Back at the Kent house, Chuck and Tails were looking over any data they could find on the Solaris Project, as well as any possible Robotnik family on Earth. Orbot and Cubot were doing the same, assisting in any way they could.

"We have some more documentation for you," Orbot informed with a stack of papers in hand.

"Thanks," Chuck replied. "Just put them on the desk with the others."

Orbot put the stack with several others while Chuck and Tails continued to work.

"I'm not finding anything on the Solaris Project," Tails lamented. "Any documents that we've been able to find have been heavily redacted. Seems like no one wants anyone to know what this was about."

"It was a horrible disaster, Tails," Chuck reminded the fox. "No doubt the records were scrubbed to ensure no one could recreate it to hurt others."

"That makes sense… Let's focus on Eggman's family for now. Maybe after the accident, they sent anything he had to his next of kin."

"Good idea."

"Anything I can do to help?"

Everyone looked up to see Keith and Sonic walking into the room, looking a bit windswept, but better emotionally.

"Keith…" Chuck let out. "Are you alright?"

"Doing better now… and I'm willing to try this Solaris Project thing."

"Seriously?!" Kat let out, breaking out into a big grin. "I'm glad! God knows we could use that big brain of yours right now."

All of a sudden, she gave him a hug, which caught Keith completely off guard. After a brief moment, Kat realized what she was doing and backed away, blushing a little as a result.

"Uh…" Keith mustered. "So, what do we have?"

"Not much, I'm afraid," Chuck lamented. "Every article in regards to the Solaris Project has been redacted beyond reproach. Right now, we're searching for any other possible family that Eggman might have. Hopefully that can give us a lead."

"So, where do we start?"

"Well, how about googling Robotnik?" Kat suggested. "If we check public records, maybe we'll find something on his next of kin?"

"Assuming they didn't change their name," Knuckles countered

Keith paused for a moment. "Try… Kintobor."

"Eggman's fake name?" Sonic questioned.

"It's a longshot, I know. But they must have done something to distance themselves from Eggman once he went public. Maybe they tried a fake name?"

"It's worth a shot," Chuck allowed.

Chuck sat at his computer, typing away for any sign of 'Kintobor' in any public records. After a moment, something came up.

"Hold on… I think I found something."

Hearing that, everyone quickly huddled around the computer as Chuck brought up three public files.

"There are three Kintobor's on record. Colin, Hope, and Agatha. The latter two are teenagers with Colin serving as their legal guardian. Apparently Agatha is his biological daughter while Hope is his niece."

"At least it's a lead," Keith replied. "Does it say where we can find them?"

"I see a housing lease in Colin's name in… Green Hills, Montana."

"Wait, did you say Green Hills?" Sonic questioned, perking up at the name.

"Yes. Have you been there?"

"Yeah, all the time. I found the place while we were still hiding out here. It… kinda felt like a piece of home. I decided to go up and visit every so often, even when we became public."

"Really?" Tails let out. "Why didn't you ever mention it before?"

"I guess… I just liked having my own thing. You got your workshop, Knuckles has Angel Island, Amy has her diner… plus I didn't wanna risk any of our usual craziness following me there. It was a great place, and I didn't wanna ruin it."

"That's fair," Keith commended. "But it looks like we're gonna have to bring some craziness there after all."

"Guess so."

"We will begin making preparations," Orbot informed.

He and Cubot went off, unaware of a set of flashing lights going off behind their optics.

…

From inside his lab, Robotnik watched a live feed from Orbot and Cubot's eyes, chuckling to himself as a result.

"Green Hills, Montana, eh?" He shook his head. "You sure know how to pick 'em Colin."

"So, who's Colin?" Bokkun asked. "Your brother or something?"

"Something would be the right word for it, wouldn't it? Yes, Colin was my younger brother, and a former member of the Soleanna Military. I'm guessing after what happened, he was discharged.

"Guessing he doesn't like you then, huh?" Bokkun asked in a teasing tone.

"Oh no, he absolutely hates my weasley black guts. Always has. Still, I do think it's high time for a family reunion."

He then pressed a few buttons on his console, which suddenly caused the base to begin to shake violently.

"Wh-what's going on?!" Bokkun let out.

"What?! You honestly thought I set up shop in a dirt heep? Behold, my ultimate achievement in mobile fortress innovations! The Grand Egg-Imperium!"

