The Commander hurried into the command centre, the President and Tails right behind him. He prepared a seat and offered it to the President. "You'll be safe here, Mr. President. Is there anything you need?"

The President sat down, releasing a heavy breath as fatigue started to set in. "Never mind me… What about the people of Central City?"

"No need to worry, sir," Tower responded. "Orders were issued yesterday and everyone has been evacuated to the safe zone."

The President breathed a sigh of relief. "Very good, Commander."

"Commander, we have an urgent report from Wolf Squad. The Black Aliens are storming Prison Island, and are freeing the captives we've taken from the field."

"'Captives'?" the President asked.

"We believed if we captured some of the aliens, we could learn what their goal was, where they came from, or even their weaknesses," Tower explained. "Unfortunately, they don't seem capable of even basic speech."

"Reports have also come in that Shadow the Hedgehog has been sighted with the Black Aliens," the agent continued.

The President leaned forwards in his seat. "Shadow? With the Black Aliens?!"

"It can't be," Tails said.

"He has stolen the Chaos Emerald that was being held there, as well as one of our shuttles. His current destination is the Space Colony ARK."

The Commander couldn't help but laugh, despite the situation. "So, he wants to end this where it all began…" He turned to the agents behind him. "Mobilize Diablon!"

"But sir, it's not ready yet!"

"I don't care! We have to stop Shadow at all costs, and protect the Chaos Emeralds!" Tower pulled out his pistol and checked it. "Shadow, damn you! It's been fifty years… Justice will finally be served!"

"Where are you going?" the President asked as Tower walked away.

"I'm going up there. This time, Shadow won't escape. I'll see to it personally. Prepare the shuttle! I'm leaving in ten minutes! Recall Wolf Squad, tell them to abandon Prison Island and return to the base! Tighten security and put the whole facility into lockdown! Above all else, keep the President safe!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Commander, please," the President began, rising to his feet, "Things might not be what they seem. Don't rush into things. We need you here, defending our people, not chasing the enemy into space."

"Mr. President, this single battle could very well turn the whole tide of this war around."

"Are you sure? Or are you acting out of a personal vendetta."

"… Miles, can I count on you to keep the President safe?"

Tails hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Yeah, but I think the President's right. We shouldn't jump to conclusions without having all the facts first."

The Commander didn't respond. He simply left the room, the door closing behind him. Tails and the President both sighed. "Um…" The two turned around, and were surprised to see a young girl standing behind them. She looked uncertain, and fumbled a salute after meeting eyes with the President. "Sir."

"At ease," the President said, giving the girl a warm, gentle smile. "You're… quite young. Are you the Commander's daughter?"

"No, sir," the girl replied. She lowered her hand but her body remained stiff. "My name's Hope. I'm an engineer, here at GUN." She turned to Tails, pausing for a moment, before asking, "D-Do you think you could help us?"

"Me?" Tails asked. "Uh, help with what?" Tails asked.

"We've been trying to restore order to the CIA's mainframe for hours now, but the Black Aliens have it heavily guarded. But, maybe you could find a way through?"

Tails smiled. "Sure, I can have a look."

The President watched as the two ran to an empty terminal, and Hope began explaining to Tails what they had already tried as other technicians began to gather around them. "Everyone's giving it their all, and I'm just sitting here being protected. This is not what I envisioned when I ran for presidency…"

Looking around, he found that everybody was distracted by some task or other. He swivelled the chair around and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. He dialled a number and waited. "Chaotix Detective Agency, Vector here! We're in the middle of something so if it's not urgent-"

"Vector, it's me," the President said, softly.

"Oh, our client! We've gathered some intel from Prison Island and we're investigating Eggman's network right now, and we think you're right! There are definitely records of these Black Aliens visiting Earth before."

"I thought so. When Rouge reported to me her findings on Project: Shadow, she mentioned that the government had covered-up an incident relating to 'Monstrous Blacks', but there was no further info, save for a rough photograph of a creature resembling these aliens."

