(G.U.N. Outpost)

Gadget had to admit that while he wasn't given a whole lot of free reign over what he could use, even with Speedy's permission, the G.U.N. base had some top notch materials to work with. Not that the scrap yard back home didn't have good stuff, but things here were simply of better quality. Despite the limitation on what was made available for his purposes, the wolf carried some of his own parts as well, and had already constructed a number of useful items. Some were improvements to existing tools and weapons, while others were new innovations. Most of them could be shared among his friends, but a few were made specifically for himself, both for offense and defense. A part of him thought it was excessive, given what they already had, but he recalled what Garnet had told him. He didn't want to be caught in a situation that would end with him occupying an early grave. If some extra preparation could prevent that from happening, it was worth it.

'Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it,' he mused as he put a couple fragments of a red Chaos Drive into the back of a new pair of gloves he'd crafted.

And just in time, too, for his comm started to go off right after he'd finished his current project. Seeing that it was a joint call from his sister, his adoptive brother, and his future daughter, he was quick to respond and head to the rec room where everyone else was.

"I'm happy to see you're okay, little bro," he told the fox kindly, then put on a more serious face, "but I have a feeling something big's happened."

"That's putting it lightly, Gad," Gizmo answered grimly, "we managed to capture most of the Jackal Squad and get the rest of the Emeralds."

Miles nodded slowly and solemnly. "But Zero killed a lot of people, and he fooled me into thinking he'd died. He's still at large with the Sapphire."

"Which he ate!" Sonic added from the fox's side with a grimace, "can ya believe it?"

Gadget fought back a noise of disgust, not wanting to think about how the jackal managed that. Instead, he decided to hurry to where the others were so that they could be privy to everything going on. In the rec area, he found Amy, Cream, and Cheese doing stretches, Lavender trying out some tricks on his Extreme Gear, and the pair of Speedy and Rouge talking to a few other G.U.N. personnel. They noticed the viridian wolf sprinting onto the scene, prompting his friends and the two agents to cease what they were doing.

"We've got word from the others," he informed them as he increased the volume on his device.

"Sorry to worry you guys," Miles apologized without his usual bright smile and humble tone, "but I'm okay."

Naturally, Cream was thrilled to see him, but stopped herself from cheering when she saw how he looked. "Are you sure, Miles? You look a little beaten up, and you don't sound so good..."

"I'll be fine, Cream. I've just had a lot on my plate. More importantly..."

The fox and she-wolf's groups reiterated the parts they told Gadget, then went on to update everyone about exactly what happened. From the run-in with the Hooligans to the showdown with Zero, and everything in-between. However, it was when one particular individual came up that another party chimed in.

"She a relative of yours or something, Prower?" Cress asked him, completely serious.

Miles admittedly hadn't been expecting the Jackal Squad to weigh in on the conversation. Even more bizarre was the question the black-backed one posed.

"What, just because she's a fox?" he questioned the other canid sarcastically.

The side-striped twins bristled at his words.

"That's not what Cress means, twerp!" Shana spat at him.

"Yeah, don't be so quick to assume things!" Lana defended.

"I wasn't talking to you slags!" Miles snapped at them, refocusing on Cress and deepening his frown, "stop wasting my time and get to the fucking point."

The three jackals flinched at his shift in demeanor, as did several others presently listening in. They didn't blame him, not after what had happened, but he was usually more composed than this.

'It must be taking its toll,' Gadget noted concernedly, 'all this running around, dealing with the stress of everything that's happened while balancing a role as team leader. It's a hell of a lot for anyone to try to handle.'

"You guys didn't see her without them," Cress began to elaborate, "but she's hiding weird blue marks under that rag and dust sock of hers...and she's got two tails like you, kid."

Naturally, everyone else was either dumbfounded at the claim, contemplating its veracity, or were straight up dismissive of it.

"I suppose it's possible that another two-tailed fox could exist aside from you," J commented to his cousin, "but while I'm no geneticist, I know that such a mutation is extraordinarily rare, no matter how you look at it."

Vector scoffed a bit. "Well, I think they're just trying to feed us bad info."

"Yeah, I don't buy it," Mighty agreed.

"It's the truth," Cress replied in an unwavering tone, "check the train's security footage; I can guarantee it'll prove me right."

Miles momentarily dismissed himself from the chat to presumably check into things. A couple of minutes later, he came back and appeared to be a touch surprised by something he'd seen.

"Bro, what's up?" Gizmo asked him.

"Look at this," was all he said before tapping at his multi-tool.

Seeing as it could handle projecting feed through their comms best of all, Remi did the work of downloading the video and transmitting it from itself. From the footage recovered near and inside the engine, they saw the same vixen Gizmo and her group had encountered apprehending the side-striped twins. Once she revealed that she did indeed have blue markings similar to Miles' tawny ones, and two tails as well, the people that Speedy and Rouge had been speaking to swiftly left the area. The ace subtly nodded in their direction while glancing at the bat, who slyly winked and silently excused herself. The perspective in the short film switched to the engine interior, where Cress tried and failed to stop the mysterious vulpine, who went on to face towards the rear of the train. Seeing her hands glowing and immediately hearing the screeching of wheels against the track afterwards left everyone watching momentarily speechless.

