Last time on Sonic the Hedgehog, Sonic and Tails arrive to the battlefield in order to face off against Omelette's newly built Hard Boiled Heavies. The battle was in their favor at first, but then Sonic underestimated Heavy Shinobi and Heavy Magician's teamwork, leading to him almost being defeated and destroyed by Heavy King. That is until Sally Acorn and Julie arrive to help out. While that fight was going on, Jenni arrives to her island not long after Sonic and Tails, ready to reassume control over her domain. Of course, she had one obstacle to deal with first…

Jenni enters cyberspace, landing on what could be called 'floor'. The black, red tinted void greeted her as she looked around. She soon found Nicole, tied up with black chains, struggling in her binds as the lynx calls out to her.

Nicole: "Lady Jen! Look out!"

As Nicole shouted that, Sage appeared from behind Jenni and slashed at her with a sinister smile, ready to strike down Jenni in a single slash of her scythe. But then the slash stopped part way; the scythe's blade was caught by Jenni's hand, the woman herself just standing with a bored look.

Jenni: "...Like father, like daughter. A coward and backstabber all the way through."

Jenni then grabs the stick of the scythe and tosses Sage away, though the girl flips to land on her feet. Jenni looks at her hand, seeing a deep cut had formed from where she stopped the scythe blade.

Jenni: "Sage, right? That's what Ivo calls you?"

Sage: "...Yes. You muted me before. So why strike up conversation now?"

Jenni: "Oh I'm not striking up any conversation. If anything, I just want to hear what Ivo's been up to since the Death Egg Incident. I half expected to see him gloat about how he took over my island or some such nonsense."

Sage: "...Lord Robotnik has been in recovery after the Death Egg was considered a failure. This plan was simply a surprise for when he inevitably returns to power."

Jenni: "Uh huh… I guess that explains a bit…"

Sage then points her scythe at Jenni, now smiling.

Sage: "If you surrender to the Robotnik Empire, you can keep your island and live peacefully with your friends… until Lord Robotnik decides to turn the entire planet into a world of nothing but robots."

Jenni looked at Sage before rolling her eyes. She then started walking up to the AI. Sage was surprised by this move before moving her scythe aside as the woman stood over her.

Jenni: "I'm sure you know my answer to that. You pointing your stick at me isn't going to change my mind."

Sage: "...Hmph. And what could you possibly do? You're a normal human. You wouldn't be able to defeat me at your best."

Jenni just adjusts her glasses before… slamming her foot right on Sage's face, sending the AI girl flying back with such force that causes her to crash into the boundary of the arena.

Jenni: "You're right. In reality, I am no better than the humans in places like Central City. …But we're not in reality."

Jenni grabs her lab coat and throws it off as data comes from the ground and changes her normal black dress into a tank top and a pair of jean shorts. With this more revealing outfit, the condition of her NIDS was more evident as parts of her skin were blackened and slowly dying, likely being the case in reality too. Even Nicole was surprised to see this, but then worried if Jenni could fight in her condition. As if sensing her worry, the doctor spoke up.

Jenni: "Don't forget, Nicole. My real body is under a form of hibernation. So long as my real self doesn't undergo any stress, I can fight without any restraints… And you know what? It does feel nice to not be limited."

Sage recovers, her smile vanished as she stood up. She resummoned her scythe before flying at Jenni, slashing at the doctor. Jenni ducks under the slash before striking with a rising uppercut to Sage's chin, then followed with a grab to the AI's foot and tossed her to the floor.

Jenni: "Girl! Get this through your head! I may be much older than I was back in high school, but I never forgot to keep myself in shape! I'm still the second best fighter from back then! Second only to Topaz!"

Jenni's fist then glows as she tries to slam a fist where Sage had landed; Sage quickly rolled away, getting some distance from Jenni as she gritted her teeth. Nicole continued to look on with awe.

Nicole: "...Lady Jen isn't just using normal strength or abnormal human feats to match Sage. No… She's using the data of the servers to empower herself. Much like myself and Sage, she's got excellent control over this reality. Maybe… Maybe she can win… Come on, Lady Jen! Kick her butt!"

Jenni: "And the crowd goes wild for me. Come on, Sage! Step it up already before I get bored!"