"I don't think we'll find out much else, though. Even Eggman doesn't know anything other than what's in his grandfather's diary."

"Gerald's diary?" The President paused to think. "Vector, there's a very strong possibility that Gerald Robotnik made contact with these creatures. His data might have vital information to help us defeat them."

"But it's all corrupted. These disks weren't exactly stored well these past fifty years, and that explosion certainly didn't help. I don't think we can restore the data with what we have."

"What about using the ARK's computers?"

"The ARK? Yeah, that might work. We can cross-reference what we have with what's in the ARK's servers and put the data back together!"

"Do you need a shuttle?"

"Nah, we can just borrow one of Eggman's. He owes us for rescuin' him, anyway!"

"Alright. Good luck, and please hurry. The people of Earth are counting on you."

As the President ended the call, a soldier ran into the room to report. "We've received word that Topaz-" The soldier noticed the President, and looked around confused. "C-Commander?"

"He isn't here right now," the President said. "Give me your report. I'll see to it that Commander Tower receives it."

"Y-Yes, sir! Agent Topaz has infiltrated Lava Shelter, but she's been cut off from her team! She has made contact with the Eggman robot E-123 Omega, who is also pursuing Eggman. He's uh, been listed as a target, but he's also willing to help us, so we're not sure what to…"

"Tell her that Doctor Eggman takes priority, and that Omega is not our enemy," the President said, earning some relieved sighs from those working nearby.

"Yes, sir!" The soldier ran back out of the room.

"Can you do that?" Hope asked.

"The Commander left his post to pursue Shadow, therefore in his absence, I am taking charge until his return. I trust that is acceptable to you all?" Everybody exchanged glances, and nodded. "This is not a grab for power, and I will be counting on each of you to support me, and not to be afraid to challenge my decisions."

"Yes, sir!"

"Hope, we have an opening!" Tails exclaimed. "Everyone get ready! I'll blast a hole through their firewalls to create an entry point. We won't have long."

All the technicians ran to their consoles. Hope took the console next to Tails' and glanced over at his screen. "I see," she mumbled as she observed his actions.

"Is the virus ready?" one technician asked.

"Yes, we've had it ready for a while now!" another replied.

"We've designed a virus that will completely kill and reset all our defences," Hope explained. "It will leave us vulnerable, but it's the best way to kick the Black Aliens out of the mainframe."

Tails nodded. "Be ready to upload on my signal."

Topaz wiped the sweat from her brow as she took cover behind a barricade, shielding herself from a barrage of bullets from Eggman's robots. Omega covered her as she took the time to remove her jacket, leaving her in just her white vest, and she took a large gulp of water.

"You should leave," Omega stated as he fired a missile barrage at the robots. "The heat will only get stronger the more we advance. Without a mech, you might dehydrate."

"No, I can handle it," she said, reaching down and cutting her trousers with her combat knife, converting them into shorts. "I just need to dress more appropriately."

"You are exposing more of your skin. You will be more vulnerable."

Topaz cocked her gun and jumped out from her cover, finishing off the remaining robots. "Then I'll just have to not get hit. Let's go."

Omega watched as Topaz ran on ahead, balancing along a thin rail with no fear for the lava below her. "It appears that not all humans are as weak as I had thought. I will adjust my data."

As they advanced, the base shook from the attacks of the GUN forces outside. Topaz was the only soldier to make it inside before Eggman sealed the place shut. She was thankful to have found Omega, although she was worried when the robot had told her he was no longer working alongside GUN. Hope seemed to have smoothed things over with him, though, and he was willing to abide her company.

Shadow Androids barred their path as more Eggman robots attempted to activate some sort of machine ahead of them. "Device will raise magma levels, making it difficult to proceed."

"Then we'll have to stop them," Topaz said, taking out her combat knife. "Can you keep the Shadow Androids off my back?"

Omega pointed his gatling guns towards the androids. "They won't stand a chance."

