each of them to hold them back. "You've made your point. What do you want?"

The Sergeant restarts his forward walk. "I already told you. The Time Stones."

"For what?"

"You should know very well. Control requires power. You've seen what I can do with just one Stone. Imagine having complete mastery over time. We could rewrite past mistakes. Stop future crises before they ever happen. We would have total control over the fate of the world."

"You don't seem to understand how this works. Time up here isn't the same thing as time down there. The Time Stones have no power off of this planet. We're in the future now, but we could all go back down right this moment, and it would still be the day after we left."

"True. But there is another power I seek. The same as you, I imagine. A power that holds anywhere in the universe. A power that was wasted on such nearsighted fools as Metal Sonic." He reaches Sonic, and once again stops to hold out his hand. "One last time. Hand them over."

Tails laughs from the open room behind them, "You can't be serious about this! Of course he's not going to give them to you." He confidently smirks past the mechanical implant covering one side of his face, showing no fear.

Both Sonic and the Sergeant glance over at Tails, neither of them looking very happy about the interruption.

"You...you aren't thinking about doing it, are you?"

Sonic continues to glare at Tails for a moment. Then he looks back to the Sergeant, who now glares back at him threateningly. He slowly answers, "Freedom...requires control."

The Sergeant finishes, "Control requires power. My offer to you still stands. Our power would be greater if combined. Perhaps, now that you've lost your control…"

Tails insists, "Sonic, no!"

Sonic closes his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell you, kid?" He reaches forward, and takes the Sergeant's hand. "I'm not Sonic."

Sonic the Hedgehog: The Chaos Project

Season 2, Episode 18

Metallic Madness Part 2

Written by ChaosProjectAuthor

Metallic Madness — Past

"Ayanna!" Overcome with emotion, Johnny tightly embraces his lost fiancée.

Ayanna holds him right back. "Johnny, how are you here? I thought that…" She steps back, still holding his shoulders at arm's length. "The Sergeant knew about this, didn't he? Goodness, that man and his secrets…" She shakes her head. "It doesn't matter, we can catch up in a minute." She turns around, lifting her rifle back to point at Shadow, who has been watching the exchange with moderate interest. "Right now, I need to arrest this intruder. I could use some backup."

Johnny is taken aback. "Arrest him? Ayanna, this is Shadow, one of the good guys."

"Johnny, what's gotten into you? He's a priority one, SCOPE protocol is very clear about—…" Her weapon lowers inadvertently as she takes one quick sidelong glance at him. "You aren't with SCOPE, are you?"

Johnny's expression sinks as the same realization sets in. "You are…aren't you?"

"When you negotiated the ceasefire, I thought that meant…" Ayanna refocuses her attention on Shadow. "Don't worry about it, we'll work this out like we always do. I'm a Sergeant now, I have the authority to recruit you. Just help me with this arrest, and that'll be more than enough for your recommendation."

Johnny steps between them, putting his outstretched arms in the way of her line of fire. "Shadow is my friend. According to the bylaws, he's also the acting leader of GUN. I won't let you harm him."

Ayanna drops her weapon once again, this time in disbelief. "Acting leader? No, Johnny, that would be the Master Sergeant."

"Citizen Feuxson was discharged and thrown in prison for gross negligence of duty resulting in the death of an agent. Victor. Our friend. He has no rank, no authority. SCOPE is an agency of lies."

"Yes, Johnny, that's the point. 'Feuxson' was a lie, and that fake person had no rank to strip. As for Victor…the man who set the charges that killed him is standing right behind you. When the Sergeant recruited me, he asked for my help in tracking down that killer. Now step aside and let me bring him to justice."

Johnny clenches his eyes shut. A tear slides down his face. "It's over…isn't it?"

"That depends on you. I don't want to hurt you, Johnny. But if you make yourself an enemy of SCOPE…I will."

Johnny suddenly reaches for his belt, pulls off a detonator switch, and flips off the top, putting his thumb just over the trigger. "Make a move against Shadow, and I blow this whole place down."

"Johnny, have you gone mad!? You'll kill us both!"

"Right now, Shadow the Hedgehog is one of the most important people alive. He's the leader of the organization that can save our planet. I will not let him be captured by the enemy. No matter who that enemy is."

"You're making a mistake, Johnny."

"If you stand down now…lay down arms, leave this place…we can still talk this out."

"No, Johnny. I think you're right. It's over."

Shadow suddenly lets out a cry of pain, and Johnny turns sharply to look. Shadow's body writhes with electricity before dropping to the ground, leaving a trail of smoke in the air. Johnny looks up in horror at the tall robotic figure standing behind him, with crimson red eyes glaring back down at Johnny. "Omega?"

Before his question can be answered, a taser is jabbed into his back, and after a moment of pain, he collapses right alongside Shadow. Ayanna reholsters the taser while the robot drops a third body onto the pile—Rouge. Ayanna praises, "Good work, Agent Zed."

The robot, tall and bulky, is almost identical in appearance to Omega, save for its stark black and grey paint job, and the stylized letter 'Z' plastered on its shoulder. Its hands seem to operate differently as well, as its stun baton is retracted into a visible rotary of weapons attached to that hand. Zed responds in a familiar voice filled with robotic glee, "Kill."

Ayanna buries her face in a hand, muttering, "I don't get robots…" Putting her confusion aside, she orders, "No, no killing right now. Take them all to the brig, search them for weapons. I have to report this to the Sergeant."

—–—

Stardust Speedway — Empty Future

Cyber Sonic's six Time Stones drift down the line of his arm, joining the Sergeant's seventh in an orbit around both of them.

The Sergeant puts on his best smile. "Smart choice. SCOPE will be certain to put these resources to their optimal use." He starts to pull his hand away. But Sonic grips it tightly.

Sonic puts on a smirk. "No need. I'll take care of that."

The Sergeant puts on a scowl, seeing through his intentions in an instant. "I take it back. You've made your last mistake."

"You made yours the day you decided you could control me. What I have in my two hands is enough to set me free."

At once, they both shout with all their might, "Future!"

The seven Time Stones around them flash brilliantly, enveloping the world around them in a shifting stream of color. Even as the ground seems to vanish beneath his feet, The Sergeant throws a kick at Sonic's exposed stomach, separating them and sending them apart through the timeless space. Flying back in zero gravity, he skillfully draws a pistol from his belt and fires.

Sonic throws up his Black Shield to deflect the bullets as he fires his thrusters, preparing to ram straight back into the Sergeant. The Sergeant presses a flat hand straight against the shield to halt Sonic's movement. Sparks fly from the point of contact, but the Sergeant shows no sign of pain. He throws a leg up and around the shield with impressive agility, twisting to grip Sonic's arm with a knee and throw him around to a vulnerable position. He aims his pistol at the back of Sonic's exposed head.

Sonic fires his thrusters even harder, sending both of them tumbling around uncontrollably. The Sergeant's weapon drops, flying out into the void. Finally, Sonic wrenches himself free of the controlling grip, kicking off to separate them once again.

In a blinding flash of light, the stream of time around them vanishes, leaving only the future to see. The two continue to float below a sky of pure black, illuminated by a pulsating violet glow beneath them. Hesitant to take their eyes off of one another, they slowly turn their heads to look. What lies before them is the size of a planet, composed of pure energy. The magenta sphere crackles and pulsates, condensing to a smaller shape at a slow yet noticeable rate.

"The end of the universe… The convergence of all that exists… The power of the Postcursors, at its original source." The Sergeant can't contain his twisted smile. "I've reached it at last."

Sonic takes one sidelong glance at the Sergeant. Then he rockets himself straight down towards the energy sphere.

The Sergeant gasps. "Stop! You don't know what you're doing! Taking all that power at once will erase you from existence, just like it did to the Postcursors!"

Sonic doesn't seem to care. He turns his body around, smirking up at the Sergeant as he throws out a mocking salute. Then he spreads his arms wide, letting himself fall the rest of the way into the ocean of pure power, until its light consumes him.

—–—

Stardust Speedway — Present

"What in the world…?" Amy looks up in disbelief as seven colorful stones slowly drift down to float above her open hand. "These are the Time Stones. But…" She looks around in confusion. "…what are they doing here?"

"Scanner failure," Omega says. "Unable to analyze foreign objects."

