Story Recap:

My name is Sally Acorn, leader of the Knothole Freedom Fighters.

Thanks to Zonic's intel, we managed to pinpoint the location of the next Genesis Portal in the Metropolis Zone. However we were soon ambushed by several Badniks controlled by a bizarre plant/robot hybrid calling itself the "Krudzu Hybrid Hydra".

Thankfully, with some unexpected assistance from Metal Sonic, we were able to destroy it while Zonic stabilized the portal… but for some reason Dr. Eggman had his forces retreat soon afterwards, claiming "he'd already gotten what he needed".

Just what is the Doctor planning? And are we really prepared for what we might encounter in the Nexus?


Chapter 3: Into The Unknown (Part 3)

Westside Island: Metropolis Zone Ruins:

Zonic took a moment to catch his breath as the Genesis Portal before him slowly began to grow in size, the bright yellow aura surrounding its edges pulsating in an almost rhythmic motion, signifying its stability.

"...and it's done." He sighed in relief, wiping away some sweat. It had taken some work, but with the Metropolis Zone secure, setting up the portal wasn't as grueling as it could have been. For the first time in a long while, there was a viable way to the Genesis Nexus and a chance to get answers.

Now if they could do something about the zines and badniks the Krudzu had left behind-

"How's the portal?" A new voice came from behind Zonic. The Zone Cop turned to see Sir Charles, aka "Uncle Chuck," approach with a belt displaying various tools resting over his right shoulder.

"As stable as possible at the moment. Thankfully the rest of my devices remained undamaged, so it should be safe enough to travel through come tomorrow…" The Zone Cop replied, turning his attention back to said portal, almost as if he was expecting something else to pop out of it. "…speaking of which, how are the rest of the Freedom Fighters dealing with the situation?"

"They are doing alright," Chuck said as he continued his approach. The older hedgehog stood beside Zonic, taking in the badniks and greenery littering the area. "They have faced strange things before, some of them much more dangerous than a creature such as that… hydra.." He explained before gesturing to the portal. "Or this strange portal of yours."

"Given how many alternate realities I've seen, I can't say I'm surprised." The Zone Cop chuckled bitterly. "Although, I wouldn't call this anything close to a portal I would make, I merely stabilized it. Us Zone Cops used to have a different way of traversing dimensions... it was surreal to say the least." He trailed off with a sigh, almost as if he was lost in thought.

"Is something the matter, Zonic?" Chuck asked in a way that reminded Zonic of someone he knew of.

It had been some time since he'd seen his own family, let alone his uncle.

"Let's just say my comrades and I worked a lot differently before the Genesis Wave hit." He replied, his tone becoming softer as he crossed his arms. "...and I feel like we might have been able to stop this from happening if we'd tried a different approach."

Chuck's expression softened at this, the elder hedgehog then approached the Zone Cop and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, my boy."

"Is it though?" The Zone Cop asked with a resigned sigh. "Time and time again Eggman has proven himself to be a threat across dimensions, and yet we were so wrapped up in our war with Dr. Nega that we didn't even consider how bad things could have gotten until it was too late..." Zonic said as he removed his helmet, sadly gazing at his reflection in the visor.

"Well, look at it like this." Chuck began. "The 'have nots' and 'could have beens' may haunt us, they may try to control us, but we learn from them. We resolve to improve, to do better." He paused as his mind drifted back to an innocent idea, a revolutionary invention… perverted into something horrific by a man who deceived everyone. "It's never too late to try again." He finished solemnly before gesturing to the portal. "Take this portal for example: it is an opening to another world, a world that existed before this one. The possibilities it brings are as fascinating as haunting given what they represent. It's a chance for everyone involved to take action in light of the past. Atonement? Perhaps. To learn? Indubitably. But what we make of it will decide everything, Zonic. All it takes is a chance to do better."

The Zone Cop continued to stare down at his helmet, slowly registering the older Hedgehog's words… and allowed himself a small smile as he put his helmet back on. "Thanks… not going to lie, that sounds exactly like something my uncle would say." He chuckled.

"Well, I hope I do his memory proud." Chuck said, smiling at the thought. He then turned his attention back to the portal, the aura's amber sheen glistening in an almost hypnotic way. The allure of the portal was unmistakable to anyone, but for a scientific mind? Such a marvel was irresistible to ignore.

"You know…" Chuck began, breaking the silence and regarding the portal with a minor gesture. "The last time I had an opportunity such as this, it was practically years ago; back when the Chaos Emeralds still resided in the Special Zone." A slight chuckle escaped his lips. "If an old colleague of mine were here, he'd probably be gobsmacked more by the badniks than by the portal."

"Special Zone…" Zonic mused to himself, memories of one of his previous expeditions surfacing as an idea came to mind. "...say, do you by any chance still have those Star Posts?"

Chuck blinked. "Those old things? I should… but why would you need them?"

The Zone Cop simply smirked in response. "Well, you said you were interested in researching these things... and with a bit of fine-tuning, I think we might just be able to keep the portal stable even after I leave..."


The very next day the Metropolis Zone was bustling with activity. Several Royal Guards were patrolling the areas close to the Genesis portal, either cleaning up leftover Badnik parts or keeping a lookout for any stragglers from Eggman's most recent attacks. With their combined efforts, the massive hole that the Kurudzu once occupied had now been safely cleaned out, allowing the Freedom Fighters to properly set up the respective biplanes for launch into the Portal.

"Alright, just a bit longer…" Zonic grunted as he adjusted the last Star Post before reaching for a wrench.

"I must say this is actually a rather ingenious way of utilizing the portal." Chuck said as he handed it to him. "Though how it can do such a thing is actually rather beyond me."

"It's all about having the right tech and adjusting it to the right frequency," Zonic explained as the spherical objects began to emit a bright yellow glow similar to the ones surrounding the portal. After a few minutes the Genesis Portal itself began to slowly expand outwards, becoming almost twice its normal size as the two hedgehogs backed away. "So by incorporating some tech from my gadgets into the Star Posts, they should be able to properly connect to any Genesis Portal that pops up."

"What an inspired idea, Zonic." Chuck said with astonishment, smiling behind his mustache. "You'd make your family quite proud if they saw this."

"Hey guys!" They heard a young voice calling them from above. The two hedgehogs turned to see none other than Tails hovering down towards them. "The rest of the Freedom Fighters are almost ready for our mission, they're just making a few preparations."

"Alright. Tell them to prep well... and don't come in with a full stomach." Zonic said with a slight smirk.

"Uh, alright." Tails said before flying off. In little time, the Freedom Fighters made their way to the two hedgehogs, the Genesis Portal, and the Star Posts. The reaction to the portal was one of amazement to some degree, Rotor and Tails the most entranced given their respective technical experiences. However, the two teams going into the Nexus were well equipped for the venture they were about to undertake.

"So, we're going into zat?" Antonie asked, breaking the ice.

"Yep, but look on the bright side, thanks to Zonic we actually know where we're gonna end up… to an extent." Sonic replied, remembering his own experience with entering and exiting these portals. "Trust me, you do not wanna end up using these at random, last place I visited was nothing but burning ruins…"

"Hopefully not while the world was almost falling apart." A familiar voice came from behind them.

Everyone turned, with some surprise evident on some, to see King Acorn approach. He had an adventurous look in his eye, a twinge of spry youth that Sally herself shared whenever committed to something.

"Daddy? What are you doing here?" Sally asked.

"Well, I heard about you and the Freedom Fighters visiting this old place, and about that portal." the King continued, not breaking his stride. He briefly regarded Sally and the rest of the Freedom Fighters, before walking past. "I figured, before anything else happened, I should at least take a look." King Acorn then idly eyed the star posts before looking at Zonic and Chuck. "The dastardly badnik plant came from that?"

"Well, yes and no, your majesty." Zonic began, though he was more reserved in his tone. As far as Sonic could tell, his doppelganger even stood up slightly straighter. "That creature did come from the portal, but only as a doorway; its 'roots' were still based on the other side."

"Any ideas regarding the other side?" The King asked.

"We're about to find out." Chuck said before turning to Sonic. "Sonic, there's something I need you to get. It's with my equipment; I was able to prepare it before the Star Posts were complete."

"You got it, Uncle Chuck!" The Blue Blur playfully saluted before rushing off.

Less than a few seconds after he left, Team Rose arrived on the scene, with Big happily carrying both Amy and Cream on his shoulders while Froggy rested on his head. "Hey everyone, we came to see you off!" Amy called out as Cream flew towards them, giving Bunnie a big hug just as she landed.

"Huh, is Gemerl not coming?" Antoine asked in confusion.

"I asked him to come along, but he decided to patrol the borders of the island in case Eggman launched another attack." Amy explained as she hopped off of Big's right shoulder. "I tried to convince him that the Sky Patrol had more than enough firepower, but he was kind of insistent…"

Before she could continue, Sonic rushed back to the group before skidding to a halt right next to Uncle Chuck, but what really got everyone's attention was the rather unique outfit he was now wearing…

"Sonic, what are yah wearin'?" Bunnie asked, her arms draped around Cream as both rabbits looked on in similar confusion.

The suit itself was a primarily red color. The material, especially the color, made the suit seem reminiscent of a leather motorcycle suit but the blue spot on Sonic's right breast seemed to indicate otherwise given the light and how several black patterns that adorned the suit seemed connected to it. Even his shoes and gloves were seemingly made from the same material.

"It's a unique suit I developed with Zonic's help." Chuck said proudly as he gestured to the portal. "After all, given the unique circumstances of your journey, it's better to be on the side of caution rather than leave things up to chance. Thus, the suit will absorb and transfer data after contact with the portal's energy."

"Why only one suit?" Tails asked as he circled the Blue Blur, eyeing the outfit curiously.

Chuck shrugged. "We only had enough time and material for one. And given how Sonic's shown a unique affinity for energy before, we believed that it was best to take the safer bet."

"You certainly won't hear me complaining!" Sonic smirked as he started doing some stretches, mostly to show off. "I'm personally loving the design, what do you guys think-HEY!

"You look amazing!" Amy exclaimed with hearts in her eyes as she eagerly glomped the Hedgehog, much to everyone's amusement.

