"...With the death of Paine, presumably the collapse of the Resort Island Evening Post because of his demise, the loss of our assassin and the victim of an abduction attempt not able to provide us with much; we only have that USB stick the late Paine entrusted to us as one of our only proper leads to this theft trail that grows more seemingly winding as the days passed. Sonic is bringing the victim back home and explaining to their wife why they didn't come home last night.

The stick itself told us more about the going-ons around Resort Island and the shady dealings of the current Boris Administration. Eye opening on how sinister this city of the future really is beneath the bright, clean colors.

The coverups surrounding the abductions and last night's incident which the local media only refers to as a 'disturbance caused by some trouble-making hooligan' with barely an acknowledgement of two men being killed with one being a window cleaner other than that the police are currently "looking" into it. The same police we're told to not trust.

We know the thieves are on the island and we know there's something strange going around Reactive Factory to warrant an investigation but it's the finer details we're sketchy on. We have most of the pieces to get a rough idea of what we're dealing with yet nothing that really sheds real light on the motive behind stealing a top secret government project and hiring Lindsey's crew to do the job.

Why go to the trouble of hiring a team to take it when they could just as well get their own R.I.D.I department to come up with a similar invention for a clean sustainable power source and why kill Doctor James R. Kirk rather than abduct him for his knowledge? Signs point to the Eggman Empire being involved but Sally isn't fully convinced they are really behind it and thinks there is more to this case than meets the eye.

Problem is that we're in the dark on the extent of what exactly we're dealing with here and just making assumptions based on circumstantial evidence we have presently. I don't really know myself. I'm still new at this and I am just going off on what my more knowledgeable colleagues around me are saying; the ones that know what they're doing while I have to learn as I go along.

Maybe by the next log entry or in a supplemental, they'll have it all figured out by then. End log. Akira signing out."

December 2nd

Takeshi City Hotel, Radical City

Lunchtime

"...If we're that certain they're involved, why aren't we going out and confronting Boris over this?" Gadget asked a question to Sally while Manic was busy combing through more of the contents of the USB stick on a laptop. "We know Lindsey and them are here and so is the project. Shouldn't we be chasing after them?"

"We still are but we don't know where they are or where they are hiding out at. We were barely able to get a fix on the energy trail of the cold fusion at the Great Jungle last time thanks to Rotor setting his device to focus on a chemical element that normally isn't found in a jungle and it was a miracle we even got a fix on it in the first place." The chipmunk princess answered, taking her eyes off a makeshift investigation board to look at the wolf. "Additionally, Resort Island is in a politically grey area since it's considered an independent nation. Therefore, we need to tread carefully around here as it is outside of our usual jurisdiction."

Sally added with an understanding nod. "As much as I want to bust him and his administration for stealing the project, we need hard evidence to prove they're responsible. If we point fingers at him now without having the proper facts, he'll turn around and accuse us of bad faith accusations."

"What's exactly bad faith about it?"

"That we have only accepted his invitation and came here with the intent to slander him. Calling him an Eggman supporter without proof is inflammatory. There is also a possibility that he might actually be innocent in all of this and we'd be condemning the wrong person. That has crossed my mind." She explained, looking back at the board. "Don't worry. We'll get them. It just takes some time and I'd rather we'd be absolutely sure before we take any action."

"Ah, I get it..." Gadget looks at the board. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Ask away."

"What makes you sure it's not the Eggman Empire despite what we uncovered pointing to them? Just curious."

"Call it a hunch. When you've been fighting them as long as you have, you start to know them in a sense and can tell their sighs. This isn't Ivo's usual M.O as he is someone who'd let you know he's up to something because of his ego and we don't know if he's still out there or not. Snively would not be this careless to pull a fast one this soon with the heat he has on him. Either they're involved and they're acting desperate or someone is misleading us to assume they're the culprits and hoping we'd take the bait."

"A frame-up. Someone with a known criminal history is more likely to be suspected of a new crime than someone with no prior history of criminal offenses."

"Exactly. This could be a situation where they're not even a part of it but the culprits are making it appear as though they are to throw us off their trail and send us looking in the wrong direction."

"Eliminate all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth. Is that how it goes?"

"Quite." Sally eyes the sticky notes on the board. "If you have a gut feeling about something, then there is a good chance it's correct. Sonic can tell you that himself when he gets back."