Amy stares into each of the Stones as they pass by her face in a tight orbit above her hand. "I…I can see. The future, the past, it's…it's all around me. Sonic is—…" She suddenly gasps, turning to Omega. "We only have one chance. We need to go, now."

"Order not understood. Clarify."

Amy offers her hand out to him. "Your friends need our help, too."

"The Mecha Sonic Army are not my friends. They are my rivals."

"It doesn't matter what you call them. They need you. And so does Sonic."

Omega doesn't seem to think on that any longer. He reaches out, and places his claws on Amy's hand.

Amy doesn't need to say a word, as the Time Stones almost seem to speak for themselves.

"Future…"

—–—

Stardust Speedway — Empty Future

Tails demands furiously, "Where did they go!? What are they trying to do!?"

Silver Sonic and Drone Sonic ignore him entirely. They kneel down silently among the remains of their fallen brethren. Silver Sonic takes Robo Sonic's hand, while Drone Sonic takes Metal's.

"You know what his plan was! You were trying to stop him! Tell me why! Answer me!"

"Future…"

Tails looks back in confusion. Amy and Omega already stand behind him.

Omega raises a weapon threateningly. "Explain what has transpired here."

Tails gasps. "Omega, Amy, how did you—…?" He trails off as he sees the Time Stones circling above Amy's hand. Shaking off his questions, he begins, "I-I won the race, but then the Sergeant showed up, a-and he and Sonic both—"

Amy places a hand on Tails' shoulder. "I know." She nods her head to indicate Omega to him.

Omega marches up to the center of the Mecha Sonic carnage silently. His head swivels in sequence, his eyes analyzing the fallen forms of Mecha Sonic, Robo Sonic, and Metal Sonic. Silver Sonic and Drone Sonic stare up at him from their kneeling positions on the ground. "How…did this happen?"

Amy answers from behind him, "They lost their battle. A battle you may yet win. If all you care about is proving your superiority, you can leave them behind now. But if you so choose…I can save them all. It has to be your choice."

Omega wastes no time with his answer. "Save them."

Amy steps up beside him, and kneels down, placing her hand against the floor.

"Past…"

A pulse of sparkling light spreads across the ground, enveloping each of the fallen Mechas, reversing the damage dealt to them until they rise again. They look to one another in a wordless understanding. Then they all turn their focus to Omega, standing up at attention.

Amy explains, "They were never sure that they could trust you. Until now. They want to save Sonic. And they trust that you want that as much as they do. They're yours to command."

Tails interrupts, "Amy, tell me what's going on here."

Amy closes her eyes, letting the light of the Time Stones wash over her face. "Years ago, when the Little Planet was in danger, Sonic failed to save it. But this planet is more than just a place. It lives, and it feels, just like you and me. And it was saddened by what became of Sonic. So, to repay his kindness, the Little Planet found someone who could save him. It found me. It spoke to me through my tarot cards, showed me where I could go to meet my hero. And a new timeline was created. One where Sonic succeeded. Now, the Little Planet has chosen me to save him once again. Now, we must all go. Sonic will be waiting for us."

—–—

Metallic Madness — Past

Shadow shakes his head, struggling to throw himself back into consciousness. "Where…?" He opens his eyes, looking down at his hands. "The Emerald is gone."

"So's the detonator."

Shadow looks up at the voice. A translucent red barrier of energy separates his cell from a large central room. Johnny sits in a similar cell on the opposite side, his head propped against one wall as he stares at the ceiling.

"We tried to break you guys out." Hero and Bruno stand in the cell next to Johnny's. "It didn't go over too well. That robot who looks like Omega is tough."

In the cell next to Shadow's, Rouge's voice answers, "He got the drop on me, too. No use dwelling on it now."

Shadow looks on at Johnny's cell. "Captain… Johnny. Are you…?"

Johnny's eyes remain on the roof of his cell. "I take full responsibility for this situation, sir. I let my emotions prevent you from doing what needed to be done."

"It isn't your fault. I'm so used to Omega's presence that I didn't see that robot coming. We all need to do better."

Rouge agrees, "We can start by finding a way out of here. My cell's airtight. Don't suppose any of yours are different?"

Shadow gets up to look around. Almost immediately, his foot clatters against something on the ground. He bends down to pick up the jet black data pad.

Bruno questions, "What's that? Did you find something?"

Shadow turns the device around to look at its blank screen. A simple handwritten note is stuck to the front.

If you wish to know the truth.

—S

"It's…nothing useful."

"Well, I'm out of ideas in here. Johnny?"

Johnny takes a while to respond, remaining still all the while. "Negative, sir."

Shadow stares down at the datapad for quite some time. His finger hovers over the button to activate it.

"On your feet, soldiers."

Shadow looks up with a gasp, matched by the rest of the prisoners. The barriers in front of each cell drop one by one, letting them all step out freely.

"This is no place to lose heart."

Johnny runs out of his cell, looking around frantically. "Commander, is that you, sir!?"

Shadow scans the room with equal surprise. But no one seems to be there.

The Commander's voice continues, echoing all around them, "If the Sergeant's plan proceeds, the Eggman Empire will spread through the galaxy and become unstoppable. We cannot allow that. He must be stopped, here and now."

Rouge questions, "Where are you, sir? We'll back you up."

"Negative. This is your fight, not mine. Remember not to trust a word that man says. Remember to stay vigilant, watch each other's backs, and above all, remember the oath that each of you swore as Agents of GUN."

Hero and Bruno realize with wonder, "It really is him. He really is alive."

Johnny presses, "Sir, if you're in this facility, it's our duty to ensure your safety."

This time, no response comes.

Shadow shakes his head. "He's gone. And we need to get moving as well."

Hero questions, "Our mission hasn't changed, right? We need to get that detonator back so we can blow this place down."

Rouge adds, "We need to get our Emerald back, first."

Johnny notes, "GUN protocol would have an artifact like that in the hands of the highest ranking officer until it can be delivered to a safe house. If it's still here, Ayanna will have it."

Shadow nods. "It's still here, close enough for me to sense. I'll go after it. The rest of you—"

"I'm going with you."

Shadow eyes Johnny with suspicion. "Are you sure about that, Johnny?"

Johnny clenches a fist in confidence. "Absolutely, sir. The Commander is counting on us."

Shadow nods again. "Alright. We'll get the Emerald. Hero, do what you do best. Make some noise, that robot will go after you. Most likely, it still has the weapons it took from us."

"And when we get the detonator from him, we can blow the place up, right?"

"After we give the signal."

"Yes!"

"Rouge, watch his back. Use your knowledge of Omega to your advantage. Don't let it surprise you again. Are we all clear?"

The soldiers each echo back, "Yes, sir!"

—–—

Ayanna sits in a command room of a familiar design, looking out at an array of screens showing footage from familiar locations throughout the Little Planet—past, present and future. Most appear still and lifeless. But a storm brews above the palace in the present of Stardust Speedway, as bolts of lightning begin to shoot down from above.

"Report, 0600 hours Military Standard Time. There's an energy disturbance forming above quadrant 6B. Are you receiving, Sergeant?" She waits for a response, but receives none. "Levels are growing steadily. No sign of danger yet. Will continue to observe. Sir...if you're hearing this…" She looks down at her exposed hand, pressing down on a panel on the arm of the chair. A simple yet elegant engagement ring still lies slipped around her finger. "...I understand now. What you said when we came to this place. Why it has to be me. I know the enemy we face better than anyone. Information is power. ...End of report."

She stares down at the ring for a while longer. Then she reaches for it with her other hand, slowly slipping it off of her finger.

An alarm begins to blare as the room floods with red light. A new image quickly appears on the screen. Hero is seen on the security footage, taking his flamethrower to every machine in sight. A moment behind him, Rouge appears for just long enough to kick straight at the camera, cutting the footage instantly.

"The prisoners!?"

A few moments later, the same process repeats with a second camera.

"But only two of them…" She reaches up for her communicator. "Zed, report to—" She turns with a gasp, raising her arms just in time to block Shadow's kick. Shadow follows up relentlessly, delivering a Spin Attack that breaks through her hasty defenses and knocks her to the floor.

Pinning her down, Shadow demands, "Johnny, search her."

