The group of eight wasn't far from the village now. The transition into the forest of Avalon was subtle but full of green foliage. Birds and the sound of a nearby creek added to the warm but comfortable sunshine. The Woodland Kingsmen talked among themselves and sang songs as they made their way back home. Team Dark came with them but was a lot quieter.

Despite all the voices behind them, something made Shadow pause. His ear twitched at a subtle snap. "What was that?"

Those behind him stopped and looked around, but nothing else stirred. "What was what?" Thorn the lop asked. No one answered her.

"Eh, whateveh you heard coulda been nothin'," Munch the rat added, but Shadow wasn't convinced.

He closed his eyes and searched. An image of Eclipse came to his mind, but he spent too long pondering if it was his imagination or not before the alien could act. You found me, brother.

By the time he opened his eyes again, Eclipse already dropped from a tree near the back of the group and took Friar Buck hostage. His friends cried in outrage, but Eclipse held the man tight and backed up, using him as a shield. "No one moves!" He demanded. "It wouldn't pain me to end this pathetic being's life, but I may be persuaded to let him go for the Chaos Emerald in exchange." He watched as the team exchanged looks. Eclipse rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend you don't have it, Shadow! I've been watching you for some time, and I can feel the energy coming off it." He waited and saw the hedgehog hold the gem forward, but down. A grin spread on the alien's face. "That's right. I know you don't care about our kind, but these pitiful inferiors seem to mean something to you. Give me the gem and this one goes free."

Bow gripped the bow at his side, thinking he might take the chance and shoot if he had a clear angle, but then he found Lord Hood had taken all his arrows. Eyes turned to Shadow.

"Violence is never-" Friar Buck started, but Eclipse pulled him tighter and pointed his sharp nails under the buck's chin.

"What will it be, brother? Can you live with your choice?"

Time seemed to freeze. Shadow's fur tingled under all the stares. He looked down at the radiant power emerald and back to the still Friar Buck, whose breathing came short and quick. Ignoring the tense glances on him, Shadow squinted at the alien. "And how do we know you won't kill him anyway?"

"Use the abilities our blood gives you, and you will see."

Rather reluctant to do so, but finding it both curious and important, Shadow focused, linking his mind with Eclipse. It was dull and the strain sharp, but he could see the alien intended as he said. His senses rushed back to him and he took a step backward. When he looked at the alien again, Eclipse hasn't moved or changed. Friar Buck remained in his grip.

"Shad-" Rouge started, but he silenced her with an arm at his side. If Eclipse had all the Chaos Emeralds, Friar Buck wouldn't be the only one to fall. Everyone's life on the entire planet would be at the alien's mercy. Still, G.U.N. already has two emeralds secured. Letting him have this one won't give him an upper hand in his mission. Besides, Shadow couldn't even consider the thought of carrying on after letting Eclipse kill an innocent in front of him if he could have prevented it.

He came forward with slow, deliberate steps, holding the Chaos Emerald up in front of him. Eclipse prodded him on. "That's it. Slowly... And stop." He held his free hand in front of Friar Buck. "Toss it here."

Shadow did as he asked. "Don't think this will save you. You're still going down."

Eclipse gripped the emerald and loosened his hold on his victim. Before letting go, he had one more response to share. "I'm really disappointed in you, brother. Choosing these weak beings as your family instead of your own kind or even me. Just know I didn't want any of this to be this way."

Finally, he pushed Friar Buck forward and, in the same fluid movement, leaped for the tree he jumped out of and climbed up it. Shadow ran for it, but the alien was already gone when he looked up.

"Thank you for saving him." A voice behind him said. Shadow turned around to see Bow. "Friar Buck is a valuable member of our team, and I can't thank you enough for what you and your team have done for the Woodland Kingsmen in these last few days." He extended a hand. It took Shadow a long, silent moment before he returned the handshake. The rest of the Freedom Fighters surrounded their returned member. Friar Buck was startled, but unhurt. Voices talked over each other.

Rouge came up beside her comrade and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did the right thing."

He looked away, refusing to meet anyone's gaze. "Come on," He told her and followed the road again.

...

