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  "description_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Chapters 1-15.<br /><br />This is the beginning of the final story in the series. Everything after is just an extended epilogue.<br /><br />The Lost Ones make their big move, and launch a massive invasion of Sonic&#039;s world. This threat encompasses the entire GeneX universe, and so it&#039;ll take every hero within that universe to fight back!</span>",
  "writing": "Sonic GeneX: Doomsday\nArc 1 - Beginning of the End\nChapter 1 - Doomsday\nStage 1 - Security Tower: Act III\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"If you were able, \nWould you go change the past, \nTo mend a faux paux, \nWith one last chance\" - Dreams of an Absolution, Sonic the Hedgehog 2006\n\n\nWe run and run through life. We run to escape danger. We run to reach our goals and dreams. We run, just to feel alive. Each run begins with a single step. There will come a day also when we take our last. Keep running...but know that every runner must come to a halt eventually. This is the story of Sonic the Hedgehog's last run. This is how he ran right from mere heroism...into legend. This is how it all ends.\n\n\nSonic the hedgehog stood at the outskirts of Station Square, looking up at the ominous Security Tower that \"President Gunner\" was holed up in. The hateful man had gone too far. He'd seized power from the rightful president, from GUN's Commander as well, and had violently attacked Troblusk City just to get at the Covenant of Despair. Sure, they needed to be stopped, but not like that. Not at the risk of innocents. Not to mention, Gunner's reign threatened all Mobians, all \"furry freaks\" as he called them. This man had to be stopped, even in spite of the recent doomsday prophecy from the Doomsayer which now implied that the Lost Ones were the true threat. The Lost Ones, creatures of ectoplasm born of stolen souls, originally created through the horrific union of a sort of Anti-lifeform with energy from Light Gaia some thousands of years ago. Sonic knew precious little about them, but he'd seen their handiwork, not to mention the fact that one of them had murdered a good friend not too long ago. Sonic and his friends would be coming for them next. They'd trained for this. Heroes, united, no more senseless bickering and vying to one-up each other when there were real threats to worry about. They were beyond Dr. Eggman now...although Eggman was also still at large. There was much to do. No time like the present to get started. Sonic tapped a finger to a comm device attached to his left ear. \"Tails? Guys, can you read me? I'm ready to knock at the front door!\" he said with a smirk.\n\nThis would be the third raid on the Security Tower by Sonic's friends. The first was by Copter and Punchy, the genetic clones of Tails and Knuckles who at the time were working for Eggman to swipe a Chaos Emerald...and happened to find the tower swarming with Lost Ones. The second time, Sonic himself scaled the tower while it was under Eggman's control, and encountered Lospecter of the Lost Ones for the first time during the assault. Lospecter, formerly a hero in the time before the Lost Ones, the ghostly being had acted as the public leader of the creatures until recently. This time, though, the Security Tower had been re-fortified by Gunner's loyalists. They'd be less likely to find ghosts, more likely to find robots and traps waiting for them now. A proper Security Tower.\n\n\"I read you, Sonic!\" Tails replied through the comms, \"And thank goodness! I wasn't sure using SPOT as the transmitter for these communicators would work, but thanks to that, Gunner won't be able to listen in on our conversations...unlike that time on Shadow Arcangel, heh.\" the fox explained. Sonic could hear the voice of GUN's Commander next. \"I appreciate your efforts, but you'd better take care of that robot, then. If anything disrupts its signal...\" he warned. Shadow the hedgehog was circling behind the Security Tower with Rouge the bat and Omega, and he was listening in. \"Hmph… It's just Gunner. I think we'll be fine. Small army or not, he's still the same idiot who wrecked all of GUN's top combat mechs in twenty-four hours.\" he said. \"He's also the same idiot who took over GUN less than a month ago, mister ultimate.\" Copter retorted over the comms. Sonic snickered from his position in front of the tower. They did have a bit of an overkill team assembled for this assault. The Commander wasn't actually there, but they had Knuckles the echidna, Punchy the echidna, Silver the hedgehog, Blaze the cat, Kosmo the morph, Guard the gargoyle, Shade the echidna, Violet the echidna, Amy Rose, Cream the rabbit, Gemini the fennec...basically everyone who'd been present for the big battle in Troblusk City or the Doomsayer's prophecy. Bucky the rat was flying his fortress/lab Shadow Arcangel in for support, which Sonic could see over his shoulder. And on top of all that, Lucky the cat and Whisk the divine had returned from their travels and were raring to join the fight. \"Lemme at him, I'll show Gunner that scared kitty he remembers is long gone!\" Lucky smirked, the black cat in baggy red pants stepping up behind Sonic with the angelic Whisk following. \"Isn't that cute, the kitten thinks he's grown up...\" Knuckles teased. \"Hey, how many times have you saved the whole universe, huh? Hm?\" Lucky snapped. \"I dunno, I don't keep count.\" Sonic shrugged, starting into a run. \"You guys can catch up once you're all organized! I'm bored!\" he shouted. \"Agh!! Y-you don't need to yell on comms!!\" Tails grumbled while everyone else groaned. As Sonic zipped through the forested area leading to the tower, the ghostly white face of Lospecter poked out of a treetop. \"Aaaaand hedgehog, check...\" he murmured, holding a clipboard and checking off a list, \"Yup, seems like all the toughies are here. Better go let the big boss know, hehe...who am I talkin' to?\" he said to himself.\n\nGunner stood at the top floor of the tower, glaring out the window and pointing his gun arm at the rustling plant life in the forest below, tree branches blown by the force of Sonic's speed. The aging, hateful man scowled down at the world below. \"As expected, the freaks are coming to me. Give the order, Spy!\" he snapped. Spy stood up from a seat at a nearby desk. \"Finally!\" he grinned, picking up the phone, \"I'd like a large pizza with extra pineapple!\" Gunner was far from amused by the shades wearing Spy's antics. \"You know what? I'm the damn president now! You're fired, Spy! Fired! Go hide in the closet until the battle's over and then leave my sight forever!!\" he shouted, stomping to the PA mic and giving the order himself. \"Everyone be on high alert! Intruders on premises, shoot to kill!\" He then stomped out of the office, leaving a bewildered Spy to mull over what just happened. \"F-f-fired...? Me? Fired? B-but I did...everything. I kissed every butt! I... I did every dirty job... And... And that old creep couldn't ever bother to even learn my name!!\" he shouted. \"Do tell...\" Spy turned to see the window open, and a familiar dark green gargoyle with a scythe stepping in. \"Y-you! What are you doing up here??\" Spy babbled. Guard, the gargoyle, softly laughed at him. Quite the uncommon thing for the gruff android to do. \"Me? What are you doing up here? Grrrr… Why is it the robot realized Gunner wasn't worth working for before the human? Grrr… Who's the real robot, I wonder?\" Guard stated. Spy hung his head. He was right. \"No time for the pity party. Grrr... You can still be useful, Riley.\" Guard added. Before Spy could say anything, the door swung open and Guard was shot with a shock blast from Gunner's arm cannon, causing him to fall to the ground unconscious! \"Indeed, well said, Guard! Take that mess to Dr. Nammad, Spy. He could do with some reprogramming...\" Gunner sneered before walking out again. Spy stood there with a nervous expression, considering what to do. \"...My name is Riley. And I was just fired...\" he said, attempting to scoop Guard into his arms. \"Ack!! Y-you're heavy!\" he groaned, heading for the door.\n\n\nSonic approached the main entrance to the tower and playfully knocked on the door. \"Hello, anyone home? It's the scouts! We're here selling cookies!\" he said sarcastically. There were cameras mounted above the door, and as they turned toward the hedgehog, laser cannons emerged from their undersides! \"Don't care for thin mints, huh?\" Sonic smirked, easily sidestepping the laser blasts that followed. \"We have their attention...\" Tails reported over the comms, \"GUN Warships inbound. The Tornado and the Hurricane will carry some of us up to disable them...\" he stated. Sonic nodded and zipped back into the forest out of the cameras' sight. Then, he zoomed back toward the door, spinning in a destructive blue ball that tore right through the metal doorway! \"Huh... You'd think they'd reinforce that thing with tougher stuff. I mean I smash bots like its my job.\" Sonic muttered, brushing metal dust off himself as he stood up in the entrance hall. He then remembered that Lucky and Whisk would be following him. \"Right, the cameras...\" he muttered, glancing out to plan his attack on them. Before he could make that move, another hedgehog came out of nowhere and smacked each camera with a quick set of jump attacks! \"Wrong side, Shadow...\" Sonic murmured, but when he saw who it actually was, he tilted his head in confusion. It was a light purple hedgehog, with green eyes like him. In fact, he pretty much had Sonic's eyes. \"Hey, dad! I was worried I wouldn't catch up!\" the youngster said. Sonic turned around to compose himself. Punchy's wife, Rainbow, had apparently met with a bunch of time-travelling kids from the future recently. But they ran off when the Doomsayer delivered his prophecy. \"Who are you supposed to be?\" Sonic asked without looking at him again. The younger hedgehog shrugged. \"You named me Juice for some reason. Lucky's right behind me, if you're wondering.\" he said. Sonic tapped his foot. He didn't have time for any time travel shenanigans. \"Well, let's juice, Juice. You're on Gunner's hit list now, like it or not!\" he said, running into the tower. Juice shrugged. \"What else is new? Let's try getting you out of this with those legs intact, old man...\" he murmured, rushing after his father.\n\n\nShade was piloting the Tornado, carrying Knuckles and Violet on the wings as they approached one of the GUN Warships. \"Urgh… S-shade, you said you could fly this thing! Why aren't you up here, Tails??\" Knuckles complained. \"I can fly! This plane is just an old-fashioned hunk of junk!\" Shade retorted. \"I can hear you both...\" Tails sighed over the comms, \"I'm taking care of the side building with Amy and Cream. Wanna trade?\" he asked sarcastically. \"...Yes.\" Violet murmured. The echidnas were forced to hold on tight as Shade turned hard to evade laser fire from the warship. \"How are we supposed to get onboard?!\" she growled. They heard Punchy's voice over the comms. \"I know a way, but you won't like it...\" Before he could elaborate, Kosmo flew up to the warship in his familiar purple dragon form. His glowing eyes glared in annoyance as the warship pelted his tough scales with laser fire. \"I'll give you an opening...!\" he grunted, firing a hot beam of his own from his mouth and melting a hole in the ship's hull! Knuckles stared in surprise. \"Did you know the Kosmogon could fire a superlaser?\" he asked. \"I didn't even know this guy's dragon form had a name!\" Shade replied. The Tornado quickly flew up to the hole, and Shade put it on autopilot as the three of them hopped into the ship. Kosmo flew to the hole as well, morphing into his fairly minimalist true form as he landed behind them. \"Let's bring this heap down!\" he smirked. \"If you were coming up here did we even have to?\" Violet grumbled. That notion made Knuckles growl in annoyance. \"No one questions my usefulness! I'll bring down this rust-bucket myself! Yaaaaaaaaah!!\" And so, he charged forward, equipping his Chaos Claws as he ran and using them to slash apart the first steel door in his way, finding countless beetle robots pointing their guns directly at him on the other side. \"Uh, wrong door...\" he said before running the other way hastily. \"Yaaaaaaah!!\" he shouted as the lasers shot at his heels! Once he'd put some distance between himself and the bots, he turned and slashed a hole in the wall, passing into another section of the ship. The others were close behind him. \"You know we could handle whatever's in the path together!\" Shade shouted to him, slipping on the Chaos Gauntlets so she could assist with extra power, too. Knuckles was circling his way around to surprise the swarm of beetles. \"I don't need any help... I just need space to punch!\" he murmured. However, by the time he'd circled around, he found Kosmo and Violet smashing up the beetles without him, the morph doing his best Sonic impression while the echidna blasted the bots with dark magic blasts. Shade came up behind Knuckles and pushed him out of the hole in the wall he'd made as he was gawking at the scene. \"See? Don't try to hog all the glory, knucklehead!\" she said. While she was distracted, a flaming beetle was making a kamikaze run towards her face, but Knuckles leapt in the way quickly and swiped it aside with his claws! \"Noted, Shade... If you pay attention!\" he said while she blushed a bit sheepishly. \"Err... thanks...\" she murmured.\n\nCopter the fox had piloted his own black plane, the Hurricane, to the second GUN Warship, and brought along Gemini the fennec and her good friend Timothy the fawn. The white fennec with the pink sweater had come quite a long way with her magic, and was able to simply warp the whole plane into the warship's hangar. \"Now that the flying's done, I feel redundant...\" Copter murmured as Gemini and Timothy held their wands, ready to zap anything in their way with magic. \"Don't start thinking like that again. We've all gotta watch each other's backs!\" Gemini told him. While the others hopped out of the plane, Copter secured his goggles on his head, took a breath, and twirled his two spiky tails to fly down and join them. He heard his plane's mechanic, a beaver robot named Hoover, over the comms. \"Don't fergit to bring back the plane! I don't think I kin go crawlin' back ta Eggman agin, so... I need somethin' to work on!\" Gemini giggled lightly at his worried tone, but Copter looked annoyed. Hoover was always nagging him. Timothy darted his eyes around nervously. \"Is it weird how empty it is in here?\" he asked. \"Kinda… Kinda not. Who'd expect us to come in through a closed hangar?\" Copter shrugged. Gemini rubbed her chin, pointing her wand around. \"...Reveasualia…\" she said, casting a new spell. It caused invisible objects throughout the room to reveal themselves...and the trio gasped to find themselves surrounded by hundreds of Gold Beetles! \"...Wait a minute! Aren't these things just recon bots?\" Copter asked. Alarms started to blare from them, and they began to blink with red lights. \"I think Gunner made them explosive.\" Timothy hypothesized. \"Chaos Whirlwind!!\" Copter shouted, blowing a bunch of them away from the Hurricane to keep it safe! Timothy then jumped between Copter and Gemini. \"Proplasmar!!\" he shouted, casting a barrier around them with his wand! As the beetles began to explode around them, Copter felt himself panic slightly. He ran to Gemini's side and hugged her close to him, protectively...instinctively. When the dust settled, Timothy looked away from them awkwardly as Copter realized what he'd done and quickly released her. \"I, uh... Ahem... Not used to magical barriers. Thought you might, uh... F-forget it...\" he babbled, turning to walk away and hide his blush. Gemini wrung her own tail as she watched him walk away from her. \"You two need to have a talk later.\" Timothy said. \"About what? Aren't I going back home to the future when everything's done...\" Gemini sighed. \"Is that even your home anymore?\" Timothy asked. \"Hey! Guys, don't leave me to do this on my own! I think it's been established that I make bad choices!\" Copter shouted back. As Gemini and Timothy started to follow him, a stowaway dropped from the underside of the Hurricane, having been clinging tightly to the bottom, blending in with his black fur. \"Bad choices? Aw, dad... Well, I did have to grow up without you...\" said the three tailed fox as he climbed out from under the plane. It was Copter's son from the future... Chopper Prower.\n\nSonic and Juice were stopped about halfway up the tower. They'd found a big door that actually was reinforced enough to withstand Sonic's spin. Whisk teleported up with Lucky to catch up after a moment. \"Oh, hey Sonic, thanks for waiting for us!\" Whisk murmured. Sonic shrugged. \"Eh, well, I'm told you have a key on ya that can unlock anything. Care to do the honors, Lucky?\" he asked, leaning against the wall in a relaxed pose. Juice did a double take upon looking at Lucky. \"Wow, he really does look exactly like you...\" he murmured. \"How's that? Hey, Sonic, where'd the little guy come from? Eh, never mind. Time to do what I do best!\" Lucky grinned, holding a hand toward the door. There was silence for a moment. \"Uhh… Lucky?\" Whisk murmured. The black cat squinted as though focusing hard. \"C'mon... Scourge can't have swiped it again...!\" he grumbled. Juice whistled nonchalantly and looked away while Sonic tapped his foot. \"Hey, Tails, we could really use you up here to deal with an electronic lock...\" he murmured. \"We've got our own problems, Sonic!\" Tails gulped over the comms. \"We're surrounded by stupid androids! And some of them look like ME! I'll sue!!\" Amy shouted. They couldn't help letting out nervous chuckles. \"Not sure which is scarier, Amy or Android Amy...\" Sonic murmured. \"What'd you say!?\" she growled. Lucky was still trying to summon his key, but it wasn't working. Whisk patted him on the shoulder. \"Don't worry. My magic can handle it...\" she told him. However, before she could do that, they heard a loud scraping noise coming from the door. The four of them backed up, watching as flames burned around the edges of the door, and then it was yanked out from the other side, held up by the psychokinetic power of Silver the hedgehog! Blaze the cat was there beside him. \"Hey, guys! We took the elevator!\" Blaze said with a wave. \"Gunner's up ahead. We could sure use you!\" Silver added. Sonic shrugged and stepped through the opened door. \"Heh, I'd have wrapped all this up by now if that door wasn't in the way! ...Guess it's less lonely this way!\" he chuckled. \"Careful, dad... My friends and I think this is a trap.\" Juice stated, \"You see, Skye Prower built a device that detected an anomaly in the timeline...\" he continued. \"That's nice, kiddo. Gotta run!\" Sonic said, speeding ahead! Lucky and Blaze glanced at Juice curiously. \"Who did you say you were?\" Lucky asked.\n\nEach group had their part to play. Shadow Arcangel kept a third GUN Warship occupied in the air, unable to bother Shadow and Punchy's groups as they secured the perimeter below. The team seemed to have thought of everything, and Sonic was proceeding to the roof of the tower pretty quickly, ready to bring down Gunner once and for all. However, he was again halted as he reached the final stairway leading to the roof. The Doomsayer was standing in the way, cloaked in black with only his glowing eyes visible per the norm. Also as usual, a rain cloud accompanied him, even inside. Lucky held up his hands, feeling the rain drops as he, Whisk and Juice started to catch up to Sonic. \"Hey, how'd you get up here? Outta the way!\" Sonic said impatiently. The Doomsayer simply stared at him. \"I beat you here. I'm faster than you.\" he said, clearly intending to rile Sonic up. \"Oh yeah? Try again when I know we're racing, I dare ya!\" Sonic warned. The Doomsayer shook his head. \"There will be no chance for future frivolities. I'm afraid your time is up. Today... is Doomsday.\" he said, his voice low, almost a tone of mourning. Juice looked particularly nervous. \"Wait, that can't be. I...exist!\" he protested. \"Not for long... Time has changed once too often, I'm afraid. And there are no Divine Masters to correct it any longer. Good job, Sonic.\" the Doomsayer said, mockingly applauding. The Zodiac Council of Divine Masters had previously watched over time, but their leader had gone mad with power, and Gemini turned to Sonic for help in defeating him. They trapped Ophiuchus the serpent in a dimension of nothingness where he could do no further harm, but the Zodiac Station that was the source of the Divine Master's powers had been obliterated. Sonic didn't care what the Doomsayer had to say, though. \"Every time you say the end is here, we stop it! So get out of my way and lemme stop it!\" he snapped. The Doomsayer calmly stepped aside and let Sonic through, the others following. \"Nice to meet you. Or see you again. My memory hasn't always been good, hehe...\" Whisk said as she passed the Doomsayer by. The hooded one looked up the stairs and sighed. \"Yes... This is happenin'. And I can't stop it.\" he said, clenching his fist.\n\nShots whizzed past Sonic's head as he stepped up to the roof. It was now raining up there, too. Gunner growled as he stood with his arm cannon aimed at the four animals. \"Sonic! I hereby formally charge you with treason! Terrorism! Trespassing on Government property! Aiding a fugitive! Assisting a murderer!!\" he snarled, his eyes glancing toward Shadow Arcangel as his voice lingered on \"murderer.