Last time on Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic and his friends head through the Mystic Cave mines to enter the Hidden Palace, where the last Chaos Emerald was stored. After finding out the secret behind the barrier guarding it, Snively comes out of hiding in order to steal it. And thus the story continues…

Sonic, Sally, and Tails glare at Snively, who's already laughing triumphantly about his "soon to come victory". Sally meanwhile gives Sonic the side eye glare.

Sonic: "What? How was I supposed to know this guy was around the corner?"

Sally: "This is why we check the area first, Sonic…"

Snively: "Hey! Don't just refer to me as just 'this guy'! I am Colin Robotnik Jr.! Your future rul-"

Sonic: "Skip to the part about killing us. You seriously talk too much."

Snively is… actually visibly hurt by that comment as he slumps onto his seat and revs up his drill of his rebuilt Egg Drillster.

Snively: "I get no respect… I try so hard, but I get no respect…"

Snively drives the Egg Drillster at the trio, aiming to skewer them, but as he passes by, he starts tossing bombs out to catch them by surprise.

Tails: "Yikes! I didn't think he'd have an explosive personality!"

Sonic: "No kidding! He's certainly da-bomb!"

Sally: "WOULD YOU TWO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY!?"

Sonic rushes at Snively's Egg Drillster mech, bouncing off it as the little guy turns on a barrier.

Snively: "Not this time, hedgehog! You got me once, but I have come prepared for your direct attacks!"

Sonic: "Oh, you've upgraded a bit, huh? Guess this'll be more fun after all."

Sally comes in and slashes her sword at the mech, but it too bounces off as Snively laughs.

Sally: "Gh… No good. That bubble is way too tough."

Snively: "That's right, princess! Observe the genius of Snively Robotnik!"

Snively turns off the bubble before charging at Sonic and Sally, launching his drill at them. The two jump away before Sonic tries again. But Snively is too quick for him as the bubble bounces him back. As Sonic skids back, his Emerald drops to the floor. Tails sees this and lunges for it, grabbing it before a claw from Snively's mech could.

Snively: "You! Give me that Emerald, brat!"

Tails: "Over my two tails, big nose!"

Snively drives the mech towards Tails, but the young fox jumps over the mech and flies with his tails.

Sonic: "Yo, Sally! We could use a plan here!"

Sally: "I'm thinking, Sonic! For now, stall him!"

Sonic nods before rush at Snively's mech, starting to run around it.

Snively: "Wha–!? What are you up to, rodent!? Stop that!"

Sonic: "Nah! If I can't touch you, then I'll just think outside the box!"

Dust covers the area, causing Snively to start coughing.

Snively: "Gah! I can't see!"

Snively drives through the smoke, but gets stuck as his wheels drove over a ditch wide enough to catch his wheel.

Snively: "Wah! My wheels!"

Sonic: "Boy you give Hot Wheels a bad name, buckaroo."

Sally: "Good work, Sonic! With Snively stuck, we can grab the Chaos Emerald and-"

A drill shoots out, hitting the temple and alerting Sally. When the trio turn back, they see Snively's mech change into a floating drilling machine.

Snively: "Ah ha! You didn't think a simple ditch would stop my upgraded machine, did you!? I took into account that tired old trick!"

Sonic: "...It's not that tired is it?"

Sally gives Sonic a quick side eye before the heroes dodge drills fired from the new mech, the Egg Digger. The drills aim for Tails specifically, causing the fox to dodge a lot more. As Sonic came in to stop Snively, a barrier would once again stop him.

Sonic: "Okay, this barrier thing is really ticking me off! Fight fair, coward!"

Snively: "Cry about it then, brat! All is fair in love and war!"

Tails kept a firm grip on the Chaos Emerald, gritting his teeth as he looked at the mech. There had to be some kind of weakness to the machine. They couldn't come this far and lose now, could they? As if reacting to Tails' determination to win, the Chaos Emerald he held started glowing, giving a yellow aura.

Tails: "Huh? What's going on?"

Snively: "What? What now?"

Sonic saw the glow and yellow aura. The Emerald was giving Tails some kind of boost. But what did the yellow aura do? Tails looked around and saw things he didn't see before. Water droplets on the cave ceilings, the minor cracks on the floor… Details that were invisible to the naked eye could be seen by him. He focused on the Egg Digger, studying the mech before seeing something about his barrier.

Tails: "Huh? Sonic! Sally! Aim for the mech's back!"

Snively: "Wait what!?"

Sonic looked confused but smirked, trusting Tails' judgment.

Sonic: "You heard him, Sal!"

Sally nods as she ran at Snively, slashing her sword at the barrier protecting him to keep him busy while Sonic slid under the floating mech and saw the barrier only covered the front.

Sonic: "Oh? Guess you only thought about your face and not about someone kicking your butt!"

Snively: "N-No! Don't hit the back!"

Snively starts panicking as Sonic Spin Dashes onto the mech's back, destroying the shield generator there and disabling it. Tails cheered for Sonic as the blue hedgehog runs back to see Snively starting to cry.

Snively: "No! I thought I could hide that little oversight! I masked it just perfectly! How did you see it!?"

Tails: "I guess you could say the Emerald gave me better perception. Sonic? You ready to end this?"

Sonic: "Born ready, bro! Let's do it to it!"

