"Knothole Resistance, CHARGE!" As Max's war cry came through over the radio, Elias raised his own sword, signalling his forces to also start charging.

Cheers erupted from those hand-picked by Princess Sally to lay siege to the Eggman fortress. Badniks swarmed out to defend it, but without an enforcer home to guide them, they were running on auto-pilot, making them easy targets for the mobian army.

SWATbots stood in formation ahead, guarding the main gate, and Elias called out to his forces, "Don't falter now! If we breach the gate, victory will be in our grasp!"

"YEAH!"

The Resistance soldiers at the front aimed their Wispons and fired, destroying the SWATbots guarding the gate, and they powered their way through the remaining badniks waiting for them on the bridge.

As they reached the gate, Elias ordered everybody to step aside. A large battering-ram was hauled by the rear forces through the opening created for them, and positioned in front of the gate. A Purple Frenzy Wisp entered the ram's head, enlarging it, while a Red Burst Wisp entered the back of the ram. The soldiers turned cranks to either side to pull it back, and then the Burst Wisp provided a thrust that propelled the ram into the gate.

"GAH!"

"ENEMIES!"

Smoke appeared around the Resistance, and black-garbed mobians started attacking them. Elias ordered a counterattack, but in all of the confusion, his troops struggled to react fast enough and some were felled. A couple of ninja attacked the ram's controls while their comrades kept Elias' forces occupied. The cranks were destroyed, the head of the ram was severed, and thrusters were smashed.

"What is the Raiju Clan doing here?!" Elias slashed his sword through one ninja, then through another, clearing a path. "Fall back! Cut through the enemy and retreat over the bridge!"

Though initially startled, the Resistance was able to gather itself under Elias' leadership, and managed to push back against the Raiju. Bunnie offered aerial support, and the soldiers were soon able to reach the bridge and begin their retreat. On the other side, however, was an entire army waiting for them, leaving them trapped on the bridge.

"Leave it to me!" Bunnie declared. "Ah can fly on over the wall an' open the gates from the inside!"

"No! It's too dangerous! You'll be shot down before you can-"

"It's the only way! Ah'll just have ta fly faster than they can shoot is all!"

Before Elias could object further, Bunnie took to the sky. "Bunnie! ... Damnit! Snipers, try to cover her!"

Those with Laser Wispons fired on the robots along the wall, hoping to distract them, but the badniks saw Bunnie and prioritised her, turning the bulk of their firepower on the aerial threat.

"Elias, we've been ambushed! Are you okay?!"

Elias spoke into his comm. "Same here! The base isn't as underdefended as we thought; ninja from the Dragon Kingdom are protecting it, and we're having a hell of a time sieging the main gate!"

"Are they really so loyal that they would stay behind, knowing what's about to happen?"

"Even so, we're not retreating now. Bunnie's gone on ahead to try opening the gate from the inside."

"Alone?!"

"Well, it's more accurate to say I couldn't stop her. I think she's trying to redeem herself for what happened at Knothole."

Bunnie evaded the coming attacks, weaving between missiles and corkscrewing to avoid gunfire from the turrets. As she drew closer, she fired some heavy blasts to blow part of the wall away, creating an opening to land.

Bunnie ran along the top of the gate, blasting away badniks and making her way to the controls. They were heavy enough to require two operators normally, but with her mechanical arm, she was able to just about work it on her own.

As the gate opened, Elias raised his sword. "Let's charge in now! Vanguard, cover our rear!"

Those wielding Cube Wispons hurried to create makeshift barricades. The Raiju on the other side saw the gates open, and moved to storm the bridge, but those with Laser and Rocket Wispons used the barricades to fire on any advancing Raiju ninja. With the bridge acting as a bottleneck, the Raiju could only watch as their own trap now worked against them.

While the Resistance stormed the base, Bunnie found herself being approached from both sides. She took off again to rejoin the assault, but a stray bullet caught her waist and caused her to fall. Panicking, she reached out and grabbed whatever she could, which was an Eggman Empire banner hanging from the wall. She was now dangling over a long drop, and the banner looked like it was ready to rip under her weight.

"Bunnie!" Elias called as he noticed her predicament.

Bunnie tried to activate the thrusters in her legs, but the pain was making it difficult to focus, resulting in them stalling. "C'mon, not like this!" The thrusters finally activated just as the banner ripped, but all she could do was elevate herself back to higher ground, the burners giving out as soon as she landed. Panting, Bunnie clutched the burning wound on her stomach as four SWATbots surrounded her.

