Sonic Ballistic

by Shblue

A few years after Sonic & Knuckles, Dr. Robotnik returns with a raging yet calculated vengance to conquer Mobius and punish Sonic forever. What seems like an ordinary adventure at first will slowly transform and change everything Sonic knows about being a hero. - Childhood fangame idea reimagined as a hardcore epic, and depicted in text. Finished 2010, uploaded here first.

7. Sonic Ballistic, Part 6

Part 6

Sonic finds himself coming to in a shed made out of corrugated boards and basic woodwork. Tails notices him and remarks, "You've been out for a long while, Sonic. I didn't expect you to fall out of the sky! I didn't even think you'd make it from that portal..."

Sonic grabs his side and winces, and looks around. He moves off of the stretcher he was on and walked a little bit. He sees medical supplies next to weapons and provisions. Farther on, Tails walks up to him from behind.

"Sonic, while you were gone, several days had passed... The day you left, the Egg Tempest had at that point mostly been destroyed, but the Grand City military was still severely disabled. However, even in small amounts, Robotnik's forces were constantly reinforced, and we have been fighting nonstop since. The military has crumbled, suffering many casualties and broken equipment. We've been fighting mostly on our own..."

Sonic looked out the entrance. Some buildings were completely crumbled, while others were marked by craters and broken pillars and glass. He could hear the sharp snaps of rifle fire in the distance. "Robotnik has never been this serious before. At first, we all assumed he would strike with an army but we got accustomed to his style. We didn't treat him seriously before... and then he strikes with an entire air force, and then a laser air strike from the sky! We completely underestimated him, Sonic. We need to stop him with all our strength."

Sonic turned his head slightly to Tails. "He's already stopped, Tails. He's dead."

Tails stared back. He then stuttered, "S-Sonic! Thi-this isn't the time to be joking. People have been dying here! This city is being torn apart! Sonic...Sonic, you wouldn't know, always running off and fighting when you want! We really needed your help..."

Sonic turned back. "I didn't think I would come back, myself. I thought it would all end there... More or less, it actually did. Mechanix used that attack, and Robotnik... disappeared. Then..."

A sharp pain burst into Sonic's stomach. He clutched it and made a small gasp. Holding it, Tails looked at him strangely. "Sonic, it's too easy to assume he's dead. He's bound to be alive, somewhere. Always running away, building up, striking again..."

Tails walked next to Sonic and looked out the window too. "We're going to hunt him down, this time. With our entire force we'll find him and corner him and bring him to justice. I'm leading them. They made me commander of the Grand City armed forces."

"What?" Sonic turned to Tails and backed a step. "Tails, why?!"

Tails looked back stoically, "Your way of fighting Robotnik hasn't been effective. He's been murdering hundreds of innocent people at the very start, and he could easily raise that death toll higher if we let him. I'm still going to fight, you know... on the front lines."

He looked out the window. "We're not waiting for you, anymore. As soon as our forces regain strength, we will mobilize."

Sonic retorted, "Waiting for me? Tails, I didn't mean to go through that portal! It sent me into the Special Zone, and then there was this giant black miasma where I learned the past of Mobius..." Recalling it, he spoke faster, "I learned so much about it, Tails! This world was once run by the echidnas, who split into seven civilizations. They created the Black Emerald, and the seven Chaos Emeralds, too! They-"

"Sonic." Tails said.

Sonic looked back at Tails. He was hurried and jittery, his arms raised up, fists clenched.

"Sonic, I don't care. I don't want to know about history. I don't want to study anything anymore, not until Robotnik falls. This isn't time to be a kid. You weren't here. You didn't see people before you... die... You always ran ahead, not caring for the victims around you, to fight Robotnik yourself. It's your own justice, isn't it?"

Sonic didn't reply. Tails stared through Sonic, his eyes fixed and his posture rigid. Sonic lowered his hands. The pain still bounced in his side.

"That man you fought with, Zaga. He wants to talk to you about Mechanix."

Sonic turned away, feeling a choking feeling in his throat. He made a slight nod and walked out the entrance of the shed.

People were hurrying about, carrying supplies, ordering commands and pointing down roads. Sonic looked around. He smelt gunpowder and metal. He saw, standing by a corner shop, an echidna who looked completely out of place, surveying the area vigilantly.

"Zaga." Sonic called as he walked towards him.

Zaga turned. "Sonic. You are alive, after all."

Sonic couldn't stand his steady glare. He looked away. "It's complicated, but... I know a lot about the history of Mobius, including the time before and after your civilization. I was teleported to the space station where the Black Emerald was built, and I walked in the ruins of a palace where they rediscovered Mechanix and researched him."

Zaga spoke immediately. "You can tell me about that later. Mechanix went into space, and that is where the rain of fire originated. It is also where I saw a small explosion just a few days ago, the same one where that fox found you falling from. You fought him. Did you win?"

Sonic's side suddenly flared, and he grabbed it, wincing. He grumbled out a "We fought..." He breathed in and spoke, "...we fought many times. Even with all seven Chaos Emeralds, I won over and over again. He kept on restoring... he never died. I -urk... I didn't cause that explosion, though. Mechanix took the Black Emerald and destroyed that battleship in one hit, and he... probably killed Robotnik, too... He easily beat me. I..."

Sonic suddenly realized. He froze, all of his wounds suddenly bursting in pain.

"I... had no chance at all..."

Zaga didn't change expression. He still looked at Sonic. "This is why you should have concentrated when fighting him before! He was vulnerable without those Chaos Emeralds. With them, he has become his ultimate form as the Ultimate Being, invulnerable. With the Black Emerald, too, his power has multiplied by amounts I could never estimate."

Sonic was gripping his body, groaning. Zaga still looked at him, continuing. "You fool, you could have stopped him. Now, it is nothing but impossible to kill him in this form."

Sonic suddenly coughed violently, small specks of blood landing on the pavement. He closed his eyes tight, his body shaking, raging in fire. Zaga paused, but then grabbed Sonic's chin and forced it up. Sonic stared at him, trying to hold back his coughs.

"It's still possible to stop him, however. He was sealed before when he had the power of the Chaos Emeralds. He can be sealed now. Once he is sealed, we can easily destroy him."

Sonic looked at him incredulously. "But, how?! How, after everything we've done?!"

Zaga still stared at Sonic. "You fool! What have you been forgetting about this entire time? What could seal off his power completely?"

Sonic slowed his shaking and calmed down a little. His eyes still darted around, trying to gather his senses.

Zaga answered himself. "The Master Emerald. It, too, has access to infinite energy, but it can release seven times as much as a single Chaos Emerald. Therefore, it can subdue them all. With it in our possession, Mechanix, in terms of power, will only have the Black Emerald, which will merely amplify what little Chaos Energy still cycles in his body. That energy will expire and the Black Emerald will become useless, too. Then we can knock him down, disable his senses and cognition. If we keep the Master Emerald's energy steady, Mechanix's power would be sealed, and we could remove the Emeralds. Then... he is nothing but metal."

Sonic relaxed, his pain loud but quieting down. "That's right, it isn't hopeless yet. We can still... win."

