SONIC RESURGENCE

by DarkShadowGames451

AU! Elements of the games, SatAM, Underground, OVA, and the Sonic X Anime apply into one separate universe. The villainous Dr. J. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik has teamed up with a powerful sorcerer that plans to take over the world of Mobius. Sonic must team up with a group of Freedom Fighters under the command of a royal princess straight from Sonic's mysterious past.

25. Chapter 23

Review Response:

To Boss Teal: Very insightful. You know, I had to watch Cruise Blues from Sonic X (Eng Dub) to see what you were talking about, and you know, it instantly clicked with me what you're talking about. And man, you're onto something. Still, these characters are still kids despite most of them being teens. So, it's easier for them to make mistakes without noticing the bigger picture. Well, except Shadow. But that will be explained another time, just don't expect an apology from him to Sonic.

To OmegaWolf99: I get how you feel about how Amy and Knuckles treated the situation, but look at it from their shoes. Knuckles is the kind of guy to not hold anything back on somebody like Sonic when he's in the wrong, especially if it has to do with Tails' wellbeing. For Amy, having her feelings knowingly manipulated by the person in who she's interested would prompt her to explicitly make her hurt emotions known. Now, do they know the full context as to why Sonic acts the wat that he does? No, and neither do you guys yet. But do they know that something's wrong with him? Definitely? Would they help him? Sure, if Sonic lets them. But that's the problem. Sonic isn't telling them what's the issue and is so desperate in wanting a quick-fix in his life without losing face that he would resort to using his friends to physically get well without having to explain his problems. And while one would see this as selfish and prideful, well, it goes deeper than that. You'll see when Sonic speaks with Tails and in a future chapter.

---

What must be done… …The servers are the seven Chaos.

Chaos is power. A power enriched by the heart.

The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos.

…Feel within… The sea of Chaos… And the ancient waves.

May the light of its power shine down eternally and protect us all.

---

New Mobotropolis, Acornia

For all of the negative events surrounding Sonic the Hedgehog, physically, the blue hedgehog has managed to heal his body to the point of being able to effectively walk without the need for a cast or wheelchair. Though, he was told to not exceed the highest speed for an average Mobian to avoid any damage to the femur bone. Of course, he had to wait for another two weeks before it could heal This meant that nearly two months had passed since the fall of South Island and almost five months since the Nazo incident.

Between this time, Amy, Knuckles, and Shadow distanced themselves from the formerly hyperactive teenager as a consequence of his selfish attempts to use their abilities to fix his broken right leg. Rightfully so, especially given what Sonic tried to pull with Amy. Because of this, Sonic spent most of his time by himself outside or inside, constantly reflecting on his past decisions and mistakes he made when it came to how he interacted or his lack of interaction with his friends.

This also brought up what went wrong with his previous relationship with Breezie, as both had similar issues. Sonic tends to either not talk about much himself, express how he feels more often or chooses to keep his distance, making him seem anti-social and pushing others away. And regardless of his intentions, it ended up doing more harm to himself and the people around him than any good could ever come out of it.

This was what the rich businesswoman was referring to when she told him when she said dating him felt like she was dating a stranger.

This became the breaking point for Sonic, giving him the push he needed to set things right with his friends and better himself as a person.

Sonic was currently walking down the street, heading in the direction of the Prower Estate. While nobody could notice, Sonic felt the slight limp that his right leg had due to how Metallix broke his leg. The metal within his body that kept his leg in place will always be uncomfortable to the blue hedgehog, but Sonic accepted as a part of the large price he had paid for his recklessness and arrogance in the past.

Sonic himself still wore his red hooded jacket with the hood being on currently, but now wore a pair of blue jogging trousers, and white normal high-top sneakers while his pawed hands remained gloveless oddly enough. That meant that his peach-colored hands were exposed, which meant that he was in a vulnerable state.

Sonic pulled out his 32X-Neptune flip phone and dialed a phone number before placing the phone toward his ear.

After the phone rang for a few seconds, a familiar mature yet feminine voice came out of the other line.

(...Hello?)

"Hey Bree." Sonic said in a low bittersweet but semi-friendlier tone.

(Maurice? Hey, it's been a while.) Breezie greeted back casually, though, inwardly happy that the boy had called her back while heeding the advice that she wrote in her letter.

"Yeah, nearly a month. It's good to hear your voice again." Sonic smiled before awkwardly asking his ex-girlfriend, "...B-Bree, listen. I'd like to talk to you about somethin'. Is this a bad time?

(Oh? Well, it's a good thing that I make my own work hours. And it just so happens that on my hour-long break.) Breezie stated, making her playful tone evident, which kept Oliver's anxiety at bay.

"Oh, thank Illumina." Sonic sighed in relief, mimicking his uncle subconsciously.

(...Are those footsteps? Is somebody walking you?) The record company owner questioned, picking up certain sounds from Sonic's end.

"Oh, my accelerated healin' finally came through. So I don't need a cast or a wheelchair anymore. Although, I can't put too much stress or pressure on my right leg. For now, I'm as normal as you or any average hedgehog." Sonic chuckled.

(Thank goodness. Try not to overdo it, okay? As much as the world needs its hero, we would rather have him in tip-top shape.) Breezie said with a giggle.

Sonic frowned, and said, "Me, a hero? Nah, I just do my part to help out. But I appreciate the sentiment."

Breezie sighed on the other line and said, (I and several billion people across the globe beg to differ, boy scout. Honestly, I never understood why you never give yourself enough credit. But that's a conversation for another time. What did you want to talk about?)

"...I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." Oliver, or Sonic, said as he let himself become vulnerable.

(...What? Why are you apologizing for all of a sudden? What is this all about, Maurice?) Breezie asked, confused at the tonal shift Sonic had.

"A couple of friends had brought how I've been actin' to my attention. It only got worse after my home got blown to high heaven. And like always, I put up a smile to mask my own issues. The truth is that out of my need to get back into shape and protect, I've hurt those closest to me. …Even my best friend, it seems." Sonic explained with guilt and regret in his voice.

(...That is unfortunate to hear.) Said the former music artist, genuinely empathetic over her old flames issue but not surprised about the outcome. (How bad is the situation, exactly?)

"Bad. Out of desperation, I almost tried to use Amy's feelings for me to try and fix my leg. That nearly cost my friendship with her, Bree." Sonic choked, utterly disgusted at himself for what he did.

(You did what!?) Breezie screeched, prompting Sonic to flinch as he pulled the phone away from his ear before placing close again. (That's low, even for my tastes! What possessed you to do something like that?)

"My speed is my security, my freedom. And I used it to protect my friends. And the longer I run, the stronger I get. Without it, I get weaker and I panic. Thoughts rush in. Bad thoughts. What if I don't make it in time? What if I'm not fast enough? Can I save them? These thoughts always run through my head, Breeana." Sonic explained.

Breezie remained quiet for a full minute. Sonic, feeling concerned, called out to her.

(...Sorry, I was thinking about what you said and something else.) The female blue hedgehog stated, referring to her talk with Sally. (I just never knew this was what was on your mind constantly.)

"It's fine. But it's not an excuse for what I did." Sonic continued, shaking his head as his voice got softer. "And what Amy said got me thinking…of us. Now I realize why it didn't work out between the two of us."

(Maurice, let's not worry about the past. It doesn't matter anymore–)

"-It matters to me." Sonic said firmly, cutting her off. "Look, Bree. It's not about the song anymore. I already forgave you for that. But I never got the chance to apologize for my mistakes when we were together, at least with the understandin' that I have now. I should have trusted you enough to tell you who I was sooner. I should have told my friends about you and introduced you to them. I should have put more of an effort in interactin' with your friends and learn how to socialize better. There were so many things that I could have done better, but I ended up fallin' short like always. And because of me, I lost my home and everybody's trust."

(Maury, nobody's perfect. We all fall short in some way. You should know that I'm no lyricist and I'm very selfish. And you bet your tail that I am just to blame for our relationship falling apart as you.) Breezie expressed.

"What do you mean?" Asked the blue hedgehog.

(Speaking to the princess has given me a different perspective as to why our time together didn't last. Firstly, you were the first boy that I dated and have been the only person that I believe to have ever loved me for me and not because of my power, money, or my looks. We were both too young, and foolish. But I should've been more patient with you when it came to interacting with new things and people. And I should have noticed that there were signs that you had issues expressing yourself and supported you when you needed help.) Breezie verbally reflected as she began to tear up. (A-And if that wasn't bad enough, I took the very thing you put your very heart and soul into just me…and profited off of it like it was a get-rich scheme.)

Sonic's eyes widened as he remembered what Sally told him after his fight with Metal Robotnik.

"...H-How much did she tell you about me?"

Sonic heard a sniffle as his ex-girlfriend said, (I know that your first name is Oliver and that the alias you used came from your middle name. I learned that you were a war orphan that suffered from losing your parents in a coup fourteen years ago, and you lost your memory after being estranged for so long.)

"...Oh," Sonic muttered.

(I won't lie, it did hurt that you weren't honest with me sooner. But I'm glad that I have a better understanding as to why. And I wasn't completely fair to you either. You held me up on a pedestal and valued me even over yourself. But that isn't healthy, Maury. I learned that in order to love somebody else, you have to learn how to love yourself.)

"B-But I…"

Breezie then cut off Sonic as she said, (There's no denying that you still love me. And I can see that you love your friends, and love the world that you're living in to bits. But you're not fooling anybody about how you see yourself, Maurice. Not anymore.)

"...I feel like crap, Bree," Sonic confessed, allowing a few tears to fall from his face as he wiped his face with one of his sleeves. "I never asked for any of them to follow or befriend me, but they've been good to me throughout our time as friends. I don't know what I'd do without them. …I may not know how to go about it, but I'm gonna straighten things out. That's why I called ya first. Cause a part of it stemmed from…us."

(...I'm glad to hear that, and that you reached out to me about this.) Said Breezie over the phone.

Sonic nodded with a small smile, saying, "Yeah, I am too."

(...Where are you off to now?) Breezie asked in a soft-spoken tone.

Sonic's eyes burned with determination as he saw a familiar estate on the horizon.

"I'm goin' to a place that I should have stopped by since I got out of the hospital," Sonic answered without any sort of insecurity holding him back. "It's about time I get my buddy back!"

---

Chaotix Detective Agency, Station Square, United Federation

Within the office of an agency, a green Mobian crocodile, roughly in his mid-twenties, sat comfortably on his office chair with his legs on top of his desk while his arms were behind his head. He was busy listening to hip-hop, bopping his head up and down.

The had spiky red scales down his tail and goldenrod-colored eyes. The croc sported a thick body that resembled an S-shape, with his broad upper body getting slimmer towards his tail and legs. By contrast, his arms start out thin and thicken closer to the wrist. His belly, snout, and arms are light green, while the rest of his body is dark green.

