After the battle on Prison Island, everyone retreated back to the Kent manor. Sonic had laid low, making sure to keep away from windows and even slept inside for once. The next morning, everyone gathered in the living room to watch the report on Prison Island.
"After a massive gas leak sparked an explosion on Prison Island, an emergency search team combed the decimated island for survivors. Fortunately, the team now reports that everyone made it off the island safely."
Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief.
"If that's the case, then Chessie could still be alive," Keith pointed out.
"I doubt it," Amy pointed out. "They lied about Sonic, they lied about what caused the explosion, so they may be lying about this."
"I don't think so," Sonic insisted, recalling Shadow's face when he heard Chessie's voice. "I don't know why, but I think Shadow got her out."
Everyone looked at him in surprise.
"Are you sure?" Tails asked. "He didn't seem like someone who would go out of his way to help anyone but himself."
"I didn't think so either. But the way he reacted when he heard Chessie's voice… it's almost like he knew her somehow."
"Or perhaps her voice reminded him of someone," Chuck suggested. "It's more than likely.."
"And in other news, G.U.N. units are still on the hunt for Sonic the Hedgehog, who is-"
Ella then turned off the TV, letting out a snort.
"G.U.N. may be looking for him, but nobody in Station Square will even think about turning him over," she declared.
"Doesn't matter who's looking for me. Chessie's still out there and I have to find her."
"Let us help you, Sonic," Keith insisted.
"I don't want anyone else getting in trouble because of me."
"Hey, we already broke into a high security prison," Amy pointed out. "We're already in trouble."
"Besides, if we work together, we can find Chessie, and figure out why G.U.N. is trying to frame you," Tails pointed out.
"... alright. Just be careful."
They all grinned, then headed off to begin their search.
…
Meanwhile, Knuckles and Kat trekked across a desert, both of them angry and seething.
"Okay, I'm gonna come out and say it," Kat declared. "This has been the worst two days ever."
"You can say that again," Knuckles growled. "Rouge forces us to shatter the Master Emerald again, and now she keeps stealing all the pieces before we get them."
"She even took my satchel! My mom gave me that satchel!"
"Hey, calm down. We'll get it back."
Kat took a deep breath, letting out a sigh.
"Sorry. I think the other scavenger hunt was more fun."
"Heh, yeah, I guess it was."
All of a sudden, the ground began to shake. Both Knuckles and Kat were sent falling to the ground as a loud rumbling echoed in the distance. After about a minute, the noise died down and the ground stabilized.
"What was that?" Kat let out.
"It sounded like a rocket," Knuckles answered.
Picking themselves up, the two ran up a sand dune where they could see smoke rising from. As they reached the top, they were shocked to see a massive pyramid on the sand. Several pipes leading from its base into the ground made it clear who it belonged to.
"Eggman," Knuckles deduced. "It has to be."
"Let's get back to Station Square. The others will want to hear about this."
…
Meanwhile, high above the earth's atmosphere, Chessie stood alongside Shadow, looking out the windows of ARK. They could see the entire planet below them, the sight taking Chessie's breath away.
"No matter how many times I see it, I still can't wrap my head around it. You transported all three of us hundreds of miles to this station… using Chaos Control. What even is this place?"
"It's called Space Colony ARK," Shadow explained.
"ARK… I remember seeing that in the file I peeked at. I couldn't get much more than that." She paused, then turned to Shadow. "Why is it here?"
"It was built by Professor Gerald Robotnik for scientific exploration and experimentation, but it was shut down fifty years ago. It's been kept secret ever since."
"Wow..."
She smiled, placing her hand on the window and looking down at Earth once more. Shadow watched her, his mind shifting between Chessie's image and the image of the blonde girl. He closes his eyes, turning away.
"The blue hedgehog… he called you Chessie, right? Is that… short for something?"
She turned back to him, giving a small nod.
"Yeah. Cheshire the Cat." She gave him a grin.
Shadow tightened his eyes harder, remembering something…
…
ARK, 50 years ago.
Shadow was staring out towards Earth while Maria was sitting one of two large pillows by the window. She had a book in her hand, the title reading 'Alice in Wonderland'. She was reading it aloud to Shadow, smiling the entire time.