"Anyone with a Hover, save her!" Elias cried, but nobody answered the call. There were a few soldiers there with Hover Wispons, but they were either busy fighting enemies, or hadn't yet noticed what was happening, and looked confused.

Then, a flash of light illuminated the area. Elias looked up, trying to see what that light was, but he could only make out the shadows of two figures up there before he was forced to return to the fray, being attacked by three Raiju ninja at once.

Bunnie stared in shock as Antoine D'Coolette slashed through two of the SWATbots before they could respond. The remaining two fired on him, but he leapt over their shots, landing behind them and taking them out.

Shadow clutched the yellow Chaos Emerald in his hand, nodding. "I'll leave this to you, then. Chaos Control!" With that, he warped away in the same flash of light that had brought him and Antoine there.

"W-Was that Shadow? Wait, that was our Emerald! Antoine, what-" As she turned to Antoine for answers, she was startled by him suddenly kneeling down and holding her.

"Bunnie, are you hurt?"

"A-A little," she said, feeling her face heating up. She felt Antoine shaking, and heard his laboured breathing, and she realised that he was leaning on her for support. "What about you?! You're not healed yet, you shouldn't be out here!"

"I 'ad to come," Antoine said. "Shadow told me… I 'ave to deliver a message to ze Prince, and I… 'ave to 'elp you all reclaim zis land."

Bunnie huffed, rising to her feet and draping Antoine's arm over her shoulders. "Honestly, y'all scared the jiminies outta me, an' then the second you're awake, you just jump right back into the thick of it?!"

"Everyone else is fighting. I 'ave to-"

"Silly boy." Bunnie kissed Antoine's cheek, hushing his bravado. "Well you're here now, so no use arguin' 'bout it. Let's go rejoin the others." Antoine nodded, and Bunnie activated her thrusters, descending slowly down. "And thanks for savin' me. Ah was in a real pinch."

"We arrived just outside of ze base, and I saw you. I asked Shadow to warp us up, so 'e deserves your thanks, too."

"What's his deal? He's on our side now?"

"'E attacked us, and stole ze Chaos Emerald, but 'e did not 'arm a single person…"

Antoine stirred as the sounds of fighting echoed from somewhere far away. His eyes opened slowly, and light filled his vision, making his head spin. It felt like it had been such a long time since he had opened his eyes, but he wasn't sure how long. He wasn't even sure why he was sleeping in the first place, or why his ears were ringing.

Cries for help could be heard faintly, but Antoine was more preoccupied with recalling what he was doing last. He was… in a forest, surrounded by people. Knothole, he recalled, and those people were his friends. Sally and Rotor were there. Nicole, Mina and Ash. He was fighting somebody. Fiona? No. He was fighting…

"Bunnie!" Antoine bolted upright, and then clutched his head. "Ow!"

Doctor Quack hurried to Antoine's side, taking his hand and feeling his pulse. "Easy! You've been out for a while now." He turned to Nurse Tekno and asked, "Could you bring him some water?"

Antoine groaned, hearing more crashing and yelling outside. It sounded like Wispons were being activated. "What is zat noise?"

"Never mind about that," Doctor Quack said as he checked Antoine's eyes. Tekno returned with the water. "Just focus on your recovery for now."

As Antoine drank the water, an otter ran into the room, carrying an unconscious dog girl over his shoulder. "Doc, we got injured piling up out here!"

Doctor Quack hurried over and helped the girl onto a bed. "She doesn't look too badly-hurt," he said after a quick assessment. "How many?"

"Err, pretty much everyone."

"How many are injured, though?"

"Like I said, everyone who's crossed paths with him!"

Doctor Quack raised an eyebrow. "No casualties?"

"No, he's just knockin' everyone out or ignorin' 'em."

"That doesn't sound like Shadow," Tekno said. "I heard he takes no prisoners. My mate Paul said that-"

"Shadow?" Antoine asked, climbing over the edge of his bed. "Did you say zat Shadow is 'ere?!"

"You should stay in bed," Doctor Quack said sternly, but before he could return to Antoine's side, more people showed up at his door, carrying injured patients.

"We need a doctor!"

"We got injured out here!"

"Hey, quit pushing! I was here first!"

