A/N: Here's some interesting news. Search "Sonic X rewrite" and my story is one of the first results to appear. Depending on the variation of the search, you can get a couple different chapters on the first Google page (or whatever browser you use)!

Fortunately, I'm making progress by leaps and bounds with my backlog. I've finished formulating ideas for "Skirmish in the Sky" and "Depths of Danger". Once I finish ideas with "Sonic's Scream Test", I'll start writing for episodes 15-19. Once writing is finished, the hiatus will be over and I will continue writing.

Now technically, I don't have to go on hiatus; I'm only doing it to prevent a bigger delay later; specifically, the Shadow Saga and beyond up to the Metarex Saga.

Also, it's too bad the FFN docs doesn't save formatting. I have to type italics stuff like this: (italics)italics stuff(italics)

The new Sonic Movie design… What can I say? I love it. It's strange of me to say, but the blue arms seem to work for the movie, even though it was already done in Sonic Boom. And yay, the new trailer's coming in a couple weeks. Since I hear Paramount only releases movie trailers on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I predict a November 14 trailer release.

I have a couple predictions already in mind concerning a possible sequel. I think that it's possible Robotnik will be called Eggman for the first time, Tom and Annie could have a baby, and Tails, the Chaos Emeralds, and maybe Metal Sonic will appear. (Some people think Shadow will show up, but I beg to differ.)

Now, the chapter. This chapter ended up falling short of my 15,000-word goal, but that's okay. This episode and the next are a two-part story, which can only mean a cliffhanger ending. I'm going to rename E-35 Funfun to Fujita, because Eggman can't just go around yelling "Funfun" (or "FanFanFan" in the Japanese version).

Also, some of Chris' scenes are going to be pretty intense, so hang onto your seats and try not to get blown away.

I want to thank Ignis76 and BLINIX for favoriting and following since my last chapter!

With that being said, let's get on to the reviews and what matters most: the story!


SuperTailsFan0812

I enjoyed reading this Chapter. This was my favourite. Also, there is a slight spelling error. You accidentally said Canny instead of Danny.

Once again, I loved this chapter and I will see you next chapter

Thank you! It was my favorite to write thus far!

I have since found and corrected the spelling error. Thank you for telling me about it.

GuardianDragon98

This was worth the wait! I love how you wrote Rouge's character. She's still got that iconic jewel thief sass but she shows the maturity that comes with working for G.U.N. You can definitely tell that she's a seasoned agent.

Poor Shadow and Omega :D They're missing all the action. I can imagine Omega saying something along the lines of, "I FEEL CHEATED. I FIND IT UNJUST AND UNFAIR THAT ROUGE GETS ALL THE FUN OF PUMMELING THE DOCTOR'S ROBOTS."

While Rouge isn't my favorite Sonic X character, I think I had too much fun adapting her for this story. There's a time and a place for being sassy, which is why I made her more of a seasoned GUN agent.

You know, Team Dark just isn't the same without Rouge. She's probably the only one who can keep Shadow from going berserk when the others aren't around. And you know Omega can't have all the fun taking on Eggman who is no longer on Mobius. Now they can have peace again for the time being.

Guest

I can say I hated the original one with a passion, especially the dub (then again, they never did try giving Sonic many mature themes outside that Shadow game and the Comics).
But I only read the first chapter, and I can already tell it's improved by a tenfold. I can imagine this is what the show would be like if it was given a proper reboot (Sonic XZ or something).
I only feel like the Archie/SatAM/Underground references are unnecessary unless you plan to include even more of the characters, or give further development as to why they "parted ways" out of Sonic's life.

But hey, that's just my take on it…

I've always wondered what would happen if there was actually a good Sonic TV show or anime. I know we had SatAM, but we need something more recent. They really do need to give Sonic some more mature themes. They almost did it in Forces.

As for the Archie, SatAM, and Underground references, I can tell you that, while you probably won't be seeing many of its characters in this story, I am formulating ideas for a Sonic genesis story and a Sonic Forces story that will make use of these characters. No promises on the stories, though, but we'll see…

kitsune

good chapter!

Thanks!

Animation Adventures

Speak of the thief, and she will appear! I think Rouge is in the most interesting position of the gang. She is warped into another dimension, and ends up working for the same organization that she does at home, just a different squad. Also, she doesn't get to keep the stuff she stole. Though, the SA2 game seems to imply Rouge has a deal with GUN that allows her to receive jewels instead of pay.

It's been a while since I've seen Rouge's debut episode, so I can't comment on the changes this time.

I think the best thing about this chapter was that unlike the anime, Sonic and friends actually got SUSPICIOUS of Mr. Stewart. Always thought that guy was a creep as a kid, the way he kept showing up at stuff like Nelson and Lindsey's anniversary on the movie set and joining the gang on that trip to Japan where they found the Chao Garden. He was also shown to have tagged Chris with a tracker in that trip, and neither Tanaka nor Amy thought it was creepy he was somehow tracking Tails, Cream, and the kids like that. Now that the group is onto him, hopefully that'll keep him out of their personal affairs like the anniversary and the trip later.

Great job with Rouge's story debut. While it would've been fun to have all of Team Dark along for the ride, it's only a matter of time before Shadow and Omega get involved. I am very much looking forward to Omega especially since he was never part of the anime, and I bet the humans of the cast would have an interesting time interacting with a robot who seeks Eggman's defeat. :P

Thanks for pointing that bit out with GUN. Surprisingly enough, I've never played a Sonic game before, but I am familiar with some of their stories. And yeah, Rouge is in quite the situation here, isn't she?

The idea that Sonic, Tails, and Amy are on to Mr. Stewart is actually fairly new, but it works. Now that you mention Mr. Stewart, I plan to remove him from the anniversary episode, even though the double take was funny, but now I'm considering removing him from the trip episode as well. Also, would the government have foreign agents who would do just as well as Mr. Stewart?

I plan to include a story of at least three parts that has Omega and Shadow in it. It may be difficult to write for me, though, as I seem to be better at rewriting stories than making original ones. But I'll see what I'm made of.

Speaking of Team Dark, you raised an opportunity for me to plug my new oneshot Fall of the Ultimate Lifeform, a rewrite of the end of IDW Sonic Issue 19. I thought I'd do so since it surprisingly didn't get any reviews, faves, or follows.

Ignis76

Okay, so I pretty much binge-read this overnight and I can say with absolute confidence that its the best Sonic X fanfic I've ever read and I was pleasantly surprised to see it was updated so recently. The only reason I found this is because I actually re-watched the full Sonic X series a few days ago after I found the episodes saved on a hard drive and I thought I'd check it out without the rose-colored lens of my childhood.

Turns out that even after growing up and fully seeing the shows flaws I still love it and Chris is still my favorite character. I'll also acknowledge that I'm biased as hell because the X series was my first exposure to the Sonic franchise but after experiencing the games myself, its actually just made me appreciate Sonic X even more.

There are so many things about this fic that I love but writing them all would turn this review into a novel and my brain isn't cooperating when I try to write my thoughts about it down so I'll just leave it at that. Thank you so much for the update and I'm looking forward to the next one :)

Thank you for your kind words! They mean a lot to me! I've seen about a dozen attempts to rewrite Sonic X, but many of them either throw in excessive OCs or Archie characters, and they never usually get past three chapters, if not one. Also, I can count on one hand how many Sonic X stories are fully complete. That's sad.

Chris is my favorite Sonic X original character as well; I can easily relate to him. Although I can see why people would hate him, I see through those flaws. While people complain that he is way too obsessed with Sonic or complains and cries a lot, I mean, look at him! He got the first Chaos Emerald all by himself! He gave Sonic and friends a home! He even severely damaged the E-99 Eggsterminator by extracting the Chaos Emeralds!

Don't worry about turning your review into a novel; long reviews are my favorite kinds. Also, I tend to leave long reviews myself, so we're good. :)


Disclaimer: America does not sponsor the actions of Dr. Ivo "Eggman" Robotnik; they are sponsored by Eggman Industries. Additionally, a 404 error was encountered in Eggman's moral code.


Chapter 12
Episode 12
The Attack on Eggman's Base Begins! The Third Chaos Emerald
The Attack Begins


Thorndyke MansionSat September 25; 9:32 AM Chris' POV

It was another beautiful Saturday morning. The birds were singing, the butterflies were flitting about, and the sound of a pair of Grandpa's Japanese-imported CE-Kai engines igniting were filling the once-silent air.

Tails, Amy, Cream, Cheese, and I were gathered outside the garage, getting ready to have another go at finding the Chaos Emeralds. This time, though, Sonic wasn't with us; he was off on one of his runs. I hoped that today, we would have much better luck than our last flight.

"Okay, that's that," Tails said as he flew down from the X-Tornado to join us. He had spent the last three minutes setting some controls in the cockpit. "Now all we're waiting on is Frances. Um, do you know how long it's gonna take until she gets here, Chris?"

"I think she's gonna be here any minute," I recalled.

It was the weekend, which meant I was off from school. Yesterday at school, I had told Frances that my friends and I were planning to fly out and find the third Chaos Emerald today. I asked her if she wanted to come with us this time. Since she was free that weekend, she accepted. As much as Danny wanted to come as well, he allowed Frances to go next, since he had already had his turn in the X-Tornado. Besides, Tails' jet plane was only able to seat four.

Today was the day. It was bright and sunny, and there was no wind. As it was a little glary today, I was wearing a pair of goggles my teacher had given me.

"I think this might be a bit of a stretch," Amy said, "but I have a feeling Rouge was part of the attack on Eggman's base the other day."

Tails nodded. "Yeah… But still, I think it's strange they never mentioned Rouge, not even her name."

