Review Response:

To : Sorry to break it to ya, but shipping not a big thing in this story. Even still, Amy and Sonic aren't ending up together here. I don't hate SonAmy, but its not my cup of tea. Again, sorry about that.

To Lavagolem: See, that would be interesting if Metallix was a team player. From how he's being written here, that's not the case. There will be Eggman built machines with Ixis Magick, but Metallix will be one of a kind. And as you'll soon learn, Metal is too narcissistic and power hungry to share in a common goal of defeating Sonic once and for all. Think of him like Perfect Cell. Also, even Metallix would agree that using Negative Chaos Energy is counterproductive since it wouldn't benefit him.

To Unknow Review: …Dude, you're absolutely brilliant! You're the first person that really figured out what happening with certain characters. I'm so happy that you acknowledged what's being attempted without pulling any punches with how you feeling things are handled. And I (and UltimateDemonBeast65) appreciate you for that. You're GOATED for this review and hope to read your thoughts in another one again.
As for how stuff from the games and Freedom Fighter stuff could happen in the same world, well if Mobius is future Earth, then its kind of simple. The planet is large, and Sonic was sent halfway across the planet and spent half his life only traveling to the Overlands (now called the United Federation) and neutral territories while fighting Eggman. He hasn't traveled around the world yet, which is his life long goal.


What must be done… …The servers are the seven Chaos.

Chaos is power. Power enriched by the heart.

The controller is the one who unifies the Chaos.

…Feel within… The sea of Chaos… And the ancient waves.

May the light of its power shine down eternally and protect us all.


Freedom HQ, New Mobotropolis, Acornia

Two weeks had passed since Sonic's return as a Knothole Freedom Fighter. Since then, his relationship with Tails, Knuckles, and Amy has repaired and strengthened. In addition, he's been getting to know the Original Four a little more and has come to respect their experience and outlooks of life.

Rotor believed that every day was a gift to improve on one's self, and as the technician, the Walrus was eager to learn whatever he could about himself and the people around him for self-improvement while remaining true to who he was.

Like Sonic's late father and his father (along with Blaze the Cat), Antoine followed the path of honor and believed that life was about serving the needs of others to benefit and protect the motherland.

Bunnie, coming from a strong familial background, believed in camaraderie, selflessness, and loyalty. Therefore, Rabbit lived to protect the community she had helped build in Knothole before and after the period of Reconstruction.

Sonic spent more time with Princess Sally, harboring greater respect for her struggles and a fondness for his long-lost childhood friend. From what he took away from her, Sally was a person who made decisions out of love for her people. Therefore, she made personal sacrifices every day to ensure their safety and inspired hope for many who needed support, in turn, gaining the support of others.

To Sonic, the Original Four were like the modern-day knights that he had been reading about; chivalrous individuals sworn to defend the crown. They were real-life heroes, something that Sonic did not see himself as. Regardless, they have earned his respect.

Now, it was his turn to show his support by working hard to fulfill his promise.

Within the weeks leading up to the next big mission, everybody had been practicing how to hone their new weapons and powers so they could work for them rather than against them. Everyone, except Sonar.

See, during the turn of the new year, the Prowers decided to support the fennec's interest in medication by applying to nursing school. Therefore, she returned from active duty and made a significant change in her life.

And Tails stood by the Mobian girl on her decision, but to her joy.

Now, the Knothole Freedom Fighters were running drills and awaited for the next big mission.

…Which quickly arrived one day in the form of a distress call.

Everybody paused, stopping what they were doing.

Sonic himself was present, now sporting his new mission clothing. He wore a red blazer with white and black accents. Tails finally gave him his new shoes, modeled after Prof. Gerald Robotnik's model Air Shoes made to keep him afloat in case of traveling on or being submerged in water (which are red with white and gold accents), black and red fingerless gloves, and the Daevic Ring on his right ring finger.

When hearing a digital ringtone from the main computer within the command center, Sally walked up to the computer and asked NICOLE, "Who's on the other line?"

"His Majesty, Princess," NICOLE answered from the computer.

"Answer it,"

With that, a screen with her father's face appeared. His face was filled with concern but remained professional.

"What's wrong, Father?" Sally questioned.

King Max stated, "There is trouble afoot,"

"What's going on, Sire?" Sonic inquired.

Suddenly, the king of Acornia showed a feed sent by a news outlet of an attack caused by masked Mobian birds, who fought against GUN soldiers sent by the UF President and soldiers of the Royal Army.

"...Mes dieux! Avalon is being decimated!" Antoine gasped.

Team Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and the rest of the Knothole Freedom Fighters scowled at the devastation being caused by the terrorist attack.

"Though soldiers believe that the attack is racially motivated, they also say that this is a diversion executed by these terrorists." King Max revealed. "A distraction to infiltrate Caliburn Labs."

"What would they be after?" Tails questioned.

"I'm afraid they are targeting inventions related to the Exorcist Project collaboration between the Mobian Alliance and the United Federation." King Max grimly answered. But that's not all that they are targeting…"

The Freedom Fighters grew appalled when King Max displayed the one of the security cameras showing the terrorists holding several Overlanders and Mobians at gunpoint. Many of them were panicking or praying for their lives. One of them, in particular, was a middle-aged Mobian lynx with dark gray fur with black markings on his face and ears.

"Dr. Ellidy!" Rotor gasped.

Tails turned to NICOLE and asked, "Who's that?"

"He is a famous Mobian inventor, of the same caliber as Sir Charles and an Auroran echidna named Dr. Zachary Finitevus," NICOLE explained, keeping her AI impassive front for appearances. "While best known for his contribution to cyber technology and Mobotropolis' Grand Archive, he's known in our kingdom for creating my AI."

"He made you? Incredible…" Whispered Tails.

"...What is the faction responsible for this, Father?" Sally asked, holding back her utter rage for the atrocities she witnessed and for the lives of innocent people at stake.

King Max then zoomed out a bit, showing the leader of the siege. A large pit fell onto the Original Four Knothole Freedom Fighters.

The mystery leader was shown to be a golden masked figure that was an avian-looking Mobian wearing a black catsuit, a white and black uniform, high heels with cloven toes, and a white cape.

"...Nephthys!?" Sally blurted out in outrage and bewilderment.

Antoine spoke, "If she's here, zhen zhat means zhat-"

"-The Battle Bird stragglers are attackin'!" Bunnie concluded grimly.

"Correct, except these criminals call themselves the Wake Mob." The king explained. "Regardless, Nephthys and her army need to be neutralized for apprehension. If something is not done about this commotion, I fear that a civil war may befall the kingdom…"

Sonic's eyes widened then grimaced at the prospect.

The king continued speaking, saying, "While I send reinforcements, you will be sent over to complete this assignment. Failure is not an option.'

"Understood. We'll handle this mission with diligence." Sally assured her father.

"Excellent. Stay vigilant and tread carefully." King Max stated before cutting the feed.

Sally asked NICOLE, "Are the Warp Rings ready, NICOLE?"

The Mobian holo lynx shook her head, saying, "Negative, Sally."

"Not a problem, let's head to the hangar!" Rotor suggested, prompting Team Sonic and the Knothole Freedom Fighters to sprint to the planes within the area.

Rotor, Sally, and Antoine decided to take the Hyper Tornado. Bunnie, being the daring southern belle she was, decided to take a page out of Sonic's book and stand on the nose of the plane.

And much like the Blue Blur, she was eager for some action.

Tails, Knuckles, and Amy followed, boarding X-Tornado. Sonic took a deep breath and jumped onto the nose of the plane, feeling his heart pounding both in anxiety and excitement. It's been quite some time since he was out of the fray, but now it was time for him to make his return to the world.

'...Here we go again!' Sonic thought to himself with a determined expression.


Destructix Penthouse, Vermillion, Acornia

It was an average day for the crooks/mercenaries-for-hire. Due to the money they've earned retrieving the Chaos Emerald from Lobonia, the group didn't have much to worry about in the financial department.

Well, the males had to convince Fiona to curb her shopping sprees, but that was about it. For most of the early morning, Predator Hawk spent time fixing and tweaking his Extreme Gear hoverboard, a technology his people pioneered and perfected.

Once he finished in the mid-morning, Predator Hawk sat on the couch, jumping from channel to channel out of boredom.

In the kitchen, Lightning Lynx walked up to the cooler to get a bottle of sparkling water while passing by Fiona.

"Morning, Rai. Mind passing me a can of iced tea from in there?" The leather-wearing Destructix member asked.

Lightning silently nodded, went back to the cooler, and handed the vixen a can of iced tea.

"You two better not-"

"-Relax, Bird Brain!" Fiona hissed. "Nobody's touching your precious Wild Cherry Chaos Cola!"

The miffed hawk let out a huff, saying, "...Whatever. Darn it! I swear, there's nothing good on television anymore!"

'...I got to find a man one of these days.' Fiona thought while coming into the living and scoffing at Predator.

She suddenly froze when she saw a glimpse of Channel 11's breaking news. Before Predator could lazily skip the broadcast, Fiona swiped the remote from the teal Mobian hawk.

"Hey, I was using that-"

"-Shhh!" Ordered the Destructix leader as she turned up the television volume.

"It's utter madness and mayhem in the town of Avalon. Hooded avian Mobians with masks that call themselves the Wake Mob have stormed inside the ancient town with stolen armored automobiles and tanks while terrorist foot soldiers armed with state-of-the-art artillery invade its very streets, leaving fire, death, and destruction in their path. And they are leaving no prisoners." Sasha Cornelia, Channel 11 reported, grimly stated while showing helicopter footage first before it switches to city footage. "Truly, this is a dark day for the town and its citizens."

When it did so, Lightning and Predator was left speechless. The camera caught a deranged green Mobian male duck waving at the camera from afar before taking the pin off a grenade and blowing up a building full of people in it. Fiona felt her spine shiver at the sight of such carnage.

"...Is that who I think it is?" The teal feathered Mobian questioned.

Fiona smacked her lips and groaned, "...Fuck my life. Okay, somebody's gotta tell Nac about this."

In a somewhat humorous timing, the gunslinging purple jerboa-wolf hybrid came in, causing, saying, "Tell me about wha-"

As soon as he saw the deranged duck's insane face on television, he screamed "WHO LET THAT PYSCHO-FUCK OUTTA PRISON!?"


Avalon, Acornia

Chaos. Not the primordial force that made up the multiverse, not the aquatic god of destruction that destroyed most of the Yaotl three thousand years ago. No, this was the disarray that only occurred during the carnage that war brings.

In an unlikely situation, humans and Mobians were deployed in the middle of the streets of Avalon, battling the avian-esque Mobian terrorists with guns blazing and lasers firing about.

The streets didn't take long to be turned into a warzone as the terrorist attacks were met with heavy opposition through the several divisions the Royal Army took to the streets to meet their objectives; One, search for civilians. Two, defend as many civilians as possible. Finally, three, bring civilians to a safe zone.

Unique to this situation, several GUN soldiers including a captain would accompany the Royal Army in this operation.

In one division, Sir Arthur Mongoose led an escort of at least twenty civilians away from the line of fire on a route to a shelter where he found two Wake Mob members, Mobian crows, cornering a lone Mobian cat girl that was roughly eight years old crying for her parents. Three feet away were the bodies of what seemed to be two older Mobian cats, one male and one female.