Jenni started to bounce in a fighting stance, looking way more excited now as she had a smile on her face. Sage was confused by this; as an AI, she had no proper concept on the 'thrill of battle'. So to her, this just seemed reckless… which she then thought to take advantage of.

Sage: "Very well. My biggest mistake was underestimating you. My apologies. Much like that blue hedgehog, you are not to be taken lightly it seems. So then… I'll stop underestimating you."

Sage then summons a couple of heavy weaponry turrets, both pointing their blasters at Jenni. The lady didn't see this coming, but was still eager all the same. Sage then ordered the turrets to start firing, causing Jenni to run to the side and dodge the turrets as they fired at her. She narrowly avoided the explosions around her as she ran, jumped, ducked, and rolled through the blasts. Until Sage appeared above her and slammed both her feet onto Jenni and slammed to the ground, where the doctor was then caught in the explosion. Jenni was sent flying, much to Nicole's shock and horror as the doctor landed, looking hurt from that. Sage smiles at this as she summons her scythe.

Sage: "Well? How did that feel? Are you ready to surrender now?"

Jenni took a moment to stand up before starting to chuckle… then burst out laughing.

Jenni: "That felt great! The rush… The pain… All of it that I've been avoiding for years now… Is this what it feels like to finally let loose!? Because this only excites me more!"

Sage was… thoroughly taken aback by this, as was Nicole. At least until she remembered that every day for Jenni was painful; her NIDS brought her great pain, shortening her life span greatly, with her living in fear that if she slept, she'd never wake up… Nicole then shook her head, hoping this doesn't turn bad.

Sage: "...Why are you excited? Aren't you in pain?"

Jenni spat at that statement as she glared at Sage.

Jenni: "A simple AI like you wouldn't get it. Every day for me is pain. I live a life that I don't wish upon my worst enemies. The very idea that the next day could be my last has never escaped my thoughts. So for me… This fight isn't just to save my island… It's for me to feel the freedom I haven't felt in a long time!"

Jenni reels back a fist before slamming it to the ground, sending a shockwave out that sends Sage flying back and destroys her turrets, causing them to vanish.

Jenni: "Tch. I got to give it to that brat, Sonic. He may not realize it, but he's got an ability - a charisma - that most would die for. He's not just fast… He's kind… Heroic… And typically thinks of others before himself. He's a tremendous dumbass… but he's the kind of dumbass you can rely on. And he's not the only one either."

Jenni then started to slow her breathing as she gets into a fighting stance.

Jenni: "He and Nicole… They are the ones to bring me out of my depression… When I had no one else… And then… There is one other."

Jenni recalls a young girl whom she held in her arms from child birth, then the sad look the girl gave her the day she left Central City after her exile.

Jenni: "IF YOU THINK I'LL EVER SURRENDER, THEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHO YOU'RE TALKING TO!"

Sage was shocked by this sudden outburst before she quickly created two structures to surround Jenni before quickly slapping her hands together, causing the structures to slam onto the lady. But when they did, they suddenly exploded as Jenni slammed her fists on them. She then ran at Sage, quickly closing the distance before jumping at the AI. Sage summons her scythe before blocking the doctor's punch, the impact causing a shockwave. The two glared at each other before Sage threw Jenni off before slashing at her, only to miss as the woman ducks and retaliates with a straight punch to the cheek, then a kick to the chest. Sage is sent back a bit, angered by the strikes. She quickly sent a block at Jenni, which the woman dodged, but then another slash of the scythe cuts her arm. But like the earlier turret impact, this did little to dissuade the doctor as used the closed distance to her advantage to grab Sage's head for a mighty headbutt, causing Sage great pain as she heard ringing after the headbutt. The AI growls before creating a second blade on the other end of her scythe before tossing it at Jenni, which predictably misses. Sage then smiles as she summons more obstacles and tosses them at the woman. Jenni jumps, ducks, and punches these objects before realizing the scythe was coming back like a boomerang. Jenni narrowly dodges, but her back ends up getting cut, causing her some intense pain. Sage smiles as she thinks she hit Jenni's limit in enduring pain; she was proven wrong as Jenni ran up and slams her elbow on Sage's face, then jumped back to land on her hands, reeling back her legs to drop kick Sage on the chest and propelling her back from the force. Sage hits the ground a few times before skidding to a stop. She starts panting as she slowly starts to stand up, but then starts seething in anger.

