Eventually, Rouge managed to fly ahead of the others, following the two kids down the street and spotting them approaching a large metal bunker. Once up to the door, they performed a secret knock, signaling whoever was inside to open up the door and let them inside. The door closed back up just as Rouge touched down. She walked up to the bunker, looking the structure over before activating her wrist comm.
"Guys, I found something," she informed the others. "It's some kind of emergency bunker in the middle of the street. My guess is this is where survivors hunker down when that Iblis creature decides to make a mess."
"Makes sense," Topaz remarked. "See if you can make contact with them. We'll join you as soon as we can get there."
"Roger that," Rouge replied before hanging up.
She slowly walked up to the structure, looking it over as she approached the door. Taking a chance, she knocked on the door, hoping to get a response from anyone inside.
"Hello?" she called out. "Anyone there?"
She leaned against the door, listening in to hear whispers from those inside. They ranged from asking who she was and where she came from to whether or not she could be trusted. Rouge mulled this over before knocking again.
"Listen, my friends and I need some help. You might be our best chance of getting back to where we belong. Please."
Rouge leaned against the door again, listening to even more whispers regarding her presence. Rouge became a little disconcerted, hearing that they were less than trusting of her. Before she had a chance to leave however, the door to the bunker opened up, revealing a human dressed in white with blue skin and orange hair.
"Hallo," he greeted, surprisingly friendly sounding.
"Uh… hey," Rouge greeted.
"I apologize for making you vait. My colleagues are a little on edge since the last Iblis attack. I can't imagine vhy a fire monster would make someone so tense."
He chuckled to himself as Rouge looked on, eyebrow raised.
"Oh, I apologize. I find adding some vit to a situation can relieve stress. I know it seems in poor taste to make lite out of…" he gestured around, wincing in sympathy as he did. "Zis, but I feel if we let despair take hold in us, we may as well give up."
"That's… actually kinda inspiring," Rouge admitted, holding out her hand. "Names Rouge."
"Professor Dietrich Von Schlemmer," he replied, shaking her hand in kind. "Now come. I vish to help you vith… well, vhatever it is you need help with."
"First, I gotta ask," she replied as they went inside. "Why the blue skin?"
"Oh, funny story actually. Not haha funny of course, but I believe it was a Tuesday…"
…
Meanwhile, Shadow was in the midst of fighting off the soldiers that had chosen to attack him. He started skating along the walls of a nearby building, dodging and evading the laser blasts that were being fired at him. Finally, he leapt off, darting towards one of the soldiers and kicking him in the face, knocking him to the ground as he landed, quickly kicking the legs out from under another soldier. Before he could make another move however, a soldier armed with specialized gauntlets struck him from behind, knocking him across the ground until he skidded to a stop.
"Why are you attacking me?" he demanded. "How could I have caused all this?"
"Don't act all innocent," the soldier accused. "I don't know how you escaped, but you're going back where you came from, you monster!"
The soldier tried swinging again, but Shadow easily evaded the blows before grabbing the fist and hurling him aside. As he landed on the ground, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a radio.
"This is Colonel Grifith to headquarters. We need back up! Repeat, we need-"
Shadow suddenly rushed forward and snatched the radio, crushing it in his hand.
"You're too late, freak. Reinforcements will be here any second."
"Damn," Shadow let out, turning towards the remaining forces staring him down.
Seeing few options, Shadow darted forward, ready to contend with what this world had to offer.
…
Back at the bunker, Rouge was telling Professor Schlemmer about their situation, leaving out the part where they were from the past.
"To put it simply, Professor, my friends and I need to get to Angel Island. There's something there that we need to get to, and the sooner the better."
"Angel- oh, you mean Onyx Island. Vhy in the vorld vould you vant to go to a place like zat?"
"Like I said, it's got something we need. We're working on a transport, but we need a power source. Ya think you have something around here that can help us?"
"Hmm… as a matter of fact-"
Just then, a small radio on the professor's lab table began to crackle.. He quickly picked it up and listened in.
"Yes?...vhat?! Zat is impossible! How can he be-?! Yes, vell, do what you can to stop him."
"Something wrong?" Rouge asked.
"My apologies. An old enemy has resurfaced… a very dangerous enemy. Shadow the Hedgehog himself."
"Shadow?! Are you sure? Black hedgehog? Red highlights? Scowls ninety percent of the time?"
"As if there was any other Shadow the Hedgehog." The professor began gathering things across his lab, looking to go on the offensive. "He must be stopped, before we lose what little remains of this crumbling world."
"But that's… I mean…"
Not wasting a moment, Rouge instantly took off, much to Schlemmer's surprise.
"Wait! You'll be safer in here!"
"It's not my safety I'm worried about!" Rouge called back before activating her comms. "Chessie, Topaz, do you read me? I found the locals, but some of them are after Shadow. They seem to think he's their enemy for some reason."
"What?" Chessie replied. "Why?"
"Not sure. But we need to find him fast, before they do something everyone is going to regret!"
"Right. Find Shadow then send us your coordinates. We'll be there soon."
