The door of the security room didn't turn out to be much of a challenge against the combined firepower of three robots. Afterwards, Omega, Metal Knuckles and Tails Doll searched the whole pyramid, with no trace of Dr. Eggman. None of their AI processors as advanced enough to know anything about space transporters, so they couldn't know that the doctor had already left for the Space Colony ARK.

"Conclusion: Eggman has left the base," Omega said.

"We need to move out and find him," Metal Knuckles grumbled while grinding his fists against each other. "He needs to pay for having abandoned us for all these years..."

"Oh, you won't find him here," a cocky voice spoke up. All their optics wandered over to the door.

"Metal Sonic?" Metal Knuckles gasped. "It's you! All those years, and you didn't change one bit..."

"No time for teary reunions," the blue robot said with glowing eyes. "I know you're looking for Eggman... and I can help you find him."

"Illogical!" Omega said. "Data indicates that Metal Sonic is siding with Eggman."

"Oh, please, I'm just acting," Metal Sonic said. "He's a human... and don't we all know humans are inferior?"

"Ain't that the truth..." Metal Knuckles grumbled.

"I like butterflies!" Tails Doll spoke up.

Metal Sonic sweatdropped. That puppet-like robot was as spooky as ever...

Still, he knew that he could use these guys against his favorite enemies, right after Sonic...

"If you want to find the good old doctor, why don't you... search in town?"

"No! Never! I don't believe it!" The young, two-tailed fox glared at the TV screen, tears of anger running down his furry face.

"Tails, calm down!" his blue-furred sister said. "I'm sure it's just a huge misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding? Sonic got arrested by the police, what's not to understand? Dammit! They can't just treat him like a criminal! He's a hero! Don't they see? A hero!"

"Bro, there's nothing we can do right now," Ami tried to sooth her younger sibling. "Mom knows a good lawyer... maybe he can..."

"But we need him now, Ami! With these aliens and Eggman around... can't they see that we need him now more than ever? A hearing at court would take far too long, who knows what Eggman might do in the meantime."

"Remember that we Sailor Senshi are still there as well," Ami said. "Besides, what do you want to do?"

Tails looked at his sister with a resolute expression. "The reporter said they were bringing him to the prison complex I read so much about. I need to find out what happened! I can't believe that Sonic would break from a military facility... or rob a bank! I need to get there and bust him out!"

"A J-JAILBREAK?" Ami gasped. "Tails, you can't do that! That's against the law..."

"I don't care!" Tails shouted. "Sonic is in danger, and he needs me! I'm going, and don't you tell me that's wrong! It's wrong to treat our biggest hero like a common robber... or even worse, a terrorist. So, do you wanna come along or not?"

Ami saw that her brother was serious. And no words would convince him not to go. Telling their mother wouldn't do any good either. Besides, she was still at work and would come back in the evening... So what could she do? Holding her bro back by force? Tails would never forgive her, and she knew what Sonic meant to him. Sonic was his best friend, his idol... at times, she even suspected that Tails saw Sonic as a second sibling.

But going with him...

"I can't..." she weakly protested. "I have to study for a test..."

Tails grimaced. "Fine... if school grades are more important to you than friends..." And he turned around and ran out of the room.

A few minutes later, Ami could hear the Tornado 2's engines outside.

'Tails... take care of yourself...'

"What?" Chibiusa gasped. "Sonic's a criminal?"

"Oh, what a pity..." Mrs. Tsukino sighed. "And he always was sooo polite..."

"But that's bushwa, Mom!" Usagi protested. "Sonic would never do anything like that."

"Honey, I don't like it either, but the police must know better than we do. Maybe, whatever he did, it wasn't intentional..."

"No way!"

Seeing that she couldn't convince her daughter, Ikuko sighed and went into the kitchen.

"Usagi..." Chibiusa whispered. "Maybe we should call the others."

Usagi nodded. "Yeah, you're right. I'm gonna call Ami-chan and..."

She blinked when her Senshi communicator began to beep. She pulled it out of her pocket. "Hello?"

"Usagi... did you see the news?"

"Ami? Of course I did! Can you believe it? They are treating poor Sonic like some sort of terrorist. Ami, you know he would never..."

"Yes, my brother thinks the same," the blue fox sighed. "That's why he left in his plane..."

"Left?" Usagi wondered. "Where does he want to go?"

"To Prison Island... the military base where they are bringing Sonic. Usagi... he plans to help him escape!"

"But that's great!" Usagi shouted. "But wait... didn't you want to come along?"

"USAGI! You're not saying that I should help Tails breaking into prison? That's against the law!"

"Well, we can't just let Sonic rot in there. What would you do?"

"Well, my mother knows this lawyer..."

"We can't wait for a lawyer!" the blonde hedgehog shouted. "Your bro was right, we need to do something now!"

"Usagi... isn't that what we always did? Helping the inhabitants of Station Square against Youmas, criminals and other dangers? What will they think when they see on TV that the Senshi have become criminals as well?"

"She's got a point there, Usagi!" Chibiusa pointed out.

Usagi pouted. "Can't we do anything?"

"Sure we can!" Chibiusa nodded. "We can try to find the true perpetrator! And think about it: Who do we know that looks somewhat like Sonic, is up to no good and would take every chance to get him in a bad situation?"

Usagi gasped. "You don't mean... Mamoru?"

"Good thinking, Chibiusa!" Ami said. "And if it was really him who robbed the Chaos Emerald from the bank, and we can prove it to the police, they will have to let Sonic go!"