"...I'd be more than happy to chat with you some more in person over crumpets Mr. Speechley." Manic dug through the recorded phone calls present in the audio files with headphones on while having a notepad to jolt down anything of interest and was listening to one pertaining to Doctor Lew Kitching, hearing a weedy voice coming from him. "I could always do with an escape from my current imprisonment of workloads. Bye bye for now."

"Anything from the call?" Gadget asked when he sat down next to the green hedgehog. Manic removing his headphones.

"I've listened to Boris' call with Lindsey and it sounds like a regular exchange of pleasantries but take it from me, they're totally speaking in code. Same with this call to this Lew Kitching dude." Manic said before he hands Gadget the notepad. "Here, have a look. See what you can make of it."

Looking down at the notepad, the wolf sees the current page about the Lew Kitching call having words like escape and imprisonment on it. "May I?"

"Sure. Just to be ready to put up with it." Manic gives him the headphones and plays the recording again. The wolf listens to it until the call comes to an end.

"Communications isn't really my field of expertise but I did notice a few certain words were spoken a little differently from the rest and it feels like there's innuendos being made under a pretense. As if there's a hidden message within it." Gadget sets down the headphones. "What do you think?"

"I think this Lew dude is a shady one if you ask me. I bet he's in on this theft case and probably chilling out somewhere with the cold fusion thingy either to sell it to the black market or use it for world domination." The hedgehog spitball his thoughts. "I imagine he must be so ugly that no one can photograph his mug and live."

"That's… Not very nice."

"My bad but why else do we have no photos of this lamestain? Assuming Lew Kitching is even his name."

"Maybe it's a pseudonym? An alias used to mask their identity either because they don't want people knowing who they are or for their own safety. This here..." Gadget taps on the notepad. "Could suggest he might have had a criminal past that warranted the need for one and be made to work through his parole or conditions similar to one to avoid prison time in exchange for their expertise."

"You might be onto something there." Sally chimes in, having heard Gadget's hypothesis. "It would explain the tight lips surrounding who's involved in this cold fusion project, the fact Nicole can't locate any background or credentials attached to that name like with the other names tied to said project and there's the timing of his disappearance prior to the theft. Given the project originated in Westopolis, I reckon our friends at G.U.N are keeping a lid on it due to whoever our mysterious 'Lew Kitching' is and the fact he gave them the slip would reflect badly on them if the public were to find out."

"Just another crook for us to chase after." Manic leans back in his chair. "Bet he's hiding out with Lindsey. The sooner we catch that bloodthirsty witch, the sooner Morica can get her justice."

"However we may feel about her personally for what she's done to a teammate of ours', we should be professional about it." Sally reminded him. "She'll get what's coming to her. She won't get away with it."

Soon, Sonic would arrive back at the suite. Telling his peers how things went with the blue fox.

"...How's your digging through the stick been going?" Sonic would ask Manic, coming over to his table and grabbing a remote to turn the TV on with the current channel set to the local news station. "Any more fishy business discovered?"

"There's more fishy business here than a Wes Weaselly deal. Just got through the phone calls."

"Play one for me."

"Sure thing brotha."

Sonic listens to the Lindsey phone call as it plays out and his brow furrows the more he hears of it. "...Give my offer some thought. It'll be worth your time."

"Pause that and reverse it by a few seconds."

"Huh?" Gadget paused the audio file, turning to see a thoughtful look on Sonic like a detective noticing something. "What is it?"

"There's something bugging me about it. Sal?"

"Hmm?" Sally turned around to him when her name was called. "You need something?"

"Yeah. We were with Boris yesterday and you heard the way he talks, right?"

"I have."

"What would you describe it as?"

"Like a salesman trying to speak like a sermon reader. Why do you ask?"

"Listen to the way Boris talks here. Gadget, play the recording." Sonic gestured to Gadget to play the file and Sally listened to it. "Tell me if you're hearing what I'm hearing here."

Focusing on Boris' voice, Sally noticed something odd about it. The way he speaks in the recorded call versus the way he spoke in person and in her call to him prior to coming to Resort Island. When Boris talked to her in both instances, he had a more loose flow to his speaking. The Boris heard speaking to Lindsey has a more controlled infliction to his voice. Enough to stand out to her.