"Copy that." Rouge turned off her comm, looking concerned. "For the love of Aurora, Shadow… why do you always end up in messes like this?"
…
Meanwhile, Shadow quickly backflipped over some oncoming blaster fire before darting forward, ramming into a soldier before ducking and avoiding another one's vibroblade. He then leapt over another strike and punched him out, quickly porting out of the way before more soldiers could open fire. He quickly teleported himself to a nearby alley, staying hidden from his pursuers so he could activate his own comms.
"This is Shadow, anyone there?"
"This is Rouge, I hear you, Shadow. Where are you?"
"In the middle of a game of cat and mouse with some seriously ticked off humans. I'm at an intersection near the edge of the city, but I don't know how long I can stay hidden."
"Just worry about staying alive. Though knowing you, that shouldn't be too hard. Sit tight, help's on the way."
"Will do."
"Over here!" one of the soldiers called out. "I think I heard something!"
"Dammit," he cursed, quickly leaping back and forth between the two walls of the alleyway until he reached the roof. He quickly started skating along the roof, hoping to put some distance between him and his pursuers. Behind him, he could hear shouting, and people rushing after him. They even started firing at him, which he quickly tried to avoid. As he reached the edge of the roof, he leapt off, narrowly dodging a blaster shot from one of the soldiers before landing and pressing on.
…
Meanwhile, Sonic's group continued searching around, hoping to find Shadow in time.
"This city's so big," Knuckles commented. "We may not be able to find Shadow in time."
"Shadow's a tough one," Sonic reassured. "He can hold out. We just need to find him."
"Hey guys!" Kat shouted from atop a pile of rubble. "I see something!"
"What is it?!" Knuckles called back.
Kat squinted into the distance. "I-... I think it's Shadow!"
"See? Told ya he'd be ok," Sonic remarked.
"Yeah, but he's got a lot of company!"
Sonic quickly took off up to the top of the pile and saw the pursuing soldiers tailing after Shadow.
"Rouge was right about him finding trouble," Kat noted.
"And he didn't invite me," Sonic remarked. "How rude."
Sonic quickly leapt up and rolled into a ball, streaking down the pile and towards the soldiers. As the soldiers continued to pursue Shadow, they quickly stopped when they saw Sonic barreling towards them. They never even got a chance to get out of the way before Sonic mowed them all down like bowling pins. Kat carefully made her way down the pile and back onto the ground, taking off with Knuckles and Topaz to catch up with Sonic. Sonic quickly brushed himself off as Shadow leapt down to the ground.
"So, what'd you do to tick these guys off?" Sonic asked.
"They say I'm responsible for what's happened to the world," Shadow replied.
"Really?" Sonic snorted. "Deja Vu. Think they think you're me? Like what happened back when you first showed up?"
Shadow raised an eyebrow at that, and Sonic deflated. "Man, I can't wait for you to fully remember…"
"Well… to answer your question, no. They accused me by name. But I can't imagine myself causing something like this…"
"Me neither. And that doesn't exactly line up with the fact that Silver called me out for the same thing.
"Agreed. Something is off here."
Before the conversation could continue, more soldiers suddenly started approaching from either side of them. Sonic and Shadow quickly went back to back as the soldiers readied their weapons. Before one of them could get a shot off, a quick swing from a bat caused him to drop to the ground out cold, revealing Kat standing behind him. Then, Knuckles leapt up and punched one in the face, knocking him out. The soldiers quickly opened fire on the group, causing them to scatter.
Topaz managed to roll out of the way of one soldier's line of fire before kicking him in the gut and the spin kicking him in the face, knocking him out. Sonic and Shadow were still back to back, taking out soldiers that tried to come close. Shadow turned around just as some more soldiers prepared to attack. Just then, a bright yellow light shot out of nowhere, striking one soldier after another. Finally, the light snapped back, revealing itself to be a high tech boomerang that returned to the hand of Tails as he and the others arrived.
"Hope we're not too late," He commented.
"Just in time, actually," Shadow confirmed, quickly knocking out another soldier.
Chessie quickly shot her cables out, yanking the guns of two soldiers out of their hands so Rouge could fly in and kick them both in the face, knocking them out. Keith quickly generated several energy balls and chucked them at the soldiers to take them out as Hope generated an energy shield, deflecting some energy blasts before throwing it at another soldier, taking him out.
"Just when we thought this place couldn't get any crazier," Keith commented.
"You're telling me," Hope replied. "Why are they attacking us?"
"They think Shadow's responsible for the end of the world," Sonic answered, Spin Dashing into a soldier.
"What?! That's insane!"
"Tell that to these guys," Chessie hissed, snapping her cables like twin whips
"And somehow, I doubt they're in a listening mood," Tails remarked, hovering mid air and tossing his boomerang again.
"So what do we do?" Knuckles asked, punching a soldier out. "I'm not sure we can get through all these people and make it to the island on time."
"Working on it," Sonic replied, spin dashing another soldier.
"I don't suppose just standing down would work," Keith suggested.