"That's great, Ami-chan!" Usagi whooped. "Let's inform the others... ya think Sonic's other friends would want to help as well?"

"Well, Rei said that Knuckles is still searching for the shards of the Master Emerald... Cream is a bit too young to help... the Chaotix are on a new case and not at home right now, according to Michiru... and I have no idea where Amy is. I tried calling her at home, but she didn't pick up."

"We have to do it without them, then," Usagi said. "I'm gonna call Rei, you inform Mako and Mina-chan... oh no, Minako is on that stupid secret mission of hers..."

"I already called Makoto," Ami said. "She's on her way to the park, let's meet there."

"All right, just let me call Rei and I'm gonna come as well. Oh, that's right, she's at Minako's and Rouge's place right now, isn't she? Okay, see you later!"

When Ami's face disappeared from the screen, Usagi wanted to dial Rei's number. But she hesitated when she saw Luna lying behind the TV. She was still wearing the yellow ribbon around her neck and just stared at the wall.

"Luna... do you wanna come and help as well?" Usagi asked softly.

"Why bother?" the black Mau murmured. "That won't bring Diana back either..."

"She's been like this for hours," Chibiusa whispered. "I'm worried sick about Diana as well, but this looks serious... you think we should call the vet?"

"And tall him what? That our cat is missing her daughter?" Usagi whispered back. "I think we should just leave her alone for now..." She dialed Rei's number. "Hey, Rei, meet us in the park! Sonic's in trouble!"

Rei switched off her communicator. To the white mooncat sitting next to her, she said: "Artemis, I'm gonna help Usagi and the others looking for that bank robber. You stay here and watch Rouge."

"You want me to do the job all by myself?" Artemis blinked. "And what if she needs more tea? I don't have any opposable thumbs, you know?"

"You'll do fine!" the echidna girl smiled as she left the club. "Later..."

"Hey, did you guys forget about me?" Rouge groaned from the bedroom. "I need a new ice bag!"

Artemis groaned. "This day just got worse..."

"So this is Station Square?" Metal Knuckles asked. The trio of robots was hiding in a dark alley, where the humans didn't see them. "I must admit, I've never been here before..."

"Sensors could not indicate if Metal Sonic was lying," Omega stated. "But Eggman's destruction is top priority. If we search the whole city, he won't have a chance to escape."

"Yeah, I agree!" Metal Knuckles nodded. "Still, it is strange that Metal Sonic didn't want to come along... but if he tricked us, he'll be sorry!"

"Suggestion: We should spread up to increase the efficiency of our search!" Omega said.

"Good idea!" Metal Knuckles nodded. "Three pairs of eyes see more than one."

"I can haz Cheezburger?" Tails Doll asked.

At the same time, the Inner Senshi met in the park.

"All right, let's do this systematically," Mercury said. "Mars, you search near Twinkle Park! Moon and Chibimoon, you will take a look at the Casino district! Jupiter, go and search in the shopping district! I'll go and check all the rooftops. If you see any clue, or a hint of Mamoru's presence, or something that might prove Sonic's innocence, give the others a call! Any questions?"

Makoto raised her hand. "Yeah, since when did you become our leader?" the rabbit of Jupiter asked.

"Ami's plan is good," Rei said. "If it really was Mamoru, and if he left any clue, we'll find it!"

"Okay then, let's do it!" Sailor Moon shouted. "Sailor Senshi... move out!"

"Mom is letting her watch too much TV..." Chibiusa grumbled.

"Usagi, I really don't think Mamoru would waste any time in the casino," Chibimoon said, the pink-furred hedgehog child tugging at Sailor Moon's skirt as she wanted to enter Casinopolis.

"But he could be ANYWHERE!" Usagi shouted. "Maybe he turned the casino into his secret hideout..."

Chibiusa sweatdropped. "She DEFINITELY is watching too much TV..." she mumbled. "Listen, why don't I just send Luna-P in there to see if Mamoru..."

"It wasn't Mamoru..." a calm voice said.

They both looked up. Sitting on a lamppost above them was none other than Pluto the Hedgehog, like them in full Senshi attire.

"Puu?" Chibiusa wondered. "I didn't know you were here, too."

"What do you mean, it wasn't Mamoru?" Usagi asked. "How can you be so sure?"

Pluto looked down at them. "Because... the black hedgehog who robbed the bank... was my own brother!"

"Let's see..." Ami murmured, looking down at the streets from the rooftop she was standing on. "If I was Mamoru... where would I leave clues?"

She sighed. "Stupid question... Mamoru isn't so stupid to leave any clues... this search is so pointless..."

"Hungry!"

Ami blinked. "Huh?" She turned around. The bright afternoon sun was blinding her, so she shielded her eyes.

Two tails, orange fur, black nose... yup, that was her brother.

"Tails?! So you decided not to go after all? Oh, little bro, I'm so glad you listened to reason and... wait a minute..."

Bouncy antenna with red gem on top of the head? Tails never had anything like that. In that moment, the sun disappeared behind a cloud, and she could see the stitchy doll robot that was floating in front of her.

Tails Doll looked at Sailor Mercury with his soulless eyes. Unknowingly to both of them, something within his programming was changed by Ami's words.

He tilted his head. "Big... sister?"

Ami nervously stepped back. "Who... what are you? Why are you looking like...? Wait... are you... one of Eggman's robots?"

"Sis, I'm hungry! Can I haz cheezburger? Pleeeeeeze?"

Ami sweatdropped.