An unpleasant ringing sound was the first thing Ruby noticed as her mind slowly began to emerge from the dark depths of unconsciousness. The second sensation that her mind became aware off was pain.

Her entire body was in pain, even opening her eyes took a toll on her. At first everything was just a blur for Ruby, but gradually her vision cleared.

She lay on the arena floor, burned and riddled with cracks. Even the technology used to maintain the force field was disrupted by the explosion. Because of this, smoke was able to waft freely through the air instead of gathering inside the dome and was probably the reason Ruby didn't suffocate from the smoke while she was unconscious. If the rest of her Aura hadn't tanked the explosion for her, she probably wouldn't even be alive. And the silver-eyed girl still ended up in the condition she was now. She tried to put her arms under her body and push herself up, but she couldn't even make her fingers twitch without waves of new pain coursing trough her being. Ruby groaned.

Two familiar shapes flew in front of her vision. Zen and Kurtis. The Wisps had found shelter from the explosion in Crescent Rose, which lay smoking and partially melted nearby. The Wisps had then been gently shaking Ruby the whole time, trying to wake her up, but the human girl hadn't felt their touch midst all the pain. The tiny aliens seemed to be nervous about something.

"G…g-guys…" she barely mouthed. Ruby wanted to ask them if they were alright, but of course her hurting body wouldn't let her.

Twitch…

The faint movement made Ruby strain her eyes upwards to the corner of her vision. Somewhere in front of her a shape rose from the ground. The direction were Cinder had been…

Groaning, the Cyborg Maiden got back on her feet. Her Aura was strongly flickering, but still there unlike Ruby´s, since her Aura had been less damaged prior and during the fight. Cinder´s faint was more of mental exhaustion from the stressful strain her psyche had experienced. But now she was getting better, better than Ruby at the very least. An amber eye pecked from between the disheveled hair at the helpless girl in front of her and immediately burning magic emitted from it.

"You…" Cinder hissed and ran up to Ruby. The Wisps stood protectively between the two, ready to attack the deranged Fall Maiden, but Cinder just swatted them away with a gust off wind emitting from one of her hands, another creating a tiny storm cloud that shocked the aliens into unconsciousness. The rest of them were creating another spear, this one having a glowing tip.

Ruby tried to focus all of her willpower into moving and getting up. She couldn't remain on the ground while her enemy was closing in on her!

But just as Ruby managed to raise one of her arms, Cinder reached her and plunged the spear into it, nailing it down on the ground. Ruby thought up until now the aching pain emanating throughout her body was bad. But when the glowing and heated glass pierced trough her flesh, that´s what made her scream out in agony.

A deranged smile twisted its way on the Cyborg Maiden´s face. The pain and mental stress off what she had experienced hadn't just pushed her mind to the point of fainting, but seemingly pushed it also beyond the lines of her sanity.

"Hehehehe yeeesss," she laughed and drawled out. "THIS is what I wanted to hear all this time. THIS is what you deserve for opposing destiny. THIS is just a taste for what awaits you, you stupid brat!"

Ruby didn't hear any off that. Her mind was to consumed by the burning pain pulsing from her arm. She struggled in agonized, blind panic. But she only made it worse, especially when Ruby´s squirming made Cinder decide to push the spear deeper in. The silver-eyed girl screamed out again before it died into a whimper. The sound caused her tormentor to laugh. It went on and on until it devolved into a full blown cackling. Cinder threw her head back, her eyes wide.

"Oh I have been to hard on Tyrian, this really is just too delicious!"

Her head snapped back towards Ruby, lowering herself over the helpless girl. As she did so, the hair on the left side of her face fell away, revealing the permanent damage left there by Omega's massive attack.

The black and red cybernetic eye had been replaced by a new one, identical to the former version except for a metal grate over it for additional protection. Surrounding it was more metal plating then previously, with some burn scars and cables extending from there above and below the skin. Alongside the deranged smile and look in Cinder´s organic eye, it disfigured the normally beautiful appearance of the young woman, but was perfectly showing the monster she was inside.

It didn't help quell Ruby´s fear. She tried to struggle more, but the Cyborg Maiden rammed once again her foot brutally into her stomach. Cinder leaned even closer down to Ruby, their faces just inches apart. One confident but crazed, the other just completely scared.

"So, my dear little Rose. What are we gonna do now? I originally wanted to take my time before reuniting you with your mother. But now… now I see that just isn't enough." Cinder held Ruby's free arm and face with her mechanical limbs, her fingers pulling the silver eyes wide open. "You owe me. You are in my dept for ruining my victory. For running away from your losses against me. Remember: Those that are weak and can´t utilize the potential of their power, they shall give it to the ones that can. Under normal circumstances there is nothing you could offer me. But with the Doctor´s help…"

Cinder pulled an arm free and tapped it smirking against the black glass of her mechanical eye, before forming a sharp knife in her hand. It pointed toward Ruby´s left eye, inching closer.

