Last time on Sonic the Hedgehog, after making their team official as the next generation of Freedom Fighters, the group get ready for whatever trouble arises in the coming tides. Unfortunately, they did not have to wait long as an imposter among them causes trouble by turning some worker bots berserk. And as the Freedom Fighters deal with that, Eggman makes plans for his invasion on Mobius, whilst spying on his enemies with his disguised agent…

Within a warehouse at Oil Ocean, Tails Doll was hiding behind some oil barrels from any potential onlookers before sneaking into a small break room cabin, locking the door as he then contacts Eggman with his antenna. Once Eggman's hologram appears, Tails Doll bows to his master.

Tails Doll: "Master. Infiltration of West Island is successful."

Eggman: "Excellent, Agent Cuddles. And those fools don't suspect a thing?"

Tails Doll: "Nothing. As far as they are concerned, it was merely an accident."

Eggman: "Good. And do you remember your mission?"

Tails Doll: "Sabotage West Island's defenses and stir mistrust in your enemies. Make them destroy themselves."

Eggman: "And once that's taken care of, we won't have a repeat of the Death Egg. Understand, Agent Cuddles?"

Tails Doll: "Yes, master. Understood."

Tails Doll cuts communication before leaving the shack to continue his mission in the shadows.

At Robotropolis, having just finished listening to Tails Doll's report, Eggman looks at his monitor as he replays the 'incident', contradicting his statement with Sage earlier.

Eggman: "That little pest… By some freak accident, he destroyed my most brilliant creation… And at the last possible second too… I've analyzed the energy spike felt on the Death Egg multiple times, but the spike was so brief, sensors had no time to properly record it. Only that the concentration of Chaos Energy was beyond anything ever seen in recent history… Still… It matters not to me… Why should I bother with one little grain of sand in a desert?"

Eggman's confident smile returns as he stands up.

Eggman: "All I have to do is make sure it doesn't happen again…"

Eggman grabs a mic in order to make an announcement to his minions, new and old.

Eggman: "New E-Series Robots! Report to the Egg Carrier Docking Bay! And bring the new Roboticized Mobians with you! I think it's time to… break the ice. Hehehe…"

Eggman's sinister smile grows wider as he drops the mic and leaves his office to join his minions…

Back in Metropolis, Jenni has joined the scene with Nicole in her computer to scan the Worker Bots… while trying their hardest to ignore the growing tension of the masses.

Jenni: "Anything to report? …Please say yes so we can leave…"

Nicole: "..."

Jenni: "Is your silence a 'no'?"

Nicole: "...Yes…"

Jenni sighs as she rubs her head, exhausted as the crowd only gets louder now. Sonic soon arrives to greet the scientist after expanding his search across the island for anything strange.

Sonic: "Yo, Jen! What are you doing here?"

Jenni: "I let Sally and Amy go so I could study the problem in peace… The masses saw me and… Ugh…"

Sonic: "Oh yeah. As a prince, I totally know what you mean."

Jenni: "Oh hush, you ankle biter; you cling to your mother to handle all of your princely duties, so don't even start."

Sonic laughs at that jab before sighing.

Sonic: "So what do you think happened?"

Jenni: "That's the million dollar question. If I had to guess, some of Sage's leftover influence may have messed with them. But the problem with that theory is that… why would it only affect a small group of Worker Bots and not the island as a whole. The obvious conclusion that I came to is… This isn't Sage doing an encore… But someone doing this intentionally from outside."

Sonic: "...I see…"

Jenni then eyes Sonic, noticing his hesitation. No quip. No confident outlook. Just a hint of suspicion.

Jenni: "...Do you have something to share?"

Sonic: "Hm? Oh, nah. I'll catch you on the flip side, Jen!"

Sonic then rushes off, leaving Jenni to scowl as she watches him leave.

Nicole: "...Do you have something to share, Lady Jenni?"

Jenni: "...Just that… Sonic is aware of something…"

At the Emerald Hill Resort, Tekno was looking at a cup of coffee, glaring at it as she thought back to what Tails said before. And how that resulted in their brief fight.