"Pull up a recording of Boris Speechley giving a speech." Sally ordered Gadget. The wolf went and located a video online; one of Boris doing a public address regarding the end of the Phantom Ruby War.

"...With the world finally at peace and society ready to rebuild, Resort Island shall prosper once again. This is Mayor Boris Speechley signing off."

Sally would ask Gadget to play the recording with Lindsey for her a second time and listen to it. Able to spot the difference in the way Boris speaks.

"Sonic. Unless Boris is playing it up in public, I have a feeling that he's not the one who spoke to Lindsey and Kitching on the phone."

"According to the files' metadata, the calls were made from Boris' house." Manic added, sharing his own findings. "If he didn't make those calls, then who is?"

"Good question." Sally checks her watch. "Run a voice match on those two. We'll know for sure."

Resort Island Development Institute, Radical City

Lunchtime

"...I'll be there for the ceremony in my best suit. I agree it shall be a most marvelous event with Team Sonic and Princess Acorn there for it. I'm sure the public would be eager for their autographs." Tarek was speaking to Boris on the phone, grabbing a few of his work notes. "Excuse me, one of my work colleagues needs help with a project and I have to go give him a hand. I'll speak with you later. Bye."

Emerging from his office and locking the door before going off to tend to something in one of the labs for a few minutes. Once he's gone, a lock opening device shaped like a beetle appears on the door and automatically opens the door before closing itself afterwards.

A moment later, Miraju seemingly materializes into existence inside Tarek's office while holding the beetle device in hand and pocketing it away once he's come out of his cloaked state. Locking the door behind him to keep facility staff from wandering in on his snooping.

Having snuck his way inside the building and waiting for him to leave his office to start nosing around while he's away. Sally has assigned him the task due to his skills as an espionage agent and wanting to confirm a suspicion of hers' pertaining to Tarek himself. Suspicion he also shares.

He searched around the office while snapping pictures with his micro camera and moving things back the way he had found them. Trying to locate anything that doesn't belong in the office and papers that shouldn't be there. Something stolen per say.

Miraju soon finds a briefcase under the desk and goes to check its contents. The raccoon quickly deduced this briefcase once belonged to the late James R. Kirk before Lindsey's crew stole it. The papers housed inside the case confirm without a doubt that it is the one. Similarly, he learns the project goes by the codename of 'New Cintemani' according to the papers.

He didn't hesitate to take a few photos of his findings before having a look at James' writings, see what exactly he wrote down prior to his death. He doubts he'll be able to fully decipher what he's looking at until he gets the whole thing photographed and have the real brainiacs figure out the rest. What he is most curious about is how the deceased scientist figured out how to crack the code on cold fusion and make it scientifically plausible.

Stealing the briefcase would be difficult under current circumstances. Before he could search any further, he heard approaching footsteps outside the office. Quickly putting the papers back in, shutting up the briefcase and placing it back where he had found it as he goes into his cloaked state again. Going over into a corner and blending in with his environment.

Tarek unlocks his door with his key and steps into his office being none the wiser to Miraju's intrusion, going over to his desk to stash away his own notes into the drawers. That or he was going somewhere since he picks up the briefcase and locks up his office moments later.

The cloaked raccoon waited for a second before leaving the office to go follow after his target. Seeing where he goes.

Regal Ruins, Resort Island

Afternoon

"Found it yet?"

"Besides finding more old dusty pillars? Sod all." Shortfuse reported through Bunnie's earpiece. "It'd be a lot easier to find pictures of Scarlet Garcia in a thong than finding the hidden entrance around here."

"It should be about." Bunnie responded to her teammate on the call. "If you find nothin' there, then you can come back to us."

"I'm telling you that my readings aren't coming up with jack other than the odd readings and that could be anywhere around here."

"Just keep lookin' like you're findin' a good gift for Tekno. Like buyin' her a new thong for Christmas." The southern teasingly says on the line and hangs up before he gets a word in. Turning to Knuckles who's searching the old fashion way of intuition and digging with his claws; having freshly dug up another hole near an old pillar just now.

"If there's a way into the factory, it has to be somewhere reachable for him." The echidna dusts off the dirt on his brown hat, glancing around the old ruins and thinking of the area where the supposed hidden entrance is at. Putting the hat back on.