…

Outside, the ground around the base began to break apart, allowing a massive black and dark red airship with patches of neon green to emerge out of the ground. It soared high above the treeline of the Mystic Ruins, towering over the jungles below them before finally taking off, with Robotnik smiling maliciously at the helm.

"Brace yourself, Sonic! Your time is just about up!"

…

The next day, the group made their way towards Green Hills. They decided to take Kat's truck so as to not arouse any unnecessary attention. Kat drove with Keith and Chuck sitting next to her, while Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles sat in the bed.

"So, you've been palling around in some small town for months?" Knuckles questioned.

"Hey, you have your hobbies and I have mine," Sonic replied, resting his hands behind his head.

"Still, a small town like this doesn't seem your speed," Tails commented.

"Just wait til you meet Crazy Carl. He's a hoot."

The two looked at each other in confusion before turning back to Sonic.

"Crazy Carl?" they questioned.

"The one guy in town who caught onto me while we were laying low," Sonic answered before chuckling a bit. "He called me the Blue Devil. I think he still hasn't quite figured out the whole Mobian thing."

"Sounds like you've had a lot of fun," Tails noted.

"It's a great place. Trust me, you guys are gonna love it."

"We'll find out in a moment," Keith informed. "We're here."

The three Mobians peeked out, seeing a sign that read "Welcome to Green Hills" written across it.

"And our quest begins," Knuckles let out.

…

After a little bit more driving, the group arrived in town, the humans looking around from the cab at the sights around them. The Mobians peaked out from the truck bed, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention to themselves

"It's certainly a nice looking place," Keith commented. "So how do we find the Kintobors? Just go knocking door to door?"

"Nah, that'd take too long," Sonic reasoned.

"Well this is an area you're familiar with," Kat responded. "What do you suggest we do?"

"What anyone who needs help in a small town… talk to the sheriff. Take a left up here."

Kat obliged, rounding the corner and unaware of a mysterious figure watching them from the street.

…

Sometime later, the truck pulled up to a small sheriff's office, prompting Sonic to leap out of the back.

"This is the place," he reported. "Just let me do the talking. I'm pretty close with the Sheriff here."

"You sure?" Keith asked as they all got out.

"Positive. Trust me."

Sonic opened the door and went inside, with the others following close behind.

…

Inside the office, a man in a sheriff's uniform was walking an eccentric looking man with a beard inside.

"Tom, come on," the bearded man insisted. "This is uncalled for."

"Warned you about those traps of yours twice already Carl," Tom replied, going over to his desk. "You don't have a permit and even if you do, bear traps are illegal."

"Since when?!"

"Since we got Mobians living in the woods."

"They're with the Blue Devil, Sheriff! They're part of his army!"

Tom sighed. "Again with this Blue Devil thing? Will you give it a rest?"

"I know he's out there!" Carl snapped. "And I know he's real!"

"No I'm not!" Sonic called out.

The two turned to see Sonic leaning against the entryway, giving a cocky smirk as Carl stumbled back. Tom quickly passed Carl to Wade. "Get him to lock up, please?"

"Yeah, sure," his deputy replied, taking the man to the holding cells as Tom approached Sonic.

"Hey Donut Lord," Sonic greeted with a two-fingered salute. "I see Crazy Carl is still the same as ever."

"He's certainly… excitiable. So, what brings you by? Haven't seen you since that Chaos business in Station Square. Really killed my interview for the SSPD."

Sonic winced. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Eh, not your fault. Honestly, the mess made me appreciate my post here more, so I withdrew the application."

"Seriously? Thought you wanted a big city cop."

"I did… till I realized that I wasn't ready for big city cop problems, and that was before all you Mobians started dropping from the sky."

"Fair enough. Speaking of, our dropping from the sky is part of the reason I'm here."

"Oh, so it wasn't to catch up and make witty conversation?"

"Next time, Donut Lord. I'm looking for a family in town who might be able to help us save the world. The Kintobors?"

That caused Tom to perk up, heading over to a file cabinet.

"Kintobor, you say?" he inquired, pulling out a file.

Sonic whistled at the thickness of it. "They keep you on your toes, huh?"

"One of them anyway," Tom replied, opening up the file as Sonic went over to look at it. "Agatha Kintobor has been quite the trouble maker since her family moved here. She hotwired three tractors and raced them down mainstreet. She hijacked the high school's bell system to let everyone out of class by noon, complete with fast clocks so no one caught on. And then there was the infamous Meat Loaf incident."