Ayanna struggles to escape, but there's little she can do as Johnny begins scouring through her pockets. He quickly finds a gemstone—attached to a silver engagement ring. Recognizing it instantly, he stops to stare at it for a long moment. Ayanna goes still, saying nothing as Johnny pockets the ring and continues the search.

"You don't understand what you're doing, Johnny. You're endangering the lives of our entire civilization."

"You seem to be confusing life with survival. Survival under the rule of the Eggman Empire isn't the same thing as life. And SCOPE has no right to decide that for the world."

"Not just for fighting SCOPE, Johnny. For protecting him."

Johnny pauses for a moment to glance back at Shadow. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I know enough that I could be executed for saying another word. I know secrets about secrets about things that you've never even heard of. I know what's coming. And I know that it has to be stopped."

Johnny finally finds the glowing yellow Chaos Emerald, standing up and ignoring whatever else she has to say. He holds it out to Shadow. "Let's get out of here."

Shadow seems to have grown distracted, staring up at one of the viewscreens on the wall. In a radiating flash on the screen, a figure appears atop Cyber Sonic's palace. The camera begins to zoom in, revealing it to be Sonic himself, flashing, pulsing, and crackling with the energy he's absorbed. Shadow agrees, "Something's happening out there. We need to go."

Ayanna continues. "I…should have had you all executed. That would've been the safe thing to do."

Johnny takes one last look down at her. "You never were one to play it safe."

"That's a mistake I'll have to fix." With both of them distracted, Ayanna manages to pull off a sweeping kick that knocks both of them off their feet. She dives for the wall, where her plasma rifle sits in waiting. She grabs the weapon and comes back up with it in one swift motion.

Johnny is just as quick, getting a hand on top of the weapon's barrel to direct it aside just before it fires a stray plasma shot at the wall. He gets a second hand over it, trying to twist it out of her grip. She twists right back, grappling for control of the weapon.

Shadow runs in to help, until a shot from behind him crosses his path, striking the wall behind him. Shadow turns with surprise to the source. Zed stands with weapon still pointed. "Ultimate Life Form: prepare to be exterminated."

Before either of them can make a move, a small figure drops down onto Zed's face, latching around it with its tentacles. Bruno declares, "Grab it now!"

Zed's head swivels back and forth frantically, failing to throw Bruno off. "Vision impaired! Vision impaired! Danger! Emergency!" He deploys all of his weapons at once, and begins shooting wildly.

Hero dives in from behind, snatching the detonator switch that appears to be magnetized to Zed's midsection.

Ayanna and Johnny's struggle over the weapon sends them both to the floor. Johnny uses the extra momentum to his advantage, finally ripping the rifle free from her hands, and quickly coming up in a crouch and turning it on her.

"Just do it, then." Ayanna closes her eyes. "You know I'd rather die than watch our world burn. So do it."

Johnny keeps the weapon raised, eyeing her carefully. "Our world is already burning, Ayanna. We're trying to put out the fire. If you really care so much, why aren't you helping us?"

"You don't understand. Eggman isn't the threat, he's the defense."

"If you really believe that…" Johnny closes his eyes somberly. "Then I don't know who you are anymore."

"Things change, Johnny." She suddenly springs up, diving straight for him.

Johnny's weapon fires. But Ayanna has already been pulled out of the way, carried by Rouge as she flies by. Rouge looks down at her with a smirk. "Here's a fun idea. How about we arrest you this time?"

Zed reaches up to grab Bruno off of his face, but Bruno darts away on his own accord before he can reach. Zed quickly spots Hero holding the detonator, and his entire clawed hand is fired off at him, remaining attached by an unspooling cable.

Hero throws the detonator up to Bruno above him just before Zed's detached hand grabs onto his arm.

Zed retracts the cable, yanking Hero closer to him. "You are ordered to drop the device immediately."

"I have a better idea. I'm gonna blow it up." Bruno's tentacle squeezes down on the trigger, and instantly, the room begins to rumble.

Johnny affirms, "Ten seconds to structural collapse of this area."

Ayanna wastes no time. "Zed, emergency retreat. Priority one." She throws an elbow back into Rouge's face, freeing her from her grip, followed by a kick to knock her back. She leaps up onto Zed's shoulder, getting a grip on the handle situated at the top. "Launch."

On her command, Zed obediently unhands Hero as a large turbine engine deploys out of Zed's back, and fires up. He points his weapons arm upwards and fires off a missile as they ascend, blowing a clean hole in the roof, through which they quickly disappear, Ayanna taking one last sorrowful look at Johnny.

Hero and Bruno look up with surprise. "He can fly? Omega can't do that. Can he?"

Shadow demands, "Everyone, stand close. Chaos Control!" The floor collapses beneath their feet a moment before they disappear in a flash of light, leaving the facility crumbling behind them.

—–—

Stardust Speedway — Present

The storm above Cyber Sonic's palace has reached a critical point. Constant bolts of lightning illuminate patches of the clouds in sporadic and unpredictable patterns. Beneath the storm, perched atop the highest spire of the palace, Cyber Sonic balances effortlessly, intensely radiating a familiar magenta glow. Sparks fly from his body almost as readily as from the clouds.

"So you survived after all?" Across from Sonic, the Sergeant stands on a high balcony, looking up a shallow angle at Sonic. In his hand, he holds a strange glass container, an orb suspended within, a fraction of the size of its source. "But merely holding the power doesn't mean you know how to use it."

"You underestimate my power. Metal Sonic was already chosen as a host to this power. I've merely reclaimed it. Now, I'm giving you one last chance. Leave now, and never return."

"Sonic!"

Sonic and the Sergeant both look down, watching as Knuckles and the Chaotix approach the palace far below.

They both ignore them, and turn their attention back to one another. "I understand. You wish to protect this world, just as I wish to protect mine. But I need this world to do that. I will not allow you to stand in my way."

Sonic looks down, closing his eyes. Slowly, he begins to chuckle. "Hmmhmmhmm. You see me as nothing but an obstacle? Soon you'll see that you should be kneeling before me. Let me show you who I am, and what I'm here for." He throws his mechanical hand straight into the air, and a bolt of lightning crashes down from above, obliterating the palace in an instant.

Far below, Knuckles shields his eyes against the blinding explosion. As the scattered pieces of the palace fall, their movement slows. The fading light begins to grow, concentrating into a pillar around the spot where Sonic once stood, pulling the falling debris back into a swirling vortex. Pieces begin to fly together, connecting into strange, ever-growing shapes. Stone, glass, and metal coalesce into an armored body. Cables and wires fly between the pieces, linking them together. Spikes of steel jut out from stone joints, forming claws, spines, and wings. Sonic holds his arms out wide as he descends slowly into the head of the massive gothic-mechanical dragonoid shell that solidifies around his waist. The Cyber Overlord belts out a mighty roar.

Shadow's team appears in a flash, watching in awe of the sight. Shadow mutters, "What in the world…?"

Knuckles shouts with equal disbelief, "Sonic transformed!"

Johnny gasps, "That's Sonic!?"

Vector nods along. "We already knew he's been scanning our data for a while now. He must've found the same power Metal Sonic had, and used it to transform."

Shadow growls, "This isn't good. Without the seven Chaos Emeralds…"

The Sergeant's voice echoes, "You think small, Cyber. You have the power of the universe at your fingertips. Anything you can imagine is a mere thought away from reality."

A strange distortion appears in the air in front of the Cyber Overlord. The distortion suddenly tears into an empty void, pulling in the air around it, and Sonic along with it. "No!" The Cyber Overlord points its clawed hand forward and fires off a single claw. On contact with the black hole, the projectile explodes into a crystalline structure that encases it on all sides, instantly stopping its pulling force. "My vision is more than enough to stop a weakling like you! Now burn to death!" The Overlord points its opposite hand, and sends massive inferno streaming in a random direction.

The flames suddenly part, exposing the presence of a glowing barrier that protects the previously-invisible Sergeant. He floats with his feet off the ground, the container in his hand now empty. He holds his opposite arm up, the glove on its end removed—revealing a skeletal robotic hand, clenching down on the magenta orb. As the flames die down, he goads, "As you can see, you and I share yet one more thing in common, Cyber. I lost this hand to another hedgehog like you, who thought he was above the rest of the world. He lost everything in exchange. You don't have to end up like him."

"I'll tear you to pieces!" The Overlord reaches forward, trying to grab the Sergeant with its clawed hand. But the barrier stops it completely.