"A-Amy… ribs… b-breaking…" Sonic gasped, trying to free himself from the pink Hedgehog's vice-like grip.

Zonic snickered a little at the spectacle before him just as the device on his wrist started beeping. "Ok people, we're burning daylight." He called out getting everyone's attention. "While we've bought ourselves some time, I'm not sure if the Star Posts will be able to keep the portal open permanently, so let's move!"

"You heard the hedgehog! Let's get to it!" Sally commanded, all eyes focusing on her. She turned to Bunnie, Antoine, and Rotor first. "Team Freedom, get prepped for takeoff. The Twister will need to follow right behind the Tornado that way we aren't separated. There's too much we don't know about the Nexus yet and the last thing any of us would need is the portal playing any tricks."

"Gotcha Sally." Rotor said while Antoine gave a slight salute.

"At once, Princess."

"I'll keep up right behind you, Sally girl, don't you fret." Bunnie said with a confident smile, one that Sally soon matched in turn. The Princess then turned to Tails.

"Tails, you know what to do." Was all she needed to say. Tails nodded in turn and took off to his bi-plane. Zonic soon followed him, having already packed up his gear.

"Sally, a moment?" King Acorn called out. Sally turned to face her father who, in a contrast to his earlier attitude, seemed solemn now.

"Uh, sure…" Sally said as her father approached her. Her own smile faded when she recognized the worry in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"It's just..." Nigel Acorn began, but trailed off. He seemed to struggle to find the words, which surprised Sally. "Promise me, my dear, that you'll be careful." The King finally said after a seemingly long moment.

It was a bizarre thing to see, her father looking so… vulnerable.

"Daddy, I'll be fine." Sally began. "Don't-"

"I know Sally, I shouldn't worry." Nigel continued, interrupting his daughter. He reached out with his right hand, lightly grasping Sally's shoulder. "It's just, this is monumental; a portal to another world and all kinds of possibilities. It's a bit daunting to consider because who knows what's on the other side? And..." His words trailed off again, just leaving him with a perplexed, if weary, expression.

Despite this, Sally's smile returned as she took hold of her father's hand. "It's okay, dad." She said with a small yet confident smile. While Nigel looked at her with surprise, Sally kept speaking. "I'll admit, this is a lot to take in. It's okay to be scared. There's so much on the other side of that portal, and it's above whatever Eggman's done before, but it's nothing we can't handle. It's like you've said to me and everyone countless times… there's always a chance for good to be done. It's why we're The Freedom Fighters, dad."

Sally watched as her father's expression slowly changed. While there was an amazed look in his eyes, no doubt inspired by her words and the passion therein. A smile blossomed across his face, yet there were some tears falling from his eyes. "Daddy, are you alright?"

"I-I'm fine, Sally." He said with a slight hitch in his voice before embracing his daughter. "You make me so proud to call you my daughter. Just remember that."

Despite herself, Sally felt tears of her own trying to escape. "I will, dad. Don't you worry."

"Of course I won't! With such a young woman like you leading the charge, there's no other word to describe your journey but a smashing one!" Nigel smiled as he broke the hug, wiping the tears from his face using his uniform's sleeve. "Charles and I will be here to keep things steady with the rest of your friends while you and everyone else do what you do best; save the world."

"We will." Sally said with determination before leaving Nigel's side and heading towards the Tornado as Tails prepared the bi-plane.

'Alicia,' The King thought melancholically as he watched Sally walk off. 'If only you could see our daughter now. How wonderful she's grown, as a leader and so much more. If only...'

"Alright everyone, let's move out!" Tails shouted as he hopped into the cockpit of the Tornado, Sally leaped into the passenger seat behind him, plugging Nicole's handheld into the plane's seat outlet.

[All systems are fully operational!] Nicole said, her image appearing on the cockpit's monitor while Sonic and Zonic jumped onto the left and right wings respectively. [Team Fighters is ready to take off!]

Following suit, Rotor got into the cockpit of the Twister with Antoine climbing into the backseat. "Team Freedom's ready fer action!" Bunnie called out, simply using the rocket boosters in her feet to hover right next to the plane, ready to fly alongside them.

"Good luck everyone!" Big cheered as Cream and Cheese waved energetically.

"Please be safe!" The young Rabbit called out.

"And don't worry!" Amy shouted as both plane's engines started to rev up. "Westside Island is in good hands!"

Sonic simply gave the pink Hedgehog an encouraging thumbs up as the Tornado's propeller started spinning. And soon enough, the crimson bi-plane flew straight into the Genesis Portal with the Twister following behind it shortly after.

The Freedom Fighters' mission to the Genesis Nexus had officially begun.


Genesis Portal:

Sonic wasn't sure what he'd expected, but it certainly wasn't this.

As the two bi-planes flew through the portal, the Freedom Fighters found themselves flying through what looked like a cloud tunnel of some sort, various swirling clouds of rapidly shifting colors surrounded them from all angles with several smaller portals appearing within their depths as they kept flying.

The Freedom Fighters couldn't deny how off-putting it was, how… twisted everything felt…

"Is everyone else seeing this!?" Sonic heard Rotor's voice from Tornado's computer speakers. It took everything Sonic had to focus, to not be lost by the different colors cascading against each other. Or be lost by the seeming endlessness of the tunnel as the clouds just repeated again and again no matter how much the bi-plane flew. Sure, they were flying in a straight line, but the Tornado didn't seem to be going any farther.

And then there were the portals opening up. They were mere snapshots, each and every time, but there was an impression nevertheless. Even someone like Sonic couldn't ignore what each portal showed one after another. But what did Sonic see?

'Is that supposed to be me?' Sonic thought after passing another portal, this one showing himself – or rather, it looked him, Tails, and Knuckles racing towards a giant robot with Eggman's likeness in the middle of an unfamiliar town. They were dodging missiles and bullets but it was hard to mistake Sonic and his two friends charging forward.

Another portal was him fighting against Eggman's Badniks in a town, but he wasn't alone. He saw Blaze the Cat, her pyrokinesis as evident as ever, but there was someone else… a female Mobian Lemur. She seemed to be using her tail to bind and pull different badniks or pull on something to crush others. Then the trio stopped, looking upwards at a giant Buzz Bomber that flew overhead.

Another had a version of Sonic wearing a brown scarf with bandages on his arms and legs. He was talking with a version of Knuckles who was practically huge but didn't seem that serious.

On and on it went, with each portal giving Sonic another vision of himself in a situation that was unfamiliar. Usually, he was fighting a creation of Eggman's or in the doctor's likeness, but it was the same thing again and again. Still, out of most of the portals Sonic saw, he wasn't alone. He had Tails with him, or another friend (familiar or not).

Tails, or was it Sally? Nicole? Someone said something, but Sonic couldn't recall what exactly. The blue hedgehog looked around for a moment; Zonic was still on the other wing, his helmet covering his head as he started straight ahead, most likely in an effort to ignore what their surroundings looked like. Tails was still piloting the tornado, with Nicole's glitching face on the system's screen.

Following behind them in the Twister, no doubt still piloted by Rotor and having Antoine in the backseat. Bunnie was flying close by while trying not to get too close to a cloud or portal.

There was also Sally in The Tornado's backseat-


"Hahahah!"

Dr. Eggman's laugh was unmistakable; the sound drew Sonic's eyes to a nearby portal, but was it a portal? There was something different about this one with it's red edging-

"Ahhh, Princess. You may have set my plans back, but this is a delightful consolation prize!" Eggman remarked, his clothing clearly damaged with his jacket's left sleeve missing. On top of that, the ends of his mustache were clearly scorched and blackened. He was standing, his left hand supporting his lower back, in the middle of a wrecked chamber full of metal.

"Come along, now. It's time to take out the trash." Eggman ordered, walking past-to his horror-a Roboticized Sally Acorn who held a squirming Sonic by the neck. She coldly followed the doctor towards an elevator while Sonic, now helpless, struggled against her claw's grip. Once the doors shut they were gone-


Sonic gritted his teeth, warding off that bad memory. Why would there be a portal of that? Why-

All of a sudden, there was a force of some kind. It felt like turbulence, a head wing that rattled the entire bi-plane. But the colors were shifting, gravitating towards the right end of the color spectrum with a deep red becoming more dominant and vibrant.

[Tails! Come in!] Uncle Chuck's voice came from the Tornado's speakers. [We have a problem!]


Westside Island: Metropolis Zone Ruins:

Back on Mobius, Uncle Chuck desperately tried to contact the Freedom Fighters. "Tails? Tails! Can you hear me!?" He called out as the screen became obscured by static. "The portal is growing unstable! There's a powerful surge coming from-"

Before he could continue, the Genesis Portal started pulsating rapidly as waves of energy erupted from it, the Star Posts crackling and shaking as the energy surged through them! Suddenly, the orbs at the top of the posts shattered into pieces, shooting out several bolts of energy in random directions… with one of them shooting right towards-

"UNCLE CHUCK, LOOK OUT!" Amy screamed as she bolted toward the Hedgehog, tackling him out of the way just before the bolt could hit him… striking the pink Hedgehog instead.

However, instead of screaming in pain, Amy's entire body seized up.

"AMY!" Cream screamed in terror, but before she could rush to her side, Big held her back while King Acorn quickly jumped in front of her, generating an energy shield from his bracelet and blocking one of the bolts of energy.

"Amy… a-are you okay…?" Chuck called out as he picked himself up, hesitant to touch her due to the surge of energy swirling around the pink hedgehog's body. Her eyes were completely blank, the color seemingly having dulled. Suddenly, the energy dissipated as the pink hedgehog sank to her knees like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

For a split second, Amy saw a figure standing over her who seemed to be wearing a hood, his face obscured by shadows, and a bow and quiver full of arrows on his back…

"Amy, are you ok!?" Speak to me!" A familiar voice called out.

…and then just like that, it was gone.

Blinking, the pink Hedgehog groaned as she came to, her vision slowly coming back as she realized she was staring up at Uncle Chuck.

"I… I'm fine, Uncle Chuck," Amy replied as she shakily got back to her feet and off her knees. The pink hedgehog shook her head, trying to recover from the disorientation. While Amy tried to take note of the situation – of the Genesis Portal's erratic looking state, of the damaged Star Posts and orb fragments littering the ground around them, and Uncle Chuck's worried expression – her mind was focused elsewhere.