The large Mobian wore black shoulder pads, white gloves with black-and-orange cuffs, embellished with gold buckles as well as black leather shoes with white and orange colors. He had a gold chain around his neck, serving as his trademark accessory alongside his pair of black-and-gray wireless headphones, and the crocodile is rarely seen without one or the other.

This was Vittorio "Vito" Ricci, better known professionally as Vector the Crocodile.

Sitting in a lotus position in one of the corners of the agency was a seventeen-year-old fuchsia Mobian chameleon. The male reptile had a yellow horn between his gold eyes. His muzzle and the heart-shaped pattern on his torso are peach in color. He has a ridge of three black spikes going down his spine and a coiled tail.

For his attire, he had on dark purple shoes with black accents, metal-reinforced arm bracers, and white gloves with dark purple pads on the backs.

This teenager was the self-exiled shinobi of the Clan of the Forest Dwellers, Hayashi Hanzō. Professionally, he is known as Espio the Chameleon.

There for a moment, there was a serene silence throughout the entire building. Unfortunately for the two, that silence was interrupted when a small ten-year-old Mobian bee came busting into the joint like a hyperactive missile, causing Vector to nearly fall out of his seat while his headphones slipped off and interrupted Espio's meditation.

The child wore an orange vest with a bee emblem on the left, white gloves with black cuffs, and orange and white shoes with black cuffs and yellow zippers. The red shoulders became black and the antennae now sport three black stripes each.

This is Charlemagne "Charmy" Bee.

"HEY BOSS! HEY BOSS! HEY BOSS!" Charmy screamed frantically while holding a newspaper as he waved it to the croc's face. "HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT I'VE GOT! LOOK! LOOK! LOOK! LOOK!"

"Alright, Alright! Quit your yapping and give it here!" Vector shouted as he grabbed the newspaper from the boy's hand and placed a hand on Charmy's mouth to shut him up.

As the croc began to read while ignoring the muffled ramblings of Charmy, Vector inaudibly read aloud the contents of the newspaper.

He suddenly gaped before bellowing, "WHAT!? This can't be right! There's no way!"

Walking over to both the youngest and eldest members of the agency, "What is it, Oyabun?"

"It's about Sonic, that's what!" Vector said as he looked at Espio and showed the newspaper to the chameleon. "It says that he and the gang got their tails whooped by one of the Doc's machines after being ambushed!"

"Sonic-san has been…defeated?" Espio questioned, utterly shocked at the revelation.

Finally managing to get Vector's hand off of his mouth, Charmy added, "Yeah! It didn't say what bot did the beating, but it did say that it not only blew up Westopolis, but South Island too!"

"South Island is no more!?" Espio said, raising his voice in bewilderment and concern. "Are there any native survivors?"

Vector skimmed through the pages, then grimly shook his head to both Charmy and Espio.

"...I'm afraid not, team." Vector denied. "The only people who got off of the island are Sonic, Tails, and that militia from Acornia."

Espio turned away with a hardened face as quietly cursed in his native language, saying, "Kuso!"

Charmy frowned, saddened at the idea that the home of one of their old friends was gone.

Vector growled, then crumbled the ball of newspaper in frustration with one hand before sending it hurdling into the nearest trash can.

"GRRR! Why am I hearing about this now!?" Vector growled.

"We were busy with work, Oyabun." Espio pointed out. "We have to sustain our living situation and stay on top of the rent. That, and we have to take care of Charmy."

"I know, Hanzō!" Vector grunted as he pounded on his desk before sighing. "If we were there… I oughta clobbered that bucket of bolts and sent it to the scrapyard where it belongs! Nobody messes with my crew! Nobody!"

"...Boss? Maybe we should check on Sonic and the others. You know, to see if they're alright." Charmy suggested as his mood contrasted with his normally hyperactive self.

Vector smiled as he gazed at the bee, saying, "Good thinking, Charmy."

Before anybody could do anything, the telephone began to ring. The three looked at each other, then back to the phone. From there, Vector immediately picked up and answered professionally.

"This is the Chaotix Detective Agency. This is Vector," The croc said before gasping as a light blush appeared on his face.

(Good afternoon, Vector.)

"V-Vanilla! U-Um, what can I do for you today?"

(I hope it's not a bother but Cream would like to speak to you. Is that okay with you?)

Vector nodded for a few times before saying, "Little Cream wants to speak to me? No biggie! I'd be happy to talk to her! Put her on the phone."

Espio and Charmy looked at each other, confused as to why Cream would want to be their boss.

(Morning, Mr. Vector!)

"Hiya, Cream! How have you been doing these days, kiddo?"

(I am well. Momma and I are staying at my uncle's house in New Mobotropolis.)

"New Mobotropolis? That's a territory of the Mobian Alliance. Are you guys having a vacation or something?" Asked Vector.

(It was a vacation. But I called you because Momma gave me permission to hire you.) Said Cream.

"You want to hire us for a job?" Vector said in shock, taking Espio and Charmy by surprise.

"Say whaaat?" Charmy blurted out, only for Espio to shush him.

(Yes sir. You see, Sonic and some of our other friends are here. But Sonic got hurt really badly during a scary fight. Amy and I are worried that somebody might try something horrible while he's recovering. I was hoping that you come down here as bodyguards to protect him. We're willing to pay during your stay.) Cream explained.

"Well, what do you know? This is a coincidence! We were fixing to see Sonic, anyway! But if it's bodyguards that you need, then the Chaotix Detective Agency will be willing to provide!" Vector declared.

(That's wonderful Mr. Vector! You might have to book a flight to Acornia as soon as possible. Station Square might start shutting off terminals soon given the mandates.) Cream advised, only for Vector to wave that off.

Vector said, "Now, now. There's no need to worry about transportation. We'll head over there before you know it. My team and I have to get some things settled in the office before we arrive. I'll let your mother know when we're on our way."

(Okay, Mr. Vector. See you soon!) Cream said on the other line before the crocodilian did the same and hung up the phone.

Standing up, the leader of Team Chaotix stated, "Okay boys! You better start packing your bags because we'll be heading to New Mobotropolis soon!"

"Ooh! Ooh! Boss! I heard that we'll be working as bodyguards!" Charmy called out while raising his right hand. "Who will be hired to protect? Is it a royal? Wait! Maybe it's a princess!"

"It's not that kind of mission, kid." Vector corrected, shutting the bee up momentarily. "Cream and Vanilla has confirmed that our mutual blue friend's been beaten out of commission. And ever since South Island's been kaput, nobody's heard a peep from him anywhere since."

"Okay, so we've been hired to protect Sonic, right? I can get behind that, Oyabun." Espio stated with a nod. "But what are you insinuating in regards to Dr. Robotnik?"

Walking away from his desk as he began pacing slowly, Vector concluded, "Call it a gut feeling but something is amiss team. I believe that ol' Egghead is up to his usual tricks. Only this time, he's thinking bigger."

"How big we're talking, Boss?" Charmy queried as he flew near him.

Vector stopped dramatically as he looked at the rest of his team and said, "Bigger than whatever Metal Sonic turned into a couple of years ago when he tried to take over the world."

Charmy gulped audibly while Espio shivered slightly.

Vector then walked over to the front of his desk, which had an old picture of a young Knuckles, himself, Sonic, Tails, a male red and black Mobian Armadillo, and a yellow and peach male flying squirrel in it.

While picking up the picture, Vector said, "Go and start packing. We'll be out of here in a few hours. I will call in favor so that we'll have somebody to watch over the office and transfer the rent money to pay for us while we're gone."

"Hai/Aye aye, Boss!" Both Espio and Charmy say respectfully before heading off to their respective rooms to pack.

Now that he was alone, Vector picked up the old picture and thought aloud.

"...After all these years, there are still no leads," Vector muttered, staring at the armadillo and flying squirrel. "It's like the two of you just vanished off the face of the planet. No matter. I don't care how long it will take. I will find you, Mighty, Ray. Both of you."

---

Prower Residence, Suburban District, New Mobotropolis

For the last few months, Rosemary and Amadeus Prower were the happiest that they've ever been in their lives since their son's birth. Not only did they reunite with their son Miles (or Tails), but they managed to begin making up for lost time. Sophia "Sonar" Grayson's inclusion into their small family was also a blessing, for the female fennec's presence made a positive impact on Miles' confidence.

Despite this, the Prower couple couldn't help but worry about their twelve-year-old child when it came to the subject of his best friend and honorary older brother, Oliver. Oliver, better known as Sonic, had been the common denominator in regard to Miles' mood changing from cheery to apprehensive. Was it purposeful? Not at all. In fact, Sonic had been hospitalized during the time Miles' demeanor had shifted. No, it started right after the Freedom Fighters and the Royal Council left the Cabinet. Miles had begun regressing into a soft-spoken, nervous wreck preteen outside of missions and sparring.

One day, the parents decided to sit him down and discuss the reason behind his bizarre behavior. This was when the young partner of Sonic explained how he felt he betrayed his best friend despite having the best intentions. Miles went into detail about the matter, bringing up Sonic's inability to express his issues to him, and shrugged off both Miles' offers of chatting. And through his inability to fully think things through out of impulse, Sonic made rash decisions that caused problems later on for the others. Rosemary and Amadeus learned that for years, Tails had been trying to get his older brother to talk to him like how they were, and hopefully confront whatever inner demons that were plaguing him, much like how Sonic had done for him in the past. But Sonic kept turning him down time after time, insisting that he was alright while proceeding to jump head-first into whatever the next "adventure" was at the time and push him away. Now, having decided to speak against the guy that gave him a home and a family to love, he feared that Sonic may not want to do anything with him.

And while Amadeus and Rosemary thought that their son's assumption was rather drastic, there were some serious concerns about Jules and Aleena's son's mental health. It killed them that the false guilt was gnawing at their son from the inside. The two told their son that Sonic loved him unconditionally and that he'll always be family no matter what happens between them. Rosemary offered to take her son to Sir Charles' place to talk to Sonic once he woke up, but Miles refused, worried about Sonic's reaction to the mandates. Amadeus decided to wait a while and allow Sonic to adjust to his new life in New Mobotropolis before approaching him.

And after nearly two months had passed since the destruction of South Island, the Prower household finally got a response from the Blue Blur in the form of a personal visit.

The doorbell chimed three times, prompting Rosemary to approach the front door and say, "Who is it?"

"...It's Sonic, Mrs. P," Sonic answered loud enough to hear her after clearing his throat.

The vixen immediately unlocked and opened up the door, prompting her to place her hands on her hips as the hooded hedgehog waved at Tails' mother weakly.

"...Hi. L-Long time no see." Sonic said, putting on a small but nervous smile.

Rosemary put on a glare that Sonic could only describe as that of parental disappointment.