As Omega began firing, Topaz pushed forwards and jumped onto a nearby rail, grinding along it to get around the Shadow Androids and reached the device. She grabbed one of the robots and stabbed her knife into its beck, short-circuiting it.

Another robot turned to face her, but she was already driving her boot into its face before it could attack. She pulled the last one away from the device and suplexed it, smashing its head against the floor.

Omega joined her after taking care of the Shadow Androids. "I can see why Rouge likes you."

Topaz wiped the sweat from her brow. "We have to hurry. Eggman's getting away."

"Roger."

As the two fought together through the base, they stopped several more attempts by Eggman's robots to raise the magma level. The base began to shake more violently, GUN's outside assault taking its toll.

After riding along an extended railway deeper into the volcanic base, the two found themselves standing in a large, empty room. "Shadow Android production line is up ahead," Omega declared. "Eggman is preparing to leave!"

"What? How?"

"He has prepared a ship."

Topaz picked up the pace. As the two entered the launch room, the found the ship firing up its jets. Omega fired on it, but it was protected by a forcefield. "Eggman in possession of a Chaos Emerald."

"You're too late, GUN cronies!" Eggman declared. "But please, feel free to have some fun with my Shadow Androids!"

An army of Shadow Androids fell from the sky, facing the two and approaching them. The ship took off, leaving through an opening in the ceiling. Topaz reached for her radio, but found that she still had no signal. "Damn, by the time GUN find this opening, it'll be too late!"

Omega scanned the room, and pointed to a small shack in the distance. "Control panel is in there. Use it to keep the skylight open. I will stop any pursuers."

"All by yourself?"

"Who do you think you are talking to?"

Topaz nodded. "Okay, then keep me covered!" Topaz sprinted past the Shadow Androids. Some of them turned to chase her, but were gunned down from behind by Omega.

"Keep your sensors on me!" A couple of Shadow Androids jumped at the robot. Omega reached out and grabbed their legs, spinning them around and knocking down other Shadow Androids before letting them fly off into a nearby pool of lava.

Topaz spotted some badniks manning the controls in the shack and pulled out her rifle, firing before they had noticed her. The badniks jumped and panicked, but they had nowhere to go and fell quickly. As she entered the room, she looked over the control panel. Looking up, the ceiling was already closed. "Now, how do I operate this thing?"

A Shadow Android entered the room. It ran at Topaz, preparing to strike. Topaz ducked to the side and shot at the android, knocking it back. She then charged at it and pushed it out of the window, down to the bottom of the launch area.

Looking over the controls again, Topaz found a lever below an image that resembled the doors on the ceiling. She pulled it down, and surely enough, the skylight opened. She ran back outside to tell Omega, only to be met by an ambush of Shadow Androids. Before she could ready her weapon, they unleashed a barrage of missiles that forced her to take cover inside the shack.

"Omega, I need cover!"

Meanwhile, Omega was struggling to keep up with the never-ending army of Shadow Androids entering the room. He was surrounded, and could only concentrate on so many at once. He noticed that Topaz was in trouble and tried to offer assistance, but was caught by surprise when one android kicked him in the back and forced him to the floor.

"Foul play detected. Shadow Androids utilise cheap tactics to acquire victory!" Omega fired grenades all around his body, prompting the Shadow Androids to scatter and giving himself a chance to get back up. He replaced his gatling guns with flamethrowers and locked himself into position, pivoting his body as he unleashed his flames.

Meanwhile, Topaz was trapped. She only had one more grenade left, and two more clips for her rifle. Her knife would be no good against such fast opponents, and the shack was starting to fall apart. She considered making a run for it, but suddenly, she heard gunfire just outside of the shack, and the barrage of missiles stopped. Poking her head out, she found GUN Beetle robots firing down on the Shadow Androids.

Taking her chance, she jumped out and offered assistance. The Shadow Androids started to fall, and couldn't decide who to focus on. As they attempted to reorganise, GUN soldiers began to rappel down into the base. Some made it down to the shack and saluted Topaz upon seeing her.