\" Sonic just made hand puppets to mimic his flapping lips. \"Yap yap yap. Back at you, old man.\" he yawned. Gunner growled fiercely, and behind him, the wild haired scientist Dr. Nammad approached. \"Uh... We should attack with our robot, yes?\" he murmured. The old man rolled his eyes. \"Yes, idiot! Deploy the Techno Sonic Mark Six!\" he ordered. A hatch on the floor opened, and up rose a heavily armored robot that vaguely resembled Sonic. \"Six?\" Lucky asked. \"Never can, uh, get it quite right...\" Nammad confessed. Sonic smirked, and leapt at the robot, which rocketed at him with jet-powered feet! Juice watched in concern as the two Sonics clashed, and he tugged on Lucky's arm. \"We should do something! I've got a very bad feeling!\" he warned. Lucky shrugged. \"I can try to get my key working... Hnnnnghh!!\" he grunted, looking rather constipated. \"What are you even doing, Lucky?\" Whisk murmured. Meanwhile, Sonic had knocked the robot close to Gunner, who kicked it in rage. \"Stupid machine!! Kill him! Kill him!! Why is it so hard to kill him!?\" he shouted. The robot raised its arms toward Sonic, which it turned out ended in machine guns, and started shooting as Sonic sped out of the way. \"Gotta say, he's pretty uninspired, Dr. Nam!\" Sonic yawned. The doctor shrugged awkwardly. Suddenly, the battle was ended by a strike of lightning crashing down and zapping the robot, frying it! \"Huh??\" Sonic gasped, glancing around to see the Doomsayer peeking from the stairs. \"...time's up. Look at the sky.\" the hooded one said. They looked up, and saw a single ghost hovering above them. Lospecter!\n\nThe ghost glanced down at them with his greenish gaze, smirking before taking a bow. \"Hello! Sonic, Gunner, thank you both for gathering such a marvelous audience for our show.\" he said. Silver and Blaze had been taking care of some pesky robots inside the tower so Sonic could get up here so fast, but by now they hurried past the Doomsayer to join the others on the roof. \"Hey, guys... What are you all looking at?\" Silver wondered. Lospecter smirked but also frowned. \"Aw, not the future face I was hoping to see. Guess Gem's got other plans for this evening. But I know she's close!\" he smirked. Gunner fired a shot up at Lospecter, which just went right through him. \"Hahaha stop! It tickles! Aw, don't you worry Richie, we're going to spare you for now... Your ruckus did gather all the pesky heroes that might get in our way right here so we could take care of 'em in one fell swoop!\" the ghost announced. \"What's all this 'we' stuff? You're all alone!\" Sonic pointed out. Voices called over the comms, worried about what might be happening. \"Sonic? Sonic! Is there a trap up there?\" Tails asked. \"Do you have Gunner?\" the Commander questioned. \"The Doctor didn't decide to get involved, did he?\" Shadow asked. Sonic tapped his comms off so he could hear Lospecter. The ghost produced the Chaos Key, the mystical object that could open anything, including portals. \"We've been quiet for a bit because we've been prepping. Ever since Zodiac went kaput. Prepping to eat up all the souls in this world...and then all worlds! Everything will become nice and lost, and live forever with us! Won't that be nice?\" he asked with a giggle. \"It sounds like a nightmare...\" Blaze said. Lospecter shrugged and shook his head. \"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way... Because we were prepping by building our army using your world, and all the yummy koala souls on those islands! Ha ha ha ha!!\" As Lospecter cackled, Blaze looked up at him with shock and horror. \"Wh-what?! M-my world?! Destroyed in my absence?! M-marine!! N-nooooo!!\" she fell to her knees, and Silver rushed to console her. Sonic clenched his teeth. \"If you're telling the truth, you're history!\" he warned. Lospecter laughed at him. \"Oh... I forgot one thing... I touched base with a fellow Lospecter who successfully conquered his world, too. So, I've got a two world Lost One army to add to my own... And they're waiting behind portal number one!!\" he announced, pointing the Chaos Key skyward! The Doomsayer stepped back and shut his eyes. \"Game over...\" he said. Sonic watched a beam shoot upward from the key, a look of panic sweeping over him very suddenly. He turned his comms back on. \"Everyone... RUN!! As fast as you can... GET TO SAFETY!!\" he cried.\n\nA massive portal radiating green energy appeared above the Security Tower. From it, every type of Lost One began to swarm out, rapidly forming a swirling cyclone of evil that surrounded the tower, starting to tear it apart! Gunner grabbed Nammad by the collar in panic. \"Get us the HELL out of here!! Where's Guard??\" he shouted. \"G-guard?\" Nammad blurted. Spy hadn't done as told. They had no idea where he'd gone with Guard. Whisk grabbed Lucky's hand, ready to teleport them both, but before she could, a Loskull struck her, causing her to lose her grip as she teleported! \"W-whisk!!\" he gasped. Silver helped Blaze to her feet and led her to the edge of the building. \"W-we have to jump!\" he said. Blaze nodded. \"Get us out, Silver... I can't die here. I have some monsters to kill...\" she hissed. They both jumped over the edge together, while Nammad hastily made some repairs to Techno Sonic. \"We'll have to, uh, hold on to this!\" he told his boss. \"Rrrrgh… Damn FREAKS!!\" Gunner growled, grabbing on to Techno Sonic with Nammad and letting it fly both of them off the roof. Sonic grabbed Juice and Lucky by the arms. \"We're going fast, kids. Swallow your gum now!\" he warned. A Losol Golem landed right in front of the stairs, trying to block them. \"No, Sonic... No, no, no, meeeee-yoooooooow!!\" Lucky wailed as Sonic sped right through it at such a speed he broke it into individual losol! Lospecter watched everyone flee and cackled, glancing up as the hedgehog-tyrannosaur fusion known as Apocalos descended from the portal. He grinned with his huge, pointed teeth. \"The end has begun, at last. Wipe out the heroes. Find a way to defeat our weaknesses. Bring me the one with immunity to us. And ensure Sonic the hedgehog cannot get in our way.\" he commanded. Lospecter smirked. \"Tall order. Fortunately, I have all the grunts I need to get it all done. Every world will be all ours, hehehe...\" he said, floating away.\n\nThe GUN Warships were all plummeting to the earth below. Knuckles and his group raced to get back to the Tornado. However, the collapsing interior of the ship separated Shade and Kosmo from Knuckles and Violet! \"Don't panic! I'll get Shade out!\" Kosmo promised. \"You'd better!\" Knuckles shouted as he followed Violet on the path to where they left Tails' plane. Timothy was quick to warp himself out of the other collapsing warship, but Copter had to get his own plane back. \"I know what Hoover said, but it's not worth your life!\" Gemini told him. \"Well, it's not worth YOUR life...\" Copter replied, continuing on his way back. Suddenly, a group of Losoar bats flapped into the ship and came gnashing their teeth toward the surprised Copter! It was then that Chopper leapt out of nowhere and pushed him out of harm's way, while Gemini zapped the beasts with her wand! \"Dad! You gotta be careful!\" the tri-tailed fox cried. Copter shoved the boy off him and leaned up. \"What the... DAD??\" he gasped. Gemini frowned. \"That's it... Galaporta!\" she said, taking both foxes and warping them off the ship with her...dooming the Hurricane.\n\nSonic fled the Security Tower as the Lost Ones shredded it apart behind him, leaving only a skeletal remains of the building in their wake before they began to scatter and chase the fleeing heroes. They were spreading into nearby Station Square, too. Sonic left Juice and Lucky by the burger shop and turned to the swarm. \"Stay here... I gotta… do something!\" he said, dashing back to help anyone he could. \"Dad, wait!!\" Juice cried, leaving Lucky alone. \"Gah! What should I...\" Lucky began, but suddenly heard a \"Psst!\" Turning around, he saw someone watching him from a nearby alleyway. He didn't get a good look, but it appeared to be a black cat like him. \"Okay, I'm coming...\" he said, having nowhere else to go.\n\nThe Lost Ones spread through Station Square quickly. Some tried to flee, some tried to fight. Libra the fennec, Gemini's blue-furred sister, was out with the surviving Zodiac Council members for a meeting of their support group. When the Lost Ones attacked, they tried to fight them off, despite Libra's warnings. \"Guys, I know you miss all your powers but you don't have them!\" she pleaded. Pisces had a replica of her old trident, and tried to stab a Lospide tarantula. \"I've been waiting for something to skewer again!\" the shark lady growled. Taurus tried to charge down a Loskel while Aquarius tried to punch out some losol. Capricorn was the only one who shared Libra's concern. \"Get to safety, Libra. I'll try to help them!\" the ferret said, rushing to Aquarius' side as his hands got stuck in the losol's slime! \"Aaack!! Th-they won't let go!!\" he grunted. \"Graaahh!! F-firrrre!!\" Taurus wailed as the Loskel set him aflame! Libra gasped and started to run, glancing back only to see each member of the former council succumbing...transforming. They were losing their souls and becoming Lost Ones! \"G-gemini… I need to find Gemini!!\" Libra gasped, tears flowing from her eyes.\n\n\nBefore long, Station Square had come to resemble a ghost town. Lucky had taken cover in the remains of the burger shop. \"I've been through so much... I've fought to save so many worlds... But is the fight for my own world...all for nothing?\" he asked sadly. Outside, Sonic sped past, his finger tapping furiously on the comms device. \"Tails!! Knuckles!! Shadow!! Anyone!! Please respond!! ...Please...\" He was a wreck. The mission had started out so perfect. They seemed so prepared. Now he didn't know if anyone was alive or dead. Back in the burger shop, Lucky was panicking. \"Whisk!! Whisk, where are you!?\" he shouted out the door. \"Lucky, are you listening? She's not here. You'd think you'd listen to me, I am your son.\" the other black cat from before had been talking to him but he hadn't been paying much attention. Until now. \"Meee-yow!? Wh-what!? SON?!\" Lucky gasped. The other cat had a bit of blue hair on his head like Whisk's, and a collar identical to Lucky's. \"Yeah. Lucky Junior. Nice to meet ya, pop. Also, I think I might have something to do with why your key's flown the coop...\" he said awkwardly. Meanwhile, Sonic stopped at the desolate street where the Central Station stood, windows broken and slime spattered all around. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, struggling to hold back tears. Then, static came over the comms. He perked up. But the words he heard weren't encouraging. \"We lost the city... We lost Shadow Arcangel… Anybody, can anybody hear me? This is Tails... I'm trapped behind enemy lines...\" A lump formed in Sonic's throat. This could be good news. It could mean all wasn't lost; the Doomsayer's prophecy said that the first official death of the end of the world would be a Prower. It also could mean that Tails didn't have long. \"I'm here, buddy... Hang in there... I'm on my way!\"\n\n\nGator's Crazy Adventure!!\n\nThe Mystic Ruins was completely safe from the Lost Ones' wrath...for now. Big the cat was calmly fishing while Froggy rested on his head. Skipping between the trees nearby was the costumed oddball known as Gator. No longer tied to BIT Squad, he was free to do whatever he wanted. He wanted to sing. \"Yo ho ho, and a bottle of cola! We're pirates and gators and Infinity-BIT! Yo ho ho and a bottle of cola!\" As his skipping neared Big, his singing irritated Froggy, and the amphibian hopped off the cat's head and headed away from the noise! \"Where ya goin, Froggy? Hey! Come back!\" Big stammered. \"You, sailor! How be the fish biting?\" Gator shouted, catching Big's attention. \"Ahh... It's not about how much fish you catch. It's about the peace and quiet...\" he said, sighing pleasantly. The two of them were silent for a moment, and then Big remembered. \"Gwaaah!! Where's Froggy!?\" he gasped, looking around before standing up. Gator pointed in the water. \"There's a froggy!\" he said. Big shook his head. \"No, that's Stevie. Awww, I got distracted and now Froggy is gone...\" the feline sighed. \"That's nice!\" Gator grinned, not paying attention. It was at this point our writer questioned the value of this segment. But as Big went off to look for Froggy, it seemed he probably wouldn't be getting involved in the mayhem Sonic was dealing with for some time. Hopefully Gator would be staying out of it, too...\n\n\"Hey! What are you asking me to stay out of? I'm the main guy in this story!\" - Gator\n\n\nChapter 2 - Fallout\nStage 2 - Fallen Angel\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"All my anxiety, \nNow is taking control of me. \nI'm holding onto every little bit of hope... \n\nGot a feeling you are near, \nSomewhere here in the atmosphere. \nI can't escape, there's nowhere left for me to hide.\n \nNowhere to run... \nNowhere to hide... \nDestiny will vanish forever...\" - Nowhere to Run, Sonic Forces\n\n\nSonic was racing back towards the ruins of the Security Tower, determined to find his friend. However, Tails was trying to get him back over the comms despite interference. \"S--nic! -- hear me? Ah! Got it! Sonic, don't worry about me! You should be focusing on people who can't help themselves! The whole city's in trouble!\" Tails pointed out. Sonic slowed his pace but didn't stop. \"Tails, the Doomsayer said...\" he was cut off by Shadow's voice coming through the comms. \"He said someone with Prower blood would die. That could be his uncle for all you know. Stop freaking out and do your part! I'm closer so I'll check on Tails.\" the black hedgehog said seriously. Sonic stopped running and glanced back toward the city, where people's screams were on the wind. \"You're right. Ugh, I'm not used to so much disaster going on that I'm not fast enough to fix it all...\" he sighed. \"Don't worry, Sonic. You're not alone out there!\" Tails told him, \"I'm going to head over to Shadow Arcangel's crash site to see if Bucky and the experiments are okay. Hopefully me or Shadow will find Amy and Cream on the way... We got separated in the chaos.\" he sighed. \"Rouge and Omega are missing, too.\" Shadow reported. This didn't sound good by any means. \"Keep me posted, and I'll keep my comms open to see if I can hear from anyone else...\" Sonic sighed, dashing back into the city. Along the way, he got a signal from Knuckles. \"Hello? Anyone alive??\" the echidna called. Sonic had zipped into a losol-infested building and was carrying a crying child to safety. \"For now, Knux, but I don't have a good feeling about this kid's parents...\" he said nervously. \"Shoot... Well, ahh... the Tornado's seen better days, too.\" Knuckles said nervously, \"I hope Tails doesn't need it.\" That was just what Sonic didn't want to hear as he carried the child toward the police station, the safest place he could think of. \"Where are ya, anyway, Knux?\" he asked.\n\n\nTails was heading towards the Arcangel crash site with his robotic dog, SPOT in tow. Broken GUN robots littered the landscape of the forest, where the trees had been displaced by the terrible tornado of Lost Ones that had torn past the area. Tails wasn't sure how they missed him, to be honest. He was inside the Security Center next to the tower during the chaos. \"...Amy? Cream? Man, I can't believe we lost them...\" he said nervously as he stepped through the creepy environment. Behind him, the broken robots started to stir. As a pair of battered, sparking Hunters rose to their wobbly feet, some losol peered out from their heads. The robots were possessed! They pointed their lasers at Tails' back, and SPOT's alarm went off. \"What? Yikes!\" Tails gasped as he turned around. Shots rang out as Tails raised his arms in defense, but...somehow the shots missed? He looked to see what happened. Fera, the dark grey she-wolf that was once known to them as Felicia or \"rookie,\" had jumped between the robots and the fox and knocked the robots back with her dark magic! \"What happened here?! Where's Gunner! Talk, machines!!\" the wolf snarled. The bots fell apart and the losol emerged from within them, startling the wolf! \"Look out!\" Tails shouted, dashing in front of her and slipping one of the Chaos Tailbands onto his tail as he gave the monsters a good tail whip! The chaos energy defeated the monsters, rending their slime inert. \"Good thing I brought the tailbands with me... I wonder if I should've gone super when this went down...\" Tails whimpered. From where he was, he couldn't have known how bad things had gotten, and now without a source to focus his super form on, it'd be a waste of energy. He heard footsteps and turned to see Fera walking away. \"Hey, wait!\" he called. \"If you expect me to swoon for you coming to my defense, you're an idiot.\" she scoffed. \"Uhhh… I was gonna thank you for helping me, actually...\" Tails said, \"And, well... It's not safe to wander out here alone!\" he pointed out. \"We're not friends. Your group lied to me. Let me think I was a choir girl. While Gunner was permitted to run rampant, and look what happened.\" she huffed. Tails crossed his arms. \"Well... You can't get even with Gunner if you're dead. And who'll help you these days?\" he asked, raising an eyebrow. Fera gritted her teeth. She hated how right he was. Despair betrayed her. This fox was literally all she had. \"Fine. If you're such a man, lead the way! But at my first opportunity, I'm taking vengeance on everyone who wronged me...so don't get on my bad side.\" she warned, pointing at him with a wisp of dark energy on her finger. Tails nodded, \"Yes, ma'am...\"\n\nMore possessed robots were present at Shadow Arcangel's crash site. Bolt, the creature who was made up of bat, turtle and chinchilla parts, was having his electric shell kicked between the bots by Sonata the unicorn, both of them looking rather desperate as Hunters and Beetles closed in on them. Tails and Fera could see the trouble from a distance. \"Ah! We gotta hurry and help them!\" Tails gasped. \"Must we? In my experience those experiments are not to be trusted...\" Fera sighed. While they were debating it, Shadow was able to catch up to them. \"Chaos Control!\" he warped close to the robots and quickly set to work attacking them with furious punches and kicks. Kosmo dashed in disguised as Sonic as well, smacking the other bots with homing attacks. \"Oh, good, we're not needed.\" Fera shrugged. \"I'm going to check on everyone inside the ship.\" Tails told her while Shadow and Kosmo easily tore apart the possessed robots, Shadow's Chaos Spears quickly finishing off the weak losol. Sonata wiped his forehead in relief while Bolt sat on the ground looking dizzy once the enemies were gone. \"I-I c-can't take this...\" Bolt whined. \"There, there. Let's get inside...\" Sonata said, \"Thanks, guys.\" Shadow and Kosmo shrugged and turned to Tails and Fera as they approached. \"Well, well, what are you doing here, wolfie?\" Kosmo asked. \"I came to take out Gunner and you idiots mucked it up.\" she groaned. \"Is Bucky okay?\" Shadow asked, getting to the point. Sonata looked to the ship awkwardly. \"He is troubled... worried... Agh… My empathic abilities are running a bit haywire with all that's happening, though...\" he stated, holding his head. \"Where is he?\" Tails asked. As they all headed inside the crashed ship, Fera looked around uncertainly. She didn't want to be there, but she wasn't sure where to go now.\n\nSPOT was running diagnostics and attempting to connect through the interference to the comms of the other heroes while they walked through the halls of the ship. This enabled Copter to get through. \"Hello? Anyone alive? This is Copter and Gemini and...company.\" he said. Chopper was still with them. \"Good to hear from you, Copter! Where are you?\" Tails asked. Fera crossed her arms with a frown. She didn't have a comm device so she wasn't privy to this conversation. \"I dunno… Gemini warped us to 'safety.' But we can see the chaos that happened.\" he said. \"Yeah, me too...\" Punchy's voice popped up over the comms suddenly, \"I gotta get back into town...Rainbow's in that mess with Aurora!\" he grunted with concern. Shadow scoffed. \"Running in by yourself won't help her. No one should go into that mess alone.\" he warned. Blaze's voice came over the comms next. She sounded pretty intense. \"Call me if you find the leaders of those monsters... I need to burn them until there's nothing left...\" she huffed. Silver was with her, and he spoke up. \"Lospecter told us that they... they destroyed her world. They turned all her people into Lost Ones...\" he said gravely. Tails stopped in his tracks, his ears drooping as the news sunk in. \"M-marine...? No...\" he stammered. \"So don't get in my way. I'm getting my revenge!\" Blaze snapped. Shadow crossed his arms. \"We can't let emotion divide us. We all share the same goal, so we should coordinate our efforts to defeat these monsters.\" he told everyone. Fera glanced to Sonata and Bolt, each of them shrugging since they weren't privy to the full conversation. \"Sorry, I'll fill you in.\" Tails sighed, sniffling a bit over the thought that a whole dimension of friends was gone. \"Let's hurry and get our visit to Bucky over with, guys.\" Kosmo complained, \"That way we can move on to more important things...