Doctor Quack hurried to the door. "Everyone, please form an orderly queue! I'll see to you in order of the severity of your injuries! Anyone still able to fight, keep a lookout and secure an escape route!"

Tekno hurried to a nearby phone to call the other doctors and nurses, urging them to come immediately. While she was distracted with that, Antoine jumped out of his bed and grabbed his sabre, sitting at his bedside. He ran out of the room as Doctor Quack was trying to organise the gathering crowd.

"Antoine, get back! Damnit, I said to form a queue!"

Antoine hurried through the base, following the trail of destruction and finding his way to Chuck's lab, but there was no sign of Shadow. "Uncle Chuck?!"

"Antoine?" Chuck was laying on his stomach on the ground, groaning as he lifted his head. "My boy, you're awake. I'm so glad…"

"Are you 'urt? Where are ze others?"

"They're out on an important mission…" Chuck gave Antoine a quick summary of the current situation, about the royal family's return, and the Doomsday Bomb.

"Ze King has returned… I will escort you to Doctor Quack, and then I-" Antoine kneeled down to help Chuck up, but Chuck batted his hand away. "Sir?"

"Don't worry about me, I only took a blow to the gut, it's nothing serious. But Shadow has the Chaos Emerald! You have to stop him!"

Antoine nodded. "Oui, I will not allow 'im to escape! You have my word!" Antoine left the room and ran through the halls, weaving through the scared and exhausted soldiers as they carried injured to the medical wing. There seemed to be no dead among them, and the level of destruction to the base itself was minimal.

The guards at the entrance were out, so Antoine left without issue and drew his sabre. The black hedgehog was walking away, the yellow Chaos Emerald in his hand. "Stop, thief!"

Shadow turned around, and as Antoine swung, he dodged to the side and delivered a chop. Antoine ducked to avoid it, surprising Shadow, and he swung his sabre up. Shadow had to sidestep to avoid being cut, but then Antoine immediately brought his sabre back down, knocking the Chaos Emerald out of Shadow's hand and catching it.

"You move well, despite your injuries," Shadow said, "But I need that Emerald, so I'm going to need you to give it back."

"On my 'onour, you shall not 'ave zis!" Antoine held the Emerald securely in his hand and assumed a combative stance. He was panting now, while Shadow seemed completely calm.

"I've killed nobody, and I was leaving peacefully. Why push yourself so far to pursue me?"

"Because I am ze Princess' loyal knight!" Antoine declared. More a dream than reality, but Shadow didn't need to know that. "I 'ave already failed in my duty once, by failing to protect my friends! I will not fail again!"

"While that's noble, it doesn't change anything." Shadow sighed. "Look, I'm not the Shadow you've been fighting this whole time. I'm here to help you, and to do that, I need that Emerald."

"Lies!"

"If I wanted to kill you, I assure you, we wouldn't be having this conversation. Hell, I wouldn't even be here, because the Doomsday Bomb would take care of everything for me."

"Ze Doomsday Bomb…"

"A powerful bomb, set to destroy this whole region. Your friends are out there now, trying to seize it before it can be triggered, but it's a trick; the bomb is already active, and there isn't enough time to move it somewhere isolated. There is still a chance to stop it, though."

Antoine was hoping that Chuck was exaggerating about the threat that it posed, but Shadow crushed that hope by corroborating his story. He studied Shadow's eyes, keeping his sabre pointed at the hedgehog the entire time.

Shadow then moved suddenly, closing the gap in an instant and grabbing Antoine's wrist, preventing him from attacking. He pried the Chaos Emerald from Antoine's hand. Antoine swallowed, but then Shadow simply let him go and walked away.

"I'm going on ahead. If you want to help, then come with me. I was going to meet with your Prince and explain the situation, but time is of the essence. It would be faster if we worked together." Shadow extended his hand, offering an earpiece to Antoine. "So we can keep in contact."

Antoine looked at the earpiece sceptically, but then, he reached out his own hand and accepted it. As he put it in his ear, he said, "If zis is a trap, I will not hesitate to cut you down."

"Noted."

"But… I cannot see any logical reason for zis to be a trap. And somehow, I get ze feeling you can be trusted… for now." Antoine kept his sabre drawn as he stepped closer. "Your eyes remind me of 'is right now."

Shadow gave him a curious look. "Of whose?"

"Sonic ze Hedgehog's."

Shadow was silent for a moment, and then he let out the faintest of laughs under his breath. With a nod, Shadow held the Chaos Emerald up, and when Antoine grabbed onto his arm, he yelled, "Chaos Control!"