Zaga finally relaxed his own glare, and looked down a road. "Yes, we built him to be powerful, but not to be unstoppable. It is disappointing, if the elders had not grabbed him for their greedy ways, this power could be used for the benefit of the world. He could have stopped the war."

Sonic sighed. He moved his legs. "The Master Emerald is protected by Knuckles, on the Floating Island. We just need to find it, although Knuckles will be a problem..."

Sonic looked at Zaga. "He's an echidna, like you. Maybe even your descendant. He's been trying to fight me, though, thinking I'm violating some sacred law by entering the ruins of your civilization and fighting Mechanix. He's a bit stubborn, but if you talk to him I'm sure he'll turn around."

Zaga walked down the pavement a bit, looking far down the road. "A floating island? So my people really became that advanced again... Another ally will be useful. Much more useful than the people here."

Sonic, trailing Zaga, sped up and moved to Zaga's side. "What? What about the people here?"

"Like you were, they are obsessed with fighting that Robotnik. They did not believe you when you said he died, did they?"

"No..." Sonic answered, thinking about Tails and the cold eyes that stared at him.

"They are losing touch with reality. Mechanix is clearly the stronger threat. You know that first-hand."

Sonic remembered the enormous beam that destroyed the Eraser Egg. "That's true."

Zaga nodded, and continued. "Yes, he-"

He was cut off suddenly by shouts and bursts of machine gun fire. Sonic heard a high-pitched squealing, coming closer and closer. Suddenly, an explosion tore up the road only some meters before him. He held his arm over his head as he turned and ran back to the corner. Zaga quickly joined him.

He looked over to the shed, where troops were picking up weapons and ammunition and running down the street. They hided behind barriers of fallen concrete and shop entrances. They peeked around the corners, letting lose bullets and rockets. He heard men and women yell out orders and warnings at various pitches. In the din, Sonic could barely recognize Tails' voice, meshed in with all the others. Sonic leaned over the side, and saw amidst rising smoke and fires an encroaching force of large robots, armed with Gatling guns and missile packs. Their red and yellow eyes pierced the gray and black cloak before them. Their fearsome appearance dazed Sonic, but then he saw Egg S-Robos burst through the smoke, flying at high speeds towards their encampment. They were shot down as they flew by, crashing and tumbling across the asphalt in large fireballs. Rings glowed inside and some animals crawled their way out.

"Sonic, we need to move," Zaga warned.

Sonic didn't respond, watching as the men and women fired on relentlessly, their faces determined and immovable.

"Sonic!" Zaga shouted and grabbed him. He turned around, surprised, but took a step back when he saw behind Zaga, down the road. Another squad of robots was advancing, with several Egg A-Robos in their ranks. They began firing the missiles, and Sonic heard shouts behind him. Before the rockets even landed, bullets were dashing by and through some of them as additional forces reinforced that side. Sonic, realizing his cover was now lost, looked at Zaga, and quickly gained composure. He looked down the smoky street, and before he thought twice, he began running.

.

Grand City [Act 5] (6/26)

The level will be similar to the first half of Act 3, however the enemies will be more sparse and more powerful. Sonic will be running through the ruins of fallen buildings, climbing broken cement walls and wall jumping between steel framework or dodging in and out of the craters in the streets below. Halfway through, the road will duck underground into semi-lighted tunnels. Sonic will need to jump and roll fast to avoid the traps and barriers set up by Robotnik's forces. He will run into a single Egg T-Robo on his way.

He will come across two new types of Egg Robos, first being the Egg Gunman-Robos or G-Robos,

- which will lock-on Sonic and fire burst after burst of rapid machine gun fire.

- They may also lob grenades which will have a moderately large blast radius,

- and if Sonic is close they will retreat step by step backwards while constantly firing.

One hit will dispatch a single one.

.

The other type is the Egg Rocket-Robos or R-Robos, which carry a large bazooka and a square backpack-like launcher that carries many tiny missiles.

- They will attack by slowly preparing and aiming a rocket, then firing it in a straight line. It makes a large explosion which Sonic must take care to avoid, and it will cause a small and dwindling fire.

- Additionally, they will let loose a few dozen of their small missiles which will land somewhere near Sonic's location at high speeds.

- If Sonic gets too close, they will pull out a pistol and fire a bullet every three seconds.

Four hits will defeat them.

.

At the end, Sonic will come to a main street with several small barriers with three to six robots behind them. Behind Sonic will be a collection of people who will fire to cover him. Although unlikely, if twenty bullets hit a robot, it will be destroyed. A single bullet will daze a robot for about a quarter second. After that, there will be a long expanse of road free of enemies. Once Sonic reaches here, he'll hear something large thump into the ground slowly, and wait. Coming from before him is three-story tall robot!

.

[Act 5 Boss]

The walker has thick legs that connect large, circular feet to an ellipsoidal body that carries several large weapons. It has:

- a Gatling gun,

- a lock-on laser gun,

- and taser wires that will shock Sonic if he touches any part of it including the cord.

- It may also drop a few bombs that Sonic will have to hide between as they explode to avoid the splash damage.

While Sonic avoids getting hit, the people will shoot at its underside. In the time it takes for a few rounds of using its weapons to finish, its underside will break open and reveal an engine hidden inside a cage of iron, glass, and electronics. Sonic will need to time a wall jump off of the moving legs in order to reach it and hit it. After the time it takes Sonic to make three hits, a door will shut over the opening. After eight hits, it will break and erupt, blowing up the robot's body. The legs will fall down and Sonic wins.

.

[Act 6]

Sonic will run on main street for a short while before a bomb rips open the street, forcing Sonic to jump into the sewers below. The main tunnels, with pipes overhead and cement paths sometimes interrupted by a puddle of sludge that is dangerous to touch, are mostly straight although they may be slightly angled. They may lead into narrow tunnels that Sonic can only fit through as a spinball that are angled either straight or at a sharp angle downwards (or even vertical). There are also larger areas where the moving sludge opens up into a large basin, where Sonic must jump over floating platforms or run overhead on catwalks. These basins may be of many type of shapes, with some being long vertical shafts where a waterfall of muck will rush forth, requiring Sonic to have precise timing. Sometimes the pipes will break open, releasing a dangerous flood that will chase Sonic down.

The sewers may connect to some basements which tend to be dark and the place for robot ambushes. They may be simple underground storage areas, to eerie condemned cement cellars, to broken-into laboratories with busted security. At the end, Sonic will enter the bottom room of a factory, with a floor of metal platforms above and machines in his way. The room is dark. Before Sonic can continue, a bullet rings across the room and he jumps just in time.

.

[Act 6 Boss]

Hiding in the shadows is a mysterious enemy that Sonic will later learn is a Egg Commando-Robo. Sonic will need to run through the room and find the robot to attack. However, the C-Robo will not stay still and if Sonic gets too close, he will move in the opposite direction.

- He will aim at Sonic with a rifle, a laser dot marking his current target. Sonic can estimate where he is from where the laser rests on his body as he moves in the room, and strike a quick attack.