Bunnie sweeps back her ears. "It's bit of a walkin' distance from his house to the factory and if the thieves are carryin' that container, they'd have to take it through her where they wouldn't be seen. I bet ya that this hidden door leads to a faster path to the factory than the normal route."

"Maybe. Question is; which way would they go and not be seen?"

The two's comms then buzzed with Bunnie answering the hail. "Bunnie here."

"Tarek's heading through Regal Ruins right now." Miraju informed Bunnie's team on the line in a quieter voice and she checked his location on the device. "He doesn't suspect he's being followed yet."

"Gotcha. Keep us in the know hon."

"Affirmative."

When the raccoon hung up, Bunnie promptly hailed Shortfuse. "Tarek's here and Miraju's shadowin' him to possibly the hidden entrance. Do not engage unless necessary."

"Of course Poshboy gets priority here…" They'd hear the squirrel grumble to himself at the news. "Understood. Standing by."

Tarek wanders through the dusty old ruins with a briefcase in hand, walking by the water that runs along the stony path. Letting the eyes take in the old ancient sights of what was home to civilization and culture long ago in a time when the Chaos Emeralds were simply thought as legends. Taking in the ambient silence in contrast to the noise of Radical City.

The jackal's impassive expression shifts ever so slightly to a wistful one while eyeing his environment. What were once days of the present are now yesterdays to the living and so forth to the children of tomorrow. They will become memories in the end while the world will rotate onwards as always.

He casted the thought aside as he has affairs to tend to and work to be done.

The doctor heads over to an entrance leading into what would have been an indoor marketplace centuries ago. Walking inside the aged structure's interiors that has only the natural lights of outside peeking through the square holes acting as windows to provide a light source among the shadows cast by the supports, the arched doorways and other hallmarks of ancient architecture. Only the sounds of his own footsteps on the floors are heard while they bounce off from the walls.

Upon coming to a set of stairs leading down, Tarek suddenly jerks to a stop and looks back. What he saw behind is the hallway he came in from but at an angle he'd see whenever he goes home following his work at the hidden laboratory. His eyes narrow into a sharp gaze.

It felt like someone is following him around yet no one's there. Not that he's too concerned about the possibility because panic is the downfall of all good rational thinkers and if he is being followed, the laboratory can take care of them should they dare follow him there. Live or die, they're already too late.

Tarek resumes his path and heads down the stairs. He'd arrive at an underground chamber that would have acted as a storage room for clay pots and other goods for the marketplace.

Stepping over to a particular piece of wall in a corner to pull out a block from the wall to tap something under it that opens up a door opposite of the chamber entrance and sliding the block back into place before going through the hidden door. Closing it after himself.

"I've located a hidden door at an abandoned marketplace. There's a block in one of the corners that acts as a mechanism. Saw the way Tarek opened it." Miraju uncloaks in the underground chamber and speaks into his comms while walking up to the block Tarek had pulled out, sticking something onto it for his teammates to see when they arrive. "I'm going on ahead to see where Tarek is heading to. Over and out."

Hidden Laboratory, ?

Night

"...Damn it!" Knuckles cried out in frustration, looking around. "We lost him!"

"Not quite. He should still be around here." Tails held up his tracking device and looked at the screen. "He's hiding in one of the labs on this floor but it's hard to pinpoint where exactly."

Sonic nodded, looking to his party. "Alright, let's go and get that punk."

The Freedom Fighters split up to cover ground in the laboratory and Sonic searched through his part of the floor. Coming to a lab dedicated to robotics, he finds it to be mostly caked in darkness and he can see a figure hiding in the shadows. The one they're hunting after.

"Hey, I found our guy." Sonic said into his comm, approaching the robotics lab entrance. "He's in the robotics lab."

Looking over at the suspect when he stopped in the middle of the doorway. "Listen fella, we have you cornered and you got nowhere else to run. There's not much point in delaying the inevitable and catching bruises for nothing; so be a good sport and come quietly."

"I'll simply escape later on and cause more chaos in my wake. Perhaps up the ante in how far I can push my luck in what I can do." The shadowy figure gazed back at him with red eyes. "How much carnage and terror I can keep inflicting before karma puts an end to it all."