The girl was about to be executed via firearms when an Overlander fired at the crows in nonlethal areas of their bodies with stun bullets, temporarily subduing them. This allowed the male mongoose to bring the girl to his side.

"Are you hurt, Little Miss?" Sir Arthur asked, prompting the girl to shake her head while still in tears.

"Hey, now. The bad men are not going to hurt you. What's the matter?" The knight questioned the girl.

"My Mommy and Daddy…they…they…"

Sir Arthur's heart would have sunk if the situation didn't call for his immediate concentration and iron-clad will. He held the girl and spent a few moments to console her as the knight saw his late daughter in the child.

"It's going to be okay. I won't let anything happen to you," Arthur stated, eerily repeating the words he told his child from long ago.

Suddenly a squad of Wake Mob grunts started to appear, ready to confront the group of the Royal Army. But then, the GUN soldiers that joined Arthur's division, including the captain that saved the child.

The Overlander stood and looked over at the human male. He appeared to be a fair-skinned young man in his late twenties. He wore orange shades under a protective helmet and had on contemporary Kevlar military armor and boots while holding an assault rifle.

"My men will hold the line for you." The Captain stated. "Get the girl and the rest of them to safety."

Sir Arthur nodded and spotted his name sewn in his jacket.

Cpt. Antonio G. Herman.

Sir Arthur said, "...You are different from the others. You are a good man, Captain."

The GUN captain could only nod before both men returned to their respective duties.

-Meanwhile, In Caliburn Labs-

During the ensuing chaos, some of the most formidable avian-masked Mobians were guarding the laboratory they took over.

Within the laboratory, Nephthys and her underlings were surveying the crowd of Mobians and Overlander scientists who were rounded up and held at their mercy when the woman received a message from her built-in communicator.

"Madam, the building's perimeter has been secured." A male grunt relayed. 'There's also been word that the Knothole Freedom Fighters have been contacted by the mayor.'

Nephthys answered, "Excellent. Remain at your post."

"Yes, madam."

Nephthys maliciously beamed at this while toting her laser gun, thinking, 'Perfect. Now all that remains is to await the king's merry band of brats from Knothole and then I can truly get his attention.'

"Good news everybody, your little pubescent war heroes are heading our way." The masked Mobian vulture woman mused. "Not that it will make a difference."

"Minerva!" Dr. Ellidy bravely shouted, prompting most of the firearm-holding Wake Mob grunts to point their weapons at him. "What is the meaning of this madness? We once fought alongside one another under the Crown!"

Nephthys simply scoffed at the lynx scientist and spoke.

"The only madness that I see here is those hairless savages amongst our kind, living and working together as if the Great War never happened!"

"Times are changing, Minerva, there are greater threats in this day and age than the turbulent history between Overlanders and Mobians!" Ellidy argued.

"They," Nephthys accusingly stated, pointing at the group of Overlanders. "-Are the enemy! They always have been, and always will be."

Ellidy tried to appeal to the woman's humanity by saying, "I get where you're coming from, believe me. Though losing my home in Azuron was painful, losing my daughter years later nearly killed me. But this won't help you heal and move on. It will not fill that void the departed has left behind!"

Nephthys fired a laser near Dr. Ellidy's feet and said, "SHUT UP! You know nothing, James! Ten years… Ten years to me was yesterday and my scars from the war are still fresh! Maximillian may have given us victory, but at what cost for those who have sided with him? The nations that weren't sitting on a mound of magic metal, the nations that this kingdom neglected!?"

At this point, Ellidy couldn't argue with her, trying to see where her venting was going.

"Do you have any idea how many casualties we have suffered compared to those savages!? For every Overlander soldier that fell in battle, five of us were slaughtered." Nephthys continued vehemently. "Over a million of my people alone died for the cause alone…And yet you Acornians dare to spit on their sacrifice and memories with this farce and talk about treaties!? This is blasphemy!"

"And what about the hundreds of thousands your side killed, huh!?" A brave young male human scientist spoke up. "Those humans had families and friends, and they'll never get the chance to see them again! Don't act like you're the only victim that suffered in the Great War! Hell, what you're doing in this city is wors-!"

The man's sentence was interrupted when Nephthys splattered his brain matter on the floor with two shots over her firearm, causing most of the hostages to scream.

Nephthys then fired three shots in the air, bringing silence into the room barring a few sobs and inaudible prayers.

She then turned to Ellidy and said, "You're lucky that I need you alive, or you would have been killed first."

"What's the point in doing all of this?" Dr. James Ellidy questioned.

"To make a point," Nephythys bluntly claimed. "The so-called Mobian Alliance has failed as a united front for our species. And I will not stand to be unseen or unheard any longer. If this does not get the king to come and see me, then maybe a little confrontation with his precious daughter and her little ragtag group will. If not…"

Suddenly, the vulture pulled out a circular remote from her pocket. The moment Ellidy and the other scientists saw what it was, everybody turned pale.

"That's the-"

"Mhm~!" The avian Mobian woman mused before grafting it onto one of her wrists.

Nephthys was given another message with one of her grunts, a female, who spoke through her communicator, "Madam, Knothole Freedom Fighters have been spotted! They are rapidly approaching the city!"

"...Finally!" Nephthys hissed with anticipation. "All units, prepare to engage! …And bring out the Big Guy."


Above Avalon, Acornia

The X-Tornado and Hyper Tornado fly above the city of Avalon which was currently under attack. The group grimaced at the amount of explosions, fires, and rounds of bullets and lasers being fired all over the place. It didn't help that there were armored vehicles armed with firearms, adding to the dire situation.

It was a morbid sight, one that Princess Sally aimed to stop.

While Rotor flew the Hyper Tornado as its pilot, Sally, wearing a headset, gave out orders to everybody who wore a headset or a communicator on their wrists.

"This is it, everybody! We may be in a pinch but I got a plan!" Sally stated. "Reinforcements are doing the heavy lifting, but there's no doubt that Nepththys will mobilize her forces to make it hard for us to get to her normally, so we'll have to make a way!"

"Tails, Rotor, take out the armed forces on top of the buildings!" Sally instructed.

"Gotcha!" The two pilots answered.

"Bunnie and Antonie, I need you to support reinforcements in the civilian escorts. There may be unfortunate stragglers that are in danger of being caught in the crossfire!"

"Got it/Oui!" The couple respectively replied.

"Amy, Knuckles, take care of the armored vehicle blockade! I'm going to need a path!"

"Okay!" Both heavy hitters answered.

"Sonic, be prepared. You and I are about to blitz through this stronghold to get to Dr. Ellidy and Caliburn Labs!" Sally declared with a confident smirk. "We'll need to get there fast, full speed ahead!"

On the nose of the X-Tornado, a full-blown grin filled with excitement formed on Sonic's face.

Sally and the other's head Sonic's answer with him saying, "...Say less!"

"When you're done with your tasks, everybody immediately rendezvous at Caliburn Labs. And please keep the collateral damage at a minimum." Sally finished instructing.

"Right!" Knuckles and the Freedom Fighters agreed before the two planes took off into different directions.

Once they made it to their respective areas, Knuckles, Amy, Antoine, Bunnie, Sonic, and Sally jumped off the aircraft to enact their parts of the plan, leaving Tails and Rotor to do theirs.

-With Tails and Rotor-

The Hyper Tornado and the X-Tornado flew above the streets of the old town. Rotor and Tails, while disgusted at the carnage and saddened at the victims that were caught in the siege, remained steadfast in their part of the mission.

From there, Rotor found multiple Wake Mob grunts on top of tall buildings, handling turrets. He warned the younger Freedom Fighter.

"Miles, enemy spotted up ahead!" Rotor spoke through his headset.

Tails answered back through the headset, "I see them! Fire Power Ring rounds!"

While the two piloted the planes away from enemy fire, Tails and Rotor aimed their barrels and blasted the Wake Mob's turrets to smithereens, then discharged stunning bullets onto the grunts, immobilizing them.

"Yes, we did it!" Tails cheered before nearly getting hit by enemy fire elsewhere.

"Don't get too excited, bud! We've got some more to take care of!" Rotor said flying around to another building.

"Right behind you, Rotor!" Tails said, following the Hyper Tornado.

They did this six times, hitting twelve buildings that surrounded Caliburn Labs in less than five minutes.

-With Amy and Knuckles-

Amy Rose and Knuckles the Echidna ran together, side by side while they made their way through the chaotic streets of Avalon.

Suddenly, they were bombarded by the blockade that Sally had mentioned.

"Looks like we've made it!" Amy announced, running with her arms behind her as Sonic and Knuckles did.

"I'll leave the armored cars to you. Those tanks, however, are mine!" Knuckles said with aggression and elation, feeling red kinetic lightning coursing through his eyes and body with excitement, much like Sonic himself.

"Thanks!" Amy said with a similar attitude as she summoned her Piko Piko Hammer.

Knuckles leaped ahead, skipping most of the armored and armed cars by gliding to get to the areas where the tanks sat. Meanwhile, Amy watched as the first car attempted to blast her with lasers to incinerate her. The Wake Mob underestimated the pink Little Planet native as she used Quick Step to dodge all incoming fire.

Pointing at the armored car, Amy commanded, "Launch!"

Suddenly, the armored car was launched twenty feet into the air via Amy manipulating the gravel to form a spike through Vibe Shifting. Gathering her magical power, Amy double-jumped into the air, then spun her hammer like a propeller, allowing her temporary flight to catch up with the vehicle.

Just then, Amy spotted the driver of the armored car, a Mobian male owl. He jumped out to save himself with a parachute in tow. When spotting three other armored cars looking up at her, a mischievous grin appeared on her face. She used her magic to form a circle of fortune cards around her to slow her descent while transforming her hammer. In mid-transformation, Amy reeled her hammer overhead and backward, aiming the hammerhead toward the empty armored car. But the Piko Piko Hammer morphed into the Large Hammer, and the drivers of the three vehicles ran out of their cars out of fear for their lives. That was a great choice as Amy's hammer strike decimated four armored cars in one attack.

Amy gracefully descended to the ground with her magic as her hammer reverted to its base form.

"Hmph!" Amy huffed. "That's what they get for being ugly!"

"Hey, hey, hey! It's Amy Rose in the flesh!" A high-pitched and manic voice spoke.

Amy turned around to see Bean approaching her with a zany expression.

"It's an honor to meet you!" Bean said, shaking her free hand. "I heard you were a real superduper hero and was close to Big Blue himself! I wonder why he's so blue? Speaking of blue, aren't you Sonic's not-girlfriend?"

Amy looked at the duck for a moment, not showing her growing annoyance and irrationality toward the newcomer, She would have spared the young duck if it weren't for the fact that his bandana that was tied around his neck had the same color scheme and symbol as the rest of the Wake Mob grunts. This was all that Amy needed before a fiery aura surrounded her.

In a flash, Bean crashed into the nearest building through a window and landed near a Royal Army cop car in a bruised daze, much to the nearest knights' bewilderment.

Over in Knuckles' area, the echidna touched down on the ground. Some Wake Mob members who escaped their armored cars decided to bombard Knuckles with lasers. This did nothing to damage the Yaotl survivor, only to annoy him. In three swift jabs, the members fell unconscious.

Due to this, one of the four tanks managed to aim their barrel at the echidna and fire a shell at him. Knuckles saw this, and then punched the shell right back at the tank with the force of an anti-tank rifle, destroying it and the two Wake Mob members with the vehicle.