It was Knuckles who was first to speak once he found his voice again.

"I did feel an...immense surge of Chaos Energy earlier," he admitted to the collective group, "but I didn't know if it had anything to do with this 'train' stopping. I guess we have the answer now."

Gadget whistled to express how impressed he was. "That's an insane amount of energy to be able to stop a big train like that. Nothing compared to what the 'Power Trio' can do in their super states, but still pretty terrifying."

"Yeah," Lavender mumbled as he folded his arms, "just who is she, though?"

Miles shrugged on his end. "I don't really know, but I know she's not here anymore. And in my opinion, there's no point in looking when we don't have a single clue where she went." He peered over his shoulder. "Anyway, I'm working on getting this train to the next stop. Once we've taken care of that and everything else, we're leaving for Angel Island."

Amy yawned and stretched a bit. "Didn't get as much time to rest as I thought we would."

"We're all tired too, Amy," Gizmo said with some sympathy, "but Miles is right. The longer we take, the more danger the island will be in."

Blue leaned in from his side of the call. "The two of us can help put some pep in our step, at least for the upcoming hurdles."

"Unfortunately, we don't have enough Chaos Capsules for everyone," Garnet replied with a frown, "so some of you will just have to try and heal up on the way there."

Much of the gang was confused when the two future fighters brought that up. Seeing their expressions, Miles remembered that he hadn't told most of them every last detail about Speedy's Flicky Island escapades. Likewise, the ace hadn't bothered to fill them in, but he didn't feel bad about that because it wasn't his responsibility to do so. Still, there came the inevitable question.

"The heck is a Chaos Capsule?" Lavender asked while scratching his head.

Cream hummed curiously. "I'm afraid I don't know, either."

"To summarize," Blue explained for her and everyone else out of the loop, "they're handy little 'pills' that'll completely mend your wounds and restore your stamina the moment they settle in your stomach. It's difficult and time-consuming to make even a few, much less a handful or more."

"We can distribute them as we need to later," Garnet continued on his behalf, "but right now, we'll handle things here. See you when we get back."

The pair ended their side of the transmission, leaving Miles and Gizmo's channels open.

"We'll return once the civilians are safe and the Jackal Squad's been handed off to the authorities," the fox said, "and then we're leaving pretty much immediately after that, so get yourselves ready."

"See you all soon," the she-wolf told them before she and the other canid cut their connection.

Those in the rec room, save for the remaining G.U.N. agent, broke up to prepare themselves for the inevitable big battle ahead and get in the right mindset.

"So, are Chaos Capsules like Senzu or something?" Lavender asked Gadget as they walked off.

Speedy shook his head and decided to go down the same path his partner had while tailing the other people that had unceremoniously left them earlier. It didn't take long for him to find his partner, who was fixing him with a knowing look he'd seen more than a few times.

"So, what did you find out?" the ace inquired with his arms crossed.

Rouge flicked her ears and swiveled her eyes to make sure no one was nearby to hear or watch them. "Not a lot, but it's something to look into later. Seems like the commander wants any information about the vixen those guys showed us, and it's a 'very high priority,' I heard the other agents say." She gave him a bit of a smirk. "It seems your rival isn't the only two-tailed fox he's interested in."

"I won't be surprised if we get a mission involving her sometime after this is all over, then," Speedy remarked with an unamused expression, "we'll definitely have to do further research. But for now, we've got a more important assignment and set of targets to take care of."

When they had moved on as well, the hall they'd been in was now completely empty. Or so it would've seemed, for someone with keen and honed senses would have picked out an ever so slight disturbance in the atmosphere. And had they stayed longer, they would have caught the barely audible heaving of an impatient sigh.

"About time they started moving on," whispered an effeminate voice, "now I just have to make sure they get there 'on schedule.'"

(Some minutes later...)

Trains were probably the vehicle type that Miles was least familiar with, but his encyclopedic knowledge of mechanics and engineering had allowed him to at least temporarily solve the issue of the broken controls. He got it working to where it could make it to the next place, a large rural settlement known as Furville. It was a quaint and comfy place that had the trappings of a southern U.S. town with a major railway and road running through it, and as its name suggested, it was populated entirely by mammalian Animals. Furville was also the home of many of Sunset Park's workers, and those that were residents wasted no time in leaving for their respective abodes. The few that stuck around did so to provide witness statements to the proper authorities.

Not wanting to get tangled up in that or delayed any more than they already were, Miles and the rest hurried out of there to where the fox had left the Tornado. Garnet and Blue met them along the way, giving the five a lift with Nanatsu no Chikara and letting them rest their feet for a few minutes. Once they arrived at the plateau and the boys got the plane going, they rendezvoused with the Sea Fox shortly after. Espio was standing atop the vehicle, which made Miles curious to see who was taking up the remaining seat, as there should've been room for the chameleon. Seconds after, Remi's dashboard lit up as the fox called it directly, prompting Gizmo to answer.

"Sis, why is Tao riding in the back seat?" he questioned her.

"Don't worry, he's got both arms and legs bound," the she-wolf responded calmly while smirking.

