Late one night, outside the Station Square museum, a strange figure was hanging upside down from one of the trees surrounding the building. The figure was a white Mobian bat of the female persuasion. She was dressed in a black skintight unitard with no sleeves, a pink, heart-shaped chestplate-like top with white trim, and tall white gloves and boots with pink cuffs. The boots are high heeled and feature hearts on the toes. A devilish smile graced her face as she surveyed the building. Having gotten everything she needed, she released her grip on the branch, spreading her wings and flying towards the museum.
…
Inside, security was locked down tight, especially around the museum's main attraction. This proved to be a large gemstone, easily a foot long and as wide as a grown man's fist. It was on display in the center of the gemstone exhibit, lit up by small spotlights and surrounded by velvet rope and a glass dome.
From the security office, three officers could see the jewel, as well as the rest of the museum. However, two of the guards were playing blackjack as the third read a magazine.
"Okay man, show me what you got," one of the officers playing Blackjack declared.
The other officer grinned, flipping a card over to reveal the jack of clubs. He grinned, slamming his hand on the table.
"Blackjack baby!"
"Oh come on!" the first officer whined. "I lost again?!"
"Will you two keep it down?" the third officer snapped. "I'm trying to-"
Before he could finish, the sound of footsteps echoed on the speakers. The officer turned back to the monitors, where they could see the bat marching right up to the jewel.
"We have an intruder! Sound the alarm!"
…
Down in the exhibit, the bat flew right up to the gem as the alarms started blaring. While her ears twitched from all the noise, she pushed past it, focusing on her goal. She jumped into the air, then gave the glass a good kick. The kick cut right through the glass, almost half of it sliding down a freshly made diagonal before crashing onto the ground. With ease, the bat then plucked the gem from its perch, admiring it lovingly.
"Come to mama," she said, her voice sounding like she was speaking to a lover rather than a gemstone.
…
"Initiate emergency lockdown! No one leaves!"
The guards began initiating the lockdown, which caused several large steel doors to drop down, blocking every entrance in the room.
"That should do it," one of the guards proclaimed. "Let's get in there!"
The three guards all rushed into the room, their guns raised and pointed in all directions.
"Hands in the air!"
"Drop the gemstone!"
After a second, it registered with all of them that she was not in the room. All that remained of her was a card that was left on the diamond's stand.
"She's not here!"
"Where is she?"
"How did she get out?"
One of the officers picked up the card, which had a silhouette of Rouge depicted on it, as well as the words "Thank You" in elegant handwriting.
…
Flying above Station Square, the bat admired her freshly acquired gemstone, smiling to herself.
"You may not be a Chaos Emerald, but you'll do… for now."
…
The next day, Helen and Cream were out in the garden, gathering flowers and weaving them into crowns. They presented them to each other, both girls giggling happily. Cheese was sitting in the flowerbed himself, playing with a small butterfly. It flew around him before settling right in the center of his face, spreading its wings. Cheese chirped happily as the girls laughed some more at the sight.
…
At the Winters' house, Al was making some omelets on the stove. Kat was sitting with Knuckles in the living room, their omelets in their laps as the former was flipping through the channels on the TV.
"Ugh, there's nothing good on," she moaned, dropping the remote on the arm and flopping back on the couch.
"Can you check the news?" Knuckles asked. "Maybe there's word on another Chaos Emerald."
Kat shrugged, changing the channel. It showed the museum from the previous night, where, if you looked close enough, someone had opened up one of the glass panels in the roof.
"This is Scarlet Garcia, coming to you live from the National Museum, where the world's largest diamond was stolen. This is just one of many high "
Kat let out a whistle.
"Not a Chaos Emerald, but stealing a gem that size could not have been easy."
"Officials say that a strange creature was seen entering the premises. While footage is grainy, police believe it to be some sort of bat."
Knuckles immediately sits up, glaring at the TV.
"So, she got sent here too."
Kat glanced down at Knuckles, then down at the ground.
"You realize you just dropped your omelet onto the rug, right?"
Knuckles looked down at the ground, seeing his breakfast on the floor and just grumbling in response.