"'E could 'ave killed me easily, but 'e did not. I realise it sounds silly, but I did not think zat 'e was lying." The two landed, and Antoine and Bunnie parted, both of their faces red. "I would like to hear ze full story of what 'appened at Knothole, but right now, we 'ave a job to do."

Bunnie nodded. "Ah'll tell ya later, but for now, just know that ya saved my life… and Ah'm mighty thankful."

Elias hurried over to the two, looking just as surprised as Bunnie was when she first saw Antoine up above. "Antoine, you're okay!" He noticed Antoine's condition. "Well, 'okay' might be stretching it. What are you doing here?"

"My Prince, ze Doomsday Bomb is active," Antoine said, standing at attention. "Ze deactivation codes can be found on ze Eggnet, which can be accessed 'ere! I know where in ze server they are located, but we must hurry!"

"How do you know all this?" Elias asked, looking sceptical.

"Shadow ze Hedgehog told me."

"Isn't he our enemy?"

"I do not believe so, at least not for ze time being."

Elias hummed in thought. "I don't suppose you have… proof, to back your claim?"

"I am… afraid not," Antoine admitted. "But I fail to see how zis could be a trap. And if ze bomb is indeed active, then what other choice do we 'ave?"

"Shadow could've easily thwarted our attack," Bunnie said. "There was no reason to bring Antoine here, and he left before doin' anythin' else. And at the very least, Ah trust Antoine."

"Well, in any case, it doesn't change our overall objective: to capture this base. It just means we're now on a stricter time limit." Elias turned back to his people, pushing back the Raiju ninja as badniks dropped like flies. "Antoine, I hate to ask this while you're still injured, but can you fight?"

"Oui, my Prince."

Elias smiled as Antoine stood by his right. "Your father and mine fought side-by-side together, many times. It almost seems like fate."

Antoine nodded. "Oui. It shall be an 'onour, Your Highness."

Bunnie inhaled deeply, fighting through the pain in her stomach, and stood to Elias' left. "Ah'll join y'all too, if that's alright."

"Are you up for eet?" Antoine asked.

Bunnie flexed her arm, and responded with a grin. "Who d'you reckon you're speakin' to, 'Twan? It'll take more than a little old thing like this ta stop me."

"Then," Elias began charging forwards, and Antoine and Bunnie followed after him, "Let's do this!"

Conquering Storm clicked her tongue as she witnessed Thunderbolt's defeat, and watched as her followers finally surrounded them, though it was a little too late now. Just then, she received a distress call from the main base.

"Matron, we can't hold them off! They're about the breach the control room! GAH!"

"Useless," Conquering Storm spat.

"Wanna just give up now?" Sally asked. "We have your fortress and the bomb, and you've lost most of your support."

"Surrender is not our way," Conquering Storm said, cracking her neck. "The Doomsday Bomb will go off. There's no stopping the countdown now."

Sally gasped. "It's already armed?!"

Conquering Storm chuckled. "Oh, I'm sorry, were you under the impression that it wasn't? Oh, yes, I supposed I told Clove that we would arm it on arriving at our destination. While you put up your tired little resistance, time ticks ever-closer to the destruction of your beloved Kingdom!"

"Are you insane?! You'll die, too!"

Conquering Storm took out a blue-coloured Chaos Emerald, tossing it up-and-down. "Not with this gemstone, I won't. I can use Chaos Control to leave anytime I want."

"You'd leave your subjects to die?" Max asked, his voice sending chills down Sally's spine. She'd never heard him take such a tone, not even with Ixis, or Robotnik.

"If they want to flee, they can, but only after I leave. Those that can make it out will get to live, and those that don't? They wouldn't be worthy of serving under me, anyway." Conquering Storm shot King Max specifically a cold grin. "I'm just pruning the weeds from the garden, that's all."

Max gripped his sword tight. Sally quickly spoke into her comm, "Mom, please tell me you were able to evacuate everyone safely!" There was no response. "Mom?!"

"It's pointless," Conquering Storm said. "Lord Eggman's forces have already blockaded this region. They mobilized as soon as the Doomsday Bomb arrived. Even if you reach the border, there'd be no leaving without a fight."

"Mom! Please respond! What's wrong?! We shouldn't be out of range!"

