The party was in full swing in the main room of the tower. Knuckles was walking around aimlessly on his own trying to avoid too much attention. Shadow and Bark were playing pool. Mighty was speaking to Sonic, Razor and Topaz "So, with the ring I can take the weight, right? So, I take the tank, fly it right up to the general's palace, drop it at his feet. I'm like, 'Boom. You looking for this?'". He grins but the others don't respond. His face frowns "Boom, are you look for this. Why do I even talk to you guys? Everywhere else, that story kills". Razor narrows his eyes "That's the whole story?" "Yeah" "Oh, it's very good, then" he did a fake laugh. Mighty rolled his eyes "Quality save. So, no Amy? She's not coming". Sonic shook his head regrettably "No" "What about Coral? Where the ladies, gentlemen?" Topaz added. Sonic took a drink "Oh, Ms Rose has a company to run" "Yes, I'm not even sure what country Coral's in. Her work on the Convergence has made her the world's foremost astronomer".
Sonic nodded "And the company that Amy runs is the largest tech conglomerate on Mobius. It's pretty exciting" "There's even talk of Coral getting a, um, Nobel Prize". Topaz glanced at Mighty and raised her eyebrows "Yeah, they must be busy, because they would hate missing you guys get together". She made a fake cough "Testosterone!". Mighty patted her back "Oh, my goodness. Want a lozenge?" "Excuse me". The two left, Sonic and Razor watched them smiling "But Coral's better" Razor said before taking a drink. Shadow was walking with Bark "Sounds like a hell of a fight. Sorry I missed it" "If I had known it was gonna be a firefight, I absolutely would have called" "No, no. I'm not actually sorry. I'm just trying to sound tough. I'm very happy chasing cold leads on our missing person's case. This is your world. And no offence but it's crazy".
They stood on a higher floor looking down at the party "Be it ever so humble" "You find a place in Westopolis yet?" "I don't think I can afford a place in Westopolis". Bark shrugs "Well, home is home, you know?". Mighty was speaking to a group of random party guests "I fly up to the general's palace, I drop it at his feet, I'm like, 'Boom. You looking for this?'". The guests laugh and Mighty nods satisfied. Razor was standing with Shadow and a group of elderly war veterans. He opened a flask and poured it into two glasses. A crocodile stared at it "I gotta have some of that". Razor shook his head "Oh, no, no, no. See this… this was aged for 1,000 years". He gave one glass to Shadow "In the barrels built from the wreck of Captain Whiskers' fleet. It is not meant for mortal men". Shadow glances at him and sniffs the drink he's given. An Asian human veteran wearing glasses didn't look scared "Neither was the Dark Legion, fins. Stop trying to scare us. Come on". Razor looked to Shadow who shrugged "Alright" he took the man's glass and poured some into it.
The same man was being helped out later "Rollin around at the speed of sound" he sang to himself. Knuckles went over to the bar where Rouge was making a cocktail, she was wearing a purple dress. He smiled "So, how'd a nice girl like you wind up working in a dump like this?". Rouge stared at him for a moment before getting into character "Fella done me wrong" "Sounds like you got a lousy taste in men" "He's not so bad. Well, he has a temper". She put a drink in front of him "Deep down, he's all fluff. Fact is, he's not like anybody I've ever known". She smiled and looked down "All my friends are fighters. And here comes a guy, spends his life avoiding the fight because he knows he'll win" "Sounds amazing" "He's also a huge dork. But chicks dig that. So, what do you think? Should I fight this or run with it?".
Knuckles looked lost "Ru-Run with it, right? Or did he… Was he… What did he do that was so wrong to you?" "Not a damn thing. But never say never". She gives him a seductive look before walking away. Knuckles stays where he is conflicted when "It's nice". Knuckles realised Shadow was sitting next to him "What is?" "You and Rouge". Knuckles started shaking his head "No, we haven't… That wasn't…" "It's okay. Nobody's breaking any bylaws. It's just she's not the most open person in the world. But with you she seems very relaxed" "No. Rouge, she's just… She likes to flirt". Shadow nodded "I've seen her flirt, up close. This ain't that. Look, as maybe the world's leading authority on waiting too long, don't. You both deserve a win" he patted his back and walked away. Knuckles ponders to himself, and he suddenly frowns "What do you mean up close?".