"And where exactly have you been, young man?" Rosemary asked, keeping her tone even but stern. "I know all about your sessions with Dr. Bartholomew, but to my knowledge, nothing had ever prevented you from calling us."

Sonic gulped, genuinely intimidated, thinking to himself, '...I know that look. It's like Granny Owl came back from the dead. Guess everybody's upset with me these days.'

"I…" Sonic started speaking, then sighed as he answered truthfully. "...don't have a real excuse, ma'am. I haven't been the best person as of late. And I've been a real tool to everybody lately, especially to your kid. And I'm sorry about that."

"And you came over because…?" Rosemary questioned with an eyebrow raised, waiting on her late friends' only child to answer correctly.

"...Cause, your son's a great kid. The brightest one that I know. That guy saved my tail and helped me on more than half of my adventures throughout our lives." Sonic said with maturity and honesty. "He deserves better than I've been givin' him lately. I'm supposed to be his best friend, his older brother. It's my responsibility to own up to my mistakes and make it right with Tails as his brother. And I want to do it now, that is if you let me."

Satisfied with his answer, Rosemary nodded and said, "Alright then. Come inside. Amadeus would like to have a word with you."

Sonic winced but put on a brave face as he made his way inside. After the door was shut, Sonic had been led into the living room and was told to sit on the couch and wait as she went to fetch her husband.

Due to his anxiety, the hooded hedgehog would tend to bounce one of his legs sporadically. Though the blue hero has been slowly working to curb this issue, it came back during his instance.

Sonic then found himself beginning to sweat on his forehead as he retreated to his lingering thoughts.

'...Crap, I haven't met up with Tails yet and I'm already sweatin' buckets! She went light on me so that Mr. P could tear me a new one. I know I would if the shoe was on the other foot. Oh well. I have a lot of work to do if I'm gonna make it up to everyone. And it starts here.' Sonic thought to himself, having his naked hands folded.

Soon enough, Sonic was met face-to-face with the patriarch of the Prower family. Though much to Sonic's surprise, Amadeus did not share the same disappointment with him as his wife. Nor was there an ounce of resentment. There was concern in his eyes, but Sonic could tell that was a genuine warmth to the guy. Needless to say, Sonic didn't know how to feel or what to expect from the Mobian adult red fox.

"Oliver," Amadeus greeted with a small smile.

Sonic greeted back as he was sitting still, saying, "Mr. Prower,"

Seeing that he was wearing his hood, Amadeus told Sonic with a thin, saying, "Your hood, take it off. Hats and hoods aren't allowed to be worn indoors. And a young man like yourself should stand up when another man speaks to you."

"Yes, sir"

Doing what he was told, Sonic took off his hood and stood to meet the man of the Prower Household.

With his smile returning, Amadeus brought Sonic into a hug, taking the blue hedgehog by surprise as the fox said, "Good to see you back on your feet, son."

"...I-I don't understand," Sonic stuttered in confusion. "...A-Aren't you supposed to be mad at me?"

"Oh, I was mad." Amadeus clarified. "However, I also understand that you're children. From what I've heard from Miles, you never really had a true conflict. And you haven't exactly had any parental figures in a while, haven't you?"

Sonic looked down, remembering the deaths of his adoptive grandparents on his twelfth birthday.

Frowning, Amadeus ushered him to the long couch, saying, "Sit,"

The teenager did so obediently, with the older fox sitting next to him.

"I see that you can stand, and I heard that you can walk again." Amadeus pointed out, prompting Sonic to nod slowly. "How does your leg feel?"

"It's fine, I guess," Sonic muttered, raising his right leg, albeit stiffly. "Can't really book it like I want to. But hey, it's better than nothing."

"And the wheelchair?" Asked the councilman.

"I tossed that thing into the nearest dumpster that I found," Sonic spat, harking back to the times when he was bound to the hellish contraption.

The fox let out a light-hearted laugh at Sonic's response.

When he stopped laughing, Amadeus said, "...You know, Amelia told us what happened between you and a few of your other friends."

Sonic fell silent for a moment before asking, "...She did, huh?"

"Yes, I have." Amadeus nodded lightly. "I've learned that both ends had said things. Some being awful, some hurtful."

Sonic dropped his head, ashamed, saying, "...You guys must hate my guts then, too."

"Believe it or not, Oliver, nobody hates you." The older Mobian stated, placing a hand on the hedgehog's shoulder. "Are they disappointed? Yes. Frustrated? Oh, definitely. But do they resent you? not at all. All of us are just worried about your state of mind."

"...That's why I'm goin' to therapy. To get help and be better for them." Sonic said.

"You should be going to therapy for yourself and not just for others, Oliver." Amadeus stated, frowning at the boy's statement.

Sonic said nothing, prompting Amadeus to continue to speak after taking a breath.

"Listen. Your friends are right in terms of how you acted. And how you tried to manipulate your way back to peak physical condition was unacceptable. And you know better." Amadeus glared before his expression softened. "But that doesn't mean that shutting you out was the best course of action. And I do not believe that the way your friends handled the situation was completely justified either."

"What do you mean? I've been hurtin' them-"

"-Yes. You were, but it was unintentional." Amadeus clarified. "Son, you're broken. I don't exactly know why, but something happened to you during the coup. And whatever it was, it's been affecting you throughout your life. And you've been keeping everything negative in your heart locked inside as a means to guard it."

Sonic's eyes widened as he asked, "...How did you know that I do that sort of thing?"

"Because a lot of us had done it. Especially during and after the Great War. But nobody's heart has closed as tightly shut as your father's." Amadeus revealed. "It took your uncle and mother a long time to slowly get Jules to open himself up to other people. By the time most of you children came along, he was somewhat sociable. Unfortunately, most of us knew that deep down, Jules wasn't going to be the same anymore."

Sonic kept quiet for a moment, reflecting on what happened to him throughout his participation in the Naugus War, and grimaced.

Sonic asked, "...Why are you tellin' me this?"

"Because neither you nor your friends are helping each other in the matter. They have to realize that you're not infallible and they have to stop treating you like you are not a larger-than-life superhero that can make miracles happen. And tearing you down isn't going to get you any of them anywhere. Right now, their support is needed more than ever now." Amadeus explained. "But nobody is capable of assistance unless you are willing to want and receive help for yourself. Not for other people, for you. If not, then we'll be losing more than just the war. Do you understand?"

Sonic nodded, saying, "...I understand, Mr. P. Do you think I can see Tails, now?"

Amadeus smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes you may. He should be in his workshop down the hall."

"Thanks," The teenager said as he got up and began to walk away. "Wish me luck."

Amadeus smiled, stating, "Of course. And hey, you're always welcome to come see either Rosemary or myself if you want to talk. I got plenty of stories about your parents."

Sonic froze when his parents were mentioned, which didn't go unnoticed by the one-eyed councilman.

"...Thanks for the offer. I'll pass on my folks, though. But I'll talk with you guys later." Sonic said before exiting the living room.

Amadeus frowned, thinking to himself, '...It's about his parents. That must be it. I'm going to have to talk to Beau, Chuck, and King Max about this.'

---

Laboratory, Ministry of Science, New Mobotropolis, Acornia

By the time Sonic had awoken from his comatose state, the Guardian Unit of Nations and the military forces across all of the territories within the Mobian Alliance had begun to facilitate experiments as a means to combat Ixis Magick and other weapons related to dark forces. The collaboration was referred to as Project Exorcist, coined by King Max with President Armstrong agreeing as he believed it fit the objective of the venture.

Thanks to the efforts of the excavation team under Lt. CMRD Topaz's supervision, a large quantity of Erebite were had been mined and distributed across the globe upon the recent discovery of it being able to halt the process of crystallization. Shortly after this revelation, Sir Charles was immediately given access to the mineral.

Upon receiving enough Erebite to conduct his research and experiments, Sir Charles got to work on two very important projects of his own on top of sending back data regarding the mysterious mineral. One happened to be an inhibitor of sorts; designed as a ringed-shaped collar using Erebite and a Chaos Drive as power sources with the intended purpose to depower Super Mobians (namely Sonic) in case there was a need to detain them. Luckily, with a couple of test runs with Knuckles and Shadow being the subjects, the Control Collar (as Rotor coined it) prototype proved to be a success.

Currently, Sir Charles was working on a larger project. This second one proved to be a greater invention intended to help his nephew instead of binding him further. Of course, this idea stemmed from finding out that Sonic was slowly but surely growing weaker day by day. He knew this to be true upon inspecting his body with a special scanner in his lab and noticing the staggering lack of power. So, he came to the conclusion that Sonic's physiology had mutated and evolved to the point where it was dependent on the excess quota of potential energy to be maintained daily. Much like a muscle needing exercise, only Sonic being over-reliant on this power has placed him in a dangerous position of potentially exploding if the excess energy wasn't released. He knew that if Sonic does not start generating enough potential energy to compensate for his body's demand for power soon, it could lead to dangerous complications that may potentially prove fatal.

Hence why, the Professor of Mobius thought of a way to assist his nephew regain his lost speed while offsetting the ludicrous quota of potential energy that his physiology craved. A device designed to handle insane amounts of speed while also regulating how much energy that should be distributed to the user upon being generated. And much like the Control Collar, Erebite and Chaos Drives would be used alongside a Red Star Ring-powered generator.

So far, Sir Charles was on the floor of this project, which was currently on its third model that resembled a metallic blue treadmill with black treads.

When he stopped working on it momentarily, the hedgehog took a towel from a nearby table as he wiped the sweat off his forehead and let out a sigh.

"...Yes. Now we're getting somewhere," The Professor said, taking pride in his latest work.

Suddenly, the center-opening doors slid open after a loud beeping sound went off, prompting Sir Charles to turn around. A smile graced his face as Princess Sally came to view.

"Good afternoon, Sir Charles," Sally greeted with a wave.

"Ah! Good day to you as well, Sally! What can I do for you?" Sir Charles asked in a familial manner.

"Oh, I don't need anything right now. I was visiting." Sally casually assured Sir Charles.

The uncle of Sonic chuckled as he placed his tools back inside of his box, stating, "Oh, you don't have to worry about this old hedgehog. I've been taking care of myself for a long time. I've been swell. In fact, I haven't felt this great in ages."

Seeing that there was a lively spark in his eyes, Sally smiled and said, "Yeah, I've noticed that lately. Is the Control Collar operational?"

After drinking a bottle of water from the nearby refrigerator, Sir Charles responded, "It's being finalized, but it works like a charm. I'm having Rotor fix the few kinks that it has. It should be ready for use soon."

Sally nodded before looking at his latest project. This had the seventeen-year-old perplexed at its design given its resemblance to that of one of the most common exercise machines.