"Meat Loaf incident?"

"You don't wanna know. Trust me."

Sonic shrugged in response. "Can you take us to them?"

"Sure but… what do you need to see them for?"

"It'd be better to explain once we're there. Trust me."

Tom sighed in response. "Alright. Wade, keep an eye on things for a while."

Wade gave a salute as Tom and Sonic went off. After a few moments, another figure entered the room.

"Back already, Tom?" Wade asked, looking up and surprised to see someone he didn't recognize. "Hello?"

"Hello Mr…" he took a look at his name tag. "Whipple. My name is Franklin Stewart with the Guardian Units of Nations."

That caused Wade to sit up in surprise. "Uh, what can I do for you?"

"We're in pursuit of a dangerous fugitive that has taken refuge in this town," Mr. Stewart informed, reaching into his coat pocket and pulling out his phone. "Have you seen this man?"

Mr. Stewart showed the phone to Wade, prompting him to take a look in surprise. "Yeah, that's Hugo Brass. He works at the Mean Bean coffee shop in town. Tom and I go there all the time."

"Well, I'm sorry to say that Mr. 'Brass' real name is Stone, a former government agent who's wanted for conspiracy, attempted murder, and treason. He is extremely dangerous."

"Whoa… I've been drinking treason coffee for months…"

"Indeed…" Mr. Stewart replied hesitantly. "Listen, normally, I'd wait for the Sheriff to return, but he seems to be otherwise occupied and this is a time sensitive matter. Can I count on you?"

Wade instantly stood up to meet Mr. Stewart eye to eye.

"Yes, sir. Let's bag us a baddie."

…

Meanwhile, Tom, Sonic, and the others pulled up to the Kintobor residence. It was a small farmhouse on the very outskirts of town.

"Not exactly what I expected Eggman's family to live," Knuckles whispered to Tails.

"Guess some people prefer the simpler life," Tails commented as they climbed out of the bed of the truck.

"Nice place," Keith commented, walking up to Tom and Sonic.

"Yeah, Colin likes his privacy," Tom answered. "Don't think I've ever seen him farming though.

"Place still looks like it has some upkeep," Chuck noted.

"Let's stay on mission for now," Sonic suggested. "We can ask about housekeeping later."

The others nodded as they walked up to the house. Tom stepped forward first, knocking on the door. After a few seconds, the door opened, allowing a middle aged man with short red hair to answer.

"Sheriff," the man greeted. "What a surprise. What can I do for-"

He was suddenly cut off at the sight of the three Mobians.

"Colin, these fine people have a few questions for you if that's alright," Tom requested.

"... no."

Colin attempted to close the door, but Sonic rushed forward to stop him.

"Wait, please. We need your help."

"Whatever insanity you and my brother are involved in, I don't want any part of it."

"Mr. Kintobor," Keith spoke up, "whatever your brother was working might be the key to saving not one but two worlds. If you have anything that can help us understand what that was, we would greatly appreciate it."

"I have done everything to distance myself from that madman ever since he sabotaged the Solaris Project!"

"Sabotaged?" Keith questioned.

"So, he was always a rotten egg," Sonic commented. "Wish I could say I was surprised."

"Look, Colin," Tom spoke up. "If you have any of your brother's personal effects, we could take them off your hands. We get what we're looking for, and you and your family get to go about your lives."

Before Colin could respond, a blonde teenage girl's head poked out, much to everyone's surprise.

"If you're trying to stop Uncle Ivo, I can help."

"Really?" Keith let out in surprise.

"Hope, get back inside," Colin demanded.

"But Uncle Colin-"

"Now!"

Hope sighed, discreetly tapping a finger against her leg as she went back inside.

"Now," Colin spoke up. "If there's nothing else, I'll kindly ask you all to leave."

Colin closed the door promptly, the sound of a heavy deadbolt sliding into place filling the air.

"Well… that went well," Kat commented.

"So, what do we do now?" Sonic wondered.

"We're not fully sunk," Keith replied. "Did anyone notice the girl tapping against her leg as she left?"

"I did…" Tails confirmed. "It almost looked like a pattern to it."

"Like… morse code."

"Any idea what she was typing out?" Tom wondered.

"B. A. R. N," Chuck answered, having written it out on a notepad from his pocket.

