"So, that is how it all happened." Sonic leaned back in his chair. Typing away on the keyboard as he told his story. Shadow looked over at Metal Sonic. He felt angry at the tin can. Shadow was obviously aware of what Metal Sonic was aiming to do. He looked at Sonic. "I…see. Sonic. You know Metal Sonic is trying to replace Eggman with you…right?" Sonic tilted his head. "I think I caught onto that, but I will never be Eggman. I am just sending robots to attack towns for fun and then saving the day before any real damage is done." he smiled. "It is all in good fun, Shadow."

Shadow held his arms. He looked into Sonics eyes. "Are you sure that that chip Metal Sonic put into your brain isn't making you think it's all okay?" Sonic chuckled. He put a finger on his forehead. "I triple-checked the chips he connected inside different parts of my brain. They all were to give me information and the intellect to understand all of this. None of it is influencing my actions, promise," he pointed to his eye."Through my eyes, I can now understand the genius Eggman really was, although he was evil, and I am not." Shadow glanced over at the jacket mentioned in the story. "Sonic. You think that attacking towns with badniks is okay… you are changing, can't you see it?"

Sonic narrowed his eyes. He crossed his arms. "I thought you said you were with me, Shadow." Shadow walked over, picking the jacket up off of the coat hook. "I said I will keep it secret.. so this is the jacket Metal Sonic made for you?" Sonic nodded. "Yes, it is. I'm not going to wear it again any time soon.." Shadow held the jacket up, looking at the intricate details. It was not exactly like Eggman's jacket. There were a few differences. One, the panels on the upper arms were gold instead of silver. There was a place for Sonic's back quills to slip through, which buttoned at the top.

Shadow found himself suspicious of what Metal Sonic was playing at. What was his end goal? Shadow felt conflicted about what he should do. He didn't want to abandon Sonic at this moment, but watching him fall deeper into becoming a villain disguised as a hero. It made Shadow feel worried. "Shadow, would you mind putting the jacket back? I don't want it to get hurt..."Sonic spoke softly. Shadow walked over, holding the jacket out. "Why do you keep it if you are not going to wear it? Do you know that Tails is worried sick about you? He doesn't know where you disappear to for days on end." Sonic looked at the jacket. "Tails told me he was going to travel by himself soon. I didn't want to be in the way of him leaving." Shadow shook his head. "Your Eggman scare is causing fear, Sonic. The resistance is returning. Amy has been requested to come back. I'm pretty sure Tails canceled his trip. If you are going to cause this mass panic. Just to continue being a false hero. I won't stop you, but I want you to realize what you are becoming. So humor me. Put the jacket on and look at yourself." Sonic tensed up as Shadow tossed the jacket at Sonic. He felt insulted. "A false hero? Shadow…I am a hero."

Shadow shook his head. "You are becoming a false hero. You are creating conflict just to solve it…"he spoke low. "I know you are stupid, but come on. Don't deny it. You know what you are doing is wrong…" Shadow turned his back, crossing his arms. He hoped this would get through to Sonic. "Put it on." Sonic grumbled standing up, holding the jacket. He did not understand why Shadow was being so insistent. A fake hero? Him? There was no way. Sonic put his hands through the sleeves, adjusting the jacket. He straightened out the tailcoat before walking past Shadow to the mirror.

"This is stupid, Shadow. It's not like I have changed or anything…" he spoke in a grumble before standing in front of the mirror. Yep, there he was. Sonic the Hedgehog, the hero of Mobius, the one and only. He straightened his posture pridefully. "I don't get what you're talking about, Shadow." Shadow walked over. He stood next to Sonic. "You can't see it, Doctor?" he spoke low. Sonic shook his head. "I think you are just trying to mess with me. I am swamped planning my next town to save." he returned to his chair. Shadow nodded. "Sonic."

Sonic turned to look at Shadow "What is it?" Shadow took a step towards Sonic. "You just answered to Doctor."

Sonics eyes widened. He shook his head. "No, I did not. There is no way."

Shadow looked dead into Sonic's eyes. "I called you Doctor, and you responded."

Sonic chuckled nervously, tripping over his words, "That. You must be lying, Shadow. I would never."

Shadow got closer to Sonic. "You need to go home and try to get yourself back, Sonic. Tails needs you…why don't you just leave all this behind…or is this who you are now? You know you can't keep this secret from everyone else forever…

Sonic held his arm. He looked at the monitor, which was connected to a camouflaged drone shaped like a bird spying on his home. "Shadow…what if this is who I am now?" he asked. He glanced at himself in the mirror, walking back over to it. Shadow followed. He raised his hand to touch Sonics shoulder before deciding not to "I… won't leave your side, Sonic. What about this? I will stay here for a few days. You go back home and figure out what you want to do. If you come back. You will tell me who you are now. If you don't. I will leave this place as well within five days, and we can forget about all of this and get on with life…does that sound good?"