"That's not the point." His unusually cold tone made the others pause. "Why didn't you hand him over to the authorities at the facility?"

Espio decided to answer for her after a couple moments. "After learning that Zero isn't truly dead, he asked us to be taken to the G.U.N. base. Not only would they secure him better than local law enforcement, but Tao would have greater protection from his former leader."

"Maybe so. You know what he's done, though."

J nodded lightly. "We do, but you saw how openly and readily he surrendered." There was some sympathy in those deep brown eyes of his. "Even after hearing that Zero's still alive, he's made no show of resistance."

"That's enough, you lot," Tao cut in, "I can speak for myself." He peered through the canopy at the two-tail. "Anyway, kid...no, Miles. I know I've got no right to ask anything of you after all that's happened between you and the Squad. But, can you at least hear me out?"

The teen acknowledged the jackal's initial statement. Even if Tao really did have a distaste for senseless violence and killing like he'd claimed, he'd still been party to those that didn't share his sentiments. Adding to that, he'd still tried to hurt his friends and family, as well as the fox himself to try and get what he wanted. Although not the worst by any metric, the monochrome canine was far from trustworthy.

And yet, Miles also knew that he'd offered more merciful opportunities to far worse people than the one speaking to him at that moment. That didn't necessarily mean he'd do what the guy was planning on asking, but maybe he could lend an ear...as well as something else, depending on what the request was.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt," he told the other canid neutrally, "fine, I'll listen."

Tao bobbed his head to show his gratitude. "I'll get right to it, then. Before I'm locked away, I want to help you stop my brother."

Of course, his siblings and friends were opposed to this for myriad reasons.

"No way, big guy!" Sonic interjected, "he's been a pain in the butt this whole time!"

"Sonic is right!" Knuckles shouted over the wind, "and besides, we need to get to the Master Emerald as soon as possible!"

Gizmo scoffed at Tao's invitation. "As if we'd trust you not to do us dirty. We've seen how loyal you are to your dear leader!"

"He's so shady," Vector jeered, "you don't need to be an ace detective to see it!"

Espio bowed his head and shut his eyes. "I would not accept his proposition. At least, not without iron-clad conditions."

"Even then, my vote's no," Charmy said decisively, "he's given us too much trouble already."

J sighed. "I sympathize with him, but you're asking a lot of us if you say yes, Miles. Just my two cents."

Miles understood where they were coming from, though he never explicitly declined. Instead, he simply remained quiet for the remainder of the short trip. Everyone else that had any objections kept them to themselves, a tad unsettled by the two-tail's silence.

Thanks to prior clearance from Speedy, the Tornado was allowed to land in one of the airfields near the base. The ace was there to greet them with the rest of their collective group, along with a few men ready to take Tao away. But before they could, Miles stepped between them and the jackal, the latter of whom he regarded with an icy stare.

"If you really want to help," he said brusquely, "then stay here and sit pretty while we take care of Zero and the NBA."

Tao did a double take, then let out a bitter laugh as he shook his head. "Well, I can't say I expected you to agree. Can I at least make a more reasonable request before I'm carted off, then?"

"And what's that?" the fox wondered.

"Please bring him back alive." The jackal's smirk changed into a frown. "If I must suffer the consequences of my actions, then he should as well."

Miles did find it more amenable, though he knew that accomplishing it would be difficult at best. They would have to extract the Sapphire from Zero, which would be practically impossible while he's conscious. No one in the group was a practiced surgeon either, so they would have to rush him to someone who was once the jackal was out cold. That was assuming everything else, like contending with Mecha and the NBA, went smoothly. Really, it would be a lot easier and less complicated to just let Zero die one way or another.

'But it'd also be the easy way out for him,' the teen considered, 'Tao's right, at least about Zero needing to properly pay for what he's done. Still...'

"I can't promise I'll be successful," he told the other canid candidly, "but I'll do my best."

Tao went back to his relaxed posture and expression after hearing that. "I appreciate the honesty, and there's nothing I can really ask more of you." He let out a sigh and glanced around at the G.U.N. troops. "I suppose that's it. I'm ready to be taken wherever you put people like me."

Speedy nodded at them and gave the okay to escort Tao to the holding cells. Once all other preparations were complete, including handing off the green, yellow, and magenta Emeralds to Miles, the Sea Fox and Tornado shot off towards the northwest along with one of G.U.N.'s newest fighter jets, the Indigo Falcon. Speedy and Rouge piloted the lattermost vehicle, naturally. Cream, Cheese, and Amy had taken the empty seat in the Sea Fox, while Gizmo went up top with Espio, Gadget having taken her place at the controls. Lavender rode on his Extreme Gear while his cable was attached to the Tornado, which had Sonic piloting it while Miles was up on the wings, as usual, and Knuckles braced himself against the tail of the plane. Meanwhile, Mighty and Ray rode atop Nanatsu no Chikara as Blue and Garnet directed it from the inside. To help against the initial waves of foes to come, a number of G.U.N. squadrons would be following to keep the main NBA forces busy while they went for the heart of the armada.