Sonic jumps up so Tails could grab him. The two then began to spin together, becoming a dual buzzsaw that immediately raced at Snively, who was now pleading with them. But his begging fell on deaf ears as he had to jump out of the mech as it was cleaved in half and destroyed in an instant by the duo.

Snively: "No! My mech! My masterpiece! You… You'll rue the day you messed with me! You hear me!?"

As Snively flails about angrily, he suddenly sees a sword in his face, causing him to stop as he sees Sally stand over him, looking quite angry.

Snively: "...O-On second thought… I can be a good little Snively and, um… Not resist arrest…"

Sally: "Good work, Sonic, Tails. You two did great!"

Sonic: "Thanks. Now to grab that Emerald and mosey on to the Wing Fortress!"

Tails: "I got it!"

Tails rushes over to the temple to claim their prize. But as he enters, he is met by a boxing glove to the face, sucker punching him out and forcing him to lose the Emerald he had in his own possession. Sonic and Sally turn to the temple as Snively smirks, Omelette coming out of the temple, juggling the two Emeralds in her hands.

Omelette: "Surprise, losers! Look who has the Emeralds!"

Sonic: "You!? Oh no you don't!"

Omelette: "Ah ah ah~"

Omelette points up as she smiles. Sonic and friends look up as they see robotic Bombs walk on the cave ceiling from the temple. They each start going off, weakening the ceiling so it would begin a cave in.

Omelette: "Your choice! Your friends or the Emeralds, hedgehog!"

Sonic growls as he rushes over to grab Sally, Tails, and Snively, taking them out of the cave as quickly as he could. Omelette on the other hand laughs as she makes her own exit by turning her boxing gloves into drills and going straight through the ceiling.

Omelette: "Here I come, papa! And with two shiny rocks to add to your collection! MWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

On Hill Top, Sonic and his friends burst out of the ground thanks to Sonic's ability to dig, allowing them to escape the cave in. As they land, Sonic sees the Wing Fortress take off, the Emeralds they had likely already brought onboard.

Sonic: "Dang it… I got played… I let that twerp nab the Chaos Emerald while we were busy with this… jerk."

Snively: "Hey, I'm right here, you know…"

Sally places a hand on Sonic's shoulder as she tries to comfort him.

Sally: "Hey, don't beat yourself up. None of us could have expected that brat showing up… We all make mistakes on occasion."

Sonic smiles at Sally, appreciating her comfort in this. But then the mood gets ruined as Snively starts cackling.

Snively: "Enjoy this heartwarming moment, you stupid rodents! Your days are numbered; once the Death Egg launches, you'll all be destroyed! And we, the Robotniks, will stand supreme!"

As the little man laughs evilly, everyone just gives him the side eye before Tails speaks up.

Tails: "...Eggman plans to destroy all life on the planet. If you're down here, with us… Wouldn't that include you?"

Snively's laughing pauses as his skin goes pale, the realization just now hitting him. Tails was right; if he's on the planet when the Death Egg launches and everything on the planet is destroyed, he'll be destroyed too.

Snively: "...GAH! SAVE US ALL, YOU THREE! DO SOMETHING! ANYTHIIIING!"

The trio just sigh before they hear the sound of a plane. They look up and they see Jules and Uncle Chuck in the Tornado, flying down to greet the heroes.

Sonic: "It's Uncle Chuck and Uncle Jules! Right on time too!"

After landing the plane and being told the summary version of events, Uncle Chuck could only worry over what comes next.

Uncle Chuck: "Oh my… If Ivo truly is going that far, then we need to get you to the Wing Fortress right away."

Jules: "Yeah, sink that titanic ship before it has a chance to reach the Death Egg's launch base."

Sonic: "Yeah, but we're going in by ourselves, me, Tails, and Sally."

Uncle Chuck: "Come again?"

Sally: "For once, I agree. If too many of us try to pursue the Wing Fortress, it could slow the plane down. This is a job for only three."

Uncle Chuck: "Well… Okay, see a point in that, but… Surely you three are exhausted after what happened-"

Tails: "There's no time for rest, Uncle Chuck. We can rest all we want once the Death Egg isn't a threat to Mobius."

Uncle Chuck: "But…"

Jules places a hand on Chuck's shoulder, smiling at his brother.

Jules: "Let it go, Charles. Once these kids are set on something, stopping them is nearly impossible."

This didn't exactly make Chuck feel better, but then Sonic walks up.

Sonic: "We'll be careful, Uncle Chuck. I know this isn't the family reunion you were hoping for, but when we get back… How about we have some of your famous chili dogs to celebrate? You, me, and everyone?"

Chuck looks at Sonic before smiling, nodding, placing a hand on his nephew's shoulder.

Uncle Chuck: "Alright, my boy… Just be sure to come home safely…"

Sonic nods before giving a thumbs up. With that taken care of, the trio hop onto the Tornado, with Tails piloting it and Sonic and Sally riding on the wings. The trio took off, pursuing the Wing Fortress as quickly as they could.

Uncle Chuck: "Ugh… Those kids are a handful…"

Jules: "Now you know how Bernie and Aleena feel."

The two share a laugh as Snively tries to sneak off… only to get stunned by a stun gun from Uncle Chuck.

Uncle Chuck: "Don't think you were getting away either, Colin."

Snively: "D-Dang it…"

Uncle Chuck and Jules turn back to the sky, hoping and praying that Sonic and his friends will be okay. And hoping they succeed. Their next big battle may just be the biggest one of them all so far…

To be continued…