"You can take another try. You can try your whole life long. You'll never come any closer." He shakes his head as the Overlord pushes even harder against the barrier. "Very well. I was hoping to take this orb for closer study, but I can always extract another." The orb begins to sink into his robotic hand, throwing off sparks of electricity as the metal melts into a formless liquid. The five fluid fingers clench together into a fist, and gold-plated platforms tear out from the speedway below, flying up to knock the Overlord's hand away, and wrap around the Sergeant until he is once again hidden from view. The machine begins to take form as more pieces fly up from the ground, shaping into a two-armed, one-eyed mech, equal in stature to the Overlord. A liquid metal seeps out from the inside, wrapping around the rough and uneven exterior to solidify into a jet black armor plating. The glowing barrier remains erected around it. "I call this one…Symbolon. With the power of the Postcursors, I can create whatever blueprints I imagine. I can plate it with pure Chaosium. I can power it with a limitless supply of antimatter. It's all just material. Material I can create."

"You and I both know it isn't limitless. Take this!" The Overlord opens its mechanical mouth and fires off a continuous stream of crystal attacks.

The Symbolon holds up an open hand, effortlessly absorbing the attack. Then it throws the hand aside, momentarily dropping its shield to fire an intense laser beam from its monocular eye.

The Overlord cries out as the attack strikes its shoulder, sending shrapnel flying as it carves a hole straight through. After a moment, liquid metal begins to seep out of the exposed wound, filling the gap and replacing it in a matter of moments. The Overlord flies straight back at the Symbolon, this time grabbing it out of the air and slamming it into the distant ground, causing the earth to rumble.

On the ground, Charmy cheers, "Yeah, get him! Wait, which one are we rooting for again?"

Bruno replies with a hint of aggravation, "Sonic, obviously!"

"No."

Everyone looks back in surprise to see Amy, Tails, Omega, and the Mecha Sonics standing behind them.

Amy continues, "The power that they fight over is slowly corrupting their minds, just as it did to the Postcursors. Neither one will stop until their opponent is destroyed—and this entire world along with them. It's up to us to put an end to it. We have to take both of them down." The zone once again rumbles with the ferocity of the fight transpiring.

Rouge shakes her head. "It's just not possible. What are we supposed to do against them? Even Super Sonic couldn't take down just one machine like that on his own."

"We're not alone. All of us are in this together."

Everyone looks back at Omega and the Mechas. Omega stares back at each of them for a silent moment. Then he clenches his claws into a fist, and raises it into the air. "We free this world, together." Behind him, each of the mechas replicate his movement.

Shadow looks past them, to Tails and the cybernetic implant still covering his face. "Tails…?"

Tails gives a single nod. "I'm ready to end this."

Amy nods in satisfaction. "And we may not have the Chaos Emeralds. But we do have these." She presents the Time Stones for all to see. "We only have one chance. But it will be enough. We will make it through this. As long as we work together, that's the future that awaits us."

The Cyber Overlord crunches down on the Symbolon's shoulder with its dragonoid jaw, tearing out a large chunk and tossing it aside. The wound begins to fill just as quickly as the Overlord's did. The Overlord prepares to go in for another bite, as the air around them begins to fill with an array of flashing particles.

The Sergeant declares, "Antimatter cannon, fire!"

A blinding blast of incredible force sends the Overlord flying back into the air, its entire front side torn open, burnt and flinging sparks. Still attached atop the overlord's head, Sonic wipes the soot away from his face as the machine beneath him begins to heal itself once again. "Is that the best your 'big thoughts' can do for you? Just another big GUN robot, with you at the controls. You're using the power, but you're not making it your own."

"The power was never for me. It was for the world." At the Sergeant's words, the air around the Overlord begins to tear open with dozens of black holes, ripping parts out of all sides of the Overlord.

The Overlord fires every spike in its body at once, each one jetting with precision to swallow the vortices. Even with neither combatant on the ground, the world around them still rumbles, even more violently than before. Neither seems to care. Both prepare to fly back in at one another. Until a blinding flash of light appears between them.

Bright sparkles drift down from Amy's body as she floats between the two behemoths, her fur periodically pulsating a bright white. She opens her eyes, glowing with the same white energy of the Time Stones. Her voice carries a strange harmony, as if the echo precedes the sound. "Stop this needless fighting. Can't you see that you're destroying the very world you fight for?"

Sonic looks around in surprise, as if seeing the wake of rubble left on the ground beneath him for the very first time. The planet trembles once again, violently enough to split a wide fissure into the razed ground. "It doesn't matter. I would sooner destroy this planet than allow it to fall into his hands."

This answer doesn't seem to surprise her in the slightest. "Then you've truly lost your way." She raises an open hand towards him.

"Past…"

Time's light grows to encompass the Cyber Overlord, almost seeming to phase him out of existence before returning him, looking down at the destruction below. "It doesn't matter. I would sooner destroy this planet than allow it to fall into his hands." The rewind repeats. "It doesn't matter…"

"Mecha Sonic Army! Charge!" One by one, each of the Mechas is loaded into Omega's cannon and shot straight up as fireballs into the Cyber Overlord. "Fire! Fire! Fire!" The Sonic robots swarm around the dragonoid body, jetting and rolling around it to strike in as many different places as possible.

"Finally recognized the threat of this one, did you?" The Symbolon pounds its fists together in challenge. "I'll finish the job!" It jets straight towards the distracted Overlord.

Amy points her opposite hand back.

"Past…"

The Symbolon is warped back to its previous position, pounding its fists together. "I'll finish the job!"

As the Symbolon loops back through its motions, the second team moves in. Rouge carries Shadow, Charmy carries Espio, and Tails carries Knuckles, all flying straight for the military mech. Arriving first at point, Rouge kicks Shadow straight down at the mech.

The distraction seems to free the Symbolon from its time loop, as it turns to spot Shadow flying at it. "What do you expect to accomplish?"

On the ground, Johnny turns the dial on his plasma rifle as far as it will go, and sets his sights on the Symbolon's eye. The mech prepares to swat Shadow out of the air, dropping its shield for just a moment. As soon as it does, Johnny pulls down on the trigger, nailing the distant target with a massive bolt of plasma.

The Symbolon's head snaps upwards, and its hand misses the target. Shadow lands on the hand and leaps in closer. "Chaos Spear!"

The Symbolon fires back a laser in return, shredding through Shadow's meager energy attack and continuing on a course straight for him.

Tails throws Knuckles down, who grabs Shadow out of the air, gliding him away to safety. Another bolt of plasma hits its mark before the laser dissipates and the barrier rises back into place.

The Cyber Overlord roars in frustration as a wave of intense crackling energy is released from its body, sending the Mechas flying in every direction. His sights turn on Amy. "You! I will not allow you to interfere!" He fires off a full array of spikes.

"Future…"

Amy disappears from the targeted spot, reappearing a short distance above, closer to Sonic's face. "I feel sorry for you. Your fate was always to be one full of pain."

"Future… Future… Future…"

With each distant echo of the word, a duplicate of Amy appears in a new position, until dozens of them surround him. They all echo at once, "You will rest soon, weary soul." They all fly in with hammers raised, once again striking the Overlord from all directions.

"No!" The Overlord once again fires off every spike on its body. Some of the Amy duplicates manage to avoid the projectiles, while others attack back to destroy them. Just one Amy is struck by the flying spike, instantly encasing her in a crystal prison. This one seems to be enough, as all the rest begin to vanish in the same order they appeared, leaving only the one, pounding unsuccessfully against the crystal from the inside. "Now, I'll crush you!" The Overlord flies down to the ground, ripping the remains of the palace and the hill beneath it free from the ground and lifting it back up to throw as one giant projectile.

On the ground, Omega orders, "Robo!" Robo Sonic fires its weapons in Amy's direction, shattering the crystal prison from the outside. "Metal!" Metal Sonic jets through the shattering crystal shards, grabbing Amy and pulling her out of the way of the massive falling object. "Mecha!" Mecha Sonic uses the crumbling rubble to its advantage, jetting between falling pieces until it can roll straight through the air, high enough to target where Cyber Sonic is attached at the top of the Overlord's head.