"This place have a barn?" Knuckles asked.

"Yeah, it's out back," Tom confirmed.

…

Back in town, Agent Stone was behind the counter at the Mean Bean coffee shop, serving drinks to the customers.

"That's one iced mocha with low fat whipped cream," he read off before handing a patron the cup. "Enjoy."

As the customer took his cup, Wade and Mr. Stewart entered the establishment, spotting Stone at the counter.

"There he is," Wade pointed out.

"We need to get these people out of here," Mr. Stewart whispered. "We can't risk a panic."

"No worries," Wade saluted before stepping forward. "Alright everyone, gonna need everyone to clear out. Official business."

The statement caused a few murmurs from the customers, but they slowly began to oblige.

"That's it, move along. Nothing to worry about just a few health code issues we need to take care of. Should be cleared up by tomorrow."

Once everyone exited the shop, Wade and Mr. Stewart approached the counter. Stone looked up and saw the two approach, taking note of Mr. Stewart in particular.

"Gentlemen," Stone greeted, trying to maintain composure. "What can I do for you?"

"Drop the act for one," Mr. Stewart demanded, flashing his weapon. "I don't know how you escaped our custody Stone, but this is as far as you go."

Stone's eyes glanced down at the underside of the counter, noting his own weapon. The two stood incredibly still, waiting for the other to make their next move. Before either one could move though, the front door opened up.

"Uh, sorry the place is clo-" Wade tried to inform as he turned towards the door.

His words suddenly died in his mouth at the sight of Robotnik strolling into the shop.

"Oh don't mind me," he spoke, getting the attention of the other two. "I'm just here to pick up a to go order."

Immediately, Mr. Stewart turned towards Robotnik, drawing his weapon.

"Robotnik, freeze!" Mr. Stewart demanded. "Hands in the air!"

Robotnik obliged, raising his hands as Wade drew his own weapon.

"Oh my god, he's got robot hands," Wade realized. "He's got robot hands!"

"No you imbecile, they're gloves," Robotnik explained, pressing a few buttons with his fingers.

Just then, two pairs of drones flew in through the front door behind him, aiming their weapons at the two law enforcement officers.

"Now these are robots."

Mr. Stewart and Wade stepped back in fear as the drones closed in on them. Stone took this chance to step out from behind the counter and move towards Robotnik.

"Dr. Robotnik," he greeted. "It is a huge honor to meet you face to face."

"Ah, so you're my secret contact," Robotnik noted. "I was wondering who was sending me all that GUN intel."

"Just my small way of getting back at the organization who locked me away."

"You covered up the ARK incident and had who knows how many people killed to do it," Mr. Stewart accused.

"I was following orders. Like a good agent. And what did it get me? Prison. So, I decided to escape and cast my lot in with the other team."

"Now hold on," Robotnik protested, walking around Stone as he spoke. "I value the intel you've provided me, but that doesn't mean I want you on my team."

"I can be a valuable asset to you."

"You're a wormy little turncoat who would sell out his own mother if it meant joining the winning team," Robotnik paused for a moment, glaring him in the eye. "Not that I don't admire that, but I don't normally outsource to humans."

"I have technical expertise, I can act as a coder or hacker, I'm also well trained in 12 different forms of combat, dozens of weapons, and I can operate all manner of aerial and ground vehicles.

Robotnik just let out a yawn in response. "Still waiting…"

"Oh!" Stone realized, rushing back behind the counter. "Thanks to my time here, I can also make a mean latte."

"I have a particular palate-"

"Non fat with steamed Austrian Goat Milk," Stone cut off, coming back with a cup. "The government probed the two robots for intel during your incarceration."

He held out the cup, prompting Robotnik to take it. He took a sip of the drink, tasting the flavor and mulling it over.

"... promising. We'll start you in the minion pool and see how it goes."

"Yes!" Stone cheered, pumping his fist. "You won't regret this, sir. I promise. I also…" he reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper, "have something that would heavily interest you."

Robotnik opened the paper, his eyebrow raising as a malicious smirk spread across his face.

"Better make this latte to go."

Thinking fast, Mr. Stewart shot at one of the drones, damaging it. He and Wade took this chance to bolt as the other drones opened fire on them. They made their way towards a side exit, Mr. Stewart laying down some heavy fire, coving their escape.

"They're getting away!" Stone let out.