Realizing what was happening, she screamed and squirmed and kicked around with her legs. But Cinder´s grip was just too strong for her. The knife was coming closer and closer…

"Tell Me, Ruby Rose… who is gonna safe you know?"

The twisted Fall Maiden received her answer with a flash of light behind her.

As the light and strange sensations of Chaos' control disappeared, the first thing the quartet made up by Sonic, Tails, Rouge and Shadow saw was the crouched down shape of Cinder in front of them. Then they noticed the kicking legs underneath her, covered inside familiar reddish-black tights, boots and combat skirt. Just when the mobians realized what was going on, Cinder looked over her shoulder. Her crazed, amber eye widened and she raised her knife high up before plunging it down with all her might. Her goal now no longer being taking the power of the silver eyes for herself, but to end her enemy´s life before she could once again be saved by her allies. But she wasn't fast enough.

"CHAOS LANCE!" Shadow yelled and fired the mighty projectile right into Cinder´s back, tearing her from Ruby and throwing the screaming cyborg over the edge of the platform.

Shadow then hissed and staggered, having accidentally put to much weight on his wounded leg. But he ignored the pain and rushed, or tried to, alongside the others towards the laying girl in front them.

"RUBY!" Sonic, Tails and even Rouge yelled in concern.

The silver-eyed girl lay there, reddened skin and clothes covered in burns and tears. She had again become unconscious due to the constant pain. It was probably for the best, since Rouge had to pull out the spear from the ground and Ruby´s arm, with Sonic and Tails holding the latter firm, even if the bat tried to do it gently as possible. She then tended to the huge wound on her arm while Shadow did general checks.

"She seems okay. The worst wound she has is from the spear, but it shouldn't be a problem if we get her to medical attention quickly enough."

The black hedgehog raised his Chaos Emerald, but Tails stopped him.

"Wait, her weapon and Wisps aren't with her. She wouldn't want to leave without them."

"They're here," said Sonic, carrying the shocked Zen and Kurtis in his arms and nodding at Crescent Rose. Tails walked towards the dual weapon when an angry shout made them all spin around.

Cinder appeared over the edge of the platform. Shadow's attack had been strong enough to destroy what was left of her Aura, but with her magic she was able to control the wind and was now flying above the pit. Her mismatching gaze was piercing and hateful. At the same time there was also a desperation in them. The desperation of a starved predator being denied its prey.

"Don´t you dare taking my revenge from me again!"

Out of habit, she raised her hands to throw fire at her enemies, but of course without Aura she couldn't activate and use her Semblance, not even its magic extension. The Power of the Fall Maiden currently only allowed her access to its related elements. While Cinder gritted her teeth in frustration about this, Tails rotated his namesakes and dashed towards the misshapen Crescent Rose. He reached out and picked it up just as Cinder created a massive storm cloud above them. The air filled with electrical charges and lightning shot down. The mobians tried to dodge as best they could, which wasn't easy with their leg injuries or because they were carrying a motionless Ruby/Wisps or heavy weapon. Things didn't get easier with them all having to duck, a red laser wandering over their heads trough the air. Infinite had appeared as well.

"Don't think you can just enter into the heart of our operations and then easily walk out just as you please, you cowards! We won´t let you escape!"

Shadow cursed under his breath.

This is really bad. We need to get away NOW. He looked around. Tails was standing a bit to far away from the group, he needed to be closer so Shadow could take everyone away with Chaos Control.

Cinder charged another attack with her storm cloud while the Phantom Ruby buzzed and pulsated as it created a bunch of spiked metal balls rolling around. Lightning hit and charged them. The electrical spike balls rolled around in different patterns. Rouge, Shadow and Sonic managed to stay close together, but Tails had difficulties finding his way towards them. When he thought he had a free way, he rushed ahead, but Infinite lowered himself in front of the fox. Tails eyes widened.

"Here we are again, child." The entity took a step closer. Tails took a step back. He felt like his body was pounding once again against solid rock.

"I´ve told you… just should have just run", the jackal said. His voice was unusually gentle. And Tails thought he say the same expression he saw back then when he defeated Sonic and sent the young fox running. The yellowish-golden eye seemed to be filled with… regret? But that didn't make any sense, right?

Confused and scared, Tails took another step, which allowed him a view behind Infinite. Blue eyes saw his friends struggle with dodging and countering the electrical balls, lightning and wind attacks Cinder send their way. But most of all he saw Ruby, lifeless and limb, in dire need of medical attention. They needed to get out of here, to withdraw their troops, share the information they found and win this way.