\"\n\nBucky's lab had been converted into an infirmary. Talon the griffin, Vortex the chameleon and one of the newest experiments, Emily the squirrel, were all laid down on the examination tables with injuries. While Bucky was tending to one of Talon's wings, a glowing pale blue hedgehog was standing over Vortex, sending some of her energy into his body. Fera's eye focused on Emily as she walked in with the others. \"Hey... I know her. She...she's the girl from the picture that Conan carries around everywhere.\" she stated. Bucky nodded as he patched up Talon's wing. \"Emily. She's leverage. I brought her back from the grave in order to appeal to Conan's emotions. We may need his Chaos Relics before this is all over.\" he stated. Shadow glanced at the glowing hedgehog. \"Who is she? That energy radiating from her is...soothing...\" he murmured. Bucky stretched out the kinks in his back after finishing his work and glanced at his visitors. \"It, not she. It is Experiment Twenty, my final creation. I call her Gideon the GeneX, because... well, that's what it is. Pure creation energy, or GeneX as I called it in my error. My head was always stuck in the clouds of science and I couldn't see the magic of my discovery all those years ago.\" he explained. Tails rubbed his chin. \"Magic? So... is Gideon really even a living thing?\" he asked. Gideon glanced at him as it finished transferring energy to Vortex. \"I am only life. As such, I am the perfect healer. If any of you are injured, I will help you when I am finished here.\" the glowing creature said, turning to Emily as Vortex sat up with a refreshed yawn. \"I feel like hugging sssomeone. That energy isss potent!\" the chameleon mumbled. \"Well, good, you're alive. Can we go now?\" Kosmo grunted. Bucky shrugged. \"Go if you must, but I need help to get this ship back in the air. Mr. Prower, can you lend your considerable brain to the task? Vortex will assist you.\" he asked. Tails nodded. \"Right! This ship would really help getting everyone to a safe distance from the Lost One swarm!\" he reasoned. But another new voice came from the doorway at that moment. \"We'll handle the repairs!\" This made Fera growl in annoyance. \"Enough new people! Let's get this show on the... Tails, he looks just like you!\" she gasped. In the doorway stood Skye Prower, his son from the future. He was joined by Kosmo's daughter, Starr, Vector's son Argyle, and Skye's sister, Melody... who happened to be a rabbit!\n\nIt took a bit for the kids to explain how they were from the future. Skye explained how they came to be there. \"I was performing a bit of an experiment with temporal energy, and I detected an anomaly in the timeline. It was...the world coming to an end, basically. If that happened in the past, we'd all cease to exist in our time, so... I kinda...invented a time machine, hehe...\" he chuckled softly. \"Not a perfect time machine, you could only harness enough temporal energy to get us this far!\" Melody pouted, \"And how will we get back?\" she added. Tails was staring at his kids with utter shock. He...was not ready to be a dad. Kosmo was looking at Starr funny too. \"Hey, why is it just you kids? Why aren't we chaperoning you?\" he asked. Argyle shrugged. \"Most of ya are dead. Others are kinda retired. And we kinda didn't tell Sonic anything.\" Starr elbowed him for saying that. \"Don't tell them they're dead!\" she snapped. \"I didn't, you did!\" he grunted. Bucky cleared his throat loudly. \"Repairs, not spoilers.\" he grumbled, wanting to keep them on-topic. \"You're not the least bit worried about kids from the future saying you're dead?\" Fera asked. \"Oh, we don't know nothin' about you, ma'am.\" Argyle said. \"Swell...\" Fera shrugged. Tails and Skye both nodded to themselves. \"Bucky's right.\" they said at once, smiling at each other. \"Melody and I can fix the ship easy. We just need you guys to protect us from those creatures...\" Skye said. \"They're called the Lost Ones...\" Shadow told the kids, \"...You're sure you can handle this? If you are, then we'll back you up.\" he stated. \"I'll get Crassssh and Zipp!\" Vortex announced as the group started to head out. Fera sighed in frustration. \"I don't need all this babysitting. I just want a shot at Gunner and Anubis...\" she murmured. Bucky walked over to her. \"Your vendettas aside, you must agree that the destruction of the world is important to deal with.\" he told her. She rolled her eye, and then glanced at Tails as he called to her. \"You coming? We could really use you!\" he said. She didn't get him. He still seemed to look at her as a friend, just as he looked at Felicia. \"I'm coming...\" she sighed.\n\nThey had to split up, as the ship needed repairs in different areas. Tails, Fera and Argyle went with Skye, while Shadow, Kosmo and Starr were going with Melody. Vortex would have a look at a third area of the ship and receive aid from other experiments. As they headed for the part of the ship Skye was going to work on, Tails couldn't help asking questions. \"So, ahh... Y-your mother... she's...?\" he seemed pretty awkward about asking. Skye seemed awkward about answering, too. \"Dad, I-I'm sorry... I don't really know you. Gunner had you and mom killed when Melody and I were little. We only recently defeated him.\" he sighed. Fera scoffed. \"Well, don't worry yourself about that too much. Your future will change when I kill that man.\" she stated. They reached an area of the ship where sparks were coming from the ceiling. \"Yeah, gotta fix this...\" Skye murmured, spinning his own two tails to fly up to the ceiling and asses the situation. \"You sure I didn't get to teach you anything?\" Tails mused, watching him. Skye suddenly shouted in alarm. \"You get a shock?\" Argyle asked. \"We've got a big problem up here!\" Skye yelled, dropping to the ground. Electrified losol dripped out of the hole in the ceiling, their ghostly faces looking at the group angrily! \"Huh, I didn't know they could hold a charge...\" Tails muttered. \"Geek out later! We've got to clear the way for repairs to take place!\" Argyle grunted. \"Alas, this lowly corridor is where thy story cometh to a close! You've fallen into the trap of Loskeletor!\" Behind them, the greenish skeleton who was once William the Raccoon so long ago was approaching. His eyes were glowing with fiery energy, ready to shoot beams at them any moment. Fera placed a hand on her hip and looked back at the skeleton. \"You picked us over Shadow and Kosmo. Scared, are you?\" she smirked. \"It's a stratagem. With but a hint of DNA from one of you, I can deceive your allies by transforming... then get close and stab them in the back, as my ally of old, Brutus once attempted.\" Loskeletor said. Fera gave him a deadpan look. \"Yeah, I have no idea who that is. Tails, foil him by telling Shadow exactly what he just told us.\" she suggested. \"I'm just getting static on the comms!\" Tails groaned. The electric losol, meanwhile, were expelling shocks toward them, attempting to immobilize them with electrocution! \"We've ways of disrupting your communications. Now, whose soul shalt join the lost first?\" Loskeletor sneered.\n\nMeanwhile, Vortex was busy attempting to repair the ship's engines. Crash, the rhinoceros with the yellow bowler hat, was guarding the entrance to the room with Zipp, the red striped hornet whose helmet's black visor hid his eyes. Zipp cocked a shotgun and gritted his teeth. \"I hear 'em slithering this way. Ready to rock, Crash, or are you still stiff from your year as a bot?\" he smirked. \"Stop bringing that up.\" Crash groaned. Sparks escaped through the crack under the door as electric losol banged on it, attempting to break in. After a moment, they slithered in right through the crack, and Zipp fired his shotgun, but that only slowed them down a bit. Vortex glanced back. \"Sssstupid! You have to hit them with elemental energy!\" he hissed. \"Maybe you should be up here, then!\" Zipp grumbled, \"Ack!\" he dropped his shotgun as the losol zapped him with a burst of electricity. Crash quickly caught Zipp and held him with his stinger pointed at the creatures. \"You've got the right ammo! I'll point and you shoot!\" he grunted. \"Hey! Put me down! Th-this is so humiliating! Ughhh!!\" Zipp protested. The electrified slime monsters were jumping towards them quickly, so there wasn't much choice. Crash gave the hornet a squeeze. \"Ack!! C-chaos Stinger!!\" he shouted, his stinger glowing red and firing wherever Crash pointed! Each losol hit exploded as a result of the electrical energy, requiring Crash to back away slowly. \"Hurry up with those repairs, 'Tex! We may need you on the offense if they keep comin'!\" Crash warned. Vortex reached for a nearby wrench and hissed. \"I can't tell how I'm doing, there'sss no power! Thosssse foxesss better get their tailssss in gear! ...And the rabbit, too.\" he growled. Zipp smirked. \"So... Tails and Cream, huh?\" he snickered. \"Not the time to gossip.\" Crash grumbled.\n\nOutside the ship, Melody was working on repairing damage to the wings, flapping her long ears to fly from place to place, carrying her tools on a heavy belt attached to her waist. Shadow kept an eye on her while Kosmo stood with his back to Starr, not paying much attention to his daughter. \"Hmm... No questions for me?\" the female morph asked. \"Your mere existence gives me all the answers I need from you.\" Kosmo said without looking at her. Starr crossed her arms. \"Yeah, sure. Guess you don't want my daddy issues put on you when you haven't even had me yet...\" she huffed. \"You got it.\" Kosmo sighed. \"Must be sooooome issues, though... 'Cuz my real form is based on mom, you know. But I choose to make myself into daddy's girl.\" Starr said as she stretched and leaned against her father's back. \"Talk to mom about it.\" Kosmo grunted. Melody chuckled softly as her ears picked up on their conversation. She wiped some sweat from her forehead and looked out over the forest around the ship. \"Hmm... Ahh! M-mister Shadow! Something's coming!\" she gasped, pointing at some rustling trees. The rustling was moving their way. Shadow clenched his fists and turned toward the danger, while Kosmo and Starr both turned as well. Out of the trees flew some possessed robots; Beetles with laser cannons and flying Hunters. \"Stay with the bunny. We'll handle this.\" Kosmo said to Starr. She stood defiantly in front of him. \"Uh, hellooo? You die, I die? You should guard Mel!\" she insisted. Shadow dashed past them in the meantime, hurling Chaos Spears at the first approaching robots! \"Don't waste each other's time! Fan out and we'll form a perimeter around the kid!\" he shouted. The morphs looked at him, blinking. \"Uh, yeah, guess that's smart.\" Starr murmured. And so, they split up to protect Melody...\n\nBack inside, Argyle was doing his best to watch Skye's back while he was making repairs and Tails and Fera were busy with Loskeletor. The crocodile happened to have a rather advanced looking Wispon with him...but really technology hadn't advanced that much twenty years in the future. Wispons still shot ammo based on the Wisp used to power it. His was running on asteroid power, and shot at the incoming losol in a rapid-fire fashion. \"How's the repairs comin', Skye?\" he asked. The fox rubbed his head. \"I think I've just about got this problem fixed...\" he murmured. Meanwhile, Fera had tossed balls of dark energy directly at Loskeletor's ribs, seemingly shattering them, but... his limbs and head just floated undeterred, his skull shooting hot lasers back at her while his arms picked up the fragments of his chest. \"You're kidding me. He'll just fix himself?!\" the wolf growled, hopping away from his lasers. \"Maybe not after a dose of Chaos energy!\" Tails smirked. \"The Chaos Relics are powered by Creation energy.\" Skye corrected. Tails knew that but nobody wanted to start saying creation all the time. The fox tried to move in for a tailband-powered tail whip, but Loskeletor's legs walked ahead and kicked him back! \"Ooof!!\" he groaned. Fera quickly helped him up. \"I'll get you close...\" she said, clutching his hand before enveloping them both in darkness! They warped above Loskeletor's skull, and Fera spun in the air while holding on to Tails' hand. \"Whip it!!\" she cried. The fox's tails crashed into the skull, a flash of light coming from the tailband as Loskeletor screamed and collapsed to the ground! Tails and Fera landed nearby, and Tails tried to pull back his hand only to find Fera's grip too tight. Glancing at her, they both blushed and looked away, hands separating quickly. A voice prevented any celebration from starting. \n\n\"Willy, willy, willy... I hardly knew ye...\" A portal emerged beside Loskeletor's remains, and Lospecter appeared, \"What'll we do with you? Oh, but wait... How's that? You're no ordinary Lost One? Riiight, Loskeletor was made out of someone! When body and soul are given to the Lost Ones, well... You might as well be immortal!\" Lospecter floated past Argyle and grabbed one of the sparking losol, carrying it to Loskeletor's broken bones and wringing it out over them. The slime that fell onto the bones restored Loskeletor's vitality, and the skeleton quickly rose up, reformed back into a whole! Tails and Fera stared in surprise, so distracted by Loskeletor's revival, they didn't notice what Lospecter was doing. \"Aaaahh!! Help, Dad!!\" The ghost nabbed Skye and carried him to the open portal! \"W-wait!! Stop!!\" Tails shouted. \"You have so many foxes. You can let us borrow one, right? Unless you wanna trade those pretty tailbands... In that case, meet me in this ship's basement... In the deepest darkness!\" Lospecter cackled, escaping through the portal with Loskeletor following. \"We will reprise this... Prepare for Act 2!\" the skeleton sneered. The portal vanished as Tails attempted to give chase. Clenching his fists, he tapped his comms device. \"I'm going after Lospecter... You guys keep fixing the ship!\" he said. Fera crossed her arms and shook her head. \"You're the last one who should go. It's you they want.\" she said. Argyle looked between them awkwardly. \"Uhh... Sh-should I come?\" he asked. Tails started to walk away. \"I'll go it alone if I have to.\" he said. \"You didn't even know the kid an hour ago.\" Fera pointed out. \"It's not about who he is. No one should be left in the hands of those creatures!\" Tails insisted. Fera was watching him go, contemplating leaving while she could. However, she started to follow him. \"You got guts, kid. Let's try to keep them from spilling all over the floor.\" she said. \"Ugh, gross. Felicia never talked like that...\" Tails groaned. The fox and the wolf...unlikely allies. Could Fera really be trusted? Time would tell...\n\n\nChapter 3 - Double Doom\nStage 2 - Fallen Angel\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"A common mission, an epic quest,\nUntil journey's end, we shall not rest!\nAnd with our power joined... darkness shall not win...\nAnd I'll sing a song of victory! Now it's time we begin!\"\n   - Song of Fellowship, Sonic GeneX: the Series; Zodiac in Time\n\n\nShadow, Kosmo and Starr were still on the outside of the ship while Melody was working on repairs. Shadow growled softly as Tails shut off his communicator before he could talk him out of going directly to Lospecter. \"I have to stop that kid from walking straight into a trap... But I can't leave the other kid alone, so I guess you're babysitting, Kosmo…\" he said as he started to head for an entrance to Shadow Arcangel. Kosmo crossed his arms grouchily. \"Oh, I work for you people now? Why don't I go inside and you babysit?\" he asked. \"None of those kids are mine!\" Shadow shouted back. He had a point. Kosmo sighed and glanced back at where Melody was working. \"How's it coming?\" he asked. The rabbit shrugged. \"This is weird tech. It's like, ancient and modern at the same time. It's taking me a bit to figure it out.\" she said. Once again, Kosmo was seemingly ignoring his daughter, Starr. She fiddled with one of her ponytails and walked over, clearing her throat. \"Well, uhh… You mind if I ask you some questions?\" she murmured. Kosmo winced. \"I'm not sure what you could possibly ask me...\" he grumbled. Skye had already established for them that most of the parents were dead in the future, and the kids had to pretty much make do without them. \"Well... I want to know what you were like!\" Starr babbled. Kosmo shrugged. \"I'm like this.\" He wasn't in any kind of mood to suddenly be a father. It was a bit frustrating for Starr, but she took a breath and tried again. \"Well, um... Hey! Could you tell me anything about your home planet!? I've never been!\" she asked with a grin. Kosmo raised an eyebrow and finally looked at her, quite a bit puzzled. \"Home planet? Is that a joke?\" he asked. Starr frowned. \"Huh? How's it a joke, everyone knows you came to Earth from another planet, morphs aren't native to this planet...\" she mumbled. Kosmo turned around, took a deep breath, and yelled, \"BUCKYYYYY!!!\"\n\n\nTails was heading deep down into the bowels of the ship, joined by Fera. Argyle had gone to rejoin Melody and Starr, not being quite brave enough to walk into a trap. They found a stairway leading down below any area of the ship either of them had seen before. These corridors were quite dark, even for Shadow Arcangel, but not so dark that they couldn't see the losol watching them as they explored. The creatures were only watching, and not approaching. Their wispy voices were unsettling, though. \"They're just making sure we're going the right way, aren't they?\" Tails murmured, looking around worriedly. Fera nodded. \"There's no need for them to attack us right now. Apparently the beasts aren't mindless.\" she observed, stopping and placing a hand on her hip, \"We need a plan or this will not end well for us.\" she told him. Tails slowed his steps and glanced back at her. \"Somehow I doubt Lospecter's going to let us sit here and think about it...\" he murmured. Indeed, some of the Lost Ones behind them were stirring, moving to block their way back. Fera resumed walking alongside Tails. \"Leave it to me. I've had to work under pressure before... Just do as I say when the time comes. Think of me as your commander.\" she said, rubbing his shoulder and then patting it gently. Tails was starting to worry that maybe he'd been too hasty, but now he had little choice but to trust Fera to help him. She could easily just warp to safety if things went bad, though, and leave him for dead. At any rate, they kept moving until they found a bridge that usually spanned across the underside of the ship while in midair. The bridge had broken in the crash...but they were on the ground. \"Last chance to run away...\" Fera told him. Tails carefully stepped around the rubble of the broken bridge. \"What kind of father am I if I leave my son like this?\" he asked. Fera rolled her eye. \"He's not yours. You haven't had a child yet.\" she argued. It didn't matter. They were going anyway.\n\n\nShadow returned to Bucky's lab, where Gideon was wrapping up Emily's medical treatment. Bucky was checking Talon's eyes...for some reason, and Shadow also found SPOT there. Tails had left the robo-puppy behind in case anyone needed it for anything. \"Hey, robot! Tails hung up on me. Can you re-establish communications?\" he asked. The robot looked up at him. His robotic eyes darted back and forth. \"I can't do that, Shadow. The boss doesn't want to talk to you...\" SPOT said, his voice filled with more personality than ever before. Seemed Tails had given him an upgrade in that department. Shadow wasn't impressed with it, though. \"Your boss is going to kill himself!\" he snapped. Just then, Kosmo's voice came through his comms device. \"Shadow! You near Bucky? Put him on! I need a word with that rat!\" The hedgehog growled softly. \"Fine, fine. Looks like this thing won't help me anyway...\" he grumbled, taking the comm device from his ear and giving it to Bucky. \"...Hello?\" the rat murmured. Talon shielded his eyes as Bucky continued to hold a light in his face. \"Can I go now??\" he groaned. Bucky didn't answer him as Kosmo spoke. \"Hey, rat boy... My uh...daughter...is telling me some cockamamie story about me not being from this planet. Like it's a known fact in the future. Talk.\" he said with a grouchy tone. Bucky took the light out of Talon's face and turned away. \"Ohh… I suppose I never should have kept it from you. Kosmo… I didn't create you.\" the rat said casually. \"What, you can't just drop a bomb like that over the phone!!\" Talon gasped. Bucky ignored him. \"You see, after the Black Arms invasion, I happened to find a downed spacecraft not far from my lab. You were inside...dead. You became my first experiment in reanimating dead tissue...something your shapeshifting form was more receptive to than beings of this world. But it was valuable experience for the future...\" he explained, glancing at Emily as he spoke. She looked at him uncomfortably. It was unclear how much she knew about her own circumstances to most of those in the room. At any rate, Kosmo had this to process now. \"So, I am a freak, just not the kind you told me I was... I wonder if the Black Arms shot down my ship... Or...\" Kosmo's voice trailed off before he continued, \"...maybe Nova's not as crazy as I think when he claims to know me...\"\n\n\nTails and Fera soon arrived at the deepest dungeon within the ancient temple-like flying fortress. Or, perhaps vault would be a more apt description of the room, as the pair of them found a horde of glittering gold and jewels...the treasure of the dragon tribe that used to reside within Shadow Arcangel! Both of them looked around in awe. \"Wait, does Bucky know about this room?! This treasure looks like it's been untouched for hundreds of years!