"`Please would you tell me,' said Alice, a little timidly, for she was not quite sure whether it was good manners for her to speak first, `why your cat grins like that?' `It's a Cheshire cat,' said the Duchess, `and that's why. Pig!'" She shouted pig as loud as she could, actually startling Shadow. "Hehe. I got you!"
Shadow just smirked a little.
"How many times have you read that book anyway?"
"It's my favorite. Alice manages to escape into this wonderful world to get away from the doldrum of everyday life. I envy her really."
"I know how you feel. I sometimes wonder if we'll ever get to go to Earth."
Maria put her book aside and walked over to Shadow.
"What do you think it's like down there?" she asked.
"I don't know," Shadow admitted. "The Professor said that his work was for the benefit of all who live down there. That his purpose in life was to make people happy."
"My grandfather hasn't let us down before," Maria insisted. "Once he finishes his work, we'll go down to Earth together. We'll explore every inch, just the two of us."
"That would be nice. Maybe once there… I can finally figure out my own purpose. The Professor said he created me to do something important, but he never told me what it was."
"We'll figure it out together," Maria promised, taking Shadow's hand.
Shadow smiled as he held her hand tight.
…
"Why so melancholy?" Rouge asked, snapping Shadow out of his trance.
Both Chessie and Shadow turned to see Rouge walk into the room.
"What are you doing here?" Shadow asked.
"I just wanted to say thank you for getting us out of there. It was pretty unexpected, but welcoming too."
Shadow just scoffed in response.
"I only came back for the Chaos Emeralds. You two were just extra."
"Whatever you have to tell yourself," Rouge remarked. "Guess you're not as broody as you let everyone believe."
Shadow shot her a glare before walking out of the room. Chessie watched him go, her curiosity growing with every minute.
"Guess some people can't take a compliment," Rouge jeered.
"Hey Rouge… How much do you know about this place? Or Shadow for that matter?"
"Not much, I'm afraid. The official report says that the ARK was shut down because of some kind of accident."
"Accident?" Chessie looked back in the direction Shadow had gone. "I wonder if that's what really happened..."
…
Meanwhile, Orbot and Cubot were placing the Chaos Emeralds into the Eclipse Cannon while Robotnik was manning the controls.
"The Emeralds are set, Doctor," Orbot reassured.
"Excellent," Robotnik replied. "Just let me type in the coordinates."
As Robtonik continues working, Shadow, Rouge, and Chessie enter the control room.
"So that's what you guys needed the Emeralds for?" Chessie asked. "This rusty antique?"
"This 'antique', as you put it, has enough firepower to destroy an entire planet," Robotnik boasted. "I could blow the Earth sky high if I so desired!"
"That's about as crazy as putting egg puns in his inventions despite not wanting to be called Eggman," Cubot whispered.
"Personally, I think it's because he likes being antagonized so he can yell at people," Orbot remarked.
"I can hear you, you know!" Robotnik yelled, causing the bots to flinch.
Rouge ran her finger on part of the Eclipse Cannon, gathering up quite a bit of dust before blowing it off.
"Are you even sure it works?" she questioned.
"Just you wait," Robotnik promised. "I'm going to be the ultimate big shot with this bad boy!"
"Even so, you only have six out of the seven Emeralds," Chessie reminded.
"That's more than enough for a demonstration," Shadow told her. "So how about we get this started."
...
Back on Earth, Franklin and Scarlet arrive at an old dilapidated house. Franklin glanced at an address he'd scribbled out on a piece of paper, checking it with what was on the side of the house.
"This is the place."
"It might be difficult getting him to talk," Scarlet reasoned. "His life pretty much fell apart after what happened with the ARK. if we push too hard, he may not tell us anything."
"We need to find out why ARK was shut down, and what it has to do with Sonic. Otherwise, an innocent hedgehog will suffer for crimes he didn't commit."
"Right… let's go."
The two walk inside, finding a homeless man munching on what looked like a fast food burger. He looked over when the two entered, looking them up and down.
"Yer a bit clean ta be squattin' 'ere."
"We're looking for someone," Scarlet answered. "A Mr. Schmitz?"
"Yeah, the old guy. He sleeps over there."
The man gestured to an empty room behind him. The two walk inside, seeing just an old bed. Franklin put his hand on the bed, feeling the temperature.
"It's still warm. He just left."
"Then let's wait for him."