'Who was that?' Amy thought, trying to recall the figure she saw, but couldn't. She saw someone, some Mobian with arrows and a bow like that sparrow guy from Avalon in Eurish. They were important, whoever Amy saw. They were someone she…

Someone she knew and…

And…

'Why am I crying?' Amy thought as tears trailed down her face, as a slight longing came from her heart. It wasn't romantic, no, but it felt… familial? But she didn't have any family, outside of Chuck and her friends and the Freedom Fighters. Amy knew that, but why did she feel like this?

'I'll figure it out later,' Amy decided with determination, wiping her eyes clear of tears and taking a breath. With resolve restored, the pink hedgehog focused on the scene before her as the energy from the portal ceased while the portal itself was erratic still. Whoever that person was, whoever they were, maybe Sonic and the others could get answers on the other side…


Genesis Portal:

Unfortunately, as Tails found, things had gotten worse. The sudden shift of the portal's interior, the colors gravitating towards a vibrant red that dominated the hole, was accompanied by a turbulence. Only, it wasn't just that, there wasn't any visible head wind causing the flight to turn rough, but some kind of force that was colliding against The Tornado. It took all of his skill to keep the bi-plane steady, all of Tails's focus to keep flying in a straight line. The young fox trusted that Sonic and Zonic could hold on, and that Rotor and Bunnie could keep following after him.

They'd hardly reached the nexus, and already things were going wrong.

"Everybody hang on!" Tails cried out as several sparks of electricity erupted from the plane's engine.

"What's it look like ah'm tryin' tah do!?" They heard Bunnie retort. Looking over his shoulder, he saw the partially Roboticized Freedom Fighter had just barely managed to grab onto the edge of the Twister's cockpit with her robotic arm and was now hanging on for dear life as Antoine frantically grabbed his wife's arm.

"My scanners are just barely functioning, but we're getting close!" Everyone heard Zonic call out, though it was clear the turbulence was affecting him as well. "We just need to-"

Whatever the Zone Cop was about to say next was cut off as another wave of energy, much more powerful than the last. Both bi-planes immediately started spiraling out of control with their passengers just barely hanging on.

And then, the interior of the portal went completely white…


'What…?' Sonic thought, as he ran down what looked like a metal corridor. There wasn't anything unique about the corridor in question, like if you've been through the hallway, you've been through them all. But there was a mounting confusion as his senses returned to him, which took some time; whatever happened in that portal-

'That's right!' Sonic's eyes widened in realization, almost causing him to stop. He didn't, continuing his run, but he began to remember as he glanced at his reflection in a nearby monitor, realizing that he was now wearing nothing but his standard gloves and shoes. 'We… we were going through that portal when everything went crazy and then whited out…' His green eyes took in the corridor, which seemed endless, but there was something about it. Like, yes, it was just another nondescript hallway, but this hallway felt different. Even running through it felt different than any other time Sonic could recall doing the same event.

'Why though?' The hero of Mobius mused silently. 'What's so important about this? Eggman's had so many hallways, it should be more of the same. But it isn't. It-'

Before Sonic could finish the thought, a doorway appeared on the horizon before him. While an open door in an unremembered hallway screams trap, there wasn't anything else Sonic could think of. Plus, stopping to think wouldn't do him much good because there's nothing to really think about. Yeah, he wound up here from nowhere, but there's nothing out here that can give him an answer.

'Might as well…' Sonic thought as he continued on, running straight through the doorway only to see-

SWATBots, several of Eggman's old robotic troops that filled the room, and were identical down to the last from the dome shaped helmet head to the red visor to the wrist monster blasters. Actually, they mostly filled the room; there was one other unique figure beside Sonic. They were cast in silhouette, sitting in a chair and control panel that was barely illuminated by nearby monitors.

'Who else could it be?' Sonic thought before immediately moving into action. After years of fighting all kinds of Badniks and robots and even the soldiers of the Egg Army, the SWATBots were simplistic. Their reaction times were something to be mindful of when Sonic was younger; back when he was figuring out how to do more than just run.

But by now? From Sonic's perspective, they barely moved before he was on them. Able to dodge even the slightest laser blast, or even have that blast (or fist) hit another SWATBot. Coupled with his homing attack, and all kinds of tricks he's come up with since then, there wasn't any challenge to be found.

'This is too easy!' Sonic thought with a smile as he effortlessly fought off the machines, bouncing off their heads with little difficulty. "You gotta be scraping the bottom of the egg-cart this time!" He taunted while dodging laser fire from various positions, jumping off of a wall and then off a SWATBot to continue moving throughout the room. "What, are your normal troopers on a hunger strike or something?" He joked, knocking down another SWATBot before kicking off its head and throwing it at another one line a frisbee on. In the seconds after, the blue hedgehog saw a gloved fist shake in his direction from the figure in the chair. That made him smile; it was fun to see Eggman get all worked up like this.

"We'll see who laughs last, you miserable rodent!" The figure spat, which threw Sonic for a loop. Sure, the rhetoric was nothing new, but the voice was different. It kind of sounded like Eggman's voice, but there was something about it. Something deeper, menacing even, but for the life of him-

Sonic bounced off the last SWATBot in mid-stride to try and get a look at the figure in the chair. Unfortunately, it was impossible to get an exact look at this person. Sure, Sonic could make out some details–they were a large set person, sitting in a chair, and there was a gloved hand of course, but everything else was still obscured in shadow. And then the figure pressed a button.

'What'd he do?' Sonic thought, standing amidst the wrecked remains of the SWATBots that once filled the room. He got ready to run at a moment's notice, but nothing seemed to happen. Instead, one of the monitors flickered and its screen showed something. It was a village of some kind, there were a bunch of huts, not large huts, but enough to house a decent amount of people. The village was situated in a forest, surrounded by trees and even had some houses within the trees too. It felt… familiar, like he'd seen it somewhere before, but the only thing he could think of, for the life of him, was…

"Knothole?" Sonic wondered aloud, only to frown in confusion. 'That can't be Knothole; it never looked like that. But why do I feel-'

And then, right before his eyes, a blue light seemed to annihilate the entire village. In a flash, all that remained… was a barren crater where the village once stood. It had been erased, as if nothing had existed there at all.

"After all this time…" The figure tackled with an unnerving sneer; Sonic could make out the hideous mouth regardless of any shadows. "Knothole and its citizens are eliminated!" The figure laughed as he rose from his chair, raising his arms in triumph.

"No!" Sonic reacted as a feeling of pure shock consumed him from out of nowhere. Even if it wasn't Knothole, and it couldn't be, Sonic knew he'd never let someone like Eggman erase the people he's known and cared about all his life.

The hero of Mobius moved, charging straight ahead without thinking, as fury took hold.

"You're going to pay for that, Eggman!" Sonic called out; his right hand already curled into a fist to swing straight at the figure's face-

Except, that didn't happen.

It took a moment for Sonic's mind to catch up to the rest of him, but he saw that his punch had been caught by a metal hand. A metal hand that was part of an artificial arm. It wasn't a prosthetic; the arm was too detailed and sophisticated for that.

If it wasn't for the surprise he was feeling, Sonic would've been trying to pull himself free. But instead, all he could do was just stand in confusion as a blue light came in. The same exact same light that had just erased that village began to fill the room. At least, it finally illuminated the figure Sonic was standing before.

Standing there, with his left arm entirely metallic, was a man who wasn't Dr. Eggman. In fact, this guy was arguably more egg shaped than Eggman was with his pointed head. He had a thick orange mustache (another similarity) above his mouth. Both of the man's eyes were a blazing red that held nothing but fury and wrath. "You'll never be rid of me, rodent!" the man sneered as his yellow cape fluttered and the blue light continued its intensity. Soon enough, the light became so intense, Sonic had to shield his eyes with his free hand to try and keep himself from going blind. But the man's words remained to echo in Sonic's head. No, not just the words, but it was how they were said. It wasn't a threat; it felt like a promise.

By the time the light died down, Sonic was left with one question.

'Who was that?' He removed his hand, only to discover he was now somewhere else. Sonic stood alone in a lush, open field. There were some trees nearby, yes, but grassland dominated this particular spot. Given the hallway and room, some nature was refreshing to see.

'No sign of Not Eggman.' Sonic shook his right hand before inspecting it. 'The glove ain't even roughed up from that metal hand. Is this place trying to mess with me?'

As if on cue, something appeared. Ironically, it was a blue blur that came out of nowhere and went on the offensive. Before the blur could strike Sonic, the hero of Mobius managed to avoid the attack and proceeded to counter with his own speed. His new opponent managed to keep up with Sonic, who started to think.

'It's blue, so it can't be Shadow.' Sonic leapt over the enemy, who raced right through where he was running a minute ago. The hedgehog rolled into a ball in midair, keeping momentum to quickly turn and face his enemy. 'Metal maybe?' He continued to ponder. The twin blue blurs faced each other, twin streaks of speed racing and colliding as they sped through the open field. 'No, he'd try something more than just run me down.'

Eventually, Sonic rolled to a stop; emerging out of his ball form and crouching in the heart of the field. Had anyone else been presented, they'd be amazed to see the other blue blur mirror this action; even emerging in a crouched position directly across from Sonic. However, everything changed when he finally got a good look at this new opponent.

Crouching there was a green furred hedgehog with an arrogant smirk that showed off his fangs. He wore a black leather jacket with hot rod flames decorating the shoulders. The jacket was open, the unfastened belt left dangling, revealing his chest which was marred by two vertical scars. The hedgehog's eyes were covered by a pair of red sunglasses, but there was no mistaking it. This hedgehog had a remarkable resemblance to Sonic despite the aesthetic differences; his quills were even positioned like Sonic's were, unlike Shadow's.

"Okay, who are you supposed to be?" Sonic asked as he rose from his crouching position, taking a stance against the green hedgehog. "Some kind of knock-off android?"

"Really? That's what you think?" The green hedgehog scoffed, rising from the same crouching position but smirking rather than adopting a battle-ready stance. "If anyone's the failed product, it's you."