"Maybe it's confidential?" Amy guessed.

Tails shrugged. "Maybe? But that's even assuming she's working with GUN to begin with."

"Yeah, but what was GUN trying to do at Eggman's base?" I wondered.

"I don't really know..." Tails said. "To me, it doesn't seem as straightforward as just capturing Eggman or destroying the base." He ran his hand through his bangs. "But right now, all we know is Eggman has a Chaos Emerald there, so… maybe that's what they were after? I don't think GUN knows too much about the Emeralds, but if they do have Rouge with them, then she could probably tell them about them."

"Well, whatever their goal was," replied Amy, "I imagine Rouge is feeling right at home with them."

"Mr. Tails…?" Cream gently spoke up. "Is the next Chaos Emerald far?"

"Um… Yeah, it is kinda far," Tails recalled. "For running, anyway. It's nothing too far for the X-Tornado, though."

He turned to look at me, and looked like he was about to say something when we heard the sound of an approaching bike. We turned to see Frances riding into the driveway.

"Hi Frances!" I greeted as my friend dismounted from her bike. I had to raise my voice over the X-Tornado's idle engines.

"Hiya Chris!" she greeted as she stepped off her bike and walked over to us.

"I want you to come meet my friends!" I called, feeling very excited!

After my friends introduced themselves, Frances was finding herself awed at the sight and scale of the X-Tornado.

"This is so cool," she said. "Did your grandpa build this?"

"Nope," Tails said, stifling a chuckle, "unless I'm his grandpa somehow."

"What do you mean…?" Frances started to ask, until her look of confusion changed to one of utter astonishment. "Wait… you built it?"

Tails nodded slightly and smiled.

"All by yourself?"

Tails blushed a little. "Well, technically no, I did get a little help from Chris and his grandpa, but for the most part, it was all me."

"Hey Tails, where is Frances gonna sit?" Amy asked.

"Let's see…" thought Tails, looking up at his impressive craft. "I'm thinking maybe she can sit in the back with you, and Chris can sit up front with me."

As Amy and Frances became excited about having 'girl time' and getting to know each other better, I helped Tails set up the ladder next to the X-Tornado. Once again, I was so glad Tails had built the ladder. Now I could climb in and out with ease while we were home.

"You can get in first, Frances," Amy invited as she and Frances walked over to the ladder.

Frances grinned as she scaled the ladder and chose the fourth seat. Amy climbed in next and sat in front of her.

"It's really nice back here," complimented Frances, admiring her surroundings. "And the seat is really soft and cozy!"

"I'm glad you like it," Amy smiled as she buckled in. "Tails is the best mechanic I know."

"Bye-bye, everyone!" Cream called, waving as Tails and I also climbed in.

"Bye, Cream!" we all called.

"We should be back in a few hours at most," Tails added. "We'll be okay, don't worry!"

"Stay safe!" called Cream.

With that, Tails flipped two switches, and the canopies closed around us. This was only my second time sitting up front, but I knew I would get more used to it.

"Everyone ready?" Tails asked. "Because this could be a pretty long flight, but hopefully it's not gonna be anywhere as long as the last one…"

I inwardly groaned. That last flight really took its toll on my energy.

"Everyone buckle your seat belts," instructed Tails. Mine was already buckled from the moment I climbed in. Fortunately, Frances was able to strap herself in without any trouble, but she also had Amy's help with it just in case. I didn't see it; I only pieced it together from what I could hear in the back compartment.

"Don't be nervous, Frances," assured Amy as we began to taxi forward. "The takeoffs are fast, but they're also very smooth."

"Okay," Frances answered quietly and a little nervously.

Seconds later, we gradually lifted off the ground. By now I was somewhat used to traveling in the X-Tornado, so this was nothing. Even though she was a little antsy, Frances seemed to be taking it very well for the most part.

"You doing okay?" Amy asked Frances.

"Mhmm," she responded. "Tails, can you hear me?"

"Loud and clear," responded Tails from in front of me.

"I'm wondering… how do you know where to find the Chaos Emeralds?"

"We don't," Tails said. "At least, not their exact location, anyway. The Chaos Emerald we found last month, I have it installed right here in the X-Tornado. It will glow at a certain brightness, which indicates a certain distance. But unfortunately, we can't accurately know which direction it's in based on that alone, so the rest of the hunt is entirely on us." He paused, wondering if his technical jargon had sailed over Frances' head. "Um, basically, it's like a long-range game of hot-and-cold."

"So how far is this one, Tails?" I asked.

Squinting, Tails examined the Emerald in the compartment in front of him.

"The light coming from the Emerald looks pretty dim, but it's just bright enough to be unmistakable," he analyzed. "So with that being said, it could be a good forty miles away."

"That sounds like it could take about an hour to get there if we were driving there," I said.

"Well, the sooner we get it," Tails declared, "the better."


Thorndyke MansionSat September 25; 9:39 AM Third-person POV

After waving goodbye to her friends, Cream went back inside to the living room, where Sophia the First was playing on TV. She and Cheese were really growing to like that show. In fact, Disney Junior was made for them. Additionally, they also had some paper and crayons to busy themselves with, so there was no way that Cream would be bored when her friends were out.

The next fifteen minutes practically flew, and the show ended. Once it did, Ella walked into the room.

"Hello, sweetie," she greeted, smiling. "If you don't mind, I'd like to turn on the news for a moment. I want to see if there's any more news on the attack on Dr. Eggman's base."

"Okay," Cream said as Ella picked up the controller and switched to the news. To their mild surprise, they saw that a White House press conference was already in progress.

"…infiltration mission at Doctor Ivo Robotnik's headquarters has, to an extent, been successful," acting Press Secretary Christina Cooper was saying. "The forces deployed there have located the base's generator, but they did not have enough time to destroy it. Among the personnel was an alien recruit, believed to be from the same planet as Sonic the Hedgehog. The alien's identity is still confidential, but GUN's Alpha division commissioner James Perrault has announced that he plans to disclose the alien within a few days. I can confirm that Congress has approved of a war declaration on Dr. Robotnik, so that he will no longer pose a threat to this country once he is dealt with."

"Miss Ella, what's going on?" Cream asked.

Ella took a moment to speak. "It… it seems the government is going to help you and your friends."


The White HouseSat September 25; 12:40 PM EDT Third-person POV

"…and with that, I'll take questions," concluded Christina.

"Miss Cooper," one reporter spoke up.

"Yes, go ahead," she granted.

"There's a rumor that GUN knew of a gemstone inside the doctor's fortress. What happened to it?"

"According to Commissioner Perrault, the two agents directly involved in the mission reportedly claimed they lost it when the fortress exploded," Christina answered. "Whether the crystal itself is intact is unknown, but the one thing that is certain is that it's the exact same kind of crystal that was found in Station Square last month." She looked at another reporter. "Yes."

"Has the Remerson Administration developed a concrete plan to neutralize and defeat Dr. Robotnik?"

"Yes, but we cannot give details at this time."

As the press secretary indicated another reporter to go ahead, Dr. Eggman switched the screen off.

"They are all bark and no bite," he muttered, crossing his arms.

Still, he told himself that, while they didn't pose the biggest threat, he should be cautious of them nonetheless. While he was expecting them to attack the base eventually, he was completely caught off guard by the sneak attack the other night. He did not see it coming. He would never forgive GUN for that. Now that his guard was back up, he fully expected them to come back and finish what they started.

Apparently a GUN force magically got through his force field, and fought a few robots, creating an explosion that wiped out a good chunk of his fortress. He was worried that the government special forces had also made away with the Chaos Emerald, but several robots he had deployed to the scene had informed him that it was still there. It had been buried under eight feet of wreckage.

Cleanup efforts had gone into day four of who knew how long. It would take about a week and a half at the least to fully repair. The damage was that extreme. At least the generator itself was miraculously spared.

Eggman was somewhat surprised to see that Rouge the Bat was among the GUN forces. She must have been spying on her at the time of the Chaos Control blast, so that would explain how she was sent to Earth along with him and Sonic.

"My processors indicate you are thinking of the GUN attack again," Bocoe stated.

"Thank you, Captain Obvious," grumbled Eggman.

"Should action be taken in the event of their return?" asked Decoe.

"You can count on that for sure. It's inevitable," Eggman said rising from his seat. "The attack can happen as soon as today, which is why I want you two to organize defenses around the headquarters and prepare for company."

"At once, Doctor," the two robots saluted before leaving the room.

Eggman knew lightning could strike twice. And this time he would be more than ready for it.


Station SquareSat September 25; 9:45 AM Chris' POV

"Hey look, Amy! There's my house!"

As we flew over the city, Frances was pointing down to lots of different parts of the city. She was really enjoying the trip now, even if we weren't even close to the Chaos Emerald yet.

"Do you see it?" she asked.

"Which one?" Amy asked, peering down at the neighborhood below us.

"The one with the red roof," Frances said.

"Oh yeah, there it is! I see it!" responded Amy.

"I think it's the best house I ever lived in," said Frances. "If you want, do you want to come over and visit?"

"Sure, I'd love to!" Amy said.

Frances began to get excited. "Then we can get to know each other better, oh, and I can introduce you to my friend Helen as well!"

"That would be great!" beamed Amy. "It's a date, then!"

They continued chatting about when to come over and other girly stuff, leaving me intrigued at the fact that they were already bonding with each other and becoming pretty much fast friends even though they just met only a few moments ago. It was just like with me and Sonic, actually.

"Hey Tails, fly us over the school!" requested Frances. Tails didn't seem to hear her because he was busy concentrating on homing in on the Chaos Emerald's signal.

