Cops were swarming the scene of the highway battle. Yellow tape barricaded the area. Photographers were taking photos, detectives were running around, and tall, muscular men guarded the area. This type of attack had never been seen before. Nobody knew how it was possible for police cars to change into monstrous robots and wreak havoc. The detectives didn't even know how to begin investigating. All they knew was that Dr. Eggman was the culprit—proven by his emblem on the robot's chest. But where was the scientist? What was he planning next?

Officer Jones was at the scene. He was setting out to find Matthew when he got the news that Shadow The Hedgehog was fighting the robots. He wanted to talk to him, but he didn't get to the scene in time. Hopeless, he decided to leave. He got in the car and yelped at the person sitting in the passenger seat.

"This won't be the only attack," Shadow said hastily.

Jones drew his gun. "H-how did y-you get in here?" he demanded.

Shadow ignored him. "Tell your fellow officers to get ready."

"F-for what?"

"War."

"How can you be sure there's going to be a war?"

"He's drained a bank. He's killed Gerald Robotnik. He's developed robots and weapons for G.U.N. He's turned three police cars into Transformers."

"But, how do you know all this?"

Shadow hesitated. "Because I'm the center of it."

"What are you saying?"

"Gerald created me. I'm a product of G.U.N. And… I'm a friend of Matthew Robotnik's, his grandson."

"Wait… Created?"

Shadow nodded. "I am the Ultimate Life Form, Shadow The Hedgehog. I was created to be a tool for G.U.N., but I… refused."

"That means," the officer said, "that Eggman must be after you. He's linked to G.U.N. as well, right?"

Shadow pondered this. His uncle had never directed an attack on him. He had no idea what he was after, so he just nodded solemnly.

"Shadow, where's Matthew right now?" Jones asked.

"Someplace safe. He won't get hurt. I promise. But I need you. You need to do something for me."

"What?"

"Matthew told me you're one of the few who believes in me. He believes in me, you believe in me, and Gerald believed in me. If Westopolis gets turned into a battlefield, I'm going to protect it with all my strength. So tell the city that I'm not bad. I may not be a hero, but I'm definitely not a villain. Tell them that."

"What if it gets destroyed?"

"Then it'll be the price I pay. Goodbye, officer."

Shadow got out of the car and skated away. Jones watched him as he did.

Shadow stared at the city that was a mile away as he got closer to it. Westopolis, a land of crime and evil. A place where you either won triumphantly or lost miserably. He wondered if the city was worth saving. Maybe Eggman was planning to attack someplace else. Central City or Empire City would be the best guesses. But he had to be ready in case he was wrong.

Entering Westopolis made Shadow feel like he was going into a dark, stormy cloud. As soon as he set foot in the city, four Egg Gunners—complete with one machine gun arm and one missile launcher arm—dropped from the sky, landing in front of him. They pointed their weapons at him, ready to fire. Then Shadow heard Eggman's laughing.

"Hoo ho ho ho ho ho!" the scientist bellowed as he and the Eggmobile slowly descended from the heights. "Well, if it isn't the pesky hedgehog Shadow! You won't interfere this time… or at least try to. Heh heh."

"What are you after, Eggman?" demanded Shadow. "What are you planning?"

Eggman patted his belly as he looked down on Shadow. "Heh! You'd really like to know, wouldn't you?"

"Don't play games with me, you freak!"

Eggman stroked his immense mustache. "Why, that was low! You think I'm a freak? Have you seen yourself, Shadow? You're the freak! You're the one without a heart!"

Shadow's eyes began to glow. "You think that'll stop me?"

"Never mind. It doesn't matter," Eggman said, waving his hand. "What matters is that this pathetic city will soon be flattened. Nothing will be able to stop me! Not you, not G.U.N., not… anything! The entire world can try throwing things at me, but it will all be futile!

"Egg Gunners!" Eggman pointed at Shadow. "Destroy him! Destroy it!"

The Egg Fighters each fired a missile out their arms. They came at Shadow at great speeds, giving him no time to prepare. They exploded as they hit him, sending him barreling into the wall of a building.

"Oh ho ho ho ho!" laughed Eggman. He turned the Eggmobile around and flew away.

So it was true, Shadow thought. Eggman was planning something bigger. Much bigger. Helter-skelter had taken over the lobby he had crashed in, with people running this way and that. Shadow leaped from the he'd created and speared one of the Egg Gunners. Thankfully, it was much weaker than the robots from the highway. Its body split in two as Shadow tackled it. The other three fired their machine guns at him, but their bullets bounced off his body. He jumped in front of one of them and punched through it, shoving his arm through its chest. The Egg Gunner instantly went limp. Shadow through its body at another. He felt his body endure more shots from a machine gun. He jumped toward the final Egg Gunner and gave it a sharp roundhouse kick to the face. Its head flew off its body and blew up.

Shadow spoke into the communicator in his glove. "Omega, are you there?"

His listened for response, but heard only static. Damn, he thought. He suddenly heard the cries of scared people. He skated to the sound's source and saw more Egg Gunners marching down the middle of the street, walking over cars and other vehicles. Shadow's stare became cold as he tried to think of what to do...