Sonic blinked at this, more confused than angered. "What?"

"If only you thought for yourself, you coulda had it all." He said as he raised his left hand up as if it was holding something in his palm. For a moment, Sonic almost swore there was a green sphere of energy floating above it, but there wasn't anything there. There couldn't have been. If something like that was there, Sonic was sure he would've seen it. The green hedgehog then pulled his sunglasses down, revealing his blue eyes. "You had all that power in your hand, and you couldn't keep Eggman off your tail?" He then withdrew his hand and reached into his jacket, pulling out a golden ring. "What good are you, runt?" He mockingly asked, which incentivized Sonic.

"Who are you calling-" Before Sonic could finish, the green hedgehog flicked the golden ring up into the air. The ring itself glowed and then expanded in size, becoming large enough for anyone or thing to travel through. Within the ring, something even appeared; a golden light that flowed seamlessly.

"Later loser!" the green hedgehog adjusted his red sunglasses before running straight into the ring.

"Wait!" Sonic called out before following the green hedgehog right in without any hesitation.

Running into rings like this, Warp Rings they're called, is an odd experience; they're an instantaneous form of travel. Normally, if you use a Warp Ring, you're basically taking a shortcut from one part of space to another.

But as for where this particular Warp Ring went? Well, Sonic soon found himself in a room. A rather homely looking bedroom. Beyond just the green rug he was standing on, there was a racecar shaped bed with a green blanket, a tall lamp next to the bedframe, and a red guitar resting on its stand. There was a window that led outside, showing various houses (though some looked like huts) and plenty of green grass, flowers, some shrubs, and trees.

'Ok, where am I now?' Sonic thought as he looked across the room. He frowned in contemplation as he walked past the racecar bed and idly plucked a string on the guitar. 'No sign of that other hedgehog, and I'm-wait…' He halted that train of thought; he knew where it was headed. "This can't be home." Sonic declared, moving his hand away from the guitar as he turned to the window. "And I'm not going to fall for… whatever this is."

With newfound determination, Sonic raced to the window, curling up into a ball and crashing right through it. If he could get outside, given how this is a residential area, there had to be someone who had some answers. Or maybe he could find out where the others were despite this bizarre place.

But that didn't happen.

Instead, the blue blur bounced off the window, the ceiling, and then landed back on the bed.

'What the-!?' He thought, unfolding from a ball, Sonic got off the bed and made his way back to the window and simply laid his left hand on it. It refused to budge or make a single sound, no matter how hard he pressed against it. "Ok, this is getting weird." The blue hedgehog mused, finding no evidence of a lock or latch or anything. It was as if the room refused to let Sonic open (or rather escape through) the window. The window itself portrayed the outside world; where the shrubs and flowers and tree leaves were brushed by a soft wind, almost beckoning to be explored.

"Sonic? Are you ready?" A voice, a woman's voice, called out from behind the room's sole door.

Sonic turned to face the door, but felt confused more than anything. "Uhh…"

"It's okay to be nervous, dear. Take all the time you need." The woman's voice continued despite Sonic's dumbstruck response. "We'll be here when you're ready."

'We?' Sonic wondered before he heard a new voice, an artificial sounding one spoke up from behind the door.

[We can wait, Sonic. No matter how long it will take, we'll be right here for you. It's your call.]

Hearing these words stroked an odd yet familiar warmth within Sonic. It was like how, whenever Sonic needed some advice or perspective or someone to talk to about private, personal stuff, Uncle Chuck was there for him. The elder hedgehog being someone he could always count on… a person he truly considered… family.

Silence filled the room as Sonic felt something around his eyes. A quick check from his hand revealed some tears, but this wasn't right. Some part of Sonic's mind pointed out that he rarely ever cried, so… why would he right now?

'I need answers.' Sonic thought, collecting himself and wiping away whatever tears were left. He made his way to the door and reached for the knob, slowly turning it before pulling it back…

What happened next was… unfortunate.

While there wasn't a bright light or some other strange phenomenon, there was still an instantaneous motion and a lack of resolution. On the other side of the doorway, Sonic saw two water fountains, a castle brandishing the symbol of the acorn kingdom on its banners, some more greenery, but most important of all? Standing there, waiting for him was-

"Sally!" Sonic called out, causing the chipmunk to turn to see him. Without a second though, Sonic ran straight over, stopping right before her in an instant and causing a gust of wind to blow past them both and rustle the trees and fountains and castle's flags and banners.

"Whoa, Sonic!" Sally smiled, taking a step to reorientate herself. "Isn't that a bit much? I haven't been waiting for that long."

"Sally, listen, things have been weird… wherever we are." Sonic began, his eyes darting around to try and find a sign of something unusual before regarding Sally again. "First there was this room of old school SWATBots and some… other Eggman, then some green faker with a warp ring, and then I was in this other room, a-and now I'm here with you. I think this Nexus place is trying to screw with our heads."

Sally tilted her head in confusion, looking at Sonic as if he was speaking another language entirely. "Nexus? Sonic, what are you talking about?"

"The portal, or whatever Uncle Chuck and other me with a Z were talking about. I feel like this place is screwing with my head for the fun of it and won't let up. Plus," The hero of Mobius gestured to himself. "That suit Chuck made for me to wear is missing. Where's everyone else and-"

"Sonic, relax. Breathe." Sally interrupted, raising a placating hand on his chest. The command worked; Sonic paused to collect himself as Sally kept her smile. "You were going a mile a minute. There isn't anyone else, or anyplace else. It's just the two of us. That's how a date works, remember?"

Sonic stared at Sally in surprise. "Date?"

Sally nodded. "Yeah; a chance for the two of us to just be together for old time's sake. You hadn't forgotten about it, have you?"

"I-I… uh…" Sonic wracked his brain, trying to remember anything like that happening. Of course he came up with nothing, but that wouldn't stop him. Sonic gave Sally his best confident smile. "…No, but there's no time like the present, Sal. And honestly, maybe some peace would do us both good."

"I certainly think so." Sally smirked before offering Sonic her hand.

And after a moment, Sonic took Sally's hand… and let his troubles go; while nothing about any of this made any sense, neither what was happening right now or anything before this, something stable would be better.

At least he didn't have to fight anything this time.


Sally Acorn stumbled slightly as she came to. Her left hand went to her head, steadying it as the Acorn Princess gathered her bearings, her blue eyes blinking before she shook her head slightly. 'Where…?' She thought as she stood up in an unfamiliar place. It was a chamber, a grand room with large windows illuminating it. Before Sally was an unusual desk; there were several chairs at differing levels and stairs behind the chairs. Given the curve of the desk, and the placement of the chairs themselves, it was built to accommodate several different people to occupy it; the highest no doubt reserved for someone important.

But what grabbed Sally's attention, truly, was the symbol that rested at the desk's center. Seeing this symbol helped give Sally something to focus on, yet her questions were left to mount in return. "That can't be…" Sally muttered, her eyes narrowing in confusion, the heels of her boots clacked against the floor's tiles as she approached. Wearily, Sally's gloved left hand brushed against what sat at the center of the desk's circle; an acorn. While it was a large, proud acorn in the circle's center, it wasn't the same as the banner she grew up seeing. Her kingdom's namesake was a different design (for instance, it never had a stem attached to it) but this was close enough.

So close, it couldn't be ignored. Just like how Sally felt like she knew this place.

How she'd seen this chamber, stood before this desk and made her case to do something. To get authorization and lead the Freedom Fighters to-

'That never happened,' Sally thought, pulling her hand away from the acorn emblem and taking a few steps back, as if protecting herself. 'I've never been here… I-' She stopped, looking out through one of the windows, taking in the sprawling view of different buildings and plenty of greenery. As far as Sally could see, the buildings themselves were of different shapes and sizes but the modern design aesthetic worked, it almost reminded her of Mobotropolis back on Westside Island.

"It's… perfect." Sally said aloud despite herself, she paused to work through the rest of thought, which wasn't that easy. Sally remembered how, moments ago, she was in The Tornado and going through the portal with the others, and then everything went bizarre before going to white.

Of course, there was also the fact that Sally was alone. She didn't have Nicole's computer on her person, nor was there anybody else from either bi-plane around her. The chamber was vacant and-

"It's incredible, isn't it?" A new voice spoke up, filling the room and echoing further.

Sally blinked, turning her attention back to the desk and saw a signal person sitting at the top. "Who-"

"It all just works, from top to bottom." The figure continued, rising out of his seat and making his way down the stairs. As he approached, Sally got a better look at him. The person she saw was a Mobian squirrel like her, his fur was two different tones of brown and his hair was an unmistakable auburn color, this contrasted against not only his blue eyes, but the royal blue uniform he wore (itself highlighted with red, especially his red cape) which was reminiscent of the Acorn Kingdom.

He stopped before Sally, an unmistakable confident smile on his face. "Nicole really outdid herself; don't you think?"

"…who are you?" Sally asked after a moment. This caused the squirrel's smile to fall, the optimism in his eyes fading slightly.

Alas, the moment could not remain as it was.

From out of nowhere, a lone sword appeared between Sally and the squirrel. The sword, itself seemingly a flawless golden yellow, floated in mid-air with its blade pointed downwards. It floated above and in the space between Sally and the squirrel like the sword of Damocles. There wasn't any announcement of its arrival, just a dull gleaming from the sword's pure looking blade.

Or, some part of Sally thought, that light was to judge her and her-

"PRINCESS…" a voice suddenly boomed, surprising Sally further by the suddenness of this turn. Before Sally could react, a cosmic force of some kind – itself displaying a nebula of darker hues, of navy blue, pale indigo, sunburst orange, and vibrant aquamarine – came from the sword. Not merely from its blade, but from the entirety of the sword itself, came like a great shadow.

And to her horror, as the force burned all of Sally's surroundings away, she was left to watch the squirrel be erased as well.

There was no warning, he was just… gone. Him, the chamber, the desk, everything but her, the sword, and now this cosmic void was all that remained.

It was as if everything from before no longer existed, or never existed to begin with.

"THERE ARE UNFINISHED MATTERS AT HAND." The voice continued undaunted as the sword continued to float in midair, that dull gleaming sticking out despite the cosmic void. Almost as if it was the only true light in all of space.