\" Tails gasped. Fera nodded. There were golden dragon sculptures, jeweled eggs...it was quite a sight. Her eye fixed on a sarcophagus at the back, possibly depicting the ancient ruler of the dragons on the front. \"Is this where we're supposed to be?\" she wondered. Suddenly, a banging was heard from inside the sarcophagus! \"I'm in here! Help! I-it's dark!!\" Skye shouted fearfully. Lospecter popped through the sarcophagus and waggled his finger at them. \"Uh-uh! Tailbands first, please!\" he demanded. He also waved to Fera. \"By the way, you wouldn't happen to have gotten my cards back, would ya, wolfie? Myself... I'm a few cards short of a deck!\" he chuckled, holding up just a single gold-backed Chaos Card, \"Ah, but I guess this'll have to be my trump card, then.\" Fera crossed her arms, glancing around the room intently. \"Funny, I would think you'd just warp over and snatch the tailbands. Why don't you, Lospecter?\" she asked. Lospecter chuckled. \"I give the pop quizzes here, lady!\" he said, hiding the card up his glove. Fera smirked. \"You're playing to win, I'm pretty sure, so there's no reason to hold back. So, the answer must be...you can't. There must be a limit to how many relics your slimy hands can safely hold...\" she stated. \"Oh! That's a good point!\" Tails realized. Lospecter juggled the Chaos Key in his hand. \"Lospecter's Quiz Mania time! What did I do very recently that could easily solve that problem? Can you think of the answer?\" he snickered. Before they could say anything, a pair of dark figures stepped out from behind some of the golden statues. One greatly resembled Shadow... Dark Spiny! The other was...Kosmo? \"We meet again...the natural-born freak who wrecked my revenge!! Go on, hit me with those bands again! This time, you don't have a second super form to save you!\" Kosmo's voice was a bit distorted... \"Are you... Dark Kosmo?!\" Tails gasped. Lospecter smirked. \"Think they can hold the bands for me?\" he asked. \n\nRather than wait for a response from Tails, Dark Spiny ran ahead and gave him a swift kick to the chest, knocking him back into a pile of gold coins in the corner of the room! Fera reacted by zapping the porcupine with dark lightning, but it didn't seem to bother a being of pure darkness too much. \"That tickled. Maybe it'd hurt a hedgehog...\" he scoffed, hurling a Chaos Spear at Fera and forcing her to jump backward! While the two of them began fighting, Tails climbed out of the pile of gold, only to find Dark Kosmo standing over him. The morph grabbed him by the neck, lifting him up. \"I didn't think revenge would be quite this easy...\" he sneered. \"I-it's not!\" Tails choked, a flash of light coming from his tails as he suddenly vanished before Darkosmo's eyes! He was surprised, and that gave the invisible fox a chance to kick him while his guard was down and cause the morph to drop him! \"Coward! Hiding from me like a wimp! You know you can't win!\" he snarled, morphing his body into a bat and starting to fly around in search of the fox. In the meantime, Fera was evading Dark Spiny's Chaos Spears, looking for an opening to hit him with brute force since her dark magic wouldn't work on him. \"You really don't have anything on your other self but a darkness immunity, huh? No originality?\" the wolf taunted. Dark Spiny growled. \"Why are you jerks always comparing me to other rodents?! STOP THAT!!!\" he roared, firing dozens of spears from his hands in a rapid-fire manner as Fera smirked and warped herself out of the way. \"Hotheaded baby, just like the real deal...\" she said, appearing behind him and giving him a solid punch to the head! Meanwhile, Darkosmo had located Tails using his bat form's echolocation. \"You can't hide from me!\" he sneered, lunging at the fox! Tails smacked him with a tail whip as he approached. \"Yeah, you can transform into anything, I know that.\" he said. The morph rubbed his head and then morphed into the form of Sonic. \"Well, we all know one form you can't beat!\" However, at this point Lospecter yawned loudly. \"Why don't I just kill the kid?\" he suggested, stopping Tails' resistance instantly. \"That's right, you remember why you're here...\" the ghost snickered.\n\nTails reached for his tailbands. \"Don't hurt him. I...I'll give you the tailbands...\" he sighed, feeling he had no choice. Fera kicked Dark Spiny away and quickly warped over to Tails. \"Sorry, but this isn't an option...\" she grunted, grabbing the bands away from Tails quickly. \"Wait, stop!\" he gasped. \"If you hand them over now, we'll have nothing keeping them from killing both of you!\" Fera told him, tossing the bands up into the air before sending a blast of dark energy upward, warping the bands out of the room to a place only she knew. Lospecter floated over to Darkosmo and slapped him in the back of the head. \"Way to STOP her, genius!\" he complained. The morph growled. \"I guess we kill the kid, then.\" he said with a smirk. Fera shook her head. \"If you lay a hand on any of us, you'll never find those pretty little rings again. So, now we'll see just how much you want them.\" she grinned. Tails looked from her to Lospecter worriedly. The ghost was rubbing his chin, thinking it over. \"Well, you know, if I have all of you killed, I suppose no one will know where those silly bands are, and it's one less two-tailed twit who can use them against us. Not really a very tough decision, hehehe...\" he chuckled, snapping his fingers to signal for the losol in the hall to start slithering into the room, surrounding them. Dark Kosmo and Spiny stepped towards them as well, dark smirks on their faces as they contemplated how they would end the canine's lives. Fera grabbed Tails' arm, starting to glow with dark energy. \"Time to go, kid...\" she said. Tails pulled away. \"We can't leave Skye to die!\" he told her. Fera quickly shot some dark flames from her hands at the enemies approaching them from either sides. \"They've got the advantage on us, don't be an idiot!\" she shouted. Darkosmo started to glow in order to transform. \"It's too late for petty arguing. Now, die already!!\" he snarled.\n\n\"Tails detected!\" SPOT's robotic voice was heard down the hall. A second later, a Chaos Blast scattered the losol at the entrance to the room, and Shadow the hedgehog leapt in, quickly smacking the Dark beings with swift homing attacks and stalling Darkosmo's transformation! \"Good timing.\" Fera sighed. \"Shadow! They've got Skye in that coffin!\" Tails shouted. However, Lospecter had opened the sarcophagus during the distraction, and was pulling the young fox out by the tail. \"Ow, ow! Let go!!\" Skye yelped. \"Nah, new idea. Listen up, Tailsy-wailsy. You can keep knocking about the land of the living for a bit, and hang on to those tailbands too...\" Lospecter said, turning the Chaos Key to open a portal, \"Buuut, if I catch wind of you actually using those tailbands, well... Skye here might lose some parts. Maybe his soul! Hehehehe! Oh, and Shadow! We'll be in touch... We've got an experiment going with these lovely blood samples we happened to get our hands on while everyone was distracted with Eggman and Infinite for a few months. Byeeee!\" he said, tossing Skye into the portal and following after him. Dark Spiny and Kosmo followed after, the morph glancing at Tails hatefully before leaving. \"I look forward to your grisly demise. I hear it's written in the stars... Farewell!\" With that, the portal vanished. Tails was busy processing what happened, but Shadow grabbed him by the \"collar\" and shook him a little. \"Is Lospecter right? You lost the Ultimate Life blood samples I entrusted you with!? That's the last of Professor Gerald's work!\" he shouted. Tails stammered a bit. \"W-we were a little busy with the Resistance!!\" he babbled. Shadow threw him away, and he fell into Fera's arms. \"You should have told me. Now I have this on top of everything else!\" Shadow grumbled. Fera placed the fox on his feet and crossed her arms. \"That ghost was never going to give up his hostage. But for now, the kid's being kept alive. Maybe we can figure out how to save him.\" she said, \"...Not that I care. Come on, let's get out of this pit.\" she scoffed. Tails walked over to SPOT and patted the robo-puppy. \"Get me in touch with Sonic, SPOT. I'm gonna need a friendly voice...\" he sighed.\n\nBetween Melody and Vortex, the repairs to the ship had finally been completed. They were ready to take off, so everyone returned inside the ship and regrouped at the control room. Bucky was there, preparing for a tricky takeoff from the middle of the forest. Tails was still trying to contact Sonic, Fera was contemplating what her next move should be, and Argyle was explaining what had happened to Skye to Melody and Starr. Observing everyone, Shadow nodded to himself and turned to leave. \"You all should stick together. I'm going to head out and try to regain contact with the Commander and GUN proper.\" he said. Kosmo started to follow him. \"I don't wanna hang around this ship, I might as well join you.\" he said. Shadow shrugged. \"You really don't want to get to know your future daughter, do you?\" he murmured. Kosmo scoffed. \"My future will be my own. Nothing's going to decide it but me.\" he said bluntly. Nodding, Shadow left with Kosmo following. \"Don't let the door hit ya on the way out!\" Zipp shouted, \"Seriously, this dump is falling apart.\" Melody glanced at him. \"I did my best. I can take a look at anything else that needs repairs...if you'll help save my brother.\" she said. \"Why, Tails, you've raised an extortionist!\" Zipp commented. Tails rolled his eyes at the hornet, and Bucky cleared his throat loudly. \"Let's try to get along, here. We may need one another for a while. Vortex, take the controls. Sonny, Bolt, patrol the halls.\" the rat ordered. Bolt glanced at Sonata. \"I thought they forgot about us...\" he muttered to the unicorn. \"They have much on their minds. Their emotions are all over the place...\" the empathic Sonata stated. While everyone was preparing for takeoff, Fera handed the tailbands back to Tails. \"Here... Sorry, I had to. They would have killed you both.\" she said matter-of-factly. Tails didn't take the bands. \"I can't use them. If Lospecter knows, he'll kill Skye anyway... But do you really care? You're Fera, not Felicia, remember?\" he sighed, taking SPOT and heading out of the control room, looking to be alone.\n\nShadow Arcangel had to knock down a few trees, but it rose back into the air once again. From the sky above, they could see the extent of the damage to Station Square. \"Holy Chaos...\" Crash gasped, looking out the window, \"Were the Lost Ones always capable of this?\" Emily and Gideon approached the window to peer down as well. \"Awful... Is there...anything we can do?\" Emily wondered. Bucky nodded. \"You'll have your chance...\" he mused. Gideon shivered, looking at the slimy creatures running rampant through the streets below. \"We have to...save them...\" it whispered.\n\nIn the hall, Tails had finally gotten through to Sonic. He was explaining what happened, when Fera approached. \"What does Sonic have to say?\" she asked. Tails glanced at her questioningly. The wolf sighed. \"You...are all I have now. I'd be a fool to betray you.\" she said. Thinking on that, Tails opened a hatch on SPOT's body and pulled out an extra comm device. \"Here, you are hereby back in the Resistance.\" he said. Fera put on the device and heard Sonic's voice. \"Good to have ya back. We'll figure out how to get Tails' kid back, too. Never thought I'd say that sentence...\" he murmured. \"The Lost Ones will likely target the other Chaos Relics, too.\" Fera stated, \"We should warn whoever has them.\" Tails nodded in agreement, and then yelped as a drop of water struck his head. \"A leak?\" No, it was starting to rain within the ship. Down in the city, it was starting to rain around Sonic's location, too. \"Shoot, Tails, I think the Doomsayer's here...\" he murmured. \"Can't be, he's up...here...\" Tails babbled, both he and Fera stepping back as the Doomsayer entered the hall. His golden eyes narrowed. \"And of course, we know one could never be in two places at once...\" The Doomsayer's voice was both in the room, but also came over the comm device. Tails' eyes widened, realizing what Sonic was seeing. A second Doomsayer stood before Sonic at the same time, down in the city! \"Sonic, running for everyone's life as always. When are you going to realize that there is no outrunning this world's fate?\" the Doomsayer on the ground asked. Sonic was busy processing what was going on. \"Th-there's two of you??\" he babbled. The second Doomsayer spoke to Tails. \"I told you a Prower will die to complete my prophecy. I never said which Prower. Will it be you? Will it be your poor, captured, time-displaced child? Do you wish to hear my prediction?\" the hooded being asked. Tails growled softly. \"We won't let anyone die!\" he shouted. \"As if you have that level of control. Time is like a breaking dam. You can patch a leak here or there, but there is no stopping the force of destiny.\" the Doomsayer warned. \"Indeed. Sonic, once the Prower fox dies, it won't be long before you fall as well. Rage against this fate if you must, but know that there is no changing it.\" the other Doomsayer added. Sonic clenched his fists. \"Maybe the first step is to pull off that hood and see who you really are!\" he said, but before he could attempt it, an icy wind blew fiercely from behind the Doomsayer, knocking Sonic over as the hooded one vanished! On the ship, the Doomsayer also vanished in a sudden burst of fog! Coughing and climbing to his feet, Sonic tapped his finger to the comm device to get Tails back. \"You okay up there?\" he asked. \"He's gone. How can there be two of him?\" Tails asked. \"I dunno, bro. Add that mystery to the pile. For now, we gotta figure out our next move. Where do you suppose everyone else is?\" Sonic wondered.\n\n\nPunchy the echidna was on his way through the ruined streets of Station Square, looking for the sewer entrance to the Raisol Sanctuary. He was also trying to get into contact with someone, anyone, via his comm device. \"Is this thing busted? Hello!? Anyone there?!\" he shouted. A garbage can lid rustled, startling the green echidna. \"Yaaah!? Who?!\" he gasped. Out of the can popped Heather the phoenix, to his surprise. \"I'm here, you looking for me?\" she asked. Punchy tilted his head. \"Uhhhhhh... What are you doing in the trash?\" he asked. Heather started to climb out, and yelped as the can fell over. \"Ooof! Ugh... I thought this would be a good place to take cover from that weird storm of monsters...\" she told him, \"Smart move, wearing brown pants. No one will ever know if those freaks made you-\" Punchy didn't wait for her to finish that thought. \"Errr, good to know you're alive, Heather, but I got a wife to find...and seeing as I have the Chaos Boots, I have no idea why I'm waiting around here! I'll be right back for you.\" he said, zooming off at high speed with the power of the winged shoes while Heather climbed to her feet. He was back a moment later with a panicked look. \"She's not home! There's no sign of her or our daughter! What if... what if... WHAT IF!?\" he babbled. Heather slapped him across the face. \"Thanks, I needed that...\" Punchy sighed. Heather took his hand. \"We'll find them, Punchy. I've got to find Garen, too... Did you...happen to see where he was when this mess happened?\" she asked. Punchy tilted his head again. \"Garen...? Oh, oh, Guard, yeah someone said you named him. Didn't anyone tell you about naming strays?\" he chuckled. Heather frowned, looking at the ground a bit insecurely. \"...I'm the stray...\" she sighed. Punchy crossed his arms and shook his head. He had no idea where Guard was. \"Well, I guess we're in this together. Come with me, Tweety.\" he said, motioning for her to follow as he started in a random direction. They weren't sure how to find their friends, but they had to start somewhere...\n\n\nGator's Crazy Adventure!!\n\nSailing across the sea, our costumed human arrived at Darkegg Fortress. Surely Dr. Eggman had left some treasure behind on this island base. Nope, Gator wasn't about to help Big find Froggy. But we'll try to keep him in mind for later. At any rate, Gator was accosted by Alpha upon entering the base. \"Doctor! You lost weight! And you grew hair! And you changed DNA!!\" the kooky robot babbled. \"I did? I'm sorry!\" Gator gasped. Couple of real geniuses we're dealing with here. Alpha hugged Gator and then went flying away. \"Daddy's home! When will mommy come home??\" the robot babbled. Gator smiled and headed for the main elevator. \"What a good kid. Now...which floor do I want... Oooh, eight!\" he murmured. The voice of BAS, the Base Announcement System, spoke to him while he was in the elevator. \"Who the devil? Well, I've got a place for you! Goin' uuuup!\" the voice announced. Gator jumped in protest. \"Wait, treasure would be buried!! Go down!!\" he shouted. \"No.\" BAS retorted. Gator started kicking the elevator doors in frustration, and then stumbled out when they opened! The chittering of Chao surrounded him as he stood up and looked around. \"Welcome to the Chao Chambers!\" BAS announced, \"Feed the Chao for us, wouldja?\" At the notion of food, several of the Chao fluttered over to Gator excitedly. \"Hey, hold on! I don't have any pie, I mean, food! I have no food!\" Gator babbled. \"Hey, mister, whya dressed like that?\" one of the Chao spoke. It was one of Char's brother's, Chip. \"What do you mean, I'm a gator, I don't wear anything!\" Gator babbled. \"Hey, have you seen our brother...or Copter? They haven't been around in a while.\" asked Chuck, Char's other brother. \"What am I, the answer man?\" Gator stammered. Suddenly, the Chao charged him, swarming the costumed man before flying off with confiscated slices of pie! \"Hey!! My pie!! You hooligans!!\" Gator shouted, shaking his fists. \"Thank you for visiting Chao Chambers. Please leave now.\" said BAS, opening the elevator doors. Gator groaned in disappointment. \"...I wanna stay and pet the little fairy-monkeys...\" he whined.\n\nWill Gator's adventures have any purpose? ...Uh, who knows?\n\n\nChapter 4 - The Office of Eggman\nStage 3 - Under Reconstruction\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"Yin and yang! Black and white!\nFace the darkness! Face the night!\nWho am I? You don't see\nWhat this power does to me!\nI am my worst enemy!\nI'll take control of who I'll be!\" - Who am I?, Theme of Punchy the Echidna\n\n\nThe green echidna and the fiery phoenix were looking through the city, but what they were seeing was mainly a ghost town. The Lost Ones had either chased away of consumed seemingly everyone in the city, leaving nothing but a ghastly ruin behind. \"How did they pull this off... Did they always have these numbers?\" Heather asked, looking around with alarm at the devastation. A voice nearby caught Punchy off guard. \"The Lost Ones have been busy building their army in other worlds.\" As Punchy looked for the source of the voice, a car in the street vanished, Illusi the shrew standing in its place, his blue cape blowing gently in the breeze. Behind him stood a green female echidna with a few multi-colored quills, about 20 years of age. She wore a blue jacket and tan khaki pants. \"What the heck, Illusi!? Trying to give me a heart attack!?\" Punchy shouted. The shrew glanced at the female echidna. \"Somehow he never gets used to me.\" he muttered. Heather looked from the girl to Punchy. \"Whoa... Uhhh… Who's the girl?\" she asked. The girl crossed her arms. \"Name's Aurora. I just wanted to let you know that mom's alright, dad... I'll watch over her.\" she said. Punchy looked at her, getting a good look at Aurora's blue eyes. \"Good lord!\" he gasped, \"You're a baby but here you are all grown up... Your mother's eyes don't lie.\" he said. Illusi nodded. \"Time travel. Rainbow said she told you, remember? There's something more pressing, Punchy.\" he stated. Punchy rubbed his chin. \"What happened to 'Dark One,' Illusi?\" he asked. The shew sighed. \"The darkness no longer resides within you. Focus!! We need the Chaos Emeralds, and you're a treasure hunter, aren't you?\" he said, his tone making him sound rather pressed for time. Punchy darted his eyes back and forth. \"Sometimes...\" he muttered. Aurora sighed. \"I wish I could do more to help you, but if anything happens to mom while she's taking care of me in the past...I'm kinda done for.\" she said. Realizing this, Punchy bent down and started to pull off the Chaos Boots. \"Do me a favor, zip over home with these and fetch my old shoes... And then you use these to protect your mom!\" Punchy said. \"Is that sanitary?\" Heather whispered. Illusi looked bewildered as Punchy placed the boots in Aurora's hands. \"Punchy! You were chosen - and trained - to use those! You can't just give them away! Chosen one! Tikal's prophecy!\" he babbled. Punchy shrugged. \"Prophecy shmophecy. Doomsayer says something different. I say we make our own fate!\" he grinned, winking at his daughter. Aurora smiled. \"Right... I'll, uh... find your shoes.\" she chuckled.\n\nSo, with his old orange and blue sneakers back on his feet, Punchy parted ways with Aurora and Illusi, setting off with Heather to try and find a Chaos Emerald and maybe Guard. They weren't sure exactly where to look, but as they passed by the burger shop, Punchy decided to head in. \"I'm hungry... I just hope the Lost Ones didn't slime all the food.\" he muttered. As they started inside the shop though, Punchy was hit in the face with a broom. \"Get away, monsters!! We don't serve your kind here!\" It was the burger shop's manager, Dave, swinging the broom with his eyes shut tight. \"I'm not a monster, I'm a customer!