"Let them go," Robotnik dismissed. "It's not like anyone will get here in time to stop me. Besides, I'm fairly certain Sonic is otherwise occupied. Now come, Stone… time for the doctor to make a housecall."

…

Back at the Kintobor farm, the heroes made their way towards the barn. Tom slowly opened up the door, looking inside to see lots of tools and circuits scattered across the ground. At a workbench, a young girl with red hair and glasses was tinkering with a robotic toy dog. As Tom continued to open the door so the others could walk inside, the girl looked up rom her work and turned towards them.

"What are you doing here?!" she asked.

"Uh, hi," Keith greeted. "We're just looking for-"

"Get out!" Keith barely managed to dodge a wrench that was thrown at him. "You're trespassing and I will defend myself!"

"Hey, take it easy," Tom insisted, stepping forward. "There's no need for that, Agatha."

"Oh great, it's you," she lamented, crossing her arms. "I haven't done anything wrong, you know."

"And now I feel like I need to check the barn for anything illegal… but we're actually here to talk with your cousin."

"Hope?" She calmed down a bit. "Why do you want that goodie-goodie?"

"That's not important right now. Can you just tell her we're here?"

"Tell her yourself." She points up to the small loft area of the barn. "That's her space."

"Tails?" Sonic requested.

"I'm on it," Tails replied, giving a two fingered salute.

He quickly took off up towards the loft, seeing Hope fiddling with a metal watch with a screwdriver.

"Uh, hi," Tails greeted, causing her to perk up.

"Oh, hey. Sorry about my uncle. He can be a real jerk sometimes. Especially when it comes to Uncle Ivo."

"Yeah, he seemed very opinionated. Not that I blame him, though."

"Well you don't live with him…" Hope muttered, curling up slightly.

"Yeah… guess I don't…" Tails admitted, rubbing the back of his head. "So… you said you had something that could help us?"

"Oh yeah." Hope hopped up and walked over to a bunch of boxes stacked in a corner.

"Wow," Tails let out. "What is all this?"

"Some of the stuff that belonged to Uncle Ivo before he disappeared. Aggie and I hid it by labeling it as extra clothes during the move.

"Why hang onto this stuff at all? If what Colin said is anything to go by, Eggman was never a nice guy to begin with."

"He usedt to tinker a lot and had so many great ideas. Imagine repurposing them for the good of the people. We couldn't just let them burn."

"I can respect that. I'm a bit of an inventor myself."

"Wish everyone else thought so," Hope replied, her face dropping a bit. "Uncle Colin doesn't exactly approve of either of us inventing. Says he wants to wipe the 'Robotnik curse' from this family for good. Then he showed up as Dr. Eggman, and then there was the whole ARK thing with Great Grandpa Gerald…"

"No wonder you decided to change your name," Tails pieced together, glancing back at Agatha. "So, what about your cousin? It almost sounded like she…"

"Doesn't like me? You're not too far off. She's more interested in using her intellect for her pranks and hijinks than anything worthwhile. That and I think she resents me for crashing her life. You see, I used to live with my Grandma, but… she passed away about 4 years ago. Heart attack."

"Oh… I'm sorry."

"Not your fault. She rested against a wall before sliding down. "After that, Uncle Colin took me in, but it was… difficult to adjust. I went from my kind, understanding grandma to an uncle who took my blueprints and burned them…"

"And you haven't been able to make any friends in town?" Tails assumed, sitting next to her.

"Being the cousin to the town terror doesn't exactly endear people to me…" she shook her head, getting to her feet. "But I'm sure you guys couldn't relate."

"Actually, I do," Tails confirmed, standing up himself. "Truth is, growing up, I didn't have any friends either."

That caught Hope off guard. "Seriously? But I've seen you guys on TV. You're amazing."

"Nice of you to say, but back home, back in the day, everyone picked on me for wanting to invent. They said I was just like Eggman, even though I wanted to use my inventions to help."

"Heh, deja vu… so, how did you get past it?"

"I just kept at it, hoping to find at least one person who could see me as a friend," Tails looked down, seeing Sonic leaning against the doorway. "Eventually, that turned out to be Sonic. He was the first person to actually see the value of my inventions. He really became a friend when I needed one the most."

…

Several years ago…

Sonic and Tails found themselves standing outside a massive casino area, squinting a bit at the bright lights and loud sounds. Sonic let out a whistle in response.