Walking up to it, Sally asked her old friend, "...Um, Sir Charles? What is a treadmill doing here?"

The old Azurite laughed before enthusiastically explaining, "That, my dear, is no ordinary treadmill. It is my latest creation! I call it the Kinetic Acceleration Regulator!"

Sally tilted her head with an inquisitive expression, saying, "...K.A.R.?"

"...Rotor came up with that little inside joke," The scientist explained before chuckling once again. "Tails must be rubbing off on him."

"They do seem rather close these days. Maybe Rotor sees a young him in Miles." Sally reckoned before moving back to the topic of interest. "What does this device do?"

"Well, it's a sort of siphoning machine. Though, not solely." Sir Charles began explaining. "Given what you told me, I had Oliver scanned and noticed irregularities throughout his entire body. As it turns out, there was truth to Sonic's claim when you and his friends had spoken with him."

"Irregularities?" Sally said with concern. "What do you mean by that? What's wrong with Sonic now?"

"It's not Sonny boy per se, but rather how his physiology works." Sir Charles stated. "You see, Sonic, Knuckles, and to some extent, Shadow share a common trait in regard to their gifts. In the Azurite religion, we believe those with gifts that are perceived as Super Mobian, or Astras, were blessed by the husband of Illumina, the divine master of Motion and Stillness: Saviturn. According to legend, he is the primordial light and spirit that brought physics and gravity to existence while paving the way for creatures to grow naturally thanks to him being the progenitor of the Sol Force. And Astras with the power of motion of any kind was especially tied to Saviturn."

"Okay, well, what does this have to do with Sonic?"

"Oliver's power is directly and almost solely kinetic in nature. Meaning is reliant on motion and momentum. Another one of Saviturn's characteristics is that he is the god of speed, one of his greater aspects. I think that it's because of this connection that allows Oliver's potential energy to grow over time unlike Shadow, who's been genetically engineered to always be at his peak."

"And this is a working theory, right?" Sally inquired, asking from a scientific perspective.

"In terms of my people's tales, yes, that's one theory. As for more of a scientific theory, it may be due to my side of the family's traits crossing with the Cobalt's royal bloodline." Sir Charles shrugged. "As repulsive and traditional they were, the Cobalts were purists. It's one of the reasons why Aleena did not want to ascend to the throne and become queen. Perhaps that's why Oliver is the only member of the Cobalt family that has incalculably high speed."

"Right, but back to the energy issue. How does this lead to the irregularities that speak of?" Sally asked while crossing her arms.

Sir Charles nodded, saying, "Right. There are two reasons why his potential energy gradually growing over time could be a detriment."

"...Which are?"

"Firstly, Oliver's body has to adjust to the amount of energy he could withstand at a given time before generating any more. This ties in with his metabolism as to why he requires large quantities of calories to consume to compensate for his ever-growing reserve of kinetic energy barring the potential energy he stores. Using too much potential energy could cause near immediate burnout."

Sally gasped as a certain memory played in her mind before she recalled, "-Just like back at Furville!"

"Precisely," Sir Charles nodded grimly. "That is why Oliver appeared charred after he broke his limit. Worst-case scenario, he could have blown himself up. And you know what, that actually brings me to the next issue. Each time that my nephew uses the accumulated potential energy, he seems to force it out. Because of the bioelectricity essentially burning him from the inside out indicates Oliver's lack of control of his unstable ever-growing power."

"...My gosh." Sally gasped in horror, imagining the younger hedgehog combusting while accelerating at a certain velocity. "There has to be a way for him to use his abilities without risking his life."

Sir Charles smirked confidently as he gestured to his unfinished project, saying, "That is where the Kinetic Acceleration Regulator comes into play. While this was supposed to solely be a siphoning machine, I decided to modify the original design of the device to help Oliver regain his lost power by running on the treadmill at a consistent yet controlled pace. Simultaneously, the Erebite within the machine acts as a regulator, which will absorb the excess potential energy and effectively reverse the irregularities from the overload of power within his body."

"That's genius!" Sally praised. "Now Sonic can still satisfy his need to run while he's in a controlled environment!"

"Indeed," The renowned Mobian Professor nodded with pride. "However, it's important that he does not run once he's met his power quota and rest. That way, he can adjust to the amount of potential energy stored within his body."

"Good to know… Hold on." Sally nodded before pausing as she asked, "What if Sonic overloads himself and his power grows chaotic again?"

"Then he'd have to get back on the K.A.R. and access the siphoning function to offset the instability within his body." Sir Charles answered.

Sally nodded, thinking about the possibilities that this could lead to in terms of technology as she stared at the Kinetic Acceleration Regulator.

'...If he could come up with the Control Collar and this, then an energy siphon should be a cinch. Maybe we'll be able to find a cure for victims of crystallization soon. At least, I hope so.' Sally thought to herself before a familiar brief beep echoed throughout the room.

The Azurite and Acornian turned to see Amy Rose, who greeted them in a sweet manner.

"Hi Sally! Hi Uncle Chuck!" Amy waved.

"Salutations, Ms. Rose! How are you today, young lady?" The jolly older Mobian questioned.

"I'm great!" Amy chirped before looking at the room and placed her hand close to her face. "Oh, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important."

"Oh, Amy!" Sally blurted. "I was just about to wrap things up here."

Sir Charles raised an eyebrow, then asked, "Hm? Is there something going on today, ladies?"

"Uh-huh!" The young fortune teller nodded in excitement. "I finally got permission from King MAx to take Sally on a little trip!"

"A trip you say?" Sir Charles inquired. "That sounds interesting. Where are you going?"

"Amy's taking me to the Never Woods on Christmas Island," Sally explained.

"Christmas Island, you say? You know, Sonny boy's parents have an old vacation home there. He always wanted to go there… If you manage to stumble upon Jules and Aleena's cabin, you could stay there in case you need a temporary living quarter."

"Are you sure it's fine, Uncle Chuck?" Amy asked, not wanting to feel like she was bombarding a dead relative's undisturbed location. "I don't want to feel like I'm intruding."

"Listen, dear. As far as I'm concerned, Christmas Island is a territory owned by me upon King Max acquiring it after Azuron's fall. And since my brother and sister-in-law have passed, I can decide what to do with it and who can occupy it. Therefore, I grant you two permission to stay over there."

"We appreciate the hospitality, Sir Charles," Sally spoke before Amy could respond. "If we end up finding it, we'll use the cabin."

"Good, good. But what's specifically in the Never Woods?" Sir Charles inquired.

"Apparently, Amy knows of a powerful but benevolent sorceress who might be able to teach me how to draw out the energy of Deep Power Stones," Sally said, excited at finally having a magical instructor. "She was said to live in the densest part of the Never Woods."

"Yeah, Uncle Kingsley and her go way back. She's kind of like my godmother." Amy added with a giggle at the end.

Sir Charles paused momentarily and sported a pondering expression while stroking his chin with his right hand's index finger and thumb.

"Hm…Never Woods. That's by the pristine Never Lake clearing." The old hedgehog thought aloud before looking at the younger female hedgehog. "You're not referring to Gwendolyn the White, are you?"

"...Wait. You know her, Uncle Chuck?" Amy inquired.

"Why, of course. All old people know each other, don't you know?" Sir Charles said jokingly while wagging his right index finger like his nephew. "In all seriousness, I've known her since I was but a lad. About your age, Amelia. My, I haven't seen that old lady since my brother's wedding day. Send Gwen my regards when you see her, will you?"

The pink-furred hedgehog nodded, saying, "Can do. Say, do you have a small fragment of Erebite that I can have? I was hoping that Wendy could enchant my hammer with its power, if possible."

"You know what?" Sir Charles said all of a sudden while snapping his fingers with his left hand. "That's not a bad idea. I have quite a considerable amount. And in a variety of samples."

"...Maybe a sample roughly the size of a Chaos Emerald, if possible?" The tarot card reader requested.

The hedgehog nodded, only to walk to a vault, and entered a code on a numerical keypad. After opening a vault, Sir Charles found a piece of Erebite slightly smaller than what was requested and safely contained it in a metallic box for Amy to have.

Walking back to the two girls, Sir Charles handed the box to Amy and said to both her and Sally, "Here. This should be enough for Gwendolyn to work with. Now, both of you make sure to take good care of each other."

Sally smiled and said, "We promise, Sir Charles. And could you let Sonic and the others know where we'll be while we're gone?"

"Not a problem, Sally. Now run along. Don't let this old man keep you. We all have work to do." Sir Charles said before getting back to building the Kinetic Acceleration Regulator.

"He's right, Sally. We better head to Beauregard's and pick up Cream before we hit the road." The energetic hedgehog said as she walked towards the automated sliding door.

"Wait, Cassidy is coming with us? Are you sure that Ms. Vanessa is okay with her daughter accompanying us at a time like this?" Sally inquired, alluding to Amy about what happened on South Island as she followed her from behind.

"Hey, you saw how Cream and Cheese handled Eggman's robots at the Music Festival. They can take care of each other and themselves just fine. Besides, if anybody tries to mess with them, those jerks are gonna have to answer to me and my Piko Piko Hammer!" Amy stated with complete faith in her younger friend as the two female Mobians left the room.

Sir Charles while working on the machine thought aloud, "You have very interesting friends, Sonny boy."

---

Tails' Workshop, Prower Residence

Tails was nearly done. The 5G Hi-Speed Shoes (Sonic Drives) were nearly done. With the help of Rotor, the twelve-year-old fox kit had spent two months crafting the pair of shoes designed to assist his best friend when he got back on his feet.

While looking at his completed work yet plain invention, Tails thought, '...I should thank Rotor for this later. Now all that's missing is a proper color scheme.'

"Hm, maybe I should ask Sophie when she comes back from the grocery store. She's got a keen eye for color coordination." Tails said as he took the pair of high-tech shoes and placed it in a small trunk.

His mind drifted back to Sonic. He had heard what happened between the fallen hero and their three friends. Well, they referred to Shadow as a friend but they weren't sure if that was reciprocated given who Shadow was. Needless to say, the fox kit wasn't happy with either party. And while Tails could understand why they were upset with Sonic's actions, subjecting him to solitude wasn't helping Sonic either. Though knowing Sonic the longest, Tails could see that the most significant issue was Sonic's inability to acknowledge that something was wrong with him.

Willful ignorance, as one would call it.

If the episode in Sand Blast was a sign that something was definitely wrong with his best friend, the fall of South Island was an unholy eye-opener for Tails. The younger Mobian should have seen it before. For years, he went along following his older brother as he kept rushing into action, eager to face the world while throwing caution to the wind without realizing that there was a festering pit of unresolved pain, anger, and sadness within the hedgehog.

And yet, Tails didn't see the signs. Instead, Sonic would just brush it off, flash his signature comforting and upbeat smile, and then go on with whatever adventure they were embarking on at the time.