Sonic catches Mecha Sonic with just his metal hand, stopping him instantly. "So you've chosen to betray me after all…"

"Drone! Silver!" Drone Sonic throws its extendable arm out towards Silver Sonic, who catches it with one sharp movement. Omega himself leaps onto the stretched arm, and both Sonic robots spin into balls, using the arm to fling Omega high into the air. Omega deploys his machine guns as he goes, carving lines of destruction straight up the Overlord's damaged body.

Mecha Sonic is flung away from the Overlord's head, but meets Omega there in the air, grabbing him and throwing him closer in.

Omega changes his machine guns for missile launchers. "We will defeat you, Cyber Sonic!"

"Pathetic." The Overlord grabs for Omega with its claws.

Metal Sonic jets in, ramming Omega in the side to shove him out of the way. The Overlord's claws grab him instead.

"Action illogical! Metal Sonic!" There is little Omega can do about it as he falls back to the ground, caught by Robo Sonic.

The Overlord pulls Metal Sonic close to his face as he struggles to escape. "You were supposed to be the smart one. But that man was right. You're much too confident. Now you'll perish along with the rest." The Overlord flies straight downwards, slamming Metal Sonic into the ground hard enough to leave a crater behind.

Omega cries out, "Metal Sonic!"

The Cyber Overlord lifts back into the air, flapping its mechanical wings as it flies away from the sparking, mangled form of Metal Sonic left behind.

Amy gasps at the sight of it. "Fate has been broken. The future has changed…" She suddenly lets out a cary of pain, reaching up for her head as the ground begins to rumble beneath her feet. "The Little Planet…cries for he who has lost his way… It cries, because it has once before seen friends destroy each other just as this."

High above, on the head of the Overlord, Sonic wipes a tear away from his organic eye as he sets his sights back on the Symbolon, still caught in its own battle.

The seven Time Stones escape from Amy's body, floating above her and trembling in sync with the planet.

"Future… Past… Future… Past… Future… Past…"

Amy lets out a cry louder than ever as the seven shining stones suddenly explode, releasing a miasma of shadowy smoke that dissipates into the air. The movement of the planet ceases. Sparkling dust rains down on her as she looks up in surprise. The storm above their heads has frozen. A single bolt of lightning sits completely still, halfway above the ground. The Overlord and the Symbolon have locked gazes, just as frozen as the world around them. But Amy's friends and allies all continue to move, all looking to her for answers.

"It's time to finish this. This is the planet's last gift to us."

Omega wastes no more time. "Mechas! We will avenge Metal Sonic." Just as before, they are loaded into his cannons one by one. "Fire! Fire! Fire!" This time, each fireball shot bores a hole clean through the frozen body of the Cyber Overlord. With time not passing, the damages cannot heal.

Rouge and Tails shoot their allies at the Symbolon, similarly racking up damage without any resistance being met.

In the crater that the Cyber Overlord left behind, Metal Sonic's hand trembles as it struggles to rise from the ground. A large shoe steps down on the hand, pinning it back to the floor. "Sorry to do this to ya." Vector scoops up the defeated robot, slinging it over his shoulder. "Just part of the job." He reaches up to press down on the side of his headphones. "This is Vector. I've retrieved the target."

The disguised voice on the other end congratulates, "Good job. Mission complete."

"Leaving already, Vector?"

Vector takes a glance back at Espio standing behind him. "I told you not to ask me anything else."

"I trust that you know what you're doing?"

"Pretty sure that was still a question." Vector turns back, and begins walking away. "It'll all work out in the end. You'll see."

"Good luck to you, my friend."

"Luck is something a Detective can never count on. Let Charmy know I'm sorry for not saying goodbye."

Espio nods. "I will."

A drop of rain falls down from above, splashing onto Amy's head. She looks up as the frozen bolt of lightning drops the rest of the way, crashing into the ground with a blinding flash.

"Guooooo! Why!? I had it all!" The Cyber Overlord, filled with more holes than metal, falls to the ground as the internal mechanisms remaining begin a chain of explosions inside.

The rain picks up into a torrential downpour as the planet's rumbling resumes. Amy calls for all to hear, "The planet's temporal orbit has been destabilized! We have to get out of here, now!"

The Symbolon crashes to the ground, its form melting away to leave the Sergeant lying in nothing but a pile of rubble. A dark figure jets down to land next to him. Ayanna extends her hand from atop Zed's shoulder. "We're here to see to your safe evacuation, sir."

The Sergeant looks at the rubble around him. He looks out to the distant remains of the base that was destroyed in the past. "So this is how it ends… For all of us…"

"Halt! You will identify yourself!"

Zed's body turns to point his weapons at Omega. "You will identify yourself, first!"

"Identify!"

"Identify!"

Shadow's voice can be heard shouting, "Omega, ignore them! We have to go!"

Keeping his weapons up, Omega steps slowly backwards. "Analysis complete. Your technological specifications are impressive. But you are an inferior unit. You are incomplete. We will meet again, so that I can destroy you."

Sonic claws his way out from the destroyed remains of the Overlord, rising to his feet to run for the wreck of the Symbolon. "I'll kill that man if it's the last thing I do!"

"Sonic, no!" Tails grabs onto his organic arm, holding him back with pleading eyes.

Sonic looks back at him with hesitation.

That moment of hesitation is enough. Shadow's voice shouts, "Chaos Control!"

"But what about—" Before Sonic's objection can be finished, he vanishes in a flash of light along with the rest of the Rebellion.

Zed's attention moves from the disappearing Omega back to the Sergeant. Ayanna insists, "Sir, we're running out of time!"

The Sergeant remains still a moment longer. Then Mecha Sonic slams into him from the side, knocking him to the ground. He throws back an elbow trying to get free of the machine, but Robo Sonic is quick to follow, pinning him down firmly. All four of the remaining mechas fight together to keep him down, overwhelming his skills. He quickly shouts up, "Leave me! Go, that's an order!"

Ayanna clenches her eyes shut. "Zed. Emergency retreat. Priority one."

Zed rockets away from the surface with Ayanna still on board, leaving the Sergeant and the Mechas behind.

—–—

Never Lake

The Rebellion reappears on the cliffs above the smooth, glossy lake, all looking up at the trembling, storm-covered Little Planet. A shower of sparks rain down over them as they watch the boundary between planet and sky become harder and harder to discern. In one final burst of color, the crying planet vanishes, leaving behind a faint sparkling image that almost seems to resemble the familiar face of Amy, bowing its head in thanks.

Amy watches the planet disappear with a distant expression on her face. "There's no telling what will become of that planet, now. It could be years before it returns. It may never return at all."

Sonic drops to his knees. "My friends… My friends were up there. But I… Metal Sonic… What have I done…?"

Tails answers calmly, "You wanted them to have that planet, didn't you? You got what you wanted."

"Not for all of them…" He finally looks back up at the empty, morning sky. "Take me. Wherever you want. I won't fight anymore. I don't want to hurt anyone anymore."

—–—

The Eggshelter — Rebel Camp Alpha

Cyber Sonic lies bound to an examination table in a high tech med bay. Various wires have been plugged into the metal half of his head. "Come on, guys. Is all of this really necessary? I cooperated on the way down here, didn't I?"

Tails ignores him as he reads off of a large display screen on the wall above the table, showing what must be a scan of Cyber Sonic's brain. "There's direct communication happening between the implant and the brain. But there's a clear partition between them, no neural dependencies. There will be some trauma associated with cutting off that line of communication, but there's not much risk of permanent damage. Physically, anyways." He turns around to address the crowd of rebels gathered around to watch. "It's a simple procedure. Charmy could easily do it on his own, though I would feel better supervising it. When it's done, all of the Metal Sonic data affecting his personality will be gone. Sonic will be normal again."

Sonic complains, "Hey, don't I get a say in this? You're talking about getting rid of me and replacing me with someone else. What happens to me when that's done?"

"There won't be a 'you' anymore. The implant depends on continuous input from the body to function. Once it's cut off, it'll wipe itself clean."

"So you're not just talking about killing me. You're talking about killing everything that's left of the old Metal Sonic, too. The person that Sonic gave himself up to save. You realize that, don't you? Sonic chose this. Sonic chose to save a life, and now you're trading that life back for his. He would never ask you to do this. He would never agree to this. You're violating everything that he stands for."

Tails wheels in a cart full of surgical equipment. "We've come this close to saving him. We're not stopping now."

