Here's hoping. #herewego

Revolutionary Operation, Type Zero

Kinetic Sky

10. Active Radar

"Psst. Amy."

"Hm?"

Sonic beckoned her towards the co-pilot's seat. Behind them was Knuckles, snoring away as the airship made its way towards South Island.

"What's up? Miss me already?" she asked with a smile. She took a seat on the arm rest.

"Always, Ames. But seriously...we need to talk about...you know."

"Mm?"

Sonic tilted his head towards where Knuckles sat. Amy raised a brow in response.

"Why? What's wrong?"

"You saw how he was acting when I was on the phone with Rouge."

"Ah, yeah. He was...a bit perturbed, if I had to say."

"Listen, we need to make sure things go right this time. I wouldn't mind him going full on Dorkus Malorkus on any other day, it wouldn't be my problem. But when Red gets distracted, he gets distracted. You catch my drift?" Sonic asked.

Amy frowned. "You know that Knuckles-"

"I ain't talking about 'urges', he knows better. I'm talking about their back and forth crap."

"Sonic."

"You know it's true."

"You make it sound bad."

"It is! What the hell else is it? He's a stubborn ass."

"It's true," Tails chimed in.

"You, quiet," Amy said sternly. Tails waved her off with an eye roll and returned his gaze to the sky.

"Even Tails thinks so. He's still damn salty about her and Shadow. I don't even know why, they're not a thing."

"They're close enough," Amy pointed out.

"Besides the point."

"So we need to keep them separated?"

"We need to keep them from getting into their feelings. Like I said, any other day, it would be prime time entertainment."

"Sonic."

"Where's the lie, woman?"

"Get to the point," she said with a sigh.

"I don't want anyone getting hurt," he said seriously. "Not just hearts, I'm talking bodies. We need to trust each other, or we're...let's just say it flat out. If we're a bunch of dysfunctional brats out there, we are royally fucked."

"I get it," Amy said.

"I don't like getting all 'team leader' here. That's Shadow's angle. But you guys are my comrades. And you," he said while taking one of her hands, "are even more than that to me. So we need to be safe. Other than the reckless things we'll end up doing eventually."

"So you're gonna take this seriously."

"As much as possible."

"That's a no, then."

"He was right. You are impossible sometimes." Amy smiled and playfully hit Sonic on the arm. "Anyways, sorry to bother you. Just wanted to have a lil' huddle is all."

"We need to be on the same page. You made the right call. Right, Tails?"

"Right."

"Heh. Well...the team they got is Shads, Rouge, Omega, and 'Riko."

"She's with them?"

"Yeah. Shadow's taken a shine to her and she's a strong kid to boot. It's all good."

"She'll be really happy to see you again."

"I'll bet. She's come a long way since that time..." He looked up at her again. "How's everything?"

"It's fine. I don't...mm." She brushed back some of her hair. "It's hard to describe. But I feel like I know how I should move now. With this whole thing. You know?"

"Sorta. But it's your world, Aimers. Do what you gotta, and I'll support it."

"Even if the whole world comes crashing down on us?" she asked, gazing into his eyes.

He smirked. "The whole damn universe."

"You're one hell of a husband, Sonic. Remember that," she said with a warm smile.

"I'll try."

She stood up and walked to the back of the plane. Sonic looked out at the sky, watching as the darkness spread from place to place over the ocean waters.

Somehow, this adventure seemed a bit more sinister than the rest.

"Souls, huh."

He looked down at one of his hands before clenching it into a fist.

"Blood and thunder," he said with a small, grim smile.

"This one'll be simple enough. I think Amy and I should head in and grab the stones, then just pop right back out. Shouldn't be long."

The group stood at the edge of the first section of Spring Yard. The only notable changes to the area were the pitch black skies and black metal covering everything. But the darkness was something in the background, nothing immediately atmospheric. The world seemed to have remained in place as the darkness silhouetted it.

"This just...feels wrong," Tails muttered.

"More so than usual," Amy said in agreement. "I don't wanna stay here too long."

"Yeah, same. Alright, let's get it started." Sonic focused and pointed forward. In the next moment, a giant golden ring phased into existence, rotating slowly.

"You were bang on, Red. It worked."

"Glad I could help," Knuckles said with a tilt of his hat.

"Ready, Amy?"

"Yeah. Never been in one of these before."

"At most, you'll have a bit of vertigo. Here we go."

"Good luck," Knuckles said. The two jumped into the ring and it disappeared. "No Emerald shards here."

"Yeah. Zilch."

"So what's this about teaming up with Eggman? Sounds ridiculous."

Tails shrugged. "He made a deal with the military, they got greedy, and here we are. Eggman's not at fault and he's working to try and reverse the problem."

Knuckles tapped a foot on the metal below. "You think he's really changed?"

"Yeah. I mean...it's pretty obvious."

"We've been tricked before."

"You have, you mean."

"Besides the point. He could have something up his sleeve."

"I'm no idealist, Knuckles."

"...right. Sometimes I keep forgetting you're not a kid anymore."

Another shrug. "It's fine."

"You don't get tired of it? Being the little brother all the time?"

"I've wanted a family for a long time, Knuckles. Now besides a big brother, I've got a big sister that looks after me too. Whether I'm a man or not, family really means something to me."

"I figured."

"Neither of them coddle me, honestly. It's refreshing. Sonic and I are really equals...we have been for a while now, but I didn't realize it. He just let it happen naturally. Amy, too. We just got closer with time."

Knuckles adjusted his hat. "Speaking of her."

"Yeah?"

"If what she said about phantoms is true, then...that would make her a killer, yeah? Is Sonic okay with that?"

Tails folded his arms and looked into the darkness. His head turned towards Knuckles.

"More than that. He embraces that part of her."

"Embraces it? You know what that sounds like, right?"

"Sometimes we have to chill our blood to get by. Those two have been through a lot. He'll kill to save her, and she'll kill to save him. It's all the same. I guess you think it's not exactly heroic."

"It's not."

"We're not exactly heroes anymore, anyways. Metal Sonic...his phantom influenced us all, in the end. We still feel those pains, even now."

"Sounds cheerful."

"Heh. To be perfectly honest...now that I can see the world and myself for what they are, I've been a lot happier."

"Do you still fight for the greater good?"

"No such thing."

"So what do you fight for?"

Tails unfolded his arms and looked down at his hands. He closed his blue eyes, then opened them quickly again.

"The right to build my own future. A future where my good...our good...will be realized and understood."

Knuckles pulled the brim of his fedora down, shadowing his eyes. "Sounds like a pipe dream."

"..."

"Tails...I almost wish I had that kind of courage."

"Do you?"

"Yeah. Almost."