Tekno: "Tch… I'm not sure if I can trust Jenni… All I was ever told about her were rumors and the things she's known for… She's either the world's greatest manipulator… Or maybe I'm just wrong…"

She drinks her coffee before leaning on her hand. Nearby, Tails Doll appears and sees Tekno in the distance. Looking around, the strange entity tries to find something to use against Tekno, but finds nothing. Thinking, Tails Doll gets another idea… He cloaks his antenna before straightening himself up then rushing at Tekno, pointing at her accusingly.

Tails Doll: "Tekno!"

Tekno: "Huh? Tails?"

Tekno faces the fake fox, unaware that it wasn't really Tails she was speaking with.

Tekno: "Um… What's wrong?"

Tails Doll: "You did something with those Worker Bots, didn't you!? You tried to frame Jenni as the bad guy!"

Tekno: "Wait, what!? I didn't do anything like that! I hate Jennifer, sure, but I wouldn't do anything with her robots unless they caused a ruckus!"

Tails Doll: "Oh? That's not how I see it. You have enough reason to frame Jenni! So admit it!"

Tekno: "You're crazy, kid! I'm gone; keep your delusions to yourself!"

Tails Doll smiled before his still cloaked antenna glowed as Tekno turned away to leave. As Tekno left, a voice in her head - sounding very similar to Tails, if more sinister than the real one - started to speak to her…

Voice: "Leaving so soon? Are you afraid of feeling inadequate? That because of a better scientist that there is no room for someone like you? Or is there something deeper? Did Jenni do something to you that led you to hate her? What a scared little bird… You truly are a nobody… No one will remember you… You'll be unheard… Meanwhile, for better or for worse, everyone will remember Jenni…"

Tekno stopped, then turned to Tails with a glare in her eyes. Then without hesitation, she lunged at Tails, screaming as she did.

Nicole: "Alert! Disturbance felt at Emerald Hill Resort!"

Jenni was seen fixing her robots after rebooting their systems as Nicole called out, leading to Jenni stopping what she was doing as she just sighed in annoyance.

Jenni: "I'm just gonna say it… I'm going to kick Sonic's ass for bringing trouble to my front door… I don't need this stress…"

She picks up Nicole before taking out her disc from her pocket. The disc, when thrown, unfolds into a hover scooter, which Jenni rides on the back of before speeding off to their destination. The noise of the fighting likely has already gotten the attention of Sonic and the rest, all of them diverging towards Emerald Hill Resort…

Tekno and Tails Doll fought in the air of Emerald Hill Resort, Tekno in some kind of blind rage. She sends sharp feathers at the fake fox, aiming to skewer him as he dodges her. Tails Doll quickly retaliates as he swings his tails like whips at the canary, slapping her twice on the face, then kneeing her in the gut. Tekno grunts before she quickly grabs Tails Doll by the head and delivers a hard peck to his forehead, unknowingly causing fluff to come out from the sharp peck. Tails Doll punches the spot he kneed earlier to pushes Tekno away before then grabbing her leg and tossing her to the ground. As he lands, Tekno gets up as she lets out a loud roar, running at Tails Doll, punching, kicking, and pecking him a bunch. …That is until a fissure from Amy's hammer stopped her and separated her from Tails Doll.

Amy: "Enough!"

Sally: "Tails!"

Sally runs up to check up on Tails, seeing him heavily injured… but did not see any fluff on the fake fox. The doll had healed away his fluff-related injuries while keeping the bruises on himself.

Tekno: "Stay out of this, Amy! This is between me and Tails!"

Amy: "Tekno! What the hell's gotten into you!? Tails is just a kid!"

Julie, Rosie, Sonic, and Jenni soon show up, seeing Tails beaten up and being cared for by Sally. Tekno soon saw Jenni and glared at her.

Tekno: "You… You caused some robots to go haywire, didn't you!?"

Jenni stood off her scooter before looking unphased by the question.

Jenni: "No. I had nothing to do with what happened in Metropolis."

Tekno: "Liar! You are the only one in command of this army of robots on this island! Meaning you are the one who caused the attack on the island in the first place! This place is nothing but a trap!"

Jenni: "...Do you listen to yourself when you talk? You sound more insane than my own brother. And that by itself is an achievement."

Tekno: "Shut up! Don't even talk about your brother! He's just as guilty as you are! Your entire family is!"

The air goes quiet as Jenni stood there, now looking visibly hurt being compared to the rest of her family… Rosie then walked up to act as mediator.