"She wants you to fly over the school," I repeated.

"Sorry Frances, we're not sightseeing today," Tails said. "We gotta find the third Chaos Emerald before Eggman does."

"Oh, okay," relented Frances with a hint of disappointment in her tone.

"Maybe we can have a joyride another time," Tails added, trying to lift the mood.

"Okay," Frances said.

"Hey Chris," began Tails, "I've been meaning to ask you since Frances got here, but… where did you get the goggles you're wearing? I don't remember your grandpa ever saying anything about them."

"No, he didn't make them," I clarified, adjusting the goggles on my head. "Mr. Stewart gave them to me yesterday as a gift after school. He said they can help to keep the sun out of my eyes when we're looking for the Chaos Emeralds."

Tails raised a brow slightly. "Ah, okay, that's cool," Tails remarked after a moment.

I could tell Tails was probably just as perplexed as I was about the goggles. Maybe I was somehow Mr. Stewart's favorite student…? I could only guess.


SomewhereSat September 25; 9:47 AM Third-person POV

"Oh wait, there's the school!" came Frances' voice loud and clear over Mr. Stewart's radio.

School was out this Saturday morning, so Mr. Stewart was at home in his apartment, which was conveniently located within a short drive from Oakview Elementary. Having overheard Chris' conversation at school yesterday, he figured after school would be the best time to give Chris a pair of special goggles. The Thorndyke boy was Stewart's one and only link to Sonic, and he had to make sure Chris himself didn't know that.

The goggles came with both a one-way radio and a tracking device, perfect for his mission. Now he could intercept Chris and find out what his alien friends were doing through him.

Now that their radio chatter was within range, Stewart bolted from his apartment room, but walked quickly through the hall toward the elevator. Even on an urgent mission, he had to make sure to not run in the halls.

He rode the elevator down to the ground and sprinted through the parking lot to his green SUV. Throwing open the driver's door, he leaned over and pressed a few hidden buttons on the control panel, bringing up an interactive radar screen. He sat down, closed the door, and started the motor while glancing at the radar. A dot was moving quickly away from his location.

As Mr. Stewart backed out of the parking lot, only one mission was in his mind: spy on Christopher Thorndyke from a distance, learn what the Chaos Emeralds were used for, and potentially get one of them for his superiors.


The White HouseSat September 25; 1:03 PM EDT Third-person POV

The Situation Room in the White House was packed. James Perrault and Eric Westwood had been called in from California to discuss the infiltration mission and review the attack plan before it was executed. Also present were the President and a few advisers.

"Okay, Captain, can you present your data from the mission?" the President requested.

Nodding, Westwood used his laptop to project the map he had created onto a presentation screen set up on one wall.

"As you can see, the doctor's fortress has six stories," Westwood said, pointing to them as he spoke. "The generator is in a large room located at the center of the fortress, and it takes up the first and second floors. The room containing the generator has two concealed doors leading into it, and so does the breaker room above it. The two rooms are connected via a maintenance ladder and hatch. This is firsthand knowledge from Topaz and Rouge, who were the only ones to make it to that sector."

"Excellent work," commended the President. "I must admit, Rouge has taken to GUN like a fish to water. In fact, I would even think she is the perfect addition to their ranks."

Turning to Perrault, he asked, "Now Commissioner, can you review your attack plan with us?"

"Certainly, Mr. President," Perrault said, turning to several models on the table among them. Recently 3D printed, the models were based on imagery obtained from GUN of the fortress itself.

"Good, because the sooner this is done, the sooner we can take action," the President said. "In fact, if we get all our ducks in a row, we can do it as soon as today."

"So, we have devised a two-pronged diversionary assault on the base from both the Navy and the Air Force," a four-star general said. "They will launch a frontal assault on the fortress, and provide cover for the GUN forces who will be the main infiltration force." He gestured for Perrault to go next.

"Forces in GUN Division Alpha, including Topaz and Rouge, will sneak onto the island from the opposite side," Perrault added, moving a model boat to a location near the back of the fortress. "Their jurisdiction is to ensure the secure capture of Dr. Robotnik and the demolition of the generator, and, by extension, the rest of the fortress."

"Oh, and speaking of capturing," the President began, and Perrault had an idea of what he was about to imply. "You and Captain Westwood have attempted to enlist Sonic by force. That was not the best approach to gain his favor and alliance."

"I realized that in hindsight," Perrault said. "I apologize for the way we tried to recruit him."

"What's done is done," pardoned President Remerson. "Besides, I'm sure Sonic wasn't even aware of the operation. Nevertheless, if it wasn't for you, GUN would not have recruited someone as talented as Rouge the Bat."

Westwood let that sink in. Perhaps, sometimes, there could be some good out of bad plans…

"This time, though, we have agreed to attempt a more diplomatic approach," Rod Stafford added. "We realize that GUN is not exactly the right organization to carry out such a task, so I have dispatched an envoy to request his assistance."

"Mr. Wise, I presume," Westwood guessed, and both the President and Stafford nodded at the same time.

This could be interesting. While Westwood didn't really trust Jerome, there was something to his mannerisms that intrigued him…


Thorndyke MansionSat September 25; 10:10 AM Third-person POV

Having stepped out of the limousine with three Secret Service bodyguards, Jerome Wise walked up to the front door of the Thorndyke household and knocked on the door. He honestly couldn't believe GUN didn't capture Sonic the Hedgehog the other night. They literally had one job. At least they failed successfully. With Rouge potentially on their side, the government had a good shot at learning more about the aliens.

At last the door was opened by the household's maid. At least someone was home…

"M-Mr. Wise," Ella stammered, taken aback at the sight of such an important figure at her door. Jerome wanted to say a witty comment, but refrained from it. Business was business.

"Is Sonic the Hedgehog here?" he asked.

"He is not," responded Ella, having regained his composure. "Um, if I may… What do you want him for?"

"You may be aware that the United States Military is going to conduct an attack on Doctor Robotnik's headquarters as soon as possible. I have been sent to recruit Sonic the Hedgehog to assist them in their endeavors."

"But is that really necessary?" Ella asked.

"Yes, ma'am," Jerome said. "Rest assured we will not hold him against his will. Regardless, it's vital that he complies. He's the only one who is truly capable of consistently defeating Robotnik. He wields powers none of us could ever fathom." He shifted his position at the doorstep. "If he accepts, then when the doctor is gone, the government will acknowledge and ensure the citizenships and livelihood of Sonic and his friends."

Just then Tanaka entered the foyer, having overheard the commotion. His eyebrows raised a little when he saw the Chief of Staff standing in the doorway.

"May I ask what brings you here, sir?" he asked politely.

"I already said it once, so to put it short, we need Sonic to come with us and help us defeat Doctor Robotnik," Jerome repeated. "Do you agree?"

"Sir, we understand, and I am sure Sonic is more than willing to help you, but as you may have seen in times past, it is quite possible for Sonic to defeat Eggman without the aid of the government. There has not been a single time where he has failed in putting an end to his schemes in his time here. I don't wish to be rude, sir, but you have seen his example. He does not need persuasion."

To Tanaka and Ella's surprise, Jerome seemed to be taken aback, because he didn't speak for a moment. For a moment, Tanaka thought he got through to him.

"…Okay then…" he said. "Well, uh, this complicates things... However, uh... we're still gonna need Sonic to take care of the doctor within, say, twenty-four hours." He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a piece of paper with a phone number written on it, and handed it to Tanaka. "If Sonic does decide to work with us, call this number and we will come to pick him up. Have a good day."

He and his bodyguards stepped off the porch and walked away, and Tanaka shut the door behind them. Both he and Ella were relieved that that was over. As much as they wanted Eggman gone, they didn't know if they could trust Sonic being in the hands of the government.

"That didn't go off as bad as I thought," Ella remarked.

"I wish the military luck on their attack," said Tanaka. "In the meantime, I will inform Sonic about this as soon as he-"

Just then there was another knock on the door. Their nerves were still up, and Tanaka could understand why Ella was hesitant to answer the door. There was a chance it could be Jerome returning to change his mind. Then they would be in real trouble.

Knowing that someone had to do it, Tanaka walked over to the door and opened it himself. To his and Ella's relief, it was not Jerome who stepped into the foyer, but instead, it was Sonic!

"Welcome back, Master Sonic," he said as formally as he could muster. "Did you hear any of the conversation just now?"

"Yeah, I heard everything," Sonic answered. "I came back just in time to see the guy's limo in the driveway. I figured I should probably stay out of sight and not say anything, 'cuz that would probably make things pretty awkward." He leaned against the wall. "Besides, Tanaka, you're right. I don't need the government's help taking down Eggman, but I'm still grateful to have them helping out. The more, the merrier, you know?"

"They gave you twenty-four hours," Ella stated.

"I don't need twenty-four hours," Sonic stated with confidence.

"So what are you going to do?" asked Ella.

Sonic took a few steps further into the room. "Is Tails here?" he asked.

"He left nearly half an hour ago," Tanaka explained. "Why?"

"Whenever he comes back," Sonic said, "I wanna talk to him about payin' the doc a house call."


The White HouseSat September 25; 1:17 PM EDT Third-person POV

"That was Mr. Wise," one of the President's advisers said after hanging up with the Chief of Staff. "He and Sonic seemed to have reached an agreement much sooner than we expected."

"Oh?" said the President, his interest piqued.

"While Mr. Wise did not encounter Sonic at any time during his visit, he did speak with the household's butler and maid about the matter. They insisted that Sonic could take care of Robotnik on his own without our help. However, he gave Sonic twenty-four hours to do it."