Sally just stood there, horrified by what just transpired. She had just been reunited with someone she'd forgotten, only to lose him all over again. At least this time she still remembered him.

"What did you do!?" Sally shouted at the sword, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape her eyes as she glared at the item, which seemed impassive or stoically unaffected by anything.

"OUR BUSINESS DOES NOT CONCERN HIM, PRINCESS. IT ONLY CONCERNS YOU AND YOUR DESTINY."

"And what might that be?" The Princess snapped.

"FOR TOO LONG YOU HAVE SHUTTERED FROM THE PATH OF THE SWORD! YOU HAVE DISREGARDED WHAT IS TO HAPPEN FOR YOUR FUTURE! YOU MUST DECIDE NOW, PRINCESS. EITHER EMBRACE YOUR DESTINY, TAKE UP YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE SOURCE, OR SUFFER THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR INDECISION. THERE WILL BE NO ALTERNATIVES; DECIDE PRESENTLY WITHOUT HESITATION."

The sword's booming voice was almost overwhelming, practically deafening to most people if they had heard it. Sally stood defiantly, however, and stared down the golden weapon. After a moment passed, the Acorn Princess adjusted her stance slightly while keeping her eyes focused. The weapon's gleam shifted slightly, as if in satisfaction.

"I SEE THAT YOU HAVE REACHED A DECISION. STATE IT."

"The answer…" Sally began before igniting her ring blades, twin blue blades emerged from the rings at her wrists. The vibrant blue lights of her weapons shining against that of the void and the sword's glare were a welcoming presence; something familiar rather than unknown or forgotten. "Is no." Sally finished as she raised her wrists up high and glowered at the sword. "You claim to know my destiny, you claim I'm at fault for indecision, but you offer nothing. No explanations, no clarity, just empty proclamations about my "responsibilities" and "fate". I know where my path leads, and it doesn't involve you, whatever you are. So I repeat, sword, my answer is no. I defy you and whatever uncertain, question riddled path part of you." Sally finished as she adjusted her stance once more, ready to fight the living weapon need be. "Now leave me be, or I'll force the answers I seek out of you. That is the choice I give you."

There was a long moment of pause, the sword merely floated there, the sole dim light remaining in quiet contemplation… before abruptly fading away. "…VERY WELL." The Sword finally said, but not resigned. Its tone sounded more like mild annoyance, if anything. "IF THIS IS WHAT YOU DESIRE, THEN SO BE IT!"

Before Sally could react, a blinding white light erupted from out of nowhere and overwhelmed her. Sally quickly held her wrists up, using the blades to shield herself while turning her head and kept her eyes shut. Unfortunately, these efforts did little to help and, even after the light died down, Sally was left partially blinded. It took her a moment to recover, her sight steadily returning.

However, once it did, the Acorn Princess saw someone. She saw…

'Sonic?' Sally thought, unable to blink for some reason. Before her was the blue hero of Mobius, but he was angry. She saw his gloved hands, but they were struggling against robotic looking claws. The claw managed to over Sonic's hands and were heading to his neck. 'Why is-' Sally saw Sonic's gloved hands go for claws' wrists, as if to pry them off, but his expression changed. Instead of focusing in her direction, his eyes were looking elsewhere and there was a great shocked look on his face. He called out something as his distress grew, but Sally couldn't hear what it was.

"Sonic, what's happening?" Sally tried to ask, but instead she heard something else.

[You'll join him soon.] This voice… it was different. It kind of sounded like her voice, but there wasn't emotion in it. There wasn't any of the spirit or wisdom or emotional strength Sally normally had. It was, if anything, a distorted version made robotic.

A horrible realization dawned on Sally as she realized the truth. She knew what this was, she knew what was happening. She remembered this, worst of all, and was helpless as the metal arms, laser blades extending from each forearm, came into view.

'No… not this,' Sally thought, watching Sonic get tossed to the ground. Except those metal arms responsible were her's. She was doing this. 'Not again.'

[Order received. Returning to base.] The voice, her voice, spoke before she rocked away from a haunted Sonic and headed skyward. The LCD screens of Sally's eyes watched as the hero of mobius got to his feet and then walked. He didn't run, nor did he try to follow her. Instead, Sonic just walked over to Bunnie, her friend, who was sheltering a body in a uniform. Tails and Amy were there too, but they were grieving and…

And there was only person Sally knew who'd wear a uniform like that without question.

'Antonie, I'm so sorry…' Sally thought as Sonic was saying something, but she couldn't hear it. She was too far away and left helpless to watch as the sight dwindled from view, the farther she flew away. As to where Sally and the egg-shaped pods were heading towards? The giant, egg shaped station that was calling them to return. And given how it not only had a face, but a familiarly shaped mustache? It was no wonder who awaited her.

And there wasn't a thing Sally could do to resist.


'What…?' Tails thought as he blearily came to, sitting—no, he was standing, standing somewhere… and something was happening. There wasn't any sign of his bi-plane, The Tornado, or the portal that he was in. Instead, he-

'Wait.' Tails thought as he hovered off the ground for a moment. He was in a city, an advanced looking metropolis with oddly constructed buildings; the architecture was different than anything Tails had seen before. The buildings themselves were various towers that reached the skies, yet around him was scrap metal (from the towers themselves, no doubt). However, that soon became irrelevant after the young fox saw he wasn't alone. 'Sonic?' Tails wondered, recognizing the hedgehog near him. However, this wasn't the Sonic Tails knew. Aside from being gray, it was clear this hedgehog was made of metal and rather angular in shape. Furthermore, this one was a robot!

'Metal Sonic!? No, no the proportions are different and the design doesn't work…' Tails thought observed his subject. The robot hedgehog had a rather emotive face, given how expressive it could be. From what Tails could see, it was just as surprised as he was. 'A new Silver Sonic model maybe?' He pondered further before a familiar voice pulled him from his thoughts.

"Pathetic!" Looking out the corner of his eye (or was it an eye?), an oddly constructed machine appeared. Besides the two long, segmented legs and twin missile launchers on the sides, there was a single pod. There obviously was someone in the pod, and Tails easily made out who the pilot was.

That grinning mustached face was unmistakable.

"You buffoons wouldn't know a holo-projected landscape if you were living in one!" Doctor Eggman continued, yet Tails could see someone else behind him. Some other person was also in the pod and sporting a grin just as demented along with a long nose. "Or dying in one. Whatever," Eggman finished. The robotic Sonic proceeded to say something, but Tails didn't pick up on it because his mind was elsewhere. Namely, coming to a horrible realization about the figure before him; that metal hedgehog wasn't a badnik. And if it wasn't a badnik, then that could only mean…

'How did Sonic get roboticized?' Tails thought, before he noticed something else. He'd been hovering above ground and hadn't felt a thing. It didn't matter if this was a holographic environment; merely using his tails to be above ground would kick up some air to breeze across his fur.

He should have felt something by now.

'Why aren't I—' Tails began to think before something bright and loud struck him. It forced him out of the sky, sending him crashing down to the ground. Had he been his normal self, Tails would have felt pain from the attack. He'd have felt his body ache, his sight disoriented the light and ears ringing from the explosion.

The wind should have been knocked from his lungs after an attack like that.

Except, there was no pain, no harm, no damage or fatigue from what just happened. Tails merely got back up, his body – just as metallic as Sonic's – was unharmed. Sonic himself quickly stood and made his way forward, Tails trailing behind him instinctively.

[Oh…] Sonic began as the two of them emerged from the smoke to face the walker. As Tail's twin helicopter-like blades began to rotate behind him, Sonic brought up his left forearm. [You are so gonna pay for that!] The roboticized hedgehog finished, jumping upwards as a sole missile flew from his wrist. Tails took the sky as the missile struck true, blasting the walker's right leg's joint in a small explosion of its own. The resulting collapse down to the ground happened naturally, as did the two pilots tumbling out from the cockpit. Eggman's surprised expression, almost cartoonish, was a rare sight to see.

That terrified look though? The one on his face as he ran towards a building, firing at Sonic with a revolver all the while? That was a rarity.

'I don't think I've seen Eggman that scared before.' Tails thought while the bullets ricocheted off Sonic's body without any effect. By the time Tails landed on the ground, with Eggman's co-pilot cowering before him, Sonic was already rushing off.

[I'll be back.] He said without looking back.

[We'll be here.] Tails responded, almost automatically, as he stared down the co-pilot, who was practically quaking in fear with his short arms raised. It was obvious this person was a man given the few hairs that remained atop his bald head. The nose, however, remained more recognizable than anything else.

"D-Don't harm me!" The man sniveled, which Tails felt odd about. On the one hand, it was clear this person was terrified of him because of the metallic state he was in. If the situation was reversed, the man would probably not be cowering and be as manic as he was earlier. On the other hand, there was something… off about all of this.

[Who are you?] He asked.

"W-What?" The man stammered in confusion.

[Who are you and why are you helping Eggman?] Tails repeated, his patience wearing thin

"T-This isn't the time for memory lane! I—ugh!" He shouted as Tails forced him up, his body's robotic strength more than adequately enough for the task. The man squirmed in his grasp, the terror growing. "I-I'm just his sidekick!" He squawked. "I'm little more than a flunky to him like you are to that hedgehog! If it suited him, he'd have scraped me after he turned me into a robot like him! And even then, I didn't have a choice! You saw!"

[But what is your name?] Tails said, almost bring the man face to face despite the long nose almost poking his face plate. The man's teeth almost started chattering in horror, but Tails didn't pay it any mind. [Tell me your name.]

Unfortunately, before the man could respond, something unexpected happened. Tails found his mechanical body moving on its own, tail blades rotating and him taking to the skies with the man in his grasp. By the time he realized this, Tails saw he was heading to where Eggman ran in earlier; entering the building and quickly finding Sonic standing there, triumphant in his metal body, while Eggman sat on the ground with his upper body bound in a net.

[We're the winners, Tails.] Sonic declared, his voice sounding nothing like he usually did. None of the confidence, the ease, or warmth that Tails knew was there. It was just robotically hollow, as if he was as robotic as his body was.

[Yaaayyy…]Tails found himself droning in a monotone voice, sounding indifferent to this.