"Sorry," He replied, plopping back down. "It's just I know who's responsible for the robbery last night."
"Oh? She's another Mobian?"
"Yeah. A notorious jewel thief named Rouge. She believes that all the world's gemstones belong to her. She's been after the Chaos Emeralds AND the Master Emerald for the longest time. She's a massive pain in the tail, and I was seriously hoping we'd left her back on Mobius."
"Guess not," Kat replied. "It's just a matter of where she'll strike next."
"Knuckles, please clean up your mess," Al requested as he joined the two on the couch. "I don't want egg in my rug."
"Oh, sure Al. No problem."
…
At the Kent house, Amy was in the kitchen with Ella, making some homemade cinnamon rolls. Amy happily decorated them, adding little designs to each one.
"How do these look, Ella?" Amy asked.
"Muy bien, Amy. I am certain Keith and the others will love them."
"I just hope they're still warm when they return from their Chaos Emerald search."
"They will be. Keith still has school today, so they won't stay out too much longer."
…
Up in the Tornado II, Tails was flying the plane with Keith right behind him. Sonic was sitting on the wing, reclining as he spun a baseball on his finger.
"Any coming up on radar, Tails?!" Sonic called out.
"Nothing yet!" Tails replied. "I'm going to try and get closer."
Tails veered the plane closer to the ground, accidentally jarring Sonic and sending him flying. Nobody noticed, the two other passengers both looking at the radar.
"Nothing..." Tails lamented.
"Hey, it took us this long to find two, it'll still be awhile before we find all seven, Don't let it get you down."
"You're right, I guess. Sonic what do you think?"
"I think you should land the plane!" the two turned and saw Sonic hanging onto the wing for dear life. "Now!"
With a yelp, Tails quickly moved to land.
…
Meanwhile, in the White House, the President was meeting with his advisors about the Robotnik situation.
"Gentlemen, I won't lie to you," the President addressed. "The Robotnik situation is becoming more and more dire by the day. We must take action before he gets what he wants and conquers us all."
"Unfortunately sir, our investigations have led us to believe that an all out attack would be suicide," one of his chairmen insisted.
"I'm afraid he's right, sir," another chairman concurred. "Based on the data we've collected from the remnants of his robots, Robotnik's technical capabilities and military hardware surpass anything we've got."
"Then what do you suggest?" the President proposed. "We can't just sit here and wait."
"Perhaps we should ask the hedgehog to assist," his personal aid suggested.
"The hedgehog?" one of the chairman asked.
"Yes. the hedgehog and his friends have proven themselves capable warriors, destroying every robot Robotnik has thrown at them. More than that, after the baseball game at Diamond Stadium, they've become quite popular on social media. Forming a good relation with them would be ideal."
"While I agree with my colleague, I do not believe now is the best time for that," the second chairman spoke up. "While the hedgehog is indeed popular with the people, he still is at odds with law enforcement and our people. Moving in on them could be seen as a hostile act. More than that, any attack we plan will have to slip under the radar, a skill the hedgehog and his friends seem to lack."
"Then what would you suggest?" the President questioned.
"The bat," he answered simply. "She is clearly of the same species as the rest of the creatures, and appears to be a master of stealth. She would be perfect to lead a covert operation on Robotnik Island."
"That could work," the aid admitted. "Her criminal acts would be good leverage against her, and if we manage to get her on our side, we'll be able to prevent further thefts."
The President mulled it over, then gave a nod.
"Very well then. See that it's done."
...
Meanwhile at Naoto Ohshima High School, Kat and Keith were being mauled by their fellow students. Almost everyone had seen the baseball game and had recognized the two immediately. As such, they had a million questions for the pair.
"What were you guys doing at the game?"
"Do you know the talking animals?"
"How many robots have you seen?"
Both teens were trying to deflect the questions, but had been literally backed into a corner. Just when it seemed there was no way to avoid the situation, Mr. Stewart came down the hall.
"Hey!" He shouted. "Everyone, get to class!"