"We're going to make sure your latest trip to jail is your last. Hope you can stomach the meals there." Sonic quipped with a confidant smirk. The other person snorts at his display.

"You think my prison of iron and copper can contain me forever? Even if you take away my toys and lock up my followers, I will still find a way to free myself as I have before. Free to continue terrorizing the world and making life miserable for everyone that comes across me because I continue to live. Harming innocents." The suspect lets off a dark chuckle at the last part. "All thanks to you being reluctant to do what you should have done years ago and for what? Hoping that I'll somehow change and have remorse for my deeds? Because thou shalt not murder?"

Sonic was not in the mood for psychoanalysis. "...You can tell it to the jury."

"Let's face it… We'll keep dancing to the waltz until either I get killed or your patience finally runs out and wonder if life would be better for all had you learned to finally put the rabid dogs down. It would spare the world of so much needless suffering had you passed final judgment to the wicked including the good doctor himself." The voice gains a radio-like effect while the red eyes glow like headlights. "You've had some very dark thoughts about it. You have questioned if your freedom of choice philosophy is really doing far more harm to the world than any mad man's lust for power."

The hedgehog's confident demeanor morphs to a stern one. "Nice try. I ain't falling for your mind games pal."

"It's no mere mind games my dear Sonic for I speak from the heart. I also speak from the heart that you don't believe how it only takes one bad day to change but from a series of bad days and you've had plenty of those already…" The shadowy figure oily remarks with a knowing, taunting tone. "Why, it is only a matter of time before you hit your own breaking point and you secretly resent your friends for abandoning you to the jackal like you once did to Fiona—"

"You shut your damn mouth!" Sonic interrupts him, the words really getting under his skin more than they should and abandoning caution when he quickly grabs the figure by the shoulders. "You don't know anything and if I could, I'd go back to rescue Fiona from her fate!"

"What disturbs you is that you have finally come to understand Fiona better by experiencing what she had to go through herself and what she meant about not counting on others. On the contrary my dear Sonic; I know everything that you know…" The voice suddenly shifts to a more metallic one as Sonic drags them over to a nearby light, revealing the figure as Mecha Sonic. "Because I am thou and thou art I. A shadow of your dark side you keep caged and a summit of your greatest fears."

Sonic quickly releases Mecha Sonic with a startled gasp. The robian hedgehog laughs the way Sonic would after a funny joke before grabbing his wrists while the mouth makes a horrifying imitation of Sonic's own toothy smile; coming off like a smile of a predator ready to feast on their prey.

There are also rushing footsteps of Sonic's friends heading over towards the robotics lab.

"You fear that no matter what you do, you are powerless to save them in the end and it eats away at you like a cancer. Worried that your war against evil is ultimately a futile and hopeless effort for evil can never truly be vanquished as long as free will exists." Mecha Sonic says to him with no emotion to it except malice, disdain and scorn. "Finding the idea of playing judge, jury and executioner with your enemies rather tempting in light of everything that's happened. That your own virtuous beliefs are an accessory to the problem and not the resolver. How the world will turn its back on you for not acting for the collective greater good like putting Ivo out of his misery..."

When Sonic blinks, Mecha Sonic had suddenly disappeared from sight or so he thought until he turned to look in the direction of a nearby reflective surface. There, he saw his own face replaced with Mecha Sonic's and raised up a hand to only find that his gloved hand were replaced with mechanical servos. He is Mecha Sonic.

Then like a puppet on strings, Sonic finds his own body moving and acting against his own will as though he has no control over himself including what he says. "I'm the fastest thing alive and I don't need no stupid friends to weigh me down!"

He finds himself charging out of the lab and into the hall where his teammates are, all wearing their battle faces. "Yo, what's up losers? Here to get royally whooped by yours' truly?"

"We're putting an end to your games and you're going down!" Knuckles roared with gnashing teeth. Clenching his fists tightly.

"This is for all those people who suffered because of you and your power!" Tails yelled, pointing an accusing finger at Mecha Sonic with an angry brow. "Playtime's over Sonic!"

"Heh. Big words coming from a mutant wimp." Mecha Sonic responded back at the fox with a cocky arrogance that has a layer of utter contempt for them all under his words while Sonic is powerless to do anything but watch and listen. "This is my power and I'm using it to exterminate my enemies!"