The majority of the tanks driven by their Wake Mob members were in the midst of panicking, but before they could get a chance to escape with their lives, the wrathful Knuckles executed his Maximum Heat Attack. In a flash of blinding crimson, the tanks were torn to pieces. The echidna did not show mercy, leaving at least six tanks and their occupants to be destroyed by the explosion.

When one tank remained, Knuckles charged at it. Inside it, two young Mobian falcons trembled at the power this unusually red and bulky echidna displayed. But instead of being met with their end, they watched as the top of the tank was torn off.

Now, the two falcons were met with the World's Strongest Echidna glaring at them with his violet irises surging with red electricity.

-With Bunnie and Antoine-

The cyborg Mobian rabbit ran in front of Antonie with her standard energy shield activated to protect her and her man from incoming lasers and bullets. Meanwhile, Antoine used his new enchanted sword, Gastiga, to reflect lasers fired in their direction back at the shooters, either fatally wounding them or stunning them.

Currently, the couple dashed through the streets of Avalon in search of the squadron General Armand D'Coolette commanded.

"Do you see his coordinates, mon amor?" Antoine questioned, turning the corner.

Bunnie answered, "Sure do, Sugar! The general's squad is up ahead!"

After a quick sprint, Antoine and Bunnie spotted General Armand and several GUN soldiers holding off a squad of Wake Mob grunts that were armed with laser guns.

The couple could see the combined efforts of Acornian knights and GUN soldiers fend off the Wake Mob terrorists and struggle due to the attacks having numbers on their side.

At this point, the shelter and the civilians were on the verge of being swarmed.

Armand found himself hit on the right shoulder by a laser, prompting him to drop his sword and hold his wound. He would have been killed then and there if it wasn't for Antoine's immediate intervention.

The younger Mobian coyote cut his father's assailant with a single swing of Gastiga. This left Armand stunned.

"Fils?" Armand uttered while gritting his teeth from the burn he had inflicted.

Antoine called for two knights, then told him, "Take him to zhe shelter for treatment. Bunnie and I will be taking over."

The two knights nodded and took their general away, but not before Armand told his son, "Fils! I'm proud, and so would your mother be."

The younger swordsman nodded before taking Armand's place, leading the knights to stage a counterattack with Gastiga in both hands.

Bunnie, meanwhile, stood with the small number of GUN soldiers. The Overlanders struggled with the Wake Mob grunts, who outnumbered both the knights and the human soldiers.

Seeing that Bunnie was the new addition and a potential threat, most grunts focused their efforts on her. Bunnie smirked as she watched the barrage of lasers fired her way. She immediately activated her Erebite-powered energy shield, robbing the lasers of their light-based energy rather than obstructing the blasts.

From there, Antoine came out of nowhere. empowered by his sword's magic, Antoine blurred and cut through several Wake Mob grunts' firearms, striking them with punches and kicks and immobilizing them.

Bunnie approached her boyfriend and teasingly said, "Looks like yer gettin' the hang o' your new toy like I am, eh Sugar?"

"Oui," Antoine chuckled.

"Incoming!" A random GUN shouted before everybody jumped to the ground to duck for cover.

Thankfully, everybody avoided being on the receiving end of a missile. When Antoine, Bunnie, the knights, and the

The Wake Mob called for their reinforcements in the form of a stolen GUN Big Foot with a white and black paint job with the Wake Mob's logo.

"T-That's one of our Big Foot units!" A random GUN soldier gasped.

Another GUN soldier queried, "But how!?"

The Wake Mob grunt began firing more missiles, ready to kill the opposition. Bunnie saw this, smirked, then held up her robotic arm. She stuck out her four fingers and fired a magenta beam, cutting through the machine and destroying the Big Foot machine in seconds.

Antoine, the Gun soldiers, and Royal Acornian knights shivered as they watched Bunnie wallop every Mobian bird wearing white and black body suits until the opposition was rendered unconscious with her mechanical arm surging with electricity.

"...There! All done!" Bunnie said after wrangling the Wake Mob members with a cable cord construct she generated.

The men silently agreed on one thing. Never enrage the Southern Mobian cyborg.

-With Sonic and Sally-

A blue streak sped through the streets of Avalon. This was Sonic the Hedgehog, holding Princess Sally in his arms bridal style, dodging lasers from enemies he immediately left in the dust.

"Sonic, up ahead!" Sally cried.

Moving up the streets the hedgehog spotted Amy and Knuckles among the destroyed tanks and armored cars while many of the Wake Mob members that weren't killed were being detained by authorities.

"Alright!" Sonic grinned.

Sonic managed to jump over the wreckage of Knuckles and Amy's handiwork while he and Sally waved at them in mid-air.

When moving up three blocks, Sally spoke to Sonic.

"Sonic put me down for a second! I can keep up on my own, now!" Sally shouted at him, given how fast he was moving.

Sonic was about to question her when his Soul Tracing ability picked up the swelling of confidence the chipmunk had. Respecting it and her, Sonic slid to a stop and put Sally down while his new shoes made a sound compared to car tires.

From there, Sally took a deep breath and thought to herself, '...Here I go.'

Sally folded her hands together to begin the enchantment using Source Magick. Channeling the inner magical energy she absorbed from the Deep Power Stones, Sally summoned a golden ring composed of energy that traveled across her body from head to toe. Once the enchantment was complete, the ring vanished and a thin violet outline formed around the princess.

Sonic marveled at the power that was coming from the princess.

"Look at you," Sonic said with a little chuckle. "Been busy on Christmas Island, eh Red?"

"It wasn't exactly a holiday trip, Blue," Sally said before turning to the street and taking a crouching start position. "You ready to eat my dust?"

"Oh ho ho! Boastful, are we-" Sonic grinned before sensing nearly fifty people approaching their way with the intent of killing them. "...Sally, we've got trouble!"

Suddenly, forty-nine Wake Mob grunts with a captain came sprinting, armed with their firearms and missile launchers.

While the grunts surrounded the two Freedom Fights and aimed their weapons at Sonic and Sally, the captain ordered, "Surrender yourselves to the Great Battle Madam and the Wake Mob!"

Sonic glared at the group that surrounded him and Sally.

"I said hands in the air!"

He smacked his lips disrespectfully and was prepared to blitz them himself.

"Ya'll are just asking to get blitzed… " Sonic muttered, readying to Boost through the grunts when Sally placed an arm in front of him.

"Wait," Sally said before extending that arm's hand to Sonic. "Take my hand. I want to try something…"

This earned her a questioning glance from the World's Fastest Hedgehog.

"Do you trust me, Sonic?" Sally questioned.

Sonic didn't even hesitate. He took Sally's hand on sheer instinct when he sensed the spike of deadly intent reach its peak.

"Fire!"

Sonic and Sally's enhanced reaction time came in clutch when the two avoided the Wake Mob's line of fire by jumping twenty feet in the air. The two shared a high-five before clasping each other's right hands. From contact with each other's hands, something incredible occurred.

Sonic's kinetic power began to combine and synchronize with Sally's enchantment. As a result, the two began to spin in a brown and blue ball in a rapid motion while suspended in mid-air. Without warning, the two descended to the ground and then executed a rolling Combo Attack, barreling through the fifty-foot soldiers with ease.

Once they separated, the two dashed forward on the road to Caliburn Labs. Along the way, Sonic and Sally punched, kicked, and blitzed through multiple grunts with no effort without fatally wounding them.

While running alongside the princess, Sonic raced tremendously. Usually, he would chalk it up to adrenaline, but he knew this wasn't the case. The feeling of Sally's unique magic increased his rush whenever running at top speeds or trashing Eggman's Badniks.

'Woah! Man… that was…wow!' Sonic thought in awe. 'That power of hers is something else! To think she's gotten so strong in such a short time! She's really one hell of a lady!'

It took Sonic and Sally three minutes to get to their desired location, but they eventually made it to the parking lot of Caliburn Labs.

Sonic and Sally made a full stop once they stood in the middle of the parking lot. From there, Sally's enchanted aura vanished, regressing her to her normal peak Mobian strength.

"Phew!" Sonic sighed, wiping his forehead off. "Just made it!"

"We need to get inside the lab immediately," Sally reminded Sonic.

"I don't think so!"

Sensing immediate killing intent, Sonic grabbed Sally and jumped back, avoiding a laser blast and saving her from death again.

The two were met with an airborne Nephthys that perched herself on a street light.

"Nephthys!" Sally hissed.

"Well, if it isn't Princess Sally. You've grown since the Day of Reckoning." Nephthys commented before noticing Sonic. "That's a quick little helper you got there. Is he a new lackey?"

"I'm no lackey!" Sonic said with a frown while pointing his right thumb to himself. "I'm Sonic! Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Ah, yes! The so-called Hero of Mobius," Nepththys mocked. "How's that island of yours doing these days?"

"It's a little under the weather, much like your brain-dead cronies," Sonic retorted smoothly, successfully getting under her skin.

As a response, she fired three blasts at Sonic at point-blank range, but Sonic's faster reaction time resulted in him dodging each blast with ease. Sonic retaliated by sending a Sonic Boom attack toward the Mobian terrorist, but she evaded it by jumping to a nearby car behind them.

'...Damn! I cannot afford a confrontation with this Azurite brat!' The terrorist thought.

"I see that you're as quick as you are witty like the rumors claim," Nephthys evenly stated. "I suggest that you run along, little freedom lackey. The princess and I have some catching up to do."

Sonic narrowed his eyes at the vulture and prepared to defy her when Sally spoke to him.

"Sonic, don't." The princess said, prompting him to turn the chipmunk.

She formed blades from her Blue Ring cuffs while facing Nephthys. She then turned her head toward the speedy adventurer.

"I'll deal with Nephthys, myself," Sally mentioned. "I'll leave the rest to you,"

Sonic nodded, trusting his leader's judgment before curling into a ball and crashing into the lab's nearest window, leaving a blue blur behind.

Nephthys hopped out of the car and prepared her talons while saying, "That's an interesting addition, I'll admit. But he'll make no difference."

"Have you lost your mind!?" Sally shouted, outraged at the carnage Avalon suffered.

"Hpmh! I should be the one asking that to you precious father," Nephthys snorted while crossing her arms. "But since he's too important to see me at the moment, I'll use your broken body to lure him in."

"You want to talk…?" Sally growled before dashing toward the vulture with blades extended. "...LET'S TALK!"


Caliburn Labs, Avalon, Acornia

Sonic burst through the window as a spiky ball, altering the grunts that heard the commotion in the area.

One of the Wake Mob grunts who acted as the reception desk guard was shocked that a person was strong and crazy enough to break through fiberglass.

"What the hell!?"

Sonic grinned and said to the female Wake Mob grunt, "Sorry! I'm in a hurry, and I couldn't be bothered to go through the front door."

The grunt pressed a button, prompting armed grunts to enter the area to kill Sonic.

"Get the hedgehog!"

"And we're back!" Sonic announced.

The hedgehog did not waste any time. With each Wake Mob grunt he spotted, they were knocked unconscious with a swift Homing Attack.

Once he cleared out the grunts, Sonic ran through a few corridors. However, the Wake Mob threw a curveball by accessing the laboratory's built-in lockdown system, causing all doors to shut.

On top of this, the cameras ejected their built-in lasers made to stun intruders and started fire at Sonic.

"Uh oh!" Sonic chuckled to himself. "Looks like I've done it now!"

Sonic resorted to jumping on the wall and quickly performed a Triangle Jump in front of the cameras, destroying the lasers.