Tails didn't expect what they experienced recently. He never expected to lose the home that Sonic gave him. He never believed in almost losing his older brother a second time. And never in a million years did the boy genius think he witnessed Sonic undergo a breakdown of any kind, let alone transform into…that. And the frustrating thing about the situation was that he tried everything he could to get Sonic to talk to him about it all, but he just pretended like nothing ever happened.

It forced him to make him get help…at the cost of his free will.

Yes, to Tails, he went behind his brother's back and voted him off the Freedom Fighters. Not that he could physically be able to do anything on the field, but mentally, Tails concluded that he was unfit to operate. He didn't know what was wrong with Sonic or where it all started, but if Sonic's mental instability led to him and the others nearly dying. An entire populated island being wiped out, then it was best for everyone that he'd be removed momentarily.

It was like the high flyer had lost faith in his hero, and his contribution was an act of betrayal.

Therefore, Tails went into hiding. He withdrew from his friends, and only asked about certain things pertaining to missions and Sonic's development. But he did not visit anybody unless he had to. And he refused to go to Uncle Chuck's apartment.

As far as he knew, Sonic would hate him once he found out what he had done after all the times the hedgehog had his back.

Tails' ears perked upward when he heard the door of his workshop gently swinging open. Turning around, the fox's jaw dropped as he saw his best friend, the same guy who has been seen for months and was supposed to be in a wheelchair, standing in the doorway while wearing civilian clothes besides being barehanded.

"Knock, knock," Sonic lightly quicked, making a fist with his left hand as he imitated the gesture of knocking with it in the air. "Guess who,"

"...Sonic!?" Tails exclaimed, with his happiness overwhelming his deep sense of apprehension when he instinctively went up to him. "Y-You're here! A-and standing!"

"That's right," Sonic said with a soft but regular smile. "You should know that nothin' can keep me down for long. It's been a while. How have ya been, little buddy?"

Tails looked at Sonic's hands and noticed once again that there was a distinct lack of gloves on his hands.

'...He never takes off his gloves.' Tails thought to himself before answering his question.

"...I've been better." Tails said with an awkward smile. "You know, after what happened with Metal, I've been given citizenship…like you. My parents now have custody over me, so I'm living with them from now on. I've been adjusting to the change, ya know?"

"Yeah, I get it. But hey! You got a family now. A cool mom and a cool dad." Sonic said, highlighting the positives of the change for Tails. "Ain't that awesome?"

"Yeah, that's true." Tails nodded. "Hey, don't just stand there. Come inside and chat."

Sonic smiled as he shut the door. Sonic and Tails pulled up two chairs and sat down to have a conversation. The high-speed hero glanced at Tails' workstation and noticed that the table was messy, having blueprints, pencils, and tools laying everywhere.

Sonic chuckled at the sight, thinking to himself, 'That's Tails for ya. He's always workin' on somethin'.'

"Hm... I haven't seen Sonar around. Do ya happen to know where she is?" Sonic questioned.

"She went to the grocery store," Tails answered while looking at one of his Tempest Bracers. "But enough about that, what is going on with you?"

Sonic scratching his head, he awkwardly answered, saying, "Oh, right! Heh, heh, heh. Well, I've been around. Ya probably know by now but I'm gettin' therapy, and I'm a part of a therapy group."

"That's great! Any progress on that?" Tails said with his eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Eh…" Sonic said while his right hand made a "so-so" gesture. "I'm attendin' the sessions at least. I try to do the exercises."

Tails sighed at this answer before asking, "Are you at least, you know, talking to people there?"

"I talk when I wanna talk," Sonic shrugged. "I've always been like that. You should know that."

Tails facepalmed, groaning under his breath, "And that's the problem."

"...What?" Sonic said, picking up Tails' words with his keen sense of hearing. "What are you tryin' to say?

Seeing that there was no way to back out of what he said, Tails looked Sonic directly in the eyes and told him the truth.

"I'm saying that your problem is that you never talk to us. You just keep things hidden away and make things so difficult sometimes when it's not necessary!" Tails said, now frowning at the blue hedgehog. "When you keep important details from us that could, I don't know, potentially put other people and yourself in grave danger, it causes at some point."

Sonic was taken aback by the tone shift, but he did not break eye contact.

"Look, if this is about what happened about South Island then I'm sorry. I can't take that back. But I am within my right to keep stuff to myself. That's my freedom."

"Cut the philosophical crap, Sonic! This isn't just about South Island! This about you!" Tails said, pointing at him. "All you ever do is keep things to yourself, and it's exactly why we're in this position in the first place! All that I've ever tried to do was be there for you, and you just shrug it off and pretend to act like it's not a big deal! And look where that's gotten us! Look where has it gotten you! For Tikal's sake, Sonic, you almost died in front of me! Again! Don't you care about yourself? And what about our friends? Did you consider how we would feel if you were to die?"

"What do you mean? I do care about you guys! All the things that I have ever done were for ya'll!" Sonic said, raising his voice out of the hurt he was feeling.

"And what about you!?" Tails fired back, causing Sonic to flinch. "Why don't you care about yourself like the way we care about you!? We're supposed to be best friends, Sonic! You've been like a brother to me ever since we met! You gave me a home and taught me what it means to be a part of a family! I thought that you would trust your brother enough with what was going on with you, just like how I trusted you when I was in trouble or doubting myself."

Sonic's mind was racing with negative thoughts but immediately shook his head as he tried to come up with an answer.

"That's crazy talk! I do trust you! …I-I didn't want you to be burdened with my own problems, Tails. Trust me, I-"

"-How can I trust you if you don't let me in?" Tails answered with an even yet flat tone. "A friendship, heck, all relationships are built upon some level of mutual trust. And it's met halfway, Sonic. And friends actually keep in touch, you know. They don't travel to Chaos-knows-what for months at a time without saying a single word. And they sure as heck don't push people away when they are trying to help."

"I never-" Sonic impulsively tried defending himself only for him to pause as he thought about what Tails had said.

"-Never what?" Tails asked in a bitter manner, raising one of his brows.

Sonic kept quiet, remembering all the times that Tails, Amy, and Sally tried to get him to speak about his feelings, only for him to push them to the side and bear the pain alone. The fox was right, but of course he was. He knew Sonic the longest out of everybody in their friend group.

Sonic sighed while his ears drooped, slouching his shoulders, and said, "...I never meant to hurt our friends, to hurt you."

"...I know. But you did." Tails answered, clearly upset at the matter. "And it's a shame that it took what happened to you for you to realize it."

"...Do you hate me?" Sonic asked with an unreadable expression, catching Tails off guard. "For what happened to our old home?"

For the first time, Tails was at a loss for words. Truth be told, he'd never hated Sonic for what occurred nearly two months ago. Nobody could have guessed that Metal Sonic would turn into the catastrophic monstrosity that was Metallix. Not after the Metal Overlord incident, anyways. Sonic was being his usual cocky and chaotic self, talking smack to the bad guy after saving the day. If anything, Eggman and Naugus played on Metal's need for revenge and lured them into a trap. Did Sonic make things better? No. But in the end, it was the sorcerer and the mad scientist that devised the plan. They were the one's ultimately at fault.

…So why was Sonic filled with self-loathing?

"W-What? What kind of a question is that?" Tails said, not comprehending Sonic's words.

"The others were layin' into me a couple of weeks ago," Sonic explained, speaking in an unsettling monotone that sent shivers down the boy's spine. "They told me about the meetin' ya'll have had while I was out of commission, and how you felt guilty speakin' against me. Knuckles said that you'd thought I'd hate your guts, but I don't. I can't stand my own right now."

"Sonic, we were tricked. South Island's fall wasn't completely on you."

"Try telling that to the media." Sonic bitterly pointed out. "Let's face facts, Tails. No matter how you slice it, I've been put on the spot. I get televised, the people hail me as a hero even though I can't stand labels, then one wrong move I make, and a fourth of the planet demonizes me. And that population grows every day."

"But I don't get it. You're not the type to let other people and what they think get to you."

Sonic grimaced as he recalled, "Yeah, you think that I wouldn't care, but that was before the frickin' military got involved and locked me up that one time after I had been framed. And we're in the big leagues now. Monarchs, presidents, and other bigwigs are eyein' us down like hawks."

'...Is that why Sonic was so nervous about coming here?' Tails thought to himself as Sonic sighed again.

Tails' eyes widened as he watched the blue hedgehog wiping his face with his left hand to get rid of the tears that were escaping Sonic's eyes.

"Sonic's…crying?" Tails whispered, never seeing his best friend so vulnerable.

Not since Metallix beat him to near death and broke his leg.

"...Damn. I've been a shitty brother, haven't I?" Sonic said, chuckling humorlessly as he gave him a melancholy smile. "Granny and the Old Man would be kickin' my tail for all the stuff I've put you through."

"Sonic…"

"...That black form," Sonic began, getting Tails' immediate attention. "The thing that you've been callin' Dark Sonic, wasn't somethin' that I first turned into back at the oil refinery."

Tails gasped, asking, "I-It's not? T-Then when did it-"

"-Nazo. He, no, that thing triggered it. When he picked you guys off. One by one." Sonic explained grimly.

"...Oh." The younger Mobian fox uttered, remembering when the negative being came to South Island five months back. "Y-Yeah, I remember."

"...Tails, the way he hurt you," Sonic explained, taking most of his strength to speak as he swallowed hard. "I thought he killed you. That he took you away from me. Man, Granny, and the Old Man hadn't been gone for that long, and I was still recoverin' from my breakup. I was messed up in my head, then this monster shows up and almost-"

Sonic paused as his lower lip began to quiver, trying his damndest not to have an emotional breakdown from thinking back to Nazo utterly decimating his friends like it was nothing.

Tails said nothing, only intending to listen as Sonic breathed and continued to speak in a croak.

"...The owls taught me responsibility, their value behind the word, through me helpin' raisin' you. I thought that bein' a good big brother meant that I had to be strong, even when I felt lower than dirt most of the time. But you, Amy, Knuckles, and the others stickin' around empowered me. It kept me going. And over the years, people that I don't even know started to depend on me a lot more. They saw me as some kind of symbol or somethin'. Although I hate it, I guess I slowly took on that responsibility without even realizing it up until now. Pressure and all. Normal folks would call it a hero complex, but really, I'm just doin' what I've been doin' for years. Protecin' my family. That kind of heavy stuff can be a lot on one kid, ya know? Sometimes, it feels like the whole world is ridin' on me just to save the day."

'...Oh my gosh! That's why he never says anything! It's not that he doesn't want to talk about it! The whole planet has been so used to being dependent on him that it's causing him to become more recluse! Why haven't I seen this sooner!? Why didn't any of us see it?'