If Sonic can hit the C-Robo once, he will throw a flashbang. As Sonic's vision and hearing come back, the robot will have set several bright timed bombs around the room. They each have three minutes, which will tick down. If that time is up, they will all explode, killing both of them. Otherwise, Sonic will have to fight quickly.

- The C-Robo will now attack from afar using sub-machine guns

- and accurately thrown grenades.

- In close combat, the Egg Robo will make slow, but heavy attacks that will lead into dangerous combos.

- It might also take out a knife to slightly expand its range, while losing some speed. Sonic can hit it in these close-range exchanges. It will then make a hasty retreat and reload, to attack again.

After eight hits in total, the C-Robo will fall. The bombs will then disable.

.

Running further on, Sonic will come to a staircase that leads into a large garage. There, he'll find several people around various vehicles. Noticing him, one of them walks up and briefs Sonic. "You're here, then. We've been able to push Robotnik out of most of our streets, but we have been getting reports of a large force approaching from beyond the volcano. If we push through their lines, we'll be able to find his base and take him out! Right now we're just about to head out! Sonic, hop on and you'll be able to rest."

Sonic nods in agreement and jumps into the back of a truck and the rest of the minutemen get into the other vehicles and they all drive off.

.

Wild Road [Act 1] (6/27)

The cars will speed through the city and exit it, taking an on-ramp down a broken, cracked highway. Sonic will just need to sit still for a while until the caravan enters a long field overlooking the sea. Here, the cars will screech to a halt as they reach a roadblock and an ambush. Sonic will jump out, helping with the fight as he can, and move on by foot. The road may diverge, such as a bridge being broken, a tunnel or storm water pipe being open for Sonic to enter, or a hill that Sonic will have to climb over. While he runs forward, he will fight thick amounts of robots in waves. Sonic will also enter an area that is similar to Blue Hill Zone, except with much sharper changes in elevation and mostly orange-colored flora. Near the end, Sonic will move onto ledges that stand precipitously over sharp crags and strong waves below, spelling instant death should he fall. They'll reach to the underside of a bridge, where Sonic will dash on to and across the metal pathway and catwalks below the road.

.

Halfway through, a red blur will knock him off from behind, and he'll just barely catch himself on the tall wall of a large supporting column. Sliding down to the island holding it, he'll be confronted by none other than Knuckles.

"You've been gone a long time, Sonic, but now I'm going to finish this. You violated my sacred lands and spat all over my honor like the cocky punk you are," he started off steaming.

"Wait, Knuckles!" Sonic urged. "It was all to stop either Robotnik or Mechanix. I didn't ruin anything! His robots did!"

Knuckles pointed at Sonic bluntly with his mitts. "I don't care! You intruded anyway. You also have no right to fight Mechanix. Who do you think you are, some omniscient arbiter of justice?! Mechanix is a living device that can be used for the good of all, and just because Robotnik had his paws on him..."

Knuckles bared his teeth, a rough growl held in his undertones. "My ancestors worshiped him! Regardless of what he actually did, he, the Ultimate Being, created a tradition... created a society based around his very existence! His design advanced civilization. It's because of him we have the Chaos Emeralds!"

Sonic was surprised. "How did you know-"

"Enough!" Knuckles shouted, infuriated by Sonic's ignorance. "You fool! Mechanix created the world! He was sealed away so that nobody could corrupt his grace and purity. Of course, Robotnik did anyway. I have a bigger bone to pick with him..."

Knuckles threw his arm in a wide swing to his side. "Mechanix is the only connection to my people. The only yet-living connection. The ruins that hide in this world are all a testament to him. I know. I have traveled the world and saw them myself."

Sonic looked at Knuckles, stunned by his sudden change in emotion. His voice jumped in pitch, almost like he's trying to hold something in. "I was born without parents, Sonic. Without a family. I had to live... no, I had to survive on my own. I didn't have any friends. I... didn't have anyone." He breathed in.

Sonic saw something glint in his eyes. He lost his own breath. Knuckles was always composed.

"I had to be lonely for years, for my entire childhood. All I knew was to protect the Master Emerald. That was all I remember. That was all I knew! I didn't have anyone to help me, anyone to even talk to me. All I had were the ruins. They were the only thing I could relate to. They told me who I was..."

He paused. Sonic held his breath. Knuckles glared at Sonic, and suddenly yelled. "You don't have any right! To enter the most sacred of places to me, running and jumping about, saying you're trying to 'stop Robotnik'! You ignorant idiot! You...! You!"

He didn't waste any more words and charged!

.

[Act 1 Boss]

- Knuckles will punch,

- glide,

- and spindash.

- He still has his sliding punch,

- the knock-out uppercut,

- and the sudden drop-punch.

- He can also climb up the nearby column, and when high enough, he'll drop down for a megaton punch that will split open the ground and send shrapnel that Sonic will need to dodge.

- He could also punch the ground to send a shock wave of earth that will knock Sonic into the air.

After twelve hits, he will punch the ground to the side with such force that a giant wall of rock will jut up besides him, cutting the battlefield by three-quarters. Sonic will not be able to jump over it, leaving him to be stuck in either the small or larger arena. Knuckles will attack as normally thereafter, although the smaller space will make it more difficult to avoid him. Four more hits will defeat him.

.

Knuckles collapses. He doesn't move. Sonic, slowly regaining his lost breath, watches him carefully. After a minute, Sonic relaxes but keeps his distance.

"Mechanix has every Chaos Emerald and the Black Emerald, which I assume you know what it is. Even in my Super form, I couldn't even touch him. He has too much power, and whatever he wants to do, he can do without restraint, now. Robotnik doesn't control him anymore... Whatever is in the deep recesses of his mind will come out, from the time he destroyed your people in the ancient past, and we will all be victim to his desires yet again. Before he does, now...it's time to end his influence in our world's history."

Knuckles didn't move. Sonic only spared him a few seconds of his sight, and he dashed up the column above him. Back on the bridge, Zaga catches up with him.

"Sonic, Tails and his forces have already progressed past the bridge. They have given me this device..." he said, pulling a radio out from his cloak.

"So they want our help. Even so, Mechanix is more important," Sonic declared. He didn't look down, at Knuckles, who still laid at the bottom of the bridge.

Zaga looked at him for a moment, and put the radio back. "We must hurry."

Without any more words, they continued on.

.

[Act 2]

Now with Zaga following, Sonic will have backup when he's attacked. Zaga will attack with the same techniques as in his fight with Sonic, and will target whoever is closest to him that he is not already fighting. Robots will attack in higher frequencies and larger numbers, but Sonic will be able to clear them if he simply jumps or rolls through them, letting Zaga decimate the rest.

At the halfway point of the bridge, Sonic can enter a cement column, climb the internal chamber, and exit out at the top of the suspension bridge. Sliding down the cables, Sonic will start at full speed and will end up on running down the road. The road will finish over the bridge, roll over hills, and in the later parts, will enter longer and longer lit tunnels. As he moves on, he'll eventually run across groups of Egg Robos. He'll even have an Egg T-Robo chase him from behind, of which he can let Zaga attack, or wait until the T-Robo tries to hover and crush him to fall behind and attack.