Upon seeing the teacher, the group dispersed, leaving the two teens alone. Both of them let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks for the save, Mr. Teacher-Spy," Kat said, wiping her brow.
"You're welcome," Mr. Stewart replied. "It does seem you've become quite popular lately."
"Yeah," Keith nodded. "Ever since the game, we've been bombarded by everyone asking us questions. It's really exhausting."
"I can imagine so. Come, let's find somewhere quiet to talk."
The two teens nodded as they went off.
…
Later, the three situated themselves in the library, Mr. Stewart giving the two of them cans of soda. Both of them drank, appreciating the silence.
"Thanks again, Mr. Stewart," Keith told him.
"So, what do you want, Mr. Teacher Spy?" Kat asked, tapping on her soda can. "This feels more like a debriefing than a rescue."
"Well, there is something I could use your help with. Have either of you heard about the mysterious jewelry theft last night?"
Keith looked confused, but Kat nodded in recognition.
"Yeah, I did," She confirmed. "Knuckles knows her. Apparently they have history. What do you want to know?"
"What can you tell me?" Mr. Stewart asked.
"Her name is Rouge, she's a jewel thief from Mobius who seems to have a fascination for the Chaos Emeralds. Apparently she's tried to steal them on more than one occasion."
Mr. Stewart took note of this, writing it down before standing up. He then reached into his briefcase, pulling out some papers. He gave them to the teens, who looked at them in confusion.
"What are these?" Keith asked.
"Today's handouts. You can work on them here rather than deal with the classroom. I'll come by around lunch to help answer any questions you might have."
"Thanks," Keith told him, grabbing a pencil from his bag. "Just out of curiosity, why did you want to know about the thief?"
"I'm afraid that's classified information. I'd tell you if I could, but my hands are tied. However, please tell your friends to disregard any reports on Chaos Emeralds they may hear in the next day or so."
"Will do," they both replied.
He walked out of the library as Kat grabbed a pen of her own.
"Ten bucks says it's a sting operation," she mused.
"Sounds about right," he concurred.
…
Later on, Rouge was sitting in a tree across from a jewelry store, admiring the contents inside.
"So many choices, so little time."
At that moment, a car pulled up to the jewelry store, coming to a stop right in front of it. From the car emerged a middle aged woman with short, sandy blonde hair in a pixie cut. She had simple earrings and tasteful make-up, and was carrying a fair-sized jewelry box in her hand. Intrigued, Rouge flew in closer as she went inside, hiding herself in a nearby tree as she looked in the window.
"What are you carrying in such a large box?" Rouge said to herself.
Inside the shop, the woman approached the counter, showing the box to the clerk. She opened it, revealing what appeared to be a red Chaos Emerald. Rouge's eyes went wide.
"A Chaos Emerald! Well I'll be… I finally found one."
After a few more words were exchanged between the woman and the clerk, she closed the box and headed back outside. Rouge watched her get back into the car and drive off, then took to the skies after her.
"Seems this girl doesn't know what she's got. Might as well take it off her hands then."
…
By the time school let out, Keith and Kat's refuge in the library had been compromised. As such, they had been practically chased out of the school by classmates either begging for answers or sucking up to them to try and meet Sonic and friends.
"Okay, we need to get out of here," Keith insisted as they hid in the janitor's closet. "These guys are worse than the paparazzi."
"We can make a break for my truck and drive to my place," Kat suggested. "It's closer and not as public as yours."
"Sounds good to me."
They peeked out of the closet, then Kat grabbed Keith's hand and they bolted. Taking a side door, they dashed across the parking lot to Kat's truck. They just barely made it, locking the doors and breathing a sigh of relief.
"Seatbelts," Kat declared. "I'm gunning it."
Keith barely managed to get his seatbelt on before Kat floored it and took off down the street.
...
Rouge followed the woman for quite some time, eventually reaching a more suburban area. This was a less populated area, with smaller houses and smaller yards. The car pulled up to one of these houses, pulling into the garage Rouge flew towards one of the windows on the second floor, where she carefully slipped it open and snuck inside. She made her way through the halls, carefully inching her way towards the living room. The woman had placed the box on the coffee table, then had walked off into the kitchen. Keeping her eyes on the prize, Rouge carefully made her way over to the box, opening it. However, when she got a better look at the gem, she realized it was not a Chaos Emerald.