Mecha Sonic surged forwards at a rocketing Shortfuse and grabbed him. Tearing off his helmet, pinning the armored squirrel to a wall faster than he can react while deploying a laser and shoving the barrel into his mouth.

"I'll play with you for the last time!" Mecha Sonic quips before lasering right through the back of Shortfuse's skull and speedily hurling his body right at a charging Bunnie. The collision plus weight of the projectile striking her in the head, forcefully jerks her neck back with a loud bone snap that kills her and her lifeless form crashing onto the metal floors. The horrified Sonic has to witness two of his friends die within seconds of each other in a flash.

Manic, Miraju and Gadget soon followed. All struck down swiftly in a wink of an eye without even getting any licks in. Miraju got it the worst as Mecha Sonic had torn through him like a pen poking a hole in a paper.

Knuckles and Sally engaged with the metallic hedgehog. The pair were able to get some hits in but Mecha Sonic proved more powerful as he blasts both of them aside with his lasers.

Leaving Tails as the last man standing. Sonic screams silently while Mecha Sonic grins wickedly at the fox who grits his teeth. "I am gonna make a real dope fur coat out of your remains when I'm finished playing with you buddy!"

After the metallic monster said those threatening words, he lunges at the twin-tailed kit and Sonic tries everything he could muster within to yank back control for himself but he is as trapped as a paralyzed mute patient who can't move or speak under their own power. His own metal vessel rapidly closing the distance between himself and Tails. Yelling as much as he could to tell his brother to flee but having no mouth of his own to scream.

When he drew very near, Mecha Sonic brought up one of his sharp clawed hands and took a swift swipe at his face. Intending to tear his youthful face off while Sonic is forced to watch...

Takeshi City Hotel, Radical City

Afternoon

"AH!" Sonic snaps awake to frantic breaths til they return back to a normal breathing pace. Finding himself back in his own hotel bed, having originally gone for a nap to pass the time until new developments come up but he experienced another one of his nightmares instead.

"Sonic?"

He turns his head to the source of that voice and finds a concerned looking Gadget gazing over at him, holding the door open. The wolf had probably come in to tell him something and caught him in his nightmare.

To be honest, he'd rather him see that over the others present including Tails and Knuckles. They'd only ask him too many questions about it and maybe take him as being broken or cracked. Maybe start treating him like he'll fall to pieces if they're not careful with him. He can't stand the thought of that happening to him.

Gadget at least wouldn't ask too many questions nor make it his business to know that one of his cogs in his head is not working right and knowing his cultural upbringing, he'd think it impolite to pry into his hero's business. He doesn't make it his business to know.

"Uh? Oh, it's nothing…" Sonic fibbed a bit, trying to play it off like it's something stupid and doing a little limbering stretch. "Nothing really worth mentioning. What's up?"

"Well, we think we've found the hidden entrance in Regal Ruins. Knuckles' group reported that it's at an old abandoned marketplace." The bespectacled wolf told him softly. "I think Miraju's gone on ahead to see where the trail leads to."

"If it leads to a creepy old basement where those crooks are hiding, then I'm game to head on down and make clowns out of them before rounding them up." The hedgehog smiled. "And have time to go attend the opening as well as trying out that local seasonal chili-dog that I've been hearing so much about. I hear it's to die for."

"Really?"

"That's what Tails told me the other day. By the way, is he back from his shopping?"

"Just now actually. Shall I fetch him?"

"I'll go to him myself." Sonic let out a yawn, rubbing his eyes. "How's the analysis going? Uncovered any more secrets?"

"We're still waiting on a response from HQ on the voice comparison with Speechley but we think we have reasons to believe that the Future Initiative Program might actually be a front for unethical activities. We haven't finished going through all of the information yet."

"Given our line of work, we'll be busting this one soon and be back for Christmas. Are you coming to the party later in the month?"

"Is it mandatory?"

"Nah. It's something of an annual event we have going on where our family and friends from all over gather at. You will love this one." The hedgehog responded, heading out of his room and walking alongside his wolf friend. "I'll even introduce you to some of my other friends. Between you and me, you're gonna love a few of them like Aleena."

"Queen Aleena?"

"The very one. We both share a common ancestor dating back to ancient times but it's a long story and I think she's the lady to talk to about it."