But that wasn't right; it couldn't be him.

'Why is this happening?' Tails thought as the building around them dissolved into green squares. It was like Eggman said before, that this was a holoprojected landscape, an artificial environment. 'Since we've beaten them, it must have served its purpose.' He thought, watching as the squares soon disappeared to reveal the four of them were in a dome. A dome large enough to fit two Mobians and two Overlanders, but far smaller than the cityscape it was minutes ago.

As if that wasn't enough, Tails noticed something. Or rather, through the optics that served as his eyes, he saw a figure outside the dome observe him. It wasn't like Eggman or the other one, and not quite like Sonic or him. It was different. [An alien?] Tails thought aloud, surprised as the small, green skinned figure typed away at holographic screens with its four arms. It wore a blue uniform with gold accents, the two colors complimenting the skin and large bug eyes it had. Well, it and the three others of its kind.

The aliens seemed to converse with themselves, in their own tongue, ignorant of the four of them. Yet for some reason, the one Tails spotted seemed focused on him exclusively. It was something in their eyes, familiarity? Remorse?

But Tails had never seen this figure before.

[Who-] He tried to ask, only to get cut off.

"Experiment concluded." one of the bug eyed aliens declared, interrupting the fox mobian. It gave a gesture to the one Tails was focused on, before regarding them. "We thank you for your participation. Have a nice day."

[Wait-] Before Tails could finish, before anyone else could react, there was a flash of light that blinded them all. The intensity was overwhelming, all consuming yet it did nothing to ease his mind of the questions that plagued it…

Suddenly, Tails found himself struggling against Sonic, their white gloved hands struggling against each other. It was obvious that the blue hedgehog held advantages against him; Sonic was older, taller, and faster compared to Tails. All Tails had in comparison was his namesake – his twin orange furred, white tipped, tails – and his intellect. However, for this fight, Tails had one other attribute that gave him strength over Sonic.

A willingness to fight.

For as Sonic said something, probably trying to get out of it, Tails turned and used the momentum to knock Sonic away using his tails. It sent the hedgehog sprawling away, landing on the ground face first. Tails allowed himself a sneer at the sight of the great "Hero of Mobius" looking so undignified.

Sonic picked himself up, grumbling something. It was probably about him making it real hard for Sonic to hold back. That out of everyone, Sonic never thought he'd have to fight his best friend. Something like this made it all the more sweater, really.

"Tough!" Tails declared with fists raised, it felt good to have the advantage. "You've had this coming for a long time!"

Sonic said something else, no doubt trying to use his witticism to defuse the situation. But he wasn't going to let that happen.

Tails leapt forward, trying to punch Sonic, but the hedgehog rolled up in a ball and ducked under the blow. Tails found himself too slow, twice even as his tails' slam narrowly missed hiding the back of Sonic's heels. Frustration coiled around him, especially how Sonic just opened mouth and didn't seem to take this seriously. He never takes things seriously and it just agitated Tails further. Acting with his impulse, Tails had spun his namesakes; propeling his body forward and give him a boost of speed. He used his left forearm to slam Sonic against what seemed like a panel of glass, the impact hardly doing.

"Stop trying to be witty!" Tails commanded as the cell's prisoner leered at them both-

'Is that Walter Nagus?'

It looked like Nagus, certainly, but there was something off about him. Scratch that, there were multiple things different about him. He looked as hideous as ever, what with his yellowed sharp teeth, leathery face, single rhino-like horn (he was missing his hat), sizable ears, and long, bushy white beard. But these familiar features seemed rougher than normal, like they were greatly strained by being together.

The most surprising detail though was how, despite his sinister grin, unintelligent as he was, he hardly seemed sapient and more like an animal-

"Ugh!" Tails cried out, but not after Sonic managed to free himself. It was after Sonic rolled up into a spin dash and knocked Tails away.

"Fifty mobiums says Propeller Butt beats Speedy Cheese!" Tails thought he heard another prisoner (Bean the Dynamite?) say. The orange fox kit picked himself up, as Sonic said something else-it didn't matter. Sonic turned tail and ran off, heading up a staircase and elsewhere.

It made Tails want to shout, to command Sonic to get back here and finish their fight…

'But why are we fighting?'

Tails stopped himself, taking a moment to try and think. They were fighting because…

Because…

Because they-

'I was…' Tails stumbled as his mind tried to figure out this sudden enigma. He wound his mind backwards, not recalling what drove him to fight Sonic, but that he and Sonic were roboticized and fighting Eggman and that other one. And then before that, they were-

'The Nexus!' Tails stood up straighter as realization finally came. He blinked as his bearings returned to him. 'I'm still in the Nexus, that's why this is happening. I'm-'

"An errant piece on the board, not able to do as he's told." a new voice came forth, speaking uninvited but impossible to miss. Tails turned to the source of the voice, unsurprisingly the owner was in one of the prison cells. Unlike the others, however, the seemingly glass panel appeared one way; Tails couldn't see through it.

"Rebellious like his idol, but never a leading man during a production. Always doomed to play second rather than first, confined constantly to be saved or an accessory. Tragically never the hero on his journey but aid to someone else's. Poor Miles Prower, tragically alone with nothing to his name."

Tails found himself increasingly weary of this person. Not by the words they spoke, but by how familiar it was. For the life of him, Tails didn't recall anyone that spoke like that (or called him Miles, for that matter) but he knew this person.

There was a familiarity, but he just couldn't place it.

"Who are you?" Tails asked, facing the glass undaunted as silence fell around him. Of course the other cells each had a prisoner – the manic and wild Bean the Dynamite, the stoic yet silent Bark the Polar Bear, the scheming Nack the Weasel (with his single, noticeable fang), and the rougher looking Walter Nagus – but they were waiting. Even Nagus, in his animalistic state, was watching expectantly.

Somehow, Tails knew that the occupant of the cell was giving him his full, undivided attention. He knew this person towered over him in size (who didn't really?), probably in power too. But there was something else. Something personal about them.

"As I am, currently? I am no one. Once, I was capable of proud feats; Olympian accomplishments fitting my stature and moniker in this modern age. Even at my most diminutive, however, I was the mastermind of means that demanded attention. Despite the efforts of others, I could never be toppled fully. After all, I have lived ages and will live ages more."

Tails frowned at the implications of this figure. "If you're so important, then why haven't you told me your name? You act like I should know you, but why don't I?"

There was a laugh from behind the panel; it sounded ancient and dry, but proud.

"Because, tragically, we are mere extras to a cosmic comedy. Our kismets do not matter, Miles, compared to others. Those years that were taken from you, the holes left in your history and yet…" The voice chuckled again. "...here we are, still bound together."

"The old world…" Tails thought aloud. "You… you're someone I knew back then? Before the Super Genesis Wave?"

"Indeed! And how fitting I was undone by such a half-baked decimation while you and the others were allowed to go on, if reduced. In a lesser version of our world despite the repetitions bleeding over, if anything."

Tails took a moment to consider the voice's words. On the one hand, it made sense that the old world had its own history and events that had to go somewhere. After all, aside from the plant badnik, the first thing from the Genesis Nexus was the black cat mobian that claimed to know Knuckles. On the other hand, whoever this person was, he still was giving a vagueness to who he was. Or rather, who he and Tails were aside from possibly being important once.

There was still a question that had to be answered.

"What is your name?" Tails finally asked the figure. "I want you to tell me your name."

There was a moment of silence. It hanged heavily, if briefly, before Tails sensed something starting to build. It was power, an ancient, primordial power that was reminiscent of Chaos itself or even Dark Gaia. It was something old, all right. Something dangerous as well.

It was then and there that Tails finally got to see the voice's owner as a green light illuminated the cell. Standing there, dressed in a suit and tie, was a proud mammoth mobian. As unlikely as it seemed, the brown fur and tanned tusks of the mobian were unmistakably that of an elephant's ancestor. He was tall, almost as tall as his cell, with his brown trunk reaching past his chest but didn't obscure the savage grin on his face.

But what captured Tails's attention, most of all, were how his eyes burned brightly with a green intensity. The mark upon his head, a four-sided diamond, almost was as flashy as his eyes despite being as green. Either way, it all radiated power that was both haunting and eerily familiar.

While it did make Tails recall the green chaos emerald, or even the master emerald itself, the truth was different. Tails knew now what they were in the old world; why this mammoth said their destinies were bound together.

"Now you understand, Chosen One." the mammoth said as the intensity of the beaming became that much brighter. The savageness of his grin diminished into a thin-lipped smirk, as if a better persona took hold. "Even if you do not remember, you understand. Victims of a cosmic punchline we may be, we are still prophesized adversaries. And as your foe, I jubilantly await our reunion, like all the other surplus performers do within the Nexus."

Soon the light of the Mammoth's power became too overwhelming and Tails had to look away, had to shield himself to avoid being blinded. Against a power like that, there wasn't anything he could do. For now, this was beyond him.

"Don't disappoint me." Were the Mammoth's final words, saying all that had to be said before the world was eaten away once more…


[Gaaahh!] Nicole cried out in pain as energy coursed through her, from her circuits to her motherboard. What she was experiencing felt like being electrocuted, of numerous volts violently assaulting her being. As each moment passed, the voltage continued to climb, and with it, the pain became increasingly unbearable. The only time her systems felt so overwhelmed was after the Super Genesis Wave's dimensional energies overloaded her computer's systems.

Not even fighting the malevolent viral A.I. Phage was this painful.

'Need… compensation…' Nicole thought despite the pain, concentrating on a specific means. Ever since Sonic asked her to contact Shadow out of the blue, Nicole had to create a means of response to dimensional energies. After all, if the fabric of reality became unstable, someone needed to be able to function properly.

[Raaah!] Nicole cried out as she forced her holo-matrix to activate and discharge the energy. While she lacked time to make a stronger contingency, this prototype would at least keep her from being fried or fragmented. If it worked, then she'd be able to recover and get her bearings after the event that left her in this state.

Fortunately, while the pain lingered, it soon dissipated as the energy died off. Her body felt sore all over, but she wasn't destroyed. If anything, Nicole could tell she'd be okay after some time to recover her bearings. At least, judging by her hand, she had access to more than just her base systems.