Tails was taken out of his thoughts as Sonic got up from his seat and knelt down to the fox's height while the younger boy sat, placing his hands on his shoulders.

"...Miles," Sonic said, which indicated how serious the situation was to the boy genius. "I can never ever hate you! And I'm sorry that I've made you feel that way. You're my best pal, my little brother! Ain't nothin' gonna change that. I've spent two weeks kickin' myself for not doin' right by you and everyone else 'cause I've been caught in my own bullshit. But that doesn't mean that I don't care about any of y'all. The reason why I run and fight for your sake is because every single one of you, from Amy to the Chaotix, is all that I got. Whether I needed you or not, you've been there for me. Some of you looked up to me like I was a hero. Yet, here I've been screwin' up and hurtin' everybody around me. I wish I can take back what I've said and done, but I can't. In the end, I wasn't fast or strong enough to save our old home. Or it's people. I failed our friends. I failed you, little buddy. And I'm sorry."

Using up all of his remaining willpower to speak, Sonic finally remained silent before he was embraced by the loyal two-tailed fox. Sonic didn't know what to make of it. Was he being forgiven? Or was this just pity? The hedgehog couldn't dwell in his thoughts as he felt his jacket becoming damp while he heard muffled sobs coming from the adolescent Mobian red fox.

"...You jerk. Y-you should have t-told us." The child uttered as he held on to his brother. "We could have helped you sooner."

"...I guess I should have, huh?" Sonic whispered, still finding himself crying without making a sound.

"Yeah, but I can forgive that. You spoke to me. You chose to open up. That's all that I ever asked." Tails said, looking at Sonic with a smile. "Now, I see that you have been working on yourself with honesty."

"Tails…" Sonic whispered after wiping his face clean of tears.

Tails let go of Sonic and told Sonic, "Sonic, please promise me that you won't go dark on us again. I don't want to see that side of you again."

Sonic paused for a moment, then said, "...Can't exactly keep that promise but I can at least try to suppress it to the best of my ability until I find a way to deal with it permanently."

Tails nodded and brought his right hand in a fist, gesturing for a fist bump.

"Our old life on South Island and the people that lived on it may be gone, but that doesn't mean it's the end for us." Tails reasoned to Sonic. "You taught me that home isn't a place, it's the people you surround yourself with. And I've grown fond of the locals here. Including my parents, Sophie, and the Freedom Fighters. I know that you've at least taken a liking to a few of these people here. Why don't we try again with Acornia? I'm willing to give it a chance. …Can you?"

Sonic looked at the boy's outstretched fist before giving the kid a real smile and giving him a fist pump.

"...Can do, buddy," Sonic answered genuinely. "And this time, we'll be ready for whatever comes our way."

---

Laboratory, Ministry of Science, New Mobotropolis

After Sonic reconciled with Tails, they decided to spend the rest of the day hanging out together. With an allowance, Sir Charles gave him to get a couple of chili dogs at his uncle's stand while reminiscing on the old times they had on South Island. During this time, Sally, Amy, and Cream took two Warp Rings with them along with their smaller bags of luggage, then left the nation to head to Christmas Island with Sally borrowing the Hyper Tornado that Sally loaned from Rotor with Tails' permission.

The next day arrives and Sonic, accompanied by Tails, was called by his uncle to enter his laboratory for a surprise after eleven in the morning.

Sonic himself was still wearing his jacket and sweatpants with normal sneakers, but his hoodie was down to show him slowly becoming more comfortable with himself now that his right leg was moving and Tails was beside him. His gloves had yet to make a return, making him barehanded.

Tails mainly sported his utility belt, brown leather gloves and boots, and his silver safety goggles with a light blue scarf wrapped around his neck.

Currently, the pair of boys walked along the sidewalk as they were about to reach the front of the ministry where Sir Charles worked.

"Ya know somethin', Tails?" Sonic said, getting the young Mobian's attention. "You're startin' to get pretty tall."

Tails looked at his friend, asking, "You think so?"

"Yeah, man. You're nearin' my height, actually." Sonic smirked a little. "Time is really passin' by."

"Hm, I didn't notice. Rotor and I have been real busy workin' in the lab at Freedom HQ." Tails explained.

"That's fair." Sonic thought as he changed the subject. "Speakin' of which, I should probably check in with Sally soon."

"Uh, about that, Sonic?" Tails uttered, getting Sonic's attention. "Sally left the city a few hours ago. She, Amy, and Cream have gone to Christmas Island."

"What? Christmas Island? Why are they headin' that way?" Asked Sonic.

"According to Sally, Amy has a connection to a person powerful and well-versed in magic. She may be able to assist the princess in drawing out her magical powers from those stones she absorbed." Tails explained.

"The Deep Power Stones," Sonic clarified, prompting Tails to nod. "I get it. She's been itchin' to learn how to control that power for a while now. But where would they even look on Christmas Island?"

"I think they said something about an area called the Never Woods?" Tails recalled.

"The Never Woods!?" Sonic echoed loudly. "Dude, that forest is dangerous! I wasn't even allowed to go there!"

"Huh?" Tails said, put off by Sonic's rising concern. "What's the big deal about it?"

"When I was granted permission to go to Christmas Island to visit Never Lake, I was told by Old Man Owl that the Never Woods were off limits. When I asked why, the ol' coot told me that it was labeled as the Forest of Death. How come? Turns out, a powerful witch spawned a whole freakin' forest using a crazy spell, and the magic that juiced up all of the plant life transmuted the woodland critters into a large man/Mobian-eatin' monsters."

"You're kidding!"

"I wish!"

Tails shook his head, stating, "Regardless, you know how strong Amy and Cream can be. And Sally being a mystical warrior princess is a given. Besides, we have been physically pushing ourselves for months to get stronger. So give us some credit, will ya? They'll be fine."

Sonic sighed but reluctantly agreed with Tails in the end.

'...Guess that's the anxiety talkin'. Maybe I do get somethin' to talk to Dr. Bart about.' Sonic thought to himself.

"Hey, look who it is!" A familiar raspy New Jersey accent rang through the ears of Sonic and Tails. "If it isn't Sonic and Tails!"

Turning around, both boys were approached by the Chaotix Detective Agency, made up of Charmy, Espio, and their leader, Vector.

"Hey, hey! Vec, my man!" Sonic said, excited to see the group as he and the crocodile exchanged a manly handshake.

"Tails, good to see ya! Man, it's been too long!" Charmy said, flying up to Tails and giving him a fistbump.

The fox chuckled at the bee as he said, "You're telling me! It's been like, what? Three years now?"

"You would be correct, nakama." Espio politely greeted.

"Not that I'm not glad to see ya'll or anythin', but what are you three doin' all the way out here?" Asked the blue hedgehog.

"We've been hired on a job, and you're the objective." Espio simply answered.

"Wait, what?" Sonic and Tails said after looking at each other, then back to the Chaotix.

Charmy quickly answered, saying, "Have you been living under a rock, dudes? You've been on the news all over the world! We just caught wind of you getting creamed by one of the Doc's machines. Even Station Square's been covering the story. It's a weekly segment."

"...It is?" Sonic asked, with his ears drooping.

"Yes," Espio nodded. "And while most of the public is on your side, unfortunately, some of the population in the United Federation considers you to be responsible for the destruction of your island and a liability to both Mobians and Overlanders."

Tails patted Sonic's back, who remained expressionless.

"...I see," Sonic muttered.

"It was so concernin' that little Cream had us come out here to be your bodyguards," Vector said with a frown, crossing his arms.

"Cream called you guys out here, huh? Well, I can't really object to this if she had my best interest at heart." Sonic said, forming a small smile. "And given how tense things are between me and a few of our friends right now, I could use some more friendly faces."

"That's the spirit!" Vector said with enthusiasm. "And while we're here, we could help out with those fancy Freedom Fighters pals of yours."

"...U-Uh, if you want to join, you'll have to wait until Princess Sally comes back." Tails informed the odd trio.

"Huh? Oh, no, no, no! Don't get me wrong, I'm more than willin' to help out, but what I was offerin' was a collaboration. The Chaotix Detective Agency won't be under any banner but our own!" Vector clarified.

"And we have to pay rent." Espio dryly added.

"Yeah! We're so big now, we got a billboard now!" Charmy bragged with a smug face.

"Gee, a whole billboard to yourself?" Tails parroted, with a bit of curiosity in his tone.

"Yup! You can see it over at Station Square." Said Charmy, raising his left hand's index finger.

Sonic, going back on topic, asked, "So, what's the plan, now? Ya'll gon' tail me from dawn to dusk?"

"Nope! Espio and I will be taking turns day by day starting now. And since I have to work out the specifics of the job's payment with Ms. Vanilla. And since Charmy has to come with me, Espio will be watching you until midnight."

Turning to the purple reptile, Vector asked, "That won't be a problem with ya, right?"

Espio shook his head, saying, "Not at all, Oyabun."

The shinobi turned to Sonic and said in all seriousness, "Sonic-san, as long as your life is in my hands, I promise to endure anything to keep you safe."

"...Okay? Whatever you say, man." Sonic said with an awkward smile.

"Alright then. Now that has been sorted out, Charmy and I'll be heading back to the address Ms. Vanilla sent me. I'll see you guys around."

Tails waved Vector off as he said, "Okay! See ya, Vector!"

"Adíos!" Sonic said, giving the other two members of the Chaotix an index and middle finger salute with his right hand.

Sonic then faced Espio and Tails and said, "Let's head to my Uncle Chuck's lab. We don't wanna keep him waiting."

"...Nani? You have a biological relative?" Espio questioned.

"Long story," Sonic and Tails stated at the same time.

Two minutes later, the three Mobian walked into Sir Charles' laboratory where the old light blue hedgehog seemed to have been prepping what Sonic perceived to be an odd-looking treadmill.

"Yo, Uncle!" Sonic greeted his uncle. "Sorry that I'm late. I've brought some friends over if you don't mind.

"Ah, not at all Sonny boy!" The cheery inventor said before turning to see Tails and Espio beside his nephew. "Miles! Good to see you, son."

"You too, Uncle Chuck!" The fox Mobian stated, just as jolly.

The older scientist turned to Espio and noticed that on the chameleon's gloves were engravings of torii (Shinto temple gateway) with a fully grown tree below it.

"I did not expect to be visited by a shinobi, and that from one of the eldest noble clans in Shinto. I am Sir Charles, the Minister of Science in this nation. What is your name, young man?" Sir Charles inquired.

Espio took a formal bow like a traditional Japanese person, and said, "My name is Hanzō, former heir of the Hayashi clan. Professionally, I am known as Espio the Chameleon. It is an honor to meet you, Charles-dono."

"A pleasure, Espio." The man bowed back, showing respect for the former Hayashi clansman.

