Cue the action! & Knuckles.

Let's be honest, Knuckles is just getting dragged along for the ride for most of the games and adventures. It's high time he got his own chapter.

Loved all the reviews, but to save some time and prevent spoilers we will not be commenting this time around. We did see them all. Promise.

Semi-side note: Holy Chaos, I forgot how much people like Tails. I forgot how much I like Tails! Kriff, I need to get my love of Tails back! *dashes off to read a bunch of fan fiction* There. Love of Tails restored.

The votes are in! Person most likely to die (according to the readers): *cue Cars Announcer voice* We have a three way tie! Sonic, Eggman, and Tails all got three votes. Uncle Chuck and Shadow got two.

And SPOILER ALERT: Eggman will not be dying in this story. Sorry, dudes!

Halo, why would you tell them THAT?

Why not? It's true.

(Oh yeah! And make sure to look for the Sonic X easter egg in this chapter!)

Without further ado, let us get to the chapter!

Knuckles' POV:

I was nervously pacing back and forth as the last pieces of the trap were prepared. Tails was busy securing the energy field set up around the podium, and Rouge and Amy were busy finalizing the attack plan with the General. Manic and Sonia were hiding at elevated positions, Sonia acting as a backup sniper and Manic as our commentary on Robotnik's thoughts and feelings.

The plan seemed simple enough: Robotnik walks in, Towers gives him a medal and asks him for a speech, he steps up to the podium, we activate the force field and leave the rest to the soldiers. But in my experience, the simplest plans were the ones that could go horribly wrong. I just has the feeling that something wasn't right.

Or that could just be leftover from last night when Rouge, uh… "dumped me hard" as Manic put it. He seemed really happy about it when Sonia told him how Rouge broke up with me, although not as happy as Sonia. She couldn't stop smiling all night- neither could I for that matter, once I had pieced everything together and started to understand what in Chaos had happened.

Rouge drove me crazy, and not in a good way. I hated that she would lie and manipulate her way into taking what she had no right to, then pretended like it was all okay. Why Manic liked her, I had no idea. Maybe it was the thief thing. I really didn't understand, and when I didn't understand things, I left them in the hands of Chaos and moved on.

'Course, I couldn't feel anything related to Chaos at the moment. Tikal had said something about the Chaos field being infected, and I wasn't about to take any chances. I had decided to completely cut myself off from the field- I couldn't afford to end up like Sonic.

Or my mom.

That meeting had been the first time I had ever told anyone about her. It... wasn't fun to talk about. I brushed aside the thought and tried to refocus my attention to the plan. Robotnik should be coming any minute now- the soldiers were disguised behind the camera and sound equipment, and the snipers hidden in their positions. Tails was busy adding in the last few details of the trap. All that was left was the guest of honor.

…Who seemed to be running late.

Oh, who am I kidding- Robotnik was not going to show up. Manic might be onto something about him wanting attention, but the guy wasn't a moron. Anyone could figure out that this was a trap. I could've figured out that this was a trap.

"You sure about that, Captain Gullible?" muttered Manic through the communicator. I looked up at his hiding spot in the rafters; as usual, he was grinning like an idiot. I didn't know he could read people from that far away.

I really hated when he did that. "Look, can we please focus on the mission? Not on the teammates?"

"Oh, of course! Great idea!- if I were actually on the team," Manic grumbled.

"Manic, you are on the team. That's why you're here," answered Tails.

I frowned slightly. Manic had been a little more… cynical the past few days. I assumed that had something to do with the whole 'we-found-my-long-lost-brother-but-now-he's-possessed' thing- it had finally sunk in. He hadn't been as jokey lately, and when he did try to be funny, it ended up sounding a lot darker than usual. I know that Sonia's noticed this- she's the one pointed it out to me in the first place. I just hoped he'd get his act together before Robotnik showed up, or there'd be trouble.

I felt a ripple beneath my feet and heard the deafening thud of metal on asphalt. Could it…? No. Robotnik couldn't be...