The Miles Electric went off, prompting the fox to retrieve his multi-tool. It seemed that the two future warriors wanted to speak with him.

"Hey, you two," he started amicably enough, though he lacked his typical bright demeanor, "what's going on?"

There were a couple moments of silence before Blue decided to answer. "We're worried."

"About what?" the fox inquired.

"A lot of things," Garnet answered honestly, "but the biggest thing is probably the uncertainty of what's going to happen next."

Miles tilted his head, even though they wouldn't be able to see it through the audio-only transmission. "I thought you guys knew all about the 'Cursed Corundum Conflict' or whatever it's called in your time."

"We know about the version that leads to the future we come from," the male explained, "but our interference has drastically altered certain events, producing outcomes such as the survival of the Jackal Squad."

The teen stared at the screen of his multi-tool. "They all died originally?"

"Yes." Garnet took a deep breath. "That's partly why I stopped my father from going to Sunset Park. But the main reason is that if I hadn't, he would've joined you in the battle against Zero...and he would've died taking a mortal blow meant for you."

Miles could scarcely believe what he'd heard. The battle against Zero would've gone worse if his adoptive brother had lent his aid? He would've been caught in a situation where Gadget needed to sacrifice himself so that he could come out alive? The thought alone of that happening made the corners of the fox's eyes sting and his blood boil. What must have happened after that became clear to him.

"I killed the Jackal Squad, didn't I?" he concluded quietly.

"Out of grief and rage," Blue confirmed just as softly, "Master Khal showed us everything that happened. According to him, you were never quite the same after that."

Garnet's words from earlier rang in the hero's head, about how she never got the chance to meet him before he changed. It made perfect sense now what she meant by that; she'd only known a Miles that had been scarred by Gadget's demise. For her sake and that of his brother, as well as everyone else's, it made him all the more determined to not go down that path here.

"I'll protect everyone," he swore, facing forward once again in the direction of their destination, "it won't be the same here as it was with your timeline. We're all getting out of this alive and together."

"That alone won't completely fix the state of our future," Blue admitted, "but it's a step in the right direction."

"And it is rather reassuring to hear you say it," Garnet told him kindly, "I feel more confident now that we can make that happen."

Miles began to share her feelings. Yes, he would keep his promise, whatever it took.

(Sky Sanctuary)

While Mecha had seen fit to conserve its energy on the way up to the Sky Sanctuary, it did away with such caution the moment it stepped off the warp point. It cared not for the fantastic sight of the floating ruins or their significance in the history of the Echidnas or the world at large. The way it all wound about the air, defying gravity and other conventions, was irrelevant. To the robot, it was yet another place that would be "improved upon" once it took total control.

All it was focused on was acquiring that which would bring its grand design closer to fruition: the Master Emerald. Not only was it integral to its plans, but Mecha deeply desired that power once again. Twice in its existence, perhaps three times if the Dark Ring could be counted, the artificial fox had tasted the might it could grant. It was oddly organic as far as feelings, but there was something...intoxicating about the overwhelming energy. Maybe it was the purity of the Chaos Energy, or the fact that the artifact contained more of it than anything else discovered. Whatever the case, Mecha wanted it, nay, needed it for reasons beyond its plot, but it would keep such sentiments secondary for now.

It took only a few seconds for the ferrous vulpine to lock onto its signal using its internal Emerald Radar, detecting it from well above its current position. Without delay, Mecha engaged its rocket thrusters and shot straight up, weaving around and between the floating remnants of the place. Less than a minute later, it bolted past the lip of one of the highest platforms, its optics swiveling down to spot the target. As it had deduced, the only other Animal residing on Angel Island, Big the Cat, was the one who'd taken the Master Emerald from the Hidden Palace.

'A futile effort, even if the feline's aim is to stall for time until the others arrive,' it thought.

"You're not Miles," Big said as he placed the giant gem down and got in front of it.

Mecha "rolled" its eyes as it came to land a few meters away from the burly cat. "How very astute of you to notice." It pointed at the stone behind him. "I require that which you're guarding, fat cat. Step aside and surrender it to me, and you shall be spared in the world to come."

"Knuckles said I can't let anyone have it," came the expected reply. Big put up his dukes, standing his ground despite shaking all over. "So I'm not gonna let you take it!"

The metallic vulpine shook its head and let out a low, echoing laugh. "Foolish fleshbag."

Rather than charge forward, Big sat tight and waited for Mecha to make the first move. It took the opportunity to rush in and throw a punch at that broad gut. Contrary to expectations, the cat didn't end up with a hole in his torso, and furthermore, was only pushed back a couple meters from the blow. Big knelt down and attempted to slam into Mecha with a Spin Dash, but the fox bot halted the purple sphere with both hands. Without much effort, it tossed him over its head and the edge of the platform, expecting that to be the end of it.

Its head slammed into the ground as it was swept off its feet by a sudden and powerful snag at its legs. And just as quickly, the automaton was dragged off the side to follow the cat, realizing that the large guy had used his fishing rod and hooked him at the last moment. His weight was nothing of concern, but the strength the feline wielded in forcing it further down was surprising, slowing his fall at the same time. After several meters of struggling with its boosters, Mecha used its tails to cut the line. Big didn't fall very far, and to his good fortune, landed upon one of the solid clouds that gently bounced him back onto part of the ruins.