…
At the Kent house, everyone was out on the search except for Helen, Cream, and Cheese. They were sitting in the living room, watching Blumpy the Dancing Monster under the watchful eyes of Ella. While usually, both girls would be dancing along with the colorful character, today they were both looking rather melancholy.
"I wish we could help with search," Cream lamented. "We were able to help with Froggy."
"Froggy was a lost frog. This is Eggman. It's a bit much for the two of us."
"I know. I just wanted to be useful to Sonic and the others."
"It's okay, Cream. We'll be able to help them out next time."
Cream smiled in response, the two of them turning back to the TV. Suddenly, their program cut out, causing both girls to gasp.
"Not again!" Helen let out.
"The last time this happened, Eggman was behind it," Cream recalled.
Just then, Robotnik's face appeared on the screen, much to their horror.
"It's Eggman!" Both girls shrieked, grabbing hold of each other.
"Citizens of Earth, lend me your ears, and listen to me very carefully. You already know me as Dr. Ivo Robotnik, the greatest scientific genius. Soon however, you will know me as the first ruler of the entire planet."
…
While searching the city, Sonic caught sight of the broadcast himself.
"What's he up to this time?"
"My guess, nothing good," Keith answered.
"Now, I must ask everyone to direct your gaze upwards. Towards the sky itself."
Everyone began looking up at the night sky, wondering what Robotnik had planned.
…
Out in space, a stray asteroid seemed to drift close to the Earth. Just then, the front of that asteroid exploded off, revealing a space station that appeared to be in the shape of Robotnik's face. Its "nose" began to light up with an incredible amount of power, taking aim at the moon.
"I now possess the most powerful destructive force in the universe! Here is but a small sample of what I can do with it."
With an almost deafening crackle of power, a massive beam of light shot out of the nose-shaped cannon, striking the Earth's moon. It exploded in a massive display of power, leaving only half of the moon still intact while the rest was mere space debris. Everyone watching was completely dumbstruck by this threatening display, horrified whispers and outright screams echoing all over.
"Did… did he just blow up the moon?" Keith let out.
"Looks like Eggman's stepping up his game," Sonic noted.
"But how'd he get enough power to do that?" Amy asked.
"Chaos Emeralds," Tails reasoned. "It's the only explanation. Sonic, didn't you say Shadow had one the other night and declared that 'everything started' with it?"
"He did," Sonic confirmed. "And I get the feeling he was referring to this."
"I hope I've made my point clear. Either you surrender your planet to me, or I blow up your planet piece by piece. Starting with the good old US of A. You have 24 hours!"
…
Chessie's jaw was on the ground as she stared out the window at the shattered moon. Rouge was in a similar state of disbelief, a hand over her mouth as she was rendered speechless. Shadow just looked on, smirking in response.
"It won't be long now…" He muttered.
Chessie managed to finally find her voice, turning to Shadow.
"You… you wanted this? Why? Do you have any idea what you've done? You've just doomed an entire planet!"
"So what?" Shadow replied, walking off.
She quickly rushed to stop him, grabbing his arm.
"This is wrong, and you know it!"
He then shoved her off, causing her to collide with a nearby wall.
"Don't presume to judge me! You don't know a thing about me!"
She picked herself up, but was too late to stop Shadow from leaving. She grunted, rubbing her head where she hit before looking back at Robotnik.
"You're not actually going to destroy the planet, are you? If you do, you'll be dooming yourself."
"Oh please," Robotnik replied. "Why would I blow up the entire planet if I wanted to rule it? This console allows me to manage the Cannon's fire power, destroying whatever chunks of the world I see fit."
"Then what's to stop me from just hijacking the console and completely shutting this place down?"
"You mean aside from the fact that I have your precious cables and equipment?"
Chessie growled, then Rouge took her arm.
"Come on kitty, you need to cool off before Eggman decides to declaw you further."
Rouge pulled Chessie out of the room, leaving Robotnik alone with Orbot and Cubot.
…
Back at the Kent house, everyone reconvened upon hearing Robotnik's declaration. Everyone was in an utter panic, especially with the destruction of the moon.
"He blew it up!" Amy screamed. "Half of the moon is just gone! We need the moon!"
"The moon was so pretty," Cream thought. "Why did Dr. Eggman have to break it?"
"He's not really gonna blow up the planet, is he Sonic?" Keith questioned.
"Not if I have anything to say about it!" Sonic declared.