After forty-five seconds Sonic managed to escape the lockdown protocol and track the hostages by sensing their fear through Soul Tracing. From there, it took five seconds before Sonic made it to the specific laboratory.

"Hey," Sonic said, making his presence known. "Care to add room from one more?"

When Sonic arrived, hostages made up of Overlander scientists and Mobian scientists felt their hearts leap in joy, knowing that their prayers had been answered.

Dr. Ellidy's eyes widened as he thought he saw a ghost in the flesh.

'...Is that Jules?' The older Mobian lynx pondered before noticing the brighter fur, paler muzzle, and the strikingly emerald green irises.

Just then, all of the Wake Mob grunts pointed their firearms at Sonic, prompting the hedgehog to chuckle despite the dire situation.

"Tough crowd…" Muttered before an older and grave voice spoke adjacent to him.

"Hands up, Hedgehog," The voice spoke with hostility.

Sonic turned to see the owner of the voice. He appeared to be a male Mobian owl with a thick long white beard that wore a white lab coat, black pants, no shoes, and round glasses.

This was Dr. Fukurov, Nephthys' second-in-command.

"Do even think about moving, boy! You won't be able to escape." Fukurov stated with a confident smirk.


Avalon, Acornia

Sally and Nephthys engaged in battle in the middle of a parking lot. At first, the older Mobian woman decided to play with her opponent by taking flight using her cape. This gave the vulture an advantage, as she tried lunging at Sally with her sharp talons attached to her cape.

Sally avoided being throttled and thrown around like a ragdoll, only being grazed every so often. Noticing that her cape was giving her the aerial advantage, Sally took advantage of Nephthys' carelessness and swiped her laser gun, then blasted a hole in Nephthys' cape, grounding the disgruntled Mobian vulture.

The princess tossed the gun aside, wishing to settle the score with her hands and Ring Blades. Nephthys obliged and engaged the younger Mobian with her hands and cape since the tips of it were sharp enough to cut through metal.

Sally and Nephthys exchanged swipes and kicks, with the vulture on the offensive. Sally dodged a lunge from her and responded by throwing a high sidekick at the older woman's head and chest. Nephythys leaned her head to the side to avoid Sally's high kick and blocked the sidekick with her forearm.

Sally then channeled Source Magick toward her right leg, augmenting its strength. In a swift motion, Nephthys staggered backward after being on the receiving end of a strong roundhouse kick.

While wiping the blood from her beak, Nephthys stated, "...I'll give you credit, princess, you've gotten better. Much better."

"Why are you doing this!?" Sally demanded. "Why attack your people and betray everything we stand for!?"

"My people?" Nephthys snorted sardonically. "You aren't my people, and the only traitors that I can see are you and this entire nation!"

Nephthys quickly cleared the gap between herself and her opponent, striking Sally in the sternum, then punishing the princess with a right hook that sent her sprawling to the ground. The chipmunk then rolled away from getting her head crushed by one of Nephthys' legs.

She quickly backflipped to at least ten feet back, then landed on top of an SUV for higher elevation.

"Are you hearing yourself!? We're all fighting on the same side!" Sally reminded the older Mobian. "We always have been, Nephthys! Did the Day Of Reckoning not mean anything to you!?"

"You and I are not the same, girl!" Nephthys hissed. "Your father and this kingdom have sided with the bastards that slaughtered millions of Mobian kind! And their ancestors murdered billions more! How could you sleep at night knowing that our soldiers' blood sweat and tears amounted to nothing!"

Out of anger, Nephthys revealed another laser gun she had hidden and fired at the princess.

Sally shifted one of her Ring Blades into a shield to protect herself.

"N-Nephthys! The Great War is over, and greater foes have emerged that threaten our world! We can't afford to waste our time clinging to old grudges to the planet's determent!"

Sally used her shield construct to redirect the laser blasts at Nephthys, injuring one of her shoulders and prompting her to drop her firearm as she collapsed to one knee.

The auburn-haired chipmunk approached with her Ring Blade extended, but her demeanor was juxtaposed with the tone of her voice.

"The only way to ensure our survival and safety is to work together…" The princess stated.

"...Never!" Said Nephthys, never hiding the bitterness in her heart. "You're insane if you expect me to cooperate with their kind."

"It doesn't have to be this way," Sally said, trying to be diplomatic.

"Spare me your diplomacy, princess," Nephthys spat. "Where was your father's concern with our safety after the United Federation set fire to my island and terrorized my people? Where was Acornia's support after my husband, my people's leader, was executed?"

This left Sally silent as the vulture stood up with a visible cauterized wound on her shoulder, staring at the girl defiantly.

"The day before we charged at Naugus' stronghold, you made a speech about freedom and justice for all Mobians under oppression. You prattled on about how we should support each other in harsh times. I chose to swallow my pride as a leader of an autonomous people and lend you my wing that day, believing that you could help us rebuild, and heal. I watched you help the wolves, the desert dwellers in Shamar, and your precious Lotus King in Chun-nan, patiently waiting for assistance. …You never came." Nephthys said with her eyes narrowed and her voice filled with venom and contempt. "So, I concluded not to trust you Acornians or your exclusive associates."

As a tremendous wave of guilt washed over the princess, Nephthys continued, "I did not sacrifice nearly everything I have in life for you fools to disregard the Overlanders' heinous crimes because you believe that we're recognized as their equals! What do you think will happen when the sorcerer and that fat bastard die? Who do you think will turn against who first?"

"..."

"Wake up, princess. We both know who the real enemy is." Nephthys stated. "If you or the alliance cannot see reason and reconsider who to keep close to, then you will suffer just like Cocoa Island did. Like I did."

Sally furrowed her brow at the woman's pessimism but didn't let it stop her from reaching out.

"We've both endured pain, Nephthys. We've both lost things. I cannot imagine the feeling of losing a child… But even in our darkest hour, we cannot let ourselves drown in misery." Sally said as she pointed to the streets of Avalon. "As bleak as today seems, you still have a chance to change things out there. To shape a brighter future."

Nephthys stayed silent for a moment as Sally offered, "Turn yourself in, Nephthys. There's still hope for redemption, but you have to leave this destructive path and let this hate go."

The masked Mobian vulture tried throttling Sally out of anger, only for the chipmunk to dodge.

"Fool! This country is filled with nothing but traitorous fools!" Nephthys screamed. "And your father is the biggest fool of them all! There will be no peace between us and the Overlanders, and your preachings of this passive nonsense will lead our kind to ruin, just like your old capital!"

Sally inwardly winced at the apt comparison, then said, "What makes you think what you're doing is any better!? You can disagree and be angry at my kingdom, you can even curse my father's name, but did you stop to think about the children's future that you're jeopardizing?"

Nephthys stopped for a moment to think about the girl's words, then recalled having to bury both her husband and her son.

This reinstilled the festering anger and bitterness within his being.

"...Traitors do not deserve that luxury, age be damned." Nephthys cooly stated, preparing to battle her opponent.

'...She's lost it. There's no saving her.' Sally recognized while reading the vulture's eyes.

With no other choice, Sally solemnly accepted Nephthy's response by saying, "...Very well. Then I'll stop you, no matter the cost!"

The two lunged at each other, continuing their battle.


Caliburn Labs, Avalon, Acornia

Sonic felt numb. When his nose detected the familiar stench of iron, he knew he was in for something gruesome. But even with years of adventuring under his metaphorical belt, nothing prepared him for the sight of a fresh human corpse with burned chunks of matter and blood splattered on the floor.

His stomach felt queasy, on the verge of vomiting from the horrid sight. But he couldn't. Not in the position that he was in.

Sonic had to distract himself with the current mission in hand. That's when the previous statement played in his mind.

Sonic looked at the unfamiliar owl with curiosity after processing what he said. He mentally placed the dire situation on the back burner to humor him.

Raising his eyebrows while his hands were still in the air, Sonic asked, "...Uh, have we met somewhere?"

The old and bitter owl scoffed and said, "Of course we haven't, you spiky blue hooligan! But I recognize you and your little bi-plane anywhere. Something about that piece of junk drives me up the wall… That and I just so happen to loathe you, and you twin-tailed freak of a lackey even more."

"Hey, lay off Tails! He's no lackey, he's my pal and best friend!" Sonic said with an edge to his attitude. "What do you have over a guy that's done nothin' to you?"

At this point, all of the Wake Mob members, including Dr. Fukurov, laughed at the hedgehog's ignorance. This annoyed Sonic, but he knew prying the birds of information could buy him some time to find an opening for an attack. However, he knew it would be tricky given the lives of the hostages hung in the balance.

'No pressure, Hedgehog. Just keep them talkin' until the right timin'.' Sonic thought to himself while remaining outwardly calm.

"Fool! We're no mere Mobian birds! The Mob are remnants of the Battle Bird Armada, the children of Babylon!" Dr. Fukurov ranted. "Our ancestors invented flight before any other race or species on this planet! Flight is our blessing, and the skies are our birthright! The fact that you've housed and continue to support that unnatural abomination, a land dweller, leaves us rather miffed-"

"Ah, so you're elitists. That checks out." Sonic understood while muttering, clearly not liking that a political party in another supposed country had it out for his little buddy.

"-As for why I hate you? Well, what's there to say that hasn't been covered by news outlets already? You're a wild and reckless brat who was given power with no agency but for himself. You've joined forces with a coalition of traitors to their kind, inadvertently siding with our ancient adversary that destroyed Cocoa Island and killed millions of my people, including my son and my grandson..." Dr. Furukov listed while pacing back and forth.

Then Dr. Fukurov stopped as he stared at the Blue Blur with a hateful glare.

"...And anybody associated with Harvey Who is automatically deemed an enemy to me. So, all who earn our wrath will pay dearly today"

Sonic's eyes widen at the sound of his later adoptive grandfather before glaring at the old owl.

'...He must be an old enemy Old Man Owl fought during Red's grandpa's reign.' Sonic deduced.

"...Dude, you guys need to chill," Sonic said softly yet assertively. "I get that you're pissed about things, but this is going overboard. Let's all just drop the weapons before anybody else gets hurt."

"Ha! You're more arrogant than I thought!" Dr. Fukurov heckled. "Did you think I haven't accounted for your arrival?"

"Huh?" Sonic uttered, confused.

Waving his laser gun at Sonic's face, the owl said, "This gun, in particular, is designed to fire real lasers. Not those particle beams you were previously avoiding. Surely, you are the Fastest Thing Alive, but no living creature can naturally outrun light."

"Or death." One grunt heckled.

This caused Sonic to clench his jaw as he watched Dr. Fukurov and the Wake Mob grunt and laugh at his expense.

'...Great, I'm stuck and these guys have jokes.' Sonic groaned, holding back the urge to take them all down with a charged Homing Attack. 'Even if he's right about the gun, I wouldn't have time to rev in place for a Light Speed Attack.'

While the no-name scientists were busy fearing for their lives now that they had Sonic cornered, Dr. Ellidy watched the situation closely while trying to devise a plan. One that could benefit his colleague's well-being, his well-being, and Sonic's.

After all, he was born an Azurite.

The older lynx looked around to find that all the grunts were focused on Sonic and Sonic alone. Yet, no human or Mobian dared to leave, unless they wished to be gunned down for drawing unwanted attention.