The Woodland Kingsmen offered them to stay and celebrate with them, but Team Dark, especially Shadow, wanted to move on from the forest. Of course, they weren't letting them get away with nothing and Rouge happily accepted a gift of freshly baked cinnamon raisin bread.

As they headed out, G.U.N contacted Rouge to tell the team to return to headquarters. They already sent out a team to retrieve the next emerald and should meet them by the time they came back.

Shadow accepted the task, but other than that, he didn't engage with the team. Rouge could only imagine what went on in his head. No doubt he was still brooding about the encounter with Eclipse. Rouge tried several times to catch his attention, but he always turned away from her. Omega didn't press anything.

"You know, this stuff isn't half bad," Rouge remarked out loud as she picked at the bread. The main headquarters was in view now, and her mood lightened ever since they returned home to Central City. As they walked away from the garages where they parked the Dark Rider, she again attempted a reaction. Rouge swallowed her last bite and pointed at the loaf in her hand. "Want some?"

The hedgehog didn't even shake his head, just turned it away again. Rouge pouted. If she wanted this cold air to change, she needed to be more direct. "There was nothing else you could have done. It was a noble choice you made, to help that team."

He scoffed. It wasn't the reaction she wanted, but it was a reaction nonetheless. "If you're still trying to bring up what happened in the forest again, then save it. There's nothing to talk about."

"Of course there is! The fact that you refused to talk about it says enough."

At that moment, he would have let his rage loose at her, but the sudden chaos shifted his focus. A pounding roar of a shuttle sounded ahead, and so did the following gunshots. "Why are they firing at one of our shuttles?" Rouge asked. The three paused for a moment and then ran ahead.

By the time they reached the humans firing at the ship, the vehicle was well in the distance, looking like nothing but a beaming star. "What's going on here?" Shadow demanded.

A man paused and turned to them. "It was Dr. Snively. He escaped after they found him trying to reach the vaults where the Chaos Emeralds were held."

Rouge cried out. "Oh my! Did he take any of them?"

"He took them. All three of them! Units are in pursuit now."

"Come on," Shadow tilted his head toward the remaining military vehicles. "Let's join them."

He didn't need to convince the team. He took the lead and they followed swiftly behind him. As they ran for the nearest plane, they saw others doing the same. The uniformed group of humans began filling up the seats of several assault planes. Without a word, Shadow and Rouge entered the closest ones that were still on the ground. The roaring of engines grew closer and closer until it was deafening. "Don't do what I wouldn't do," Omega wished his teammates as their ships lifted off the concrete.

"Open fire at subject on sight," Said a voice over the intercom. Shadow took control of the vehicle. The headquarters building lowered out of sight and jets fired as the plane propelled forward. Out of the window, he saw Rouge's plane joining beside him. Ahead, small specks zipped around the sky. Shadow sped the vehicle up as fast as it was able.

Gradually, the distant forms grew bigger. One plane ahead of the rest swerved out of the way of incoming bullets. His pursuers lined up, covering angles he could use to evade them, but Snively's stolen plane lifted up, down, and over positioning vehicles.

Shadow and Rouge took up the rear and joined the firing teams. Three ahead lowered and Shadow stayed up high. He held down the controls, firing at Snively who dipped down in the range of the other three.

More bullets fired, clipping their opponent's wing. They sparked on impact and ricocheted. Snively gritted his teeth and pulled up again on the controls, but instead of placing himself in Shadow and Rouge's range, he lifted higher and allowed the vehicle to loop until he ended up behind them.

Snively shot his own bullets, lodging them into Rouge's plane. It let out a line of smoke. "Rouge!" Shadow cried out. He saw her turn her head at the attacking plane. Her vehicle jostled a little, but she stayed in the air. Shadow slowed down, allowing Snively to reach him side-by-side. Shadow turned the guns and fired. He could see Snively panicking in the cockpit, yelling out silent threats. Snively returned the fire, but Shadow was already pulling up and out of range. He began to slow again, but Snively matched his pace.

At this point, most of the planes ahead of them have turned around. From his view above the battlefield, Shadow saw bullets landing inside Snively's jets. Smoke began rising from the damage, but he wasn't the first to go down. He opened fire, sweeping from side to side and hitting those closest to him. Bulletproof screens collected cracks. He pulled up, cutting a wave in the sky. The underside of the plane opened and a missile dropped out. It settled on locking on a plane at random, swooping in a wide circle in pursuit.