"Sal," Rotor said, "We can't reach Mobotropolis! Something must have happened to our Chaos Emerald, and it's limiting our range!"

Sally's heart raced, yet her blood ran cold. Was there nothing else that she could do? She spoke into her comm again. "Clove! The Doomsday Bomb is active! Can you disarm it?!"

"What?! Hold on, I'll pull over now and- No! We're being chased! I-I can't stop-" The communication was interrupted by static.

"Clove?! Clove!"

"Even if she could stop, there's no stopping the bomb now," Conquering Storm said. "Your mother and subjects are probably dead by now. Even if they aren't, it won't be long. Maybe if you'd focussed all your efforts into evacuating, you might have been able to save some of your people. But you wasted time and manpower on this fruitless attack, and now it's all over. Before I leave, I'll allow myself the honour of killing the King, and recovering the fabled Sword of Acorns. Should make a good bargaining chip, should my relations with the Empire sour."

"Sally, remain calm," Max whispered. "Your mother may not be a soldier, but she is a leader. She smart and cunning, and she knows how to avoid danger. She'll be just fine." Max shot her a confident grin. "She is the woman I married, after all."

"But what about the bomb? If there's no way to stop it-"

"She's bluffing. There is a way to stop the Doomsday Bomb."

Sally clung onto what little hope she had, but she was still worried. "How are you sure?"

"If it didn't matter whether we took back the main base or not, then why leave it so well-defended?"

Sally's face lit up with realisation. "Of course! The Eggnet!" Sally spoke into her comm. "Elias, it's me! Have you captured the base yet?! The Doomsday Bomb is-"

"Active, we know! We have seized the control room and are searching for the deactivation codes now, but Eggman's not making it easy for us!"

"How did you-" Before Sally could continue, Conquering Storm closed the distance between them and attacked. Max intercepted her attack, surprising her with a show of speed she did not expect from the weakened, old man. He brought his sword down with a clean swing, prompting Conquering Storm to cartwheel out of the way, whilst firing off kunai knives that forced Max to block. As she circled around to strike his side, her senses alerted her to an attack from behind, and she crouched to avoid Sally's swing.

Conquering Storm rose up to counterattack, and Sally brought her energy blades together to block, and then leapt backwards as Max swung his sword down from behind their foe. Conquering Storm dodged to the side, and Max stopped his attack mid-swing, redirecting it to her new position. Conquering Storm leapt back several paces, blood dripping from a fresh, shallow cut along her chest.

"I see. The two of you can cover each other well, and though the King may be weak, he has years of experience that overshadow mine. Neither of you are to be underestimated…" Conquering Storm slapped her fist into her palm, and a shroud of smoke exploded around her.

Sally entered a defensive stance, eyeing the smoke cautiously. "Where'd she go?!"

"Calm yourself," Max told her, gripping his sword with both hands. "She is a ninja from the Dragon Kingdom. Their fighting style is unique, and relies on creating openings through trickery. Keep your wits sharp."

Sally felt something behind herself and turned around to strike, but the image of Conquering Storm vanished as she slashed it. Conquering Storm emerged from the smoke behind her and struck. Sally turned just in time to receive a palm to her face, staggering her backwards. Max ran to her side, but Conquering Storm was already gone before he could strike, hiding again in the smokescreen around them.

Sally clutched her nose while Max looked around for any signs of attack. He winced as he felt a sharp pain in his chest, and his hands began to tremble. "Not now," he muttered.

A shadow emerged from the smoke, leaping towards Max from the side, and Max swung his sword. Two halves of a small log fell to the ground, and while his back was turned, Conquering Storm leapt out to kick him to the ground.

"One down!" Conquering Storm crouched to evade Sally's attack, and she swept her legs to knock the Princess off her feet. As Sally crashed to the ground, Conquering Storm stomped onto her stomach. "And that's two."

"N-Not… yet…" Sally grit her teeth, staring defiantly into her opponent's eyes.

Conquering Storm reached down and grabbed Sally by the throat, lifting her up. She threw Sally aside, and the Princess tumbled along the ground, groaning as she came to a stop.

Max tried to climb to his feet, but a boot to his side knocked him back down, rolling him onto his back. A kunai knife was thrown into his shoulder, causing him to cry out and release his grip on his sword. Conquering Storm raised her foot over the downed King, grinning with malice as the smoke around them began to clear.

"Any final words, Your Majesty?"

King Max simply choked out a little blood, clutching his chest as he gasped for air.