"They'd probably just shoot Shadow on sight," Rouge shot down, kicking another soldier.
Knuckles knocked another soldier back, his head colliding with a nearby wall. He rubbed in pain as he got back up, noting the Echidna's prowess in battle.
"It's… not possible…"
His eyes drifted over to Kat, who was fighting right beside the Echidna. After a rough swing of her bat, her medallion bounced on her chest, catching the light. This caused the soldier's eyes to go wide as he got to his feet.
"Stand down! Everyone stand down!" he called out.
All the soldiers quickly stopped their attack, much to everyone's confusion.
"Thomas, what's gotten into you?" one of the other soldiers hissed.
"The girl," he pointed out. "Her pendant," he turned to her. "Where did you get that?!"
"She got it from me," Keith replied, stepping in front of her.
"It belongs to Lara," Thomas retorted.
"We know," Knuckles replied. "But before it was Lara's, it was hers."
"How is that possible?"
"Because we're from the past," Kat answered. "About two hundred years to be exact."
"That's… that's not possible."
"It's true," Tails insisted. "We were sent here by a villain from the past using a power known as the Flames of Disaster."
"You know it better as Iblis," Sonic added.
The soldiers all whispered amongst themselves, nervous and suspicious. That's when Hope spoke up.
"If it helps, we're friends of Silver and Blaze."
"Silver? Blaze?" Thomas questioned. "They're alive? No one's heard from them since the last Iblis attack."
"Oh, they're alright," Sonic reassured. "They ended up getting sent to our time, and now we're working together to try and stop this horrible future."
"If that's true…" a soldier pointed right at Shadow, causing Chessie to step in front of him, "then you can start by eliminating that monster."
"Not on your life," Chessie threatened.
"Look, Shadow may have a bit of an attitude," Rouge commented. "But he'd be the first one to put his life on the line to save the world. He's done it before."
Thomas waved down the irate soldier. "Look, if you really are here from the past, then that means there's a chance to make this world whole again."
"We're actually trying to work on that," Keith replied. "We think we have a way to get back to our own time, but we need help to do it."
"Your pal Professor Schlemmer said he'd lend a hand before the call went out about Shadow," Rouge chimed in.
"Then we'll bring the matter to him," Thomas decided. "Let's return to base."
The soldiers and heroes started to move out, with Keith and Kat walking side by side.
"That's the second time this week that pendant saved our butts," Keith noted. "Man, I'm glad I bought that thing."
"You and me both," Kat replied, gently rubbing the necklace with her thumb.
…
The group then returned to the bunker, explaining to Professor Von Schlemmer what was happening.
"Oh my," he let out. "Zis is troubling news."
"I know it's a lot to take in," Topaz commented. "But it's all true. Please, help us get to the island."
"Once we're there, we can use the Emerald there to go back and fix all of this," Knuckles reassured.
Schlemmer paused for a moment, stroking his chin and looking over at Shadow.
"Zis is a… perplexing situation to be sure. I'm not sure vhat to make of him," he gestures to Shadow. "But, if you are trying to save zhe world, it would be vorth it in zhe long run."
"So you'll help us?" Rouge asked, hope emanating from her face.
"But of course. Hold on one second, I vill be right back."
Professor Schlemmer quickly went to his lab to find the part he needed, leaving the heroes to look around the bunker and see some of the living conditions the people had to survive in. Several cots lined the walls with basic blankets and pillows. Very few personal possessions at the ends of the cots. Weapons racks were lined up against other walls as well as strewn pieces of tech lying about the place.
"I can't imagine anyone living like this," Keith commented. "This is… horrible."
"That's one word for it," Knuckles commented.
"Well, at least when we go back, we can fix all this," Tails tried to reassure.
"That's the plan," Sonic added.
"Still, part of me can't help but wonder what role Mephiles plays in all this," Chessie remarked. "I mean, why send Silver and Blaze back to our time? And how does he know Shadow?"
"Chessie's right," Tails concurred. "There are still so many questions we don't have answers to. Including the energy Eggman was able to siphon from Elise herself to power his prototype."
"Well, we aren't gonna get answers just standing around," Knuckles replied. "As soon as the Professor gets back with that power source, we're huffing it to Angel Island."
As the group talked, Rouge decided to take a look around the bunker. As she walked around, she saw a partially closed door and decided to peek inside. Seeing what was inside, she gasped in shock, an act that didn't go unnoticed by the others.
"What is it, Rouge?" Topaz asked.
"You are never going to believe who I just found…"
The others looked at each other in confusion before heading over, Rouge opening the door to see an offline Omega hooked up to several wires and computers.
"Omega?" Shadow let out.
"What's he doing here?" Chessie wondered.
"Your guess is as good as mine," Rouge commented as Chessie went over to check on him.
Chessie made her way to the back of Omega and opened him up, checking on his systems.
"How is he?" Shadow asked.
"He seems operational," Chessie noted. "But it looks like he's in standby mode, for some reason."
"All this is just another reason to get back to our own time as soon as possible," Topaz insisted.
"Agreed," Rouge concurred.