"So, what did ya call me here, Uncle Chuck?" Sonic asked out of curiosity while holding his left hand. "You told me that you got somethin' for me?"

Sir Charles sported a cocky grin as he moved out of the way of his latest creation and said, "Indeed I do because today, you'll be regaining your lost built-up power with this."

"...A fancy treadmill?" Sonic said, tilting his head as he scratched one of his temples.

Sir Charles, however, wagged his right hand's index finger, saying, "Tsk, tsk, tsk! A special treadmill."

"It looks sophisticated enough. What does it do, Uncle Chuck?"

"I can do you, boys, one better," Sir Charles stated, snapping his left hand's middle finger and thumb and walking over to his work table.

This was where the Mobian Professor had in his right hand Sonic's Power Sneakers.

"Put these on, son. Today, you will run again." Sir Charles instructed.

Espio raised a brow, mentally asking himself, '...Why would Charles-sama say that? Had Sonic-san been unable to run beforehand?'

Sonic's heart began to pound with excitement and apprehension. Was he elated with the idea of running at supersonic speeds and/or again? Absolutely. But was there still a sense of doubt and anxiety? Oh, definitely. Especially considering the limp that his right leg had.

However, Sonic has come to trust his biological paternal uncle. His expertise in his craft has been proven to be a benefit to both the Freedom Fighters and the rest of the Mobian Alliance, so he was going to trust word.

Swapping his normal sneakers for his classic red and white golden buckled Power Sneakers, Sonic then got on the tread of the Kinetic Acceleration Regulator.

Taking out a remote, Sir Charles turned on the machine, causing the tread to move and for Sonic to move in place to jog like an average Overlander (human)/Mobian.

Espio's critical eyes spotted the slightest bit of the hobbled teenager's right leg.

'...So that's it! His leg has been injured!' The shinobi deduced.

From Sir Charles' remote, it managed to gauge the power that Sonic was generating while monitoring the amount of potential energy that was currently in Sonic himself. And while the readings show that the teen was generating energy, it wasn't nearly enough to reach Sonic's current quota.

"Still not enough," Sir Charles murmured to himself as announced, "Sonic, I am going slowly to increase the speed at which the treadmill is moving. I want you to steadily accelerate to match that speed, okay?"

"Roger that," Sonic nodded, prompting the professor to increase the performance speed of the K.A.R. that surpassed that of a typical treadmill. Tails could tell that it wasn't normal in terms of treadmills due to Sonic placing his arms behind him and his legs beginning to pick up enough speed for the hedgehog to create a figure-eight.

From there, a thin blue aura with few sparks of bio-electricity began to be exerted by Sonic. From there, Sir Charles noticed the spike in power being generated on the K.A.R., which in turn, displayed the potential energy pouring into Sonic.

"Woah!" Tails blurted out. "He's doing it!"

"What is happening?" The ninja questioned out of confusion.

Tails explained, "Sonic's leg was broken towards the end of a deadly battle with a mystically powered Metal."

"As in Metal Sonic?" Espio asked.

"It's Metallix now, but yes." Sir Charles corrected stated. "On top of this, he has been accumulating a large quantity of energy and this body has begun to be over-reliant on the excess power. And that is what causes him to burn out when he taps into that potential energy. But after being out of commission for a few months, we learned that he can lose the energy he's built up if not maintained on a constant basis. This machine was made to help regain that power while making sure that he doesn't receive too much of it."

After a good thirty seconds, the K.A.R. made two beeping noises while showing Sonic's body had not only reached the limit of obtaining his potential energy but was beginning to gain more than the maximum amount based on how much speed he was generating. Due to this, Sir Charles pressed a purple button, prompting the threads to glow violet as Sonic felt a slight pull from his glowing blue body.

"Sonic, you're generating too much energy for your body to handle all at once. I'm going to slow the treads now. You do the same."

Sonic nodded and reduced his speed to match the treads, eventually decreasing the amount of energy being generated while the Erebite's power kept Sonic's body from accumulating excess power.

The Kinetic Acceleration Regular eventually powered down after thirty seconds, allowing Sonic to make a full stop and got off the machine.

Sonic's uncle approached him and asked, "So? How does your body feel, Sonny boy?"

Inspect himself and the power coursing through his veins without leaking out, Sonic grinned.

"...Yeah-ha! I feel great!" Sonic chuckled excitedly. "I'm all energized, yet I also feel lighter."

"That would be the excess energy I took away." Sir Charles explained with a smile before leering at his nephew in a serious manner. "To be frank, you normally build up so much power that it increases the density in your body. While it's fine to get stronger, your body needs to get accustomed to how much energy it can hold at a given time before expanding that standard. And that expansion would have happened gradually. Otherwise, you could explode or burn yourself from the inside out if you stress yourself by forcing that power out."

Sonic and Tails winced at this, remembering the hedgehog's tendencies to go overboard like with Metal Robotnik and against Metallix.

"What can he do to prevent those things from happening, Charles-sama?" Espio asked in regards to Sonic's safety.

"As much as he hates the idea and the word I'm about to say, Sonic would have to limit himself when running. Preferably, he should only tap into his potential energy when he's required to on missions and in battle. Other than that, his Speed Limit away from the city on his own time should be Mach 1 for his own safety." Sir Charles was determined before turning to his nephew. "Does that sound fair?"

Sonic, while not liking the fact that he had to tone down his speed, considered the current position that he was in. He didn't want to endanger more people because of his selfishness. So he couldn't cut loose like he wanted to all the time. Big deal. If this was a step for him to improve as a person to protect his family and new home, then he would have to swallow this pill no matter how bitter it was.

Sonic nodded with a determined expression.

"Whatever it takes to be better, I'll endure it. Uncle." The younger Azurite stated, causing the older Mobian hedgehog to smile.

"Good to hear, my boy." Sir Charles praised, placing a hand on Sonic's shoulder. "With that kind of attitude, you'll be back on the field in no time."

"Thanks," Sonic said, giving his uncle his own ghost of a smile.

"So what are you going to do now, Sonic?" Tails asked.

"Actually, I've been meanin' to find Shadow." Sonic answered prompting the others to stare at the blue hedgehog. "He wanted to talk to me for a while, but we never got a chance to do so."

"What do you think he wants to discuss with you, Sonny boy?" Sir Charles inquired.

"Beats me," Sonic shrugged but remained serious. "But judgin' from that look he gave me on South Island after we finished Nazo off, I can tell it's nothing to scoff at."

"Shadow-san is not a person who would speak unless it's necessary. If he said that directly to you, then his words must hold some kind of importance." Espio justified with Tails nodding in agreement.

"True. Regardless, you may search for Shadow after you've stopped by the castle." Sir Charles instructed.

Blinking, Sonic questioned, "How? Am I in trouble or somethin'?"

"No, but His Majesty has ordered me to have you meet him at the Bunyip Garden once you have recovered your power." Sir Charles clarified.

Espio, Sonic, and Tails all looked at each other at the scientist's response as all of them could read between the lines of his statement.

'...Something is definitely up.' The three young Mobians thought at the same time.

---

Destructix Penthouse, Vermillion, Acornia

Vermillion was a quiet city located in the suburbs of the kingdom of Acornia. Because it's leaning towards the countryside that was near the Acornia-Lobonia border, not much occurs in the city.

And so, a certain mercenary group found the place to be the perfect location to lay low and live a life of luxury. At least, until they found more work through another client. Life was too short to live day by day mundanely.

They were the Destructix, after all.

Currently, three out of the four members were busy in the recreational room of the penthouse.

Sitting on the sofa was the Extreme Rider, Perry "Predator" Hawk, who was playing a video game on a flat-screen television while wearing a gaming headset with a built-in microphone.

Towards the back of the recreational room was a table that was occupied by Fiona Fox and Nac "Fang the Sniper" Taylor, playing a casual game of blackjack.

When the two compared each other's hands, Fiona had a smirk on her face as her cards had a queen of hearts (11), a diamond of two, and clovers of four. Meanwhile, Nac had a diamond ace (11), hearts of nine, and spades of two cards.

"...And you bust, Nac." Fiona teased while sticking her tongue out of her mouth. "I win again~!."

"Blimey, almost had you that time, love!" Nac roared in frustration.

"Tee hee hee," Fiona giggled like the devious vixen that she was while wearing a golden necklace with a circular cut aquamarine gemstone at the center of it. "Better luck next time, Weasel."

This was the late Queen Alicia's necklace, gifted to the woman by her husband that was stolen from Sally by the jewel thief.

"Screw that! I want a rematch!" Nac demanded, slamming one of his hands onto the table.

"...Hey guys?" Predator Hawk spoke aloud as he was playing a first-person shooting game.

"Ugh! What is it, mate?" Asked Nac. "Can't you see that we're about to start a new game?"

Predator tried to calm his comrade down saying, "Hey, no need to be so uptight, it's just that something popped up in my mind."

"Okay, get on with it." Nac spat impatiently.

"You know how we're called the Destructix, right?" Predator Hawk asked before starting a kill streak in his game.

"Uh, yeah."

"As in, the Destructive Six?" Predator clarified.

"Uh-huh," Fiona Fox nodded, joining the conversation.

"Here's the thing. How can we call ourselves the Destructix when there are only four of us now?" Predator Hawk asked, causing the other two members of the team to stop what they were doing and think about the logic.

"...The chook has a point," Nac said while twirling one of his guns and putting it back into his holster.

"Chaos, damn it! We were supposed to be a six-man team but Nic never got back to us! And it was that stupid brute's job to look for more recruits." Fiona complained as she facepalmed. "Great! Thanks to an idiot who I hope is rotting in a cell, now we either have to rebrand or find people to fill in our two spots."

"Just throwing it out there, if we do have to rebrand, we should call ourselves something different. Like the Suppression Squad! Or the Fearsome Foursome!" Predator suggested.

"Ain't a barney's chance in hell that we're calling ourselves those dog-shit names," Nac said, gritting his teeth. "Other than one sounding like a fascist police force, the other one just doesn't sit right with me, if you get what I'm peddlin'."

"He's got a point, Perry. I'm all for robbing people blind, but the last thing that I want to be associated with is anything that has to do with an extreme political view or prostitution." Fiona frowned, crossing her arms.

Predator shrugged his arms as he continued before finishing his game.

Taking his headset off and putting the controller down, the hawk asked, "Whatever, man. I'm just saying that we need more people. Anyway, have you guys seen Raikō around?"

"Lightning's downstairs in his room, last time I checked," Fiona answered. "Why'd you ask?"

Predator explained with a frown, saying, "I don't know. The guy's been quiet since we left Lobonia. It's kind of worrying, you know?"

"But he's one of those ninjas, right? Ain't this his whole yakka?" Nac questioned.

"Yeah, but like, he's more reserved. Like something's constantly on his mind. All he does is wake up, shower, eat, train, meditate, and sleep." Predator listed.