"Sorry we're so late, Captain!" one of them said. "We've come to back you up!"

"Glad you're here! The Shadow Android production line is near here, but as you can see, the enemy is defending it well."

"We'll see about that," the soldier said. He motioned to somebody behind him, and a large, muscular soldier stepped forwards, carrying a large minigun that would usually be attached to a mech or mounted on a turret. "We brought along our ace."

Topaz grinned. She loaded her gun and said, "Let's show them what we're made of."

The soldiers ran out. As the large man lay supressing fire on the Shadow Androids, the remaining soldiers backed him up by taking out any stragglers. They soon made it to Omega, who was just about done taking down the androids that had him pinned.

"Eggman has escaped," Omega stated, "But we can still destroy this base. It will have to do, for now."

Topaz nodded, and ordered her soldiers to sweep the base and find the production line. "I don't suppose you know where he's headed?"

Omega looked up at the sky, thinking for a moment. "Ship was prepped for atmospheric exit. There are only two possible locations: Space Colony ARK, and the comet designated Black Comet."

"The Black Comet?" the President asked the soldier who had given him his report. "You're certain?"

"Yes, sir! Scouts have confirmed sightings of the Black Alien gunships entering and exiting the comet! A team went in to investigate but contact was lost. Their last transmission told us that an entire army was waiting for them inside."

The President was shocked at the news. "So, that's where they're coming from…"

"The Black Aliens are retreating!" a technician cried out, prompting the President to turn to the team securing the CIA's mainframe. "GUN forces are moving in and securing the central core!"

Tails and Hope exchanged excited glances. "We did it!" Tails declared, and the room erupted into cheers. "The Black Aliens are leaving the digital space and returning to the material world!"

"We're receiving word from the ARK that the Black Creatures are withdrawing from the Eclipse Cannon chamber," a technician announced. "Blue Falcon has defended the cannon and now, with no access the firing codes, it seems they're giving up."

The President's face brightened at this news. At last, they were seeing some solid victories. But the battle was not over yet. They needed to keep up this momentum and start turning the tides. "If only we knew where Sonic-"

"Someone say my name?"

Everybody turned to the door to find Sonic and Rouge entering the room, the former waving as all eyes fell on him. "Sonic!" Tails called out, running to meet his friend.

"Hey, Tails! Heard you've been keeping the President safe."

"Sonic, I'm glad that you're here," the President said, greeting the hedgehog with a handshake. "We've just secured the Eclipse Cannon from the Black Aliens, and now, I think it's time to take the fight to them."

"Easier said than done," Rouge said. "We don't even know where they're coming from. The mothership still hasn't been located."

"We actually received word just before you got here," the President began, glancing to the soldier still standing at attention. "Scouts have confirmed that the Black Aliens are coming from the comet, the one that passes every fifty years."

"The Black Comet?" Rouge sighed. "That explains it then. We were all so focussed on finding a ship, we missed the obvious. This all started when that comet neared the planet, didn't it?"

"We'll be preparing a team to go up and attack the Black Comet. I was hoping you would-"

"Sounds like an adventure. Count me in." Sonic turned to Tails. "You up for smashing some alien heads?"

"You bet!"

"Got a shuttle we can borrow?" Sonic asked the President.

"There's one in the hanger, please help yourselves."

"Guess we should swing by Central City and pick up Knuckles on the way."

"Amy and Cream are also there," Tails said. "Although I think Cream's already evacuated with her mother by now."

"And we should probably find Shadow, too."

Tails and the President exchanged nervous looks. "Shadow's… already gone on ahead," the President said. "He's currently aboard the Space Colony ARK."

Sonic grinned. "Couldn't wait for us, eh? Well, guess we'll just meet him up there."

"Sonic," Tails began, "Shadow is-"

"He'll be fine on his own," Rouge said, giving a dismissive wave. "Let's not worry about that guy. We need to hurry, before the Black Aliens have a chance to rally."

Sonic and Tails nodded, and the three left the room, heading towards the hanger.