"Hold on, you're doing it right now? What happened to me joining the Rebellion? Look, I-I know we've had some trouble in the past, but I'll work for you, really, I will. Maybe I can't be your leader, but just point me in a direction, and I'll run into whatever you want me to. I can be every bit as useful as Sonic, you don't have to get rid of me."

Tails no longer seems interested in listening. "Charmy, what're you waiting around there for? We need to get started."

Sonic presses, "P-please, I…I want to live. Is that so much to ask? I just want to live."

All eyes turn to Charmy, who slowly looks down towards the ground. "I...I won't do it. A doctor does no harm, right? He's not sick. I won't operate on him. I won't take his life."

Tails doesn't seem fazed. He starts to take count of the medical equipment on the cart. "Sonic is the one who's sick. But if you won't help then I'll do it on my own."

Shadow finally steps forward. "Tails…I think we need to wait a moment on this."

Tails turns sharply back to him, scowling over his own mechanical implant. "Haven't we waited long enough?"

"Charmy has expressed a legitimate concern. And…I get the impression that he's not the only one who feels that way." Shadow looks back at the crowd. Many of them glance uncomfortably away. "We need to discuss this." Sonic cranes his neck to look up at Shadow hopefully. Shadow adds, "In private."

Tails closes his eye, letting out a quiet groan. After a few moments, he looks back at Sonic. "Make your peace. This won't take long."

—–—

The rebels have once again gathered around the large circular table in the center of the wide hall. Shadow begins somewhat somberly, "We all understand what the dilemma is. Tails wants to perform a procedure that will restore Sonic, in place of Cyber Sonic. Charmy argues that we can't justifiably trade one life for the other. The only fair thing to do is vote. Yes to go through with the procedure. No to put it to a halt. Tails, do you have anything to add?"

"Yeah, I do. This is ridiculous. We're talking about Sonic here. The same Sonic who saved all of our lives more times than we can count. The same Sonic who was chosen to protect this entire world. Maybe we are trading lives, but it's the most valuable life there is against a worthless one. What's there to debate?"

Shadow looks to the opposite direction. "And Charmy?"

"I'll tell you what there is to debate. We can start with the claim that Cyber Sonic's life is worthless. He was fighting for his friends, just like we do. That power made him crazy, but that wasn't him. Saving his friends is what he chose to dedicate his life to, and he's barely had a life at all. Six months, and he's already learning to be a hero. Where do you think he'll be once he has Sonic's 20 years under his belt? We're talking about snuffing his life out before it really begins. He's like a child, and we're talking about murdering him. What's there to debate about that?"

Tails' voice rises. "How can you—"

Shadow holds up a hand to stop him. "Both of your points are understood. I think it's time to start voting. Knuckles…what do you have to say about this?"

Knuckles scratches his chin as he considers the question carefully. "There could be more to consider here. Like the possibility that Cyber Sonic is trying to trick us. He has a history of devious plays, and if we give him what he wants now, he could very well use that against us. Letting that happen would be putting the world in danger, if not from him, then from Eggman while we keep trying to stop him. I don't think that's a risk we can take. I won't be tricked. And anyways, the world needs the Controller back. I vote yes."

"Rouge?"

"It's a tough call. But…since we formed this Rebellion, I've learned to trust Sonic with my life. Cyber brought up a valid point in there. His creation was Sonic's decision. Maybe we don't understand why he made that choice, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't trust it. And anyways…there was one other thing that Sonic drilled into me. There's always another way. The right thing to do would be saving both Sonic and Cyber Sonic. I don't know if it's possible. It seems like it isn't. But we should at least leave ourselves the time to figure it out. With that said, I'm voting no. For now."

"Amy?"

Amy stares off into space, thinking back. "I had a long talk with Cyber Sonic. I learned a lot about him. Even though he seems confident, and dangerous, he…he's scared. Terrified. He doesn't feel at home in his own skin, and he acts out because he doesn't know what else to do. Maybe that's exactly what makes him dangerous. I think…I think he knows that…his body rightfully belongs to Sonic. He wouldn't ever admit it. He wouldn't ever willingly give his life up. But I think he only came with us this far because he knows. Maybe he doesn't want us to go through this procedure, but if we do…it will give him the peace he can't find in life. And in the end…if I have to choose between him and Sonic, I still choose Sonic. I vote yes."

"Johnny?"

"Speaking freely, sir…a lot of us seem to be assuming…that saving Sonic is necessary to win the war. But I've served in the Rebellion like this, with Shadow as leader, for just as long as I have under Sonic. I'm certain that Shadow is just as capable a leader and a fighter. And if that's true, we can't justify this procedure as a tactical decision. The debate is either ethical or personal. And as for me…I can't stand by making an immoral choice for personal gain. That would violate the code I stand for. My vote is no."

"Hero?"

Bruno answers, "As much as we want our friend back…we can't just go around taking whatever we want. A willingness to sacrifice whatever it takes, even if it's for a cause that we think is just…that leads down a dark path. We're supposed to be the good guys. We're supposed to protect life, not take it. And we're supposed to give a chance to the people who ask for it. Because anyone can become a hero. Cyber Sonic asked for that chance. We want to give it to him. We vote no. Wait, does that count as one vote, or two?" Hero shoots Bruno a look. "Fine, we'll settle for one."

Shadow doesn't argue the point. "Espio?"

"There are many standpoints from which to view this debate. Attempts have been made to discredit arguments of emotional or tactical value, leaving only the ethical debate. Is it right to trade one life for another? To that, I offer another point of view. One lives, and the other does not. This is true regardless of whether we choose to act. We've been treating the choice to act as murder, yet the choice to do nothing as somehow less severe. But if we have the ability to save a life, yet choose to do nothing, is that not just as much a murder? Either way, one lives, and the other does not. From that perspective, where both choices are ethically identical, only the emotional argument matters. From that perspective, Sonic's life carries a value to us that Cyber Sonic's does not. With my apologies to Charmy, my vote is yes."

"Omega?"

Omega pauses. "Logic circuits have reached a suitable conclusion. Sonic the Hedgehog has been designated as my superior officer. Protocol dictates ensuring his safety. Cyber Sonic has been designated as my rival. Cyber Sonic has been designated as my friend. I do not want…to harm him. Additional observation: my actions to this time have served the purpose of ensuring Sonic's safety. I can continue to do so. Therefore, Cyber Sonic does not have to be eliminated to protect Sonic. My vote is no."

"Cream?"

Cream looks down at her folded hands, unsure of what to say. "I…I don't like this. I don't think we should have to hurt anyone." The room stays silent, waiting for her to continue. "But…well…we…we have to do what will help the most people, even if we can't help everyone. And Mr. Sonic likes to help people a lot, and Mr. Cyber doesn't as much. So…that means we should get Mr. Sonic back. So I…have to vote yes." Close to tears, she looks back down as Amy puts a supportive hand on her back.

Shadow takes a long breath. "Big isn't here…probably for the best. I doubt he would understand what's going on anyways. So…that puts the vote at a tie."

Tails is quick to interject, "So the final vote falls to you." He rises from his chair. "I'll get back to prepping the equipment."

"Sit back down, Tails." The stern tone in Shadow's voice silences Tails, forcing him to slowly obey. Shadow takes another breath. "I've spent the months since Sonic has been gone doing nothing but…trying to fill his shoes. And I don't know if that's something I can really do. Sonic is the one who deserves this position, more than I do. And I want him back. But for as long as I'm taking his place…every decision I make has to come with the question… What would Sonic do? And if Sonic were the one making this decision…he wouldn't kill. He wouldn't sacrifice the life that he himself saved. And most of all, he wouldn't want his friends to shoulder the burden of taking that life. Sonic would never let us do this. So, in good conscience, I can't let us do it either. My vote is no. The decision is made. We will not—"

"You're all cowards!" Tails' chair screeches back as his hands slam down onto the table, mixing with the sounds of his shout as they echo through the room. "Every one of us wants Sonic back, but you're too afraid of doing what it takes!" Leaving everyone in stunned silence, he turns to leave.

Amy starts to get up after him. "Tails…"

Shadow puts up a hand to stop her. "Just…give him some time." He watches as Tails disappears through the door. "That's all he needs."

—–—

The door to the med bay opens, shadowing Tails' figure against the brighter lights outside.