I rushed over to the window and sure enough, an enormous titanium robot was marching steadily closer to the GUN headquarters, shaking the ground with every step. Even from this far away, I could see that it was armed to the teeth- missile launchers were strapped over its arms and torso, except for the arm that wasn't even an arm, but a wrecking ball covered in spikes. Guess he did come prepared for a trap.

"He's here!" I shouted into the com. "Stick to the plan! And whatever you do, do not give away you positions!"

I heard Sonia load her rifle and Manic started cursing softly under his breath. Tails scrambled to finish the last bits of the trap before diving under the stage- and just in time, too. The bot came to an abrupt halt just outside the building, a little too close for comfort.

The shaded glass visor opened up to reveal Robotnik, grinning like he had already gotten his medal. I glared at him out of instinct before I remembered we were supposed to be celebrating him. Chaos, why did Manic have to think of this stupid plan?

The window shattered suddenly, giving me barely enough time to duck under a chair before the shards of glass rained down over the floor. When I looked up, Robotnik was standing proud, flanked by two robots I had never seen before.

"Well, hello, little Guardian!" he chuckled. "Cowering before me already? You're too kind!"

I clenched my fists, but said nothing. I swear, if this plan didn't work…

"Greetings… Doctor," said a deep, gruff voice from behind me. The General marched out of the shadows, his face void of any emotion. Rouge tailed after him, doing her best to look serenely bored, but I had the feeling that she was just as nervous as the rest of us. Or not. You never knew with Rouge.

"General Towers," Robotnik nodded, almost respectfully. "I must say, I was quite surprised to receive your invitation."

"We at GUN thought it appropriate to credit you for your… outstanding achievements in technology," Towers responded stoically.

"Why, General, you flatter me!... Do continue!" said Robotnik with a laugh. "But all joking aside, it's about time I was recognized for my mark on the scientific community. I even brought two of my best examples with me to show to the ceremony attendees!... Speaking of which, shouldn't they be seated by now?" he asked, a twinge of suspicion in his tone.

The slightest of smiles crept onto Towers' face. "On the contrary, Doctor, we thought it to be more suitable if the ceremony was to be filmed- Of course, we'll be broadcasting it on every station this evening. Every citizen in the United Federation will know of your genius."

"Excellent… as they should." Robotnik smiled darkly.

Rouge gave a little wave, "Follow me, Doctor."

I resisted the urge to snap and followed the party of three up to the podium area.

Robotnik eyed me suspiciously, "Why are you here?"

Thankfully, the General answered. I didn't think I would be able to speak without cursing this man's soul to the darkest corners of the underworld.

"Security," said Towers, "Some people here are a little… against this ceremony. But we at GUN hope this is a first step towards a time of peace."

I grunted in reply, halting at the bottom of the stairs on the platform. I glared at Robotnik's back as he ascended.

He was a thief, kidnapper, murderer, and bringer of evil. Maybe that last one was a bit of a stretch, but I blamed him for Dark's release- at least in the long run. If he hadn't killed Sonic's dad, then maybe the family would have discovered the dark emerald and learned how to properly contain it. Maybe.

A buzz from my com snapped me back to the present.

"Geez, would you pipe down already?"

I frowned and turned my back on our 'guest' and mumbled, "I can't be thinking that loud, Manic."

"... Right. Sorry."

"Be quiet. We don't know what those bots can do. Radio silence unless it's an absolute emergency." I said, annoyed. Manic didn't respond, but I could still hear him muttering to himself.

Amy settled into a chair in the front row. Tails joined her a short time later, but he sat several seats away. If Robotnik was suspicious of them, he made no comment.

General Towers spoke first. Something about how it was his deepest honor to announce the Genius of the Year award, or whatever they had tried to call it. I didn't pay much attention; my focus was glued to the two 'demonstration' robots. One was gold and one was silver, and both looked similar to Metal Sonic, but this time it wasn't a duplicate. They were their own creations. Which meant I couldn't guess any gadgets or tools they were loaded with. I silently thanked Chaos it wasn't a Metal Shadow.