"No? Very well."

Sally collected herself, watching in horror and Conquering Storm lowered her foot. "DAD!"

Conquering Storm's boot crashed into the ground, leaving a small crater, but there was no King Max. She blinked as she tried to understand what had just happened, and her senses alerted her to a nearby threat, prompting her to leap back and look ahead of her, to the black hedgehog standing by the kneeling King, holding the Sword of Acorns.

Max panted as he regarded his saviour, struggling to stand. "Who-"

Shadow delivered a chop to the King's neck, knocking him unconscious, and he gently lowered him to the ground.

"Father!" Sally climbed to her feet and ran over to engage Shadow. She stumbled as she ran, and the world span around her, but she had to save him!

Shadow skated across the ground, passing Sally, and made his way over to Conquering Storm, pulling back his fist. He threw a punch, which was caught by the lynx, and then he swung his body, delivering a kick to the side of her head.

As Conquering Storm stumbled away, Shadow swung the Sword of Acorns. She used her acrobatics to narrowly dodge the blade, performing a series of flips to put some distance between her and the hedgehog. "What is the meaning of this?!" she demanded. "Are you betraying Lord Eggman?!"

"Who do you think you're talking to?" Shadow asked. "I am Shadow the Hedgehog, and I do not serve Doctor Eggman."

"… So, the real one finally crawls out of his hole. And here I thought you'd been killed." Conquering Storm approached Shadow, who simply watched her with his arms folded. "You're underestimating me, aren't you? You'll regret that."

"Sorry," Shadow throwing the Sword of Acorns at Conquering Storm. She leaned aside to dodge it, but before she could right herself, Shadow was already in front of her, pulling back his fist. "You're not even on my radar." He drove his fist into Conquering Storm's face, knocking her to the ground. He gathered Chaos Energy into his hand and fired it. "Chaos Spear!"

Conquering Storm jumped to her feet and dodged the volley, glaring at Shadow as she wiped the blood from her lips.

"All you value is strength. You fail to see the bigger picture," Shadow said. "That's why you needed Eggman's help to conquer the Dragon Kingdom, and why it's so easy to get you to drop your guard."

Conquering Storm felt a chill down her spine, but she was too late to do anything about it. Sally drove the hilt of the Sword of Acorns into her back, and Conquering Storm fell to her knees. Shadow loomed over her, raising his hand.

"Don't!" Sally shouted.

Shadow brought down his hand on Conquering Storm's neck, and caught her when she fell unconscious. "She isn't worth killing," he told her, and then rose to his feet. "This battle isn't over yet. Where is the Doomsday Bomb?"

Sally held up her sword, eyeing Shadow suspiciously. "You're… not here to fight us, then?"

Shadow shook his head. "The Shadow you've been fighting this whole time was an imposter, created by the Phantom Ruby."

"Where have you been all this time?! Everyone thought you had betrayed Sonic! I- We all hated you so much!"

"There's no time for this," Shadow said. "There was a reason I remained underground, but right now, there's only one thing that matters."

"…" Sally lowered the Sword of Acorns, her expression softening. "Clove took the Doomsday Bomb. If you hurry, you should be able to catch her."

"So we're trusting him?" Mina asked as she approached. She and Ash had defeated the Raiju ninja that had surrounded them, though the latter looked a little worse for wear, hanging on Mina's shoulder. She looked at Shadow sceptically. "His story does line up with what Whisper said before, but how do we really know this isn't another fake? We've been tricked by Eggman enough times already-"

"The Doomsday Bomb is about to go off," Sally said. "Conquering Storm herself admitted that. If this is a trick, it wouldn't matter; we'll all be dead soon anyway if someone doesn't disarm it." She turned to Shadow. "Can you disarm it?"

Shadow tapped a device in his ear. "If your coyote friend delivered my message for me."

"Antoine?! He's awake?!"

"Yes. He tried to stop me as I was leaving Mobotropolis. Even in such a state, he was ready to fight me for you." Shadow grinned. "You have good followers."

Sally sighed. "A little too good. What was he thinking?" She quickly shook her head. "I'll make sure to scold him later. I assume you told Antoine to find the deactivation codes in the Eggnet?"

"Ah, you caught on," Shadow said. "Yes, they change frequently, so they must be input quickly. That's why I had to stop by the base first, I was going to let you brother know, and for that, I needed Chaos Control. Sorry I had to raid yours, but time was of the essence, and we've had difficult locating the others."