Sonic nodded. He took his jacket off, switching his gloves back. "I guess I do deserve a break after that successful debut. Alright, Shadow. You're on," he spoke low. Shadow glanced at Metal Sonic. He was hoping that by being away from all of this. Sonic would go back to normal.

"Sonic!" Tails ran over to Sonic, glomping him. He hugged his best friend close. "I was worried about you! Where have you been the past week!?" Sonic smiled softly. He hugged Tails back. "You know me. I was just going where the wind takes me." Tails's eyes sparkled. "I was worried sick. Oh! Did you hear? People are theorizing that Eggman is somehow alive, or someone is pretending to be him." Sonic nodded. "Yeah, that was pretty strange how those badniks just appeared."

The weirdest part was they were not being controlled by helpless animals, Sonic!" Tails gestured to the guest hut "Amy is inside waiting to talk to you about what is going on." Sonic groaned. "...do I really have to talk to her tonight?" he asked. "I had a long day." Tails paused. "Well, I guess we can wait until morning. Sonic, just curious. What is that faint glow next to your-" Sonic cut Tails off." It's nothing, really. I'm going to cook something for dinner. Chili dogs sound good, right bud? "he blurred off. Tails's ear went down. He walked into the hut where Amy was waiting. "Hey, Amy. Sonic finally returned." Amy looked over; her eyes lit up "Really!? That is great news. Where is he?" Tails shrugged. "He went off to make dinner. He said he would talk in the morning."

Amy crossed her arms. "What if during the night Eggman's bots attack another town!? Evil never sleeps."

Tails nodded. "I understand, but we don't know where Sonic was. Maybe he went to find the fake Eggman? I know he will tell us in the morning."

Amy sighed. "Alright. I sure hope so."

Sonic smothered a hotdog in chili. He placed the tower of chilidogs on the table before taking a few for dinner, just like how Uncle Chuck's chili dog stand used to make them. He smiled, thinking about his uncle before heading into Tail's garage. Maybe there were parts in here that would be compatible with Metal Sonic. He consumed the Chilidogs in record time before he got to work looking for parts. "Wires should be over here…yes, here they are," he spoke low. "I doubt Tails will even notice if these are missing. I wonder if any of this will be compatible with his current en-"

"Sonic? What are you doing?" Tails walked in. He looked at the wires in Sonics hand. That was, odd. Sonic placed the wires down. "Nothing much. Just was looking around."

Tails raised an eyebrow." what would you need wires for, Sonic?" he asked. "Come on. Let's go inside and watch something together. I missed hanging out. Amy is heading to sleep soon, I think."

Sonic glanced at the wires and the box full of parts that Tails had gathered over time. He wished he could just get back to looking through it, but then his cover would be blown. He nodded. "Of course, but I get to choose what we are going to watch." he smiled softly. Tails nodded. "As you always do."

"So that is the plan." Amy looked determined as she put her hands together. Seeing Sonic made her feel everything was alright now. Tails lit up. His tails wagged. "We will stop this fake Eggman, and then the world will finally be safe." Sonic, who was tired of this meeting. He had been indirectly called Fake Eggman, an Insane guy, a copycat, and a wannabe villain. He crossed his arms, looking to the side. "Sounds good to me, whatever." Tails tilted his head. He looked at Sonic. "Sonic, I know that you are upset that you have to come out of retirement. I know I am. We all are, but once this copycat Eggman is dealt with, we can return to our peaceful lives." Sonic looked out of the window. Amy crossed her arms. "Sonic, what is with this attitude you are giving us?" she asked.

Sonic scoffed. "It's nothing." Tails shrugged. "Sonic is probably as annoyed as we are about this faker." Sonic side-eyed Tails. Tails kept assuming the wrong things. Sure, Sonic was not Eggman, but he was not a fake. He was his own kind of v- no..wait. He looked down at the ground. What was he just thinking? He shook his head. Amy looked at Tails. "Sonic seems somewhere far off…" Tails nodded. "I have noticed that as well. Sonic, are you alright?" he waved his hand in front of Sonic's face. "I have been meaning to ask. What is up with the red dots next to your eye?" Sonic looked at Tails. He shook his head. "It is nothing, don't worry about it. So, the plan is to locate the new doctor, and-" Amy cut Sonic off. "New Doctor? That is funny; this guy is just using Eggman's old tech." Tails agreed, "I bet they don't even know how to make anything original." Sonic's eye ticked. "Ah~ yeah. Whatever you two say." he stood up, walking to the window. "Just curious, what would you two if you were against me?"