Rosie: "Now now, miss Tekno. Let's just calm-"

Tekno: "Stay out of this, woodchuck! You and those Acorn posers are nothing but a bunch of hacks! For everything you claim about good and justice, how come some villain is walking on this island!?"

Rosie: "...What? How dare you! Sally and her family try as much as they can to help others! Our very home was taken away from us!"

Julie: "Both of you are acting like a bunch of kids! Calm down already!"

Amy: "Hey, don't call my friend a kid! She's a lot smarter than that!"

Julie: "Oh? Then why is she causing such a ruckus over nothing!?"

An argument broke out as the parties started to get physical with each other. Sally and Jenni could only watch in horror as things started to get worse and worse by the second.

Sally: "Everyone! Freedom Fighters! Stop this already! We're supposed to be a team! Please!"

Jenni wasn't sure what to do either… Where were these pent up aggressions coming from? This… wasn't normal. And Sonic, who had been quiet the whole time, could tell that just as much. He then spots Tails start to sneak away, a creeping smile on his face. With a glare, Sonic turns to Sally and Jenni.

Sonic: "Sal? Jen? Get these guys to calm down. I think I understand what's going on…"

Sally: "Do you mind fill-"

Sally couldn't finish that sentence before Sonic was already running away, chasing after the fake Tails.

Sally: "UGH! Sonic… Is teamwork a foreign concept to him!?"

Jenni: "Never mind that… He is right in that we need to calm things here before anything else…"

Tails Doll arrives to Hill Top Mansion, smiling as he got ready to do the next step of his mission… weakening West Island's defenses. But as he stepped closer to the mansion…

Sonic: "For someone who got punched and pecked by a nerd girl, you look like you're walking just fine."

Tails Doll was surprised to see Sonic before turning, trying to appear innocent.

Tails Doll: "Oh, well… I just learned to be tough from you. Don't you think Tekno was being a bully? I mean… She really hates Jenni a lot… Like doesn't that seem suspicious?"

Sonic: "...Yeah. …If I cared about any of that."

Sonic charges up a Spin Dash and flies at Tails Doll, smashing into him and slamming him against the wall of the mansion. Sonic glared at the fake fox before crossing his arms.

Sonic: "You're not the real Tails. And you certainly aren't Mobian. So stand back up and explain who you are."

Tails Doll begins to chuckle, his voice starting as his fake Tails voice before transitioning to a much deeper voice, one not fitting his form as he bursts out laughing.

Tails Doll: "Clever, hedgehog. You actually figured me out… I didn't think of you as the perceptive type… You would've made a far better host."

Tails Doll lifts himself off the ground, his limbs becoming limp as if he were a puppet on strings. His expression, though still carrying a wicked, toothy smile, now showed no life behind his eyes, a dead stare that tries to pierce Sonic's soul.

Tails Doll: "Very well… I am Lord Robotnik's latest… greatest creation… I am D.O.L.L., the 'Destructive Omni Lurker & Lure'. My objective is simple… to destroy."

Sonic: "Other than the name, not very creative, is Eggman? A robot made to destroy? Been there, done that at this point."

Tails Doll: "Oh you'll find me quite different from my predecessors. Unlike them, I am an advanced Badnik created to infiltrate from within. And I don't just destroy physical things… I also destroy friendships… through manipulation."

Sonic: "...So Tekno's attitude…?"

Tails Doll: "That was my handiwork. And I am quite proud of it. My ability spreads to others who carry an inner darkness in their hearts. Any level of hate towards another person is brought out… And used as fuel to further destroy that friendship. Yet… You do not seem affected… Why?"

Sonic: "Truth be told? I try not to hate anyone. I like living for the moment, not worrying about what comes ahead. And while I can keep my cool… There's one way to get me angry…"

Sonic delivers a death glare to the Tails Doll, showing he was serious now.

Sonic: "Messing with my friends."

Tails Doll: "Hmph. Your aggression is recognized. But you cannot beat me. I am a true nightmare… And I'll happily drag you down into the depths of despair!"

Sonic gets into a ready pose as Tails Doll floats further off the ground, not even using his tails; he didn't need them nor needed to keep up the illusion any further. Tails Doll smiles down at Sonic, glaring at him as he was ready to fight…

To be continued…