\" Punchy shouted. Heather walked in behind him, and gasped softly. \"Survivors! Fantastic!\" she said with relief. There were a few people taking shelter in the burger shop, most of them just random humans that Punchy and Heather didn't know. Libra was crying softly at the counter. She'd seen things. At this point Dave had opened his eyes, too. \"Great, more loiterers. Upper management isn't going to give me a good performance review this week...\" he sighed. As he returned behind the counter, Punchy sat down and looked at the menu while Heather observed the people. They all seemed quite scared. Except for one. Whisk the divine approached her from amongst the group. \"Hey, I know you! From Soleanna...and Demon Island! Wow, you turn up everywhere things go bad!\" the angelic feline commented in an oddly cheerful tone, \"But, hey, uh... You wouldn't happen to have seen Lucky around, would ya? Black cat? Cute as a button?\" Punchy gagged a bit on his soda as Whisk described Lucky. Heather shook her head sadly. \"No, no sign of Lucky.\" she said, \"We're looking for the Chaos Emeralds ourselves.\" she murmured. Libra lifted her head, her ears perking at he idea. \"Yes...yes... The Chaos Emeralds... That's how we avenge everyone. The Lost Ones can't stand Chaos energy!\" she stated. Punchy took a bag of fries from Dave and turned to the trio of girls. \"Why do I get the feeling you're all coming with me...?\" he murmured, munching slowly. Whisk produced a magic wand similar to Gemini's and twirled it. \"Because! I can use a spell to hunt down an emerald for you! Thank Gemini for teaching it to me, hehe!\" she giggled. Heather's eyes lit up. \"That's great! Hey, can you use that spell to find anything? Anyone?\" she asked. Before Whisk could get into it, a loud crash rocked the building, and Eggman's voice was heard over a speaker outside. \"Don't panic, citizens of Station Square! Your savior, the illustrious Dr. Eggman, has finally arrived!! Ho ho ho ho ho!!\" Punchy couldn't help gagging again. \"Ughhh!! The timing on this guy!\" he groaned.\n\nOutside, they found that Eggman's machines had apparently damaged a nearby building. The chubby doctor sat in his floating Egg Mobile, watching as his robots were busily reconstructing the building into something better suited to his purposes. \"You know, I think I used this very building in a hostage situation, back when it was just a construction site. Ahh, so many memories in this city...\" Eggman mused. Punchy growled softly as he witnessed this scene. \"He's gonna draw the Lost One's attention back here... Or drop half the building on someone! Either way, what's he thinking? This is just mindless mayhem, even for him!\" he grumbled. Whisk was ignoring him and cast her search spell, which sent a light shooting from her wand and zipping straight across the street...into the building Eggman was repurposing. \"Good news, guys! The nearest Chaos Emerald is right there...oh.\" she said, pointing and then frowning as she noticed Eggman. Heather and Libra both sighed. \"It figures.\" they said at once. Punchy rolled up his imaginary sleeves and started stomping towards Eggman. \"Stand back, ladies! I'll handle this!\" he grunted. Libra scoffed, crossing her arms. \"Oh, will he? This oughta be good.\" she huffed. \"Hey, Eggman!!\" Punchy shouted as he approached. The doctor turned with a wide grin. \"Ah, Punchy! Nice to see you survived! And where is that charming wife of yours?\" he asked. \"Can it! I'm chasing you and your bots outta town!\" Punchy shouted. Eggman stroked his moustache and sat back in his seat. \"Now, Punchy, how can I possibly help you defeat the Lost Ones if you treat me like that? I need an outpost close to the action so that I can study what makes those creatures tick and find their weaknesses.\" he stated. Punchy crossed his arms. \"And the Chaos Emerald?\" he asked in an interrogative manner. Eggman perked up suddenly. \"Chaos Emerald? What Chaos Emerald? There's a Chaos Emerald!? Um... E-excuse me, Punchy!\" he babbled, turning his Egg Mobile quickly and flying into the building through a hole in the wall. Punchy stood there with a dumbfounded look as the girls walked up to him. \"Good job. You told him about the Chaos Emerald.\" Heather said sarcastically. \"Hey, Eggman's usually on top of these things!\" Punchy protested. \"Well, we better head inside and try to get it from him.\" Whisk sighed, \"Why couldn't he be like Moebius Eggman?\" she murmured.\n\nThey ran into the building, and at the entrance, they found Charmy bee getting chased in circles by a couple of bumbling robots, Clucky and Burrowbot. \"Get back here, you little twerp! We won't hurt ya!\" Clucky yelled. \"Huh? We won't?\" Burrowbot murmured, looking confused. \"Idiot, of course we will!\" Clucky snapped, smacking him upside the head. Seeing Punchy, Charmy stopped and waved. \"Hey, there, Knuckles!\" This got Punchy riled up. \"You know I'm not Knuckles, cut it out!\" he shouted. \"Should we...help him?\" Libra wondered. Those robots didn't look exactly competent. Heather wasn't willing to let it go, though. She quickly tossed some fireballs at the pesky bots, causing them to break into a heap of jumbled parts! \"D'oh, argh! You shoulda warned me, digger-nose!\" Clucky shouted. \"Me? You're the birdbrain with the plans!\" Burrowbot complained. Charmy flew over to Heather and shook her hand. \"Thanks! Now I can get back to tracking that Chaos Emerald!\" he grinned. Punchy looked thoughtful. \"You're looking for the emerald, too?\" he asked. Charmy hovered up in the air, nodding. \"Yeah, Vector and Espio tracked one here. They've got other missions though, so I'm looking for it alone. Those Lost Ones are so freaky and scary, it's gonna take a lot of overtime to take 'em out, Vector said!\" he explained, moving his hands about in a very animated fashion as he described how Vector spoke to him. Heather nodded and looked around. \"Well, there's enough of us, and the building seems fairly big. Maybe we should split up?\" she suggested. Punchy shrugged. \"Fine by me... Can I go alone?\" he asked. Charmy patted his head. \"Aww, don't be silly! I know you've missed goin' on adventures with your best bee buddy! C'mon, let's smash those bots!\" he cheered. Punchy rolled his eyes, but then chuckled softly. \"Whatever... Hopefully they're all as dumb as these yo-yos.\" he said. \"We can still hear you!\" Burrowbot groaned. \"Show some respect for the busted!\" Clucky chimed in.\n\nWhisk and Libra hopped in an elevator, leaving Punchy, Heather and Charmy to take the stairs as they explored the building. Punchy scratched his head as they neared the top of the first flight of stairs. \"Wait, Whisk can teleport. How come she got the elevator and we got stuck with the stairs like a bunch of suckers?\" he questioned. \"Because you're too slow to think of that!\" Charmy teased. \"Shh, who knows what's waiting for us...\" Heather warned as they opened a door and proceded... into an office space. It didn't look like the area had really been converted to Eggman's purposes yet. \"Honestly...\" Punchy murmured as he stepped past a stuffy, post-it covered cubicle, \"This is scarier than one of Eggman's bases.\" he murmured. Suddenly, the computer screens in the cubicles flickered on, and the trio jumped with alarm as each of them displayed the Eggman Empire logo. The voice of the Base Alarm System; BAS; came over the speakers. \"This building and its technology is now under Eggman control! We seeee you!\" the familiar voice teased. Charmy looked around and shrugged. \"It's just computers, though. It's not like Eggman's gonna be able to take over a stapler and staple us to death!\" he pointed out. A light drew Heather's attention, and she walked over to a copy machine to check what was printing. \"Please don't be Eggman's butt...\" she winced. It was a single line repeated over and over. \"All work and no play makes BAS a dull boy...\" Punchy looked it over. \"Is it me, or is BAS sounding a bit out of whack?\" he murmured. \"YAAAAAAHH!!\" shrieked Charmy, and as Punchy and Heather looked, they saw him tugged into an office cubicle! \"...I don't wanna die in an office!\" Punchy gulped, \"You go! You can't die!\" he said, shoving Heather. \"Way to kill the dramatic tension!\" BAS complained. They heard some struggling from inside the cubicle, and suddenly an explosion, followed by a head rolling onto the floor! \"Yaaaaaaaaaah!!\" Punchy and Heather yelled. Charmy flew out and glanced at the Egg Pawn head on the ground. \"We're dealing with Eggman. Why are you guys so jumpy?\" he asked. Punchy and Heather glanced at each other with annoyance, but couldn't say anything as more Pawns started to emerge from the cubicles! \"Just another day at the office...\" Punchy grunted, cracking his knuckles.\n\n\nAs Whisk and Libra rode the elevator, it suddenly stalled. \"Lift service out of order!\" BAS announced. Libra anxiously pressed the elevator's buttons repeatedly. \"Agh! Why didn't we take the stairs?!\" she stammered. Whisk looked around. \"Well... I could teleport us out, and we could get stuck in a wall...\" she murmured. \"Come on! Didn't Zodiac teach you any useful magic??\" Libra shouted, tearing up a little as the fate of the Zodiac Council flashed back to her mind. Whisk was surprised. She'd never seen Libra's face while Zodiac was teaching her magic...her Deathbringer hood always hid it. \"Wait...you were...? But I guess you don't have powers anymore...\" Whisk sighed. It was true, Libra didn't even have wings any longer. She was an ordinary fennec again. Whisk looked up and saw a hatch at the top of the elevator. \"I can fly us through there.\" she stated. Libra wiped her eyes. \"Thanks, yeah. Let's get out of this box...\" she sniffled. The hatch was too narrow for both of them at once, but Whisk helped Libra up into the elevator shaft before she joined her. Looking up the shaft, they saw elevator doors open above them, and Egg Pawns with construction hats peering down at them! \"Elevator's closed!\" Libra shouted up. The robots pulled their heads back in. \"Huh... Did they...listen?\" Whisk wondered. However, the bots returned with bombs in hand, dropping them down the elevator shaft! Whisk quickly grabbed on to Libra and started to fly them both up as the bombs crashed below them, causing the elevator to break and go hurtling down to the bottom of the shaft! As they flew upward, another bomb struck the wall near them, and the explosion nearly tossed them down the shaft, but they both grabbed on to the elevator cables! \"Maybe getting stuck in a wall wouldn't be so bad!\" Libra cried. Whisk grabbed her hand nervously. \"Guess we need luck on our side...\" she gulped as both of their bodies glowed, and she teleported them away! They emerged in a hallway, a few feet off the ground, and fell onto their behinds! \"Ugh, well, at least this can't get worse...\" Libra murmured, only to look up and find Egg Pawns surrounding them. \"Splitting up was dumb...\" Whisk grumbled.\n\n\nPunchy, Heather and Charmy fought their way out of the cubicles and found their way to what apparently used to be a break room. Eggman's robots had cleared out a lot of the furniture, all that was really left was a vending machine that Char the Chao was trying to get a snack from. The red Chao kicked the machine in a fit. \"Darn it! Why don't you take rings?\" he complained. \"Aw, no, it's the evil Chao.\" Charmy remarked. Char looked at the bee and shook his little arms at him. \"I'm not evil this machine is evil!!\" he yelled. A door at the other side of the room opened and Eggman himself stepped in. \"No sugar, Char! You get too hyper! Gah! Punchy! Why didn't you take the elevator??\" he babbled, \"I had a trap waiting and everything!\" Punchy glanced at Heather worriedly. \"Our friends better be okay!\" Heather warned. The doctor backed toward the door. \"I don't see why we must be enemies. I only want this little outpost to study the Lost Ones for weaknesses...to help!\" he stated. Punchy nodded. \"And to conquer the city from.\" he added. \"Exactly! Eh, wa-wait! Ohhh... Who am I kidding. You've grown apart from Knuckles, that's for sure.\" he said, suddenly breaking into a run back through the door he came from! \"Wow, he's quick...\" Heather murmured. Punchy started to chase after the doctor, but as he reached the door, an explosion blew it open, throwing him backward! A familiar purple and black E-X series robot stood in the doorway, its red eyes glaring at Punchy as he climbed back up. \"Oh for the love of... 'Course it's you, Terra!\" the echidna growled. Behind Terra, his orange and pink counterpart, Firma, was approaching. \"Yuck, the ugly girl-bot, too!\" Charmy remarked. The two robots raised their clawed fists. \"You will not interfere in Dr. Eggman's plans...\" Firma said calmly. \"At last, my chance has come!! I WILL ANNIHILATE YOU, EXPERIMENT 1!!\" Terra roared. Punchy raised his own fists into a fighting stance as well. \"Some things just never change... Can't say I'm sorry Rainbow has to miss this reunion!\" he smirked.\n\nChar watched the tense situation unfolding and gulped hard. \"Uhhh... Suddenly I'm not so hungry. I think I'll go somewhere... else.\" he murmured, flying out of the room hastily. Charmy landed on top of the snack machine and started to watch. \"I'll referee! I, uh, have some experience with that, hehe.\" the bee smirked. Punchy rolled his eyes and charged at Terra, only to get a fist to the face from Firma! \"Ooof!! I've been relying on those Chaos Boots for too long... Gotta remember I'm not fast anymore.\" he grumbled, rubbing his jaw. Heather threw fireballs at Firma's eyes, forcing the robot back. \"Come on! We've got to get past these bots, find out if the others are okay, and find that emerald!\" she said urgently. Punchy glanced at her and nodded. \"Well, when you put it that way... Chaos Avalanche!!\" This was quite a risky move for Punchy to make inside the building. Chaos Avalanche pulled chunks of the floor up with Chaos energy and hurled them at Terra and Firma, making the ground unstable in the process. The robots smashed through the projectiles with their mighty metal arms, and then retracted their claws, replacing them with laser cannons. \"Create distance between us with an unstable floor...we will still OBLITERATE you!!\" Terra shouted, firing shots at Punchy wildly while Firma took aim at Heather! Charmy hummed to himself from his safe perch, until a stray laser blasted the snack machine out from under him! \"Waaah!! Hey!! That's a foul!!\" the bee yelled. He was forced to take cover as more shots came his way, though. Frustrated, Heather used her power to create a dome of fire around her friends, blocking the laser fire! \"Ahh! H-heather... Don't burn us up here!\" Punchy stammered. As Terra kept up the laser fire, Firma stopped and changed up her weapons. \"The phoenix is the true threat... Prepare to eliminate...\" she said calmly. A hose nozzle popped out of her wrist, and water sprayed over the dome of fire, thinning out the flames and allowing Terra to get a shot through, hitting Heather in the stomach! \"Agggh!! N-nooo!!\" she gasped, falling to the floor! \"Heather!!\" Charmy gasped, jumping as he watched her body burst into flames! Enraged, Punchy charged forward. He leapt across the holes in the floor, right at Firma! \"Enough!!\" he cried, his fist crashing into the robot's head with tremendous force! Firma began sparking, and Terra backed away, alarmed. \"No... NOOOOO!!\" the purple robot roared as Firma began to explode! \"...farewell...brother...\" she managed to say before collapsing into a heap of broken parts!\n\nHeather sat up, rising from her own ashes. \"Ughhh… What happened?\" she groaned. \"You died and now I'm mentally scarred!\" Charmy remarked. Heather looked at him with an unconvinced expression. \"You're in Station Square not too long after the Lost Ones devastated the city and this is what scars you?\" she murmured. Their attention turned to Punchy and Terra as the two were violently exchanging blows. \"MURDERER!!!\" Terra roared, slamming his fist into Punchy's chest as Punchy tried to land a solid hit in return. \"You're robots!\" he growled. Terra backed up, swinging his fist and glaring at Punchy with genuine hate. \"We were created using GeneX power... Creation energy. We are no mere robots. We have souls!\" he declared, aiming a laser at Punchy's head, \"And my soul is now filled... WITH VENGEANCE!!\" he roared. However, Punchy easily evaded his shot. Then, an alarm started to blare through the base. \"All robots, to the twelfth floor! All bots, to the twelfth floor! This is not a drill!\" BAS announced. Terra glared at Punchy, but started to run away through the door in order to answer the call. \"I will return for your head!! YOU WILL BE CRUSHED BY MY HAND!!\" Terra shouted back as he left. Punchy thought to go after him, but he decided to check on Heather instead. The Phoenix was fine, in fact she appeared unharmed whatsoever. \"No wonder Howler wanted your power back when Despair was a bigger thing...\" Punchy mused. Heather sighed. \"I'd rather we don't bring up those times. Sometimes I wish I could give up this power... So many fiends have come after me just to use it.\" she sighed. Charmy nodded. \"Got that right! How many now? Vector's trying to keep a list, these things can come in handy. Let's see... There was Howler, the Battle Birds...and, and, uhhh...\" he murmured. Heather growled softly at the bee dredging this up despite her protests. \"Mephiles, it was Mephiles.\" she stated. There wasn't much of a pause before a deep voice called to them. \"Did I just hear...my name?\"\n\nPunchy took on a defensive stance and Heather's eyes widened as a familiar black, crystalline hedgehog floated into the room. It was Mephiles...but something was off about him. His coloring was a bit more greenish than Heather remembered. \"How long it's been... Though, time for some of us is relative...\" the Dark stated, floating across the room slowly. \"You're the goon that messed up the world with the Time Eater's power! I thought Hyper Sonic finished you off!\" Punchy shouted. Mephiles didn't even look at him. \"So afraid of me, Heather. I wonder, which version of your memory does this fear stem from? I seem to recall this version of you being oh so willing to join with me... But memory, like time, is so very fickle. Who's to say what is real... Who's to say who is real?\" he said cryptically as he floated slowly towards the broken remains of Firma. Charmy hid behind Punchy nervously. \"Go on, stop him before he starts transforming into Razor or Tails or a big scary monster!\" he murmured, recalling how Mephiles used to steal forms and powers by diving into peoples' shadows. Mephiles chuckled softly. \"That was another me. Another age. I have been brought to this time with new purpose...\" he said, holding his hand over Firma's remains, \"A broken soul, just like mine... Perfect fuel to fan the flames... That will burn a path of ruin across this world!\" With a flash of light, a ghostly image of Firma appeared over the spare parts, which then formed into a small spirit ball that fit snugly into Mephiles' hand! \"Hey! Th-that looks like the light... Like Tikal!\" Punchy babbled. Heather growled softly. \"Firma's soul. Mephiles is stealing souls!\" she realized. Mephiles looked at them with wide eyes, one eye green, one purple. \"Enjoy your souls while you can... You all are quickly running out of time!\" he said with a sinister laugh before his body transformed into a shadow, swiftly escaping with Firma's soul! Punchy watched this with disbelief. \"So...is Terra right? Am I a...murderer?\" he asked. Heather patted him on the back. \"No time to think like that. Whisk and Libra might be in trouble!\" She had a point. At any rate, the twelfth floor seemed like a place to start. They had a lot of stairs to climb...\n\n\nChapter 5 - Another Day at the Office\nStage 3 - Under Reconstruction\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"We all danced in fire, \nTrapped in this machine,\nDon't know how long we've waited, \nAs the Eggman's watching.\" - This Machine, Sonic Heroes\n\n\nWhisk and Libra had been taken by a swarm of Egg Pawns earlier, and were now trapped in an office cubicle while Slash and Sting, the mantis and scorpion bots, stood guard over them. Slash had his claws crossed as he watched Sting swap his stinger to different weapon types. \"How bout the acid cannon?\" Sting asked. \"Too messy and corrosive. If you miss you could mess up my paint job!\" Slash replied, prompting Sting to swap his stinger for a different weapon. Whisk looked across the office space, seeing her wand on a desk across from them. \"They don't realize I can still teleport...\" she whispered, \"But I can't leave without my wand...\" As she said this, a rather large hammer-toting Egg Pawn crept past the desk with her wand. They weren't going to make it very easy. Libra glanced at Whisk with a nod. \"I'll distract them. You get that wand.\" she whispered. Whisk looked worried. \"No, I can't leave you to face them alone...\" she told the fennec. Sting turned to them, his stinger now sporting a crossbow of all things. \"Hey! Be quiet! Don't make me come in there!\" he shouted. \"Maybe we need to put a little fear in 'em…\" Slash suggested, lifting his sickle-like claws. Libra tried to think of what to do, and suddenly just pointed behind the bots. \"Look! Sonic's here!!\" she shouted. The robots quickly spun around in a panic. \"I'm not prepared for Sonic!!\" Slash yelped. Libra then grabbed for Sting's stinger, trying to manipulate the crossbow! \"Hey! I don't yank your tail! Stop it!!\" the robot shouted, trying to shake her off. \"I don't like the crossbow. I'll just slice that tail off!