'...Distance and the Babylonians having us as hostages are problems for him.' Dr. Ellidy thought to himself as he looked for ways to turn the situation in his favor. 'If only I can make the right move…'

Just then, a young blonde Overlander woman whispered his name toward him. The scientist was then met with a cyan-blue Energy Ring that was slid to him. When the human woman, a couple of other humans, and Mobians nodded to him, Dr. Ellidy flashed a small smile to his colleagues.

They were going to get out if it was the last thing they did.


Avalon, Acornia

Sally was growing tired of the battle. Not physically, as her stamina vastly improved during her time on Christmas Island, but rather Sally's patience was growing thin due to the stubbornness of the vulture woman.

While Sally allowed for the Babylonian vulture to "gain" the upper hand in their battle, the Mobian woman began to talk down on the princess.

"You're getting sloppy, Princess," Nephthys said while easily parrying Sally's intentionally sluggish swipes and counter attacking. "You can't fight forever, especially with my experience giving me the advantage!"

Sally rolled under a spinning kick from Nephthys, blocked a punch, but allowed her to be pushed into a nearby car. She then rolled out of the way, avoiding a blow that cracked through the vehicle's windshield.

The chipmunk launched herself at the vulture's masked face, wrapped her legs around it, and then threw her to a car with great force, causing Nephthys to crash onto the back of a truck.

As retaliation, the Babylonian terrorist quickly got up from the truck and blitzed the princess. Sally was violently shoved onto the back of a pickup truck.

"You know what I'm capable of, and you know I won't stop," Nephthys growled.

"So?" Sally fired back. "It never stopped us before!"

Nephthys responded by punching the younger Mobian chipmunk in the sternum two times, then punched in the left cheek.

"This isn't like the Battle For Mobotropolis where you got lucky! And unlike Naugus, I won't spare you out of a whim! So why don't you give up?"

From there, Sally suddenly started to chuckle at the vulture woman's demand.

"Give up?" Sally snorted, tasting blood. "Neph, we haven't even started trying."

"WHAT!?"

Sally glowed gold for a moment, catching Nephthys off guard. With ease, Sally pried the woman's hands off of her with ease.

And in a flash, Nephthys found herself dazed before her arms were placed behind her. The next thing that she knew, the Babylonian found herself handcuffed to a pole with Sally standing in front of her.

"Coward…!" Nephthys hissed, trying to get out of her restrained position. "You should have killed me!"

"No," Sally declined, shaking her head. "Enough blood has been spilled today, and you have much to answer for."

Sally walked a few steps away, taking out her handheld to contact reinforcements to collect her prisoner. Meanwhile, the Mobian vulture was left to her dark brooding thoughts when she received a message.

"The "Big Guy" has been secured, Madam!" A grunt stated, causing an ominous smile to smirk.

"...Good, wait on her mark," Nephthys ordered.


Caliburn Labs, Avalon, Acornia

Dr. Fukurov enjoyed a laugh with his subordinates at Sonic's expense. They had him right where they wanted him, and now the Wake Mob can do what Dr. Robotnik spent years failing to do and kill Sonic the Hedgehog.

Of course, using the laser gun to kill Sonic wasn't cathartic enough. The old Babylonian wanted his homicide to have dramatic irony involved.

Before any of the Wake Mob members could fire at Sonic, Dr. Fukurov said, "Hold it!"

Sonic and the surrounding grunts stared at the elder Mobian owl, perplexed at his decision. He put his real laser gun in his coat, then walked over to one grunt that held a stolen GUN model rifle.

"Give me that!" Dr Fukurov said, snatching the firearm from the random Wake Mob grunt, inspecting its condition. "...Good, it's still loaded."

As he walked over to the Azurite, Dr. Fukurov flashed a sinister grin. He aimed the gun at Sonic.

"With you out of the picture, we can proceed with our plans. After our plan is finished and as I'll be sure that your little freak follows closely behind as a small comforting gesture. Oh, and given my regards to Harvey when you see him in hel-"

A load boom captured the ears of everybody as Dr. Fukurov gasped. The back of his shoulder burned as he dropped his firearm and collapsed onto the ground.

Everybody turned around to see Dr. Ellidy, holding a construct of a pistol.

"OLIVER, MOVE!" He told Sonic.

"Kill him!" A random grunt shouted.

Just then, all Wake Mob members pulled the trigger of their plasma guns. Sonic's eyes widened as he unknowingly pulled a small portion of Raw Sol Energy from the mystical Daevic Ring. The silver metallic ring glowed yellow-orange, entering the Ignition Stage as he used the Flow Path and Armament Path.

The Sol Energy formed a yellow-orange outline that surrounded Sonic's figure as everything slowed down for him. The plasma beams that traveled mid-air to fry the middle-aged Mobian Lynx moved at a slug's pace. This made it manageable for Sonic to get to him.

Sonic had entered what he would later call Mach Time.

When Sonic noticed this difference, he avoided the beams to get to Dr. Ellidy. He replaced the lynx with a table from a nearby room, then carried Dr. Ellidy away from the line of fire. Once Ellidy was safe, Sonic took away everybody's guns, took one of their hands, and directed them to punch themselves in the face.

Recalling the importance of Ellidy, Sonic took him outside of the laboratory before he subconsciously returned the Daevic Ring's Raw Sol Energy to its source, taking him out of Mach Time and reverting the ring back to its Default State.

However, when all of the goons knocked themselves out with their own punches, one of the stray plasma blasts shot a random beaker filled with chemicals, causing a chain reaction that led to an explosion, followed by a chemical fire while everybody, including the civilians, was left inside.


Avalon, Acornia

It didn't take long for most of the Freedom Fighters and Knuckles to complete their tasks. Amy and Knuckles met up with each other, then ran into Tails and Rotor, who had placed both Tornados jet planes in secure and safe locations.

Soon enough, before they met the princess, Bunnie, and Antoine intercepted them. Soon enough, the entire group found Sally nearby while Nephthys was handcuffed to a pole.

Sally heard the group approaching them, then said, "Status report."

"Aerial threats, neutralized," Rotor reported while Tails nodded.

"All armored assault vehicles, down!" Amy reported.

"And I got a little bonus," Knuckles revealed, showing the group the fifth Master Emerald shard.

"A Master Emerald piece!" Tails gasped.

"Where did you…?" Sally questioned.

"Some punk in that bird brain's clique decided to rob a jewelry store while dosing in their tanks." Knuckles explained, while bumping his fists together. "I showed him what for."

"I see," Sally nodded before turning to Antoine and Bunnie.

"While casualties were kept to a minimum, a majority of civilians have retreated to zhe shelters and are under Royal Army and GUN protection." Antoine reported.

"Well done," Sally nodded, "Now, we can meet with Son-"

Suddenly, a loud explosion engulfed Caliburn Labs, shaking the entire street and the feet of Knuckles and the Freedom Fighters.

The others felt their eyes widen at the destruction.

"No…!" Rotor gasped.

"Dr. Ellidy!" Bunnie recalled in concern.

"Sonic!" Tails, Amy, and Knuckles added.

Immediately, Sally summoned NICOLE from her handheld in her holo-lynx form.

"NICOLE, neutralize Nephthys and carry her!" Sally ordered with urgency.

NICOLE recognized the urgency in the princess' voice and shocked Nephthys into unconsciousness, uncuffed her temporarily before creating a bubble construct to keep her contained and to move her.

With that, Knuckles and the Freedom Fighters rushed over to the burning building.


Caliburn Labs, Avalon, Acornia

The group took no time to reach the front of the burning lab, which activated its fire sprinklers to subdue the flames.

They were expected to brace themselves for the first when Sally and others spotted nearly all of the scientists, both human and Mobian, surrounding what seemed to be two people. When the group approached the larger crowd, they found Sonic and Dr. Ellidy conversing with the two while GUN soldiers and members of the Royal Army pulled up, slowly bringing every single unconscious Wake Mob terrorist to a police truck.

"SONIC!" Amy shouted, prompting the hedgehog and the rest of the crowd to turn around.

Everybody in the crowd wearing lab coats immediately parted like the Red Sea as a pink blur connected to Sonic. Thankfully, Sonic was prepared and managed to stand his ground while Amy hysterically clinged onto him.

"Thank Chaos, you're okay! We thought you couldn't make it out in time with everybody!" The pink Mobian expressed.

Everybody felt a bead of sweat dropping from the back of their head, with Dr. Ellidy and Sonic sharing a dry glance.

"Classic Amy," Tails and Knuckles mused.

Sonic tilted his head and decided to tease his clingy friend a bit with a bit of a setup.

"Um, Amy, could you-"

When she realized what Sonic was going to ask her, she quickly got off of her crush and friend with a bit of a blush, sheepishly apologizing out of embarrassment.

"Oh, right! Sorry about that," Amy said, rubbing the back of her neck.

"It's okay. I guess old habits are hard to kick, eh?" Sonic said, earning some chuckles from Knuckles, the Freedom Fighters, and most of the adults that were saved.

Sally approached with NICOLE following close behind. Dr. Ellidy noticed the holo lynx and nodded while greeting his creation.

"Hey Sonic, guys what!" Tails said, earning the Blue Blur's attention. "Knuckles found another shard!"

Sonic gave the red echidna a thumb's up, saying, "Ride on, Knux!"

Knuckles nodded with a satisfied smile.

"NICOLE," Dr. Ellidy said, cordially.

"Doctor," NICOLE responded similarly, acknowledging her creator.

Sally said to Sonic, "I see that my trust wasn't misplaced. I take it everybody's here?"

Sonic averted his eyes with a disheartened expression as he revealed, "...One guy didn't make it."

"Oh…" Sally uttered softly while wincing. "That's unfortunate."

"Yeah, but I got everyone else out of there before the great big firework went off," Sonic said, trying to maintain his upbeat nature. "That counts for somethin'!"

"Not that I doubt your abilities, but you must have been in a pinch to pull it off with your restrictions and all." Sally pointed out. "Especially saving both allies and foes?"

"You can say that…" Sonic admitted, scratching his left cheek, sheepishly.

"Oh? How did you handle the situation there?" Sally inquired.

"Well…" Sonic verbally pondered.

-Flashback, Moments Before the Explosion-

The moment that the lasers hit the table and incinerated everything, the Mobian and human scientists looked around to find Sonic standing where he was with Dr. Ellidy next to him while all of the Wake Mob members were knocked unconscious.

"Is it over, Lord?" A young blonde Overlander said, praying for her safety.

A male Mobian dog confirmed it, joyfully saying, "We're saved!"

"Hallelujah!" Some of the humans said as the scientists from both species cheered and cried with each other.

Sonic saw this and smiled, thinking, '...Not bad, not bad at all.'

"You," Dr. Ellidy called to Sonic. "You're Jules and Bernie's boy, aren't you?"

Sonic turned to Dr. James Ellidy and gave him a curious glance.

"Apparently so." Sonic said, shrugging his shoulders. "Do you know who my folks were?"

"Know them? Sir Charles is my childhood friend. I also attended your parents' wedding, and I was the one who named you two days after you were born." Dr. Ellidy stated.

"Seriously?" Sonic uttered, surprised at the revelation. "Isn't my first name a little random?"

"Random? Had Sir Charles told you nothing? I am from Lazuciel, Azuron's capital. I was close with the princess' chosen knights. In being affiliated with your uncle, I am partly close to your father. While troublesome and a pain in the tail at times, he was a good man that stood by his morals. Though, he would come into conflict with the dutiful and loyal Sir Oliver."