"I have it!" Schlemmer called out, calling the others back.
They all walked back to the main area where Schlemmer was holding a small cylindrical device in his hands.
"Zis is a portable generator I developed for our troops. It should be sufficient enough to take you and your friends to the island."
"Thank you, Professor," Tails replied, taking the device. "This will be more than enough. Come on guys, let's get going!"
The group started to leave, with Shadow holding back to see the room where Omega was held.
"Come on, Shadow," Rouge insisted. "It's not like we can do anything for him here."
After a moment, Shadow regained his focus and joined back up with the others to leave.
…
There was some static at first, until then, his eyes flashed on. He looked around, seeing that he was in some kind of laboratory.
"It worked!" an unfamiliar voice declared. "He's awake!"
"That might not be the wisest outcome," a more timid voice commented.
"Yeah, and it's not smart either," a dimwitted voice agreed.
"Quiet, you two," the first voice chastised before its source, a small female in a red coat and dark glasses walked into view. "Welcome back online, Metal Sonic."
Metal Sonic slowly sat up on the work table he was on, looking down at himself. He was back in his Mk I body, which was shiny and brand new.
"Where am I?" he asked. "Who are you?"
"You're in Dr. Robotnik's new base," she explained. "My name's Eggatha, and I'm going to make sure you're back to your old self."
"Why?"
"Because you're a super cool robot that can kick Sonic's butt ten times over. Besides, you came so close to actually beating him permanently, and there's no way I can turn that away."
Metal Sonic remained silent.
"Huh, thought you'd be more welcoming to praise," Eggatha admitted, shrugging before turning to her computer to check diagnostics. "Eh, no biggie. We both have an appetite for destruction. I have a feeling you and I will be best friends in no time."
Metal Sonic's eyes flashed upon hearing that last word, recalling something from his data files. It was the last thing he witnessed after his previous fight with Sonic and his friends.
"I… don't understand… why… why can't I defeat you?" Metal Sonic asked, his body slowly reverting back to its original state.
"Because no matter how strong you get, or how many weapons you have, I possess the one thing you will never have." He walked right over to Tails and Knuckles, giving them both a sincere, heartfelt smile. "True friends."
The phrase "true friends" played over and over in Metal Sonic's processor before finally turning towards Eggatha, who looked back smiling.
"Friends…" Metal Sonic let out, content with the notion.
…
Back in the future, the genius team managed to install Schlemmer's generator and get their ship airborne. Once in flight, they wasted no time jetting towards Angel Island, Knuckles looking out the window to see the shape his home was in.
"I still can't believe this is the future…"
"Knux…" Kat was staring at one tree in particular, one that held the burnt-out remains of her tree house. Knuckles saw that, placing a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
Eventually, the ship landed next to the shrine of the Master Emerald, only to get out and find that the shrine was empty.
"It's… gone," Rouge let out in surprise.
"How is that possible?" Keith asked. "You… you don't think it was destroyed, do you?"
"No, it still exists," Knuckles confirmed. "I can feel it. It's weak, but it's still here on the island."
"If that's true," Sonic spoke up. "I can only think of one place it can be."
"The Hidden Palace."
"The what now?" Rouge inquired.
"A secondary shrine for the Master Emerald in case the island came under attack," Knuckles responded. "In times of danger, it will hide itself there, but being away from the main shrine means the island can't fly."
"Which would explain its current position," Shadow noted. "So where can we find this palace?"
"There," Knuckles replied, pointing to the mountain behind them. "It lies deep within the heart of the Red Mountain."
"You mean we have to go through another volcano?" Rouge lamented.
"It's the only way we're getting out of here," Knuckles reasoned. "Of course if you have such a problem, you can wait outside."
"Not a chance," Rouge retorted, placing her hand on his face and shoving him aside.
"Well, if it's our best option," Hope spoke up. "Then let's go for it."
"Right," Sonic concurred. "Knuckles, lead the way."
Knuckles nodded, beginning the march towards the Hidden Palace.
…
After a bit, the group made their way to the base of the mountain. Knuckles felt around on the rock, finding a stone that stood out. He pressed it, allowing a part of the mountain to open up, revealing a crystal lined cave inside.
"Just follow the trail down to a large opening," he instructed. "It should be easy to get to the Palace from there."
"Sounds good," Sonic remarked, stepping ahead and looking towards Shadow. "Try not to be late, ok?"
"Heh, I should be telling you that," Shadow retorted.
Almost instantly, the two took off into the cave, leaving the others in the dust.
"Years of memories he's still trying to piece together, and yet it's his rivalry with Sonic that comes to him the easiest," Chessie lamented.
"Eh, boys will be boys," Rouge shrugged.
"Come on," Tails insisted, hovering in the air. "I know the way."
Tails quickly flew off, with the others following close behind. Knuckles and Rouge fell behind, the former to close the entrance for protection, and the latter to get a look at the shimmering surroundings she found herself in.
"Would you look at that shine," she commented. "And it's been sitting in this giant hunk of rock this whole time. Your little paradise is full of surprises."