The attack inspired Rouge to launch her own. While he wasn't looking, she flew up. It rocked her back and forth as she held the controls. The vertigo in her head traveled down to her stomach, but she pressed the plane forward until she was right on top of him. What fell out of her plane was no missile, but a slew of small bombs.

They blasted his screen like firecrackers. The smoke from the attack lingered, creating a smokescreen. Snively squinted, but the black puffs obscured everything. Still blind, he fired in random directions, but he couldn't tell if he hit a target or not. Sounds of jet engines and bullets filled his ears. It was hard to tell, but the following blasts told him more bombs were dropping on him. He wove his arms as if his quick, irritated movements would wipe the screen clear of smoke. When it finally began to clear, he screamed. Another plane stared him down and he couldn't stop in time. Snively pulled up, skating up the plane's nose and on top of the body. The action rocked his seat and he felt the collision free itself.

From Rouge's viewpoint, the plane under Snively's fell several feet before the pilot ejected, a parachute safely on his back. She drove forward but paid too close attention to the fallen plane. When she looked back up, she stared face-to-face with the evasive scientist himself.

Snively grinned before letting loose another missile. Before she could react, it zipped and exploded in the plane's underbelly. The screens before her flashed red and an alarm quickly followed. Rouge saw the plane's nose tip downward. She pulled up, but the warnings only grew louder. She had no other choice. As it began to fall faster and faster to the ground, she lifted the top of the cockpit and flew out.

That took care of two planes out of a dozen, and Snively's plane wasn't in tip-top shape... That, and they still had missiles. He looked down at the case in his lap. Does he need to...? He swallowed and patted the parachute on his back. Fighting with the remainders won't get him anywhere. He had to lose them. He kicked the plane at the highest speed it would go, darting in between a line of defending planes. His pursuers turned around and sped behind him.

The clouds never seemed to come any closer, but one look at the ground below would see it racing along with him. He was by no means an expert on flying, though he did wish the sky wasn't as open as it was as it would be harder to lose those following him.

It's not like he went very far anyway...

Snively was in the middle of celebrating the lack of bullets when a certain dark hedgehog appeared out of nowhere on the front of the plane. Snively wove his hands in front of him, but Shadow didn't pay him any mind. "CHAOS-"

"No, no, no, no-"

"SPEAR!"

The beam of energy pierced the body of the plane, releasing a pool of smoke leaking up and into view. Snively could barely see the hedgehog still present on the other side. He turned his head. The planes were still on their way. His was no longer capable of flight. There was only one last method of escape.

He opened the top. "You want this so badly?" He asked no one in particular, though Shadow looked up upon hearing his voice. Snively held up the case of emeralds. "Go fetch it!" He yelled before tossing the gems behind him and jumping from the plane himself. Shadow disappeared as the plane began to fall.

Shadow teleported back to his plane left on autopilot, but he didn't need to focus on retrieving the thrown emeralds. Rouge cut in and grabbed the flying case. She held it before her and grinned. Shadow nodded at her success. She tucked it in her arm and flew beside him.

...

"I always knew there was something wrong with that little creep," Rouge said as Shadow hopped out of the plane and walked beside her. "It's too bad we couldn't get that creep in custody, but at least we have the emeralds."

"He's probably running back to Doctor Robotnik," Shadow remarked. "At least he has nothing to show for it."

Rouge scoffed and an excited Omega caught up with them. His steps fell with heavier energy than usual as he marched behind them. "You should have seen the fight from my point of view," he boomed. "Magnificent."

More of the humans from the sky began exiting the planes parked behind them and Rouge couldn't help but look back at the agents as she followed her teammates. The entryway was crowded with tall bodies and loud voices. None of them compared to Omega though, who acted as both a shield and marker for his two shorter teammates. As they made it past the desks by the door and further in, Shadow spotted Commander Tower discussing something with another agent.

The human swung the document in his hands closed and pardoned himself from the visiting agent. "Team Dark, you're not going to believe this." Rather than explain, he turned away and beckoned them to follow. "After Alpha-Sigma located and collected the Chaos Emerald in Apotos, we began scanning for the next one, and that's where it gets interesting." They had to move past more crowds, forcing Commander Tower to speak up as he walked ahead of Team Dark.