Unlike before, the road is still intact and Sonic will have no obstacles besides enemies to deal with. He'll move farther away from the ocean and uphill, through a long plain, and eventually into the mountains.

.

At the end, he'll come to the top of a ledge overlooking a valley, where he is greeted with an explosion of the sounds of a battle. Pockets of soldiers shot across fields and trees at thousands of Robotnik's robots. Fireballs burst out of the ground as rockets were volleyed at each other. Zaga catches up, but Sonic quickly turns around.

"We won't be able to get to the Floating Island from here. We need to get to a higher vista and see if we can find it. If it's not in view, we'll need to find a plane – a flying vehicle."

Zaga agrees, "Yes, we must seek it out quickly and not involve ourselves in this dispute. Time is of the essence."

They leave the road, climbing the mountainside, when Sonic catches a glimpse of Robotnik's Egg-o-Matic in the distance, between trees. He quickly dashed towards it without thinking, but upon reaching the area, it was gone. Looking around, he sees it again, and sprints towards it again. So on it goes, until he comes to the flat, treeless summit. He sees it, hovering in the middle, facing away.

"Robotnik! So you've survived. I won't let you off easy just because you were ripped apart by Mechanix. You-"

The Egg-o-Matic had turned around, showing that its pilot was just another Egg Robo. Before Sonic could react, more Egg-o-Matics arrived from the trees, quickly surrounding him. Zaga managed to reach him just as ones came in, fitted with weaponry and machinery.

.

[Act 2 Boss]

Sonic will have the aid of Zaga as he takes on the onslaught of Egg-o-Matics. They will attack two at a time, and each will take four hits before exploding apart. As soon as one is defeated, it will quickly be replaced by the next in line. There are several types of vehicles they'll drive:

- the first being essentially the drill truck from Emerald Hill Zone's boss from Sonic 2,

- the second being a floating ship that drops bombs and occasionally fires a 5-second laser,

- the third being like Angel Island Zone's second boss from Sonic 3; that is bydisappearing with a cloaking device,

- the fourth being a slow moving Egg-o-Matic inside a spiked wheel with a single opening where Sonic must attack,

- and the last being the original Egg-o-Matic which obtained a rotating laser cannon that fires rapidly many slow-moving beams of energy at Sonic's position. After a single hit, it will escape, but with eight hits it will be destroyed too.

The order of attack is as such:

1, 2, 5, 1, 2, 2, 5, 1, 3, 1, 3, 5, 2, 3, 4, 1, 5, 3, 4, 2, 1, 5, 3, 3, 4, 2, 5, 2, 1, 3, 5, 4, 2, 5

.

After they were all defeated, Sonic looks at all of the burning wreckages of Robotnik's favorite vehicle. The smoke coiled into a giant miasma floating into the sky, the rays of the sun slowly being stuffed out. Over the crackling and fizzing of the searing metal, the rapid pops of machine gun fire and dull pounds of explosions returned to his ears. He looked to Zaga.

"Let's go."

Misty Mountains [Act 1] (6/28)

Sonic will do a lot of uphill climbing in this act, having to use expert movement of his wall jump to climb precipitous rock cliffs and to have adept jumping skills to clear wide, fatally deep chasms. As he climbs, Robotnik's robots will attack from higher up, often in hard-to-see places to ambush him. In these ambushes, he may be faced by particularly many or strong robots, such as a platoon of 8 Egg A-Robos at once. Zaga may be able to help if he is present. However, as Sonic ascends, they will breach through the clouds which obscure the air and sometimes force Zaga to disappear into the fog, too far away to help Sonic. Occasionally, between ambushes, there will be sounds of shuffling grass and some bouncing pebbles. Each new time from that point that he hears them, there will be a louder sound of quickly sliding metal. At its loudest volume, a shadow will appear from one side of Sonic, and within half a second strike him and promptly leave before Sonic can attack back. If he has quick enough reflexes, he can avoid him. If Zaga is with Sonic, he will yell out in warning before it attacks. Finally, Sonic will come across the entrance to some ancient, crumbled stone ruins, covered in vines and undergrowth, sitting somewhere across the top of a cloudy rift. However, a statue of a sitting humanoid figure blocks the entry path into the inside of the ruins.

.

Zaga approaches the ruins. "This seems to be some type of Anazze rebel stronghold. I have not thought one would be here, but that expresses how covert they are... We must enter."

Sonic looks around, and noticing the sitting figure, asks, "How do we move that? I can't spindash through something that thick."

Zaga turned to observe it, but quickly said, "Simply, we repeatedly smash it."

Sonic sighed and walked toward it with Zaga, but he quickly bursts alert when the stones in the figure jump. "It's alive! No, it must be powered by Dark Stones, right?"

Zaga was startled, and after a brief moment of silence he replied, "No, this place is before the use of Dark Stones!"

"What?!" Sonic gaped at Zaga, when the figure's legs and back bended forward. They both glared back at it as it stood upright. Caught on the entire hill's air was stone grinding, wood creaking and rotating, and rope tightening and bending.

"This thing shouldn't be moving!" Zaga yelled to Sonic, but before Sonic could respond, the statue's limbs bended again and rather quickly moved towards them.

"It's coming!" Sonic snapped into a fighting position.

.

[Act 1 Boss]

The figure is composed of curved helices segmented by open holes at the joints where the inner wood-and-ropework is revealed. It is tall enough for Sonic to just barely leap over.

- When it is near, it will attack by leaning forward and rotating its arms in a wide circle.

Sonic can hit it anywhere, but it will slightly crack its stone body only. As the battle goes on, it will slowly gain speed. When it is at a running pace, it will start performing acrobatics to attack.

- It may turn into a cartwheel that it can sustain from one side of the ledge to the other,

- somersault into a front or back flip,

- simply handstand (and stop suddenly),

- perform a butterfly kick (a cycling kick that moves in a helical parabola from two points),

- or make a very high jump where it lands and slides on its head, with arms and legs outstretched and spinning like a top.

Sonic will have to avoid the statue at these times and prepare a quick counterattack. Together with Zaga, the figure will need to suffer 30 hits before crumbling.

.

Looking at the debris, Sonic observes, "It doesn't seem to have any power source. It must have been manually operated."

Zaga nodded, looking at some pieces that looked like a stone door. "The pilot escaped while we didn't notice, through his back, most possibly."

Judging it defeated, they walk on into the fort. Sonic remembered what Zaga said, and asked, "You said this was before the Dark Stones were made. How did you know?"

Zaga brushed the dusty, vine-covered wall with his hand. "The architecture is too simple, even for the Anazze. They were a simple race. Their... aesthetic, was simplicity. That being, there is very little style in this place. The rocks look hewn from blunt strikes."

Sonic's eye was then caught to an alcove in the wall. Walking towards it, he sees the stones were in front of a cave wall. On further inspection, the wall had a dull colored drawing upon it, with sharp lines and simple forms. The wall had a powdery sheen to it.

"That powder on the wall is a preservative that strengthens rocks against erosion. Along with the stones retaining moisture, it seems the Anazze were holding a sample of our ancient past..."