"That's for sure," Knuckles admitted. "There are secrets about this place even I don't know about."
"One has to imagine what growing up here was like," she commented as the two walked on. "That must have been quite lonesome. Stuck here, watching over the Master Emerald, with no one to talk to. I'm surprised you didn't jump ship from going stir crazy."
"I had my duties. Protecting the Master Emerald overtook any personal desires I had. I don't expect you to understand."
"Why?" Rouge replied, sounding a little offended. "Because I'm a jewel thief? Because I don't have some 'higher calling'?"
"Well-"
"Well, nothing. Some of us aren't so lucky, alright? Some of us…" her face dropped a little. "Some of us just had to do what we could to get by."
Knuckles perked up, catching on to her meaning. "Is that what you had to do?"
Rouge remained silent for a moment before nodding. "I grew up on the street. I learned pretty quick that if you want something in life, you have to take it. I got pretty good at it too. Eventually, I decided to try my hand with bigger marks. Gems, jewels, you name it. The more expensive the better. Eventually, I set my sights on the biggest score of all."
"The Chaos Emeralds," Knuckles realized.
"Bingo. I actually snuck into Eggman's base to steal them when Chaos Control happened. It's how I ended up on Earth. I planned to bide my time until the Emeralds were found again and make my move, but then Topaz captured me and the President recruited me. After a while, I felt… content. Like I had a new start, ya know?"
Knuckles smirked a little in response. "Actually, I do. When we first got to Earth, I hated it. Wanting nothing more than to get back home and return to my duties." He chuckled. "Then a certain human caught me in a net."
"You two do seem like you're cut from the same gemstone," Rouge retorted.
"Yeah… and being friends with her has let me see more of the world than I ever thought possible. Really… opened me up to things…" he chuckled a little to himself.
"What?" Rouge asked.
"Nothing, it's just… I used to get ticked every time Sonic or Eggman would bring their war to my island… but now I realize how much working with Sonic has opened me up to… life…"
…
On the beaches of Mobius, Mobians were enjoying the sand and surf. They were either playing volleyball, swimming in the water, or laying out on the sand. The latter was being done by a mobian deer, who was just enjoying being out in the sun. Just then, a large shadow suddenly appeared over her, causing her to take her sunglasses off and look up. She went wide eyed when she saw a massive floating island looming over the beach. On the underside of the island were numerous large turrets that aimed right at the ground. They opened fire, causing the citizens to scream in terror before running away.
…
Up in the air, the Tornado Biplane flew towards the island, with Sonic and Tails looking on in astonishment.
"Looks like those floating island reports were right," Sonic noted, standing on the wing of the plane.
"It's Angel island," Tails realized. "But what's it doing out here?"
"Not sure, especially considering Knuckles kinda hates having company. Somethings up here. Try and bring her in close."
Tails nodded, turning the Tornado so it would veer towards the island. As it did however, several turrets aimed upwards, locking onto the small biplane. The turrets opened fire, forcing Tails to steer out of the way and Sonic to hang on tight.
"Whoa!" Sonic let out. "Not exactly a warm welcome!"
"Hang on!" Tails informed. "This is gonna be close!"
"When isn't it close?!"
The Tornado continued veering around the shots, only for one to hit the side of the hull.
"We're hit!" Tails let out. "We're going down!"
The plane started smoking as it plummeted down towards the ground, Tails doing his best to level it out. This was proving to be quite a challenge since the ground was fast approaching.
"Tails!" Sonic called out.
"I see it!"
Finally, Tails managed to level the plane out, causing them to skid along the ground. Sonic quickly grabbed hold of Tails before the two leapt out, causing the Tornado to collide with a giant mushroom. The two heroes picked themselves up, seeing that Tornado was dented but otherwise intact.
"I can make repairs later," Tails informed.
"Sounds good," Sonic replied. "Right now, we need to find Knuckles and get some answers. Where are we anyway?"
"From what I could see of the island before we got hit, we seem to be on the far side of the island," Tails looked up, taking in their surroundings. "In some kind of… mushroom forest."
Sonic looked up, seeing that they were indeed surrounded by countless giant mushrooms. He grimaced at the thought.
"Ugh… I hate mushrooms."
"Come on, Sonic," Tails insisted as they walked on. "It's not that bad."
"Oh sure, not bad. If you don't mind giant, smelly, gross mushrooms all in your face. They look weird, feel wrong, and taste awful. And they grow on rotten stuff, Tails. Rotten stuff. And we're supposed to eat them?!"
"Hey look on the bright side. At least you're not the only 'fungi' around here."
"Oh, boo. Boo!" Tails chuckled as Sonic bemoaned him. "I just might get a new partner after that-"
Just then, a massive ax came swinging towards them, causing Sonic to tackle Tails to the ground before it could hit. The two quickly looked up to see a massive dark blue bot that was only a torso with a cylindrical head and an ax in its hands.
"Well, I wonder who you belong to," Sonic remarked before getting back on his feet.