Sonic looks up from his restrained position with interest. "Tails. Come to give the good news in person?"

Tais moves right up to the cart of medical equipment, left exactly where it was. "There is no good news. Not for you."

Sonic begins to chuckle somewhat nervously. "You must be joking. The odds of them all voting to go through with the procedure were…" He trails off as the realization dawns on him. "They didn't vote to go through with it, did they? You're defying orders."

Tails finally turns to look at him, revealing the tears on his face. "I swore that I would do whatever it takes." He turns back to the equipment.

"Sonic will never forgive you for this. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah. I know."

"You know something else? Metal Sonic would be proud."

This is enough to get Tails to freeze up.

"This is what he was trying to prepare you for. Making the tough calls. Killing to save. One day, he said. One day, you would understand. Morals, bravery, responsibility, those things have very different meanings when you can look upon the world without fear. Fear of judgement, fear of consequence, fear of failure, you've moved past it all. Just like he wanted. It's the implant, isn't it? Managing all that fear for you? It did the same for me."

Tails raises a hand up to the mechanical covering over his eye. He suddenly clenches down on it and twists, letting out a sharp cry of pain. The metal plating surrounding his head begins to fold back into the mechanism, much in the same way that it deployed. Not bothering to let the process finish, he tears the implant off with segmented metal strands still dangling, tosses it to the floor, and smashes it beneath his foot. "I don't need an implant for that. This is me." He looks back to the fully prepared medical equipment, and begins to fill a syringe with a clear fluid. "You're next."

"Well…I guess that was my last shot at changing your mind. Do I get any last words?"

Tails jabs the syringe downwards, pushing down on the top to inject the sedative. "Make it quick. You'll be unconscious in less than a minute."

"Happy Birthday, Tails."

These words once again cause Tails to freeze.

Already with slowing, unsteady speech, Sonic continues, "You're…fourteen now, right? I know I'm a little late, but…I wanted you…to know that I remembered. I'm…not the only one…am I?"

Tails hesitantly answers, "…Shadow did, too."

"Glad…to hear it. I…thought about…gettin' you something. Seemed…insensitive though. Doubt you would've…you know…accepted. But you'll accept this one."

"What're you talking about?"

"Could've…broken these restraints…any time. Happy Birthday, Tails. I hope you…and Sonic…can… … …" His organic eye rolls back, and his mechanical one shuts down.

Tails stares silently at the unconscious body for quite some time. Then he reaches down to grab a scalpel, tightly gripping it in his hand.

—–—

"Tails! Tails, are you in there!?" Shadow pounds against the metal door with a fist. "Tails, open this door, that's an order!" He takes a step back, looking back at the other rebels behind him on the walkway. "He's not responding. We need to get through."

Omega readies a missile launcher. "Stand clear."

The effort proves unnecessary, as the automated door suddenly rises up on its own. Tails stands on the other side, his head looking straight down at the floor. "It's done."

Shadow tries to get a look past him, finding destroyed implants from both Tails and Cyber Sonic littered about the floor of the med bay. "Did you…?"

"Cyber Sonic is gone. Sonic is back. He'll be awake soon." He suddenly looks up, meeting Shadow's gaze with his own red and swollen eyes. "I disobeyed your orders. I violated one of our most sacred rules. I took a life. Take me to the brig. That's where I belong." Not waiting for the requested escort, he steps out of the room with intent to keep walking past them.

Shadow places a hand on his chest to stop him. "Oh no you don't. You made this choice." He turns him around by the shoulders. "You aren't walking away from the consequences now. Sonic will decide what to do with you." He pushes him the first step back into the room. "You will be the first thing he sees when he wakes up. That's your last order from me."

Tails remains still, struggling just to lift his eyes off of the ground. But slowly, he looks back up to the operating table, where Sonic is beginning to stir. Clenching his fists by his sides, Tails resolves himself to step closer. He thinks only to himself, "I am not afraid of the consequences. This is what I chose."

Sonic, keeping his eyes clenched shut, lets out a muffled groan as he pushes himself upright, lifting a hand to support his head—a hand covered by a black cloth glove. Feeling the hand touching his head, he suddenly pulls it away, opening his eyes to look down at it. He slowly begins to flex each finger beneath the black glove. Each one produces a faint mechanical whir. He raises his opposite white hand beside it, flexing its organic fingers in turn.

"There was nothing I could do about that hand. It was the only part I didn't remove. I figured you were better off with it than without it."

Sonic slowly looks over at Tails, showing no emotion on his face. "He wasn't lying."

Tails' eyes move back to the ground. "I know."

"I didn't want this."

"I know."

"You killed him."

"I know."

Sonic steps onto the ground, walking right up to Tails. Still, Tails no longer looks at him. "That's unacceptable. It's shameful. You've done something that you can never take back. Something you'll have to live with for the rest of your life. Do you understand that?"

"Yes. I know."

"What do you have to say for yourself, Tails?"

"I did it for you." He finally looks back up into Sonic's eyes. "It was my choice, that I made, and if I had to make it again, I would. So if you're waiting for me to say I'm sorry, don't. Because I will never apologize for saving my best friend."

This doesn't seem to be the answer Sonic was looking for. He turns his back on Tails, suppressing a disgruntled growl. "Report to your quarters. You're on house arrest until further notice."

Tails pauses, seeming unsure of how to respond.

"That's an order, Tails!" He throws his black hand towards the door. "Get out!"

Whatever Tails might have had to say, he holds it back as he solemnly turns towards the door, and begins another slow march out.

Sonic's white hand appears on Tails' shoulder, stopping him one last time. "And Tails?"

Tails looks back at him hopefully.

Sonic momentarily keeps his eyes away, seeming to debate with himself. Then he gives in, and suddenly pulls Tails close in a tight embrace. "Thank you…for never giving up on me."

A single tear drops from Tails' eye onto Sonic's shoulder. But he doesn't say a word.

Sonic takes a step back, cutting the moment all too short. "Now go."

Tails has to wipe away his tears with a sniffle before he can turn back around, this time departing with his head held just a bit higher.

All of the rebels, watching through the open door, look upon him with confusion, scorn, and shame as he passes. But their attention quickly moves back to Sonic.

Unable to contain herself any longer, Amy rushes in through the door, shouting with glee, "Sonic!" She wraps her arms around him as the other rebels file in behind her. "I'm so glad you're finally back!" Her greeting is followed by all the rest, mixing together into an incoherent babble as Sonic's friends swarm around him. But Sonic's gaze remains fixed on the closing door through which Tails departed.

—–—

Several days later

Sonic lies out on a padded couch in a dim room, staring up at the ceiling. Chadis the Chao sits on his stomach, nodding her head with contentment as Sonic strokes it absently.

Amy sits in a chair beside him, patiently waiting. "Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Sonic takes a moment to answer. "Yeah. I need to work through all this some time. Better sooner than later."

"You can start…by telling me what you remember."

"Well…all of it. Waking up…working for Eggman…stealing the Emerald…everything that happened on the Little Planet. I remember doing all of that."

"Were you consciously aware of the fact that you were doing those things?"

"I'm…not really sure how to answer that. I don't think there was an independent 'me' to be conscious. It wasn't like I was…tucked away inside of Cyber Sonic, I was him. But…he wasn't me. I remember what he was thinking, why he made the decisions he did, but…they aren't the decisions I would've made. But at the same time…I'm the one who made them."

"If that's the case…how do you know that you aren't him anymore?"

"I…I'm not sure that I would know that. Except for one thing. That whole six months, there was this…constant, skin-crawling feeling of…well…being in the wrong skin. When I woke up in the med bay, that was gone. So I knew he was gone, too."

"How do you feel about him now? Do you resent him? Do you miss him?"

"I…don't know. Technically, I never met him. I…pity him, I guess. He didn't choose to be brought into the world, and he didn't choose to be taken out of it. He had no control. And that's all he ever wanted."

"If he were here now…what would you say to him?"

This question gives Sonic more pause than usual. "I'd say…I'm sorry. Sorry that I…didn't know what I was making when I made you. Sorry that I left you to the cruel world without anyone to guide you through it. Sorry that…you never felt like you could be yourself because of me. And screw you for using all that as an excuse to hurt my friends."

Amy seems shocked by the sudden outburst, but quickly regains her composure.