\" Slash growled, but got an arrow in the eye before he could make a move. It couldn't do much to his robotic eye, but it distracted him. \"Control yourself!\" Slash grunted. Sting shook Libra off and turned around. \"Hyah ha ha ha! Thought you'd get the jump on us! Hey, where's the other girl?\" he murmured. A sudden explosion surprised the two bots as they turned to see the large Egg Pawn fall onto its back! Whisk pointed her wand at Slash and Sting, and the bots shrieked, running into each other as they scrambled to get out of the way! \"C'mon, Libra! We better hurry!\" Whisk called. Those robots that caught them would be back on their trail in no time...\n\n\nThe stairwell door opened at the twelfth floor, and Punchy stumbled through it out of breath. \"I... should've kept... the Chaos Boots!\" he huffed. \"Too bad the elevator was busted.\" Charmy said, flying past him completely unaffected by the trip. Heather quickly grabbed him by the wings. \"Slow down... Look.\" she warned. The trio looked around to find that Eggman's robots had been busy. This floor had been somewhat converted into his base, the walls sloppily repainted red and a security system now in place that was obviously Eggman's design. There were cameras and motion-sensing tripwires through the hallway, obviously in place to inform wall-mounted lasers where to shoot. Punchy took a few deep breaths, recovering from the long trip up the stairs. \"Think we're too late for...whatever tripped Eggman's alarms?\" he wondered. Charmy pulled free of Heather's grip and quickly flew above the tripwires - and below the cameras. \"I'll check it out, leave it to me! You just hang out here, heh.\" he chuckled. Heather shrugged. \"Terra hasn't come looking for us yet. He's probably still up here. We should be careful.\" she reasoned. \"Ooops!\" Charmy babbled as an invisible tripwire revealed itself...just as he passed through it. The lasers popped out of the wall and pointed right at him, forcing Charmy to flee hastily and hide behind Punchy. \"It's all you! Smashy smashy, greenie!\" he shouted. \"No, no, ruuuuun!!\" Punchy yelled, grabbing Charmy and taking off as the lasers whizzed towards them! The three of them charged into the hallway, doing their best to evade the laser fire, when they heard a voice. \"In here, quick!\" A door opened, and the trio didn't hesitate to rush inside, closing it behind them to escape the lasers! \"That was a close one!\" Charmy panted. \"Are you kids alright? I've gotta say, though, it's good to see some friendly faces.\" the voice said again. Punchy looked at the owner of the voice to see a blue hedgehog with a white mustache. It was Sonic's Uncle Chuck!\n\nThe old hedgehog stepped to a computer in the room and sat down. \"Relax here a while, I guess. I'm trying to get control of the building back in between attempting to get a message out to Sally...\" he said. Punchy looked a bit confused. \"What are you doing here?\" he asked. Chuck held up a badge. \"I work here. This is my office for AcornCorp. And isn't it convenient, Eggman's here the week we acquire a Chaos Emerald...\" he murmured, typing furiously at his keyboard. Charmy popped up next to Chuck, looking at the computer screen curiously. \"Chaos Emerald? Where is it? Whatcha typing? Didn't Sally die?\" he babbled annoyingly. Chuck was patient, though. \"I'm sure Eggman's snatched the emerald by now. Anyway, I'm trying to shut off the alarm again... I set it off earlier, and it looks like you set it off again.\" he explained. Punchy found a chair to take a rest in and sighed. \"You think Sally can help with the whole... Lost One apocalypse?\" he asked. Heather raised an eyebrow. \"Are we sure it's that bad yet?\" she questioned. Uncle Chuck stopped typing and turned to her with a grave expression. \"They're multiplying rapidly. We should be very concerned. It's all hands on deck here.\" he said. At that moment, a video chat popped up on his monitor. He'd gotten through to Sally. The chipmunk had a worried look as she spoke. \"Charles, what's happening there?\" she asked. \"The world's going to hell again.\" Punchy grumbled. Chuck glanced back at Punchy and Heather, moving the video window with a click of his mouse so he could get back to his hacking. \"Could you two get Sally up to speed? I wanna get control back from Eggman if I can...\" he stated. Charmy popped up impatiently. \"What can I do? I'm bored! Let me help!\" he babbled. Sally's eyes narrowed. \"Eggman's involved... Why am I not surprised...\" she murmured.\n\n\nTerra was now leading the robots chasing after Whisk and Libra. Teleporting wasn't really a good option being in the middle of a building that Whisk wasn't familiar with. So, the winged feline was forced to use her magic to protect Libra as Terra blasted desks and cubicles in pursuit of them. Libra knocked over a desk and took cover behind it while Whisk fired some magical blasts at the Egg Pawns accompanying Terra. \"You wouldn't happen to have ANY abilities left from when you were working for Zodiac, would you?\" Whisk asked her. Libra covered her head as explosions went off around her. \"If I had any of those powers wouldn't I USE them?!\" she yelled. Terra stomped towards them, his focus now on Whisk since Libra was posing no threat. \"Intruders! You are delaying me from my REVENGE! If you do not surrender yourselves, I will hold you just as guilty as the intruder who destroyed Firma!\" the robot warned. \"You could just let us go and get back to your revenge!\" Libra suggested. \"Yeah, right...\" Whisk sighed, lifting her wand in preparation to cast a spell. It was then that a wall-mounted laser popped up behind her and fired, knocking the wand out of her hand! \"Oh, come on!\" she groaned. \"By the way, Eggman's installed lasers on the walls!\" Libra babbled. Terra's metallic foot stomped onto Whisk's wand, keeping her from recovering it. \"Surrender!!\" he shouted. Whisk jumped behind the table with Libra and grabbed her hand. \"I'm not getting caught again, let's run for it!\" she suggested. \"But... your wand!\" Libra murmured. \"It'll be fine, come on!\" Whisk shouted. The duo stayed low as they started to run, and Terra roared in frustration. \"You can't escape!! I WILL ANNIHILATE YOU!!\" the robot shouted as it charged after them, more robots following behind. At the rear of the chase was Slash riding on Sting's back. \"Terra, Terra, he's our guy, if he can't do it, why should we try?\" they cheered unenthusiastically.\n\nPunchy was stepping out of Chuck's office at this point. \"I don't care, I'm gonna smash all that security myself if I have to!\" he shouted impatiently. Before he could move far, though, he heard explosions down the hall and turned to see Whisk and Libra getting chased! \"Move out of the way!!\" Whisk shouted as the two girls passed by the echidna. Seeing Terra coming, Punchy clenched his fists and started to charge at him. \"If you want them you gotta go through me!\" he yelled. \"Forget them, I WILL DESTROY YOU!!\" Terra shouted, firing up the thrusters on his back and suddenly speeding up! Punchy wasn't prepared for the sudden speed boost. \"Oh, sh-\" He went flying as Terra tackled him, landing on his back as Whisk and Libra turned to help him. \"Look out!\" Charmy yelped from the doorway. The wall-mounted lasers were pointing at them, ready to fire. \"Farewell!!\" Terra said, watching for the shots to barbeque the stunned echidna. However, the lasers slowly turned, and began to point at Terra and the other robots instead! \"...WHAT?! What is happening, BAS?!\" Terra shouted. The alarm voice sounded...a bit woozy as it responded. \"M-my systems are being h-hacked! I don't feel so goooo... D-daisy, daisy! Give me your answer, blue! I'm two-thirds crazy, all for the love of glue!\" it babbled. The lasers suddenly fired, knocking out some Egg Pawns beside Terra before the purple robot started to back away. \"Blast you! You won't get away forever! WE WILL HAVE OUR RECKONING!!\" he yelled, turning and nearly trampling Slash and Sting as he fled from the laser shots! \"H-hey! Wait for us!!\" Slash babbled. \"I always knew BAS had a bad firewall!\" Sting groaned. As Punchy stood up, Libra shook her fist at the robots. \"And don't come back, you rusted rejects!\" she shouted. \"If you guys are done...\" Heather murmured from inside the office, \"Chuck's got a read on the Chaos Emerald.\" she said. Punchy nodded. \"He hacked the lasers, too, right? Man, where has he been all my life?\" he chuckled softly. \"Stuck in a stuffy office like this...\" Chuck murmured, \"But no matter. Get going! One more floor up!\" he said.\n\n\nOn the next floor up, Eggman had set up a makeshift lab. Char, Orbot and Cubot were watching Eggman work from behind a wall of safety glass while the doctor installed a canister into a robot. \"I've powered robots with animals, emeralds, flowers, hyper-go-on energy... Now, my scientific curiosity can't help but see if I can control robots powered by ectoplasm. It's already clear that the substance can control robots themselves...even power them beyond destruction...\" Eggman said, flipping some switches on the robot before making his way behind the safety glass himself. \"Are you sure this is a good idea, boss?\" Orbot questioned. \"Yeah, you're talking about making haunted robots! I don't wanna be haunted!\" Cubot shivered. The doctor pressed some buttons on a control panel, and then motioned to a container on the wall. A familiar green glow was coming from behind the glass of the container. \"That's why it's fortunate we have this Chaos Emerald. If necessary, the Chaos energy should repel the Lost One that I installed in the machine.\" he explained. Char looked through the safety glass nervously. \"How did you catch a Lost One without getting... lost?\" he asked. Eggman scratched his head. \"Well, let's just say... don't get close to Metal Eggman for a while. He's going to need a good cleansing.\" the doctor murmured. He then pressed a button to contact BAS. \"What's the status of our intruders?\" he asked. BAS chuckled in a crazed tone as he spoke. \"Successfully repelled Terra, your fatness!\" he reported. Eggman's mustache drooped as he frowned. \"Sonic's uncle is proving to be a bigger annoyance than I'd hoped. It's just a shame that borrowing some of his equipment made this building the most practical to take over. I need to do something about my budget issues...\" he muttered to himself. \"You could sell Char!\" Cubot suggested. \"I was here first, let's sell you bozos!\" Char snapped. \"No matter!\" Eggman chuckled, \"Commence the experiment!\" he said, hovering his finger over a red button...\n\nA door at the other end of the room swung open, and Punchy led Heather, Whisk, Libra and Charmy into the lab! \"Where's that Chaos Emerald?!\" Punchy shouted, stopping short as he and his friends noticed the robot in the room. It didn't really look like much, it kind of resembled an enlarged bladed spinner robot. Eggman chuckled from behind his safety glass. \"This experiment just got interesting. Punchy, I'd like you to meet my Spectral Prototype! Let's see how this goes...\" he said, pressing the red button. A sound like a ghastly shriek came from the robot as it powered up, and Punchy and his friends backed up a step. \"What's wrong with that robot?\" Heather gasped. The Spectral Spinner rose into the air as its blade spun about...but then it wavered, its robotic face taking on a frightening expression! \"Uh, boss... You didn't give that robot expressiveness...\" Orbot whimpered. The robot began to spark, and slimy tendrils burst out of its metal frame! \"Eggman, you've created a monster!\" Punchy growled, \"Well, I'll just Chaos Avalanche it and...\" Heather tugged his arm. \"You wanna tear up the building from this high up?? You could drop the roof on Chuck's head!\" she warned. As the robot started to move towards them, Charmy hid behind Whisk, holding her wing as if to shield himself. \"L-let's get out of here!\" he babbled. \"Hey, my wings aren't toys!\" Whisk yelped. Libra pointed behind the safety glass. \"Look, the Chaos Emerald!\" she said. Charmy peered out from behind Whisk and smiled. \"Cool! How can we get it?\" he wondered. While those three worried about that, Punchy and Heather jumped to either side of the robot as the tendrils reached out farther to grab them! The robot groaned in what sounded like agony, and then the two blades that were spinning tore from its sides, held up by longer tendrils while the machine turned towards Punchy! \"I hate the Lost Ones. Alright, then, let's do this!\" he said, throwing a quick jab at the air as he readied for a fight!\n\nPunchy tried to throw a punch at the Spectral Spinner, but was quickly caught in its tendrils, held in place as it raised a blade in preparation to strike! \"Uh, help!\" he gasped. Heather struck the machine with flames from behind, which annoyed it enough to drop Punchy, but it didn't slow the haunted robot down much. It flailed the blades around in both their directions, and while Punchy dropped onto his back to avoid the blade, Heather leapt up to get out of the way, leaving her wide open to getting grabbed by a tendril next! Punchy gulped. \"Uhh, will you resurrect if you're decapitated?\" he asked. \"I don't wanna find out!!\" Heather protested, covering her body in flames to try and get free! The entity inside the robot moaned in pain, but kept its grip, raising both blades towards the phoenix! Punchy had to act fast...just in case...so he threw himself at the robot, struggling to get a punch through its grabby tendrils! \"Gaaah, I'm gonna need a shower!\" he groaned before pulling his arm back forcefully and slamming his fist into the bot's metal body! The metal cracked, and the enraged Spectral Spinner hurled Punchy away before spinning and tossing Heather at him as well! Its robotic shell was sparking, but the slime was holding it together! \"Ughhh, get off, Heather...\" Punchy groaned as they stumbled to their feet, \"That bot should be toast. Stupid Lost One!\" he growled. Eggman was watching the battle intently. \"With the Lost Ones powering my machines, they won't quit on me any longer! I'll finally be able to pin down that annoying blue pincushion and conquer the world!\" he sneered. \"Aw, I knew he wasn't planning to help beat the Lost Ones...\" Charmy sighed. Eggman gasped, turning to find Whisk and Charmy on his side of the safety glass, trying to swipe the Chaos Emerald while he was distracted. \"Now, if only I had something to deal with pesky teleporters!\" the scientist growled. Whisk chuckled. \"Too bad about that...\" she said, reaching for the Chaos Emerald...only to get zapped by a powerful electric jolt! She fell over, passed out, and Eggman smirked. \"I always plan for thieves, though.\" he noted.\n\nLibra watched from the back of the lab as Punchy and Heather fought a useless battle against an indestructible robot, and Charmy attempted to shake Whisk awake as Eggman approached them. The image of the Zodiac Council being devoured by Lost Ones flashed before her eyes again. She began to breathe heavily. \"No... not again...\" she panted. She's failed her friends once before. The fennec held her head, panic washing over her as her friends were once again in jeopardy. Black energy started to swirl around her. \"I can't...let this happen...again!!\" she cried, her eyes glowing with dark power as forgotten training returned to her on instinct. Eggman jumped when Libra was suddenly between him and the Chaos Emerald. \"Another teleporter!! Hey, you're not Gemini...\" he babbled. Libra raised a hand to the container with the emerald, and a ball of dark energy shot from her hand, breaking its security measures! \"I am Libra the fennec... Ex-Agent of Despair...\" she said, taking the green Chaos Emerald and holding it out towards the robot beyond the safety glass, \"And...I am also...the Deathbringer!!\" she declared, channeling dark energy through the Chaos Emerald, converting it into a beam of Chaos energy which shot straight through the safety glass, shattering it before striking the robot, expelling the tentacled losol creature from within! The broken shell of the robot's body crumbled as a result, and Heather quickly turned to the losol to burn it into an inert puddle with her fire-powers! Eggman looked a bit nervous for a second, but quickly tapped his control panel, calling lasers out from seemingly everywhere in the room! \"I still have security measures!\" he smirked. However, the lasers immediately went back to their hiding places, and Uncle Chuck's voice came through a computer speaker. \"Sorry, Eggman, I've taken back this building!\" With that, Punchy, Heather and Libra started toward the panicking doctor. \"You know... You all have much bigger fish to fry than me right now... So, uh, I'll be nice and let you...get back to that...Gaaah!!\" As Eggman started to flee, Char, Orbot and Cubot hastily took off behind him. \"I don't wanna be a fish fry!!\" Cubot wailed. Whisk started to stir once they were gone. \"What'd I miss?\" she murmured. \"Only the awesome parts!\" Charmy teased. Libra let out a sigh of relief that everything was okay, and held up the Chaos Emerald to look at it. \"Guess I still have some power left, after all...\" she murmured.\n\nThey all gathered around the broken robot to examine it. \"It can't come back to life, right?\" Charmy asked. \"A funny question. Was it even alive?\" The voice of Mephiles surprised the group, and as they looked for him, Libra gasped and fell to the ground! The Dark stood over her, now holding the green Chaos Emerald! \"It's best I take this from you...\" he said as Punchy tried to charge at him. \"Get back here!!\" the echidna shouted when Mephiles turned into a shadow and swiftly soared out of the room, escaping! Punchy kicked the ground in frustration while Whisk helped Libra back up. Just then, he heard voices through his comms device. \"Hello? Anyone, do you copy?\" It was Tails. Punchy tapped a finger to the device in his ear. \"Tails? I just got a Chaos Emerald nabbed from me by Mephiles! Also... Eggman's around.\" he reported. \"Ordinarily I'm up for a party, but it sounds like we got too many guests crashin'.\" Sonic's voice responded. Heather watched Punchy curiously. \"You got Tails in your ear?\" she murmured. Punchy nodded. \"Well, keep an eye out for Mephiles, and I'll keep looking for emeralds. Also, Heather would like it if anyone could find Guard.\" he said. Shadow's voice was heard next. \"We'll do what we can. It's tough to coordinate with all the weird interference.\" he stated. Listening to the conversation from near the Station Square train station was Silver and Blaze. The cat had something important on her mind. \"Tails... I want to get to my dimension. I have to see it for myself... So, can I use your transporter?\" she asked. Tails sounded uncertain as he replied. \"Supposedly, the Lost Ones destroyed your world. It's not worth the risk going... Plus, who knows if my workshop's even safe right now... Lospecter already admitted to taking something from me.\" he warned. \"She won't be alone.\" Silver said, \"I'm with her.\" Even so, that didn't seem enough. \"Wait up, I'll go too!\" Sonic volunteered. \"No, Sonic... This world needs you too much now.\" Blaze said. Gemini's voice chimed in next. \"Let me go...\" she offered, \"I have the most experience with the Lost Ones... and I need to do SOMETHING.\" she said. Blaze nodded. \"Thank you...\" she sighed. Punchy turned to the friends with him as the conversation ended. \"What should we do now, though...?\" he wondered. Whisk crossed her arms. \"I'm going to find Lucky.\" she insisted. \"I'll escort Charmy back to his friends.\" Libra added. \"Aww, I failed my mission. Vector's gonna be so mad...\" Charmy sighed. This left Punchy and Heather. The phoenix offered her hand to him. \"I guess we're in this together until we reunite with our loved ones.\" she said. Punchy shook her hand and nodded. \"Right. Let's get outta this grimy town and wrap this up as fast as we can, for their sakes.\" he said. This adventure was still just beginning, but with so much to fight for, there was no way our heroes would back down.\n\nTo be continued... Bzzt! Zzzt! Add-on content incoming!\n\nSally Acorn had gotten off the phone after learning the situation from Chuck, Punchy and the others. She was quick to race to her father's office afterwards. \"Dad! It's an emergency!\" she cried. Max Acorn was sitting at his desk, looking somewhat contemplative. \"I know, Sally. An invasion of creatures. I've sent for Antoine and Bunnie.\" he stated. Sally looked a bit frustrated. \"You want them to guard me? Wait just a moment!\" she stammered. Max stood up quickly. \"Of course not! Sally... I do remember how you fought Eggman in my stead. I wouldn't dare keep you from the fight now.\" he told her. She looked at him with a sense of anxious relief. \"Th-thank you... If only I knew where to start.\" she murmured. Max nodded. \"This is a problem beyond the scope of my intellect, I'll readily admit. If you asked me yesterday, I wouldn't have even believed in such creatures as the so-called Lost Ones.\" he stated, \"That's why I'm pulling every string I have to get the brightest minds I can find on this. We've got Sir Charles on the case already. Rotor is regrettably off the grid, but perhaps you can make contact with him once you arrive at the United Federation. Lastly, I will reach out to Professor Pickle... My sources tell me his expertise in certain fields may prove helpful in this scenario.\" It was good to hear that her father was already working on formulating a plan. Of course, Chuck had likely called him as well. With her destination set for the United Federation, all that was left were her escorts, who conveniently arrived that moment. \"Sally-girl! Never thought we'd be workin' together like this again!