"But there's no telling how many Emeralds he has," Chuck reasoned. "If he has all seven, we may already be too late."
"Except he doesn't," Tails informed. "He at least doesn't have one."
Everyone immediately turned to Tails, their eyes wide. Tails blinked.
"What? I thought you guys knew this."
"Tails, we're all a bit frazzled," Amy pointed out. "Please explain."
"I have a Chaos Emerald powering the X-Tornado. Why do you think I was able to use Cyclone mode?"
"I figured you were just able to siphon some energy off," Sonic admitted.
"Well yeah, but I do have the Emerald. The mayor gave it to me as thanks for stopping that missile a while back."
"Then it looks like we might have an edge on Eggman after all," Sonic realized. "Unfortunately, we still don't know where he is."
"I can try to use the Emerald to find the others, but if they're in space like that super weapon, it's going to be tricky."
"I don't need easy," Sonic replied. "I just need doable."
…
Back on the ARK, Shadow was gazing out the window, looking down at the Earth below him. He heard a door open behind him, then footsteps approaching.
"Shadow?" Chessie called out.
Shadow turned around and saw Chessie slowly approaching him.
"What do you want?" He asked.
"I just… you were right, earlier. I don't know anything about you. I know facts I read in a file, but nothing about who you are. So… I came to ask. Who is Shadow the Hedgehog?"
"... no one you need to concern yourself with."
"But I want to," Chessie insisted. "Shadow… I'm like you. I'm an artificial Mobian."
"I see. So what?"
"I was built for a purpose: to steal the Chaos Emeralds for Eggman. I managed to break through my programming and become my own person. I'm wondering if… if this is what you want, or what Gerald Robotnik wanted."
Shadow just scoffed in response.
"This has nothing to do with either Robotnik's. This is about Maria."
"Who?"
Shadow paused, realizing what he'd said. He gritted his teeth, turning away.
"None of your business!"
He stalked out, leaving Chessie alone.
"Maria…?"
…
The next day at the Kent house, Tails was working on the X-Tornado, hoping to make the proper modifications to find the remaining Chaos Emeralds. Chuck and Keith were helping him out as best they could.
"So, do you think these modifications will help us locate the Chaos Emeralds?" Keith asked.
"I think so," Tails replied. "But if they're in space, one Emerald isn't gonna be enough power."
"We'll need more than one, but I highly doubt there are any more left here on Earth," Chuck remarked.
"I realize that," Tails replied. "So I decided to take action."
He then pulled out what looked like an exact copy of the yellow Chaos Emerald. Keith blinked, then took a look at the copy through his goggles.
"Did… did you make a fake Chaos Emerald?"
"It's obviously not as powerful, but the wavelength and properties are nearly identical."
Keith nodded, his scans showing similar data.
"I just hope it's enough for the X-Tornado," Chuck remarked.
"Only one way to find out," Tails declared.
…
Back with Franklin and Scarlet, the man they were looking for had failed to return.
"Maybe he spotted us coming and it scared him off," Scarlet deduced.
"It's possible," Franklin allowed.
As they walked down the street, they were unaware of the men in masks that were following them.
…
Meanwhile, Sonic was continuing the search throughout the city. He knew it was unlikely he'd find anything, but he felt useless just sitting and waiting for Tails. As he rounded a corner, he suddenly skidded to a stop when he saw a patrol of G.U.N. agents standing by a van. One took notice of him, instantly grabbing their gun.
"Hey! It's him!"
"Uh-oh!"
Sonic instantly bolted in the other direction, narrowly avoiding the shots being fired.
"All agents, Sonic was just spotted at Dreamcast and 1st street! All units move in! Terminate with extreme prejudice!"
Before long, Sonic found himself surrounded by G.U.N. robots, guns aimed right at him. He clenched his fists, preparing for a fight until a baseball rolled next to his foot. He looked behind him and saw Knuckles punching his way through one of the bots. Kat was right behind him, using her bat to knock the soldiers on the backs of their heads.
"Knuckles! Kat!" Sonic cheered. "Man am I glad to see you!"
"Hey, Sonic," Knuckles replied. "Long time no see. Would've been here sooner, but things got in the way."
"So I can see," Sonic replied, leaping in and spin dashing through a robot.
"Hey Sonic, toss me that ball!" Kat requested.