"Interesting development…" mused President Remerson. "We've seen Sonic stopping Eggman unprompted before, so I will let it slide this time. I respect his decision, as long as he does do it within twenty-four hours, as Jerome said."

Even though his mannerisms seemed a little odd, it was good to have an alien on the President's side. He never thought he would actually say that in his sixty-eight years alive. Sonic was very reliable and friendly. This reminded him, he wanted to eventually learn more about him and his species.

Turning to Perrault and Westwood, he asked, "Is it true that GUN Division Alpha had lost a Chaos Emerald in Robotnik's fortress during your mission?"

"Yes, Mr. President," Perrault said. "This is true according to Topaz and Rouge."

"I want them to try and get it back this time, but they need to remember to stick to the main objective." He closed his eyes. "The Emerald is extremely dangerous in the wrong hands."


Station SquareSat September 25; 10:26 PM Third-person POV

Mr. Stewart was driving west on Virginia Avenue in his pursuit of the X-Tornado.

Even though the fighter jet owned by the aliens living at Chris' mansion was increasingly widening the gap between them, the undercover teacher was fortunate to have a radar that could cover such a long distance. He knew he would catch up to them in time.

It was nearly impossible for him to pinpoint a specific direction it was flying in. In fact, it was moving in all different directions, but one thing for sure was that it had been moving more generally north in the past ten minutes.

Taking another glance at the radar, he saw that the blip on the radar now started to fly in a specific direction – he guessed correctly that the aircraft would continue to fly north. Now they were starting to exit the city limits. Fortunately for Mr. Stewart, Highway 101 was just up ahead, and traffic was exceptionally light today.

Switching his blinker on, he moved his car to the right lane, preparing to go onto the highway. Within the limits and metro areas of Station Square, Highway 101 was elevated, had six lanes, and ramps, like a typical interstate.

In seconds, the teacher checked for oncoming traffic, made a right turn, and soon merged with the traffic on Highway 101. He threw another glance at the radar screen, and saw that the X-Tornado was headed in the general direction of Tingalin Villa. Mr. Stewart knew it was quite a drive from Station Square; In fact, there was a chance he wouldn't make it there in time. He knew he had to hurry if he was going to succeed in his interception mission.


The X-TornadoSat September 25; 10:26 AM Chris' POV

The last half hour's labors were mostly fruitless. We had combed through the entirety of the most populated parts of Station Square, but Tails hadn't picked up anything on his scanners. Already it looked like it was going to be a repeat of the other night. And just like before, the air in my cabin was starting to feel a little tight.

"How much longer are we gonna be?" Amy asked with a hint of impatience, an emotion I tended to keep to myself.

"Well, there's been pretty much no change in the Emerald," Tails reported, "so it could still be a while… If it's not in Station Square, then I'm pretty sure it's somewhere in the greater region."

Silence returned, and so did my boredom. As much fun as it was to hang out with my friends, Chaos Emerald hunting was way more boring than I thought. I began wondering if I should have brought a book with me or something. For once, I hoped that this Chaos Emerald was real instead of a decoy like the one at the abandoned warehouse.

Just then I noticed the green light in front of us glowing just a little brighter. Tails saw it too, because he sat up straighter in his seat. He let out a small gasp of hope.

"Wait… Wait wait wait, I think we're getting close!" Tails announced with hope.

Elation filled me as well. This Emerald was real!

"Do you think you can find out where it is?" I asked. Tails glanced at the radar he had pulled up on the Miles Electric next to him.

"It's east-northeast of here, up in Tingalin Villa," he reported.

He eased back on the controls, and we banked slightly to the right, bound for Tingalin Villa. I had never been there before, but I heard there was a lot of farmland up there.

"I gotta warn you guys that we may run into some turbulence as we get closer to the Chaos Emerald," Tails warned.

That took me by surprise. "Why is that?" I asked.

"Do you think it has something to do with the Emerald?" Amy speculated. "Maybe a rogue signal?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm thinking it was," answered Tails. "It happened to me when I was flying over Diamond Stadium, and I found a Chaos Emerald there too. It was pretty violent shaking, but at the same time, I didn't feel like I was gonna crash for some reason."

"Are you gonna be okay, Frances?" I heard Amy asked in the other cabin.

"I hope so…" Frances said quietly. "I was only in a jet plane once, and that was when I was little, and I never dealt with turbulence before."

While I couldn't see Amy or Frances from where I was, in the tension that followed, I could tell that Amy was thinking, "Oh boy; this could be a problem…"

"Tails, how long did the turbulence last for you at Diamond Stadium?" Amy asked.

"Uummm… Maybe thirty seconds…?" Tails guessed. "It could be longer in this case, though, since we're higher up in the sky."

"When is it gonna hit?" I asked, preparing myself for the shaking.

"I don't know," he answered. "It could happen at any time literally." He glanced at the radar screen on the X-Tornado's dash, then at the Miles Electric next to him to cross-check his data. "It's still ten miles away from us, so I can't imagine it's gonna be too much longer."

We flew onward, and I felt like talking would help ease our nerves, especially Frances. If it was true that she had never flown before in her active memory, then she especially needed our comfort.

"Is this going to be your third Chaos Emerald?" Frances asked.

"Technically yes," the kitsune replied, "but Eggman has one of them right now."

"What are they like?" asked Frances.

"Well, um… Long story short, Chaos Emeralds are powerful gemstones, and they can power machines and things like that," Amy explained. "And Sonic can use their power on himself too."

We began to descend toward Tingalin Villa, and sure enough, we began to feel the turbulence. I braced myself as it picked up slightly.

I had been in planes several times before, and I had dealt with turbulence too, but this was the first time I got to experience it in the X-Tornado. It hit a bit harder than I was expecting. That was probably because a Chaos Emerald was involved. Granted, artificial turbulence was a strange thing to go through. I could hear Amy assuring Frances it was going to be okay.

"It's like an earthquake in the sky," I blurted before I realized it.

Tails pondered my sudden burst of logic. "Well, um… y-you're not wrong…" he said with some amusement after a moment.

The next five minutes were long, and the shaking continued to persist and intensify. I couldn't recall being in an earthquake that strong before. In fact, I had to hold onto the sides of my compartment to avoid accidentally hitting my head on the canopy. I could hear Amy and even Tails mentioning how strong it was, and I could tell that Frances was a bit frightened. As the ground became closer, I started to get a little more nervous.

"Hey guys, it looks like we're gonna have to land in a cornfield," Tails announced. "There's no pavement down there anywhere, so… I'll have to make do with what I got."

As we neared the ground, the turbulence suddenly died down, bringing relief to all of us. I looked down to see the tall, ripe stalks of corn. Harvest was due to begin any day now.

Tails was able to make a perfect three-point landing in an aisle between plots of corn, just enough to not damage any of the crop. It took about ten seconds for us to make a complete stop.

"Um… Are we supposed to be here, like… is this trespassing?" Frances asked, breaking the suddenly quiet atmosphere.

"Kinda, yeah…?" Tails replied, "but if we find it soon, we'll be out of here before long… I hope."

I surveyed our surroundings, appreciating how silent it was around us all of a sudden.

"So I guess the Chaos Emerald's in this cornfield somewhere…?"

"It's really big…" Frances whispered, also looking around. "It already feels like we're going to be looking for a needle in a haystack."

"Then I guess we'd better get looking," Amy proposed.

I didn't know how Tails knew that Frances was about to push open her canopy, because Tails said something I didn't expect him to say.

"W-Wait wait, Frances, you don't need to do that!" he called.

"Wait, what? Why?" Frances responded.

"We can actually look from right here in the X-Tornado," he said.

That took me by surprise. I had thought we would have to get out of the plane in order to look.

"How do we do that?" I asked. "I mean… I know you've got a radar, but…"

"You'll see," Tails assured, smiling knowingly.

The fox pressed a few buttons on the console, and several changes began to take place within the X-Tornado's mechanics. The plane's booster rockets gradually moved downward until the entire thing was standing on them like they were legs. In fact, we started to rise up, with the new "legs" being the only thing that supported us.

Next, the two sets of wings rotated about ninety degrees each, and the two cabins we were seated in detached from their bases, and I could feel them rise another two feet into the air.

"Wh-What's going on?" Frances asked in confusion and fright as the transformation was nearing its completion.

"Surprise~!" Tails and Amy said at the same time.

"So you literally make this turn into a walker?" I asked, looking down at our surroundings. Tails nodded.

"Mm-hmm," Tails nodded. "I call this transformation the X-Cyclone, and yeah, it was made to walk. It can also transform in midair and land in this mode."

"And can it make Belgian waffles too?" I joked, repeating a joke my mom sometimes said.

"Um… No, not really… buuut I probably could do something about that," Tails chuckled.

To all of us, he said, "Okay, we're gonna take the X-Cyclone for a walk around the outer perimeter of the farm to see how close we can get to the Chaos Emerald. Then once we're close enough, we're all gonna get out and pick it up."

After a couple taps on the Miles Electric's touchscreen, Tails changed the radar to one that had a shorter range, which dimmed the Chaos Emerald's glow. Then he took the controls again and set the X-Cyclone forward through the corn.


ElsewhereSat September 25; 10:42 AM Third-person POV

Today, traffic was fairly light on this stretch of the 101 as Mr. Stewart cruised northward. For this he was glad, as he didn't have to worry about being held up on his way to Tingalin Villa.

By this point, he was leaving the city limits. Tingalin Villa was still a ways off, and Chris' dot on the radar had finally stopped in one spot of the farmland. Chris and his friends probably landed there.