Sonic looked to Zaga. "Before your time?"

Zaga stared wistfully at the drawing. "Long before my time." He walked onward. Sonic then realized the timeline, and yelled after him. "Then there will be nothing about Mechanix here! Why are we here?"

Only Sonic's echoed voice answered. He trudged on, into the ruins.

.

[Act 2]

The ruins run deep into the mountain, and therefore the broken stonework is often in the dark. Only narrow vents which connect to the outside give the inner sancta any light. There are other prehistoric drawings preserved, showcasing ancient hunting, gathering, dancing, clay making, and some undecipherable social and religious rituals. Fallen pillars and collapsed chambers force Sonic to make hairpin turns in the labyrinthine tunnels, filled with darkness and meandering clouds of dust. As Sonic goes on, he will come across many small rooms, some filled with mostly intact stone clubs and arrowheads. The tunnels will open onto crenelated ledges overlooking the deep valley, revealing the ruins to indeed be a mountain fortress.

In the fortress area, some hidden traps, such as collapsible floors, falling spiked ceilings, shot needles, amongst others, may or may not be released as Sonic moves by. Sonic will also be stalked by the same shadow figure from Act 1, although not at the same time as when the traps are activated. The fortress will have a shape that follows the contour of a normal cave, with vertical drops and varying slopes of ceilings and floor. At the end is a deep hallway with long stretches of columns. Interspersed between every three columns, there is a small patch of light on the floor coming through small holes far above in the ceiling. At the hallway's end is a connection to a spiral staircase.

.

As Sonic exited the stairs, he quickly threw his hand over his eyes, blinded by the light that filled the room. As his eyes adjusted, he saw a magnificently ornate room, with engravings adorning every surface, a mosaic floor and ceiling, with the walls exposing many cave paintings and many statues sitting only a few feet between each other. The light was coming in through matrices of square holes in the cavern walls, and Sonic noticed small holes leading light into the hallway below. Looking at the statues, they were surprisingly not of Mechanix. Instead, it was of an echidna, whose dreads radiated from his head like sunbeams, and who indeed looked like a mystical depiction of the sun itself. Many of the statues differed in the style they showed this echidna as, but they all paid dear respect, as could be seen by the immense detail in every creation.

"Zexagalaxius..."

Sonic looked over and saw Zaga too gazing at the works. Sonic walked over, a little miffed. "Zaga! We need to move on! At this rate, Mechanix will..."

Zaga turned and faced Sonic, making him jump. "The Anazze were allied with the Elders when this place was built. This explains their connection. I knew it would..."

Sonic was confused. "Connection? What do you mean?" Zaga had already turned away, but he continued talking.

"I will tell you the story another time. The important thing is that I know who my enemies are... and they seem to be much more than I thought..." He started walking to the other side of the room.

"You're in the future, Zaga! Our only enemy is Mechanix, now!"

Zaga paused for a moment, and turned around again. "Yes, thank you, Sonic, I was thinking about the old time, my era... We must concentrate on our task."

Sonic looked at him. He wasn't looking at Sonic, but instead at something far beyond him, almost at nothing at all. He quickly whipped around again. They walked through the hall of creations quietly for a while, both contemplating. Sonic turned his head to look outside, where he saw a ledge that enters the fresh air. He called Zaga over and they looked upon the landscape. Sonic grinned and pointed into the sky.

"There it is! The Floating Island!"

Not too far away, the enormous landmass slowly slided through the air, unaffected by wind or gravity. Long and flat glass lands and a thick forest separated the two from their goal.

"That is... the land of the Angela... Even now, I am impressed," said Zaga.

"It was floating even back then?!" Sonic was stunned.

"Yes. The Angela, instead of hiding underground like most Old Mobians, instead used the power of the Black Stones to lift their homeland far above the world."

"It forced people both into the sky and into the earth, huh? It's like that event was meant to drive people away from living normally on the surface," Sonic supposed.

Zaga did not respond.

In the corner of his eye, Sonic was pondering over a strange hair-line mark in the ground, far over in the grasslands. It wasn't there when he first came out to look. He thought he was seeing some small things coming out of it, too. In that instant, light burst from the crack, and Sonic covered his eyes, again blinded.

"Ah! What's with light today..!?"

A wave of noise then overcame the both of them, like the mountain itself was crumbling. He quickly looked back, and saw two gigantic fists reaching out of a massive chasm in the earth. Zaga, too, was staring. "Is it... the wrath of the earth god?!"

Sonic stared at Zaga, but he was nearly right. The fists grasped the sides of the abyss they created, and slowly pulled up a gargantuan mass of steel and iron. The giant looked exactly like a typical Egg Robo, except in several magnitudes the size. It slowly raised itself out of the pit where it was buried. As it did so, thousands of tiny specks of light with trailing smoke shot out into the sky. They all headed in the direction of the mountains, while the giant Egg Robo was facing the Floating Island.

"Do you think...?" Sonic slowly muttered out.

Zaga made a quick glance at Sonic. "I know nothing but to move forward. We have no time to waste!"

As he spoke the last syllable, explosions shook both of them to their knees. They scanned around themselves and saw boulders being launched down from above. A mass of metal bursts through them, charging down the steep hill side. Sonic and Zaga quickly leaped off just as it broke the ledge. As they fell, they found themselves surrounded by Egg Robos!

.

[Act 2 Boss]

Charging down the hill in front of them is an Egg T-Robo, turning its cannons around and firing at both Sonic and Zaga. From behind come waves of Egg S-Robos, which will attack three at a time. While fighting, Sonic will need to avoid the oncoming rocks that would hurt him if he doesn't jump out of the way.

.

Forever Forest [Act 1] (6/29)

Upon defeating the robots, Sonic and Zaga will enter the forest they saw from above. The trees stood hundreds of feet tall, their branches long, thick, and winding around each other in a complex pattern of weaving. The forest stands above a swamp, mired in fog, and giant mushrooms and vines spring off the gigantic trunks into the large gaps of space that separate them. The fog is vibrantly colored by the iridescent spores and pollen that flake off the many variations of flora and fungi, giving the forest an ethereal appearance.

Sonic will start off near the swamp and have to leap across giant leaves that float across the surface, for the liquid is toxic from the minerals that cause the trees to grow so large. His path will be interrupted by Egg Robos and robots that use the vines to swing with open blades and the vertical surfaces to take a shot at Sonic. When Sonic comes across a curved root of a tree, with enough speed he can use it to run up the trunk's surface until he can land on a branch. The branches bend around each other and the trunks, allowing travel through the middle area of the forest. However, the fog is thickest here, and Sonic will need to be aware if the branch does not touch another so that he can leap to safety. In this fog, the stalking enemy from before will attack, but he will be quicker than before. Additionally, he may place bombs which will split open the branches and force Sonic to fall below. To keep from falling into the deadly muck at the bottom, Sonic should try to keep on a higher floor of branches. Some gaps between trees may not have any branches at all, forcing Sonic to rely on mushroom's caps to launch him across, or vines to swing with.