Amy and Tails, along with all of the disguised soldiers on the cameras and sound equipment, suddenly started to applaud, snapping me out of my stupor. Towers must have finished because Rouge was standing up, holding a simple red and blue ribbon with a gold metal on the end.

She presented the award to Robotnik before slyly asking if he had anything to say to his audience. To my surprise, Robotnik actually pulled out some notecards and eagerly stood at the podium. The plan… it was actually working. Manic wasn't crazy.

I risked a glance up to where Manic was hiding. He was peering down with a look that clearly said, 'I told you so.' I gave him a slight nod before turning my attention back to Robotnik. The plan was to wait until sometime in the middle of the speech or when he was wrapping it up, whenever his guard was down. Tails was ready to activate the field with a remote and Sonia, along with every other sniper, was ready to shoot the two bots on the spot. Robotnik would probably be prepared, but I was starting to feel a little more confident about this.

We could actually catch him.

I hoped.

Robotnik began, "General Towers, Team Sonic, Team Dark, filthy Mobians, fellow Overlanders. I-"

Outside the building someone screamed. Everyone froze as a soldier's machine gun fired multiple rounds and several more shouts were heard.

"Move! Move! MOVE!"

"Man down! Man-"

"CHAOS, MOVE!"

Several small explosions indicated grenades and more guns fired. All the men in the room immediately pulled out their own weapons and trained them on Robotnik.

I marched up the stairs, ready to pound him to the ground, "We had a deal, Robotnik!"

He looked at me, very puzzled. "That's not me."

"Right…" I held up my fist.

Manic's voice stopped me in my tracks, "He's telling the truth. Whoever that is, it ain't 'Botnik."

Sonia's voice cackled onto the com. "But if it's not Robotnik, then who's attacking?"

The machine gun fire was now dead and the last scream was heard. General Towers ordered his men to face the door, leaving a flabbergasted Robotnik on the stand. "What in the world-?"

I shushed him, jumping to the ground and coming beside Amy, hammer drawn, and Tails, two blasters in hand. The men crouched down, ready to shoot on their General's command.

Silence.

Suddenly my com shrieked to life; "MOVE!" Sonia exclaimed, practically screaming.

The door was blown off its hinges before anyone could react.

XXX

My ears were ringing and my vision was unfocused when I reopened my eyes. Amy was hovering over me, concern laced on her face. She held up a shaky, blurry hand, "How many fingers am I holding up?"

I squinted, "Uh… three?"

"No." She helped me to my feet as my senses started to catch up with my surroundings. The sound of gunshots and people screaming echoed in my mind, but their voices seemed far away. Had I hit my head? It hurt, that's for sure.

"Reload, reload!"

"Captain, behind you-AAGGHHH!"

"Markowski, duck!"

"Fall back!"

Amy and I were huddled behind what remained of the podium. I wondered how I got there, but realized it could wait. "Who- who are we shooting at?"

It was only then I realized how hollow Amy's eyes looked. She was holding her hammer in one hand, but the grip was loose and almost reluctant.

"...Dark."

It was only then I heard someone else yelling above the gunshots and the explosions. "MAURICE! WAKE UP!" Tails.

I sprung to my feet and sprinted from my hiding spot, ignoring the throbbing in my skull and throwing orders out as fast as I possibly could, "Rouge, get the General and any survivors out of this building. Amy, I need you with me on Dark."

I still couldn't see him, but Tails' yells were enough to guide me. I found them facing one another, Tails standing way too close for my liking.

Sonic, er… Dark was grinning sadistically, his eyes wild, like a crazed animal. His fur was such a dark blue it was almost black, and… glowing. If black was a color that could glow. He took a step towards Tails, then another. His voice was soft but clearly carried over the fray of gunshots.