Sonic grabbed it and tossed it, Kat hitting it right into a bot coming up behind the hedgehog. Knuckles finished off the last one, landing on a G.U.N. soldier attempting to get back up.
"So, you mind telling us what you did to piss these guys off?"
"Nothing! I'm just a fall guy."
"Heh, Sonic the Hedgehog as the scapegoat. Who'd have thought?"
"Yeah yeah, laugh it up why don't ya?"
"Uh, guys?" Kat spoke up, pointing to some approaching shadows. "I think those guys called reinforcements,"
"Terrific," Sonic lamented.
Just then, the X-Tornado touched down near them, with Tails and Keith inside.
"Everyone, hop on!" Tails instructed.
The three wasted no time climbing aboard, Kat taking her seat as the two Mobians hopped onto the plane took off as Kat and Keith shared a fist bump.
"Seems like you guys have been busy," she remarked.
"No more so than usual," Keith replied.
"Did you find Chessie?" Sonic asked.
"Chessie?" Both Knuckles and Kat repeated.
"Eggman's got her," Sonic explained. "It's a long story."
"No sign of her," Tails lamented. "But I was able to intercept a transmission between Eggman and the President. If we can pinpoint the origin of that transmission, we'll find him and Chessie."
"Well then, what are we waiting for?!" Sonic remarked.
…
Inside the President's limo, the President was in the middle of a video call with Robotnik.
"Listen, Dr. Robotnik," The President spoke. "Your… presence, has been more than noted. Just tell us what you want, and we can figure something out.
Robotnik chuckled in response.
"Well of course, Mr. President. I won't bore you with details since you're such a busy man. My demands are simple, your complete and total surrender to the Robotnik Empire."
"And if I refuse?"
"To put it bluntly, your country will cease to exist."
"I… I can't."
"You can't what?"
The President dropped to his knees.
"I can't give you an answer right now."
"You're just stalling so you can mobilize a counter attack. You have 24 hours to give me your answer."
"I…"
"No way!"
The President and Christina looked outside to see Sonic running alongside the limo and leaping inside via the sunroof. Both of the current occupants made room, staring at the hedgehog.
"Sonic?!"
"Eggman Empire? Yeah, right!"
"I had hoped you'd been destroyed along with Prison Island, but I suppose that was too much to hope for. No matter, not even you can stop me in time."
"We'll see about that, Egghead," Sonic remarked as Tails flew in and began hacking the transmission Tails. "Good to go, Tails?"
"Almost," Tails replied. "... I got it! Looks like he's transmitting from somewhere called 'Space Colony ARK'."
"Then next stop, the ARK!" Sonic declared.
The two then leapt out of the limo, leaving the President and Christina more than a little thrown.
"What just..." The President let out.
"Sonic came to the rescue," Sam spoke up from the driver's seat. "Again."
…
Up on the ARK, Robotnik was more than a little antsy after his talk with Sonic. Despite his bravado, his track record with the hedgehog left him more than a little weary.
"So how'd it go?" Rouge asked, walking into the room with a satchel full of Emerald Shards. "Are we now free to rule the planet and do as we choose?"
"Not exactly," Shadow replied. "The blue hedgehog caused our threats to fall on deaf ears."
"Now that's gotta be embarrassing."
"Don't forget your end of the bargain, batgirl!" Robotnik snapped. "My help in exchange for the Chaos Emeralds. So where's that last one?!"
"Relax Eggy, it's on its way."
She sat down on the ground and began counting the Emerald Shards, a small smile on her face. Robotnik growled, then scattered them with a kick. Her eyes went wide as she scrambled to recover them.
"Hey!" she shouted. "What was that for?"
"If I am to make good on my threats, I need all seven Chaos Emeralds!" Robotnik told her. "I refuse to let that hedgehog ruin my plans again! I want that Emerald, and I want it, now!"
"Trust me, it's on its way. The fox boy's got it and he's using it in that fancy plane of his."
"What?! How can you be sure?"
"Because of this," Rouge answered, walking over to the computer and pulling up a news article.
"What's this?" Robotnik asked, looking at the article. "Station Square saved from life threatening missile attack. The city awarded it's most famed prize to the boy who saved Station Square. Miles 'Tails' Prower was given the Chaos Emerald at a ceremony held at city hall."
Suddenly, Robotnik's furious face turned into a sinister smirk.