At the end of the act, Sonic will reach a particularly large tree with a trunk several ten times larger than a normal one. Vines wrap tightly around its circumference, and as Sonic runs across it, a giant robot swings down from a vine and takes a swipe at him!

.

[Act 1 Boss]

Sonic can continually run on a horizontal vine that wraps completely around the tree's massive trunk. The robot consists of a large triangular mechanical mass, with two attached segments on its sides and an engine at its behind.

- Initially, the compartments have long chains that attach it to a vine, as well as long blades that are within range of Sonic as it makes its swing by.

Sonic will need to avoid the robot at first while Zaga attacks the chains. After four hits, a chain will break. When both break, the compartments will tear out wheels which will keep it attached to the trunk.

- It will then chase Sonic from behind.

Sonic will need to keep on running until he can reach it from behind and strike the engine. After being struck, it will retreat up the trunk.

- After two hits, it will open up cannons that will fire energy blasts at Sonic while swinging and chasing him. He will need to time his jumps carefully to avoid them.

- On the third hit, it will change tactics. Wherever Sonic is, it will fire its chains at an angle to both sides of him, trapping him.

- It will fire its energy blasts, as well as waves of many smaller shots. They would be unavoidable as they cover every possible position, however Zaga will use his magic to create a small shockwave that will disable some. Sonic will need to maneuver into these small open areas and aim for the chain.

- After one is destroyed, it will immediately let out ten homing missiles that will target Sonic. He will have to run the other way until he reaches the undestroyed chain and uses his momentum to launch up it and strike the engine again. Without enough speed, he will have to avoid the missiles, which will break the second chain whether he's hit or not.

Once attacked, it will retreat for a short while. If the other chain happened to be destroyed before Sonic could climb up it, it will retreat then, too. On the next two assaults, the angle between the chains will be narrower, and Sonic will need more speed to launch up the other side.

After three more hits, or six in total, the engine will give out a small explosion, breaking off the machine's wheels. It will then fall and tear through the vine, forcing Sonic and Zaga to fall with it.

- It will launch out all of its remaining homing missiles which Zaga will quickly destroy.

- He will then attack the engine, landing another hit. After that, it will fire energy blasts, both large and small. Again Zaga will clear a small path in the small ones for Sonic to move through, but he will have to avoid the larger ones on his own. Once he's close enough, Sonic can simply spin attack into the engine, landing the final hit. Getting hit will send Sonic backwards, and he will only have somewhat less than a minute to attack before they all crash into the ground and die. The engine will explode and the chains will be jettisoned out. One will fly out and connect with a branch above, and the other will connect with the trunk, giving the two something to land on. The robot will fall far below and its fiery explosion would light up the tree even so far as where Sonic is.

.

[Act 2]

After climbing up the chain, Sonic and Zaga will make their way into the second half of the forest. The fog will only stick in the lower levels, however the branches are much curvier this time. Sonic will find himself running loop-de-loops, corkscrews, and vertical helices. The stalking enemy will still attack, but can be seen much sooner before it attacks, giving time to react and even counter-attack if quick enough. If it's attacked, it will make an even quicker retreat, giving a longer time between attacks than normal. Additionally, some of the tree trunks will have openings with many ledges and flowing roads within, as well as scalloped fungi to climb up. If he climbs up the entirety of a tree and exits, he will find himself in a level of branches where he's surrounded by gigantic leaves that obscure his view. With enough running, he'll find himself on the balcony running and leaping across the leaves themselves with a clear view of the sky and horizon. At this level he will see how far he is from the end of the forest, as well as the gigantic Egg Robo slowly walking towards the Floating Island in the distance. At the end of the act, Sonic will come to two trees that stand immediately next to each other. He will be standing on some branch at this point, as the trees rest within the swamp.

.

[Act 2 Boss]

Whichever level of branches Sonic is at, they will split open in front of him by a lightning-fast figure, forcing him into the air. He will begin falling, just as the stalker finally reveals itself. It looks like a normal Egg Robo, except with a much slimmer and more streamlined body, as well as blades attached to its arms. The Egg Killer-Robo will attack with great speed as it has been doing, dashing up and down the trees.

- It will make lightning-quick leaps at Sonic with its blades, like lasers that will cut through him. Sonic will have to avoid by quickly changing direction: wall-jumping if he is going downwards, or falling if he is going upwards.

- The Egg K-Robo will also make large crescent slashes with its blades that will be the entire width between the two trees, and may carry it up or down for a period of time (Sonic will need to avoid it or get hit).

- It will also throw bombs that will latch into the tree bark, either detonating after a certain amount of time or when Sonic gets near.

In order to attack it, Sonic and Zaga will need to corner it and attack from both directions. As Zaga will try to constantly attack it, it is up to Sonic to predict K-Robo's movement and attack precisely. Any hits that Sonic made before hand will register in this battle.

After four total hits, it will target Zaga or Sonic directly and continually chase them until it can attack, which it will do without stopping. The other must then attack, which will make it change targets.

- After four more hits, it will get below both Zaga and Sonic, then attach a cable from tree to tree and connect both its blades to it. It will then make its way upwards as K-Robo attempts to attack either and then throw them into the rotating death column. It will counter-attack any strike on it now, unless it is in mid-air. In order to defeat it before they get squished between the column and the canopy, Sonic will need to knock K-Robo directly downwards with a properly timed hit. Once he does so, it will be ripped apart and destroyed along with its wire and blades, finally crashing into the swamp and sinking in.

.

Sonic and Zaga finally exit the forest and find themselves in a flat meadow that extends for miles beyond their sight. The massive Egg Robo steps ever closer to the Floating Island, while to the left the chasm it crawled out of still spews out flying and land-based robots. They head in the direction of Grand City.

"Robotnik must have left detailed commands for his bases to attack at different times. That gigantic one seems to be another one of his Apocalypses!" Sonic observed.

Zaga agreed, "It must be a desperate attempt to get the Master Emerald for Mechanix. We must dispatch of it as well!" He began running towards it.

Sonic hesitated for a moment. "It's as if he never died..."

.

Egg Colossus [Act 1] (6/30)

Upon the approach through the fields of grass and flowers, the sound of its thunderous footsteps will get louder. As they enter its shadow, it will release from within itself hundreds of small robots and Egg Robos. They will scatter throughout the sky, but some will stay to surround and protect it. When they reach its foot, several times their height, they will be attacked by a slow, but steady stream of robots. Zaga heads to the other foot, leaving Sonic alone for his perilous climb. He'll have to wall-jump off the toe at its lowest point to make it on top. From there, he will need to enter the inside of the ankle through a small hole which only opens at the top of the walking arc, and as a spinball dash to the top of the knee. While the upper leg is still bent, he'll have to race up it until he enters the Egg Robo from within through the hip. Once inside, he will be surrounded by complex and dangerous moving metalworks, such as gears, chains, and open wires. He must carefully navigate the interior, avoiding the many hazards and slowly working his way upwards. After climbing five stories in this manner, he'll be able to exit through a door in the chest.