'I just need to open my eyes…' Nicole fought against the fatigue and concentrated. While sleep for her wasn't the same for organic life, there was an allure to their version. Just to lie down and get some rest for the body and mind.

But that was time Nicole couldn't afford to lose.

'Everyone's counting on me.' She thought as she willed her eyes to open. 'I can't… let them down.' Sluggishly, a blurry sight appeared before her. It was a steady development as her eyes came into focus and opened themselves. Even though keeping them open was difficult, it was not impossible. Eventually, Nicole succeeded; her eyes had opened and she could see something.

What she saw was a surprise, however.

'Is that me?' Nicole thought as she was face to face with something. For in the palm of her hand was herself, or rather her computer - a small handheld device. It was something she was familiar with, from the shape and size and everything related, for Nicole had held herself plenty of times. All it took was a single ring attached to her computer, then her holo-matrix could safely generate her avatar without draining her power supply.

However, the surprise Nicole felt wasn't from her seeing her computer from the outside. Instead, it was what she saw reflected on the monitor's screen. For what she saw was not her face (or possibly the face of Dr. Ellidy's daughter, Nikki), but that of another. The only mobian in all of Mobius that Nicole could remember seeing for years without fail.

"Sally?" Nicole reacted as she reached up with her left hand and brushed the side of her face. The Sally reflected on the screen copied not only this action, but the surprise on her face, in her blue eyes, expressed the surprise and confusion Nicole was feeling. For the strangest of reasons, it was Sally that her holo-matrix chose to manifest as.

'This isn't right.' The AI thought as she closed her computer like a compact mirror. She saw Sally's hands and forearms rather than her own. But they were bare for some reason rather than having rings at her wrists. Perhaps this was a flawed generation? 'This must be a trick.'

Closing Sally's eyes—no, her eyes, Nicole concentrated and felt herself change. Her computer disappeared as if it had never existed, which left her right hand vacant. She felt her body shift as her ears grew out and changed to their proper shape, as her hands became covered by their proper gloves and accessories. Even the simplest things, like the tufts of fur regrowing on her muzzle, to the split tails of her dress returning to touch the back of her legs, brought her relief.

For every change, Nicole felt whole. She felt more than just a computer or a ghost in the machine. Because she was so much more. Sally showed her that, Sonic, Tails, Amy, the Freedom Fighters—everyone Nicole knew and their support gave her that.

She is Nicole the Holo-Lynx.

And nobody will change that.

'I'm me again.' Nicole smiled after opening her eyes and looking herself over, delighted that she was the way she should be. With her confidence present, Nicole turned her attention elsewhere and was surprised by what she saw.

All around her, for miles on end, was a city. It was a large and dreary metropolis, artificial in every sense of the word, with the architecture of basic shapes and desaturated colors and grays. Nicole could tell, given the ominous green-domed building before her, she stood in the heart of this place. Furthermore, it was barren and abandoned.

Whatever the purpose of this city was to serve, it was left unfinished. At best, it was mostly formed and left incomplete. At worst, given the two buildings nearby advertising "OBEY" and "CONFORM" in large letters, it was meant to be something of Eggman's. The purpose was still unclear; a new kind of Egg Army base? A plot against the United Federation? A petty and meanspirited insult to the Acorn Kingdom?

Just what-

'Wait.' Nicole focused her senses and felt something. It was small, insignificant and easy to miss, but not to her. All around her? The materials that made this entire city? Nanites. Every last building, every piece of the environment, was artificial. It wasn't merely made of metal, it was a facsimile of metal. Everything came from the nanites. 'I know I'm not in the digital world.' Nicole thought as she stretched out her left hand and, from the overcast skies above, a piece of cloud came. It stopped above her palm, suspended in an outline of blue pixels for her. 'This has to be related to the Nexus. And if the Nexus is like this…' The AI mused as she idly glanced around her once more, at the drabness of it all, before focusing on the cloud. 'What if it didn't have to be like this?'

Concentrating solely on the nanites that the cloud was made of, Nicole gave a single command. An instruction to pass on to every other nanite. And once the cloud left her hand, itself taking on a green hue, to rejoin everything else, something wondrous began to happen. It started small, with a rumbling of thunder overhead, but that gave way to something else. It rained. From the sky came drops upon drops of rain that quickly struck the entire city, but Nicole took no cover. She merely stood in place and let the rain fall, unafraid and unaffected. The buildings were hit, and the ground was wet (including beneath her feet), but she alone was left dry. And once the rain was done, the next part began.

The clouds quickly parted and dissipated themselves. All that was left was the sun, in all its yellow brilliance, to shine down. For miles, there were blue skies to accompany the light of day and for Nicole to witness what came next. The buildings changed. Thanks to nanites within the clouds, through the rain, they communicated Nicole's instruction to every other nanite that comprised the city. And that instruction caused the artificial grey to turn into a natural green. For the hard roads of steel to fade into a road made of stone bricks. For plenty of buildings to be erased in favor of green pastures like trees, grass, shrubs, and more; for other buildings to be revised into wonderful designs or beautifully made huts and houses.

Most stunning of all was the center that Nicole now stood before. In place of what was there before, a proud castle stood. It was three-leveled and had a natural canal feeding water to other parts of the city. The architecture itself, aside from being adorned with the manners of the Acorn Kingdom, came from an unused design Nicole half-remembered from the Acorn Kingdom's history.

If it weren't for Sky Patrol, or the need to face Eggman internationally, a grand city like this would be a wonderful place to live in. For every mobian to call home and away from the threat of war, starvation, or suffering. To be able to live comfortably.

'If only everyone could see this…' Nicole thought with a smile as she took pride in what she had accomplished. Sure, the city was empty, and it took using the nanites to make it, but maybe she should look into recreating it someday.

Anything's possible and she proved that.

"My, my, my! What a wonderfully made city!" A new voice called out, cutting through the city. Nicole turned to see a figure; their face was mysteriously cast in shadow despite details conveying the rest of their person. Nicole saw how they were dressed in black and red, how a large golden headdress was atop their head, and how a golden staff was in their grasp. The staff itself contained an orb brimming with a crackling of power inside.

'A badger? No, that's not right.' Nicole pondered. [Who are you? Why are you here?]

"Mree-hee-hee-hee! How forward! I will educate you, quick and sweet." The figure said, leaning on their staff. "I came, simple enough, to see the Nanite City. I heard of the wonders therein and I was impressed by what you managed to do. A miraculous A.I. like yourself and the nanites transforming it, all like magic." The figure's green lips became a toothy grin, almost predatory. "And consider me very interested."

Nicole shifted her posture slightly in response to the figure's words. Nothing in those words inspired trust or any safe harbor, let alone the grin on their face. The ill intent was obvious either way, even though Nicole felt, for the oddest of reasons, alarmed by this figure.

A sense of caution and foreboding.

[I'll tell you once, and only once, leave. If you don't, I'll have to force you out.] Nicole ordered as she faced down the figure. However, the figure was neither intimidated nor undeterred. Instead, they stood straight and brought their staff to bear.

"Mree-hee-hee-hee! Silly little thing, you should have paid better manners. I am a masterful technomage, my digital dearie." The figure cackled as they held her staff up, the tip pointed straight at Nicole. "Whatever you desire doesn't matter, nor whatever you think. You're mine now! The figure figured before motes of light manifested themselves around the staff. They resembled bits of circuitry, and before Nicole could react, a silver blue light emerged. It came contradictory, smoothly yet erratic, before striking her dead center.

The result? Not quite pain, for she instead felt her code being torn apart by this figure's powers. Nicole willed herself to stay together, to resist whatever this "technomagic" was. But no matter how hard she fought, further and further her code was torn from her. Not even the nanites were herself to command as that was taken as well.

Instead, with her last push to remain whole, Nicole only kept her sight and hearing as everything else was lost. She saw the figure illuminated not just by their magic, but by the nanites coiling around them. Nicole saw the figure's face – a woman. A pale-skinned human woman with green hair who was grinning from ear to ear.

"Your queen thanks you for the city, and for your service." The woman said as Nicole felt herself fading. She couldn't hold on any longer and lost everything she had built. All that was left, as another's will bound her code, was to descend elsewhere. To sink into a different place.

And as Nicole descended, everything grew worse. Already she was helpless, what with her code violated by something unknown, but here she sunk into the darkness. Within that darkness, Nicole could hear something horrible. She heard cries of fear, shouts of anger and uncertainty. She felt concerns spiraling into something worse. There were so many mobians that were angry and afraid of her.

Why? Some part of her asked as Nicole plunged further. Why are they afraid?

she's everywhere, one voice whispered in fear.

she's everything, one voice muttered wearily.

she'll lose control and drown us in shadows, one more voice sourly said.

she's a danger to us all and we are afraid, the voices spoke together.

we can't trust her.

But you can! Nicole wanted to shout as something grew thick around her. It felt like a miasma, whatever it was. You can trust me! Please!

"Hhhhhhha ha ha!" A hoarse voice laughed from nowhere. It had something to do with the fog; Nicole knew this. Deep within her, she knew this.

She even knew the source.

"Do not fret, dear Mobains. Such a violent and treacherous program like this isn't a living being like you or I. It is only fitting she would betray your trust by mere coding. But I! I can protect you; I have the magic to succeed! Follow me and you will sleep soundly in your beds. All I ask is that you turn your backs to the program."

[No! Don't listen to him!] Nicole tried to speak as voices murmured on what was offered. There was some discourse, some possible descent, but it died out quickly in favor of acceptance. [Naugus doesn't have your best interests at heart! He's manipulative, self-serving and cruel! Please, listen to me!]

"Then it's settled!" Nicole heard Naugus declare, her mind practically picturing his leathery, face sneering (and drooling) in triumph. "All in favor?"

"Aye!"

Five voices agreed, to Nicole's horror. What came next was Naugus's vile laughter and try as she might, there was nothing to be heard but that laugh. It filled the void until it took faded into silence. Nicole found herself alone and isolated, left to nothing but herself and drowning in the darkness. There would be nothing else, unfortunately.

[Please…] Nicole whispered in the thinnest of hopes of being heard.

There was no response.