"This couldn't be more perfect. Now, Sonic and his foolish friends are bringing the keys to my victory to me."
…
The X-Tornado streaked across the sky, flying over the desert, Amy and Tanaka riding in a jeep just below them. As they traveled, Knuckles and Kat explained what they'd been up to, as well as what they had seen.
"So you found Eggman's base?" Sonic asked.
"A high tech pyramid in the middle of the desert?" Knuckles replied. "Oh yeah. We saw a rocket shoot right out of it, probably how Eggman got into space. Chessie and your shadow must be with him, and with what you said, so is that batgirl."
"Meaning all the Master Emerald Shards she stole from us are probably up on Ark," Kat surmised. "Guess it's a good thing we came back to Station Square."
"You're telling me," Sonic replied.
"I see the pyramid!" Tails declared. "It's dead ahead!"
Everyone looked out, seeing the Pyramid closing in. The Jeep came to a stop and the X-Tornado landed, everyone disembarking. They all walked up to the steps of the Pyramid, finding the stairs to be an escalator.
"No surprise he has an escalator," Amy quipped. "I doubt Eggman could make it up all these steps without passing out halfway through."
Everyone snickered at the imagery, even Tanaka cracking a smile. As they ascended the stairs, Topaz watched from behind a column.
"Sonic and his friends are entering the Pyramid," she reported into a radio. "I'll continue surveillance."
She then stowed her radio, following them inside.
…
Inside the base, the group found themselves standing before a massive, locked door. Knuckles attempted to punch it open, Amy whacked it with her hammer, and Kat even used an exploding baseball. Unfortunately, despite their efforts, the door remained snugly in its frame.
"Yeesh," Amy let out. "What's this door made of, Megatal?"
"Clearly, we will not be able to bring it down with sheer force," Tanaka voiced. "Master Keith, any suggestions?"
Keith used his goggles to scan the door, noting a keyhole in the center of it.
"Looks like there's a keyhole in the door. Meaning there must be a key around here somewhere."
"No sweat," Sonic replied. "We'll find it easy. Right, Knuckles?"
"Me?!" Knuckles let out. "Why me?!"
"You're the treasure hunter, aren't you? Finding a key should be a piece of cake for you."
"You can run faster than the speed of sound! Why don't you run around until you find it?!
"What, afraid you won't be able to find it? Maybe you're not as good a treasure hunter as everyone thinks."
"Hey!" Kat stepped in. "What do you think we've been doing for the past two days? We're both amazing treasure hunters!"
"Then treasure hunters of your caliber should have no problem finding something as simple as a key," Tanaka reasoned.
"Alright already!" Knuckles relented, grabbing Kat. "Come on!"
The two went walking through the pyramid, Knuckles grumbling the entire time.
"And they wonder why I prefer to work alone..."
"I am literally right here," Kat reminded him.
"You know what I mean."
"Hey!"
The two looked up ahead to see Bokkun standing in front of them.
"I hope you two know you're trespassing."
The two stopped walking, giving Bokkun deadpan stares. Kat then silently pulled her bat off her back.
"Bokkun, we're in a hurry," Kat explained. "So beat it before I beat you into scrap metal."
"If you guys don't leave now, then I'm gonna have to make you leave!"
"Why you little-" Knuckles almost let out.
"Knux," Kat interjected. "I made the threat, I need to follow through with it."
She then grabbed Bokkun by the head, tossing him into the hair and batting him down the hall. Bokkun bounced a few times, then he skidded across the floor before coming to a stop. With a small nod, Kat and Knuckles moved on.
"I warned ya!" Bokkun declared, pulling out a remote. "Go clobber em, Egg Golem!"
"Egg Golem?" Knuckles and Kat said at the same time.
…
Back with Sonic and the others, Sonic looked at his watch while tapping his foot impatiently. Keith, Tails, Tanaka, and Amy were all just sitting there while Topaz continued hiding behind a column. Suddenly, the entire pyramid shook.
"What was that?" Amy asked.
Suddenly, Knuckles came running back towards the group, pulling Kat along with him.
"Whoa, did you find the key already?" Keith asked.
"Not quite!" Kat let out. "Bokkun sicced a Golem on us!"
The group looked up and saw a massive stone statue walking towards them, with Bokkun on its head. He was fiddling with the remote, grinning from ear to ear
"Let's see what this button does!"