For all Mr. Stewart knew, the only reason Chris and his friends flew all the way out to Tingalin Villa would be to pick up a Chaos Emerald. If that was the case, this would make Emerald number three. This raised a few questions for the undercover teacher. How many more of these Chaos Emeralds were out there? What were the aliens planning to use them for? What was Dr. Robotnik planning to use them for?

Whatever the answers were, Stewart knew he had to claim one for himself and take it to his agency for analysis. He was still thinking about how he was to go about it though. Fortunately, he was excellent at coming up with plans on the fly.


Tingalin VillaSat September 25; 10:50 AM Chris' POV

We had been wandering around the farm for about seven minutes now in search of the Chaos Emerald's exact location. Sometimes the Emerald in the console would get brighter or dimmer depending on our distance. The X-Cyclone's transformation was surprisingly fast; in fact, it could walk faster than I could run.

The Chaos Emerald began to get brighter and brighter after a while, and when it was as bright as it would get without us treading on the corn, we felt a slight jolt as Tails brought the X-Cyclone to a stop.

"Okay, I think we're close enough," he announced before pressing two buttons that opened both canopies. "Everybody out!"

Of course, we couldn't get down on our own, as the X-Tornado still didn't have a built-in ladder yet, so Tails helped us all down with the aid of his namesakes.

Frances was absolutely shocked and she was left speechless.

"Y-You can fly…" she stuttered. "Y-You're a flying fox!"

Tails chuckled, feeling a small blush of nervousness.

"Y-Yeah, I guess you could say that," he said as he walked over to the edge of one of the plots of corn. "Anyway, um, it should be right around there," he said, gesturing just inside the plot.

We followed him about ten feet into the plot, and found that the Chaos Emerald was not in plain sight. This didn't really surprise me, as Tails has told me that the last Emerald was also buried.

"Looks like it's buried," Amy remarked, stating the obvious.

Frances glanced back at the X-Tornado. "Hey Tails, can your plane dig it out somehow?" she asked.

"Um, not really, sorry about that," Tails said with some regret, his ears drooping slightly. "I didn't really make it… be able to dig or anything."

"Which means we're gonna have to dig it out ourselves," Amy said.

"Yeah," I agreed. I could live with that. It wouldn't hurt to do a little work.

"Chris, Frances," Tails called, getting my attention. We turned to him as he pointed to a barn in the distance.

"I need you guys to go over to that barn over there and see if you can get us four shovels for us to dig with," he requested. "Can you do that?"

I hesitated. We were already trespassing as is. But with the added prospect of digging on someone else's land, as well as sneaking into their barns and sheds…

I glanced at Frances, and she had the same uneasy look I did.

"You're not gonna be in there that long," justified Amy, "and besides, no one's going to know we're just borrowing the shovels, okay? It'll only be until we find the Emerald."

It took me another moment to think about it. It still felt… wrong, though.

I finally relented with a sigh. "Okay… Come on, Frances," I said as we started toward the barn.


The White HouseSat September 25; 1:52 PM EDT Third-person POV

Rod Stafford reentered the Oval Office, where the President was seated at his desk rehearsing a speech he was to give later that day. Film crews were present to record him when it was time to begin.

"Mr. President, I just got off the phone with General Meyer," he reported. "The Navy, Air Force, and GUN have just taken up their positions and they are ready to strike at your command."

"Excellent," the President said distractedly, laying his papers down.

"At the same time," Stafford continued, "military radar has detected a strange energy signature in Tingalin Villa north of Station Square. They think it's a gemstone known to the aliens as a 'Chaos Emerald'."

"Any response from Doctor Robotnik?" the President asked. "About the Chaos Emerald, I mean."

"Yes, Mr. President," said Stafford. "The doctor has yet to pass up an opportunity to claim a Chaos Emerald, and while he has not taken action yet, we have reason to believe he may leave the base very soon to pick it up."

"Very well," President Remerson said. "Then there cannot be a better time to take action than now."

"There's more, Mr. President," continued Stafford. "We got a report from our man in Station Square that Sonic's friends, both human and alien, have been observed in Tingalin Villa where the Chaos Emerald is."

"No doubt that's where Robotnik will be headed…" mused the President. "No further action should be taken in Tingalin Villa; Stewart is already on the scene to intercept them, and besides… the aliens have proven themselves to be more than capable of defending themselves from him." He stood up and stretched. "For now, though, our priority is the doctor's headquarters. Mr. Stafford, forward my go-ahead to the military to begin the attack immediately."


Eggman's baseSat September 25; 10:52 AM – Third-person POV

Dr. Eggman was sitting in his command center, absent-mindedly fidgeting with his mustache while waiting for the national news' commercial break to finally end. Decoe and Bocoe were at his side. He had turned on the news to see if there were any further developments on the invasion. He had to know everything, so he could put his 300-IQ brain to its best use.

"It is incredible how the humans have harnessed chemicals to eradicate stains," Bocoe remarked as an Oxi Clean commercial played next, featuring someone named Anthony Sullivan. Eggman found this information irrelevant.

"It's all just smoke and mirrors," he grumbled. "Come on, come on," he urged under his breath. "Just get on with it so I can plot my next move faster."

But it didn't "get on with it." It still took another two minutes of commercials, which included a somewhat humorous GEICO commercial and the umpteenth car and pharmaceutical commercials. But at last, the news finally returned.

"Breaking from Station Square," one of the reporters began, "military radars have detected an unearthly energy signature originating from Tingalin Villa. Local residents have taken to the Internet over this phenomenon, and many of them are concluding that it is the same kind of energy found within the mysterious gemstones that have been unearthed in Station Square last month and at Diamond Stadium earlier this month."

"Why haven't I learned of this until just now?" Eggman pondered, his emotions rising. He stood up. "Why didn't my scanners pick this up?!"

"The distance between this fortress and Tingalin Villa is too great for our version of the Chaos energy scanners," Decoe stated. "This has not yet been rectified."

"But we just upgraded them…" muttered Eggman. He wished he could have chosen a different time to do so. Hindsight could be such a pain sometimes.

"By this time, Sonic and those affiliated with him will have discovered it," lamented Bocoe.

"…amateur footage of the mysterious aircraft, reportedly built by the aliens," the reporter continued. "It is believed to be flying toward Tingalin Villa…"

"They have indeed discovered it," stated Decoe.

"Shall I retrieve your cards, Doctor?" Bocoe requested.

"Yes, do that," Eggman said. "Any robot will help me get the job done."

So Bocoe walked over to the drawer, pulled the deck out, and handed it to Eggman, who inserted it into the appropriate slot. Soon, the doctor was watching the slots spin.

"I expect the military to launch their invasion at any time today," he told his robots, never once removing his gaze from the slots, "so Decoe, Bocoe, you two are going to hold down the fort while I am gone."

Just as the two robots were saluting, Bokkun flew into the room. "What's going on?" he asked, before his eyes also became riveted on the spinning slots.

Decoe turned to the courier robot. "The United States Military will be executing an attack on this fortress within hours," he relayed.

"Additionally," added Bocoe, "the doctor will be accompanying a robot of the slots' choice in order to prevent Sonic from obtaining the third Chaos Emerald."

This was news to Bokkun. "Wait, they found another one already?"

"Apparently," droned Eggman. He really needed to get in the game. "When I get that Emerald, the score will be two to one in our favor, and we will finally have an edge over that blue pincushion."

At last, after what seemed like an eternity to the doctor, the slots began to slow down. Eventually they stopped on a particularly formidable robot: E-35 Fujita.

"Yes!" cried Eggman, fist-pumping as he leaped out of his seat.

Bokkun looked quizzically at the robot displayed on the slots. "Hey, isn't that the robot you were going to call 'Funfun'?" he asked.

Eggman visibly cringed at the name. "Who said I was going to name it that? You were the one who came up with that name in the first place."

It was true; Bokkun wasn't the best choice to name Eggman's combat robots.

"Might I jog your memory that you suggested 'FanFanFan' before settling on Funfun?" Decoe brought up. Now it was Bokkun's turn to cringe.

"No one will take the doctor seriously if we use those names," Bocoe added.

"Of course not," Eggman declared. "I named it 'Fujita' after the name of this world's tornado wind scale. Anyway, we are wasting time. You will be able to witness its strength from here, as the Eggmobile has a built-in camera that streams directly onto these screens." He started toward the elevator. "Hold down the fort while I'm gone!" he called behind him.

"Doctor," Decoe called, stopping him.

"I'm in a hurry," Eggman huffed. Decoe gestured to the slot machine.

"You forgot to press the confirm button," he reminded.

Muttering under his breath, Eggman ran back and jabbed the correct button before dashing back into the elevator.

As the doors closed, Bocoe looked back to the others.

"The doctor is very eccentric today," he remarked.

"Like the doctor said, time's a-wastin'!" Bokkun rallied. "We gotta batten down the hatches and prepare ourselves for a big old invasion party!"


Eggman's base - Outside – Sat September 25; 10:56 AM – Third-person POV

Eggman's departure did not go unnoticed by the GUN militants stationed in boats at the island.

"Mission control, do you copy?" one of the men spoke into a radio, pausing to listen for a response. "Robotnik has left the base with one robot. I repeat: Robotnik has left the base."

"Copy that," the dispatcher spoke from the other end. "The President has given the go-ahead for the attack. All reconnaissance units are to move out immediately."

"Roger," the soldier spoke, before turning back to the others.

"The commissioner says we're done here," he relayed. "We're moving out."


Eisenhower Air Force Base – Sat September 25; 11:02 AM – Third-person POV

Knuckles removed his hat for a moment to wipe the sweat from his forehead. He was sad that his favorite fedora with a star on it didn't make it to Earth with him, but he was able to find one just like it at a designer store. It wasn't the same, but he figured it would do, and it was already starting to grow on him.

