In different rooms they were all watching screens showing Maria in her cell as a psychiatrist entered and stood at a desk in front of her "Hello, Ms Kintobor. I've been sent by the United Nations to evaluate you. Do you mind if I sit?". Maria doesn't say anything, so the psychiatrist sits "Your first names is Maria?".
Shadow and Bark were waiting in an office when Shade entered "The receipt for your gear" she handed Bark a piece of paper. He read it and then looked to her "Skateboard? Come on" "I didn't write it". Shadow was watching the screen outside, but he wasn't getting any sound. Shade presses a button on a device on the table turning on the sound "I'm not here to judge you. I just want to ask you a few questions. Do you know where you are, Maria?". She didn't answer "I can't help you if you don't talk to me, Maria". Shadow started studying the picture of Maria at the bomb site and looked deep in thought "Why would the Task Force release this photo to begin with?". Shade narrowed his eyes on him "Get the word out, involve as many eyes as we can?" "Right. It's a good way to flush a guy out of hiding. Set off a bomb, get your picture taken. You get seven billion people looking for Omega". Shade began to understand what he was getting at "You're saying someone framed him to find him?". Bark pondered "Shadow, we looked for the guy for two years and found nothing" "We didn't bomb the UN. That turns a lot of heads". Shade shook her head "Yeah, but that doesn't guarantee that whoever framed him would get him. It guarantees that we would". She starts to stare at the screen, Shadow gets the same idea.
In the chamber "Tell me, Maria. You've seen a great deal, haven't you?" "I don't wanna talk about it" "You fear that if you open our mouth, the horrors might never stop". The evaluator was actually Vesper who looked down at a computer screen in front of him which said "Package delivered" "Don't worry. We only have to talk about one". He pressed a button and power all over the city including the bunker failed.
Locke took out his walkie talkie "Come on, guys. Get me eyes on Kintobor". Sonic put in his earpiece "Nicole, get me a source on that outage". Shadow looks around when "Sub-level five, East Wing" Shade said. Shadow and Bark both ran out with Espio spotting them.
Maria looked around her cell "What the hell is this?" "Why don't we discuss your home? Not Westopolis, I mean. I mean your real home". Vesper takes out the red book from his bag "Toska". Maria recognised the words "No" "Rzhavyy". She started to shake "Stop. Please" "Semnadtsat', rassvet". Maria starts to scream and begins ripping herself free "Forpech', devyat', dobrokachestvennyy". Maria starts punching the pod with her metal hand "Vozvrashcheniye domoy, odin, tovarnyy vagon". Maria breaks free, Vesper slowly advances on Maria as she rises to face him. He stares into her blank face "Soldat?" "Gotovy sootvetstvovat'" "Mission report. December 16, 1991".
Shadow and Bark run towards the chamber as red emergency lights shine. They run past multiple unconscious guards before finding Vesper lying on the floor "Help me". Shadow approached him "Get up!". He grabbed him and made him stand "Who are you? What do you want?". Vesper glared at him "To see an empire fall". Bark ran in but Maria jumped him from behind and threw him aside. Shadow and her fought but Shadow didn't want to hurt her so she easily overpower him and threw him down the lift shaft.
Locke and Sonic were trying to direct staff "Evac all civilians. Get me a perimeter around the building, and gunships in the air". Rouge and Sonic ran out "Please tell me you brought a power ring" "I'm an active-duty non-combatant".
Bark chases Vesper up a stairwell as Shadow climbed up the lift shaft. Close by guards surrounded a broken metal door with their weapons raised. Omega suddenly burst out and beat through the guards without using her guns. He entered the main hall where he fought more guards. Sonic hid behind a column and took out a small mini power ring. He absorbed it and rushed Omega. He spin dashed into her which knocked her over. She got back up, Sonic tried a homing attack, but she caught him and threw him into a wall. She took out a gatling gun and unloaded. The ring protected Sonic but the pain forced him to retreat. Shade and Rouge both rushed Omega getting off repeated punches and kicks. Omega backhanded Shade into a table. Rouge jumped onto her head and tried to tear off the helmet, but Omega grabbed her by the throat and pinned her against the table. She struggled and stared up at her "You could at least recognise me". Espio appeared and kicked Omega back saving Rouge. Omega hits him back, but he is able to land on his hands and feet. Omega uses the distraction to run up the stairs as Espio gives chase. He runs up the stairs after her, but she fires a missile at the roof collapsing debris which blocks Espio's way.
Bark runs outside with the fleeing staff but is unable to spot Vesper. He keeps looking until finding Vesper's bag lying on the ground "Damn it".