\" Bunnie said, giving Sally a hug as she walked into the office. Antoine gave Max a salute in greeting. \"Monsieur Acorn! I will protect your daughter with all the best and worst of the skills I have forged through my extinguished career!\" he announced. \"You mean 'distinguished.'\" Max corrected. Sally smiled a little at being reunited with her old Freedom Fighters. \"Alright, then! Let's get in the air and head for the danger zone! Move out!\"\n\n\nChapter 6 - Finding Marine\nStage 4 - Lost Dimension\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"Nothin's gonna stop us now! \nWe'll conquer the seven seas! \nNo one's gettin' left behind! \nGet ready for a new venture!\" - A New Venture, Sonic Rush Adventure\n\n\nBlaze, joined by Silver, had made the journey to the Mystic Ruins via the train. The train was running on automation, so even though Station Square had fallen, they could still use it. \"Let's be ready for anything...\" Blaze said to Silver as the train pulled into the Mystic Ruins station, \"We still don't know how far the Lost Ones' army has spread.\" Silver nodded as they stepped off the train, cautiously heading down the steps, looking around for any dangers. \"Hey, there you are!\" a voice called, startling Silver into grabbing its owner with his psychokinetic powers! \"Hey!! Put me down, Silver! Cut it out!\" The hedgehog looked up to see that he was holding up Copter. \"Ooops… Sorry, you surprised me.\" he murmured, setting the fox down. Behind Copter, Gemini was approaching with Timothy and...a three-tailed fox with glasses who looked a lot like Copter. Blaze sighed. \"I guess you beat us here using magic?\" she reasoned. Gemini nodded. \"Well, I know how you're feeling, Blaze, and I didn't want you to leave without us hastily and wind up in over your head.\" she said. Copter dusted himself off after Silver put him down, and chuckled softly. \"Sounds like Gem's still in protective teacher mode.\" he teased. Gemini had been an important teacher for Blaze in the past year, as she was attempting to learn to control the Chaos Crown. She had it with her, but so far hadn't felt the urge to use it. Timothy noticed Silver staring at the three-tailed fox, so he decided to introduce him. \"This guy's called Chopper. He's Copter's son from the future...but not our future time, Silver! I guess he'd still be from the past to us...\" he murmured. Silver scratched his head. \"Uh... Sure, I think I get it...\" he muttered. Chopper looked a bit nervous. \"Do we really gotta go where we know the Lost Ones have full control?\" he asked. Blaze huffed and started marching toward Tails' Workshop. \"Anyone who doesn't want to go can stay behind. If any of my people are alive, I have to save them!\" she insisted. \"Yeah, we're goin.\" Copter shrugged.\n\nThe Mystic Ruins appeared untouched by the Lost Ones as of yet. Big the cat could even be seen sitting by the lake where Sonic once battled Chaos 4, getting in some fishing. Still, Lospecter had admitted to breaking into Tails' Workshop, so they had to be prepared for anything. Silver and Copter were going to go in first. Silver used his powers to push the door open, while Copter charged inside to take any enemies by surprise. \"Hyaaaah!!\" he shouted, only to be tackled to the ground immediately by someone inside! \"You won't take over Tails' house you monsters!!\" a female voice grunted, struggling with him, \"Wait...two tails...\" The girl let Copter up, and he could see who it was. Flowers growing from her head, it was Cosmo the Seedrian, an alien that had arrived in their world a couple years ago and apparently knew Tails in some way. \"What are you doing in here?\" Silver asked, helping Copter to his feet. Cosmo backed away a few steps as the others walked in. \"I... I panicked and fled when Station Square was attacked. This felt like the safest place for me to go...\" she explained. \"No need to feel ashamed, it was a terrifying thing that happened.\" Gemini told her. Cosmo looked at the ground with a bit of shame anyway. \"No... I have to stop being like this. My homeworld was taken from me by an invading force, too, you see...\" she stated, \"Rather than fighting to save my people, I have been running. Hiding. And now this world is in danger, invaded by monsters... I need to stop hiding! Please, is there any way I can help?\" she asked, looking at them with a bit of desperation. Blaze crossed her arms. \"I don't know. Can you fight? We're going to a place that may be worse off than Station Square...\" she told her. Cosmo stepped to a table and picked up a laser that she apparently had placed there. Fortunately she chose not to use it on Copter. \"I can shoot... So, where are we going? And why does he look so like Tails?\" she asked. Copter groaned softly. \"You can field that one, Junior...\" he said to Chopper.\n\nBlaze led the group to the lab, where the ring-shaped portal device could be found. \"Good, artificial Chaos Emerald is in place to keep the portal open...\" she murmured, examining it. \"Have any of us actually been to Blaze's world?\" Timothy asked. Only Copter raised his hand. \"...kinda? I mean, it was a piece that the Time Eater pulled from somewhere, apparently.\" he said. \"Doesn't matter... Even I don't know what to expect...\" Blaze said, activating the portal and leading the way as each of them stepped through it. Those of them with comms devices quickly noticed static... they couldn't link to SPOT across dimensions. The next thing they noticed was how dark the beach they arrived at was. Dark clouds hung over the world, blotting out any sunlight. Gemini and Timothy both held up their wands, casting a soft light to illuminate their path. \"This is Southern Island...\" Blaze murmured, looking out in the direction of Marine's house. Silver nodded. \"Lead the way, Blaze. We'll keep our eyes peeled for anything dangerous.\" he said. With murmurs of agreement, they all started on the path from the beach towards Marine's house, which was a pretty impressive building after all the improvements Tails had put in back when he and Sonic were stranded in this world. Looking around, they all felt like the island was eerily quiet. Not even any Lost Ones in sight. \"I guess the Lost One army completely abandoned this world to attack ours. Like locusts.\" Gemini murmured. \"Let's not assume anything...\" Cosmo said softly, shuddering nervously. Chopper shuddered as well. \"Does it feel like we're being watched to any of you?\" he asked. Copter scoffed. \"Just what we needed in our group. A couple of jumpy kids.\" he complained. \"Hey, thanks a lot, Dad!\" Chopper remarked. Behind a mass of palm trees, a pair of robotic eyes did indeed watch them. \"Aye, at last we be meetin' again, princess. Tragedy it be under circumstances such as these, and not a clever plot of me own design. Either way... Davy Jones awaits ye!\" the robot cackled.\n\nA large section of Marine's home was basically just a hangar for the vehicles Tails, and later she, had built. Blaze and Gemini went searching the building for the raccoon while the others looked around in the hangar. Copter was fixated on a tunneling machine. \"Why is 'Hurricane' written on the side of this... I think Hoover is gonna wanna sue.\" he muttered. Silver was looking at a funny makeshift...jetski? He wasn't exactly sure what it was, but it had a raccoon motif. Clearly built by Marine. He chuckled softly looking at it. However, examining it closely, he noticed a paper stuck to the side of it. \"Huh...? Hmm...\" He reached out and grabbed the paper, \"It's a note... Ah! Blaze!! Where are you?\" he called. Gemini suddenly warped to his side, holding Blaze's hand. \"What is it?\" the cat asked anxiously. Silver handed her the note, and Gemini looked over her shoulder, reading aloud as she read quietly. \"Gone ta the spooky pirate ship. Huntin' fer the Sol Emeralds to fight back against the freaky monsters. Capp'n Marine won't let ya down, Cobbers!\" Gemini sounded a bit awkward reading Marine's exact words. Chopper stepped over, leaning over Blaze's other shoulder to look at the note. \"Cobber? Sol Emerald? What's all this?\" he asked. Blaze looked serious. \"It was supposed to be my duty to guard the Sol Emeralds. I left them in my royal guard's possession, but in the event of an emergency, they have a system in place to scatter them. That's what likely happened. Marine must want to use their power to protect herself... I hope she survived the trip.\" she sighed. The others were approaching now, and seemed to have heard enough. \"So, we're going to a pirate ship?\" Timothy asked. \"Should we try to collect those Sol Emeralds, too?\" Cosmo asked. Copter looked around awkwardly. \"And how are we getting to a pirate ship?\" he asked. \"Yer not, scallywags!\" came a loud, threatening voice!\n\nA familiar robot that looked like Eggman in a pirate ensemble approached them, Captain Whisker! The speedy green robot Johnny was with him as well. \"Our crew be commissioned to send ye all to the locker!\" Whisker announced. \"And we'd better work fast...\" Johnny added. Behind them, dozens of skeletal pirate robots approached, but something seemed off about them. They were hissing in ghostly voices, and were shambling like they were possessed. \"Looks like the Lost Ones did leave a force here...\" Gemini realized, pointing her wand defensively. Whisker chuckled nervously. \"Aye, an' if Johnny and I want to keep our minds for ourselves, we have to obey our new captains!\" he said. Silver and Copter glanced at each other. \"We'll split up. Each of us take a vehicle and look for Marine and the Sol Emeralds separately.\" Silver said. \"If only our comms still worked...\" Copter muttered. \"Hey! Don't just make plans like we're not here!!\" Johnny shouted. Gemini looked to Timothy. \"Go with Blaze, I'll go with Copter...\" she told him. \"Uhh… Good idea!\" the fawn nodded. Whisker was looking pretty annoyed now, too. \"Disrespectful little whelps!! C'mon, mateys!! Send 'em over the metaphorical plank!!\" he shouted. The robots started to charge, swords drawn. Worse, those blades were lit with blue ghost fire! Copter grabbed his son's arm and started to run. \"Come on, kid! Don't gawk at the flames!\" he shouted. Blaze and Timothy stepped forward with their wands. \"Abra-ka-blastra!!\" they shouted, creating explosions that kicked up dust and smoke, covering the group as they split up and ran for some vehicles! Whisker looked around with a flustered expression. \"Cowards! Knaves!! Johnny, go get them!!\" he yelled, grabbing the other robot and spinning around before tossing him! Johnny sped off like a missile towards Silver and Blaze as they ran for the Ocean Tornado, a sailboat. \"Get on board!\" Silver shouted, turning and raising his hands to Johnny. He caught the robot with his powers, and tossed him back at Whisker! \"When I catch you you're throoooough!!\" Johnny yelled.\n\nCopter and Gemini were heading for the Deep Typhoon, a submarine. But, of course, the robots were blocking their path. Still holding on to Chopper's hand, Copter raised his other hand to direct his signature attack. \"Chaos Whirlwind!!\" The chaotic wind not only blew up the robot in front of him, it also wiped out the Lost One that was piloting it. The other robots moved a bit more cautiously, swinging their blades toward Gemini instead. \"Yaaa! Oh, you bots are just metal loskels!\" Gemini shouted, pointing her wand at the nearest robot, \"Blastrotall!\" she cast, firing bolts from her wand to punch holes in the robots, which dripped with losol slime. As one of the bots staggered to her and raised its sword, a laser blast blew up its head! Cosmo was following them. \"Let's get aboard that ship!\" she said urgently. As Copter opened the hatch and they started to jump into the submarine, Chopper looked at his dad sheepishly. \"Say... You don't think you could teach me how to cast that magic you used, could you?\" he asked. Copter shoved the boy down the hatch. \"Gotta have the chaos energy in you to use Chaos Whirlwind.\" he muttered. As the Ocean Tornado and Deep Typhoon both started to pull away from the docks, a portal opened behind Captain Whisker, and Lospecter emerged. \"You had one job...\" the ghost complained as Whisker and Johnny backed away from him, cowering in fear. \"G-give a mate another chance! We'll capture those lubbers!\" he babbled. Lospecter twirled his single Chaos Card in his hand, looking thoughtful. \"Well, capture the white fennec for me, for sure. Don't damage a hair on her pesky little head. She has value to us. Otherwise, go ahead and kill 'em all. Don't you dare let them get those Sol Emeralds... I've got some pretty scary friends that would be awfully upset...\" he said with a soft chuckle. Johnny gave a salute. \"They won't get far. Nobody can outrun me!\" he said. Lospecter laughed in his face. \"Except Sonic, Shadow, Blaze, Metal Sonic... Anybody else remember that big race from a couple years ago? Quit making me laugh and get moving!\" the ghost commanded.\n\nTimothy had joined Silver and Blaze on the Ocean Tornado. Between the three of them, they were figuring out how to sail the ship. They would head for the Haunted Ship, but what of the others? Since the comms wouldn't work in this world, Timothy had another idea. \"Connechatra!\" he said to his wand. Focusing for a moment, the wand emitted a holographic projection of Gemini. Silver was manning the wheel, but Blaze observed this spell and sighed with relief. \"Perfect, we can keep in touch.\" she said. Gemini nodded. \"I just learned this spell from my spell book recently! Anyway, which way should we go?\" she asked. Timothy shrugged and looked to Blaze. The cat rubbed her chin thoughtfully. \"We'll be following up on Marine's note, so... You guys should try to find the Sol Emeralds elsewhere. They could be scattered pretty much anywhere, though. So, search whatever island you reach.\" she told the fennec. Gemini nodded, but then stumbled a bit, the sound of Copter and Cosmo shouting heard in the background! \"Undersea Lost Ones!? Uh, gotta go!\" Gemini gasped, her hologram vanishing. \"Well, that sounds bad...\" Timothy murmured. \"We've got company, guys!!\" Silver shouted, pointing ahead. Johnny was indeed pretty fast, and had already gotten in front of them. He was accompanied by a swarm of flaming loskulls. \"Turn the ship! We'll have to use the cannons!\" Blaze shouted. Timothy clutched his wand tightly. \"I'll be ready if they come aboard!\" he said. Underwater, the Deep Typhoon was under attack by what could only be described as \"losquids.\" Perhaps this was the same tendril-covered Lost One that had possessed Eggman's Spinner robot and attacked Punchy. At any rate, they moved like squids and seemed intent on ramming the ship until they could punch a hole in it. \"Do we have any weapons in this thing!?\" Copter growled. Chopper took a look at the controls. \"I'll say we do... Stand back!\" he said, sitting down and working the controls just like it were a video game, zapping losquids one by one with torpedoes and bullets. Copter crossed his arms watching him. \"Kids...\" he murmured. \"At least he's got a skill...\" Gemini chuckled softly. It would be a while before the Deep Typhoon would reach land, though...\n\n\nJohnny didn't count on Blaze being a crack shot with the cannons. This was far from her first time on the Ocean Tornado, and even though he was a quick target, she sank him easily! \"Aaaaahh!! A-avenge me, captain!!\" the speed-obsessed robot wailed as he sand beneath the ocean waves. \"I hope I don't see him again...\" Blaze sighed as their ship neared the Haunted Ships, a set of broken pirate ships floating on the rocks, looking very much like a pirate's graveyard. \"W-well... This place is creepy...\" Silver murmured. Timothy walked up to him as he was \"parking\" the Ocean Tornado. \"Hey, Silver... Since we're here, that means we win, right? Our future has to stay intact, doesn't it?\" he asked. \"I'm not so sure...\" Blaze told him, \"You see, I was originally from your time. The timeline was overwritten, but I'm still around. I remember Iblis, Mephiles, all of it. But...I escaped the changes to the timeline by going to another dimension, so... I can't say what the rules are.\" she stated. With that basically answering nothing, the trio made their way off the ship and started to explore the wreckages. They didn't get too far before they heard Marine's voice. \"Blaze! Turn about, mate! It's not...!\" they heard her mouth gagged, and quickly started looking for the source of her voice. \"Marine!? Where are you!? I'm not leaving without you!\" Blaze called. Silver pointed up. \"Nega!!\" he shouted. An Egg Mobile was above them, and Eggman Nega tossed a gagged Marine down, catching her in a claw attached to the bottom of his vehicle! \"Heh heh heh… Silver, it's been so long! And Blaze, a pleasure. I was hoping to run into some living souls. A deal! Direct me to the portal to Sonic's world, and I will give you this annoying child, unharmed!\" he said with a smirk. Blaze and Silver glanced at one another. \"As if Sonic's world doesn't have enough problems...\" Silver muttered. \"How's that? Speak up!\" Nega shouted. Suddenly, a gunshot tore through the cable holding the claw to Nega's Egg Mobile, and Marine cried out as she started to fall! Silver dashed forward and caught her with his psychic powers, and Nega turned with an angry growl. \"Who did that!?\" he shouted. The buzzing from a green hornet in a leather jacket could be heard. He was holding a smoking gun. Beside him was a white chameleon, and behind them was Captain Whisker. \"Arrr, sorry me old maker. I answer to the Ones what be Lost now...and they gave me this new crew to battle those scurvy lubbers with!\" Whisker announced. Silver removed the gag from Marine, and she pointed at Whisker frantically. \"Oi!! You again! Fuzzy face!! C'mere, we got a score ta settle!\" she shouted. The chameleon scoffed. \"You're all dead. We'll ssssee to that. Right, Zapp?\" he said to the obvious Dark Zipp. The hornet chuckled, pointing his gun at Blaze. \"Sure thing, Vanitas.\" he replied to the clear Dark Vortex.\n\nEggman Nega pivoted his Egg Mobile out of the way of the action, watching in amusement as Whisker, Zapp and Vanitas came at Silver, Blaze, Timothy and Marine. The raccoon was a little too eager to jump into the fight. \"Lemme 'ave a go at him!! Capp'n against capp'n!!\" she shouted, only for Silver to pull her back with his powers. \"Stay back, we don't know what to expect...\" he said. Zapp smirked, charging dark energy in his guns. \"Expect to die!\" he sneered, shooting bullets of black energy at the group! Silver tried to catch the bullets as they hurtled towards Blaze, but it was a good thing she moved, because his psychokinesis had no effect on them! Whisker decided to keep the pressure on them, raising his arms and firing them from his robotic body like rockets! \"Proplasmar!!\" Timothy cast, blocking the rocketing arms with a barrier before Blaze ran ahead, her body trailing flames in her preparation to fight back! Vanitas hissed and charged at her himself, trailing darkness in a similar fashion. His fist collided with her foot as she did a twirling kick, neither of them seeming to gain any ground as fire and darkness erupted from the point of their impact! Meanwhile, Timothy entered a shootout with Zapp using his wand, keeping the hornet busy while Silver and Marine went after Captain Whisker. \"Fer Mini, Mum and Johnny! The Captain will fight on! I'll shiver yer timbers!\" he shouted, taking a breath before suddenly blowing flames at them! \"Yikes!!\" Silver used his powers to block the fire, spreading it out around him and Marine, but it was very difficult for him to mentally control an element like flames. Marine shrank behind him. \"Crikey! He's puttin' us on the barbie alright!\" she whimpered. Silver realized he had to get Marine out of there, so he lifted them both out of the flames quickly, hovering over the captain. \"Arrrgh! Get down here! Don't ye fly away like some pixie!!\" the pirate shouted angrily. By this point, Eggman Nega was getting rather bored. \"Hmm... Well, I'm not going to take betrayal lying down...\" he said, tapping some buttons on his controls that caused his Egg Mobile to reveal several hidden missile compartments. \"Send my regards to Davy Jones, you pitiful pirate!\" he snickered, firing dozens of missiles all around the ship!\n\nThe missiles specifically targeted Captain Whisker and his allies, and as the robotic pirate tried to evade them, he quickly realized his mistake. \"Gah! M-me maker! Please! Spare an old pirate! Noo!!\" Silver kept Marine shielded behind him as the missiles found their mark, blasting Captain Whisker to smithereens, leaving only scraps and a tattered mustache behind. Zapp and Vanitas leapt back to gain distance from the other missiles, and the hornet shot a few to blow them up while Vanitas took care of the rest. \"Chaosss Hole!\" he said, opening a small black hole to swallow the remaining missiles up! It was then that a portal opened behind them, and Lospecter poked his head out. \"Meh... Gem ain't here. C'mon, let's move on.\" he said, grabbing Zapp and Vanitas' arms and tugging them into the portal before it vanished. Marine walked over and gently nudged Whisker's mustache with her foot. \"I knew it. Those whiskers were fake!\" she remarked. The others turned to Eggman Nega, who lowered his Egg Mobile down to a better height to speak with them. \"It seems we both have an enemy in those creatures. And I have radar that can track down the Sol Emeralds, while you have access back to Sonic's world. We need each other.