He was standing outside the fence at Station Square's Eisenhower Air Force Base, watching the proceedings. He was unsure of why he was there. Perhaps it was because of the heightened military activity in that area.

The sound of several jet engines igniting startled him for a moment, and the echidna watched as at least five, maybe more fighter jets started to take off. Something told him this was not a drill.

"Squadron One is away," boomed a voice from the control tower as the military craft became airborne. "Squadron Two will launch in ten minutes."

If this was not a drill, who were they fighting…?

Then he pieced it together. Perhaps the military was launching an attack on Eggman's base! That had to be the only logical answer.

While he wasn't entirely up to speed on the latest government developments concerning Eggman, he did catch bits and pieces of the news that mentioned a possible attack. Today was the day, and he decided he didn't want to miss out on any of the action.

A plan started to formulate in the guardian's head. He would somehow get onto the base's grounds and stow himself inside one of the jets that would take him to the island. But the only problem was: should he climb over or dig under the fence?

The chain-link fence was at least thirteen feet tall, and it sported barbed wire at the top. While he would run the risk of pricking himself on the barbed wire, it would take far less time than digging.

He glanced around the base grounds. Satisfied that no one was immediately in his sight, he began to climb the fence. Even though he wore spiked mittens that didn't have fingers, he was able to climb with ease. There was no time to worry about little things like needing fingers to climb.

Knuckles vaulted himself clear over the barbed wire, landed expertly in the grounds, and dashed toward one of the planes. This was a one-way mission to Eggman's base, and he would make sure to succeed in getting the stolen Chaos Emerald back.


Tingalin VillaSat September 25; 11:02 AM Chris' POV

Frances and I managed to find four shovels inside the barn, which, fortunately, had been left unlocked. On top of that, no one was home, so there was not a very high risk of us getting caught. That still didn't shake the uneasy feeling I had about sneaking onto someone else's property… not that we weren't already trespassing to begin with.

Now, the four of us were digging in the ground for the third Chaos Emerald. Out of curiosity, I had scanned the area for animals, but I didn't see any; this was not that part of the farm. There were only crops as far as the eye could see.

I felt a certain thrill just being out there in the open air, going on an adventure with my friends. The absence of Dr. Eggman made things even better. Even though my arms were starting to get tired from digging, it was definitely going to be worth it in the end.

"Hey, try not to damage the crops," Amy cautioned me. I realized I had let my mind wander too much.

After a moment, Frances asked, "Hey Tails, are you sure we're in the right place? Because it feels like we've been doing this for like ten minutes and we still haven't found it yet."

"Well, it's around this area at least," Tails stated, adding more dirt to the ever-growing pile next to him. Even though the shovel was almost twice as tall as he was, he was still making do. "So if we can't find it in this particular spot, we can move over a little bit and keep digging there."

Just then he stopped digging, straining to hear something in the distance. I stopped too, and became aware of the low sound of a jet engine on the horizon.

"What is it?" Frances asked.

"If that's a jet, it sounds like it's flying pretty low..." Amy remarked as she shielded her eyes from the sun, straining to look into the sky.

"But I'm pretty sure there aren't any airports around here," I added.

"That's not a jet…" Tails solemnly said. That's when I realized what was about to happen.

"I-It's Eggman," I said, fear rising in my voice. Amy and Tails grimly nodded.

The engines gradually got louder and louder, and sure enough, the mad doctor himself appeared over the horizon in his Eggmobile. With him was yet another one of his robots. This one looked like a giant yellow bird, with a massive engine in its chest. The engines started to become deafening, forcing me to cover my ears, and it actually made me yelp in fear! However, I could make out a few words from Tails and Amy.

"Did you log this one, Tails?" I could hear Amy asking.

"N-No, I never saw it before!" Tails called back.

After what felt like thirty seconds, the robot landed about a hundred yards from us, facing us, and the jet quieted down, finally bringing relief to my poor ears. I slowly and shakily uncovered them.

Eggman broke the foreboding silence that reigned. "It seems I've caught you by surprise," he stated.

"What are you doing here?" Tails "dumbly" asked, even know I knew he already knew the answer.

"Oh please, Tails, you rival me in intelligence," Eggman scoffed. "You should know what I'm here for!"

Peering over his glasses, he noticed Frances next to me. This could not go well, especially since Frances and Eggman had never met face-to-face.

"Is this a new friend of yours, Christopher?" he asked, and I could sense Frances shaking next to me.

"Leave her alone!" I demanded.

"You know the saying," the doctor countered. "The friend of an enemy is automatically my enemy. Now anyway, to business." He extended his hand. "Give me the Chaos Emerald."

"What makes you think there's a Chaos Emerald here?" I asked, trying to be bold. Unfortunately, it's hard to be bold when you're scared silly, especially when you're a kid.

"Chris," Tails whispered tersely, and I got the message. I probably shouldn't have let the cat out of the bag.

"Would my scanners lie to me?" Eggman asked, somewhat insulted. His expression changed to a sneer. "You're all lucky I didn't have any more robots to spare, otherwise, I would make you dig up the Emerald for me. Now, are you going to be good little kids and hand it over, or am I going to have to resort to using force?"

"You'll never get it, Eggman!" Tails dared. "And even if you do, Sonic won't let you keep it for long!"

"Oh really?" deadpanned Eggman. "You should have told me that as I was gathering the Emeralds you all had before Sonic got us into this mess."

Amy, trying her hardest not to sound overly frantic, turned to me.

"Chris, call your grandpa and get Sonic here," she ordered.

"O-Okay," I said as I reached for my phone. However, I was distracted by Eggman's next move.

"This is one of my greatest E-Series robots, E-35 Fujita!" he proudly announced. "Now, class, who can tell me what 'Fujita' means?"

Everyone else seemed confused, even Tails. I had heard the name Fujita before, but I couldn't quite remember what it meant. I couldn't say anything either, as I had to prioritize calling home.

Tails seemed to be racking his brain over this. "Aahh… I should know this, but I don't know human terms that well yet."

"I know!" Frances piped up. "I think… its… i-it's the name of the tornado wind scale."

"Correct," Eggman said. "This robot will literally blow you away. Just watch."

Those were fighting words. And if he meant what he said… then we were going to be in for a world of hurt.

"Um… G-Guys! Get somewhere safe!" shouted Tails as he spun his namesakes and flew up to the cockpit of the X-Cyclone as fast as he could.

As the kit worked to transform it back into the X-Tornado, which was a painfully slow process, I ran for all I was worth, fumbling to get my phone out of my pocket. I turned on the screen…

…only for it to not turn on. I panicked! I had forgotten to charge it that morning, and now it had run out of power!

"Frances!" I urgently called. "Frances, did you bring your phone?"

"No, I left it at home!" she replied back.

"'Cuz I ran out of power on mine!" I called!

Suddenly I became aware of a low whooshing sound, similar to my dad's helicopter. I glanced behind me just in time to see the massive engine in E-35's chest roaring to life.

But it wasn't just an engine…

"We'll start with a leisurely breeze of, say, a hundred and fifty miles per hour," Eggman announced as the fan blades gained speed.

"RUN!" I screamed as we ran even faster.

We were still directly in the path of Fujita's giant fan and the wind it generated, which now began to buffet us. I dared to take a look back, and I was both awed and frightened to see that the X-Tornado was now stalled in midair. It hung helplessly in that position for a few more seconds before crashing on the ground with a sickening crunch.

In the seconds that followed, I became increasingly aware of the sheer magnitude of our situation. I heard a terrified scream, and I looked up to see Amy being effortlessly blown through the air way ahead of us. All sense of awe departed in that moment.

"Keep running! Don't look back!" urged Frances.

My fear mounted to new heights as the wind now reached hurricane-strength.

Fear for my life.

Fear for the lives of Tails, Amy, and Frances.

Fear for what would happen if Eggman managed to get the Chaos Emerald.

Wer were out of time to flee. There was no way to run to the left or the right to potentially avoid the worst of the ever-increasing wind at our backs, and certainly no way to contact Sonic from here. If only I had charged my phone! Would he manage to find us, even though he had no idea where we were?!

A huge sudden gust of wind struck us, nearly blowing us off our feet completely. Instead, it knocked me over, and I caught myself with my hands just in time.

"Get down!" I yelled, clinging with all my might to the tall grass and corn crop. Frances dropped to the ground and did the same.

I could tell that Frances was starting to cry now due to all the stress, and I felt my anger toward Eggman boiling. But there was nothing I could do about it. Now, I could feel my own skin rippling in the strong winds, and I was struggling to breathe over all the moving air and dust being kicked up by this artificial monster storm.

Suddenly I heard the sound of destruction ahead of us somewhere.

"What was that?!" Frances shouted, but I could barely hear her. I dared to peer above the tall grass, which wasn't too hard, since it was blowing all over the place.

I should not have been surprised, but that was the emotion I had when I saw the barns being ripped to shreds in the distance. At least no one would know that it was Frances and I who took the shovels.

"Ow!" I suddenly exclaimed as I felt a sudden yanking pain in my hair, which make me regret looking up. I looked in dismay as my goggles sailed away at an incredible speed.

The dust swirled around us even more, and I was forced to keep my head down. It was almost like being in a dust storm, which was extreme to the point where we would risk swallowing the dust if we even so much as spoke or opened our mouths.

Deep down, I knew we were doomed. Only Sonic could save us now.


Eggman's baseInside Sat September 25; 11:04 AM Third-person POV

"It has begun," Decoe announced.