"Casino Night Zone," Sonic recognized. "The gambling capital of Mobius. Why'd you wanna meet here?"

"Well, I was tinkering with this long range scanner device and it picked up something incredibly powerful inside," Tails informed, showing him the scanner. "According to my research, there's only one match for this power on record."

Sonic looked at the screen, showing the display of several multicolored gems.

"A Chaos Emerald," they both said at the same time.

"My Uncle told me stories about the Emeralds. They say they can transform thoughts into power."

"I've heard that too. Legends says when all seven Emeralds are collected, the power creates a miracle."

"Miracle? What kind of miracle?"

"I'm not sure. But either way, a Chaos Emerald falling into the wrong hands could be serious trouble."

"Agreed. We'd better get moving."

"Right," Tails agreed, suddenly pausing at Sonic's words. "Wait… we?"

"Yeah, you and me," Sonic confirmed, turning towards him.

"What?!" Tails let out, taking a step back. "But… but I just called you to warn you. I'm not a field guy."

"I seem to remember an incident at the Chemical Plant that says otherwise," Sonic recalled, crossing his arms in a cocky manner.

"Well, yeah… but that was-"

"Look, I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think you could handle this. Besides," he held out his fist, signaling a fist bump. "I'm gonna have your back every step of the way."

Tails looked down at the fist before looking back up at Sonic's reassuring face. Finally, he let out a sigh.

"Ok… I'm in!" he declared, returning the fist bump.

…

Once inside, the two made their way through the long stretches of bright buildings, slot machines, and a massive pinball table that Sonic decided to have some fun with. He sped down the table bouncing across the bumpers before hitting one of the flippers. It instantly shot him upwards, allowing him to bounce from bumper to bumper before finally reaching the top, landing on his feet where Tails was waiting for him.

"You know, I could've flown you over that," Tails offered.

"Yeah, but where's the fun in that?" Sonic remarked, resting his hands behind his head. "An adventure is no fun if it's too easy."

"Heh…" Tails remarked as he and Sonic walked off. "Only Sonic the Hedgehog would say something like that."

Tails continued looking at his scanner, following the signal towards one of the roulette tables. The two looked up to see the blue Chaos Emerald resting on one of the turntables.

"Sonic," Tails let out. "There's the Emerald!"

"Great! Let's grab it before-"

Suddenly, something grabbed the two by the scruff of their necks, raising them into the air. The two turned back to see a large polar bear in a green scarf and a brown hat holding them.

"Hey!" Tails cried out.

"Let us down, ya big galoot!" Sonic demanded.

"Well, well, well," a new voice let out.

Sonic and Tails looked up to see a purple weasel in a cowboy hat and boots slowly walking up to them, flanked with what looked like a green duck in a red neckerchief, casually tossing a circular bomb to himself.

"If it ain't the famous Sonic the Hedgehog," the weasel remarked. "Fancy seeing you in these parts."

"Always nice to meet a fan," Sonic remarked. "Want an autograph?"

"Oh I think you can get us a little more than an autograph," the weasel retorted, pulling out a wanted poster that had Sonic's face on it. "Eggman's put a hefty price on your head."

"You wanna sell out Sonic to Eggman?!" Tails realized. "But he's the only one who can stop him!"

"It's business, kid. Nothing personal. Ditch the twerp, it's the hedgehog we want."

The polar bear tossed Tails aside, causing him to collide with one of the slot machines before hitting the ground. This set Sonic off as he quickly punched the polar bear in the face, causing him to stumble back and drop Sonic. Sonic then leapt up, unleashing several speed punches to the bear's face before flipping over him, allowing the bear to drop to the ground.

"Hey!" the weasel cried out.

"Coming after me is one thing," Sonic declared as he turned to face him. "But mess with my pal, and it's gonna get personal."

The Weasel gritted his teeth in response.

"Bean, deal with this guy. I'll try and wake up Bark."

"Sure thing, Fang," the duck replied before chucking the bomb in his hand at him.

Sonic quickly sped out of the way before it blew, prompting Bean to throw more and more bombs as a result. Tails meanwhile rubbed his head in pain as he looked up to see Sonic in the fight.

"Sonic… I gotta help him. But… how?"

He looked around for anything that could help, before turning back to the slot machine. He looked down at his device before looking back up at the machine, a smile gracing his face.