"Aww… you want your big brother, little boy? That's cute," he smirked. "I'd love to let you talk to him, but we can't really do that when he's dead, can we?" Any color left in Tails' face drained to grayish white; Dark took a step closer, the tips of his fingers flickering with glowing black energy.

"What's the matter, kid? Did I hurt your feelings?" he said mockingly. "Here- let me make it better!"

I got there just in time to shove Tails out of the way of the pitch-black chaos spear Dark threw at him. I yanked the kid to his feet and shoved him behind one of the stone pillars. He was shaking, looking like he had seen a ghost.

"What in Chaos were you thinking?!" I whisper-shouted. "I told you, that thing is beyond our help! He's not Sonic anymore!"

"I… I know, I just… I just thought that…" Tails trailed off, unable to respond. He wouldn't have been able to answer anyway, though- Dark fired a few more energy bolts at us and we had to change our positions. I pushed Tails out of the fray and turned around to face Dark-

-and probably my death.

I took a deep breath and braced myself before charging headfirst. Dark just smiled, his eyes widening in crazed excitement. When I punched, he dodged, almost lazily. "Y'know, I thought that you of all people might actually put up a real fight. Silly me."

I frowned, but had no time to respond as he pushed his hands at me and an invisible barrier hammered me across the room and into the opposite wall. Ow…

Sonia's voice sounded over the com. "Knuckles! Are you okay?"

"No!" I snapped, my temper already flaring. My body groaned and ached in protest as I stood up and attempted to shake off the pain. "Sonia, I need you to take some shots at Dark. You too, Tails. Manic-"

"What the kriff I am I supposed to do against that?" Manic shouted into the com, making me wince.

I was about to snap at him about how suicidal this entire situation already was when Manic spoke again. "Oh, good grief, what is he- Holy crap! Someone stop him, he'll ruin everything!"

"Who?" I demanded, darting my head in every direction to find who Manic was talking about.

"Who do you think, knucklehead? ROBOTNIK!"

Sure enough, through the haze of smoke and bullets, there he was, storming through on a warpath, his gold and silver robots following close behind- I had almost forgotten about him.

"Sonic! What in the world are you doing, fighting GUN? How dare you interrupt my award ceremony in such an unscrupulous manner! Have you any idea how monumentally important this i- Goodness, what happened to your fur?"

Dark whipped around, his eyes glinting with chaotic curiosity. He dropped the GUN soldier whose neck was about to snap, inching closer to Robotnik like a wild animal stalking its prey.

"Huh… You're a new face," he commented, studying Robotnik closely. "How did you know him?"

"Er- Pardon?" asked Robotnik, confused. "Sonic, whatever are you going on about?"

Dark sneered. "Sonic isn't here, old man- he's the old model. I'm the new and improved version. And you… you seem familiar. Are you another one of his silly little friends?"

Robotnik made a sound like he was choking. "WHA- Are… are you- NO! Never! How could you even- enough games, Sonic!"

Dark's expression hardened; I had the feeling it was time for me to get out while I still had the chance. Careful not to call any attention to myself, I crept out over the rubble and started to sprint.

I turned several corners before I felt like I was a safe distance away. "Rouge, how's the evacuation coming?" I called in over the com.

"About halfway there. We have a few men missing from the main party."

Sonia's voice crackled over, "I see them- hallway 14, floor five."

I grimaced. "Sonia, get them to safety. I'll be there in a minute to help."

Manic let out a long string of curse words before grumbling, "That stupid idiot just deployed his bots on Dark. Oh geez, is he gonna- HOLY CRAP!"

Manic's voice died off and Dark's voice echoed through my head, distant but still distinct. Manic must be seriously close to the action. "Okay…" he crooned, his voice low and dangerous. "Let's test 'em out!"

The sound of screeching metal and shattering gears blasted through my ears so loudly my eyes watered. I heard someone scream and didn't stop running to find out who. "Manic!" I shouted. "I don't know what just happened out there, but you need to clear the building, NOW!"