Tails froze. He chuckled softly. "That would never happen, Sonic. You are my best buddy, and I know you are always morally good." Amy nodded. "That is an odd question, but I know we would never fight. You are the resistance's best trump card." Tails leaned forward. "Once this is all over, we will celebrate the world being at peace again." Sonic looked towards the island. He nodded. "I should get going then." Tails held out an earpiece. "Here, we do not know who we are going up against, if you need backup, just tell us. I will be listening." he smiled kindly. "Operation Stop Fake Eggman is a go." Sonic took hold of the earpiece, placing it into his ear. He turned, facing the door. He needed to stop by Tail's workshop for the materials before he left. Being insulted like that, called a fake, and all this talk of peace? It left a sour taste in the back of Sonic's mouth. He turned around, smiling a fake smile, waving at the two before he blurred off. Amy looked at Tails. "What do you think that was about?" she asked. Tails looked into Amy's eyes. "I, I don't know. I hope Sonic is all right. This Eggman copy must be really getting to him.

Sonic grabbed the parts he needed before walking to the dock. He looked back at Tails's home. It did not feel like home anymore. He placed the box of parts into the boat before setting out towards the island. He thought about what Tails had said. The world being at peace? Initially, that sounded great, but Sonic didn't know what he would do with himself. He would be driven insane from having nobody to fight. Sonic thought about what he was about to do. No, he had gone insane, and to be honest. He was feeling great. He knew that Tails would be able to find independence, and hopefully, Amy would finally give up on being with him and focus on finding someone who loves her back. Sonic, at one point, thought he liked Amy back, but over the years, his crush turned more into annoyance. She was just too much. He hopped into the boat, starting the engine before speeding off.

Shadow was watching the monitors. He watched as Sonic's boat approached the island. It had only been a day.. What could have happened was that Sonic had made up his mind that fast. Shadow picked the jacket up and walked down to the entrance to meet up with Sonic. Sonic docked the boat, he took out the earpiece, looking at Tails handiwork. He placed the earpiece in the boat, hearing Tails's voice. "Sonic? Sonic, do you read? Sonic looked at the earpiece. He knelt down. "Live your life well, Tails." he spoke low, crushing the earpiece under his foot. He looked at the base. This was his place now. He grabbed the box of parts and walked to the door. Shadow opened the door; his arms were crossed. He held the jacket. "You sure made up your mind fast, Sonic." Sonic glanced at the jacket. He shrugged. "Well, Shadow. You know me. I am the fastest thing alive. My intellect might have heightened due to the chip, but my brain still runs as fast as ever. What, are you disappointed?" he asked, smirking. Shadow held the jacket out. "It is your choice what you do. I will be here to ensure you don't end up dead, like Eggman." Sonic's eyes dimmed at the mention of Eggman. He grabbed the jacket from Shadow, and put it on. "So you are going to be my henchman?" he asked. Shadow looked at Sonic. "If you call me that again. I will leave," he spoke low. "And you owe me your confession. What are you now, Sonic?" Sonic popped the collar on his jacket, smirking. He looked into Shadow's eyes. "I am Sonic, Sonic the Hedgehog. The newest villain on the block, who is playing hero against himself until he is caught." Shadow nodded. It was strange to hear Sonic admit it. "What happens if you get caught? You know your name will become as feared as Eggma-" Sonic cut Shadow off. "Nope, I would become more feared than Eggman. I will be a better villain than old egghead ever was. This is the start of something genuinely amusing. Stick around, Shadow, and I will show you something new and exciting. Let us get to work." Shadow watched as Sonic winked and walked past him. The tailcoat flowed behind Sonic as he walked.