Sonic leapt towards the robot, narrowly dodging the ax swing before nailing it in the chest and leaping off. In response, the robot swunt its ax at a nearby mushroom, causing it to fall towards Sonic as he landed. He quickly backflipped out the way just in time.
"Guess you hate mushrooms just as much as I do."
The bot swung again, making Sonic speed away.
"Over here, tough guy!" Sonic called out.
The bot chased after Sonic, actually detaching its head and heading in a different direction. The bot managed to catch up with Sonic, continuously swinging its weapon at Sonic. The hyperactive hedgehog easily dodged, evaded, and leapt out of the way of each swing, his cocky smirk seemingly attached to his face.
"This the best you got?!" Sonic mocked, actually running backwards to taunt it. "Come on, challenge me a little. I've have better fights from-"
Just then, the robots head suddenly collided with Sonic from behind, causing him to tumble on the ground before colliding with a mushroom. Sonic groaned in pain before seeing the bot approach, its head returning to its body as he readied its weapon.
"Killed under a mushroom." Sonic lamented. "Worst way to go ever."
Before the robot could get off a swing, a red blur rushed by, colliding with the robot and causing it to spin in the air. The blur landed, revealing itself to be Knuckles as he planted a fist in the ground, allowing him to skid to a stop.
"You machines have ravaged my island long enough!" He declared.
He leapt up onto the machine, punching it in the face repeatedly and denting the head severely. The robot then grabbed Knuckles and tossed him to the ground. It tried to take a swing at Knuckles, but Sonic rushed in, his spin dash colliding with the ax just before it hit Knuckles. The constant spinning caused part of the blade to break off, allowing Knuckles to leapt onto the spin dash and launch himself right at the robot, allowing his fist to go right through the chest. Knuckles leapt off as the robot crashed to the ground, exploding as Sonic walked up.
"Hey there, Knuckles," Sonic greeted. "Was just looking for you."
Knuckles quickly spun around, grabbing Sonic by the throat and pinning him to a mushroom.
"Why is it whenever trouble comes to my island, you're never far behind?!" Knuckles accused.
"Nice to see you too," Sonic grunted.
"Knuckles wait!" Tails called out, running up to them. "Let him go! We're not responsible for this!"
"Then what's going on?!" Knuckles demanded. "Just a few days ago, I was protecting the Master Emerald as usual, and the next thing I know, robots show up out of the woodwork trying to raze this place to the ground."
"Gotta be Eggman's toys," Sonic assumed.
"Eggman? The guy who tricked me last time?"
"That's the one. Robots are his bread and butter. He's also the one who's turned your island into a flying war machine."
"What?!" Knuckles let out, dropping Sonic to the ground.
"This thing is moving towards the mainland with enough guns to level a city," Sonic elaborated, rubbing his neck. "Surprised you hadn't noticed."
"Well sorry, I've been a little distracted," Knuckles replied, crossing his arms.
"That was probably Eggman's plan," Tails deduced, stroking his chin. "Sending an army of robots to keep you occupied while he set up shop."
Knuckles clenched his fists in response. "Well, he won't take my home without a fight."
"Then let's get to that rock of yours," Sonic replied, getting back up. "It's what he's gotta be using to power this thing."
"If the island is under attack, the Master Emerald has to be in the Hidden Palace. It's a safe refuge for the Emerald should the worst come to past."
"I say this qualifies," Sonic replied, about to head off. "Let's go!"
"Hold it, hedgehog," Knuckles let out, putting a hand on his chest. "The Hidden Palace is hallowed ground. Only the Guardian of the Emerald is permitted in there."
"Tell that to the madman who's using your home to attack mine," Sonic replied, swatting the hand away.
"This is my duty. And I'll do it alone."
"Like you did last time Eggman was here?"
Knuckles' brow furrowed at that.
"You really wanna test me?!" Knuckles challenged.
"If it's you, should be an easy A," Sonic remarked, taking a stance.
"Then come on! Bring all three feet of you!" Knuckles declared, raising his fists.
"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Tails let out, quickly getting in between them. "Fighting each other isn't going to stop the situation. Eggman's gonna level all of Mobius if we don't do something!"
Sonic quickly took a breath, easing up. "Tails is right. We can waste time fighting each other, or we can take your home back. What do you say?"
Sonic held out a hand, which Knuckles looked at hesitantly. Reluctantly, he took it.
"Fine… come on."
…
Knuckles quickly led Sonic and Tails into the Hidden Palace, running along crystal lined hallways until they came out to a massive room. It had several pillars in a circle around a massive shrine that had the Master Emerald on it. To Knuckles' surprise, there were several small devices surrounding the Emerald that seemed to be drawing power from it.
"What in the…" he let out.
"Those devices seem to be siphoning power from the Emerald," Tails recognized.
Just then, there were a loud cackling ringing out from around the room. Just then, part of the cave wall broke open, causing the three to leap back as Robotnik's Eggmobile busted through. It was tricked out with a spiked mohawk laid across a glass dome and two large arms with spiked knuckles on each fist. The fists clenched as the Eggmobile lowered down to the three of them, its pilot flashing a sadistic smile as he did so.