Sage: "What the hell…? How can any normal person just shrug off pain like that? This does not compute… Even if this reality is empowering her, she shouldn't be able to just shrug off physical pain…"

Sage then thought of something. "Physical pain"? She then looked at Nicole, keeping her expression neutral before returning to see Jenni, charging up for a finishing attack. Sage smirked as she readied her scythe as if to retaliate. Jenni then charges at Sage, ready for whatever attack she planned to use. Sage then smiles before… throwing her scythe in Nicole direction as Jenni jumped toward Sage.

Jenni: "Nicole!"

Jenni quickly punched the ground to bounce over Sage, then ran between Nicole and the thrown scythe. The scythe stabs itself through Jenni's stomach as she becomes a shield to save Nicole.

Nicole: "JEN!"

Jenni, up till now, was fighting off whatever pain came to her; none of it would be as bad as what she experiences in the real world. But the fact Nicole was in danger… She felt her heart in her real life body spike, causing her to worry. Nicole started to cry, guilty over her defenselessness.

Jenni: "...Don't you cry, Nicole. You did nothing wrong… I lost you once… I won't lose you again…"

Jenni then pulled the scythe out as she started to shake in pain. Sage only smiles as she stands confidently.

Sage: "I see. I was right then… If physical pain does next to nothing to you, then… Emotional pain will do so much-"

Sage is then silenced… as Jenni, in a split second, rammed her fist right into Sage's gut. It took Sage a full second to register the pain, as the wind is knocked out of her. She looks down, seeing Jenni's excitement gone, now replaced with rage.

Jenni: "Shut up… And remember this."

Jenni then slams a fist to Sage's face.

Jenni: "NEVER!"

Sage is grabbed, pulled back, and followed by another punch to her face.

Jenni: "HURT!"

A knee to Sage's gut.

Jenni: "MY NICOLE!"

Sage's foot is then grabbed before she is slammed into the ground.

Jenni: "EVER AGAIN!"

Jenni charges up energy into her fist again as she reels it back, Sage's expression showing genuine fear now.

Jenni: "FIST… OF… MOBIUUUUUUS!"

Jenni slams her fist onto Sage, causing the AI to scream out before Nicole sees a bright explosion form, causing her to look away. The chains around her vanish, causing her to drop to the ground, as cyberspace changes from black with a red tint to blue with a white tint. The area where the explosion was caused left a sizable crater, with neither Jenni or Sage left in it. Nicole quickly ran to check around, fearing the worst for Jenni.

Nicole: "J-Jenni! Jenni! Wh-Where are you!? Oh Gaia, please be okay…"

Jenni's Voice: "I'm fine…"

Nicole: "HUH!?"

Nicole looked around before summoning her control panel and turning on her screen to see the real world.

Outside, Jenni had stepped out of her capsule, hand on her chest. She soon sat in her chair next to her computer as Nicole's image appeared on her monitor, a worried expression on her face.

Nicole: "Jen! Are you okay!? Are you hurt!?"

Jenni: "Of course not. Unless my avatar is completely destroyed, I'm still right as rain."

Nicole: "Jen… I know you're just putting up a bravado facade… You were hurt badly enough for your real body to feel it… That… That may have pushed it too far what you did…"

Jenni: "We'll worry about me once we have booted out our unwanted guests… How's Sonic and his friends?"

Nicole: "...Still in combat with Omelette… But…"

Jenni: "Good. Means we still have time. Time for Project Egg Scrambler."

Nicole: "Project… Egg Scrambler?"

Jenni smiled weakly to Nicole, winking at her as she turned and typed on the keyboard, showing some blueprints for a set of robots that she kept hidden as a last resort, even from Nicole.

Back at the Emerald Hill Resort, Sonic, Sally, and their friends - including Amy, Tekno, Rosie, and Agatha - were all together as they see a large shadow loom over them. Their next big boss battle… and the battle to decide the fate of West Island…

To be continued…