On the exterior, thin catwalks rest haphazardly on the mammoth's shell with falls of above three hundred feet. Normal Egg Robos and tiny robots that explode when Sonic's close will plague his path. Sonic must work his way around to the gigantic backpack and maneuver up its vertical crevices. When finally reaching the top of the backpack, he will need to jump across a few more catwalks until he rests on top of the Colossus' shoulders. There he can spindash down a door and enter a room full of electronics and wires, his path blocked by traps and enemies. If Sonic can pass these final obstacles, he will just need to climb up a few platforms and enter the final room in the top of the giant's head. He will find himself in a computer room, the consoles displaying various information about the giant's parameters. Standing at the controls of it all is Egg Hunter. Behind him was a holograph depicting the view of the outside world as seen by the Colossus' eyes.

.

Sonic grinned. "It's been a while! I nearly thought I had taken care of you for good!"

Egg Hunter turned around. It stared at Sonic. The only sounds were the incessant buzzing of the monitors in the room. Even the footsteps were silent.

Sonic lost his smile. "You saved me that time, on that oil rig. You sacrificed yourself. Was it Robotnik's plan for you to do that? He must have had contingency plans. But why?"

It continued to stare at him.

After being quiet for a brief moment, Sonic cracked his knuckles. "Alright, then, I'll just destroy you and get this over with! You're just another one of Robotnik's lackeys, anyway. Mindless! As if he could make anything alive."

He started running towards it. It did not move. Just as he was about to leap and rip through it, Egg Hunter held up its hand. Sonic was surprised, but threw his fist anyway. Egg Hunter grabbed it with his open hand, then used its other to toss Sonic over into the wall. Sonic collapsed onto the ground, then picked himself up and glared back at Egg Hunter, who again held up its hand. It then turned its back and walked towards a control panel. Sonic, confused, got to his feet and stayed alert. Egg Hunter did not give him notice, pressing in a variety of buttons and commands into an advanced interface. It occasionally gave sideways glances to him.

"That's enough! I'm not going to play your game!" shouted Sonic, as he raced again towards Egg Hunter. However, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the monitor change. It now took a view from the back of the Colossus' head. He saw the mountains, and in fact the flashes of light from the fighting. What particularly interested him was how the swarm of robots that were coming from the chasm were now retreating back towards it.

Sonic looked back to Egg Hunter. It stared back. "You did this?" Sonic asked. It nodded. "So... you can actually think for yourself?" Sonic asked, incredulous. It nodded again.

He didn't know what to say. Just then, Zaga entered the room. "Sonic! All of the robots are-" Steel bars slammed down in front of him. Sonic looked back to Egg Hunter, whose fist had slammed on a button. It still looked at Sonic.

"What... what is going on?" Zaga asked while trying to budge the bars. "Sonic!"

Egg Hunter then reached around its back and pulled out a gun. It aimed at Sonic. "You're a confusing soul, Egg Hunter! But your tricks won't fool me anymore. This is your end!"

.

[Act 1 Boss]

Egg Hunter's combo is now its optimum form:

- a dangerous 10-hit combo that will nearly kill Sonic,

- and it has the ability to block all of Sonic's attacks as well as occasionally counter them by grabbing and throwing Sonic across the room.

- Along with its ability to indefinitely fly, it can use its jetpack to make short dashes to evade attacks or to make a surprising strike.

- He still has his machine gun and pulse gun, which Sonic will now need to avoid by leaping over Egg Hunter or hiding behind the consoles in the room.

- He can also launch out three S-Robo-strength missiles.

Twenty hits will defeat him.

.

Egg Hunter falls to its knees, electricity buzzing around its broken body. Sonic hovered over it. "Let's end this."

Zaga shouted out, "Watch out!" Sonic just barely jumped out of the way as a rocket burst out of Egg Hunter's back. Its eyes suddenly glowed, and it adeptly moved its arm and fired at another console. As the console popped and fizzled, a voice boomed: "Self-destruct sequence initiated! T minus thirty seconds!" Sonic took a quick glance at Egg Hunter, who still rested on the floor, then dashed to the steel bars. Zaga stepped back as he tried spindashing through them, but it was no use. They looked at each other for a brief moment. Zaga, for once, had fear in his expression. He looked pleadingly at Sonic. Sonic then shouted, "Go! Get out! Escape while you can, damn it!" Zaga's eyes were stuck on Sonic as he turned his body, and then he ran back. Sonic tried spindashing again, but the steel stood strong. He panted, and didn't see Zaga anymore.

He looked back to Egg Hunter, then dashing towards him, grabbed his jetpack where its rockets were stored and tried to pry it loose. He pulled hard, then tried kicking at it, but it stuck. He paused, but realized spindashing would just be a danger. He then just kicked Egg Hunter in the head. "Shoot the damn bars, damn it! Shoot anything with your missiles!" While he did so, the intercom burst out: "T minus 20 seconds!"

Egg Hunter did not respond. Sonic then ran and leaped into a spinball towards the hologram, but could not break through. It was steel as well. He span around the room, trying to saw through the wall at different points. He broke through some consoles, but none would let through. He rolled out and bent over, holding his knees and panting. "Damn it!" He punched the wall, making a quiet, dull thud. He looked wildly around the room. He went back to the consoles and punched down buttons, pulling levers. They had no labels on them. The monitors' graphs changed, but it did nothing to tell Sonic anything.

"T minus 10 seconds!"

Sonic span through a console, and some monitors started displaying errors.

"9!"

He picked up a piece of metal and lobbed it at them, causing them to shatter and spark.

"8!"

He screamed.

"7!"

He stared at the floor, holding onto a pipe. He did not pay attention to the announcements anymore. He heard a clank, and turned around, seeing Egg Hunter feebly getting to its feet. He looked at it for a moment, then dashed towards it. It did not move. Sonic leaped and tackled it into the floor. "Damn you! You know what's going on! You can save us!" He looked at its dim globes for eyes. "No, you put us here. You put me here. You knew all along this would happen! Damn it, you knew!" He punched it, and the sound echoed across the room. Although his hand hurt, Sonic punched it again. He punched it again, and again. Blood splattered on Egg Hunter's face, from Sonic's ripping knuckles. Sonic was covered with sweat, and his limbs ached. He breathed staggeringly.

"2!"

He looked at Egg Hunter's robotic eyes again. Past the dim light, and inside all of the mechanics of the room, was him. He looked at himself, and saw his own face.

"1!"

He closed his eyes and dropped onto its body.

