Chapter Forty-Nine: Accommodations

three days remain

Three days. We have maybe three days left before the Metarex end the universe. And now, looking at the viewscreen to watch the video Eggman sent us, I think we're starting to realize how irrational our hope is.

But I refuse to let it go.

"Is this all Eggman sent us?" Amy's eyes cut over to Sonic at the sound of his question. He stood on the opposite side of the captain's chair Tails occupied while the three of them stared at the video Eggman had sent along.

"No, he actually sent a lot," Tails said. He tapped a key on his console and a whole stack of windows popped open on the viewscreen. Walls of texts, floor plans, photos. "When we split up, I guess he actually took the 'divide-and-conquer' part seriously. This is weeks-worth of work from him and Rouge."

Texts in the Metarex language with translations attached, like Eggman was offering them the chance to check his work. A breakdown of the capabilities of each Metarex ship in the armada. Not just details from the surface of the conflict but actual research. Never in a million years, when Amy had thrown out the idea of following up with Eggman, had she expected him to come through with this.

But then there was the video on the viewscreen dragging Amy back down to reality.

Ships upon ships upon ships surrounded the planet of Greengate. Based on Eggman's notes, it seemed like they had been there for days now. Just…waiting. There was no universe where the crew of the Blue Typhoon could take on so many ships. But if they didn't at least try, then there would be no universe.

Not to mention, this was just the first line of defense. If the crew of the Blue Typhoon wanted to stop Black Thorn's last plan, they had to get to the planet below where only more Metarex would be waiting.

Amy counted out the seconds of the next breath she took to make sure it was full rather than hyperventilated. "Did he agree to help?" she finally asked. At least her voice sounded calmer than she felt.

"He did," Tails said. Though the awe in his voice as he said so told Amy he too was surprised. "I guess it is kind of hard to build an Eggman Empire without a universe."

"Got to give it to that Egghead," Sonic muttered, "at least he's got his priorities sorted."

Amy rolled her eyes even as she smiled. Her eyes cut over to Sonic and her heart swelled with warmth. One of Sonic's arms was slung around the back of the captain's chair as he leaned in toward Tails. Sonic asked a question, and Tails pulled forward a file where Eggman had already provided an answer.

It was a wonder Sonic wasn't only alive but alive. His eyes were alight, his laughter like the lit end of a sparkler. He was…Sonic the Hedgehog.

But even now, Amy couldn't ignore the fact that Metarex tech ran quietly on in the back of Sonic's head. And if just the right Metarex was present, Sonic would simply turn off.

"Please tell me we're making a plan beyond 'winging it,'" she said instead. She couldn't fix Sonic. But she could move toward doing something.

Tails exhaled. "I think making a plan is what we do next."

When Amy glanced at Sonic again, she found his wide eyes already waiting for her. Amy knew he couldn't fight. Chris knew he couldn't fight. And now, so would the rest of the team.

Even Sonic couldn't run forever.

-(-)-

This time, the crew of the Blue Typhoon gathered on the backup bridge. They needed too many computer screens to display the info Eggman had provided for the meeting room to still be an option.

Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles. Cosmo, Chris, Cream, and Cheese. Shadow, Nova, Angel, and C2. And Amy. This was their team. And along with Eggman and Rouge, apparently, they were the last chance for all life in the universe.

It wasn't the first time the stakes had been this high. But Amy really hoped the next time she had to fight, it would be against one of Dr. Eggman's absurd mechs.

Tails stood before all of them, a spark behind his eyes that had been missing for at least the last few days, maybe longer. It wasn't joy—it was far from that, given the circumstances. No, it was more like he was finally awake.

"With the Metarex armada around Greengate as big as it is, there's no way we can wipe them out first and then deal with the Metarex on Greengate, at least not in time," Tails explained, gesturing over to the video of said armada that Eggman had provided. "Plus we have to assume Silver Fir and the Metarex low-balled the time estimate. We probably have less time than we think so we have to go fast."

Even with his arms crossed against his chest, Sonic's finger started tapping on the inside of his arm. It was a movement subtle enough that it probably only revealed Sonic's anxiety to Amy.

"Which means," Tails continued, "we're going to have to divide and conquer."

Tails stepped toward the captain's console and typed a quick command. Up popped another graphic, with the Blue Typhoon at the top and two lines branching off it.

"The idea is that we'll wage a battle against the armada to disguise a ground force that will sneak to the ground below. That ground force will have to be tiny, since we'll need as many of us as possible against that huge armada to stand a chance."

Tails took a breath. "Now this is where things get complicated."

Tails leaned forward to tap one more key and started talking even as names loaded under each label on the screen. "Chris, I need you to take command of the Blue Typhoon with Cosmo on operations support. Knuckles, I need you to hang back on the Blue Typhoon to help with the Master Emerald. Without you, we can't have the full power we'll almost definitely need."

Knuckles nodded, even as he scowled. Not throwing himself into the fight probably didn't sit well with him, but truly no one else could fill his shoes with the Master Emerald.

"As far as armada combat pilots, I had three. Cream in her ship. C2 in Amy's ship, if she's okay with that?" Tails's eyes slid slowly over toward C2.