Fang meanwhile, managed to slap some sense back into Bark, causing him to wake up. Once he was awake, Fang looked out to see Sonic dodging and weaving between the bombs, moving quickly towards Bean. thinking fast, Fang curled his tail so he could use it as a spring. He launched himself into the air, kicking Sonic just as he was about to hit Bean. As Sonic hit the ground, all three of the hooligans circled him, with Fang even drawing a gun.

"Eggman said he wanted you dead or alive," Fang remarked. "Can ya get what my preference is."

Before any of them could make a move, there was a dinging sound coming from one of the slot machines. The three turned towards it, just as countless Mobian rings came shooting out, nailing the three thugs.

"Haven't you heard?!" Tails cried out as he manned his scanner, which was hacking into the machine powered by the Emerald. "In Casino Night Zone, everyone's a winner!"

"Why that little-" Fang let out, trying to level his gun.

"Genius?" Sonic asked, kicking his legs out from under him. "Believe me, I know."

Sonic then grabbed Bark's arm and flipped him into Fang and Bean, pinning them to the ground. Fang groaned in pain, seeing his gun on the ground and reaching for it. Noting this, Sonic saw one of Bean's bombs and casually kicking it towards the trio before speeding over to Tails.

"I think it's time for us to go," Sonic informed.

"Right," Tails agreed. "Need to go before they get back up.

The two flinched as the bomb went off.

"Or someone asks us to clean this up," Sonic remarked, eliciting a laugh between the two before heading off.

…

In the nearby Hilltop Zone, Sonic and Tails sat around a campfire, marveling at the Emerald.

"Wow," Tails let out. "According to my scans, the power levels for this thing are incredible."

"Hard to believe something so powerful could come from something so tiny," Sonic remarked. "Makes you wonder what could happen with all seven."

"Well, hopefully we won't have to worry about that for a while," Tails replied, stowing the Emerald away. "So… I guess this is it, huh? I head back to my village, and you go on your next adventure."

"That's right, just me, the waiting horizon… and my new partner."

That caused Tails to perk up.

"Wait, you mean…"

"I was just thinking… you and me… we make a good team. Plus, its… nice having someone out there watching my back, you know? Now I won't lie, things will be dangerous. So if you don't want to-"

Sonic was suddenly cut off by Tails hugging him, much to his surprise.

"Whoa…" Sonic let out as Tails backed off. "Not quite the reaction I expected."

"Sorry, it's just…" Tails looked back at the fire for a moment. "I'm not used to people wanting me around. But when I'm with you on these adventures, it feels…" he turned back towards him. "where I belong, you know?"

"Actually, I do. Traveling the world at high speed stopping Eggman is great, but… it gets pretty lonely after a while. It is nice to have someone to travel with," Sonic put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm really glad you're here, Tails."

Tails couldn't help but smile in response. "I'm glad I'm here too."

Sonic then let out a yan before getting to his feet. "Well, we'd better call it a night," he picked up a pitcher of water and used it to put out the fire. "Maybe we can find some more emeralds in the mor-"

As he looked back, he saw that Tails was already fast asleep. Smiling, Sonic grabbed a nearby blanket and walked over to him, draping it over him.

"Good night, Tails," Sonic said before laying down next to him, suddenly having Tails' twin tails draped over him.

…

"Sonic showed me that I didn't have to let other people's words get to me," Tails continued as Hope listened intently. "He inspired me to leave my village and help him in his fight against Eggman. He helped me grow into… a better version of me."

"Wow," Hope responded. "You think… you think that could happen for me."

"I know it can. It might take some time… but you can't give up."

Hope smiled at the prospect, optimistic about the future for the first time in a long time.

…

Later that day, Colin was going over some bills, working out how to pay them, on top of the latest fines incurred by Agatha.

"Ugh… what am I gonna do with that girl?"

As he said this, there was a knock on the door. He let out a groan of frustration before getting up to answer it.

"Sheriff, whatever Agatha did, can it wait until-"

Just as he was about to put his hand on the knob, a strange sparking came emanating from it. He backed away in shock, watching as the sparking continued until the door knob fell completely off. Before Colin could react, the door was then pushed over, revealing none other than Robotnik standing in the doorway with electricity sparking from one of his gloves and a sadistic grin across his face.

"Ivo…" Colin let out.

Robotnik blew on his electric glove, causing the sparking to stop before turning back to him. "Hello… brother. Did you miss me?"