Help his friend to get back home just as he promised…

I need to get to them, they´re counting on me. Ruby is counting on me. Just like back then when the people of Station Square were in need of my help. I… I can´t let the fear get the better of me. Determined, Tails clutched Crescent Rose. And got an idea. He gave the weapon a brief look. Despite the damage, she seemed functional enough. He managed to turn it into a rifle and aim it at the reality bender in front of him. Infinite laughed. Whatever the, at least in terms for the vicious entity, unusual look had been in his eyes, it was quickly replaced by malicious amusement.

"You really think this piece of scrap will help you out. Especially since..." Infinite looker over his shoulder to Zen and Kurtis, still laying in Sonic´s arms. "...the source of its power is-"

"Flare!" Tails managed to whisper under his breath. Luckily, the Fire Wisp was quick on the uptake. It went from the Double-Wispon into Crescent Rose and Tails doused Infinite in a burst of fire. The masked entity, the focus still on the people behind him, was completely caught of guard. The sudden burst of flames threw him onto the ground, where Infinite was screaming in pain and rolled around in the attempt to douse the fire.

Tails ran past him, when suddenly his fur stood up. Cinder had noticed what the fox had done to her partner and charged an extra powerful lightning bolt toward him. But Tails mind still stood by his side and he yelled the name of his other Wisp.

"Strom!" Flare´s sibling reacted just as fast as the Fire Wisp. Strom appeared over Tails and absorbed Cinder´s attack. Then, surging with additional power, he turned to the Fall Maiden and fired it back. She screamed and barely managed to dodge, muttering: "Not again not again not again… I CAN control it… I-I…"

Strom took a quick look at the Cyborg Maiden´s reaction and made a mental note of it. Then they flew alongside Tails toward the rest of the group.

Infinite, having calmed down enough from the sudden pain and surprise, used his powers to briefly teleport into a river and then return on the platform. His visible eye widened when he saw Tails back together with the rest of his friends.

"NO!" he yelled, red energy surging around him and he dashed towards them. His yell managed to break Cinder out from her episode, her head snapping upwards. Her organic eye widened as its gaze fell upon the reunited heroes, Ruby in the midst of them. Shadow held up his Chaos Emerald.

"NO!" Cinder screamed as well and she flew to their direction, winds surging around her. "You won´t take my revenge away from me, YOU WONT TAKE WHAT IS MINE!-"

"Chaos Control!"

In a flash of white light, Shadow, Rouge, Sonic, Tails, the Wisps, and the unconscious Ruby disappeared from Metropolis and their enemies' reach.

Infinite and Cinder crashed into each other, the kinetic force making them bounce apart and roll and tumble over the ground, until they came to a halt. For a while they lay there until Cinder was the first one to get up on her knees. With a wide eye, she looked at the place were their enemies just had been. Especially that little brat she wanted to suffer so much… no, had made her actually suffer! She had been right there, in her grasp! And she could have even taken her power for her own, getting the perfect revenge for the way Rose had ruined the peak of Cinder´s destiny. Once gain saved and taken away by the people of Mobius.

She gritted her teeth and then unleashed her wrath and frustration in a loud scream. The demented Cyborg Maiden started pounding and scratching on the ground around her with nine of her arms. One was still damaged from the trick Ruby had pulled with the Chaos Emerald and wasn't working properly. A fact that caused Cinder to attack the ground more violently.

Her tantrum caused Infinite to stir and then get back up on his feet. He looked at his partner and her reaction to her loss. Usually, he would shake his head and chastise her for this childish display… but the masked entity was just in a sour mood as the Fall Maiden was. Fangs bared and gritted under the mask.

A battle against the Ultimate Lifeform and the Fastest Thing Alive… both of them having utilized their incredible potential perfectly… this should have been the perfect match, a battle like no other. But…, Infinite´s thoughts stopped briefly and he looked downwards to the burns Tails maneuver had left behind. … not only did they refuse me that fun, but I´ve gotten taken by surprise by that child of all people! A soul I had already broken and yet…

He didn't even finish that thought. Instead, Infinite was silently just seething in rage.

The group of mobians, Wisps and single human appeared on the grounds of Angel Island. To be more precise, inside the hospital wing of the Resistance Base.

Some nurses and doctors, who had stained behind during Operation Big Wave to take care of still recovering patients, looked at the suddenly arrived group. Their eyes widened upon seeing the state they were in. They handed Ruby over two human doctors, saying: "Hurry and take care of her!"

"But what about you?" one of them said.

"We need to return back to the area of Metropolis and tell everyone that they can retreat. Also help with evacuation," Shadow calmly stated.

"Are you sure we can´t have a look at this?" The other doctor pointed at the wounded legs of the hedgehogs.