He and Bocoe were watching on the screens as multiple fighter jets and aircraft carriers were approaching the island. They also had Eggman's view from the Eggmobile up on another screen, but they were too busy focusing on the invasion to watch what the doctor was up to. They had more pressing matters at hand.

"Is the force field operational?" Bocoe asked.

"Affirmative," Decoe replied, "but its power is at 47%. It has priorly been sabotaged during GUN's raid. It will take at least forty-eight hours for it to fully recharge."

"In that case," Bocoe said, "we will need to resort to exclusively offensive measures. Preparing to deploy the attack force immediately."

"Units E-11, E-12, E-13, and E-14 will suffice," stated Decoe.

"Affirmative," Bocoe said. "The E-33 units are in position to escort them, and several Badnik platoons are prepared."

As Bocoe gave the order to launch the attack forces, Decoe studied the screens. It was a good thing Eggman had built them to work together efficiently. While Decoe was programmed to plan strategies, Bocoe had the knowledge of weapons and navigation in his hard drive.

Minutes later, the fortress shook from an impact from the humans' weaponry outside.

"Damage report," Bocoe stated.

"The fortress is sustaining light damage from the air force," Decoe responded. "The shield has taken the brunt of the attack. Its power is now at 41%."

As another E-11 Beacon was launched, followed by a wave of Buzz Bombers, Bokkun flew back into the command center. He had been pretty restless today.

"Are they here yet?" he asked with an undertone of excitement.

"Affirmative," Decoe announced, looking back up at the monitor where the battle was now in full swing. "The invasion has begun."


Eggman's baseOutside Sat September 25; 11:04 AM Third-person POV

Topaz's GUN platoon was disembarking from the battleship they had arrived on and preparing to board two smaller boats bound for the island. The sounds of weaponry and explosions filled the ears of Topaz, Rouge, and the dozen GUN soldiers present.

"We can thank our lucky stars we're not in the diversion force…" mused Topaz as she scanned the skies.

"You guys are sure losing a lot of planes up there," remarked Rouge while readjusting her balaclava. It was a good thing she still had it with her when she was transported to Earth.

"Keep your head in the game, not in the clouds," Topaz cautioned. Rouge nodded, even though she thought Topaz was hypocritical.

The next minute seemed slow and uneasy as they finally reached the island and stepped out of the boats.

"Remember the mission, everyone," Topaz spoke above the crowd. "Since Rouge is physically stronger than the rest of us, she's gonna go ahead of us and clear a path to the generator. Then we're gonna blow a hole in the joint and go home."

"That's what I like to hear," said a motivated Rouge.

"Ma'am, what about the Chaos Emerald?" one soldier asked.

"Get it at all costs," Topaz instructed. "It must not remain in the wrong hands any longer."

"It couldn't be in safer hands than ours," Rouge remarked. She spoke more for herself than for the rest of GUN, mostly because she wanted the Chaos Emeralds in Mobian hands more than government hands.

Slipping her face mask on, the GUN troop began their advance toward the fortress.

This is it… she thought.


Thorndyke Mansion Sat September 25; 11:05 AM Third-person POV

FOX News continued to play in the Thorndyke Mansion living room. Cream had agreed to leave it on that channel, as she wanted to see what all was going on concerning the imminent attack.

Even though Cream wasn't one to normally watch the news by her own choice, she had become mesmerized by all the talk on the day's events. In fact, it would even be soothing if it weren't so serious.

Cheese was snuggled next to her on the couch. Just as they were starting to drift off to sleep, the sound of a FOX News alert roused her. This could only mean there was a breaking new development on the invasion story. Perhaps Sonic was involved…?

"This is a FOX News Alert," the anchor spoke. "President Remerson is about to deliver a speech concerning Robotnik. Let's listen."

"My fellow Americans," the President began, and Cream leaned closer to the TV. "The United States has officially declared war on Doctor Robotnik, better known as Doctor Eggman. Today, the combined forces of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, and Guardians of the United Nations have been deployed on a mission to destroy the doctor's fortress and take him prisoner, dead or alive. Despite numerous warnings, he has continued to threaten the peace and wellbeing of our country time and again. As we are well aware, he has committed various atrocities, including damaging Station Square's buildings and infrastructure, and neutralizing federal satellites. His ultimate goal is to conquer the entire planet and transform it into what he has referred to as his 'Eggman Empire'. We will not allow this. He will be subdued, neutralized, and defeated at all costs."

This was big news. The invasion had finally begun.

Feeling motivated, Cream climbed down from the couch.

"Cheese, we need to tell Mr. Sonic about this!" she said.

"Right here!" came Sonic's voice from the doorway. "And don't worry, I heard everything. Right now, I gotta check and see if Tails is back yet. He's gonna want to know about this," Sonic said before dashing out the side door toward the garage.

He threw open the garage door and scaled the stairs before opening the lab door. Chuck was seated in his desk chair at his computer, listening to the Rick Shaw Hour on the radio. The radio talk show host was talking about the raid a few days ago.

"Yo Chuck, you know if Tails is back yet?" Sonic asked.

Chuck shook his head. "He's been gone for… oh, about two hours now. They should probably be back any time." He swiveled his seat to face the hedgehog. "Why do you ask?"

"Did you see the news just now?" pressed Sonic.

"You mean the attack?" Chuck guessed. "Yeah, I just saw it on Drudge Report."

"'Cuz I really need to tell him about this. I mean, there can't be a better time to get out there and kick Eggman's butt. Tell you what, I'll give him a few more minutes."

Sonic knew that Tails wasn't usually away from home for this long. He knew Amy and Chris were with him, and so was one of Chris' classmates. But still… Time was of the essence.


Tinaglin Villa Sat September 25; 11:09 AM Third-person POV

Mr. Stewart was well out of town by this point. He had finally reached Tingalin Villa Road, a major artery that passed through the farmlands, connecting Highway 101 with the distant Interstate 5. Traffic was exceptionally light, which meant he had smooth sailing so far.

Curiously, the wind was starting to pick up. According to the built-in touchscreen in his car, it was a steady twenty miles per hour. Mr. Stewart frowned. It was only partly cloudy, and there was no wind in the forecast.

Just as he was looking back to the road, he caught sight of the blip on the radar suddenly moving west. Chris must have taken off exceptionally quickly. That plane of theirs could work wonders…

But when the blip crossed the road, and there was no engine sound from nearby whatsoever, warning sirens went off in the teacher's head. He quickly rolled down the window and stuck his head out, searching the sky for any sign of the plane. But it was nowhere in sight.

While the wind was somewhat refreshing, it was really unexpected, and even somewhat unnatural. Baffled, he rolled his window back up and continued driving straight for another five hundred yards.

As he drove on, the wind, which was coming at him primarily from 2 o'clock, increased to a steady thirty miles per hour, with gusts up to forty-five miles per hour. Something was not right. The wind was blowing in only one direction, not to mention the grass and trees in the far distance weren't blowing at all.

Glancing back at his radar, he saw the blip slowing down and stopping, and he began to wonder why the plane would fly such a short distance.

Unless…

He drove another hundred yards further and turned left onto a side road. Now the wind was at his 5 o'clock, which no longer offered resistance. Another two hundred yards later, he stopped the car as close as he could to the blip, which had stopped just off the road. The wind was now around forty miles per hour, which was quite strong.

Forgetting to shift to park, he threw open the door and got out of the car, causing his car to chime repeatedly. The wind was now quite strong, and he was already taking the brunt of the already gale-force gusts.

He ran into the wildly blowing grass looking for Chris' goggles. That was the only explanation for how the blip would be all the way out there. He started to think that it was a good thing for him that he came out to Tingalin Villa at this time. He knew Chris was in that wind, and it probably strong enough to blow his goggles off.

Sure enough, Mr. Stewart saw with dismay that Chris' goggles were on the ground, lying next to a fence post. He picked them up and examined them. They were a little dirty, but not broken. They proved to be quite sturdy.

Not wanting to be out in this freakish wind any longer, he sprinted back to the car, climbed in, and slammed the door. The spy let out a sigh. He planned to eventually return the goggles to Chris, but he had to prioritize getting help for the boy first.

Suddenly the car jolted as it was slammed by another huge gust of wind. Alarmed, Stewart saw that it had increased to nearly eighty miles per hour, and that was just the base wind. Loose grass and a few leaves blew rapidly past the car. The teacher knew he shouldn't be out in these winds for too much longer.

He floored the gas and sped down the road. There was no way he was going back the way he came. He would have to run into an eighty-mile-per-hour headwind to do that.

He grabbed his phone and dialed a number he had put on speed dial.


Tinaglin Villa Sat September 25; 11:09 AM Third-person POV

Tails could not believe how strong Eggman's newest robot was. In fact, it was his strongest robot yet since arriving on this planet.

As soon as Fujita's monstrous winds started up, Tails knew he was in a world of hurt, but he was determined to not go down without a fight. So after he started up the X-Cyclone and converted it back into the X-Tornado, he ignited its engines and took off toward the robot.

"I'm not gonna let you down, guys," he said to himself as he positioned his craft to fly straight toward Fujita.

However, just as he was about to press the button to send a volley of lasers flying at the robot, he was blasted by an insane headwind that threw his craft out of control!

"AH!" Tails cried out as he cowered, wrapping his namesakes tightly around himself.

His plane smashed into the ground with a crunch, and Tails ducked and covered his head. When the noise stopped, Tails slowly opened his eyes and uncurled his tails from around him. He was still alive and in one piece, but the X-Tornado had crashed nose-first into the ground with moderate damage.

His breath was shaky as he looked up at Fujita, which was not moving, but if anything, its wind was getting even worse.