The Golem readied its fist and threw a punch towards the group. They all scattered, allowing the Golem to punch down the door.
"Well, it wasn't the key we were looking for, but the door's open," Knuckles declared. "Happy now, Sonic?"
"I guess," Sonic replied.
The two turned towards the Golem, ready for the fight ahead. Bokkun cackled, pushing another button on the remote.
"How about a taste of the spin cycle!"
The Golem's upper torso then began spinning rapidly, allowing it to strike Knuckles so hard he collided with the wall.
"Let me take a turn!" Sonic volunteered, leaping towards the Golem and running along it's spinning arms.
"Ooh, here's the clap trap!" Bokkun declared, jamming his finger on yet another button.
Sonic tried leaping towards the Golem, but it's massive hands grabbed him and slammed him right into its forehead. Sonic fell, a massive lump on his forehead.
"Knuckles, you good?" Sonic asked.
"Yeah," Knuckles replied. "Let's finish this thing!"
Sonic leapt up to spin dash the Golem as Knuckles rammed right into one of its legs. This destabilized the Golem enough to knock it to the ground and fling Bokkun off.
"Well, that was easy," Sonic declared.
"Piece of cake," Knuckles agreed.
Bokkun fumbled for the remote, quickly finding it and hopping to his feet.
"It's not gonna be that easy!" Bokkun promised, getting the Golem back to its feet.
"Give it up, Bokkun!" Sonic insisted.
"No way," Bokkun replied. "You better give up now, or else!"
"Or else, what?" Knuckles challenged.
Bokkun grinned, then hit another button. The Golem lunged forward, grabbing Topaz from her hiding spot. She screamed as she pulled into the air, trapped in the Golem's crushing embrace.
"Her!" Knuckles recognized.
"That agent woman who was with Rouge!" Kat declared. "What is she doing here?!"
"Looks like I hold all the cards now!" Bokkun boasted.
"You will release the woman immediately," Tanaka warned.
"No way!" Bokkun insistec, holding up his remote. "As long as I've got this thing, I'm the one in control! You idiots don't stand a-!"
Keith yanked the remote out of Bokkun's hand. The robot yelped, looking up just in time to see him smirking.
"I wonder what this button does," he declared, pressing a button.
The golem dropped Topaz, who was almost immediately caught by Tanaka. Once she was safe, Keith used his gloves to fry the remove, the casing snapping and the buttons popping out.
"No!" Bokkun let out, turning to the Golem as its head spun out of control.
Once the golem righted itself, its eyes locked on Bokkun, who quickly took off running out of the pyramid. The golem followed in pursuit, leaving the group alone by the now open door.
"Are you alright, Miss?" Tanaka asked Topaz, who was still in his arms. "That brute didn't hurt you, did it?"
"I'm fine," Topaz reassured, blushing a little bit. "Thank you."
"Hey guys!" Amy called out from inside the room. "Guess what I found!"
The others ran into the room to find a massive space shuttle inside.
"Well, at least this answers the question of how Eggman got to space," Sonic spoke up.
"And it solves our seating problem," Knuckles pointed out. "If we're bringing Chessie back, we're going to need something bigger than the X-Tornado."
"Right," Tails agreed, letting out a small sigh. "Guess I did all that work for nothing."
"Don't sweat it, Tails," Sonic reassured. "I'm sure it'll come in handy someday."
"Maybe," Tails replied.
"I should probably get going," Topaz admitted. "I was supposed to be keeping an eye on you."
"You're not with G.U.N, are you?" Sonic asked,
Topaz quickly held up her hands.
"No, no. In fact, I'm part of an investigation into what's been going on. I know you've been framed, and so does most of the government. Unfortunately, we're still not sure what G.U.N. is hiding."
"It has something to do with something called Project Shadow," Sonic informed. "Start there."
"Project Shadow," Topaz quickly noted that down. "Thank you, and good luck."
…
Within a few minutes, everyone was onboard the space shuttle, primed to blast off. Everyone strapped themselves in, Keith and Kat looking at each other in nervous anticipation.
"We're going to be the youngest astronauts ever," Kat declared. "I love our lives."
"I know, right?" Keith replied. "We're going into space to save the world from a super laser. This is beyond cool."
"Watch out Eggman," Sonic let out. "We're coming for you."
Finally the engines fired, launching the crew into space and towards ARK.