Shadow took a deep breath. No matter what, he would not allow Sonic to end up alone. He knew the moment that Sonic's friends figured out what was happening. They would be gone. Shadow followed Sonic into the base. "So, Sonic. Have a villain name picked out?" he asked. Sonic walked over to the bot training room. He nodded. Yes, I do; I think I like what you called me." Shadow paused, thinking back. "Doctor?" Sonic nodded. "I am Doctor Sonic now," he said, pointing to himself. "The world won't know what hit it." Shadow crossed his arms. "What happens if someone finds a way to fry the chips inside your brain? Won't you end up returning back to your old self?" Sonic tilted his head, he grabbed a wrench, working on some badnik modifications. "The chip has been inactive for a while now. It was only placed inside my brain to download information." he looked over. "Are you alright being my helper?" Shadow looked at the Badniks. Then, at Sonic. He nodded. "I am with you, Sonic, but may I ask what your endgame is? Don't tell me you want a Sonic land now?" Sonic chuckled brightly. "No, nothing like that. Until I am caught, I will continue saving the world from myself, but the moment I am caught? I think I will take Mobius over and be its one ruler. I would be a great ruler, Shadow. My bots will make sure that there will be no resistance. I know all of their hideouts and their routes. Their members. Try as they might to stop me. I will make the world my personal stage. I will reshape Mobius to how I see fit, and if anyone wants to oppose or challenge me? Then the show will begin. I will broadcast anyone who wishes to oppose me on television and show everyone their efforts to stop me will be futile. I have been the sole hero of this world for so long. Sure, there was that one person with the phantom ruby, but I have not seen them in forever. Nobody else is worthy enough to take control of this world. My end goal is to show the world that even if they don't get to love me as a hero. I will not fade into nothingness." Shadow tensed up. He walked over to Sonic. "As long as you are not planning to destroy the world…but Sonic, are you that fearful about being forgotten? What is that about?" Sonic shrugged. "it's not your business. Shadow. I am just coming up with ideas as we go. I am not solid in my plans for world domination. Deep down, I want to still protect Mobius, and its people. I am just throwing ideas around. All I know is I will not stand being called a fake anymore. I am more than a wannabe."

Shadow wondered what trauma Sonic had been hiding within himself all this time. He wondered if, after all of these years of running from his feelings and problems, everything had finally come crashing down on Sonic, causing all of this to happen in the blue hedgehog's brain. Shadow knew two truths about Sonic. Sonic mostly hid his emotions to always be positive and a beacon of hope for everyone. Only when Sonic got home after a mission, he would hole himself in his room and cry sometimes. Shadow was impressed by Sonic's impressive poker face and the mask he showed everyone. The second truth was that Sonic loved to be in the spotlight. With Sonic's narcissistic personality, Shadow was starting to understand how, after Sonic gained Eggman's intellect, he fell into becoming a villain who saw everyone else as inferior. "So, Doctor Sonic. Do you need help with anything?" he asked. Sonic looked back at Shadow. His ears perked up. "I need you to go grab the new mech cores I have been working on. Also, the metal I will use will be harder to break through with a spin dash later on. Oh, can you grab my gloves?" Shadow crossed his arms. "Alright, Doctor." he put a thumbs up before walking off upstairs. Sonic watched Shadow leave the room. Being called Doctor, it just felt right for some reason, after having all that information downloaded into his brain. It was nice to have someone there to acknowledge that he was now a genius.

Shadow walked into the central control room. He picked up the gloves with the control panels embedded into them. He looked out of the window. He planned to stay with Sonic to ensure he did nothing stupid. Looking out at Sonics house. He couldn't help but find himself curious about what happened over there that caused Sonic to return so soon. Shadow leaned on the windowsill, closing his eyes. How far would Sonic go as a villain? The thought had never crossed his mind before. Sonic had always been the type to help anyone. Maybe it was the chip that drove Sonic into this mindset, or perhaps it was a deep-seated darkness that was lurking in the back of Sonic's mind, waiting for a chance to come to the surface. Shadow held his arms, looking around before he preened his quills back. That was always comforting to do. "Shadow… you're sure taking your time," Sonic called out from close by. Shadow could hear footsteps approaching. He turned his head, looking at Sonic peeking in from the doorframe. "What are you up to?" Sonic leaned on the doorframe before walking to the window; he stood beside Shadow. Shadow sighed, holding out the gloves. "Here, Doctor." Sonic grabbed the gloves and put them on. He looked up at the sky. "You can call me Sonic when I am not working. Shadow, I have known you for a long time. Just because I have decided to go on this path doesn't mean anything has to change. I am still me." Shadow nodded. "I know you are still you," he spoke low. "You're just letting your inner; how would you put it? Edgelord out." Sonic's tensed up before breaking into a chuckle. He looked at Shadow. "Edgelord? Nah, I am still lighter than you are." Shadow turned his head, cracking a smirk. He was relieved to see Sonic laugh. "That was a joke, Sonic." Sonic smiled softly. "I know it was; you always know how to cheer me up, Shadow."

Shadow leaned on the windowsill. He glanced back at Sonic. Sonic tilted his head, his gaze softened towards Shadow. "Let's get some sleep, Shadow. A genius like me needs his sleep. You can take whatever room you want. Goodnight," he waved, walking out of the room. Shadow watched Sonic leave. He looked to the side. Doctor Sonic. Shadow did not see this coming. Was there no way to bring the old Sonic back? Maybe Sonic would realize what he is doing is wrong later on. Shadow hoped that this was just a phase.