"I-It's… b-breaking the laws of physics…!" he remarked. There was no way that it could generate widespread winds that powerful.

Sonic was not there, his plane was out of commission, and there was no way he could fight back on his own. All the odds were stacked against him.

Unless…

"X-Cyclone!" he blurted. "Gotta transform…"

He pulled the lever that activated the transformation, but due to the hurricane-force winds, it was extremely slow, and the parts were shifting at a snail's pace.

He glanced up at Fujita frantically and pulled the lever even harder. The winds were getting even stronger, and now the plane wouldn't move or transform at all!

"Come… on… Nnngh… You can… do it…!" he grunted as he pulled with all his might!

Sweat was appearing on his forehead as he put all his energy into pulling the lever. But no matter how hard he pulled, the plane wouldn't budge. The winds were simply that strong.

"I don't wanna let you down, Sonic…" Tails whimpered. "And Chris, Amy… Frances… I'm sorry…"

Tails finally had to stop pulling because he felt like he was starting to get callouses under his gloves from how hard he was pulling on the lever. But then he realized that he literally had no other options left!

Tails gasped as he had a flashback of one memory he had with Sonic.

When he was building his very first Chaos Emerald tracker, he was overwhelmed at the concept of making Chaos Energy compatible with technology and making it able to be tracked. It was giving him such a hard time that he had to put it down. He was very frustrated and he didn't feel like going back to it. However, it was at a time where Eggman was also after the Chaos Emeralds, so there was no time for him to rest.

When he was in his workshop with his head down on his arms on the table, Sonic came to him, and he gave him some encouraging words:

"Hey Tails, I know this is giving you a hard time, but trust me, I know you can do it. All you gotta do is believe in yourself. As long as you can do that, anything is possible. Sometimes, you just gotta give it a little extra effort. And I know how smart my little bro is, and so do you. Just keep believing in yourself, okay? You got this!"

Tails looked up with fresh determination in his eyes!

"NO! I won't let you win, Eggman!" he cried out! "I'm gonna believe in myself until the very end!"

And with that, he used his new-found strength to pull on the lever as hard as he could, even more than before. He let out loud grunts of exertion, and the force he was using was so great that he felt like the lever would break. But he did not stop pulling. He wouldn't. He had to transform the X-Tornado into the X-Cyclone now. Only then would he have a fighting chance.

However, it was completely beyond his control that Fujita's wind speeds were increasing to unrealistic extents. Before Tails realized it, he was airborne, and yet the only control he was using was the X-Cyclone transformation lever.

Tails paled, and his face was going white as he realized that the X-Tornado was blowing helplessly through the air. He was flying through the power of Fujita's wind speeds alone!

Tails didn't know what happened next, but everything went black as he and his plane hit the ground violently.


Tinaglin Villa Sat September 25; 11:09 AM Chris' POV

The wind continued to mercilessly and relentlessly buffet me and Frances.

"I-I can't hold on!" Frances shouted, before letting out a sob of fright! I could barely hear her over the wind that was completely surrounding me. It was hard to hear anything at all.

Then I thought I heard a new voice in the wind, but it was whipping around us so loudly that I couldn't tell who it was. And I couldn't look up to see who it was either because I was afraid of getting dust in my eyes. Chances were I couldn't have seen anything anyway due to the tall grass.

Then the voice became clearer, and I started to recognize it as Amy. I cheered on the inside. She survived!

"Stay where you are! I'm coming! Just hang in there!"

Even though Amy's voice was starting to come in clearer than before, I had to really strain to make out the words.

I dared to glance up, and while I was temporarily blinded by the wildly blowing dust particles, I could make out the pink hedgehog hammering stakes into the ground to hang onto, along with pieces of the destroyed barn. However, Amy was still a good fifteen feet away from us, and in these conditions, it felt so much farther away. It felt more like a mile!

I was forced to look back down or risk getting dust in my eyes and mouth. I gripped the grass even tighter.

"Is Tails okay?!" Frances called, before suddenly choking on the dust.

Trying not to lose my grip on the grass, I turned my head back to see if I could answer Frances' question. Tails was trying his hardest to transform the X-Tornado back into the X-Cyclone. I didn't know if he could do it in time.

"Don't look back!" Amy called from ahead of me. "Just grab these and get to safety!" I didn't know how she was managing to not cough or lose her grip, but for that I was thankful.

"You go first, Frances," I shouted over the wind, trying not to look up.

With Amy leading the way, and me bringing up the rear, we grabbed stake after stake at a painfully slow rate. The wind was now at our backs, which surprisingly made things worse. Fortunately, Amy pounded the stakes into the ground hard enough for them to be incredibly firm.

"Is Tails gonna be okay?!" Frances shouted, but it was hard to hear her.

"What did you say?" I could barely hear Amy call. After Frances repeated her question, Amy called, "I don't know! Just keep moving!"

The stakes were close enough to each other that we didn't have to reach too far to grab the next one. We were still going a lot slower than I would have liked, though.

I started to feel my grip slipping, and my legs even lifted off the ground slightly, nearly making me fly away. I cried out, and made a mad grab for the stake to keep my grip on it… and hopefully, my life. My heart was pounding more than it already was.

Just when I thought it couldn't possibly get any worse, Eggman activated a loudspeaker and said the worst thing I could possibly imagine.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your wind forecast will be updated to a grand total of three hundred miles per hour!"

Oh no.

Oh please no.

"Please secure any loose objects that could be blown around in the wind, namely, yourselves," continued Eggman.

"We're not gonna make it!" I shouted louder than I usually did, but even so, the others could barely hear me.

And then, to put the cherry on top of this cake of death, I saw the entire X-Tornado flying through the air above us. That just went to show how helpless we truly were.

Eggman really meant it when he said he would get rid of us.


Thorndyke Mansion Sat September 25; 11:13 AM Sonic's POV

Just then the phone rang. Deep down, I hoped it would be an update of some sort on the situation. Or it could be another telemarketer, but there was only one way to tell.

"It's Mr. Stewart," Chuck announced just as Cream and Cheese entered the lab from behind me. It was clear they didn't want to miss out on any of the excitement.

"Is this the Thorndyke residence?" came the teacher's voice via loudspeaker. His voice sounded strained, as if he was under stress. I noticed that this was the first time I was hearing his voice.

"Yes, it is," Chuck said. "Um, you sound worried. What's wrong?"

"I have reason to believe that your grandson and Sonic's friends, along with a fellow classmate… well… they're in grave danger."

I leaped to my feet from off the bed I had been sitting on. Grave danger… That just went from bad to the worst-case scenario in a sonic second. And then I realized: I had let my guard down.

"They're dealing with life-threatening winds…" Mr. Stewart said in a strained voice. "I think Eggman's involved… I'm up there myself… at Tingalin Villa… I was nearly run off the road myself just a few minutes ago."

"Okay, thank you for telling me," Chuck said. "I'll send help as soon as possible."

He hung up, looking both shell-shocked and puzzled. As for the puzzled part, I already knew the answer, but I chose not to say anything for Chris' sake. Mr. Stewart had been sent to follow Chris. What for, I didn't know.

"You heard all that, Sonic?" Chuck asked, regaining his voice. I grimly nodded, turning toward the trap door.

"Cream, Cheese, stay here," I told the rabbit and Chao. "I don't want you getting hurt too."

They both nodded. They too seemed speechless about what was happening in Tingalin Villa.

"I'm worried about Mr. Chris and everyone…" Cream quietly admitted.

"I'll get 'em back," I vowed. "I swear, Eggman won't lay a finger on my friends, I'll see to that."

With that, I bolted from the garage and took off en route to Tingalin Villa.

Fortunately, I knew where it was located, as I had passed through there a few times during my runs.

I felt sick inside. I had completely let my guard down, thinking I could hand the leash of Chris' safety over to my friends. As much as I trusted Tails and Amy, though, it seemed even they weren't enough to offer Chris full protection from Eggman. Not only was he in danger, but one of his school friends had been dragged into this as well.

I had to protect Chris personally. I would not let my guard down again. Ever.

My hands tightened into fists of resolve as I picked up speed and bolted toward Tingalin Villa.

Hang on, Chris… I'm coming…


A/N: I won't say much so I don't spoil the mood, but here are my major changes:

- I removed the small scene at the beginning of the episode, but that doesn't mean it didn't happen :)
- I removed the pie in Cream's first scene.
- In the original episode, Jerome Wise was hosting a press conference, which is usually done by the Press Secretary. However, he is the Chief of Staff in this story, so the press conference is instead held by Christina Cooper in an early appearance.
- I extended Eggman's scene right after the press conference to make up for his absence last chapter.
- I combined all the various Knuckles scenes into one scene, since there are already so many scene changes in this chapter.
- Tails is actually suspicious of Chris' goggles, since he is suspicious of Mr. Stewart who gave Chris the goggles.
- In the situation room scene, I replaced Rouge and Topaz with James Perrault, since Washington is on the other side of the country from Station Square.
- The scene with Jerome Wise visiting Thorndyke Mansion now has a completely different, grounded outcome, not to mention Sonic had a bigger role in that scene.
-
Because of the fictitious geographical layout of Station Square, the direction the X-Tornado flies in is no longer south-southeast.
- To add more morals, Chris is now hesitant before getting the shovels, and he doesn't volunteer to get them himself.
- I parodied real commercials in Eggman's scene :P
- I made the battle at Tingalin Villa more intense.
- I gave Tails a moment of determination through a flashback.
- Scarlet Garcia's role is greatly reduced.
- Mr. Stewart no longer masks his voice and pretends he's someone else.

Next time is Beating Eggman Part 2, where the battle at Eggman's base goes into full swing! Don't miss it!