Within a second, fire erupted from the core of the Colossus into its head, and burst through the floor. It surrounded them, the heat licking their bodies. The inferno wrapped around the room, consuming all of the machinery like it never existed. The roar was deafening, but it was not painful. It was like the roar of a giant's exhaling. Like the Colossus itself was giving breath. Sonic opened his eyes. He saw the wall of fire, splashing across surfaces and spinning in itself. He saw fragments of metal fly through the air slowly, gliding, almost hovering in the air. He turned around, placing his feet on the ground. As soon as his foot touched the metal floor, with its rough, cerrated texture, he felt a surge of energy burst through him. For a moment, he thought he was being burnt alive. He looked at his leg, and it seemed normal. He pushed off of the metal body, his back straightening until he stood up. He could feel surges of electricity pulsing through his body in such power that it didn't seem real. He felt like he had transformed into his Super form, but he knew Mechanix had the Chaos Emeralds. Upon thinking that, images of Mechanix flashed through his head. His words echoed through his head as he recalled Robotnik being obliterated in such an awesome display of energy. He remembered the feeling of being hit himself, and his side made a dull cry in response. He then instantly remembered the Master Emerald, and he saw himself using it to seal off Mechanix's power, and he saw himself beating him down, and his body finally laid in ruins. He thought about that, Mechanix dead, and emotions surged through him. Memories flashed quicker than he could even recognize, and he closed his eyes, trying to hold onto them. Yet, just as they came, they disappeared. His mind then stayed blank, black. He slowly opened his eyes, and still saw the wall of fire rotating around the room and bursting out of a hole in the floor. "How is this possible?" Sonic thought. "I just spent hours..."

Upon thinking that word, another type of shock passed through his brain. He could palpitate his heart, beating so fast that it seemed to be an explosion itself. He felt his chest, then his hips, his legs, feet, then back to his legs, to his chest, his shoulders and neck, his face and arms, his forehead and hands, then back. A tongue of flame made a single lick in the air as he felt all this. "What is going on?" he thought.

He saw that the fire coming out of the hole had a gap, and without thinking, he rushed towards it.

.

Fighter Flight [Act 1] (6/31)

The entire Egg Colossus is in the process of exploding, but Sonic is able to move without caesura. After dropping through the hole, he will find himself on a platform that is slowly moving upwards. In fact, every platform around him is moving slowly in one direction or another as currents of fire rush through the entire construction. While avoiding these flames, Sonic must adeptly jump and wall-jump through the entire construct. All enemies he may face are in the process of being annihilated, so he must only worry about keeping pace so as not to slip. After making his way through the maze of flames, he'll burst through the back of the Colossus onto a bridge of shrapnel. At the end of the bridge, he will see the Tornado hovering still in mid-air, and he jumps onto it.

.

As he lands, the impact shakes the electricity out of him, and in an instant, time speeds up to normal, apparently. The plane drops and moves to avoid the deadly "bridge" that Sonic just used. The explosion rips through the Colossus, turning it into a crumbling inferno with shock waves frequently bursting out. Tails, the pilot of the Tornado, looks back and jumps when he sees Sonic. He glances at his legs, wondering what happened.

"Sonic!? How the... You were inside it?! Well, I can't complain, you helped us a lot this time!" Tails shouted back over the roar of the explosions.

"What? What did I do?" Sonic asked, still perplexed over what just happened to him.

Tails whipped the Tornado into a loop around the fire, slowing down and lowering closer to the meadow. He explains. "We found information about Robotnik's operations that were to happen concurrently with the Egg Tempest! What you just destroyed is another one of his Apocalypses, a giant battle robot he dubbed 'Egg Colossus'. It was supposed to attack Grand City, but he seems to have made an alternate plan."

The plane lowered closer to the ground and its wheels scraped the grass. Tails coolly landed it, still explaining the situation. "You stopped it for us! It would have been a threat, since it moves at the same speed as a typical Egg Robo and yet is over a hundred times the size. It seems that it also was in command of all of Robotnik's forces that attacked us after the Egg Tempest, too... since now it's destroyed, they have retreated."

Sonic looked over and saw Zaga waving from far off. He ran towards them. Sonic looked at Tails, who was smirking back calmly. He could tell he was gleaming inside. "I'm not done yet. Zaga and I, we need to get to the Floating Island. Can you fly us there?"

Tails looked at the island, which was fairly close at the Tornado's speed. The Egg Colossus was breaking apart behind them, the fire crackling and the smoke billowing into a large plume. "It's not too far away. Sure. After this, though, I must attend to my troops. We have Robotnik's forces on the run! We can secure an incredible victory if we see it through. Our battle is finally coming to an end!"

Zaga finally reached them, and Sonic beckoned him to climb on. As he clambered on, he looked back at the wreckage of the Colossus, and wondered about what had happened. Suddenly, he saw spikes of energy shoot out. They increased in number and concentrated on a vertical point, where after a brief pause a beam shot out. He saw a ball pass through this beam high into the air. Zaga and Tails both looked back at this point, the beam making a remarkable sound. Sonic looked in the air and saw, for a quick moment, the being within the energy. It was Egg Hunter, still together and alive. In a flash it burst forward, rushing towards the Floating Island. Sonic made no waste of time. "Quickly, Tails! After that!"

Tails started the engine again. While it kicked in, he looked back at Sonic. "I trust you, Sonic, even though you're really selfish." He turned back and snapped on his flight goggles. "After you finish whatever you're doing, I want you to join us! You'd be a great example for the new recruits. But really, I don't want to fight on different sides of the planet... This battle is different from before. One of us might actually die..."

The engine was at full power. He kicked in the acceleration, and the plane started to move down the meadow. Sonic looked at Egg Hunter, zooming towards the Floating Island, while thinking about Tails' words. He nodded, then looked to Tails and properly responded, "Yeah! Tails, I'll explain everything when I'm done! But I promise that I'll be with you in the end of all this."

They started to lift off and Tails laughed after a moment. He smiled without saying why. Sonic saw this, and looked back to Egg Hunter. Zaga held on in the back, silent. They closed in on the enemy!

[Act 1 Boss]

Tails will fire the Tornado's Gatling gun at Egg Hunter while Zaga sends out attacks to dispel its shield.

- At the same time, Egg Hunter will launch off missiles and plasma beams to ward them off. Tails must avoid these, especially the homing missiles and S-Robo-strength missiles to keep safe.

Once Zaga lands enough hits, the shield around Egg Hunter will disappear. When Tails' Gatling gun lands enough hits, Egg Hunter will slow down and come closer to the plane. This is where Sonic must run forward and attack him directly.

After this, Egg Hunter will get a second wind and rush forward with another energy shield, repeating his attacks. After four more hits, Egg Hunter will turn around and will target the plane directly.

- He will attack much more rapidly and in larger amounts. He will use more homing missiles, more pulse beams, and more S-Robo-strength missiles.

Using the same methods as before, four more hits can be landed on him. At this point, he will be defeated.

.

Egg Hunter bursts into flames just as they get in the Floating Island's airspace. Although mostly destroyed, it aims for a cavern within its underside and Tails follows. Using a final burst of energy, it manages to get farther ahead and lands within the darkness. Tails carefully guides the plane within the cavern, but as a matter of caution lands on the ground and slows down. It finally manages to come to a stop, when Sonic and Zaga jump off.

"This is as far as the Tornado can go... and as far as I will! Sonic, although you follow our own justice so blindly... I believe in you. Something seems strange about all of this, but I won't hold you back anymore! Come back safely!"

Sonic looks back at Tails while Zaga runs ahead after Egg Hunter. "Tails, you, too, be careful! Our battle against Robotnik isn't over yet!"

Sonic then runs ahead, leaving Tails alone in the dark, just lit by the Tornado's internal lighting. He wonders, by himself...