a/n: I think I still got it. At least a little bit, anyways. Let's advance.
Amy found herself in that familiar place. Darkness with the cold and glistening black floor.
The masked one was in front of her again and the world was comfortably upright.
She felt gloved hands on her shoulders. Beyond that mask she could see frazzled pink quills and fur.
Slowly, they both went to their knees. Amy felt herself gently pushed down onto the other girl's lap.
Warm.
She purred as she felt a warm hand gently brush her ears. There was the sound of breathing through that mask.
She still could not see the eyes.
A sound.
The masked one was now breathing angrily. Her hands pressed against Amy's shoulders as she raised her head.
A child wearing rags was ahead.
The masked one tensed her arms.
The feral child smiled, her mouth wide and filled with saw-like teeth. In her right hand was an oversized iron sword, trailing on the ground behind her.
Incoherent mumbling.
The masked one breathed out louder, harsher.
The world was instantly replaced.
A whistling noise from above.
"Friendly fighters detected."
Omega raised a metal hand to the sky as jets passed over head. Rouge landed beside Amy on the cracked asphalt.
"You okay, hon?"
"No."
"You went to that place again."
"Yes." She looked at Rouge. "There was another self."
"Another. Then it's not something I can ever understand," she replied.
"Rouge...I...Rouge?"
"Shit...! It's..."
She collapsed to her knees, gasping for air. "Fuck! Not now!"
"Rouge!"
"Get away-"
"Warning. Warning. Friendly missiles incoming. Brace for impact."
"Oh, fuck off!" Rouge growled. "Rosie, let's go. Let's get the hell going...Omega!"
"Cannot contact Shadow. Radar jamming is in effect."
"Son of a fucking bitch! Why would they jam the signals?!"
Rockets rained down and hit the buildings surrounding the three. One started to lurch before collapsing downwards, but not before a chunk fell away and slammed into the street just ahead. A loud hiss sounded before a wave of heat hit Rouge and Amy, tossing them backwards.
"Ugh!"
"Rouge, are you-"
"I'm fine. Omega!"
Rouge felt her phone vibrate and answered it. "Big guy? You okay?"
"All systems operational," the robot answered. Rouge sighed as she stared into the wall of flames.
"What a fucking relief. Fucking Chair Force goofballs."
"Structural integrity of initial route has been compromised. Your flesh and bones will not be able to traverse the flame hazards directly ahead. You must proceed to the rendezvous point via alternate means."
"Gimme the fastest route."
"Proceed three blocks east to 49th Street Terminal. You must then head north along the B Line tracks. Three stops north to Disco Plaza. From there you will be free of obstructions, and you may proceed on foot to the Casinopolis area."
"Okay...okay. Thanks. You get your metal butt over to the meeting point. Sonic and Tails can make use of you."
"Affirmative. Rouge..."
"Yeah?"
"Make certain to recall your own advice. You are not alone."
She paused to glance at Amy. "...yeah. I'll do that. Be safe, hon."
"E-123 Omega, out."
Rouge heard the line go dead. She paused for a moment before putting the phone back into her pocket. "Amy...let's get going."
"Yeah. Three blocks east?"
"Yeah, three blocks. B Train stop..." She shook her head of the oncoming haze. "We'll be fine."
"We'll definitely be fine." Amy walked on ahead, confidently. Rouge watched her go for a moment before following.
"He said two minutes. That's long enough."
Sonic slowly walked into the middle of the square and drew his sword. He stared at it with a solemn look.
"This should be all of them. I hope so, anyways..."
He knelt to the ground and placed a hand down, holding his sword out with the opposite arm. He felt his mind empty slowly.
"This is merciful. As...it should be."
The undead converged, waves numbering in the hundreds. Sonic closed his eyes.
A pulse shot outwards from his form, and everything started to float ever so slightly as time stood still. The waving of the trees slowed. The shuffling corpses were pushed barely an inch above the ground before starting to fall.
The world's light flickered.
Sonic was now standing, his sword arm held out as his worn sneakers hit the ground.
White blood shot out of severed heads and bisected skulls. Each and every visible body fell to the ground, intact. Heads rolled and corpses lay still.
The light on the bottom of his sneakers flickered out and he flicked the wetness from his blade before twirling it once. He drew it over the sheath before finally slamming it in quickly with a loud click.
"These should be enough," he said. Tails hovered towards the ground at that moment.
"Yeah."
"..." He found a wooden bench and Tails sat beside him, opening up his laptop.
"We'll find a way to save them," the fox said.
"Who do you mean?" Sonic replied with a weary edge.
"Everyone. Isn't it obvious?" Tails asked.
"This city's already dead. I already saved these people," Sonic replied neatly. "The only ones left to rescue by other means are those two."
"Sonic-"
"Don't. Tails...there's nothing left. You and I both know that. Just let me...become what I need to. Just let me do that much."
Tails looked at the data in front of him and back to Sonic.
"Is this really what you want?"
"...I chose this. Just like I chose everything else. It's the end of my freedom, Tails. I chose this path...this is what it means to be a saviour."
"What about her? Are you going to tell her?"
Sonic looked over at Tails impassively.
"If she asks I will. She can hate me all she wants for what I did." Sonic looked down at the bleached white blood flowing between his sneakers. "I'd rather that than live with letting her die. All I had to offer was this body of mine."
"Did it mean anything?"
A beat. "I didn't want it to. But it did, Tails. It meant a lot more than I understood. And I'm sure she feels the same."
Tails turned his head and started typing away.
"My black hat buddies are online. Hazama pulled the files from DoD. He's going to send them to Dictator. Then she'll have the dummy uploads ready. It'll take about fifteen minutes."
"Fine."
"Take a nap."
"...fine." Sonic leaned back and closed his eyes. His hand rested on the grip of his sword.
Tails watched his brother's sleeping form for a moment before smiling. It was a melancholy, genuine smile.
"Messiah...going that far, right? You always were brave. Even if you don't change back, I'll love you. Even if you stop becoming a hero...it won't matter. Maybe right now, this is all that matters. You would know that better than anyone."
He went back to his typing, a determined shine in his blue eyes.