Who, against all odds, nodded. Her eyes were sharp with the focus of a decision made. "I can pilot any of them. And I don't have an affinity for Chaos Emeralds, so I make more sense in the air than in the ground force."

But then, Tails hesitated again, even as his eyes gave him away as they slid toward Nova.

"Tell me if this makes sense," he said in a low voice, "cuz I circled this a lot. But Nova, I think you would be best piloting the Hyper Tornado. I remember how Majyk considered you one of their top pilots. And with your magic—"

Tails's voice cut off when Nova raised her hand to stop him. She sat on the edge of one of the two side computer stations at the edges of the backup bridge. For once, her wings didn't droop, but they were still a rainwater gray in color and the lines of scars in them were impossible to ignore.

"Airin's Disorder absolutely makes me a liability in combat," Nova said, slowly lowering her hand. "Piloting I can do. If that is where you need me, that's where I'll go."

The nervousness in Tails's expression faded back into his earlier focus. "Okay. In that case, Shadow, I need you to support Nova, Cream, and C2 in aircraft combat."

Shadow dipped his head in agreement. Amy expected no less; if Tails would have suggested Shadow leave Nova's side, only then would there have been an argument.

Sonic's hand around his own arm was tightening its grip, like Sonic was following the plan through to its logical conclusion. Not that Amy wasn't. The rush of her heartbeat sent her entire body vibrating uncomfortably. Even as she couldn't find a fault in what had led Tails to this conclusion.

Tails's eyes found Amy's.

"Angel, Amy, and I will be the initial ground team," he said. "We'll be responsible for finding the last three Chaos Emeralds and stopping Black Thorn."

Amy's breath caught. Her thoughts stilled. It made sense, of course it made sense. The three of them could use the Chaos Emeralds; of course they had to be on the ground team.

But then, once Amy's thoughts finally restarted, she realized one far more bewildering detail: Tails hadn't said Sonic's name.

Tails, though, was already turning to Sonic. "For this last part, I'm going to need you to check my work."

Amy shifted her eyes up to Sonic's face to see him blinking blankly at Tails. "Uh…okay?"

Tails took another deep breath. Just seeing Tails do it made Amy's own breathing slow. She wondered if maybe that was the point of Tails's doing so. Because the next thing Tails said was, "You have the Metarex data in your head again, right? Like when they made you a Metarex during the Changed War? And when we intentionally downloaded it on the ghost ship?"

Sonic's entire body stiffened. Amy stepped closer to him so her body brushed up against his. "Yeah," he agreed after a second.

"Which means one Metarex has control over you."

Sonic's eyes fell closed. "Think so, yeah."

"Okay, then I have a theory."

Sonic's eyes flashed back open. Amy could see the surprise written all over his face even though he didn't say a word.

Tails continued, slowly pacing across the floor, "Last time, it was Shining Birch you were tied to, and if the same thing happened this time, you're already free. Which is possible, if it's Silver Fir who turned you into a Metarex."

"He…" Sonic blinked and tried again. "Yeah, it was Silver Fir. Both times."

Tails—against all odds—smiled. "Okay. So here's my theory. Silver Fir didn't trust Shining Birch anymore—he said so himself. Not after Shining Birch lost the Changed War. Which means Silver Fir might've connected you to Black Thorn instead. But he doesn't respect her—she's just a symbol to him. Plus she wasn't on the ship we rescued you and Cosmo from, so she wouldn't have been close enough to hold you under Metarex control anyway. Which makes me think the only Metarex that Silver Fir would trust enough to tie you to is—"

"—himself," Sonic finished breathlessly.

Amy exclaimed, "So Sonic would be able to fight as long as we beat Silver Fir first?"

Chris added, "Well, assuming Silver Fir's down there. Which is likely, though not guaranteed."

"Which is why I have another idea," Tails continued. "Because if you have the Metarex data in your head, that means you have what you need to make a Chaos Double."

Slowly, so slowly, a small smirk began to grow across Sonic's face. "Did anyone ever tell you you're brilliant, bud? Cuz you are. Not sure we say it enough."

"It's not a foolproof plan," Tails pointed out, even as pride stained his cheekbones red. "It still only gets four of us down to Greengate to face whatever Metarex force they have waiting. Eggman gave us a sense of where to go on the planet but not how many Metarex are there. Plus, even with keeping as many of us facing the armada as we can manage, it's still a massive armada. I don't…I want to be realistic about our chances."

Knuckles muttered, "Giving us a pass to be cowards isn't going to change anything. We're dead on either side of not winning, whether we fight and lose or just run away."

"If it's a comfort," C2 said, "we won't be dead. We simply won't exist at all. We won't even become Time Whisperers. I believe the end of the universe is truly the end of all things."

Angel rolled her eyes. "You're not wrong. Except for maybe in your understanding of the word 'comfort.'"

Amy tried to take a breath, but it felt like it filled only half of her lungs. Like her chest was getting tighter with every passing second. The weight of everything they were trying to do finally collapsed onto her shoulders. Their friends would fight an armada to give them a chance.

But then it was up to Sonic, Tails, Angel, and Amy to prevent the end of time itself.