"What? A fake?"
All of a sudden, metal barriers start dropping on all the house's doors and windows, sealing her inside as agents began swarming the room. She looked around at the men, then saw the woman join them, now holding a pistol in her hand. Surveying the scene, Rouge lifted her hands up and smirked.
"All this effort for little old me? I'm flattered."
"Cuff her, Topaz," one of the soldiers commanded.
The woman stepped forward, taking a set of cuffs from the soldier. Rouge's smirk grew a bit wider.
"Topaz, huh? One of my favorite gemstones." she allowed herself to be cuffed. "So, where are we going? Considering you went through all this hard work, you clearly want me for something."
"You'll find out when we arrive," Topaz told her. "Now move."
She gave Rouge a push.
"Easy there," Rouge admonished. "I'm cooperating, in case you forgot. No need to get all huffy."
"Just move."
…
At the Winters house, Kat and Keith came rushing inside, slamming the door behind them. The two panted as they leaned on the door, dropping their backpacks. Knuckles approached them, surprised to see Keith.
"What're you doing here?"
"School… was insane," Keith explained. "We were hounded all day."
"We're hunkering down here because my house is closer," Kat added. "Hope that's cool."
Knuckles shrugged.
"Your place. Oh, your dad'll be home at 8 and he's bringing chinese food."
"Cool," Kat replied, turning to Keith. "Hope you like egg rolls."
"It's been awhile since I've had chinese. Or takeout in general."
"Well then, you are in for a treat."
…
In the White House, Rouge was sitting in the Oval office, waiting for the president to arrive. Topaz was standing behind her, now dressed in a military uniform. Rouge reclined in her seat as she glanced at her cuffed hands.
"Think you could remove these? They're starting to chafe, and I'm wearing gloves."
"Not a chance," Topaz replied.
"Then how about a cup of coffee at least. It's been a long day."
"You do realize you're under arrest for grand theft, breaking and entering, and-"
"Yeah, yeah, heard it all before. Now seriously, coffee? It's not like I can pick a lock with coffee."
Topaz just growled in response. Rouge sighed.
"Fine, I'll get it myself."
She tossed the cuffs over her shoulder, then flew over to the coffee pot to grab herself a cup. After getting over the initial shock of what just happened, Topaz immediately drew her gun and pointed it at Rouge.
"Don't move!"
Rouge finished pouring her coffee, then turned around, leaning on the table and taking a sip.
"Relax. Like I said before, I'm cooperating. You wouldn't get me my coffee, so I got it myself. No need to be hostile."
Just then, the President entered the room, his aid following right behind him. Rouge met the President's eye, giving a small nod as he turned to Topaz.
"Put that away, Agent Topaz," he commanded.
"But sir, she-"
"I said put that away. There's no need for that kind of hostility."
Topaz begrudgingly put her gun away as Rouge took her seat again, sipping at the coffee like she was running the show.
"So, I'm guessing you're the one in charge of this whole operation," she deduced. "Gotta say, that was one hell of a show. Gotta wonder why you put all that effort into one little jewel thief though."
"Because from what I've heard, you possess tremendous skill and cunning, and we need both right now," The President explained, "Which is why I want to make you a deal."
Rouge put her cup in her lap, leaning in.
"I'm listening."
"Agree to work with us as a special agent, and we'll offer you complete immunity from your crimes."
"Full immunity huh? And all I have to do is play nice with you guys? What exactly will I be doing as your agent?"
"You will be helping us infiltrate Robotnik Island and prevent further attacks."
Rouge mulled it over, the idea sounding incredibly intriguing. In fact, it would give her a chance to make a grab for Robotnik's Chaos Emerald with all the resources and back up she could ask for.
"Alright, but I have one more condition to add," she declared. "I get to keep the gems I acquired."
Topaz was gobsmacked,
"You've got to be out of your-"
"Deal," the President interjected.