"You're absolutely right, fox boy," Robotnik remarked. "That's exactly what it's doing."
"You!" Knuckles called out. "What have you done to the Master Emerald!"
"Oh I've done nothing. Just installed a series of energy siphones that are drawing power from your precious Emerald to power my latest war machine."
"The island!" Sonic realized.
"Bingo! I sent a probe in here to seek out the Emeralds energy source and draw power from it so it could power jet thrusters and laser turrets that are lined across the islands underside. Turning this hunk of rock into a flying death machine that will level the neighboring cityscape! Allowing me to build a hundred new robot factories that will create the forces with which I will conquer the world!"
Knuckles scowled in response. "Never!"
Knuckles then leapt up, ready to punch Robotnik out. Robotnik used one of his massive hands to knock him back, causing him to collide with the wall. Sonic then took a turn, rolling into a spin dash and launching himself at Robotnik. Robotnik then used his large hands to grab Sonic before slamming him into the ground. Sonic shook his head before rolling out of the way of a massive punch. Sonic then leapt up and tried spin dashing at him again, only for the Eggmobile to lower and make the spikes in the line of fire. Sonic quickly came out of the spin and grabbed one of the spikes, spinning on it before launching himself to the ground, speeding away from another attack. Knuckles meanwhile leapt off of the wall and landed on the back of the Eggmobile, trying to punch his way inside.
"Get off my back!" Robotnik demanded, throwing the Eggmobile into reverse.
It collided with the wall, flattening Knuckles as he pulled off and allowing the Echidna to fall towards the ground. Tails quickly flew up and grabbed him before he hit the ground.
"You ok?" Tails asked as he set him down.
"I guess so," Knuckles replied. "We have to stop this guy."
"If the turrets and engines are powered by the Master Emerald, then we need to disconnect the power source."
"If we remove the Master Emerald, this island will fall onto the planet's surface, and we're not over the ocean."
"Right…" Tails pondered for a moment, trying to think of a plan.
He turned towards the Master Emerald, seeing it pulsating with energy. The sight suddenly gave Tails an idea.
"I got it!" he declared, flying in the air a little. "Knuckles, do you think you can make the Master Emerald give more power to Eggman's systems?"
"More power?!" Knuckles let out. "Are you crazy?!"
"Just trust me!"
Knuckles was hesitant, unsure of what Tails was planning. However, the situation was growing more dire by the second, so he relented.
"Alright, let's go!"
While Tails and Knuckles made their way to the Emerald, Sonic continued to duke it out with Robotnik. He easily dodged the mechs big arms, but was unable to attack the mech directly. When he tried, Robotnik held up his big arms and knocked him. As Sonic ran towards him, Robotnik swung another arm towards him, prompting the hedgehog to drop his knees and limbo under the swipe. Once the arm passed, Sonic leapt back to his feet and ran towards the cave wall. He ran up it, prompting Robotnik to fly after him.
"And where do you think you're going, hedgehog?" Robotnik taunted. "The only place you can go is right into my clutches!"
"That's the plan!" Sonic replied, leaping off the wall towards the mech.
He rolled into a spin dash as Robotnik raised an arm to grab him. This time however, Sonic dodged the hand and sawed right through the arm, severing it.
"What?!"
Sonic landed on the ground, the arm landing behind him as Robotnik turned towards him.
"Hope those things aren't too expensive," Sonic remarked.
"Oh don't worry," Robotnik told him. "I promise you'll pay!"
Robotnik jetted forward, swinging his remaining arm at him. Sonic quickly flipped over it before landing behind Robotnik and launching right at the other arm, severing it as well. While that was going on, Tails and Knuckles were looking over the energy siphons surrounding the Master Emerald,
"You sure about this?" Knuckles asked.
"Positive," Tails reassured, tinkering with one of the siphons. "Now, think you can give it some juice?"
"I can try."
Knuckles then placed a hand on the Master Emerald, closing his eyes and focusing his mind on increasing the Emeralds power. Just then, the Emerald started to glow, much to Knuckles' surprise. Back with Sonic and Robotnik, the mad doctor was reduced to firing lasers from the Egg Mobile in an attempt to nail Sonic once and for all. Sonic easily dodged between the blasts before darting towards the Egg Mobile itself. He leapt up, rolling into a spin dash and colliding with the base of the Egg Mobile, causing it to crash to the ground, shattering the glass dome and knocking off the spikes.
"Ready to call it?" Sonic remarked.
"Hardly, Robotnik declared, getting the Egg Mobile back into the air. "I'm not going to rest until-"
Just then, there was a high pitched sound coming from behind them. The two enemies turned to see the energy siphons surrounding the Master Emerald were glowing and sparking, as if taking in more energy than they could handle.
…
On the outside of the island, the turrets that were firing on an unsuspecting Mobius suddenly started glowing and sparking as well. Just then, one by one, the turrets exploded, causing bits of metal to rain down harmlessly to the ground.
…
Back in the Hidden Palace, the energy siphons continued sparking with energy until they as well exploded.
"No!" Robotnik cried out.