Manic was too busy cursing up a blue streak to respond, but I assumed he was already running for his life. If Cream had been here, I'd have had an excuse to punch him in the mouth (not that I needed one, but still).

"Sonia, update!"

"We're headed to the exit and- SWEET MERCY!"

I screeched around a corner, the exit in sight. "What? Sonia, what's going on?"

"Get out of the building! It's coming down!"

A chunk of the ceiling fell to my right, and I bit back my own string of curses as I took off running. "Everyone report! Are you clear?"

Rouge checked in first, "I'm outside with a few squads of troops and the general."

"I'm with Tails. We're clear." Amy's voice crackled.

I hit the exit doors, not even trying to open the door, just breaking the glass and tumbling to the ground. "I'm out!"

"Incoming!" Manic's voice screamed.

I frowned before the sound of glass shattering made me look up. A red and green blur fell out of the third story window before suddening halting midair. Manic waved at me from his extreme gear board (the one he stole from me, might I add). "I'm okay!" he shouted, "Where's Sonia?"

I felt my heart skip a beat and turned away, focusing my attention back to the com. "Sonia, you there? Where are you?"

"Busy!"

Manic and I shared a look of terror, turning towards the building. Huge cracks as big as me were clearly visible, and large chunks of the building were falling off the building and into the street below.

"Sonia, get out of there now!" I demanded, the fear starting to creep into my voice.

"Just trust me!"

Manic was hovering just above me, clearly starting to panic. "Sis?.. Sis, what's going on?"

"Manic, go right!"

He complied out of pure instinct and a window on the top story suddenly shattered- and it wasn't from the shaking building. I looked up just in time to see Sonia wave at her brother, then duck back in the building.

Someone screamed and a guard was thrown out the window, clear of the building. Manic yelped and dove to catch him. Another guy didn't even wait for an invitation and just jumped; I ran and caught him with a grunt. He was followed by two other soldiers, which I also caught.

The whole building seemed to tilt sideways, the once-sturdy walls crumbling into rubble. Even from five stories below, I could see Sonia clinging to the pillars for dear life. I felt like every nerve in my body had been both frozen and lit on fire; If she fell, or was crushed by the building- no. No, I couldn't think like that. She had to be okay.

Manic moved faster than I even thought was possible for him, zooming up to her level and yelling something I couldn't quite make out. She leapt off the platform as it toppled beneath her; Manic caught her by the tips of his fingers, barely managing to keep his own balance on the board as they spiraled down to earth. The two skidded through the dirt, sending up yet another cloud of dust and rubble.

For a moment, everything was silent.

Suddenly, I heard a crash from up above; thousands of shards of broken glass rained down over the clumps of wrecked building; I had just enough time to duck under a rock before they reached the ground. I whipped around, staring up at what was left of the GUN facility; Dark stood atop Robotnik's mangled gold and silver robots, even as the structure was collapsing beneath him. I watched him closely as he reached inside the bot's chest, pulling out something small and glittering. Could it be-

"GAAH!" shouted Manic, suddenly clutching his right hand. What, had he broken it or something?

"You! Gimme your binoculars!" I shouted to a guard; he tossed me them without a word. Sure enough, Dark was holding a Chaos emerald in each hand, looking satisfied. Instinctively, I grabbed Manic's Extreme Gear and rushed forward ready to take him down myself, when in the blink of an eye, he vanished.

And just like that, it was over.

We'd lost.

XXX

Everyone was sitting on the curb as a medic looked us over for any injuries. Tails had some deep cuts and a minor concussion from some falling debri and Amy had sprained her ankle, but that was the worst of it. Everyone was cut, bruised, and out of breath, but at least we were alive.

I wish we could say that for everyone.

General Towers approached us, his steps slow and heavy. "We lost over twenty men. Three are unaccounted for. One civilian got caught in the crossfire and is critical condition."