"Sorry, that was…"

"No no, don't apologize to me. You're allowed to have conflicting feelings. That's perfectly normal. So…what else do you remember? Is there anything that…stands out to you?"

"Well…maybe."

"Sonic…we're here to talk. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but anything that you say can help with your healing process. So what're you thinking about?"

Sonic takes a long breath. "It's not just Cyber that I remember. It's Metal. A lot of it, anyways. Everything about being Metal Sonic that Cyber Sonic ever thought back to, I remember it. I remember…being captured and transformed by Eggman… I remember…kidnapping you… And…and I remember…hating Sonic the Hedgehog with every fiber of my being. And I hate him too."

"Didn't you and Metal Sonic team up before…all of this happened?"

"We did. But…neither of us were telling the whole truth about it. He was trying to manipulate me, even right up to the end. I only figured that out after I plugged in. Figured out that we hated each other just as much as we always did. I think that's what made Cyber Sonic so…different. Sonic and Metal Sonic hated each other. And he was perfectly happy to hate both of them. But now…"

"Now you still feel all of that hatred. Only it's directed right back at yourself."

"I know. It sounds crazy."

"No, it doesn't. Self-loathing may be a new experience for you, but it's very common. Maybe one of the most common problems there is."

"How…how do I make it stop?"

"There's only one way. Focus on making decisions that you can be proud of yourself for. Leave yourself with nothing to hate."

"It can't be that simple."

"It isn't. Sometimes, you don't have a choice, but you'll hate yourself for making the wrong choice anyways. So instead, you have to start small. Work your way up. And you know…maybe it's a good thing that there's a part of Metal Sonic left in you."

Sonic looks over in confusion. "What do you mean, a good thing?"

"Well…he was you. Which means…now that he's gone…you're the only one left who can do right by him. Make up for his mistakes. That's something you can be proud of yourself for."

"Yeah… Maybe…"

"Is there something that you're thinking about now?"

"Just a promise that I made. A lifetime ago."

—–—

Tails sits at a workbench in a room populated much as his old tent was. The surface is covered with exposed parts and small machines seemingly left half-finished. One such unrecognizable device is in his hands as he works on it at a slow and methodical pace. A soft chime sounds through the room. Tails doesn't seem to notice it. The chime plays a second time, finally stirring him from his focus. He throws the device aside onto the workbench, and it quickly becomes lost among the pile of other incomplete projects. He asks flatly, "What is it?"

The door to his quarters opens from the outside. Shadow slowly steps in. "Just me."

Tails seems to need a moment to muster the energy to turn and look at him. "I assume you're not here to tell me that I'm free to go?"

"No. That's a long way off." Shadow keeps on walking, taking a seat on Tails' bedspread. "I'm here to talk."

"I'm not supposed to get visitors. That defeats the purpose of solitary confinement."

"This is important. I need to know why. Why did you do it?"

"I wrote a full report."

"I know. I read it. But I need to hear it from you. Why?"

"What do you want to hear? That I was in an emotional hysteria? That I thought I was doing the heroic thing, and the world needed Sonic? Or maybe that I just wanted to get rid of Cyber Sonic that badly? Take your pick. There's truth to all of it."

"This isn't about what I want to hear. This is about what you did. You understand…that gaining my complete trust…is no easy task. But you did. And you violated it. And I need to know why. Not why you saved Sonic. But why you crossed us to do it. And I need to hear it out of your own mouth."

Tails flinches away at these words. "I…I didn't want it to be that way. I didn't think it would have to be. Before we even entered that room, I was already using that implant to calculate what everyone would say. I predicted every one correctly. Except for you. I was certain…that you wanted Sonic back almost as much as I did. I couldn't fathom the possibility of you voting against it. But it didn't matter. I'd already decided what I would do if my predictions were off. I'd already decided that I had to save Sonic no matter what anyone else said. And I knew that Sonic would hate me for it. And I knew I'd be breaking everyone's trust, but…I…I…" He begins to sob. "I…didn't think I'd lose you as a friend, too!"

Shadow closes his eyes, waiting for Tails to compose himself. When the sobs quiet down, he finally answers, "I've heard enough." He stands as if to leave.

Tails looks up at him, eyes still filled with emotion. "Shadow…thank you for keeping your promise. For staying with me until Sonic came back. You…don't owe me anything anymore. I'm…sorry that I broke your trust. I'm sorry that we couldn't be friends."

Shadow stands still, staring at the door for a while. "You made your decision. As your friend…I need to respect that."

Tails looks up hopefully.

"After all…I would have asked the same of you when I made that same decision."

"What…what do you mean by that?"

"I mean that…if I had the ability… If it hadn't been you, defying the vote to save Sonic…it would've been me."

"B-but you voted not to—"

"Yes. I voted not to burden the team with the responsibility of that decision. That wouldn't have been fair to them. But I was prepared to take that burden onto myself. It wouldn't be the first life I'd taken. But you beat me to it. And I'm sorry that I failed you, because I should never have let you taint your soul like that. You're a good person. You don't deserve that burden."

"Shadow…have you told this to Sonic?"

"I tried. He thought I was lying. Trying to take the blame off of you. And maybe that is the reason I told him. After all, putting myself at odds with Sonic would be nothing new. But you, destroying your relationship with Sonic in order to save him…you sacrificed everything. It should've been me. But there's no taking that back now."

"So…you forgive me?"

"Tails…I'm going to tell you something that you need to hear right now. No. You don't have my forgiveness. This is the consequence of the choice you made, and it's the same consequence that I was prepared for. Whether it was the outcome I wanted or not, you did violate my trust to make it happen. And forgiveness…is even harder for me than trust. You'll have to earn it. But what you did…was one of the most heroic things a person can do. So even if I can't forgive you just yet…I know that I can still trust you."

"Thank you. I won't let you down."

"But don't forget. The opposite goes for everyone else. Most of them have already forgiven you. Sonic seemed to forgive you right there in that room. But they still don't trust you. That's why you're still in here. To them, you're now an unpredictable element. There's no telling what order you'll defy next. No telling what line you'll cross to accomplish your own goals. That trust will have to be earned back. It won't be easy. But…if you're willing to put in the work…I'm willing to do whatever I can to help."

"Thank you, Shadow. Thank you so much."

"I have to go now."

"Oh… Okay. Is something wrong?"

As Shadow turns back to the door, he shakes his head, muttering, "It's a personal matter."

"Do you…think you can come visit again soon?"

Shadow stops at the open doorway for a moment. "I'll see what I can do. Good luck, Tails." As he exits, he waves a hand back in farewell.

Tails raises a hand to wave back. "Bye…Shadow."

—–—

Shadow stands alone in his own spartan quarters. He looks down silently at the Sergeant's datapad in his hand. "It's a trap. I know it's a trap."

The Sergeant's words echo in his mind. "I've already seen how it ends. For all of us. That's why I've chosen to leave something for you, Shadow the Hedgehog. Come and find it. If you wish to know the truth, that is."

"What truth could he be talking about? And what does it have to do with me?" He shakes his head, thinking himself in circles. "It's just data. Meaningless information. I know who I am. Nothing here could change that. But the data…could be something I need to know. Something important. Something dangerous." He slowly clenches his eyes shut, and presses down on a button to activate the pad. But after a moment, he changes his mind, tossing the pad aside as he turns for the door, never opening his eyes upon it.

The pad skids across the empty floor, sliding to a halt to reveal the title of the open file.

SCOPE Classified Case Files — 32 B.E.

Special Operative Shadow the Hedgehog

A.K.A. 'Agent Black'

The adventure continues…

And so another season ends! I'd like to extend a big thank you to the anonymous Guest reviewer who recently left a review that really made my day! I'd love to know more about your thoughts and criticisms, if you're willing to share! And that goes for every reader out there! Tell me what you thought about the ending of this Season. How do you think Season 2 compared to Season 1? Any hopes or predictions for Season 3 and beyond? What characters or ideas would you like to see return?

I try not to pester you all too much with constant author's notes, so on this occasion I want to reiterate one more time that I desperately want to hear your feedback! Good or bad, let me know! Help me make this story the best it can be! Drop a review, and I'll do the best I can to respond to you. I'm happy to discuss any thought you have, no matter how big or small.

Lastly, I have one announcement to make here. In addition to Season 3, another special look into the world of The Chaos Project is coming soon! Stay tuned!