After everyone else had left the group were sitting around a table in the middle of the room. Whisper looked sceptical of something "But it's a trick". Razor, who's sword was lying on the table laughed and shook his head "No, no, it's much more than that". Whisper faced the sword and spoke with a deep voice "Ah, whosoever be he worthy shall haveth the power. Whatever, man! It's a trick. I saw you in Sandy Drifts. You couldn't lift it" "I wasn't worthy at the time. I can lift it now. Can you?" everyone laughed. Whisper stood up to the challenge; Sonic sarcastically clapped "Yeah. Whisper, you've had a tough week. We won't hold it against you if you can't do it". Mighty laughed "This is gonna be beautiful". Whisper grabbed the handle of the sword and tries to lift it, but it doesn't budge. She keeps trying with all her strength but still nothing. She grunts but then starts to laugh "I still don't know how you do it!" "Do you smell the silent judgement?" Sonic asked. Whisper shrugged "Please, Sonic, by all means". Sonic confidently stood up "Never one to shrink from an honest challenge. It's physics" "Yeah, physics will save us" Mighty said sarcastically. Sonic looked to Razor "So, if I lift it, I then rule Lost Hex?". Razor chuckled "Yes, of course" "Well, I will be reinstituting prima nocta". He tries to lift the hammer with both hands but is unable to move it "I'll be right back".
Sonic was now in his super form but was still failing to lift the hammer. Mighty started helping him, his shell was now glowing magenta "Are you even pulling?" "Are you on my team?" "Just represent. Pull". They eventually gave up and put the power rings back. Knuckles was now trying and failing before pretending as if he was transforming into his feral state. He let out a weak roar. Nobody fell for it and stared at him. He looked up awkwardly "No?". Shadow got up next to try, "Come on, Shads" Whisper said. He held the handle with both hands and tries to lift it. Only Razor notices however that the sword moves ever so slightly. He became anxious but Shadow was still unable to lift it. Shadow sighs and Razor begins to laugh "Nothing". They all looked to Rouge who shook her head "Oh, no, no. That's not a question I need answered". Sonic laughed "All defence to the Man Who Wouldn't be King, but it's rigged" "You bet your ass" Whisper said. Topaz pretended to be shocked "Shadow, she said a bad language word" "Did you tell everyone about that?". Sonic nodded "The handle's imprinted, right? A security code. Whosoever is carrying Razor's fingerprints is, I think, the literal translation". Razor stood up chuckling "Yes. It's a very, very interesting theory. I have a simpler one". He held out his hand and the sword flew to him "You're all not worthy".
They all started to laugh and jokingly boo him when they all suddenly heard a high-pitched noise. They all covered the ears when it stopped. Sonic checked his phone for what was wrong when "Wwwwoooorrrrrthy" a voice said in a pained droning tone. They turned to see a limping heavily damaged Mecha enter the room and face them. It had cables hanging of parts of its body, was missing it's left arm and it only had one working eye "No. How could you be worthy? You're all killers" "Sonic?" Shadow said. Sonic looked at his phone confused "Nicole. Reboot Legionnaire OS. We got a buggy Mecha". The Mecha looked around the room "I'm sorry, I was asleep. Or I was a-dream". He strangely groaned and shook his head "There was this terrible noise. And I was tangled in…". He looked down at the wires hanging from him "In strings. I had to kill the other one. She was a good one" "You killed someone?" Shadow asked. The Mecha tilted its head "Wouldn't have been my first call. But, down in the real world, we're faced with ugly choices" "Who sent you?" Razor said holding his sword tightly.
Sonic's voice came from the Mecha "I see a world defended". Knuckles eyes opened wide "Metal" "In the flesh. Or, no, not yet. Not this...". He looks down at his broken body "Chrysalis. But I'm ready. I'm on a mission" "What mission?". Metal tilted his head "Peace in our time". Three fully functioning Mechas burst in. Topaz takes out a pistol and fires, but it does nothing. Sonic is knocked down as the others run for cover. One of the Mechas fires a laser that throws Mighty through a window onto the Tornado. He clutches his right arm and runts in pain. Rouge and Knuckles run to the bar. Rouge jumps over and then pulls him over and he falls on top of her "Sorry" "Don't turn" "I won't". Razor was giving Topaz cover as one of the Mechas took the Beryl and flew away. Sonic runs over a balcony and jumps onto the back of a flying Mecha. He stabs it in an opening on the neck with a pen. Razor cuts one in half and throws it back.
The top half is still functioning and flies upwards. It spots Relic hiding behind a piano. The Mecha is about to fire but it for some reason stops just before Razor grabs it and smashes it against the ground. The Mecha Sonic was finally disabled. "Shads!" Whisper throws Shadow his chaos emerald. He used it to throw a spear at the remaining Mecha destroying it. Meta stepped forward and shrugged "That was dramatic". The group all watched him as he spoke "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think it through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is Mobius saved if it's not allowed to evolve?". He picks up one of the broken Mecha's by the head "With these? These puppets". He easily crushed it and threw it aside "There's only one path to peace. The Chaotix's extinction". Razor threw his sword slicing the robot in half. Oil leaked out of the body as the red eyes started to flicker and the voice started to sing "I had strings, but now I'm free".
The lab inside the Black Arms base suddenly lights up. Metal's voice echoed as all the machinery activated and started working on the robotic parts strewn about the lap "There are no strings on me".