"Sir Oliver?" Sonic parroted while raising a brow.

"Yes. Sir Oliver Gareth of Zephyr, or Oliver I." Dr. Ellidy clarified. "The strongest knight from the Order of the Azure. He was also King Nicholas' illegitimate child and your mother's elder brother. This makes you Oliver II."

'Ma had a brother? That's the first time I've heard of this.' Sonic thought.

"And you named me this because…?" Sonic questioned, crossing his arms at the bland name he had.

"Your parents, uncle, and I wanted to honor a fallen ally who risked everything for our lives. That, Your father and I hope you'd take on the family tradition and become a strong knight like himself and his brothers." The scientist said, looking back in the past before sighing. "...But it seems that the gods had other plans."

Sonic nodded and gave the man an empathetic smile, saying, "Life can get pretty ugly sometimes, but I'm glad to be here. Oh, and I'm going by Sonic now."

"So I've heard." Dr Ellidy amused.

Sonic smiled at the lynx but immediately sneezed once smoke invaded his nostrils.

When Dr. Ellidy took a whiff, an urgent expression formed.

He stated, "Something's burning!"

An ear-piercing shriek from women of both species rang through the building. Both Mobians turned around to find a chemical fire spreading to other beakers. Panic ensured amongst both Mobians and Overlanders scrambled.

"Somebody put the fire out or the building will explode!" A random Mobian screamed.

One human tried to grab a fire extinguisher to stop the flames, but it was too late.

Once Sonic noticed the number of people that were in the building, including the unconscious Wake Mob grunts, a chain reaction quickly became an explosion.

However, the combustion of chemical flames slowed down as Sonic entered Mach Time once more. His body drew Raw Sol Energy, prompting the Daevic Ring to enter its Ignition Stage from moderate usage.

With his perception more enhanced than normal, and having a yellowish-orange outline surrounding the Blue Blur, Sonic began to make his move. Starting with Dr. Ellidy, Sonic took short trips getting every last faculty member, Overlander participants, and Wake Mob terrorist out facility, taking their fates in his hands in a figurative and literal sense.

The task was simple, yet daunting, as the Fastest Thing Alive knew that Raw Sol Energy was a power he was still getting used to tapping into given how foreign it felt compared to Chaos Energy, both positive and negative. That, and the longer he used it, the more it could wear out his body if he went overboard.

Thankfully, Sonic managed to save the last person, the female Wake Mob grunt (receptionist) before the fire engulfed most of the building.

By the time Sonic's ring reverted to its Default Mode and his perception became normal, the explosion went off.

Sonic let out an exasperated sigh, saying, "...Wow!"

-Flashback Ends-

Sonic chuckled at Sally, shook his head, and said, "...It was a bit of trouble, but nothin' I couldn't handle."

"Typical." Knuckles snorted. "When it comes to you, there's bound to be trouble."

"You're the one to talk, Knucklehead!" Sonic playfully chided, prompting the others to share a laugh.

After a couple of missed past, firefighters arrived to take care of the fires around the city.

The Royal Army arrived at the lab with reinforcements and began apprehending the Wake Mob, including Bean and Dr. Fukurov.

Soon enough, notable members of GUN and the Royal Army approached Knuckles and the Knothole Freedom Fighters.

For the Royal Army, General Armand came with Sir Arthur supporting him. On GUN's side, there was Captain Herman and Lieutenant Topaz. However, a familiar face followed Topaz, one that Sonic, in particular, hadn't seen since the Black Arms' invasion.

"No way! Is that you, Rouge?" Sonic asked, noticing the new jumpsuit that she wore.

"Long time, no see, Big Blue." Rouge said with a wink. "It's good to see you up and running again."

"Thanks!" Sonic said, saluting her.

The white bat waved to Knuckles, greeting, "And how's my favorite guardian been doing?"

"Just fine, bat girl." Grumbled Knuckles, averting his eyes elsewhere.

"Heh. Always the charmer," Rouge quipped, placing her left hand on her cheek.

"Am I missing something," Rotor asked Tails in a whisper.

"She tried to steal his Master Emerald on several occasions." Tails answered in a whisper. "They used to get violent in their rivalry, but then feelings got involved or something like that. I'm not sure what they are like nowadays."

"Ah, say no more." Rotor understood.

"I guess old habits die hard, eh Knuckles?" Amy teased, prompting a comical vein to bulge from the echidna's forehead.

Knuckles huffed at this comment and looked away to keep his pride intact.

General Armand gazed at his son with pride while nodding to Bunnie, giving the southern belle her due credit.

The older Mobian mongoose began speaking, "It has been a bleak day, today. In spite of this, our joint efforts yielded mostly desirable results."

"While zhere were casualties, zhey were kept to a minimum. Antoine, Bunnie, your contributions made a difference as you saved many lives today. Including mine. Well done." General Armand stated, earning grateful expressions from the Freedom Fighters mentioned.

"My reports inform me that many GUN operatives have been secured and protected on land and from the skies." Lt. Topaz said before looking at Tails, Knuckles, and Amy. "I recognize you three from the day you met the president. Good job."

The three smiled at each other while Topa turned to Rotor and said, "And your joint efforts with Tails was not left unnoticed or unappreciated."

Rotor's face flushed as he said, "Gee, thanks."

"Princess, your handling of and faith in your team's excellent coordination shows us your growth as a field leader. And your ability to best a war veteran in single combat displays your skills as a fighter. You proudly represent your kingdom and your father." Said Sir Arthur.

"Thank you, Sir Arthur," Sally expressed, bowing her head slightly.

"I hope you don't mind room for another,"

Dr. Ellidy suddenly entered the conversation and caught the military officials by surprise.

"Dr. Ellidy?" General Armand uttered.

"Your quick thinking and compassion throughout such a dire situation had saved two dozen and half from a fiery death," Dr. Ellidy stated with a proud smile, looking directly at Sonic. "You made the right call."

Topaz wrapped up the conversation, saying, "Your hard work and cooperation is much appreciated, Freedom Fighters, both on the behalf of King Acorn and President Arbuckle. Consider this mission a success."

Out of joy, the group smile at each other while some, such as Sonic, Amy, Sally, and Tails gave each other high fives. Others, like Rotor and Antoine, exchanged shoulder pats.

Sir Arthur then noticed NICOLE in her holo lynx form, holding Nephthys in a containment bubble.

"May I take her in?" The knight questioned the holo lynx.

Dr. Ellidy looked at NICOLE, who waited for Sally's permission.

The Mobian chipmunk nodded, allowing for the prisoner to be passed to the proper authorities.

The masked vulture glared at the mongoose with sheer hatred, muttering, "Stupid brat. She should have killed me…"

"Death is too good for scum like you," Sir Arthur spat while restraining the cuffed criminal. "Jail time in the Gulag is definitely on the table, though. And given the severity of the stunt you pulled, I'm sure you'll never see the light of day again."

"Oh goodie…" Nephthys mumbled as she was escorted toward a truck.

"Lieutenant, ma'am!" A GUN soldier said while approaching LT. Topaz Tower, earning everybody's attention. "Permission to speak?"

"Granted," Topaz stated calmly.

"An unidentified object was found outside of Caliburns Labs by two terrorists we've apprehended!" One GUN unit informed. "We believe it is an invention from the facility."

The scientist's eyes widened in shock and apprehension, hoping that their work hadn't been damaged.

"Bring it here." Topaz ordered.

Soon enough, both Mobians and Overlanders were met with a round machine the size of a conventional oven. Thankfully, the object didn't seem to sustain any significant damage at any time to the relief of Ellidy and his colleagues.

"Woah, it's made of Megatal! That's some state-of-the-art tech, right there." Rotor exclaimed, impressed at the machine's material.

"What is it, though?" Asked Tails.

"I'm afraid that's classified, Tails. Though, what I can say is that it's one of many attempts to depower objects that hold the Warlock's magic." Topaz cryptically explained.

"...Sweet!" Both Tails, Sonic, and Rotor uttered while the others viewed the machine in a marvelous light.

The older Mobian lynx inspected the machine, then sighed, thinking, 'Good, it's unscathed. Thank the Walkers,'

"If this thing is so important, what's it doing outside of the lab?" Knuckles questioned with his arms crossed.

"I was wondering about that myself," Rouge added, placing her right hand on her right hip. "Given the labcoats were all held in a room away from their toys."

Sally then turned to Sonic with a disapproving glare reminiscent of her late mother, "Sonic…"

The Azurite hedgehog raised both of his fingerless gloved-pawed hands defensively, saying, "Why are ya lookin' at me for? I didn't move it!"

A male brunette human wearing a lab coat and pale skin suddenly brought something up to his colleagues.

"Wait, where's the remote?" The man questioned.

The group of scientists began to search for the device but to no avail. Nobody, not even Dr. Ellidy remembered where the device was located.

"Damn, was it back in the lab?" Asked Dr. Ellidy.

"Maybe it was caught in the explosion?" Rotor offered.

While the scientists deliberated what to do next, Nephthys cackled to herself.

"What's so funny?" Sir Arthur questioned with a stern expression from behind her.

"...Oh, you'll find out soon enough," Nephthys stated before pushing a button on the missing remote which she grafted onto one of her gloves.

When she did this, the machine activated on its own, alarming all of the scientists and concerning the military officials.

"Is it on!? Shit! Someone has the remote!" One Mobian screamed.

"How!? I thought it was destroyed!" Another shouted.

"We got to do something!" One of the human scientist began panicking.

"Hold on," Topaz said. "It could be reacting to an electrical interference!"

When fully booted, the machine made a series of beeping noises before it split open. When doing so, it revealed a dark purple orb that was being generated. On a small black display screen, a digital timer appeared.

Five minutes flashed on the screen, starting off a countdown.

"WHO TURNED ON THE BOMB!?" Dr. Ellidy bellowed, whipping his head around, looking for the culprit.

"BOMB!?" Team Sonic, Amy, and the Knothole Freedom Fighters shouted.

Everybody turned when hearing the deranged laughter coming from the apprehended Nephthys, who was against the side of the Royal Army truck. She then slammed her wrists against the truck, crushing the remote beyond repair.

"Thanks for the little pet project, Jimmy," Nephthys cackled, staring at Dr. Ellidy with glee.

"MINERVA, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?" Dr. Ellidy bellowed. "YOU'VE JUST DOOMED THIS CITY!"

"It's not my fault you desperate dolts decided to play with the dark matter GUN gave you!" The vulture retorted. "And since this prototype is unstable, the gravitational field will tear this wretched town to pieces once it goes off!" Nephthys said, with her sanity derailing by the second. "By the end of it all, the dark hole it'll amass will collapse and implode!"

"You're sick!" Amy shouted at the vulture. "How could you be so heartless!?"

"My heart died a long time ago, honey. I have nothing left to lose," Nephthys grimly chimed, only to be knocked out by Sir Arthur.

In amidst the panic of the the Mobian and Overlander scientists, Sally directed her attention to Dr. Ellidy with a desperate, yet determined expression.

"Doctor, please tell me there's a way to stop the detonation manually." Sally pleaded.

Dr. Ellidy grimaced as he begrudgingly explained, "I'm afraid that's not possible. The timer's dictated by an intricate system we developed; the Quantum Dial. The dial is operated by an internal clock run by a series of gears. Once it starts… nothing is stopping it."

"Can it be destroyed before it goes off?" Knuckles questioned, hoping to settle the crisis as swiftly and simply as possible.

