A/N: Happy post-Thanksgiving everyone! It's been a pleasure to do this story, and this new chapter should move things along quite (no pun intended) fast. Though considering how "Elseworlds" just wrapped up and announced "Crisis on Infinite Earths," there's a lot to catch up on. And believe me, I will, just at a much slower pace thanks to school work.

Shian1998: Thanks! I understand your POV on Amy, but for me, she's more of a hybrid fangirl. She pines after and does kind of annoy Sonic, but also tends to figure out when she does that and can be a badass you can rely on. She will get better here, trust me.

Aragorn II Elessar: Thanks! Lord of the Rings tends to be a great fantasy break whenever it's mentioned.

Apologies if this chapter feels short or rushed. Just really want to get this story moving again from both sides.

Chapter Six

Uncertainty on the Rise

Ralph wasn't one for exploring S.T.A.R. Labs that much. There were times he thought he'd get lost in the building's bowels and then have to embarrassingly explain it to his co-workers in Team Flash. Seemed too much of a stretch, he thought, not minding the pun in there.

But given what he was looking at right now, he realized maybe he should've considered that before.

Cisco called it their "inter-dimensional portal." Some kind of breach (he still could barely wrap his head about how Cisco's powers worked) machine that could help them find Rookie. The room it was located in was quite large and has several monitor consoles hooked up in the sides. Harry had claimed that it sent them to parallel earths and back in the past multiple times.

Would it do so now?

"You guys ready?" Caitlyn asked Cisco and Gypsy. The duo was located in front of the spot, preparing for the insane effort they were about to try to pull off. "This might be intense…I mean, more than usual."

"Intense is a Tuesday for me," Gypsy chuckled. "We knew what we were getting into."

"Totally," Cisco chimed in after his girlfriend. "Ready when you're all ready….Did I just repeat ready twice?"

"Yes," Harry chirped unenthusiastically. Joe and Iris stood next to him on the steps, nervous. She clutched at her heart; all that she was focused on was finding Barry…and bringing him home.

"Cisco, Caitlyn, Gypsy…"

"And Ralph!"

Iris sighed. "And Ralph. I trust you. For the team, for what matters…bring him back."

"You know we won't come back without him," Caitlyn said.

"Neato," joked Cisco. He gulped, flipped his Vibe goggles on, and then breathed in. "Guess that means we're ready for this?"

Gypsy nodded, and the two aimed their hands at the machine. Their fingers and faces strained for what looked to be half a minute before a thin crack rippled right in front of the spot. Their trademark blue and red energy propelled from their hands and hit the rip, applying more and more until it lost its will and widened into a glowing purple breach. They collapsed to the floor, breathing heavier.

"You two all right?" asked Ralph.

"…Think so," Cisco breathed out shakily. "That…took a lot out of me."

"Save it for the trip, Ciscy," Killer Frost joined in, her icy hair freezing over Caitlyn's own. She noticed Gypsy's dark glance at her. "What?"

"Only I call him that."

"Sorry…I'll keep that in mind."

Ralph fought hard to suppress a laugh and turned back to the breach. "Uh….is this safe?"

"Excuse me? Who do you think made this?" Cisco huffed and pointed a crossed finger at him. "We're this far already, Ralph! Just go with it!"

"But-"

"You heard him," said Gypsy as she gripped his arm and then darted into the portal. "Time to bolt!"

"Hey!"

Cisco turned back to Frost and the others. "I just got the sinking feeling that he's going to pay one of us back for that."

"Wouldn't be surprised," she blasted off. "Hurry it up, slowpoke!"

"…Pokémon references? It's on!" He sent one last look back to the support team and then followed Frost into the purple breach, disappearing before it blinked out of existence.

Joe coughed. "You think they're going to be okay?"

"If they're just as determined as they normally are," Harry snorted, "then yes. The thing we have to worry about is whether they'll be able to get back…from wherever they went."

Iris turned to him. "They will."

The lightning inside of her knew they would.

This is insane!

The thought was followed by something heavy making its way up to Sonic. He moved just to feel it lightly graze his cheek, and that was before the twisting of metal pummeled into his back. His body shot forwards towards a residential building. Breathing quickly, his feet buckled on the glass and he luckily moved onto the sidewalk, not hurt too much.

The hedgehog's green eyes looked around. The small open square they'd been fighting in looked to be free of onlookers. The bad news? Cars and small newsstands had been either devastated or fallen in a worse condition due to the conflict. At the very least, he wanted to end this quickly.

But Metal wouldn't care as much.

"Right…" he mused, swirling around to see the metallic doppelganger mere feet from him. "This another rematch? Because we both know the original always beats copycats."

"Metal Sonic superior," it repeated unsurprisingly. "No, this time on orders."