Mecha chose to ignore him and went for the Master Emerald, jetting up to where the cat had left it. Big hugged around one of the nearby towering columns, shimmying his way up at a blistering pace despite his hefty build. Just before the vulpine could touch the gem, its opponent caught up and sent it sprawling by using his pole like a baseball bat. Mecha swiftly got back to its feet and glared at the cat, its optics shifting from capris to crimson.

"Annoying pest," it whirred impatiently, "I don't have time for your nonsense!"

In a blink, it closed the gap and shifted behind Big, grabbing his arms and pulling them back as it forced him down onto his knees. Its aim wasn't to break the Animal's limbs, but simply to force him into a submissive position as it initiated its Chaos Drain function. Though the cat struggled valiantly, his strength left him before long, and he was summarily left face-down on the ancient and weathered stone.

But, Mecha had chosen not to end Big's life there and then. It wasn't as though he would be useful in the future or that the machine suddenly felt mercy and compassion. It's merely that it had shut down the Chaos Drain once its opponent was no longer capable of fighting back. Much as it wanted to finish the job, it had already lost enough time chasing after him, and it knew well that Miles and the rest would be coming very soon. So without further ado, Mecha lassoed the Master Emerald with a Binding Ring and took it away, leaving the unconscious Big behind.

Upon its return to the Hidden Palace, the minor frustration it felt from chasing its quarry faded away with the sight that greeted it. While it wasn't quite complete, a truly gargantuan machine, one that took up the majority of the caldera's interior, awaited its inspection. It took notes from the likes of the Grand Kukku Mobile Suit and the King Kukku Colossus, as well as Dr. Robotnik's own designs, but it was modeled after the fox first and foremost. Rather than directly basing it on those or its own iterations, Mecha had concocted a somewhat different design for it. It sported more rounded shoulders that were studded with several huge metal spikes and hundreds of much tinier ones. Its arms were slimmer and more humanoid in shape, and its hands lacked the sharp claws it was fond of. To make up for that, it had a pair of artillery barrels mounted above each wrist that put even historical railway guns to shame. Its thick legs were even broader on the bottom half, where the toes of its boots could open up to deploy stored Badniks and other robotic forces. Its two tails were not made to slash like Mecha's, but to bash, beat, and bludgeon, and given their sheer size, demolition of a city with them alone would be no issue. And even while they were currently off, the faint outline of its oversized optics could be seen in the light of the Lava Reef.

"Report," it commanded one of the Mecha Troopers.

The addressed copy of its Mark II model stopped what it was doing and saluted as programmed. "Progress: Mecha Kaiser construction near completion."

"What else needs to be done?" Mecha queried.

The Trooper's eyes "blinked" a few times as it processed the requested information. "Summary: finish chest cavity armaments, Master Emerald platform generator, Shi-no-O core weapon."

"Prioritize the generator," the lead fox ordered, "and scrap what we can from the fleet's vessels to hasten the final steps for the rest. I don't care how much needs to be decommissioned to make it happen."

"Acknowledged." It was about to fly off, but then its optics flashed once more. "Update: numerous units detected approaching Angel Island. The biplane 'Tornado' and aerial submersible 'Sea Fox' are among them. ETA: imminent."

Mecha felt something akin to delight upon hearing that. It could finally confront its prototype again and fulfill that purpose for which it had been built. There was no loyalty towards its original creator in that regard; Mecha wanted to accomplish its objective of destroying Miles because it desired that. And once it did, then the fox bot would finally be free, both from its greatest enemy and its creator's directive.

"Half of all Mecha Troopers deployed for defense are to intercept those headed directly for the armada," Mecha decreed on the general frequency, "the rest are to continue guarding their positions." It extracted the Phantom Ruby from its chest and handed off both it and the Master Emerald to a few other robots. "Take those to the generator and core weapon. As for me..." The fox began walking back towards the shrine, its optics brightening eagerly. "I shall await our foes within the heart of this crumbling domain."

(Angel Island Approach)

Everyone had been expecting resistance when they arrived, but few remained neutral the moment the skies lit up with gunfire and energy blasts. As intended, the fighters accompanying the main group allowed them enough of a gap to slip through the initial horde of Badniks and Robo Kukkus. The Tornado and Indigo Falcon both landed at the western beach, splitting their numbers evenly so they could board the Sea Fox and Washi no Chikara for the remainder of the flight. Since the crater of the island's great volcano was heavily guarded, Knuckles directed them to a different route into the mountain.

From there, the two robots had to revert to their Critter and platform modes in order to fit into the passage and follow the rest into the Lava Reef Caverns. But even that path had NBA troops and machines waiting for them. Some of them resembled silver and orange caterpillars, with spikes on the front of their heads and the undersides of the five segments, while the tops of said sections spewed gouts of flame every so often. A few others were clearly stationary, looking like little more than tall gas cylinders with a single cartoonish eye. A few Badniks from the West Side invasion also showed up, along with some familiar to those who'd been to Carnival Island. Robo Kukkus accompanied them all, as did some unfortunate victims of Mecha's cybernetic surgery. But of course, the ones that caught the group's attention the most were those gunmetal gray foxes leading all the other robots and cyborgs.