"I'll worry about that later. I'll put my trust in you, for now… You did save my father's life, after all."

Shadow turned to look down the road. "If you have no more questions, then, I'd better get going."

"I'll go with you," Mina said, passing Ash over to Sally.

"Mina!" Ash protested.

"I want to trust you, but I also don't want to take any chances. Besides, it'll be faster if we travel together."

"If that's what you want, I won't stop you, but can you keep up?"

Mina couldn't stop the challenging grin from forming on her face. "You'd better be as fast as they say. I learned from Sonic, the fastest there is!"

"Ah, so you might be able to keep up."

Mina took Shadow's hand, and the two of combined their powers to perform a double boost, tearing through the landscape and following the trail left by Clove's truck, and the Raiju pursuing it. They saw the truck in the distance, stopped on the road, with Cassia and Clove defending it against Raiju ninja.

"What's the play?" Mina asked.

Shadow tapped his earpiece, groaning. "Soldier boy, do you have the codes yet?!"

"We are working on eet! We 'ave captured ze control room, but Nicole ees 'aving to fight 'er way though Robotneek's security!"

"Well hurry!"

"Nicole recently got hacked," Mina said, "So she's probably being cautious-"

"We don't have time for caution," Shadow returned, racing on ahead. Mina sprinted faster to keep up, and the two ambushed the Raiju from behind, bouncing between them in a series of homing attacks before they could respond.

Shadow leapt from the last ninja to the back of the truck, kicking the doors open and landing inside. He raced to the bomb and opened a panel, revealing a console.

"We 'ave it!"

"Tell me!" Shadow input the codes as Antoine relayed them, and when he submitted the last one, the timer froze at one minute, twenty-eight seconds. "It was closer than I thought." Shadow felt a presence behind himself and rose to his feet. "Relax. I'm not your enemy."

"Maybe not," Clove said, holding her scythe to Shadow's back, "But you've still got some explaining to do."

Shadow turned to face her, crossing his arms. "I don't have to explain myself. Just keep up the good fight, and be ready." Shadow took out his Chaos Emerald. "It's time to bring this war to a close. Chaos Control!"

Shadow vanished before Clove's very eyes, leaving her with the disarmed Doomsday Bomb.

Nicole emitted her holographic form, sighing. "There! We should have complete control of this region now, and I've separated us from the Eggnet."

"You're awesome, Nicole!" Bunnie cheered.

"Oui! Shadow 'as just informed me that ze Doomsday Bomb 'as been disarmed," Antoine reported, and then he winced as static filled his ear. He pulled out his earpiece, staring at it incredulously. "Sacré bleu! He 'as cut me off!"

"I wouldn't take it personally," a new voice said, drawing everyone's attention to the bat girl casually entering the room, twirling the head of a SWATbot around her finger. "He just doesn't want you thinking you're friends now, that's all."

"Who are you?" Elias asked, eyeing the woman carefully.

"Rouge the Bat," she said, sending the Prince a wink that made him blush. "I'm with the Resistance. I heard from Shadow about the Doomsday Bomb and came to help, but it was difficult getting past that blockade. Well, looks like you all had it under control."

"So the Resistance knows that the Shadow we've been fighting this whole time has been a fake?" Bunnie asked, but Rouge shook her head.

"Just me."

"Why would you keep that from everyone?"

"Well, it really wouldn't have done much good if I had revealed it," Rouge said with a shrug. "True, it may have risen morale a little, but there was actually a hidden benefit to keeping Shadow underground until now."

"Which is?" Antoine asked.

"Eggman's biggest weakness is his obsession with Sonic. With Sonic out of the picture, he's been a real force to be reckoned with, but he's never been able to defeat us completely. You know why? Because that obsession has shifted over to Shadow.

"Infinite was supposed to kill Shadow, but he failed. Eggman saw Shadow as a loose end, a thread that could unravel his whole scheme, and so he kept focussing resources away from the war effort to find him. To help with that, Shadow would occasionally reveal himself, sabotaging Eggman's attacks and aiding the Resistance from behind the scenes."

"So he's been drawing Robotnik's attention, giving the Resistance just enough breathing room to survive as long as it has," Elias summarised. "But why does that mean you couldn't tell anyone?"