Finally, they reached a computer station where the commander quickly logged in and displayed a map, presenting it to the team. Chaos readings radiated all in one place, overlapping the other. "They're all in one place," Shadow concluded.

The commander nodded and turned the computer off. "And those were the only readings we could find. It's hard to make it out because of the overlapping waves, but we've deduced there is enough for four of them. We have three. The alien has the other four."

"...So, that's it then? What do we do now, chase him down?" Rouge asked.

Shadow shook his head and interrupted. "That hasn't worked for us before."

Commander Tower rested his hands behind his back. "Shadow's right. We can't go back to our old plans. We already have a better one. The alien is searching for extreme power, correct? He plans on using all the Chaos Emeralds to bring destruction. There's no doubt he wants the three that we have, and it's likely he may still be after them. We came to a strategy; leave the emeralds in the vaults and watch. The alien is likely to break in. Once he does, we will capture him on our own grounds."

Rouge pondered for a moment. "That could work, but what if he doesn't?"

Shadow gave her an answer before she was finished. "He will."

Abraham Tower opened his palm and gestured toward the hedgehog. "It's settled then. We'll set someone to watch the vaults at all times." He moved around them and back out toward the main foyer.

Rouge turned her attention to Shadow. "How do you know that? He could know we are planning something and trick us a different way. Maybe he'll decide to use our plan against us and go for the Master Emerald again."

"I know he'll come for these because I know him," came the response.

Rouge furrowed her brows in worry against his scowl. Shadow followed the commander's lead and left the room without so much as a farewell. Omega's gears spun. "You better have some popcorn ready for when the alien shows up, because I'll be taking him down in flames."

...

Many days later and everyone still waited in anticipation. Every uneventful day that passed pushed everyone a little more on edge, but it was only a matter of time. Eclipse blended in the dark of an alleyway in Central City, peering around the corner to see the tall, heavily secured G.U.N. Headquarters. The night was young, but he knew security would still be as high as it would be in the day.

A passerby made him retreat again into the shadows. He turned to his four hovering companions. Here is our greatest challenge yet, He told them through his mind. These are the very people who assisted Shadow in blowing up the Black Comet, so we know of their strength. But our revenge is so close now. I know with your help, we can do it! We can break in, take the emeralds, and use their power to destroy this sad planet. If none of you are up to the task, tell me now.

To his delight, none of them hesitated in their choice to go. They had complete faith in his leadership. He turned his head to peer at the building again. He wished he had a better idea of where the defenses were, but he's led them through danger before. This time should be the same.

He waited to make sure the coast was clear, then he jumped on top of some trash bins and onto the roof of the business they were next to. He had a clear angle to the building now. The barbed wire around G.U.N's headquarters intimidated most visitors from coming, but that was only a landmark around Eclipse's target.

He kept low on the city's roofs and walked without making a sound. His Dark Arms stayed near him and remained quiet. While down on the ground, the tightly packed street blocked most of the wind, but up here was a refreshing breeze. The pleasant nighttime chorus didn't let on to the nefarious plan in action as the alien and his team came closer to the barbed wire. He couldn't see anyone on watch, so he grasped onto a wooden pole next to the fencing and swung his legs over the top wire, where he then used Cregal to glide slowly down. Once they were all within the grounds, he searched for a way into one of the buildings.

There were many windows and doors, but he knew better than to try any of those. Unlike their raid on the Battle Bird Armada's battleship, setting off any alarms would ruin their chance of reaching the Chaos Emeralds. Eclipse carefully began a round on the building's parameters. It wasn't until Blurk pointed at a heavy-duty vent did he find anything interesting.

He beckoned to Cyzer and used his laser to separate the vent from the rock wall. The soft hissing left them on edge for a while, but not a soul stirred. Finally, the cover fell, leaving an opening just big enough for the alien to crawl through. Eclipse wasted no time and slid in, his companions behind him, enjoying a little extra space.