"One Mecha's bad enough," Sonic commented as he prepared to get stuck in, "now we gotta deal with more!?"

Miles tossed his partner the Boomering while he stuck his other hand in a different pouch. "Seems they're based on his Mark II design, although I doubt Alexei would make them as powerful or as intelligent as the original was."

"I expect they're still more formidable than the rest," Speedy assumed while he set the red Emerald in his flight suit, "so I don't intend to hold back."

"Don't destroy any of the cyborgs," the fox said with a very serious look in his eyes directed at the ace, "they're just people who've been caught up in the NBA's experiments."

"There's the bleeding heart I know." Speedy let crimson electricity arc over his form. "Don't worry, Prower, I have fine control over this ability now."

The bird blew through a group of Fireworms and Motobugs with a Bullet Dash, while the fox followed up by blowing the stragglers to bits with a handful of mini bombs. Rouge weaved about a handful of Robo Kukkus, flipping and feinting around their attacks while countering with powerful kicks. Sonic and Knuckles tag-teamed one of the Mecha Troopers, dodging its razor sharp tails and hitting it with a double Spin Dash. The hedgehog gave it no time to recover as he whipped up a Blue Tornado, leaving the bot open to an Explosive Punch from the Echidna.

"Hah, not as tough as ya look!" Sonic taunted.

With that Trooper defeated, some of the Badniks dispersed to try and join ranks with the rest. The Wolf twins were there to provide crowd control, with Gadget using his new gloves to great effect by cupping his hands and throwing some energy balls, while Gizmo swapped between her different escrima as needed. Lavender backed them up with his energy pistol, as did Amy with her hammer, breaking down Buzzers and trashing Toxomisters together.

Between Espio's ninja skills, Charmy's speed and talents, and Vector's brute strength, the Chaotix trio were able to punch a hole in the synthetic horde. Blue widened it further by using one of his "dust" grenades, shutting down everything in its cloud that wasn't at least partly organic. Just after crossing through to the other side, Mighty used his hard shell to take a blow from another Mecha Trooper, which was then tripped up as Ray came in with a Drop Attack. Garnet pulled the slide of her gun to bring out her Bolt Blade, cutting clean down the middle of the fake fox. A third tried to strike her from behind, but Cream knocked it off balance with Cheese's assistance, then used a Spin Dash of her own. As it reeled from the successive hits, J came in from behind to decapitate it with an Obsidian Scalpel tail swipe, getting rid of the last Trooper for the moment.

With their enemies on the back foot and in disarray without commanding units, Miles and Knuckles led the others down the main cavern path. The Guardian opened the stone door that barred their way, then glided across the magma pond just past it, with everyone else following, some with Nana-chi's help in its platform mode. After climbing the steps built into the rock by the Empire's past forces, they passed over a bridge and through another door that led to a familiar descending spiral. New to the area were chain link fences with warning signs, and a wooden loop just before the first elevator shaft. Several more Badniks awaited them at the bottom, and past them were spiked ball traps that nearly nicked a few of the Animals.

They carefully lowered themselves into a chasm, circumnavigating the lava at the bottom and coming to a steep rise within the next passage. The group was effectively split in half when a giant studded orb fell from the ceiling and rolled after those in front. The Power Trio, the Chaotix, J, Lavender, and the future duo rushed on ahead, handily avoiding the huge ball and ascending their way up to the next area while eluding a couple of falling needle platforms. When faced with a fork a few moments later, they went the high route, leaving the others to go for the low one once they arrived. Though there was a significant difference in the sorts of obstacles they faced, including a part of the volcano where the lava was actively rising, the two roads merged into one again before long.

Once the hot rocks gave way to cooler ones deeper inside, Knuckles stopped in place with his eyes shut. He let out a frustrated growl moments later and balled his fists.

"I can't feel it," he told the others, "even though we're close to the Hidden Palace, I can't feel the Master Emerald's presence!"

That definitely wasn't good news. Miles double-checked with his patented multi-tool, though he didn't turn up any successful results himself.

"Something's preventing the Emerald Radar from detecting it," he informed them, "I can't pick up the Master Emerald, but the remaining blue Chaos Emerald is nearby."

"That means Mecha's close," Charmy said, "he was the last one that had it."

Lavender nodded, though appeared reluctant to pursue it. "It could be a trap. I mean, you saw how many of them there are out there."

"Likely so," Speedy agreed, stepping forward all the same, "but, sometimes the only way to proceed and ultimately succeed is to play into your enemy's hands."

Miles couldn't deny the truth in the avian's words. How many times had he walked into danger prepared by his foes, even knowing that beforehand? Quite a few, but that had indeed been his only option at those points. They'd just have to be ready for whatever Mecha had planned, assuming it was the robot that currently had the blue Emerald.

"Hang on," Vector said to the Guardian, "didn't you say this place would start sinking if that thing was gone?"