"What?! Sir, with all due respect-!"
"I've made my decision, Agent Topaz," The President declared. "I expect you to honor that."
Topaz took a moment before straightening out.
"Yes… sir."
"Good. Now, debrief our newest agent and get to Robotnik Island. The sooner we know the full extent of what we're dealing with, the better."
…
Meanwhile, Al returned home with dinner in tow. Kat came to greet him at the door, Keith trailing behind.
"Hey there Kathryn," Al greeted, giving his daughter a small hug. "Keith, I'm surprised to see you here. You staying for dinner?"
"I guess so. Hope I'm not imposing."
"Not at all. The chinese restaurant always gives larger portions than necessary, so there will be plenty to share."
"Just don't take my fried dumplings," Knuckles declared as he headed to the table. "I've called dibs."
"Hey, you have to share those, mister, or I'm not sharing my steamed dumplings," Kat called after him.
She snagged the food and gave chase into the dining room, Keith laughing at the antics.
"Looks like Knuckles is settling in well," Keith noted.
"I swear, he's like a brother to Kathryn, and they often bicker like siblings. I was surprised to learn he was 16 when I asked him. Honestly, it explains why the two get along as well as they do."
"I guess it would. Makes me wonder how old Sonic and the others are."
"Keith! Dad!" Kat called out, "Food's getting cold!"
"Coming!" Al called out. "We'd better go before Kathryn and Knuckles eat everything."
"Right," Keith nodded as the two headed for the table.
…
Later that night, Rouge is sitting in a helicopter with Topaz and a dozen other soldiers as they flew to Robotnik's island. Topaz had a grip on the bat's left arm as she attached a large, bracelet-like object to her wrist. Rouge looked at it with confusion and disgust.
"What is this thing?"
"It's a bomb," the commander answered, revealing a remote with a single button. "If I push this button, it will explode. No offense, but we still don't trust you."
"Understandable, but did you have to make it so gaudy?" She held the arm with the bracelet away from her body like it was infected. "And these fake jewels make me sick."
"Why would we use real jewels on a bomb bracelet?" Topaz questioned.
Rouge rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. I bet you made this thing extra gaudy just to spite me, you hag."
Topaz sputtered, turning to Rouge in anger.
"What did you call me?!"
"An old, withered hag."
"Ladies..." the commander admonished.
They continued glaring daggers at each other before the pilot's voice came over the intercom.
"We're approaching the drop zone, commander."
"Roger!" The commander called out before getting to his feet. "Everyone, get ready!"
Topaz, Rouge, the Commander, and two other soldiers all took turns leaping out of the plane, the humans activating their parachutes as Rouge spread her wings.
…
Sonic and Tails brought the Tornado II down for a landing in the Kent driveway. Amy met them in the garage, still wearing an apron and smiling widely.
"Hey guys! You're just in time for dinner. Ella and I made fajitas."
"Alright! Tails cheered, flying out of the plane's cockpit. "Her fajitas are the best."
Sonic dropped onto the ground looking around.
"Where's Keith?" He asked. "He usually meets us out here with you, Amy."
"Keith's at Kat's house," Amy explained. "Apparently school was a little rough so they hunkered down there to avoid the crowds."
"I guess after the game, their connection to us became public knowledge," Tails mused.
"He coming home?" Sonic wondered.
"Not sure yet," Amy admitted. "He seemed pretty tired when he called Chuck earlier. He might just crash there for the night."
"Well, as long as he's somewhere safe. C'mon, let's go eat."
…
On Robotnik Island, the troops gathered at the base of the mad scientist's lair.
"We need to find the entrance," Topaz said softly.
The commander looked around with a set of binoculars, then glanced up at the top of Robotnik's crooked down. He then reached for his belt, grabbing a coil of rope.
"Rouge, take this rope up to the ledge. We'll use it to climb up."
"You sure you can trust me to be out of your sight for so long?"
"We do still have the bomb on you. Besides, we have to give you some leeway. Otherwise, this arrangement will never work."
"Fair enough. Be right back."