And then his claw shot forwards. Sonic dodged it, but the sweat flew from his face to greet it.

He really is getting faster.

He took off again, dashing onto the side of the buildings and circling around as best he could. Metal was just…standing there? Why? No, he had to be planning something. He wasn't this dumb.

"Seeing double?" He glanced to the Flash, already running alongside him as they circled for another loop. "Had a couple of those myself!"

Sonic let out a hard laugh as the wind bit into his face. "And what's your solution?"

"Take them down with all you've got."

"Not a bad policy!" Feeling better now, he swung back. "Want to take him together?"

"I've got an idea," the scarlet speedster shouted, "but I need you to lead him away from here – and then back!"

"So just more running?"

The Flash shot him an annoyed look. "Either that, or we just get tired!"

"All right, Romeo!" Sonic blasted off to the middle of the square and managed to get out his exclamation right as he passed the doppelganger. "Catch me if you can, Mets!"

Its red eyes enlarged, its claws glistening. A single pop from its' turbine sent it right after Sonic, interweaving through the tops of the buildings and such. The speed picked up but the blue lines of good and evil seemed to be just as fast as ever.

And that was what Barry had hoped for. Parked on the top of a nearby tower, he could see the hedgehogs running in his direction. His palm sweaty, his focused his will and then charged the lighting into the tips of his fingers. The electricity soared off to them.

Just as he had planned.

"Now!" He shouted. Thankfully, Sonic had heard the comment; Right before the lightning hit him, he fell off the building to safety. Unfortunately for Metal Sonic, he hadn't seen it coming and could only look up before the impact came.

BOOM!

Shielding his eyes for a moment, Barry looked about. But all he saw a smoking crater on the side of the building.

So where was Metal? Kaput?

"Don't see him either, huh?" Sonic asked once he'd dashed next to him. "Not the first time he's pulled the disappearing trick."

"He was pretty tough, but still…" Barry knelled down and focused on the crater, even when nothing changed in his vision. "This Eggman built him?"

"More like copied him from me."

"Where do-" He paused.

Something was coming.

It hit before he could finish the sentence. The gut punch sent him back, Sonic crashing to the ground. All that he saw was a blue claw.

"Superior."

Then the light seemed to burn into white.

…

"Uhhhh…"

"…You….got the…number on that….robot?" Was that Sonic?

Suddenly, another voice took center stage. "Ah! The two of you are awake. Perfect! Time to wake up and face me, please."

They looked up, clearly in a dome-shaped lab draped in shadows and malicious green light. On a balcony, hundreds of feet above them was a rotund man in a red-and-yellow jacket. A surprisingly long and brown mustache obscured part of his face, complete with cartoonish goggles, white gloves, and tweed legs draped in black.

"Eggman," Barry breathed. It had to be him, what with Sonic's articulate description and monologues. He'd get him, that-

Apparently not, for when he tried, all he did was slam into an invisible barrier and bounce back into the ground. He grimaced while holding his check.

"Forcefield," the madman gleefully revealed. "Helps to keep varmints like you contained. Now, I'm sure you would like to know what you're doing here?"

"Yes," they answered.

"Whew!" A feeling of warmth flooded over Cisco when he saw colors merge into reality again. The ground came next, sending him nearly tumbling into the other three. Wearing off the disorientation, he looked around to see – a city. The sign "Station Square" popped instantly.

"Okay…" Ralph chortled off, dumbstruck at the sight. "So we're on another world?"

"Obviously," Frost pointed out. "Do you need a big red sign to spell it out?"

"Actually…I think there already is one," said Gypsy. "Look."

That was when the four noticed they were surrounded by everyday people.

And animals.

"Starting to get the idea we jumped into a Disney cartoon," Cisco hysterically commented. "Directions, anyone?"

"Your guess is as good as mine's." Ralph positioned. "Shouldn't there be a cop precinct somewhere around here?"

"Probably," Gypsy surmised. "For-"

Out of nowhere, some black-and-red dash blasted into the four of them. Cisco and Gypsy fell over, Frost twisted into a wall, and Ralph crumpled in over himself. Just as they were coming to, Cisco looked to see a gun pointed directly in his face.

"Associates of Eggman?" The individual guessed out loud.

His eyes went back to look over the figure, causing his mouth to drop in shock. It was an animal; a hedgehog with black and white fur, red stripes, and darkened eyes gazing directly at him.

A talking hedgehog with a gun? No. Way.

"Who in the what now?"

A/N: More new characters! I think that Metal and our new friend are probably, but maybe not, going to be the last couple Sonic characters so the cast isn't so big. Anyways, thanks to everyone's who's read this and continues to read. Really means a lot! And I will get back on the regular schedule, so thanks! Till next time.