"Oh Eggman," Sonic spoke up.
Robotnik turned to see a smirking Sonic crossing his arms and tapping his foot, with Tails and Knuckles landing on either side of him, seemingly ready for a fight. Robotnik just grumbled in response to the sight.
"This isn't over Sonic!" Robotnik declared, flying back out the hole he entered in.
…
Once Robotnik was gone, Tails got to work, rigging the engines that were attached to the island so they would fly it back to its original spot in the air. As the island soared through the skies, Sonic and Knuckles spoke to each other near the Mushroom Hill.
"So how'd you get the Emerald to super charge Eggman's tech like that?" Sonic asked.
"I'm not sure honestly," Knuckles admitted. "I've always had a connection to the Master Emerald, but I didn't think I could influence it like that."
"Well, I'm sure glad you can. You know, you're pretty handy in a fight."
"You should know. I kicked your butt last time."
"Funny, I remember it differently," Knuckles remarked, placing his hands on his hips.
"Yeah, you would," Sonic replied, rolling his eyes. "Point is, we could use a guy like you next time we face off against Eggman. Wanna join in?"
"Forget it," Knuckles shot down. "I have my responsibilities here. This is where I belong."
"Suit yourself," Sonic relented, shrugging in response.
Knuckles walked off, heading back to the altar while Sonic went towards where the Tornado crashed down, finding Tails fixing it up with the damaged robot parts.
"We all good to go, Tails?" Sonic asked.
"Yep," Tails confirmed, closing up the engine. "Tornado's all set, and I've rigged the engines so they'll self-destruct once they hit the island's original coordinates."
"Bet Knuckles is gonna be happy about that," Sonic noted as Tails spun the propeller, preparing for take off.
…
Back at the altar, Knuckles watched as the Tornado took off into the sky, carrying Sonic and Tails away. As he watched the two heroes fly off into the horizon, a surprising smile came across his face.
…
"I'd never actually say it to his face," Knuckles concluded. "But I owe a lot to Sonic. If it weren't for him… I'd never get to know the world I was so closed off from."
He then turned back to Rouge, who was smiling in response.
"What?" Knuckles asked.
"Nothing," Rouge replied, waving him off. "It's just… I'm surprised to hear you speak so warmly about someone. I always took you for someone who refused to see the good in anyone. Especially after what happened with Eggman."
"I'll admit, Eggman tricking me gave me a bad impression of the world. But after dealing with it, being in it…I came to see another side to it. One I…" his face dropped a little. "Don't think I can let go of."
Rouge gave Knuckles a sympathetic look, placing a hand on his arm and causing him to look up.
"Then let's make sure it doesn't come to that," she then took off into the air. "Come on, let's not give the others any wrong ideas."
She flew off, leaving a smirking Knuckles to catch up.
…
Meanwhile, Sonic and Shadow continued racing against each other along the crystal hallways, both trying to gain ground on the other. Sonic quickly started running along the wall, looking down at Shadow and giving him a smirk. Shadow returned the smirk in kind before speeding forward. Sonic quickly took off after him, rolling into a ball and spinning along the wall and up onto the ceiling before leaping down in front of Shadow as an opening appeared. Sonic sprinted forward, coming into the main room and skidding to a stop.
"Aw yeah," Sonic let out, turning back to see Shadow was gone. "Huh?"
Just as he turned back, Shadow appeared in front of him, much to his surprise.
"As fun as that was," Shadow retorted. "We should stay focused on our mission."
"I know, I know," Sonic reassured. "We just need to wait for the others to get here.
Just then, the others came running in. everyone seemed to be out of breath, with Tails barely spinning his tails before dropping to the ground.
"Oh, hey guys," Sonic greeted.
"Next time… save the race… until after we get back," Tails insisted.
"Sorry," Sonic replied, looking up at the group. "Hey, where's Hope?"
Just as he said that, Hope staggered into the room, thoroughly out of breath. Sonic winced as she rested against the entrance, trying to regain some energy.
"Uh… you ok?" he asked.
"Not… used to… running so… much…" she replied between breaths.
"Just… just rest for a minute," Kat insisted. "We should be good to go soon."
It was about that time that Knuckles and Rouge caught up to the others, Knuckles looking up to see the Master Emerald resting in its perch.
"There it is…" Knuckles let out, making his way to the perch.
Rouge was about to join him when she felt something against her foot. She looked down to see the Chaos Emeralds laying on the ground with their color faded.
"What in the world…." she let out.
Just then, the ground started shaking, much to the surprise of everyone.
"What's happening?" Hope asked, bracing herself against the wall.
"I'm not sure," Tails replied, quickly hovering in the air and pulling out his scanner. "But according to these readings, something's coming right for-"
Just then, the ground busted open, knocking the heroes back as a large fiery worm-like creature shot out from the hole. It's face was covered in molten rock with five spike shooting out and a face that was scowling down at the group with murderous intent.
"Is that… Iblis?" Keith asked in disbelief.
"If it is," Sonic replied, backing away. "I kinda don't blame Silver for wanting to kill me."