Rouge took the rope and flew it up near the top of the base. Once the line was hooked in, Rouge threw the rope down for the other soldiers to climb up on. She shot them a thumbs up as they began climbing up, prompting Topaz to roll her eyes and return the gesture in kind.
…
Once inside, the group rushed through the halls, carefully maneuvering through the halls. Once they reached a corner, the commander activated a device on his wrist. A small, digital map began to appear on the screen.
"Alright, which way Rouge?" he asked.
Rouge gestured with her thumb.
"This way, but be careful. Eggman's known for keeping all sorts of nasty surprises for intruders."
"Speaking from experience, I'm assuming?" Topaz snarked.
"You might say that," Rouge nodded. "Let's just say that I was trying to do something very much like this when I got pulled to your world."
"Then we'd better not take any chances," the commander reasoned. "Let's move."
They all begin heading down the halls, mapping out the base one section at a time.
…
After several hours of running around in what seemed to be a massive, upward spiral, they'd come across several rooms. Most of them were assembly rooms for robots, though they did come across a bedroom that contained a sleeping Bokkun, and another with twin hammocks that seemed to belong to Orbot and Cubot. Near the top, they came to a stop as the commander looked at the map.
"Alright, the map is almost complete. All we need now is the location of the power station."
"Any idea where that might be?" Topaz asked.
"I'm a jewel thief, not an engineer," Rouge replied.
"We don't have much time," The commander reasoned. "Dawn's only a few hours away."
"Maybe we should split up," Rouge suggested. "It'll save time and cover more ground. I'll head down the south corridor while you guys go down the east."
"And leave you alone?" Topaz remarked. "I don't think so."
"She does have a point though," the commander admitted, fishing a second mapping device and the remote to Rouge's bracelet from his pocket. "Topaz, you go with her. The rest of us will go down this way."
"Try and keep up, Grandma," Rouge ribbed as she flew down the south corridor.
Topaz just growled, taking the two devices before running to catch up with her.
…
The two continued moving down the corridor until they reached a large pair of double doors.
"Think this is it?" Topaz asked.
"I'd bet my wings on it. You might wanna take a few steps back. Wouldn't want an old gal like you getting hurt.
Rouge then slashed through the doors with a few kicks. The metal crumbled in on itself, allowing the two of them entrance. The only thing inside was some kind of console with the cyan Chaos Emerald inside. Rouge's eyes went wide, grinning from ear to ear.
"Hello gorgeous," Rouge let out, flying to the console. "Come to mama."
Unbeknownst to the bespelled bat, a pneumatic door had opened up behind her. A large robot with several speakers across its body began walking out into the room. While Rouge continued admiring the gem, Topaz scanned the room for anything useful. As such, she had her back to the bot, which left her prime for the grabbing. The claw instantly scooped her off the ground, prompting Rouge to turn and see the oncoming attack aimed at her. She leapt out of the way, landing on the other end of the room.
"Rouge! Help!"
"Hang on, I'm coming!"
Rouge dove towards the robot, but it suddenly opened up a large speaker on its head. It began emitting a high pitched noise, one that made the bat scream in pain as she covered her ears. Topaz, who was right next to the speakers, also covered her ears as she cried out in pain.
…
Across the complex, the rest of the troops heard the noise as well and covered their ears
"What is that?!" One soldier shouted.
"We've been made!" the Commander assumed. "Fall back!'
"What about Rouge and Agent Topaz?!"
"We can't afford to wait for them. We'll have to trust they can handle themselves! Now move!"
…
In Robotnik's lab, he was asleep in his chair when the noises reached his ear. He let out a scream as he fell from his chair, landing hard on the cold, unforgiving ground. He sat up, rubbing his head.
"Seems we have intruders lurking about."
…
Back in the power station, Rouge was on the ground, clutching her ears in pain. The robot showed her no mercy, turning its own volume dial higher. Rouge curled up tighter as Topaz felt something wet on her hands.
"Rouge, do something!"
…
"Sounds like Noizi has found someone snooping around the Chaos Emerald storage area. Can't have that now, can we?" He then pressed three buttons marked 12, 13 14 on in, summoning some more robots. "Go get them!"