"Eggman was only so obsessed with Shadow, because he was afraid Shadow's return would break the illusion of his Shadow replica. The illusion that one of Sonic's allies had turned on him. If we broke that illusion ourselves, he wouldn't care anymore."

"Elias, we're on our way now with the Doomsday Bomb. Is the base secure?" Sally asked.

Elias spoke into his comm, "Yes, we're rounding up the last of the Raiju now, and searching for any hiding in the shadows."

"Dad's injured, so Mina's taking him back to Mobotropolis for treatment. You're going to have to take charge from here… I don't think he can join us in the coming battles."

Elias inhaled deeply, his eyes closed. "… Got it."

"Well, I guess you have this all under control now. Good luck," Rouge said, turning to leave. "Oh, that's right. I met your mother and the evacuees on the way here. They're safe, so don't worry about them."

Elias breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you."

"If you really want to thank me, I like jewels. The pricier the better." Rouge left with a chuckle.

Elias turned to the console behind him, and he began tapping the keys. "I'm going to send out the recall signal now. Every badnik in the region will be made to return here. Tell our troops to man the gun emplacements along the wall; we're going to gun them down, cleansing the whole Kingdom of badniks."

"Oui!" Antoine saluted, and then rushed out of the room, Bunnie following behind him.

Elias clenched his fists, staring at the console. "Prince?" Nicole asked, concerned.

"Sorry, just… I knew the day would come, but it feels too soon."

"You know, you and Sally are a lot alike," Nicole said. "You both appear so confident, but underneath, you're actually very nervous. But Sally's really come into her own as a leader, and for what it's worth, I think you'll do a fine job as King."

"… Thanks," Elias said, offering Nicole a sincere smile. He turned back to the console and finished inputting the command, and then he gathered Nicole's handheld and left to join his troops outside.

"It appears that the Doomsday Bomb failed to detonate, Boss," Orbot reported.

Eggman grumbled. "Darn. That was expensive to build, too."

"It appears that we have lost connection with our bases in the Kingdom of Acorn, and we cannot reach Conquering Storm or Thunderbolt."

Eggman waved his hand lazily. "So they lost. That's too bad."

Orbot tilted his head. "You're taking this awfully well. I assumed you would be furious."

"Eh, truth-be-told, the Doomsday Bomb was just a prototype. It would have been nice to glean some data from it, but I'm fairly certain it would've worked regardless."

"You also used it as a way ta get the traitor t' show themselves," Cubot noted, and Eggman scoffed.

"Not that it was any great mystery. I was just bringing our little game to a close." Eggman rose to his feet, stretching his arms. "The Imperial Tower is nearing completion. Whatever small victories the Resistance wins from here will ultimately be meaningless."

"Oh, right, 'cause they're all gonna die anyway," Cubot said. "Uhhh, that was the plan, right?"

"Yes, Cubot," Orbot said with a sigh. "Such an utter waste. And I presume we will be left with the cleanup."

"The thing that bothers me now," Eggman continued, glaring at one monitor in particular, displaying Sonic the Hedgehog. The hero was handcuffed and relaxing in his cell, without a care in the world, "Is that the Resistance is on its way to free Sonic."

"Yes, but as you said, it no longer matters if-"

"This is different!" Eggman spat. "Sonic has always been a thorn in my side! No matter how close I get to the goal, he always finds a way to ruin it! Well, I'm not taking any chances this time." He turned to the two. "Contact the Death Egg! We're relocating him before his friends can bail him out!"

"Er, where to, sir? He is currently in our most-secure facility."

"Where else?" Eggman asked, adjusting his glasses. "To one of the shuttles. We'll blast him straight into the sun itself!"

"Oh. Forgive me, Boss, but I thought you had intended to torment Sonic by showing him his friends' demise?"

"That was the plan, but…"

"You think something might go wrong?" Cubot ventured, earning a scowl from the Doctor. "Not that the plan is bad or anything! Just, with all the things that've been goin' wrong lately, and the unknown variables and such-"

"Cubot, please," Orbot whispered. "I'm happy that you're using your head, but do remember your filter."

"Stop yammering and get to work!" Eggman ordered, turning back to the monitor. His moustache drooped, as the feed changed to an image from elsewhere on the Death Egg, where a lone soldier was tearing through his badniks with a Wispon, making their way closer to Sonic. "Now! Contact Zavok now!"

Orbot and Cubot rushed to fulfil their order, while Eggman slumped into his seat and watched. All he could do was wait and see.