"Would that make Arthur Sylvannia one of your ancestors then?" Gadget asked curiously. Arthur Sylvannia being a famous historical figure in the same vein as Alexander Acorn the Unifier, a key figure in the Hedgehog Dynasty mythos and his story as a knight is essential learning when studying the history of Westside Island.

"Technically yes in a way but Manic and Sonia would call him as their ancestor more so than I would. My bloodline is that of travellers, vagabonds and adventurers."

"So, what's the story with them being your half-siblings on your father's side? Little confused on that one."

"To make a long story short; Aleena's husband couldn't produce any heirs of his own and my dad was selected as an anonymous donor since he just happens to still have some royal blood in him. Thus Manic and Sonia were born." Sonic explained to Gadget with a whistle. "Family trees are weird like that and you haven't answered my question."

The pair enters the main room where the others are hanging out. They'd see Sally talking into the phone in one hand and holding a device in the other.

"Oh, uh…" Gadget scratches his ear. "I-I can't promise anything but if nothing comes up, then I'll come to it."

"Hey, don't be pressuring him like that man. Might be shy around big crowds." Manic turned to Sonic, looking away from the laptop Tails is on. "Anyways, how's your beauty nap?"

"I was making Hermes eat my dust. What else would I be dreaming about?"

"Dreaming of eating a nice chili-dog off Sally's cheeks." Manic said jokingly and teasingly.

"And Sonia wonders why you can steal hearts but can't score a single date." Sonic replies back as his green half-brother scoffs. Must be that teasing sibling thing Gadget hears so much about.

"Early days man. I'll find my sweetheart one day."

"I hear Pam and her five sisters are available. Real nearby in fact."

"Haha…"

"Uh, guys?" Tails spoke up, working away at the laptop and going through Paine's files himself. "I'm trying to catch up here."

"My bad."

After reading the entry on Resort Island's rather unnatural economic turnaround, Tails would play the Kitching phone call and listening to it. A few seconds into it and the fox furrowed his brow when he listened to Kitching's voice.

"What's up?" Sonic notices the look on Tails' face. The kit paused the video and tapping his chin while thinking.

"There's something about that voice of his that seems familiar. Like I've heard it somewhere before."

"Any names coming to mind?"

"A few. Hang on, I'm gonna go consult our database for just a moment." Tails pulls over his Miles Electric to contact Freedom HQ. Accessing the database and looking up the rogues gallery section. Going down to an entry for Grimer Wormtongue with a mug portrait attached to it.

"Grimer? Certainly sounds like his voice alright." Sonic says to Manic before Tails plays a recorded sample of Grimer's voice on his profile.

"Doctor Robotnik's law is absolute and has your best interests at heart."

"Close but he's not who I'm thinking of."

Going over to the list of Grimer's known associates, Tails zeroed in on one specific name and taps on it to bring up a new profile page. One for an individual who looks almost just like Grimer with a different mugshot on a first glance until closer examination shows more apparent differences than the other image. The young brainiac plays an audio clip that's on the profile.

"I am a more brilliant inventor compared to my cousin. I should be the one to serve as Robotnik's assistant, not him!"

"That's who I'm more thinking of. Slimy Wormtongue." Tails points to the picture. "The lesser known cousin of Grimer and I had dealings with him before."

"What's he like?" Gadget enquired. Only becoming aware just now that Grimer actually has a relative.

"A lot like his dear cousin right down to his intelligence except he's more egotistical, snobbish towards anyone he views as being on the lower end of the IQ ladder and envious to his core. Oh and he's a bit of a plagiarist too."

"That's awful."

"Agreed. He once made a Metal Shadow once and Grimer got furious about it because he was working on a Metal Shadow of his own. Turns out he stole the design."

"What happened to his Metal Shadow?"

"Think Big destroyed it if I remember right. We'll tell you about it some other time."

"If that is Slimy we're heading in the call, that would definitely explain those Megabots we saw and the total lack of a dossier for our Doctor Kitching fella." Manic scratches his chin in slight confusion. "Though I'm confused as to where he'd have gotten the design for that Mecha Sonic, what's he doing out here and how did he end up where he was before "going missing". What's there to hide with him besides his bald spot?"