I bowed my head and clenched my fists, "We're going to need more than just weapons to beat Dark."

"Dark," Towers growled, "Wasn't the mission. So why was he here?"

I narrowed my eyes, "Robotnik had two Chaos Emeralds to power his bodyguards. The energy must have brought him here."

"And where are these emeralds now?"

I took a deep breath, staring at my feet, "...Dark took them."

Towers cursed. I couldn't blame him.

Amy hissed loudly, drawing everyone's gaze. She made a dismissive wave as the medic applied an antibacterial spray to her wounds, "Sorry."

Tails hadn't spoken a word since the building had collapsed, but I guess he was ready to open his mouth. His voice was muffled and I barely understood it, "What… what happened to… to Robotnik?"

That was a decent question. We all looked at General Towers for the answer, but to my surprise, it was Manic that responded.

"He's dead."

I felt my heart skip a beat. "How… how can you be sure?"

"I felt it." Manic pulled his knees into his chest, his glare full of anger and contempt. "He didn't make it out of the building. Pretty sure his body is somewhere in the rubble."

"We've already found it," Towers cut in. "The boys are having a heck of a time trying to get the giant rock off of him, but it's him alright."

"How can you tell?" Sonia asked, raising an eyebrow.

Towers reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, nicked medal. "We found this in his hand."

Something inside me seemed to snap. I couldn't breath. My eyes went to my hands and couldn't move. I couldn't look at anyone and bit back a scream. I felt like the kid I was back on Angel Island, unable to look at my dad after mom stopped breathing. We had killed Robotnik- or were at least responsible for it. It wasn't like the guy was innocent or anything, but… I couldn't look at anyone anymore.

"At least… at least we got out," Sonia's voice was straining to sound light, but I could tell she was having a similar internal struggle with her conscious.

Manic snapped back immediately, "You almost didn't."

"Well, I did, and that's what's important. No use in dwelling on 'what-ifs'-"

Manic jumped to his feet, his eyes wild. "You were almost frikkin' killed, sis! What the heck was going on in there?"

My eyes were still closed as I tried to sort out my thoughts. Dark now had two emeralds, that we knew for sure. Why would he want the emeralds? For nothing good, obviously. Was it possible that he could go Super?...

Sonia's response to her brother was dangerously calm. "I was helping the separated men like Knuckles told me-"

I flinched and finally opened my eyes again. Manic was pacing around in circles, a fake, all too cheerful smile on his face. "Oh, right, Knuckles! Well then, that makes it all better!" he said mockingly, narrowing his eyes. "Geez, do you do everything he tells you to?"

"Excuse me?" Sonia snapped. "That was my choice-"

"That was your boyfriend's choice," he spat. "One that almost got you buried alive!"

"Hey, that's enough, Manic," I said, stepping between him and Sonia. "I didn't force her to do anything."

He snorted. "You're the commander, genius! You know full well that we're supposed to follow your orders, no matter how stupid or dangerous they might be!"

"Everyone on this team knew what they were signing up for, including Sonia!" I shouted. "If you aren't willing to take a few risks, or let anyone else take a few risks, then maybe you shouldn't be here!"

"I hope you ain't calling me a coward, Knux, 'cuz it sure sounds like you're calling me a coward," said Manic, his voice suddenly very low and dangerous.

I gritted my teeth. "If the shoe fits."

I saw his fingers curl into a fist and for a second I thought he was going to try and hit me, but luckily Sonia stepped in.

"Both of you, quit it!" she demanded. "Fighting amongst ourselves is the last thing we need!"

Manic didn't even look at her, but glared at me. He pushed her hand away, pursing his lips.

"Manic," Sonia stepped forward and took his hand, making eye contact. "Listen to me. It was my choice. If you're going to blame anyone, blame me. I would have done it even if he hadn't said anything."

Something seemed to click and he relaxed a bit. Key word being 'a bit'- I could still feel his eyes burning a hole in the back of my head. After a minute, he turned away, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Fine. Whatever. See if I care."