"Not unless you intend to wipe us and everything out within a hundred-mile radius," Eilldy grimly stated.

"Damn," Rouge and Topaz whispered to themselves, out of options.

The blue hedgehog turned to his best friend, uttering, "Tails?"

The fox quickly got in front of the bomb and tried scanning its contents with the Miles Electric.

"...Sorry, Sonic. Eggman's missile from four years ago has nothing on this bomb. I would need more time to figure out its schematics before I concretely decide on the safest method to defuse it." Tails said apologetically, looking at Sonic.

Sonic snapped his fingers from his right hand in frustration.

Antoine stated, "If we do nothing, zhen all may be lost,"

Suddenly, NICOLE appeared before the group with new information.

"Update, I have been granted access to the files of the Quantum Detonator by His Majesty," Informed the holo lynx. "I have also concluded on a theory of a possible solution."

"Atta girl, NICOLE! Whatcha got for us?" Asked Bunnie.

"The key is the Quantum Dial System itself. If one can produce an opposing force strong enough to counter the internal gear's rotation, it can nullify the gravitational field and ultimately disrupt and nullify the dark hole it will produce." NICOLE explained.

"It sounds plausible, I suppose, but it'll take a lot of power and speed!" Rotor mentioned.

Hearing the words "force", "counter", and "rotation" struck Sonic. He then raised his right hand and glanced at the Daevic Ring on his ring finger.

'...Pullin' from Raw Sol Energy gave me runnin' speed on par with my Light Speed Attack, and I was barely tapping the thing.' Sonic recognized in his mind. 'What if I draw more of it all at once? Maybe I can…'

"I got the speed," Sonic said, stepping forward with a confident and determined expression while gaining everybody's attention.

He then flashed the Daevic ring for his friends to see, uttering, "And I got the power."

This declaration alarmed all of the Freedom Fighters and Knuckles, given the dire situation and the risks he was taking.

Sonic then turned to NICOLE with a grin, asking, "You need a counterforce, right? Do I qualify for the job, Nikki?"

"Yes, but this is only a theory. If the implosion occurs, the Quantum Detonator could hit and destroy anything within its immediate vicinity." NICOLE cautioned the Blue Blur with a frown as the implications of the plan weighed heavily in the air.

Sonic was about to respond when the worst occurred. The bomb went off, causing the dark matter sphere to expand.

"IT'S TOO LATE!" Amy pointed out in a yell.

Its gravitational field began to slowly strengthen as small items such as pieces of trash, leaves, small loaded ray guns, and Flickies, and bugs quickly were swallowed. This quickly turned into mailboxes, small trees, abandoned vehicles, chunks of concrete, cobblestone, and asphalt from the ground, scraps of destroyed tanks and armored cars.

The gravity weld then tripled in size, now growing to a quarter of Caliburn Lab's parameter. Slowly, but surely, the people began to feel themselves getting pulled toward the dark matter dome's growing gravitational field

Princess Sally, recognizing the weight of the crisis that was in front of them, thought, 'Now's not the time to hesitate!'

"SONIC!" Sally cried to the Fastest Thing Alive.

Sonic turned to his friend who held out her left gloved hand. He took the chipmunk's hand with his right hand, only to feel the familiar sensation from when they approached the laboratory when executing the Combo Attack.

This was Source Magick, and Sally was supplying it, reinforcing the organic material that made up his physical body with a strengthening spell.

"W-Woah!" Sonic gasped. "Red, what are you-?"

Sonic was silenced by a serious, yet concerned glare thrown by his oldest friend.

"Go. But you better come back. Alive," Sally said, no, ordered him. "Give me your word that you'll make it."

Sonic nodded, then gently took off the princess' hand after squeezing it comfortingly.

"You got it, Your Highness," Sonic promised, giving her a soft smile and playful wink.

With that, Sonic immediately bolted toward the Quantum Detonator with a brave face and a physically augmented body.

When the Blue Blur got close enough, he noticed that the dome spiraled clockwise as it slowly grew. Seeing this, Sonic instinctively used his built up kinetic energy and executed a Sonic Boost while circling around the dome rapidly counterclockwise. Many Sonic Booms were heard across the town as the Sonic increased his velocity until the naked eye saw him as a literal azure ring.

The moment the dark hole managed to stop growing, the mystical augmentation Sally provided had worn off. However, he struggled to reach up to the speed of light manually because of it.

From a distance, Sally, Amy, Tails, Knuckles, Rouge, Dr, Ellidy the Royal Army, the blended scientists, Topaz, and units within GUN units all watched the intense yet incredible moment in awe and concern. Yet a lingering sense of hope kept them from tearing their eyes away.

"It stopped growing!" Topaz exclaimed.

"Yeah, but it looks like Sonic's having a tough time over there!" Rough pointed out.

Dr. Ellidy, realizing what Rouge meant, shouted, "The dark hole! It's drawing him in!"

"Oh no! He can't stop moving or he's done for!" Rotor understood.

"But resisting a force like zhis-" Antoine said halfway.

"-Could tear his body apart." NICOLE grimly stated.

Amy's face paled while Sally bit her lip in apprehension. The rest felt like a grim possibility fell onto them like a ton of bricks

"Come on, Sonic!" Knuckles growled under his breath. "You got this!"

Over at the dark hole, Sonic felt inexplicable pain that surpassed anything Metallix or Nazo had ever put him through. The pull of the opposing force while the friction of the wind hitting his body was tearing him apart.

It was here that Sonic realized that he couldn't continue unless he was prepared for certain death. Sure, he stared at Death's doorstep plenty of times before and gave it a confident grin. But Sonic was secured at the time, assured about himself.

Now, with mental and physical wounds still healing from everything he had gone through since South Island's destruction, Sonic did not have the same level of personal reassurance, as he still had room to grow.

And returning to the front of death's doorstep brought in a sensation of fear that he never felt since his childhood days of avoid large bodies of water.

'...I'm gonna die.' Sonic thought, understanding his reality as he circled the large dark hole.

But did the adventurer accept that? Suddenly, flashes of his life played before the Mobian.

From the earliest days in Old Mobotropolis, the coup, his faithful meeting with Harvey Who, to the first encounter with Dr. Robotnik, saving Amy, meeting Tails and Knuckles. Sonic could remember it all. Both the good times, bad times, the places he's visited, and most importantly, the friends, allies, and rivals he's met.

All of these things reminded Sonic of something important.

As long as he still could run, he could make a way out of nowhere.

His heart pounded like pistons that supported a V8 engine. His blood boiled while his adrenaline reached an all-time high.

The hedgehog clenched his right hand and thought, '...Alright, Ring! Please! …LEND ME YOUR POWER!'

Sonic made the conscious to draw in most of the power from the enchanted ring on his right hand, causing it to burn in Raw Sol Energy in its Ignition Stage. This didn't just create a yellow-orange outline but engulfed him in a flame-like aura.

Overflowing in the Daevic Ring's Energy he absorbed, Sonic shouted a command that he would later start to use constantly in the future.

"SPEED BREAK!"

The blue ring burnt a bright orange as Sonic traveled up to the speed of light, then surpassed it as the void quickly rapidly shrank.

In less than ten revolutions, the dark hole imploded, with a massive shockwave that swept across the city serving as the action's aftereffect with the inclusion of Sonic's disappearance.


?, No Zone, Multiverse

The best way to describe the No Zone is the space between all and every dimension within the vast multiverse. This included the Special Zone and Pocket Zones. All sorts of light originated here, as this was the source of the element and its variants that contain light despite of it being mostly empty space.

The few exceptions are a vibrant planet looking early similar to Mobius, millions of stars scattered across the space, and winding pathways made of purple translucent, yet solid light.

In a fiery burst, Sonic raced onto one of these random roads while still executing Speed Break. For some reason, his body felt like it had converted into a different state of being. He wasn't dead, but he wasn't exactly in the same dimension as his home in the Chaos Dimension. It was like he was existing on a completely different frequency.

Perhaps it was a result of the Daevic Ring, or entering another plane of existence. Maybe it was a combination. Sonic didn't know, all he could get was that he wasn't in Acornia anymore.

As he raced along the paths of light, he quietly noticed that what surrounded him was a vast dark space sprinkled with some of the brightest stars that he'd ever seen. Looking straight ahead, Sonic gasped in amazement at the various winding pathways that led to Giant Rings, something he hadn't seen since they reprogrammed Gemerl. He also saw a distant planet that he nearly mistook as his own.

'...What is this place?' Sonic mentally wondered before multiple lights zoomed overhead in the thousands. 'What the heck?'

Sonic looked left and right, then noticed nine individual colors gathered next to him as he ran on the road, with five on his left, and four on the right of him.

When their figures were revealed, Sonic could only identify them as squid-like, with each other being distinct in having a few short tentacles, one-to-three eyes on their faces, and large heads with oddly shaped crowns depending on the individual creatures.

The white squid-like creature flew in front of Sonic and waved at him kindly, almost like it knew Sonic.

Sonic waved back, but couldn't say anything as the eight light creatures (barring the white one) sank into the pathway which the hedgehog had tread. Meanwhile, the white light creature flung itself into Sonic's body, replenishing his potential energy for later usage.

Once the white squid-like light creature left Sonic's body, it waved goodbye and flew away.

'WOAH! First I ran outside of my dimension, and now…that? Could this day get any weirder?' Though Sonic.

In Speed Break, the Mobian zipped through different roads, in an attempt to find his way back to his universe. Under normal circumstances, he'd love to explore at his pace, but he had to get back as soon as possible, and since Sonic did not have a Chaos Emerald on him, nor did he possess a fake Emerald on hand, he had to resort to traveling on foot.

He traveled along the pathways for two minutes straight when a larger and faster golden figure ran right past the Blue Blur, catching him off guard.

'...Huh!? What was that?' Sonic questioned mentally as he tried moving closer to the figure.

Sonic watched as the being surrounded in a golden light jumped to another road and took off.

"HEY, WAIT!" Sonic shouted before doing the same. "HELP ME OUT, HERE!"

It was here where Sonic decided to race the light being, and boy, was it his greatest challenge yet. Compared to the golden entity, Sonic was slow. Even with Speed Break activated, Sonic had to inch his way to get close to the golden being. And when he caught a glimpse of the figure, it would jump across three paths before starting over again.

At certain points, Sonic would get bewildered as the golden figure would run at three pathways at once, something that even Sonic couldn't do. He had to choose a figure to chase. The hedgehog then figured out that this golden being wasn't even taking him seriously as when he caught up to the sprinting golden entity, it was moving backwards without a care.

Sonic knew this because when he got close enough, he saw a large, dark, and muscular silhouette of what seemed to be a male human taller than Eggman that was crossing his arms while its eyes narrowed in a mischievous glee akin to Sonic's attitude.

Sonic gritted his teeth in irritation but kept his cool enough to try and concentrate on catching the golden being.

The son of Queen Aleena slowly ran closer to the golden being, thinking, 'Almost there…!'

"HEY! CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO GET HOME?" Sonic questioned when he got close enough.

The golden being of light looked back at the hedgehog and offered him a smile before vanishing from sight.

Before Sonic could process what happened, he found himself going through a Giant Ring, exiting the interstate between universes.


Caliburn Labs, Avalon, Acornia

Five minutes had passed since the implosion, and there was still no sign of Sonic the Hedgehog after his disappearance. The dust had cleared up and people recovered from the shockwave.