"...Heh, you're right," Nac admitted in a low tone as his expression turned grave. "He hasn't acted like that since…"

"...Since that broad from Stormtop Village banished him," Fiona growled, thinking about a certain kunoichi.

While leaving the area, Predator announced, "I'll talk to him."

Fiona and Fang nodded as they watched the Mobian leave the recreational room. Predator Hawk walked down two flights of stairs and made his way to the west hallway where he eventually came across a traditional washitsu, commonly known as a tatami room. The sliding door was shut, but Predator could see a figure of a certain male Mobian lynx in a lotus position with the smell of incense escaping from one of the open windows on the other side of the room.

Working the nerve to proceed, Predator was about to knock on the door when a voice spoke from the inside of the room.

"...What do you need of me, Hawk-san?" Lightning Lynx questioned in an even tone from his closed room.

"H-How did you know I was-"

"-Approaching my room? I've learned the distinction between all of your life forces. And you didn't make it hard for me to hear your footsteps." Raikō responded, causing Predator to slightly sweat. "Now, again, what do you need of me?"

"I-It's nothing, really. The gang and I noticed the lack of communication, is all. You haven't been hanging around us since we got the penthouse, so I figured that I check up on you. I-uh, we were worried about you, Rai." Predator explained, rubbing the back of his neck.

"...I see." The lynx muttered.

"So, uh, is there anything that you want to talk about?" Predator offered.

"No. It is none of your concern." Lightning Lynx stated with finality. "As a shinobi, one must endure to survive. My nindō is to bear the burdens of my life on my own. Please understand that it is nothing personal. Go back to the others and tell them that I am fine."

"Are you sure, man?"

"I will not repeat myself, Hawk-san. Now leave my door. I must meditate." Raikō warned, prompting the teal Mobian to sigh before he walked away.

Lightning Lynx took a deep breath before continuing to temper his mind by clearing it of all thoughts. However, there was something that plagued him for the past two months.

Sonic the Hedgehog.

By no means did he particularly care about the hedgehog, nor did he like him. Raikō found his cheery nature to be annoying and the boasting regarding his Super Mobian speed, while having merit, rubbed the shinobi the wrong way. He even had the gall to say that the wind was his master, and no one else.

To Yamaneko Raikō, Sonic was initially nothing more than an arrogant child.

And yet, that child not only bested him in single combat but spared his life. Furthermore, he spared for…another challenge? At least, that's what Predator Hawk told him. The Mobian hawk also mentioned that Sonic could tell that they weren't malicious people but people forced into tough positions in life.

Perhaps the hedgehog was more perceptive than he initially gave him credit for. Put the fact that he had the power and speed to eliminate him or apprehend him, an enemy, but choose mercy. It baffled him.

Opening his eyes, disrupting his meditation, Lightning asked, "...Sonic the Hedgehog, who are you?"

Suddenly, a buzzing sound could be heard in the back of Lightning's skull as something digital began to manifest in front of the enhanced lynx.

"ARGH!" The lynx grunted, holding his head. "What is happening…t-to me!?"

The digital projection formed what seemed to be the head of a golden-plated masked Mobian echidna with light eyes with dark sclera.

"It's been far too long, Lightning Lynx. I was beginning to believe that you've forgotten about your creator." The projection stated while using a voice filter, referring to the nanites in the Mobian's body.

Raikō grunted, "...How can I forget someone like you, Vichama-san."

"Good, nice to see that we're on the same page." The masked technomage chuckled. "I have an important assignment to give you, shinobi

"...What kind of assignment?" The shinobi questioned, crossing his arms with a stoic expression.

"...Assassination. It shouldn't be too hard for someone of your caliber."

Lightning Lyx sat in silence, glaring at his so-called "creator" with eyes burning with resentment.

"What's with the long face, Lightning? I just gave you a compliment."

"You know why, technomage. Even with your enhancements combined with my skill, it wasn't enough to…"

"...It wasn't enough to get what you want? Spare me your drivel. Who was it that came to me when he wanted revenge for his brother's death? You. And the first state of the nanite implants allowed you to perform at peak Mobian condition! Who was the one that came to me when he wanted to conduct electricity in order to fight and win the heart of the head of his clan? That's right! You! I had to enact a Stage Two Enhancement Spell, in which you had a ten percent chance of surviving, just to give you that ability. At the time, I only did that to specific test subjects because my nanites were still experimental. I've given you the necessary tools to prevail with your kind of skill set, and yet despite what I've given you, you lost and got cast out of the Raiju clan in front of everybody in your village by the very woman you've risked every for." Vichama pointed out, causing Lightning to growl at him defiantly.

"Kisama…!"

Suddenly, he felt his whole body tense up as if he couldn't control his muscle movements. Without being able to control his body, he felt one of his hands grab a nearby kunai and point it at the sharp end to his throat.

"Don't forget, you've gone to me willingly. And those nanites, and by proxy, you, can bend to my will. I am not a stranger, nor am I some run-of-the-mill crook. I am Vichama, the Technomage. If I wanted to, I could fry you from the inside out, slit your throat here and now, or hold you in place long enough for me to enter that little room of yours with my Warp Ring and rip your soul out of your body and use it to fuel my latest Prelate. So do remember your place, boy! You belong to me! Are we clear, Lightning?"

Wincing as sweat poured from his head, the lynx whispered, "H-Hai, Vichama-sama!"

"... Excellent. Now listen closely, Lightning. I've been given orders by my master. He wants you to pay a little Azurite a visit in Mobotropolis tonight."

Lightning's eyes widened as a nagging fear began to form in his gut. He knew exactly where this was going.

To Be Continued…

---

Author's Note: Hey guys, DSG here.

Huge shout out to UltimateDemonBeast65 for his help with writing this chapter!

Sonic's beef with Breezie has already ended, but I figure that having him reach out to her would be a way for him to actually squash whatever lingering emotions or thoughts he might have related to their previous relationship. Thus, they started over as friends. This also gives insight as to what went wrong with their relationship besides Breezie stealing Sonic's song and Sonic not telling her the truth about his identity. Whether you like RESURGENCE Breezie or not, she will make an appearance a little more throughout the story as a part of Sonic's support system.

Rosemary wasn't angry about Sonic's mistakes on South Island, but rather because he hadn't her or her family sooner. And Amadeus took a softer and almost fatherly approach to speaking with Sonic given the boy's lack of a support system. Amadeus's welcoming tactic was not only to keep Sonic from going off the deep end, but since Sonic is the son of two old friends, he takes it upon himself to extend a hand to the teenager as he considers him an honorary member of the Prower family. Another thing, he DOES NOT agree with how Amy, Knuckles, and Shadow handled their issues with Sonic despite their points. This was why he spoke to Sonic the way that he did.

This will be further delved into once Amy, Sally, and Cream arrive on Christmas Island next chapter from Amy's perspective. And no, I don't mean as a P.O.V. kind of thing.

Vector's name in the RESURGENCE continuity technically is Vector the Crocodile as it was legally changed for an important reason. To leave behind a past that he wants to stay buried. His birth name is Vittorio Ricci. All that I can say for now regarding the Ricci name was that it has ties to powerful members of the Mobian criminal underground.

For Espio, he goes by Espio the Chameleon as a professional name to hide the fact that he was a former heir to the Hayashi Clan, the RESURGENCE counterpart to Archie Comics' Shinobi Clan. Hence his birth name, Hayashi Hanzō. Speaking of which, the Hayashi Clan is located in a region exclusive to RESURGENCE called Shinto, the equivalent of Mobius' Japan. This also includes Lightning Lynx's Yamaneko and Raijū Clans, who are part of a larger village. Fun fact: The Hayashi Clan's emblem is a fully grown tree underneath a torii.

Charmy is an orphan whom both Espio and Vector took in as their surrogate little brother. More on that later.

Tails' attitude was warranted and valid. While originally scared to confront Sonic due to his involvement with the meeting, he was ultimately fed up with being pushed away when trying to reach out to Sonic. But instead of separating himself from Sonic like the others, he took his stand and confronted him the moment he saw the hedgehog when he realized that he couldn't run and hide from Sonic anymore. And Sonic knew that their conversation would be an uncomfortable one, but never thought that he'd been hurting everyone by keeping to himself. This is a deconstruction of Sonic's habit of keeping to himself and not seeing his friends from game to game, which can be as long as several months at a time.

And from my co-writer's perspective, UltimateDemonBeast65 believed that "-Sonic was choosing to close himself off from the people he loves, that he couldn't confine in Tails about his troubles despite being his best friend, and that for all of Sonic's talk of freedom, it basically it's an excuse to ditch responsibility. But that's life."

Vichama's name comes from the death god of Incan mythology. The name was used in Fleetway's Sonic the Comic run as a character in Sonic. Now, obviously, the character in question took this title as a pseudonym to protect his true identity. His appearance, or at least, the projection that was shown is that of the fourth Enerjak from the Dark Mobius timeline, though it's not Knuckles under the mask. The only hint that I gave you guys is that he was a technomage. Of course, because Eggman wasn't the one that caused the coup d'etat. And, in this continuity, not only was he the student of Naugus but the one who gave both Fiona and Lightning their cybernetic enhancements. The last thing that I can say about "Vichama" is that he is a mix of several different characters. But more on him in the

The Kinetic Acceleration Regulator was inspired by DC's Cosmic Treadmill, although, this serves a different but equally important as the Flash's treadmill. You see, I had Uncle Chuck make this device as a means to nerf Sonic. And while he's not Archie Sonic, he does have the potential to be just as fast as him. However, I intend to limit his uses of his incredible speed as a means to ground him in this sort of semi-realistic setting so that he doesn't become over reliant on his honed talent of moving fast. For the rest of the story, Sonic will not only learn life skills while adjusting to his new home but will be creating and learning new ways of how to war. After all, this is Japanese/SEGA Sonic interacting with the mystical side of Mobius. The world of the Knothole Freedom Fighters. And while he's still wild and free at heart, he'll be learning that just because he has his own way of doing things, doesn't mean that it's always the right way. This includes how he handles using his super speed.

Will Amy and Knuckles reconcile with Sonic? Yes, but more on that next time.

Next chapter, we'll be seeing more of Sonic interacting with the Chaotix while also focusing on Sally and the reintroduction of Team Rose as they go on an adventure within Christmas Island!

Anyway, please leave your comments, questions, concerns, and criticisms in the Reviews. Tell me what you like, dislike, what could be better, and what you enjoy about the saga and/or story so far by writing a detailed review for me. What are your favorite moments? Who do you like to see more of? Let me know these things, guys! It helps me grow as a writer, and I enjoy reading your thoughts on my work.

Anyway, I'll see you guys later!

-DarkShadowGames451