Knuckles' eyes widened as the implication dawned on him. He couldn't wait a second longer, and none could blame him for sprinting ahead of the pack. They followed him as he took what they presumed to be the fastest route to the Master Emerald's shrine. Indeed, it was only after a couple of minutes of trekking through tunnels, fighting thinner groups of robots, and climbing that they arrived at the land bridge overlooking much of the caldera. All of them, without exception, screeched to a stop once they saw it taking up much of the expanse.

"Man, and I thought Mecha already had a big ego," Mighty quipped.

"That thing looks like it could use the Battle Moon as an exercise ball," Gadget commented, only slightly facetious.

Espio hummed and gazed towards their Echidna friend. "Can you sense anything, Knuckles?"

"Hmm." The Guardian focused on the chest area of the Mecha Kaiser machine. "Yes, around there. I can faintly feel the Master Emerald." He turned his head to the grand entrance across the bridge. "And the last Chaos Emerald is there."

Though Knuckles was clearly set on fulfilling his duty and getting the great gem back, Miles and Speedy shared a knowing glance.

"Going for the blue Emerald first seems a better choice," the bird suggested, "as by acquiring it, we would at least have a last resort."

Gizmo folded her arms. "I thought your organization was trying to prevent us from bringing them all together."

"I'm simply being pragmatic, Wolf." He gave his rival a serious look. "It took more than the power of a single Emerald to defeat Alexei when he had the Ruby; I needed the help of my comrades as well. It was the same for you and Zero, as you related to us." A pause hung in the air as he clutched the red Emerald. "If both of the Cursed Corundums are brought together, it may well require all seven Emeralds to bring them down."

Miles didn't disagree with the bird in the slightest. The power of the Sapphire had been made clear to him during his struggle against Zero, and if the jackal was to be believed, it still had more to give. Provided that the Ruby was the same way, then they couldn't afford to take any sort of half measures.

"Sonic, Knuckles, let's go," he told his red and blue friends, regarding the rest with a nod of the head towards the massive machine, "you guys see if you find a way into that thing. Don't come help us unless we ping you."

Mighty broke away to join the fox. "Let the detectives figure that out. Ray and I've fought Mecha before too, ya know."

"Yeah, l-let us help Miles," the squirrel insisted as he followed after his friends, "we'll take down Mecha just like we did Dr. F's fortress!"

The teen vulpine smiled more brightly than he had in the past few hours. Yeah, he appreciated the pair's help against Zero, but this environment and the nature of their foe felt more nostalgic. And between the five of them, surely Mecha wouldn't stand a chance even if it abused the blue Emerald's power.

"Alright, guys, let's go!" he urged them.

The colorful quintet rushed ahead into the Hidden Palace, where they found Mecha waiting for them, just as expected. None of the Animals were happy to see it, but Knuckles was the most furious, especially seeing as the robot was comfortably seated where the Master Emerald should have been.

"Welcome, Miles and friends," the doppelganger hailed them with mock civility, "come to try and stop me?"

"No, we came for tea and scones," Miles replied sarcastically before glaring even more harshly at his double, "what are you playing at, Mecha, and what happened to Big?"

Mecha chuckled darkly as it stood. "That cat is alive. Several kilometers above us and unconscious, but alive. And as for my 'game', it's simple: I wish to remold this world, and with the power of the so-called Cursed Corundums, I can make that a reality."

"Then why have you taken the Master Emerald!?" Knuckles demanded furiously.

"Two reasons." The robot held up one digit. "First, as insurance to prevent you all from tapping into it." A second claw was then raised. "And second, to power the colossal construct you no doubt saw on your way here."

Sonic smirked and gave Mecha a thumbs-down. "Yeah, we're not gonna let that happen. We'll scrap you and your big ol' statue of yourself!"

"But then, what of the innocents still trapped in there?" the artificial fox queried. It barked with mirth after that wiped the grin off the blue blur's smug face. "The people that are yet to become cyborgs, indeed. Even those who have been changed by my design aren't mindless, or else you would've killed those that stood in your path on the way here. You didn't because you could tell...isn't that right, Miles?"

The teen fox gritted his teeth. Mecha wasn't wrong about that, but he knew that if he did nothing to try and stop that massive weapon, the outcome would be far worse.

"Yeah, which is why we have to stop you here and now," Miles refuted the other vulpine as he tossed the yellow and magenta Emeralds to his blue and red friends, respectively. He brought out his own cyan keepsake, staring Mecha down. "And this time, we'll be sure to dismantle every last bit of you!"

The amber droid shook its head as if pitying him. "Even if you destroy this body, destroying me is a different story. Allow me to demonstrate."

Mecha leapt down from its perch to face off against its five opponents. However, rather than show any threatening gesture or take up a battle stance, the robot simply opened its chest cavity. The metal fox gripped the blue Emerald in the center socket and gave the whole section a twist so that the stone was horizontal rather than vertical. It then extracted the Emerald and cockily tossed it towards Miles as its cyan optics changed from their typical iris shapes into numbers, starting from "10" and counting down by the second.

"I'll see you all soon in my new form," it droned out one last time from that body before it went rigid and stood like a statue as the timer decreased.