Soon enough, the citizens began pouring back into the city and gathered at the site of the crater the implosion left. Most of the Wake Mob, including Nephthys, Dr. Fukurov, were shipped off to the capitol (New Mobotropolis) to be placed in holding cells to stand trial. Many civilians were informed of the situation and Sonic's sacrifice.

The citizens, Royal Guardsmen, GUN soldiers, the Freedom Fighters, Amy, Tails and Knuckles, Lt. CMDR Topaz, Rouge, the Mobian and Overlander scientists, and Dr. Ellidy all search for Sonic's whereabouts, but to no avail.

The average people started to assume that the worst had befallen the young Azurite. Some GUN soldiers and the Royal Army assumed the worst.

"...He's gone, right?" One of the lower-ranking Mobian knights questioned.

"No one could have survived that," Another knight said, observing the downcast coyote general and superior mongoose knight. "Not even him."

Captain Herman and Dr. Ellidy remained reserved, but their heads were down at a significant loss.

Topaz, while stoic, tries to quell her growing concern by looking to Rouge.

"Rouge…?" The Lieutenant questioned.

Rouge had a pensive yet mournful expression, watching Tails, Knuckles and the Freedom Fighters continue their search away from the sight, saying, "...I don't know."

Tails appeared in dismay, asking, "He can't be gone… Where is he?"

Antoine, Amy, and Bunnie waited with no room to breathe.

Knuckles and NICOLE kept stoic expressions while their eyes were closed, which can be seen as mourning, or it could as if they were anticipating something occuring.

Sally clasped her hands, hoping and praying that her choice was right and that Sonic would come back.

She whispered, "...Please! …Please! PLEASE!"

Suddenly, Knuckles and NICOLE's eyes widened, sensing an immediate distortion coming from the same place where the bomb was.

After five more seconds, a yellow-orange flash appeared while the sudden familiar sound of a Sonic Boom rang across the city.

Sonic made a complete stop, nearly tumbling onto the ground, leaving a fire trail in the wake of his arrival. He looked around in confusion while he recognized his surroundings and the people that were near him.

He had returned to his home dimension.

"Huh? Where did the golden man go?" Sonic asked himself as he looked around for the being he had raced, feeling the Daevic Ring's power return to the source and reverted to its Default Mode.

Sonic's return resulted in the citizens of Avalon letting out a thunderous cheer.

Sonic turned to the crowd of people, confused at his situation in spite of completing his mission.

"SONIC!"

The hedgehog was tackled to the ground by Tails and Amy, who cried into each shoulder respectively.

When he stood up, he patted the fox and the female hedgehog's back, saying, "G-Guys, it's okay! I'm fine! Honest!"

The Azurite was met with a whack on the top of his head, courtesy of Amy Rose.

"YOU RECKLESS MORON! DON'T SCARE US LIKE THAT! YOU HEAR ME, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG!?" Amy shouted.

Sonic yelped in pain, winced, then said, "...Loud and clear, Sis."

Topaz, Ellidy, and Knuckles chuckled at the sight while Rotor, Herman, and Antoine silently sighed in relief.

Sally drops to her knees, feeling them give out due to stress.

While letting out a few cascading tears, she whispered, "Thank goodness…"

Bunnie and NICOLE placed their hands on their leader and friend for support.

Rouge, Topaz, Captain Herman, and Dr. Ellidy watched as Knuckles and the other Freedom Fighters congratulated and interacted with the blue hedgehog, who gave them a weary smile

"I never imagined that Sonic could have survived a singularity," Topaz expressed.

Rouge smirked and said, "That's Sonic for you. He tends to do amazing things when he puts his mind to it."

'...Just like another hedgehog I know.' Rouge thought, thinking about one of her partners.

Captain Herman nods, saying, "It clearly shows. Perhaps working with him and his friends along with the Alliance are keys to defeating the enemy."

Topaz nodded, saying, "Well said, Captain."

"HEY! What are ya' doin!? Cut it out!" GUN soldiers and the Royal knights heard Sonic shouting.

The people of Avalon managed to hoist Sonic in the air, then up and throw him in the air, much to the Freedom Fighter's amusement and Sonic's embarrassment.

Ellidy watched with an amused exterior, only to turn to NICOLE, who was smiling at the scene.

Seeing NICOLE look so genuine, Mobian even sent a shock into the older lynx's system. During this time, Dr. Ellidy then recalled his old life in Acornia after Azuron's fall. A life that he shared with the king, Charles, Jules, and Aleena, his late wife, and then finally, the daughter he couldn't save.

NICOLE was giving him the same smile that his late daughter.

"Nikki…" Dr. Ellidy murmured as a tear cascaded from the old lynx's eyes.

Sir Arthur recognized this look and said, "Feeling nostalgic, Jim?"

Wiping the tear off, Ellidy said, "...A bit."

The mongoose looked at Jules' son and said, "That boy and the other kids, seeing them all here like this reminded me what we've fought for. What we're still fighting for."

Dr. Ellidy turned to the knight attentively,

"We're getting old, Art." Dr. Ellidy calmly. "Soon enough, this won't be our fight anymore."

"It hasn't been just our fight for over ten years," Sir. Arthur corrected the old lynx. "As old as we are and damaged as we've been, we're still needed here. It's up to the elders to prepare the next generation of leaders and ensure later generations have a bright future."

Dr. Ellidy nodded at this, then said, "That's why I accepted the collaboration with GUN's science divisions."

Within a few minutes, Sonic began to laugh, enjoying the celebratory festivities with his friends as the people of Avalon chanted his name while throwing him in the air.

To Be Continued…


Author's Notes: DSG451 is back, baby!

Didn't think you would hear from me, huh? Well, don't count me out just yet. I still got plans for this story and part one of Season 2 ain't done yet!

Sonic The Hedgehog is back with new drip and new powers to boot! Sure, he's still not completely healed, but he's more than ready to get back into swings of things and help end the war.

Sally, Bunnie, and Antoine are all now strong enough to contend with the Sonic Heroes cast thanks in part to the new upgrades they each have received.

The Wake Mob is a terrorist faction exclusive to the RESURGENCE continuity which was formed by the remnants of the Battle Kukku Empire, now led by Minerva Vulture, now called Nephthys.

Nephthys, instead of being friends with the Desert Raiders and serving as the "opposing" force to keep the peace in her region as its Egg Boss in Post-Genesis Wave canon, served as one of Sally's allies from the battle to take back Acornia and widow to the Great Battle Kukku and mother to the late Speedy.

Her descent to madness comes from the failed promises of Acornia helping out her people and leaving them without home while they accepted a future peace treaty contract after Naugus and Robotnik are dealt with.

She planned to ultimately cause irreparable damage to the Acornian Royal Crown and the Mobian Alliance, then make them pay for their betrayal of the Babylonians and Mobian-kind for siding with the United Federation.

And yes, Bean is out of prison. I don't have any use for him, so I threw him in for a gag. Also, thank you UltimateDemonBeast65 for the help in this chapter!

As for certain characters killing people, you have to understand where they stand.

For Sally, it's a bit dubious. Here, she generally doesn't like want to kill anybody, but if she is pushed to her limits, she can and will fight with the intent to end someone's life.

Bunnie is generally the same as Sally but tends to have a fiery temper that's easier to fall victim to if you push the right buttons. That doesn't guarantee her going for the kill, but it does increase the chance of that occurring.

Rotor, in my opinion, would find another way to deal with a situation rather than killing a person. In my opinion, he's the Hank Pym of the group.

Knuckles can and will kill you if he deems you an absolute danger to himself and others. He's a warrior with a sense of honor, can trust, and can discern right from wrong. Kill someone innocent and he won't hold back.

Despite how scary her power and fury could be, I do not think Amy has the stomach to take a person's life. The strongest aspect of Amy's character is her empathy and compassion for the people around her. She might if it meant a battle that depended on her willingness to survive, but I do not think Amy would kill somebody. But that doesn't mean she'd mind breaking people's bones. She could feel bad about doing so and possibly crippling enemies later.

Antoine is similar to Knuckles, except he does not have an eagerness to battle and he has a king and other superiors to answer to. If he was tasked to kill an enemy, Antione wouldn't think twice. Personally, he would avoid killing if he could and simply neutralize a foe, but his train to deal finishing blows by his father and will act if it means saving his loved ones and/or serving his kingdom.

Tails has shown to be willing to pump lead into his enemies without a second thought if he is pushed to the brink like back during SA2 aboard the ARK. But generally, killing is not on his conscience.

Sonic here is the most hesitant and actively avoids bringing and facing death. This seems OOC, but he's being written like this for a reason. There are many allusions and references to SatBK and I'm doing this purposely. But that's all that I'm saying on the matter.

Oh, and Sonic's maternal uncle is basically an OC. Sir Oliver I, Sir Arthur Mongoose (RESURGENCE), Sir Jules (RESURGENCE), and Sir Charles made up Azuron's equivalent to the Knights of the Roundtable.

Dr. Ellidy will not be too important, but he is a link to Azuron and Acornia for both Sonic and Sally.

The Quantum Detonator is based on the Quantum Dial from the Pre-Genesis Wave continuity, the Subspace Bomb from Super Smash Bros. Brawl's Subspace Emissary, and the artificial black hole at the end of Sonic Colors.

And yes, Sonic's moment stopping the bomb is a reference to Archie Sonic the Hedgehog #125.

Now that Knuckles has five Master Emerald shards, he only has two left to find. Meanwhile, Sonic and the gang have three Chaos Emeralds. Eggman and Naugus have two Chaos Emeralds.

Terms such as Default Mode and Ignition Stage refers to when the Daevic Ring that Sonic wears on his right hand is either not being used, or if it's active in usage.

While the main function of the ring is protecting Sonic from spiritual corruption and curses from all types of dark magic, they are simply passive abilities. Its when Sonic uses practices he learned from Dulcy is when he taps into strange powers the ring was never intended to be used for is when the hedgehog becomes creative.

Speed Break's function in the RESURGENCE continuity not only works similarly to SatSR but in the Cosmic Interstate, he can use it infinitely since its a realm bathed in all forms of light; being home to the Sol Force and its cosmic byproducts; i.e, Hyper-Go Energy.

Speed Break will act as a melee equivalent to Sonic's Soul Surge in SatBK, and will be developing more Spiritual Attacks using Raw Sol Energy in addition to his Frontier moves, Sol Tracing, and power drawing practices taught to him by Dulcy (see Six Paths To Power one-shot for more context).

I am still debating whether or not to give him Time Break. To me, it doesn't make sense since the Daevic Ring is not the same as Shahra's Ring from SatSR. But, you now what, leave a comment or a review and let me know if I should give Sonic Time Break.

Yes, there is a Cosmic Interstate and a No Zone. But there are no Zone Cops or Zone Jail. Instead, all universes within this multiverse are observed by the golden man. Yes, the same golden man Sonic raced and lost to. Who's the golden man?

I've already mentioned him throughout the story. So take a guess while you wait for the next chapter.

Please leave comments, questions, concerns, and criticisms in the Reviews. Tell me what you like, dislike, what could be better, and what you enjoy about the saga and/or story so far by writing a detailed review for me. What are your favorite moments? Who would you like to see more of? Let me know these things, guys! It helps me grow as a writer, and I enjoy reading your thoughts on my work.

Anyway, I'll see you guys later!

-DarkShadowGames451