They may not know much about security, but the radiance of the Chaos Emeralds' power told him which way to go. When the short tunnel finally came to an end, the group found themselves in a massive room where the ceiling was barely visible. Only a few lights remained lit. Otherwise, the place was dark. No lights, no lasers, nothing but dead silence darker than the night outside. The odd stillness had Eclipse frozen as he scanned the room. Cregal was the one to encourage him to continue despite it.

Was this too easy? Why is a vent leading to the vaults not wired to anything? Eclipse argued against them, but he didn't press them long. They were here and no one stopped them. Perhaps the safes are the most secure. Not that it matters since we can fire the doors right off.

G.U.N's vaults would put a nation's bank to shame. Without the Chaos Emeralds to draw him, there would be no possible way they could find one of the gems, let alone three. The Dark Arms kept together, watching their leader browse the safes until he finally stopped at one. Cyzer's laser lit up that corner of the room, flickering as the beam outlined its way around the safe door's edge. Letting Cyzer go, Eclipse pulled the door free and placed it at his feet so it wouldn't make a sound. Inside was a small case. He already knew what was inside. Now they were in front of him, and the conjoined power surged like river rapids. He reached for it.

Then, the vaults came alive. Lights kicked on everywhere and the lasers across the doorways buzzed with electricity. Voices began to shout, but Eclipse had to shield his eyes to even see any of them. It took him a long while to see the guns drawn at them.

"Come towards us slowly with your hands up and we won't shoot!" Someone somewhere yelled.

He cast a glance back at the Dark Arms. They were near one another, shivering with fear. Eclipse didn't copy their fright. He smiled. "I guess that's how it's going to be then." He held his hand out to Rhygenta.

Before the soldiers could react, Rhygenta disappeared and Eclipse shot a sonic boom in the air. Everyone all around dropped their weapons, covered their ears, and fell to the ground. The aliens made their escape, but not before Eclipse grabbed the case in the open safe. He didn't want them to be cornered in the vents, so they had to take the door. In front of the heavy closed door was a collection of red lasers, blocking the path. Knowing they were already discovered, he took Blurk's armor ability and smashed his fist into the projectors. That caused the alarms to ring, and he dashed into the door, shoulder leading. It flew off its hinges and smashed into some monitors, sending sparks flying.

More units armed with guns flooded into the room, but the bullets bounced harmlessly off Eclipse's armor. He grabbed hold of the three Dark Arms to shield them from the flying bullets and continued racing down the hall.

But there were no fewer attacks outside and matters only turned for the worst when Team Dark was among them. Blurk was beginning to grow tired, and Omega and Shadow were tag-teaming the chase. At once, he dropped the Dark Arm and transformed into his monster form. He met Omega's charge and locked hands. At the same time, he swung a leg to avoid Shadow's attack. "While I'll love to stay and visit, brother," Eclipse grunted, pushing the robot back and ducking under a swing. "I have somewhere I need to be. I'll have to let you go this time."

"You're going nowhere," returned a growl from the hedgehog.

He came charging for him again, but Eclipse caught Shadow in a single hand and threw him back. Here came Omega with a downward slice, clipping the alien's arm as he turned back. Eclipse returned with a solid punch, which zapped a circuit as he did. Now Rouge was also in the play, and she flew by the Dark Arms, swiping at the nearest one and turning their attention to her. Eclipse snapped into action, grabbing them out of her reach, and started to run again for the main gate.

He expected Shadow or the robot would catch up first, but he wasn't expecting what happened next. A helicopter flew overhead and dropped a net right in front of him. The thick netting fell over his head and the Dark Arms as well. People began to swarm, but he wasn't going down like that. The netting was no match against the power of his monster form. He shredded through it and held it up, allowing his companions through the hole.

It took too much time. Omega didn't slow down and he tore a metal claw into the alien's waist. Eclipse stumbled back but didn't hesitate despite the gash now oozing green. He gripped the robot on either side and tossed him as hard as he could into the nearest gate. The door fell and the robot remained where he was.

He hurried the Dark Arms on and they raced for the gate, but Omega only needed a short time to recover. As they were running by, a metal claw grabbed the alien's ankle. Then Shadow was upon him and kicked with flaming jets on Eclipse's other side. At this point, Omega was back on his feet and gave him a final set of rakes. Green oozed all over the beast's front and it began to collapse as the true form of Eclipse fell out of the splitting side. He stumbled and rolled over the grass. The sharp edges scraped over his wounds, but he used the momentum to roll back to his feet. He called to the Dark Arms to follow and then turned to retreat.