Omega makes it to the roof and toward a Helipad where she boards a chopper. As it rises Shadow runs out and spots her. He runs and leaps towards the helicopter grabbing onto the landing gear. Shadow pulls on the chopper and digs his feet onto the pad stopping the chopper. It makes its way to the edge, Shadow grabs onto the railing with one hand and clings onto the chopper. He grits his teeth from the strain of the task when Omega puts the chopper the other way. Shadow leaps out of the way before the chopper crashes into the pad. Shadow gets up and looks through the glass when Omega bashes her hand through and grabs his throat. Shadow struggles as the helicopter begins to fall off the path. Omega doesn't let go and the two of them fall with the chopper into the river below. After a short time, Shadow rises out of the water with the disabled Omega suit.
Vesper was at a table in an airport listening to a female voice on his phone "He asked me again if you were going to be there. I said I wasn't sure. You should have seen his little face. Just try, okay? I'm going to bed. I love you". He turns his phone off and heads to a gate for a flight to Megaopolis.
In a huge, abandoned warehouse Maria starts to wake up and finds herself out of her suit and her robotic hand was stuck in a vice. Bark was watching her while Shadow was in the next room peeking out of a door watching a helicopter pass "Hey, Shads!". Shadow runs over and joins Bark as they both stare at Maria. She looks up groggily "Shadow" "Which Maria am I talking to?". Maria paused "You're Mum's name was Umbra. You used to wear newspapers in your shoes" she giggled. Shadow smirked "Can't read that in a museum" "Just like that, we're supposed to be cool?". Maria shuddered "What did I do?" "Enough". She sighed "Oh, Gaia, I knew this would happen. Everything the Black Arms put inside me is still there. All he had to do was say the goddamn words" "Who was he?" "I don't know". Shadow crossed his arms "People are dead. The bombing, the setup, the doctor did it all that just to get 10 minutes with you. I need you to do better than I don't know". Maria tried to remember "He wanted to know about Ice Cap. Where I was kept. He wanted to know exactly where" "Why would he need to know that?" "Because I'm not the only assassin they had".
Years ago, Maria returned to the base with the red serum from the car job. The serum was given to five Mobians. The next day Maria fought one of them, a large bear. Despite being in her suit and the bear only using his bare hands he overpowered her. He threw her into a wall injuring her. A weasel doctor went to check the bears pulse, but he suddenly broke the doctor's arm and smashed his face into the ground. The five enhanced soldiers started fighting the guards. Black Death got behind Omega "Zaberi menya otsyuda". Omega walks him out as the five soldiers kill the guards.
Shadow leaned his back against the wall "Who were they?" "They're the most elite death squad. More kills than anyone in Black Arms history. And that was before the serum" "They all turn out like you?" Bark asked. Maria glared at him "Worse" "The doctor, could he control them?" "Enough". Shadow sighed "He said he wanted to see an empire fall" "With these guys, he could do it. They speak 30 languages, can hide in plain sight, infiltrate, assassinate, destabilize. They can take a whole country down in one night, you'd never see them coming". Bark walks over to Shadow with his back to Maria "This would have been a lot easier a week ago" "If we call Sonic-" "He won't believe us". Shadow nodded "Even if he did-" "Who knows if the Accords will let him help". Shadow sighs "We're on our own". Bark ponders "Maybe not. I know I guy".
Luger entered an office where Sonic, and Rouge were waiting "I don't suppose you have any idea where they are?". Sonic nodded, his right eye was black and he had a cut on the side of his head "We will. GSG 9's got the borders covered. Recon's flying 24/7. They'll get a hit. We'll handle it" "You don't get it, Sonic. It's not yours to handle. It's clear you can't be objective. I'm putting special Ops on this". Rouge crossed her arms "What happens when the shooting starts? What, do you kill Shadow the Hedgehog?" "If we're provoked. Kintobor would've been eliminated already if it wasn't for Shadow. There are multiple deaths on both their heads now. Feel free to check my math". Sonic sat down "With all due respect, you're not gonna solve this with boys and bullets, Luger. You gotta let us bring them in" "How would that end any differently than last time?" "Because this time, I won't be wearing loafers and a silk shirt. 72 hours, guaranteed". Luger stared at him considering "36 hours. Kintobor. Shadow. Bark" "Thank you, sir". Luger left the room as Sonic slumps forward and rubs his hand on his chest. He took a breath "My left arm is numb. Is that normal?". Rouge gets up and pats him on the shoulder "You alright?" "Always. 36 hours. Jeez". Rouge nodded "We're seriously understaffed" "Oh, yeah. It'd be great if we had Knuckles right about now. Any shot?". She smirked and raised her eyebrows "Do you really think he'd be on our side? Especially with Luger leading us" "No" "I have an idea". Sonic nodded "Me, too. Where's yours?". Rouge was confused "Downstairs. Where's yours?". A smile slowly forms on Sonic's face.