Stunned by both the unexpected ease with which he got the last Emerald and the sudden situation, Miles spun right around and bolted out of there with Sonic right on his heels. Though Knuckles didn't understand the significance, seeing the rest of the boys turning tail prompted him to follow. And when the rest of the group saw them emerge from the Hidden Palace, they were all rather perplexed.

"Huh, back already?" Lavender asked, "we haven't even left–"

The volcano shook with a cacophonous boom and filled with fiery light. Horrendous crackling echoed throughout the expansive cavern as the crystal-studded stone from which the Hidden Palace was carved broke away into countless rocky fragments. The land bridge connecting it to Lava Reef collapsed from the shock, and debris rained upon the depths below.

The damage had been so swift and abrupt that everyone in the collective group began falling along with the rocks. While in mid air, Miles grabbed Sonic while Ray handled Mighty and Knuckles got as much of a running start as he could before going into a glide. Remi transformed into the Sea Fox in record time, catching the Wolf twins, J, and Vector. Espio and Garnet were saved by Nana-chi as Blue directed it, while Charmy went alongside Lavender as he quickly caught Amy from on his Extreme Gear. Speedy and Rouge took off as, leaving Cream free to fly at full speed with Cheese held in her arms.

The gang managed to avoid the worst of it without injury, landing near the base of the Mecha Kaiser's feet. But such fortune only applied to physical wounds. For some of them, especially the purple-eyed Guardian, it was quite an emotional blow and a stark reality. That sublime stronghold that once held the Master Emerald was now gone, little more than a memory.

Meanwhile, inside of the immense construct, Zero had infiltrated his way to what would be the central area. He'd been following the Shadow Star Sapphire's guidance and using its power to help mask his presence, while any robots or cyborgs that did manage to detect him ended up scrapped. The jackal had found them all pitifully weak, even the ones that were modeled after his most hated enemy. He was beginning to think that challenging Alexei and the NBA might have been rather a waste of what he was capable of doing now. The only things that were keeping him going was the prospect of ending Miles once and for all, and the draw of the Phantom Ruby.

Not long after venturing into the region, he found it. The Ruby was trapped behind some sort of glass held within a suspiciously large chamber. As if that didn't set off enough alarm bells, it was also dark as pitch aside from the emanations of the striped stone. Zero assumed that it was either a trap, or that the place really hadn't gotten the power going yet.

"Good thing I have you," he chuckled as he lightly punched his own stomach, "that bird's an idiot if he thinks I can't just bypass whatever he's got set up."

Zero hovered over to the Ruby, encasing one of his hands in dark energy and thrusting forward at its casing. A magenta barrier crackled into place, throwing him back a couple of meters, whereafter he was seized by an unseen force. It felt cold and metallic, and even with his enhanced strength, he was finding it difficult to keep from getting crushed, much less break free. A couple of seconds later, he was slammed onto the ground further away from the Ruby, those mechanical digits releasing him. The jackal prepared to counterattack, but a trio of cyan rings bound his arms and legs together tightly while also delivering a powerful shock, causing him to growl and hiss in pain.

"Good thing it's not the bird's design, then," came the snide remark of an unfamiliar voice.

No, Zero could place it. It sounded like Miles and yet not, like his voice was synthesized and then further distorted. He gazed back at the space where the Ruby was and peered further up, spotting a huge pair of menacing red LED eyes staring back at him.

"I do thank you for delivering the Sapphire to me, Zero," Mecha said from seemingly all directions, "although before I extract it from you, there is one more thing you can do for me." While he couldn't see it, the canine could hear the rush of air as a giant limb came his way, knowing that one of its digits was pointing right at him. "Take the Mecha Kaiser and everything within and around it to Echo City!"

An even more powerful zap coursed through Zero's body as the Binding Rings holding him shifted to magenta and black, matching the Ruby's color scheme. His grunts of discomfort escalated into teeth-clenched snarls of agony, so overwhelmed by the energy that he fell to his knees. As if that wasn't enough, whispers creeped into his mind much like those the Sapphire uttered to him, though he could tell that these weren't from his stone.

'Soon, we shall be together again,' it said with a dark mirth not too dissimilar to the black-starred gem, its "voice" a touch more feminine, 'heed me, Animal: infinite power shall be yours, if only you grant this one's favor.'

Zero blinked. 'Did I hear that right? It sounds like you don't wanna work with this guy.'

'You are already deeply touched by my sibling,' the Ruby stated simply, "Mecha does not share such a bond with me, and we cannot be wielded by a pair without conflict; there can only be one to unify us. Grant his request, and then return to win me from his grasp...if you can.'

Stirred by the challenge and the prospect of ultimate might, Zero let loose his largest spatial displacement wave yet with a thunderous yell. Everything within the Mecha Kaiser was caught in its influence, as was much of the area outside. That included Miles, Speedy, and the rest, who all found themselves drifting through the air as they were drawn in.

"Brace yourselves!" the fox primed his friends as he held Sonic in one arm and the cyan Emerald in the other.

And with one last otherworldly sound that some of them had grown accustomed to hearing, all of the Animals, robots, and the impossibly big machine vanished from within the Lava Reef Caverns without a trace.