He then stood up, covering his ears as he tried to find somewhere to hide from the noise.
"I really should invest in noise cancelling headphones."
…
The noise continued for another minute, both Rouge and Topaz writhing in agony. Finally, the noise stopped, though the two did not feel good about the reprieve.
"Now… what?" Rouge managed to let out.
Suddenly three robots appeared in the doorway. Rouge recognized each of them from previous encounters. They included Behemoth, Guardbot, and Sneezer. They instantly opened fire on Rouge, prompting her to fly out of the way. The missiles exploded, showering Topaz with debris as she was forced to shield herself.
"Rouge!" she shouted.
"Working on it!" Rouge called back, dodging another missile.
Topaz happened to look down and saw that a section of the floor had been blown out. This revealed a large room which she recognized instantly as the power center. Meanwhile, Rouge attempted another attack on Noizi, but the robot turned its alarms back on, turning the volume all the way to max. Rogue fell, clutching her ears.
"Not again!"
The noise continued to persist as Noizi continued moving in closer. The other bots began closing in as well, and that's when Rouge got an idea. Mustering her strength, she flew up as high as she could just as the bots fired. Guardbot's lasers struck Sneezer, whose missiles flew at both Behemoth and the power generator. There was a massive explosion in the wake of the missiles that caused debris to rain everywhere. Unfortunately, said debris also destroyed the console containing the Chaos Emerald, much to Rouge's disappointment.
"The Emerald!"
Before Rouge could lament any further, Noizi assaulted her ears again with its sonic attack, this time threatening to stay on until her brain turned to mush. Rogue cried out, crushing her own ears. As she did, she felt the cold metal of her bomb bracelet, which gave her an idea. She took a deep breath, preparing herself before she smashed her arm against the ground, removing it. She then grabbed it and threw it into Noizi's speaker.
"Topaz, put the button!"
Seeing what she was planning, Topaz pulled out the remote and pressed the button, causing the speaker to explode. The explosion caused Noizi to drop Topaz and allowed Rouge to fly towards it, spinning at it so fast she turned into a cyclone and plowed through the robot feet first. She then scooped up Topaz in her arms.
"Time to get out of here."
She flew out of the room with Topaz in tow, just as the station was about to explode. They ended up shoving right past, Robotnik, who was running to check on the Emerald.
"Move it, Eggman!" Rouge snapped as she flew out.
"Oh, excuse me," Robotnik replied as he moved out of the way, letting them go before recognition dawned. "Wait! Rouge?!"
Before he could process this new development further, Noizi finally exploded, the resulting fireball engulfing the scientist. Luckily, Rouge and Topaz were able to outfly it, making it outside in the nick of time. The other soldiers saw them fly out of the base in the nick of time, much to their relief.
"Rouge…. Thanks," Topaz told her.
"You want to thank me, lose some weight," Rouge grumbled, struggling to stay airborne.
…
Back inside with Robotnik, he was covered in a hardy layer of soot with his mustache charred.
"You'll pay for that.." he swore, coughing up some ash.
...
The next day, Keith and Kat were back at school, dreading what was to come. Both had even contemplated just skipping, but both Al and Chuck had insisted they go. Still, they waited until the very last minute to head to school, arriving in class just as the bell rang. As they took their seats, their classmates were all staring and they could feel the latest barrage about to begin. However, that's when Mr. Stewart addressed the classroom.
"Everyone, I have an announcement. It has come to my attention that two of my students have been harrassed nonstop since yesterday. As such, I have spoken with the principal and we have both come to the same conclusion: Any student caught harassing Keith Kent or Kathryn Winters will be receiving detention and a call to their parents. Continued harassment will result in ISS and open campus privileges revoked. You do not want to know what strike three will be. So, am I understood?"
A chorus of yes' soon erupted from the class, everyone quickly turning away from Kat and Keith. Both teens let out large sighs of relief as Mr. Stewart glanced back at them. He gave them a wink and they both gave him thumbs up in return.