General Towers broke the awkward silence with a tired sigh. "Everyone head back to GUN Headquarters, I'll join you once I clean up this mess."

"Mess?" asked Tails. "This isn't a mess, General. At this point, I'm pretty sure it classifies as a disaster area." He wasn't wrong; the formerly intimidating facility had been reduced to nothing more than a skeleton of metal beams and crumbled stone and plaster.

The General gave a half-hearted smile, "It's not the worst I've seen."

I stood up and tried to ignore the screaming pains my brain started to account for. GUN headquarters was more comfortable than any hospital anyone had tried to put me in.

Amy finally spoke up, "What are we going to do?"

No one asked her to explain. We all knew what she was talking about.

"Look… until Tikal decides to speak up again," I sighed, "I don't think there's much we can do."

Manic spoke up again, a forced lightness to his voice, "Yeesh, don't you sad sacks ever look on the bright side of things? See the thing is-"

"What bright side?" I interrupted, annoyed. Now was not the time for another stupid joke.

Manic didn't seem to appreciate it. At all. His eyes narrowed and I got the feeling again that he wanted to hit me. "Yes, there's a bright side, Mr. He-Don't-Chuckle. Not that you'd ever have the brainpower to figure it out-"

Tails rested his head in his hands, clearly exasperated, "Oh for Chaos sake, just tell us already!"

Manic nodded to Tails, forcing a smile. "Thank you, Tails. As I was about to say before I was so rudely interrupted…" He took a moment to glance at me again. Chaos, what is his problem? "Yours truly took the opportunity to read Dark back there, and shocker!- He's not being totally upfront with us about everything."

"What? What are you talking about?" asked Amy, sounding frantic. Manic stared down to his right, refusing to look any of us in the eye.

"Well... for one thing, Maurice ain't dead."

XXX

Hey, remember what I said about Eggman not dying in this story? That was totally true!

Because it's ROBOTNIK who kicks the bucket, suckas!

*facepalm* HALO!

So…. that just happened. I totally forgot Robotnik died in this chapter so I should have asked the question AFTER this one. Or earlier. Oh well. What's done is done.

So clarification: Robotnik is NOT Eggman. In this story, they are two seperate people. I thought we mentioned this, but apparently not so, our bad. Sorry!

And for curiosity's sake and so you don't have to read the reviews, here was the actual score sheet.

Sonic: 3
Eggman: 3

Tails: 3

"Anyone BUT Tails": 2

Shadow: 2

Uncle Chuck: 2
Robotnik: 1 (WINNER!)
Dark: 1
Alex Prower: 1 (this one made my day)
Omega: 1
Towers: 1
Hope: 1 (She's shown up once. Why would we kill her? Shadow has enough issues!)
Amy: 1
Knuckles: 1
One of the Triplets: 1

Shout out to the first Guest to review our last chapter! You guessed this chapter pretty much spot on, except the Eggman part. Did you get our outline? *locks outline in vault* I swear, that thing keeps getting out…

Now the only question is, "Anyone else gonna join Botnik?"

Hopefully not because he is in a very bad place right now. The other place is much better.

Anyway, review please and pointless apology on how long this chapter took. To be honest, we just sort of… died off after a paragraph or three. So motivation is at an all time low. (I think it's my "Senioritis" kicking in… Halo has no excuse. Oh please, Era, I've had Senioritis since eighth grade. Besides, we've both been busy with that other story, remember? YOU'VE been busy with that one. I've been busy with a different one. And you never truly hit Senioritis until Senior year, no matter what you claim. I AM ABOVE THY SIMPLE LAWS OF LOGIC, FOUL PLEBEIANS. Ex-cuse Me?)

On top of that, I have no time after school due to other obligations. So less time. So here is the pointless apology on the lateness of the chapter. Now please excuse me while I get some much needed sleep. *crashes and starts snoring very loudly*