"I have a theory…" Gadget put his hand up, having their attention. "Maybe because of who his cousin is as well as the family resemblance, G.U.N had to give him an alias both for his own safety and to prevent a scandal. Perhaps that's why?"

Manic blew at one of his bangs. "If it's Great Value Wormtongue we're dealing with here, then is he the one calling the shots around here or is he working for someone else?"

"Unless he's actually decided to quit trying to one up his cousin, I don't take him for doing solo acts." Sonic quipped, crossing his arms. "The mad scientist job market is pretty competitive these days with Egghead being M.I.A and there's more than enough creepy weirdos running about as is."

"We will know our answers for sure when Miraju brings us the intel to shed some light on this." Sally chimed in, having just finished up her phone call and handing the other device over to Tails. "Here. Tarek's voice is on that."

Tails nodded and got to work on hooking up the device to his Miles Electric.

Sally turned to Manic and Gadget as she issued a new order to them both. "You two head on down and meet up with Bunnie's group at Regal Ruins."

Gadget nodded to that. "Yes ma'am."

Both him and Manic go to fetch their gear before leaving the hotel suite to head off for Regal Ruins. Sonic watches the pair leave before looking back to Sally.

"You know something? The more we keep peeling this onion of a mystery, the more questions we have and the more it stinks." He remarked dryly to her. "So, what's the game plan Sal?"

"Don't you already know?"

"I do but I like hearing the way you talk. So hit me up like I'm Shadow after planetfall."

"Okay Faker…" Sally said with a playful smile, playing along. "The Mayor wants Team Sonic and me at the opening ceremony which isn't too far from now. You know who Sonic is?"

"I know he's a real handsome blue feller. Quick as lightning. Ladies want him and guys want to be him."

"I also hear he has pretty high opinions of himself."

"Well, I'm sure he's a real fun guy to hang out with."

"Don't you mean 'he's a real pain in the tail to meet' Shadow?" Sally lightfully corrected him. "Unless you really do have a soft spot for Faker, ey?"

"Your highness... I, Shadow the Hedgehog says Sonic the Hedgehog is the greatest and bestest speedster in the whole galaxy bar none. I act like I can't stand him but secretly think he's the coolest to ever live."

Sonic would intentionally do the worst impression of Shadow that both Sally and Tails had ever heard in their respective lives which in effect made them burst out laughing because of how hilariously awful it is.

He'd eventually join in the laughter and the trio basks in the moment. With everything that has been taking place lately, stupid but funny moments that have no reason to exist yet the spontaneous nature of them are just simply… Joyous to be a part of when they do happen. For Sonic, it felt like a moment of normalcy in his own helter-skelter world he's trying to make sense of after what Infinite did to it.

A calm before the inevitable storm.

King Silvanus 'The Resolute' Acorn once wrote to a friend about his thoughts a month after taking action to rein in the then-rebellious Southern Baronies. One that has since either made him loved like his own father Reginald for reminding the unruly lot on who's in charge or hated for it like his great grandfather George for coming off as tyrannical over his display of force. He wasn't proud of the action taken but saw it as a necessary evil and an action that ultimately saved the kingdom in the long run when the Great War took hold.

It is a different world now where that's considered history than what it was in his own lifetime where it is seen as a recent event.

'...After all these wonderful halcyon minuets, a hurricane of disaster will inevitably come to crash the ballroom dance uninvited. We rarely get to appreciate them truly until they have all passed and the severity of any disaster can never be properly calculated until afterwards. This peace I had brought comes with an unavoidable debt attached to it and the debtor always comes to collect what they're owed...'

Author's Notes: And that shall foreshadow what is to come in the next chapter where things start escalating complete with some lore tidbits regarding Mobius' history.

Arthur Sylvannia originates from the scrapped Sonic Universe #95 as part of the Post-SGW Archie Canon and in this universe, he's one of Manic's ancestors on his mother's side. Add another name to the Royal Aman-Rapi lineage.

The last chapter was supposed to have the second nightmare sequence but this one felt like a better place to put it in as a segway into our final scene for the eighth chapter. Works here as part of the build for the next chapter.

Where exactly does the hidden door lead to and what dark secrets lie at the heart of Resort Island? Tune in next time to find out.

Be sure to leave feedback in the reviews. It'd be much appreciated.