"Just give us some bandages and we will take care of it during our rest of our mission. We can´t waste any time."

The doctor duo opened their mouths, but then just shrugged. They knew Shadow had a point and that it was pretty much pointless arguing against the Ultimate Lifeform´s stubbornness. They rushed ahead to take care of Ruby.

Tails looked after her in concern before turning to his friends.

"Guys, I think I better stay behind to make sure she will be alright. I can then also make some preparations for when our troops return since Amy and Knuckles aren´t here."

"Well, I hope you will this time get your priorities straight." Everyone looked at Shadow. "You didn't need to go ahead and take the weapon. Sonic already had the Wisps under his care, we wouldn't have lost anyone if you had stayed close and I used Chaos Control."

Tails looked down at Crescent Rose in his hands. He sheepishly shuffled with his shoes.

"I… I´m sorry. I thought Cinder had been incapetated by your attack and Infinite would take a while to find us, so I thought I could just take her. I know we could just rebuild Crescent Rose, but she is very important to Ruby and…"

"Hey, its alright Tails. You just wanted to help out a friend," Sonic said in a gentle tone. Tails still noticed the exhaustion in his eyes. The fox shook his head.

"I still should have been more careful. I promise I will be from now on."

"See that you do," Shadow sternly replied. Its edge was softened when he added with a slight smirk, "Still, some good quick thinking there to get us out of the mess. You managed to rectify your mistake and the only ones ending up hurt were the prides of our enemies." This caused everyone to laugh for a bit, causing some levity from the stress that had been Operation Big Wave. Still, adding with a once more serious expression, Shadow said: "That is enough time wasted. We need to go back. Rouge? Sonic?"

The two of them nodded. The latter handed the still unconscious Zen and Kurtis over to Flare and Strom, who held their fellow Wisps carefully in their limbs. They, alongside Tails, watched the trio teleport away. The fox sighed. And then it hit him.

He had managed to not only stand up to Infinite, but also managed to hurt him. Okay, it would probably not some heavy or even lasting damage in the long run, but he still managed to pull the rug under the reality bender. He remembered what Ruby had said, how her solidarity with her friends here on Mobius made her believe she could stop Cinder, despite all the terrible things the Fall Maiden had done. That she wasn't invincible.

And Tails realized the same was true for Infinite. Despite what the entity had done to him, what he was capable of, Tails had still been able to outsmart him and successfully escape with his friends. Including the information he gained from Eggman's server.

Right… that was another thing…

"I couldn't get everything, but now we have a direction in how to win this war," Tails unknowingly muttered aloud to himself. The Wisps looked at him. The fox realized what he just did.

"Oh sorry, didn't know I had spoken it out loud. I´m just… glad how things are developing. Despite the hurdles. And before I forget: Thank you. Without you I never could´ve have countered Infinite and Cinder the way we did."

Flare gave the Wisps equivalent of a proud nod and a thumps up. Strom just cackled and waved it of, like they wanted to say: It was no big deal.

But the aliens became more serious as their gaze fell on Kurtis and Zen, who they were still holding.

"Yes, you should take them back to the Chao Garden so they can recover. I'll take Crescent Rose back to my room and see what I can do for her later. For now, I will keep an eye on Ruby's recovery and let the rest of the hospital wing know that our troops will be returning soon so they can prepare for the massive income of potential patients they will receive. And of course how I want to present to everyone the information I´ve found."

The Wisps nodded and the group parted their ways.

A bit of a shorter chapter but we finally managed to round up the Big Wave Arc. Next chapters will be some stuff on the calmer side of the spectrum, Ruby having some recovery and more training, Tails sharing information about the Phantom Ruby, and then things will go back to action.

To Guest: I didn´t said Sonic resisted Dark Gaia´s influence because of the Werehog form. I said Sonic resisted the influence IN his Werehog form. And Chip saying that Sonic managing to not succumb to the Darkness because of his peronality/heart is a strong indicator for him being strongwilled. This excact scene is the reason why I went with the Werehog as an example for Sonic´s determination. But you can basically look at the entirety of the Sonic series. Since being a young kid he fought Robotnik and his death machines and later god like beings. And despite the odds he almost never gave up. Sure, there have been times were his courage wavered, where he succumbed to fear and anger, like when Dark Gaia ripped the Werehog out from Sonic or the Dark Sonic scene you described (despite Sonic X not being canon to this story). But he always bounces back and this is why I wrote Sonic fighting trough the illusions and facing Infinite head on. This is how I interpret the Character of Sonic the Hedgehog and why I write him the way I do. If you don´t like my characterization of my fanfiction then you´re welcome to write you own. And if you continue to drag this argument out further, I won´t bother answering to your review. Because frankly, this is getting mentally exhausting.

To Monster King: Thank you a lot.