[...p-please…] She pleaded again, hoping someone would hear her, but there was still nothing. The situation was so… bleak and forlorn. In one fell swoop, she lost everything and there wasn't anyone left who'd believe in her.

All was, and all there would be, is to drown in misery-

'What's that light?' Nicole thought as she saw something. Looking upwards, there was a small green light descending down to her. The only light in the darkness, and it looked diamond-shaped.

[Sally?] Nicole wondered as the green, shining diamond stopped before her. It seemed to regard her before it's light brightly illuminated the entire void. So much so that Nicole had to cover her eyes to avoid being blinded. By the time it was safe to look, a tinge of wonder filled her. To what place was she now?

The answer, surprisingly, was a familiar place.

[The digital world?] Nicole reacted as she saw a digital plain made of green and rendered by flat squares. As far as she could see, the artificial reality–a place connected to every computer remotely but a conundrum regarding its origins–greeted her. In particular, Nicole found herself standing in a facsimile of the nanite city–a basic recreation of her work.

[Why here…?] She wondered before turning to look at the green diamond. Almost as if in reaction, the diamond lowered itself and then a form began to emerge from it. It was made of metal, and not a creation of the world's polygons. Nicole saw a mechanical body, a robot body, quickly be constructed around the diamond, which was in a yellow spot on a black chest.

'Gemerl…?' She thought, at first expecting to see the rebuilt Gizoid given the darker colors. 'No, that's not right. Gemerl doesn't have a diamond on his chest…'

Ultimately, standing before her, was a metal hedgehog. Like Metal Sonic, there were balls clearly serving as joints for the robot's lanky figure, an LCD screen to serve for eyes, and a lower, needle-nosed face plate to serve as a muzzle. There were also pointed ears atop the head to aid in the mimicry of Sonic himself.

However, that's where the similarities end. Unlike Metal Sonic, this hedgehog's quills were not curved and were more individualized with five pointed spikes. Additionally, this robot's left hand was missing, replaced by an arm cannon (with attachments, maybe), and their chassis was black and yellow rather than blue. The LCD screen, while the same size (probably), was framed in yellow and rested above an actual mouth. It was naturally expressive by default, possibly.

Fortunately, Nicole didn't have to wait long for answers as the robot's eyes powered on – green like the diamond in his chest – and his smile became a cocky, if confident, expression. It was seeing that surefire smile that made Nicole want to smile herself. Seeing him was wonderful, not just for what he did, but having his company made her feel better.

That could come later; instead, some questions needed answers and Nicole had one question to ask above all else to this robot hedgehog.

[Who… Who are you?] She asked, the simplest one possible out of any of them, but it was the one she needed answered the most. The hedgehog wasn't phased by the question; if anything, his grin grew slightly regarding being asked that.

Maybe this was someone Nikki knew? Some ghost of Dr. Elliday's past who came to save her?

[...nd me…] A static-riddled voice said from the hedgehog's mouth.

[What?]

[Find me.] the metal hedgehog repeated as the diamond on his chest began to crack before Nicole's eyes violently.

[Wait-] She cried out, reaching out to the stranger she had just met, but his right hand grabbed her hand instead. It was a simple gesture, a comforting one, as his green dot eyes looked into her green ones.

[I'm in the Nexus,] he clarified despite the disruption continuing. He brought his arm cannon up, resting it on Nicole's shoulder as if he was about to hug her. [I'll be waiting for you, Nicole. Always…] Was all he could say before the diamond shattered and he disappeared into green pixels. All that was left was Nicole's right hand holding empty air and staring out to where this mysterious hedgehog was.

While his answer failed to answer her questions, all of that was gone. For now, Nicole had just one thing left to wonder. One last puzzle before her.

'Who was that?' The Holo-Lynx thought as she fell to her knees, trembling. Nicole was physically shaking before the sight of a green diamond's fragments that littered the digital ground.

'And why…' She tried, in vain, to suppress the sadness that overwhelmed her. 'Why do I feel like this?'

There was no answer.

'Why do I feel so… incomplete?'


Genesis Nexus:

"Uuugghh... my aching head..." Sonic groaned as he pulled his face out of the ground, spitting out some dirt has he wiped his muzzle clean. Picking himself up, the hedgehog instinctively placed his hand against a nearby tree in order to properly balance himself, his mind still disoriented from the onslaught of visions he'd been subjected to. "Did... did we make it...?"

"Oh, we made it all right." The Blue Blur heard the Zone Cop reply. Shaking his head Sonic looked up to see Zonic sitting on a rock, having discarded his helmet and resorted to massaging his head. The portal no doubt having thrown him for a loop as well. "Unfortunately, that's the only good news at the moment."

"Oh really? I thought the good news was that the rest of the trip was gonna be fun and rainbows." Sonic scoffed sarcastically as he shook his head one more time. "So where to now, oh fearless leader?"

"Now, we rest." Zonic replied firmly, catching his Prime counterpart off-guard. "Everyone's going to need time to recover from that experience."

Sonic was puzzled at first until he glanced over to the rest of his team.

Needless to say, it was pretty obvious they weren't in the right state of mind to travel at the moment. Tails was on his knees in front of the crashed remains of the Tornado with Nicole, now in her physical state, rubbing his back. The biplane itself was in a rather sorry state, possibly even worse than when the Egg Carrier shot it down… however, his two-tailed partner didn't seem to be focusing on it, but instead was mumbling something to himself as he wrapped his namesakes around his body, shivering every so often.

Sally was only doing slightly better, as she seemed to be more focused on the Genesis Portal in the sky... which was slowly closing.

However as much as he wanted to check on everyone there was one person who had his concerns the most right now.

"Tails?" Sonic asked as he hurried over to him. "Hey buddy you uh... you gonna be okay?"

Tails didn't respond still and kept shivering as if trying to process what happened to them.

"It's okay buddy. You take your time." But even saying this Sonic couldn't help but worry. They were in utterly alien territory that they had zero ways to traverse properly and were stuck simply planning their next move. But the other concern he had was the location of their secondary group. Where did Team Freedom go?

"...they... they didn't make it through." Sally said in a cold tone, answering Sonic's question before he could open his mouth. The Blue Blur turned to his friend before looking up at the Genesis Portal just as it closed. "It was brief, but I saw bolt of energy hit their plane just as we reached the exit point. They were sent flying into a different portal..."

Before Sonic could reply, his Zone Cop counterpart chimed in. "Knowing the way some of these portals work, they were most likely transported to another part of the Nexus... though exactly where is anyone's guess."

"Wait, you mean they're lost and stuck somewhere they don't know?!" Sonic almost screamed that out, panic starting to seep into him just a bit.

Turning around after hearing a brief whimper he was shocked to see Tails murmuring something to himself though he didn't hide what was going through his mind. "No no no. We... we shouldn't have done this... oooh this was so stupid."

"Everyone..." Sally began, getting the entire team's attention. The squirrel clenched her fists and turned away from the portal just as it closed, her expression one of determination and resolve. "I know that we are all in a less than ideal situation at the moment. However, we've faced unfavorable odds before and always come out on top." She explained as she walked towards the wrecked remains of the Tornado, opening a cargo compartment on the side and pulling out their respective Extreme Gears.

"We may have been separated, but Antoine, Bunnie, and Rotor are more than capable of looking out for each other." She paused for a moment, kneeling down between Tails and Nicole before giving them both a reassuring hug. "Our memories may be fragmented and it'll take time for us to properly sort them all out.. but together we will get through this."

"An inspiring speech, and I mean that sincerely Sally." Zonic said as he looked at the assembled Team before him. "But the journey to No Zone Headquarters is gonna be a long one and you're going to need your full strength to survive it. We should rest up."

The crew all murmured to themselves and slowly came to agree with the Zone Cop. Gathering what supplies they could, they all huddled together and slowly drifted off to sleep. Most of them would have troubled dreams but were able to enter sleep rather easily... Sonic was not one of them as he kept thinking about his visions and what they could all mean.

'One step at a time, but I will figure them out. I can't risk everyone else by not being at 100%.' With those thoughts, Sonic slowly drifted to sleep…

Unaware of a small bumblebee that glowed red as it spied on the group.


Unknown Location:

A ways away, there hide a base somewhere within the Genesis Nexus. At this time, only a scant few knew of its existence and that exact number was below eight. The base itself was one of a limited number and competent in design. It was rudimentary in architecture, more akin to a bunker than any else, but the technology itself was sound and fairly advanced. Most especially of which?

The fact that the wasp bot's footage of Team Fighters was being transmitted and displayed holographically without fail. It was a flawless image being displayed, of two hedgehogs, a chipmunk, a holographic lynx, and a fox camped together; all of them were asleep. They were all unaware that they were being watched.

Furthermore, it's likely that they'd have no idea of the identity of this person.

"Well well well, look who's finally arrived…" said the person in question. He sat upon his chair, watching the feed with interest. This man, barely illuminated by the holographic light (of which his sunglasses reflected), was more than ecstatic to see who had joined them. He had been waiting for some time for this event, for the Freedom Fighters to make their way into the nexus.

Had he known the properties of the portals, then this would have happened sooner. But that doesn't matter; they're here and they're divided. This man knew heroic types like Sonic the Hedgehog would have his friends nearby. He also knew that, given the presence of Sally Acorn and her precious AI, the rest of their friends would be somewhere else in the Nexus.

All of them were vulnerable and had no idea what awaited them.

"Opening move, and the advantage is mine." the person, without taking his eyes off of the feed, gave a command on a holographic command console right before him. While some parts of his plans would need to be accelerated, the rest is proceeding well. After all, they just arrived in the Nexus and he had time to prepare.

"The past is never dead, for we have not died. We remain, tragically, because of your blunder. Well, yours and his blunder. But with you here, he won't be far behind. And by the time I'm done…" The thought of his ultimate revenge and triumph brought an evil smirk to his face. "Your move, hedgehog." The person chuckled as he finished typing in his commands. The bumblebot would keep its distance and keep an eye on Team Freedom, keeping him one step ahead and ready to counter their plans accordingly.

As for the rest, he has time.

He's always had time, or dimensions, or both, or neither. It doesn't matter because, despite his name, he was feeling quite positive about this.