That's when he heard a chorus of angry cries. Eclipse turned around to see none other than his family fighting back the hedgehog and robot. They hovered like wasps and pushed and bit their enemy. A roaring overhead made the alien look up to see another helicopter, ready to drop another net.

"NO!" Eclipse cried and hobbled a step forward. "FLY AWAY, MY DARK ARMS! FLEE NOW!"

Omega in particular had no problem beating back the little creatures until they were all away and in range of the falling net. The little cries sent Eclipse more pain than any previous assault did. The dark wisps lay on the gravel as those closest to them closed in. Eclipse hobbled a few quick steps to rescue them, whimpering at every cry he heard. Then he stopped. He knew he was in no condition to fight. There was no way to win, and if they captured him as well, they would all be put to death. That wouldn't help them.

The smart choice would be to flee while they were distracted and come up with a better rescue plan, though each heavy pound in his chest hurt. Every muscle in his body posed for the suicide mission anyway. He had to force himself to turn around and make for the streets. Regret filled him from the inside out, but he had no time to linger on any of it. His already strained breath choked with sobs. He will be back.

The cries in the back of his mind all encouraged his choice, but he left with a promise. Nothing will happen to them. He will come back for them, and destroy every individual in the agency.

...

When Shadow turned back, Eclipse was gone. It may not have gone as planned, but their trap wasn't without its success. They had his minions, the ones he was overprotective of, and yet, Shadow couldn't tear his stare away from the empty, dark street in front of him. Something sat in his stomach like a rock, but he didn't know what it was. All he could see was an image of the Black Arm's face after he saw the wisps captured. Something about it was unsettling, and for once, he wasn't filled with rage, only sadness.

He didn't realize how long he stared until Omega nudged an arm into his shoulder. "Shadow," the robot prodded. "Is something troubling you?"

The hedgehog flinched and glanced into the robot's optics before looking back at the crying creatures under the mesh behind him. "No. I'm not troubled."

The voice of his other companion came closer. "Well, I'm surprised we were able to capture these guys at all," Rouge looked down at the net and pressed her hand to her cheek. "They're always with him. Poor things must be so frightened."

"Tch, try not to get attached," Shadow warned. "They're monsters, just like he is."

"Oh, don't worry." Rouge stood straight again. "And he should be easier to catch now. He can't use their power anymore." She cast a glance to the side at an agent approaching with wisp capsules.

Shadow began taking a few steps away, but had to look back at her. "Don't forget. He has all of the Chaos Emeralds now. If the world doesn't fall apart in the next few days, these four may be the only things staying his hand." He left his companions with that worrying thought as he continued walking away. If there was anything left to salvage from this mission, he had an idea.

He walked until he spotted the commander watching from a distance while the Dark Arms, one in each capsule, were carried away into the main building. "Commander," Shadow greeted.

The man looked down at him for a moment before watching the alien wisps disappear behind the door. "I can't believe it came to this. He has every single one of them."

"Commander," Shadow repeated. "It's not over yet. These aliens. He may be willing to trade for them."

Again, Abraham Tower looked at him, but this time he studied the hedgehog's expression a little longer. "Would he? Or do these beasts even care about their own kind, especially when he has what he came here for? Why would he be willing to give up the emeralds when he can finally use them?"

"Did you see how protective he was of them? Seeing them under the net devastated him."

The man pressed a knuckle to his chin. "Hmm... It's worth a try," he decided. At some point while he was thinking, the rest of Team Dark came into the conversation, standing next to Shadow. "Can you send a message to him?"

Shadow didn't acknowledge his companions. "No. My connection to the hive mind is too weak at this distance."

"We'll have to send a messenger then," Tower decided to himself. He looked at the team and held his hands behind his back. "He wouldn't be hard to trace, not since he has all of the emeralds with him. I did make you the lead on this case, so we will try it your way. In the meantime, we will keep the aliens nearby." He opened the door where they took the Dark Arms and finished his speech before disappearing inside. Rouge and Omega followed, leaving Shadow to look back at the main gate where he last saw Eclipse.