\" the doctor said plainly. Blaze crossed her arms. \"I find that unlikely. I've found the Sol Emeralds before without you.\" she scoffed. Nega smirked. \"I'd think you'd feel a bit pressed for time now, though. I saw the devastation take this world. They went from one world to this, now to Sonic's world... Unchecked, those creatures could take over all worlds.\" he warned. Silver nodded. \"Much as I hate to say it, I think we could use Eggman Nega's help...\" he said. Timothy shrugged. \"We'll have to keep a close eye on him...\" he pointed out. Blaze heaved a heavy sigh. What choice did she really have? \"I fully expect you to betray us, just so we're clear. Do you have a lock on any Sol Emeralds?\" she asked. Nega grinned widely. \"Right. Let's get straight to work, then...\" he snickered, \"I'm sure those Sol Emeralds will be a great asset in defeating those Lost Ones...\"\n\n\nChapter 7 - Sol Emerald Scramble\nStage 4 - Lost Dimension\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"It's the price of being aware,\nBut too afraid it all might die,\nSome things, they never mend,\nI know I'm never the same again.\" - Worth A Chance, Sonic and the Secret Rings\n\n\nEggman Nega flew ahead while Silver, Blaze, Marine and Timothy followed him through the cluster of broken, beached ships that formed something of a pirate's graveyard. Timothy had used the \"Connechatra\" spell to get back in touch with Gemini, the pair of them communicating their situations. \"Be careful, Tim... I don't trust that Nega.\" Gemini told him. \"Yeah, seriously...\" Timothy murmured, glancing towards the doctor's Egg Mobile with a frown. \"We've arrived at Sky Babylon, so we'll look for a Sol Emerald here...\" Gemini reported before the magical call ended. Silver had been listening in. \"I hope they don't run into any trouble...\" he murmured. Blaze spotted a sparkle at the top of a broken mast, and went into a run, leaping up the ship's rigging to get up there. \"Careful, mate! Watch out fer spooks!\" Marine shouted, shivering as she looked around the Haunted Ship. The raccoon probably would have gone somewhere else to look for a Sol Emerald first, but a place like this, devoid of life, was the last place the Lost Ones would look for her. As Blaze neared the sparkling object, Eggman Nega reached it and snagged it before she could. \"Nice acrobatics, but I've got this little beauty...\" he chuckled, clutching the blue Sol Emerald in his hand. Blaze crossed her arms, balancing atop the broken mast. \"You have no need of it. I'm the guardian, hand it to me!\" she huffed. Nega placed the emerald in a compartment inside his Egg Mobile and shook his head. \"Partnerships are about trust, Blaze. You're expecting me to trust you to guide me out of this world. So it stands to reason, you should trust me with this. Besides, it will help me to improve my radar and find the other Sol Emeralds more quickly.\" he stated. Silver rubbed his head with an uncertain expression on his face. \"As hard as he is to trust, finding the other emeralds faster would definitely be good.\" he murmured. Marine pointed to Timothy. \"Why we need Mr. Moustache when this cobber can just magic us to the Sol Emeralds??\" she asked. Timothy chuckled awkwardly. \"I've gotta keep the magical lines of communication open in case Gemini calls us. That means limiting my spell useage...\" he explained. Marine did not understand, and folded her arms grouchily at the idea of working with Nega. Blaze let out a sigh. She was the princess, they'd follow her decision. \"Well, you'd better get to tracking down that next emerald before the Lost Ones find us...\" she said with a light groan. Eggman Nega nodded and his Egg Mobile started to float down. \"Follow me... I believe we'll need your ship.\" he stated as he examined the radar on his Egg Mobile. \"Can I take my own ship?\" Marine sighed, not wanting to hang around Nega. \"Leave it, we're safer together.\" Silver told her. Thus, they were on their way...\n\n\nGemini, along with Cosmo, Copter and his son Chopper, had arrived at Sky Babylon. The location was somewhat familiar to Copter, with its odd levitating crystals and flames burning here and there. \"I seem to remember running into that Captain Whisker around here, and being in a treasure hunt race with the Babylon Rogues... The treasure turned out to be junk, though.\" Copter said. Cosmo was holding a futuristic scanner, tech that she had from her homeworld. \"I'm detecting the energy of the Sol Emerald...I think. I've never actually encountered such a gem.\" she admitted. They began to follow Cosmo as she led them in the direction of the signal, not noticing that some losquids had slipped out of the water to follow them from the shore. They did notice Chopper's scream as one of the creatures grabbed him in its tendrils! \"Yaaah! Let go of me! D-dad, help!!\" he cried! Gemini turned and tried to aim her wand, but the creature was behind Chopper, using his body like a shield! \"Distract it, I'll circle around!\" she said. There was no need, though. Several beams of light shot from somewhere to the side, swiftly destroying the losquids! Chopper shook some slime off himself and groaned. \"I thought I blasted all those things...\" he whined. Looking in the direction the beams had come from, Gemini saw her former teacher, Fred Leo the white lion, accompanied by Cuthburt the turqoise alligator. Gemini pouted to see them. \"If it isn't the liar lion. Were you spying on me?\" she asked. Fred rubbed a hand through his light blue mane, frowning. \"I truly am sorry for what passed between us, Gemini. However, the Lost One invasion is bigger than both of us. The future time I made my home in is in jeopardy. If there's any way I can help, I must.\" he said. Cuthburt nodded. \"Look, I dunno what happened with you two, and I gotta say I was weirded out to learn Fred was really a lion, but from where I stand, I can't believe that this lion never cared about you, Gemini.\" the gator stated. Gemini looked a bit thoughtful. \"Well, seven Sol Emeralds. We could use some help. You stay here with Copter, MISTER Leo, and I'll take Cosmo here to another island to search.\" she said, grabbing Cosmo's hand and lifting her wand, thinking about where to warp. \"Wait, she's got the detector!\" Copter babbled. \"Detector? I got something like that!\" Cuthburt said, pulling a futuristic scanner of his own from...somewhere. Copter didn't look too happy as Gemini cast Galaporta to warp far away. Fred looked at him with a sheepish smile. \"How have you been, Aries? Who's the kid?\" he asked. Chopper looked at his father awkwardly. \"Aries?\" he questioned. Copter groaned. \"Thanks, Fred. Now I gotta have THAT conversation...\" he complained.\n\n\nIn the meantime, Eggman Nega was busy making tweaks to the Ocean Tornado so it would traverse the ocean faster. Blaze was watching him closely, a look of intense distrust in her eyes. \"You missed out on the war with Eggman and Infinite...\" Silver said, walking over to her, \"There were some strange team-ups and stranger betrayals. You can't really know who to trust during extreme situations like this...\" he told her. Blaze nodded. The only part she had in that conflict was getting trapped in her own dimension by a distraught Tails who didn't want to see Blaze's world destroyed...an act that felt utterly pointless now. \"Peoples' true nature won't really change, though. Nega was dangerous before, he's dangerous now.\" the cat insisted. \"You should hope so!\" Nega said, standing up from his work, \"It's that kind of dangerousness you want on your side now! Hold on, this ship's about to blast off!\" he said with a smirk.\n\n\nLost Ones and robots possessed by Lost Ones stalked Copter's group at every turn as they searched Sky Babylon for a Sol Emerald, aided by Cuthburt's scanner. Arachnid Lospides were trying to string them up in slimy webs while Chopper snuck around, leaping over a levitative crystal and using its energy to float himself. \"According to the signal, the Sol Emerald should be across this...chasm!\" he whimpered, his tails tangling up as he tried to fly to gain control of himself. Sometimes a third tail was one too many. \"Chillazim!!\" Fred cast a freezing spell to hold the Lospides still while Copter finished them off. \"Chaos Whirlwind!\" The fox's trademark attack blew the icy Lost Ones over the ledge, and they shattered on the ground below. \"How ya doin over there, kid?\" Cuthburt called out to Chopper. The younger fox grabbed the ledge on the other side, panting heavily as he pulled himself up. \"I made it... Now, where's that Sol Emerald?\" he murmured, walking around a corner. He found a piraty Egg Pawn holding a cannon in its hands, pointing it right at him! \"Oh, hi...\" he squeaked with a gulp. Copter heard the cannon go off, and looked in the direction of the sound with a hint of panic. \"Kid! Are you alive!?\" he yelled. Chopper had sidestepped the initial shot, but the cannon began burning with ghost fire as the robot approached him. \"Oh, yeah, it's haunted of course!\" he yelped. Fortunately, Fred warped to his side. \"You came to this time from yours and didn't prepare to deal with the dangers of this time?\" the lion asked, pointing his wand and casting Solare to blow the robot and the Lost One within away. Chopper let out a sigh. \"You sound just like Lara...\" he mumbled, dashing ahead and picking up the purple Sol Emerald. Fred chuckled softly. \"And you remind me of... Oh, but that couldn't be... Could it?\" he mused. \"What are you guys doing over there!?\" Copter shouted, \"C'mon, hurry up before we get swarmed again!\" He had a point. Fred grabbed Chopper and warped him back to the others. The lion wondered about the boy's parentage... But since Copter didn't know, it was best not to look into it. He shouldn't know too much about his future, right?\n\n\nThe powered-up Ocean Tornado brought Blaze's group quickly to Blizzard Peaks. The snowy region was normally home to the Vikings, but there was no sign of them anywhere. Like the Coconut Crew and Blaze's royal guard, they had been devoured by the Lost Ones. Blaze was trying to keep up a brave front as they proceeded through the snowy mountain, but Marine was looking less cheery than usual as it became clear that no living souls would greet them. \"Our poor world... What kinds of adventures can we have if everyone's gone?\" she sniffled. Timothy patted her on the shoulder. \"Maybe we can get everyone back somehow...\" he said. \"Don't make promises you can't keep!\" Eggman Nega huffed as his Egg Mobile floated above them. He pointed beyond an icy canyon, clearly the Sol Emerald was that way. Seeing this and nodding, Blaze sped off ahead of the others to check it out. Once she was gone, though, some of the nearby snowballs began to move! \"Oh, right... I designed robots to camoflauge using snow.\" Nega babbled. Silver was quick to react, using his powers to lift his own clumps of snow and hurl them at the disguised robots! It simply caused them to leap out from their snowball hideaways, revealing their tiny bodies that looked almost like toys. Marine growled and tossed a snowball at one, knocking its head off! However, the head was replaced by a ghostly Lost One face! \"Great, the bots are just snow suits for those creatures!\" Silver groaned. The robots kept their group busy while Blaze was busy grinding on icy rails to cross the canyon. Lospirits were floating up to chase her, ghostly Lost Ones that were likely the same type that had possessed the robots. Most Lost Ones hated the cold, but these seemed to be adapting to it fine. \"If you don't mind the ice, how about I turn up the heat!?\" Blaze shouted, tossing fireballs at the lospirits while attempting to keep her balance on the icy rail. She soon came to the end of the rail, though, and had to leap to land on the next cliff safely! There, Lospecter was hovering over the sparkling white Sol Emerald. \"I'm holding too much chaos here. I wonder if it'd be safe for me to touch Sol energy, though? Too bad it's Sol like the sun and not soul, heh...\" the ghost chuckled. Blaze angrily threw a burning punch at him, but Lospecter just floated up above her. \"Kitten, why so mad? Oh, right, this was your world...\" he chuckled. Blaze suddenly reached into her coat and pulled out the Chaos Crown, placing it on her head. \"I'll destroy you!!\" she yelled, her body glowing. Lospecter pointed his key to create a portal nearby. \"Attack me with my own crown, would you!? Ho ho, but there are other Sol Emeralds out there! Try and beat me to it!\" he taunted, escaping into the portal and leaving Blaze to cry out in frustration. She picked up the Sol Emerald and took off the crown. \"Coward! Just wait until I find you...\" she warned, vengeance burning in her heart.\n\n\nGemini and Cosmo had warped to a forest, with long vines twisting around giant bouncy mushrooms. It was a strange feeling being there; Despite all the devastation the Lost Ones had caused, wiping out most sentient life in this world, the forest still felt calm and peaceful. Cosmo let out a nostalgic sigh as the pair of them walked. \"The plants make me feel almost at home...\" she murmured. Gemini couldn't help giving her a light smile. At least it wasn't all gloom and doom. However, Cosmo stopped short as the pair of them neared an old-looking tree. \"Gemini, don't go any farther! That's not a real tree!\" the Seedrian gasped. Gemini looked up at it curiously, and then felt the ground under her feet go unsteady! She was lifted up in hand-like branches, crying out as she saw a ghostly face stare at her from the tree trunk! \"A-a trap!?\" she gasped. Lospecter, having warped from Blizzard Peaks to here with the Chaos Key, emerged from the top of the tree. He was holding a green Sol Emerald with a set of tongs. \"Heeey, ladies. Lookie what I found! Oh, and Gemini! You wouldn't mind coming home with me, would ya? Your magical self is holding secrets that the Lost Ones MUST know about!\" he snickered, pointing his key and creating a portal just above Gemini! The fennec wasn't going to let herself be captured, though. \"Abra-ka-warpra!\" she said quickly, using simple magic to teleport back down next to Cosmo! Lospecter shrugged. \"Have it your way. The animals that used to live here can soften you up...\" he sneered, flying into the portal with the Sol Emerald as dozens of lospirits flew out! Gemini and Cosmo backed up a step, and each of them started shooting off their weapons! Cosmo fired her laser around with a look of rage in her eyes. \"Get out of this forest!!\" she shouted. Gemini saw the tree robot reaching out for Cosmo and decided to do something about it. \"Pyrower!!\" she shouted, shooting flames from her wand that caught onto the tree-bot and made it flail its wooden arm around in panic! At this point, Cosmo heard a blip from her radar device. \"Oh! There's still an emerald here!\" she gasped. Gemini nodded. \"Go find it! I'll deal with these spooks!\" she said. While the Seedrian ran after the emerald, the lospirits ignored her and began to surround their main target, Gemini. \"Why would the Lost Ones want to capture me? ...Never mind!\" She started to spin about with her wand quickly, firing bolts of light at the spirits rapidly! \"Blastrotall! Take that and that!\" she yelled, zapping each spirit as it closed in on her! Soon, Cosmo came running back with the light blue Sol Emerald! \"I've got it! Now l-let's get out of here!\" she yelled as pirate robots chased her! Gemini nodded, running over to her and casting a warp spell once they grabbed each others' hands!\n\n\nBlaze's group was sailing the seas on the Ocean Tornado again. During the trip, Eggman Nega was expanding his search by boosting the radar signal. \"Hmm... I'm getting energy signatures moving on two separate islands. Then, there's two final emeralds back at Southern Island...\" the doctor stated. \"Whaaat? How did I not know about that!?\" Marine gasped, \"I coulda just...NOT gone to the spooky ships...\" she added quietly. Silver looked to Timothy. \"We should check in with Gemini to see if they have either of those other emeralds...\" he suggested. Timothy nodded and cast connechatra to get in touch. Both Gemini and Fred were projected by the wand. \"Teacher??\" Timothy gasped. Fred smiled. \"Good to see you, Tim. We have one of the Sol Emeralds over here, by Gemini's request.\" he explained. \"We've got one too, but Lospecter got away with one...\" she reported. Blaze clenched her teeth and growled softly. \"We can't let them take anything more from this world! Everyone, back to Southern Island, quickly!\" she told them, \"The final emeralds are there!\"\n\nIt was a fairly uneventful trip back to Southern Island, and as Blaze's group left the Ocean Tornado, the cat was looking over the white Sol Emerald that was the only one in her possession. \"I have to do better than this...\" she sighed. Eggman Nega smirked as he looked at a monitor on his Egg Mobile. \"So, the portal to Sonic's world must be there...\" he said quietly. Then, with a flick of a switch, he sent an arm out from his Egg Mobile to snatch the Sol Emerald from Blaze's hand! \"Hey!!\" she gasped. The doctor was already fleeing, kicking his boosters into overdrive. \"Forget this world, princess! It's dead! Time to move on to other worlds to conquer! Hee hee hee hee!!\" he cackled. As Blaze and her group began to give chase across the island, Gemini and Cosmo ran up to them. \"Now what's going on here?? ...Eggman Nega!?\" Gemini gasped. Copter, Chopper, Fred and Cuthburt came from another direction, uniting their entire group. \"Hey, Tim! Wassup?\" Cuthburt waved. \"Why we runnin??\" Copter huffed. Eggman Nega cackling ahead of them pretty much put everyone up to speed. \"I've just had a thought, Blaze! Since you like this world so much, I'll destroy the portal device on the other side so you can remain here!\" the crazed scientist laughed, still speeding ahead of them. \"Grab him, Silver!!\" Blaze yelled. \"I-I can't get close enough! Sorry...\" he panted, struggling just to keep up with everyone else. He was one of the slowest runners there, after all.\n\nDuring the chase across the sandy beaches of the island, Marine suddenly tripped and fell over. \"Ooof!\" Cosmo stopped to check on her. \"Let me help you up...\" she offered. \"She'll be apples...\" Marine murmured, kneeling up and glancing at what had caused her to trip. She noticed a yellow sparkle in the sand. \"Strewth!!\" she exclaimed, reaching into the sand and pulling out the sixth Sol Emerald! \"Oh! What luck!\" Cosmo smiled. However, the others had disappeared from their sight now. \"...Oh dear, where do we go?\" the Seedrian wondered. Marine leapt to her feet. \"You just follow Captain Marine! I'll lead ya right!\" she announced with confidence!\n\nThe others had followed Nega into Marine's house, where the portal device could be found. Conveniently, the red Sol Emerald was also sitting right in front of the portal. Nega ignored it, though. \"Blaze would have picked it up already. Obviously a trap!\" he said, racing for the portal device. \"Stoooop!!\" Blaze cried, only to see Eggman Nega pass through the portal and escape! \"Don't worry! Just grab that Sol Emerald!\" Gemini panted as she and the others were catching up to Blaze. She looked at it, and stepped towards it, when something dripped down from the ceiling next to it. \"What...?\" Blaze murmured, glancing upward. The others looked up as well, gasping. Losipher the Lost was clinging to the roof, slimy drool dripping from his fearsome fangs as tentacles from his body pierced the ceiling to hold him up! He quickly dropped down, standing over the Sol Emerald as his body shifted back to his usual vampire form based on the combo of the ancient human Gunther and Bucky's old colleague, Nevin Crimm. He then reached down, picked up the emerald, unhinged his jaw, and swallowed it! \"What the!? H-how can you...?!\" Blaze gasped. Losipher let out a sinister chuckle. \"I am formed of too many souls to let something as trivial as the energy from ONE emerald bother me. And yet, there is still one among you with a strange power... Immune to my soul-stealing charms!\" he said in a raspy voice. This didn't make sense to anyone there. No one was aware of any immunity to the Lost Ones. Gemini, Timothy and Fred stepped forward, though, pointing their wands at Losipher. \"You should have stayed in your own dimension! Now we'll finally destroy you, Losipher!\" Gemini smirked. Copter and Chopper ran up behind them, ready to back them up. Losipher, however, only smirked. \"This timeline, this version of you... only ever had a taste of my power. Now...experience the pain and sorrow of a thousand souls sent screaming into the abyss! As your souls join them!!\" \n\nAn explosion suddenly came through the exit portal, and the device powered down. Nega had gone through with destroying the portal device from the other side! \"We're trapped!!\" Chopper gasped. Making matters worse, a new portal emerged behind them, Lospecter poking his head out of it. \"Ah, good. We got them cornered. Remember, big guy, don't kill the fennec... Though, a lost limb or two might not be too problematic. Here, we'll keep the other kids occupied!\" he snickered, snapping his fingers before a small army of lospirits, lospides and loskulls started to swarm out of his portal! Silver turned in the direction of the swarm and immediately started trying to grab some of them with his powers. \"Nobody panic! We can fight our way out of this!\" he shouted. Gemini nodded, and quickly fired a spell at Losipher. \"Solare!!\" Fred and Timothy joined her, the three of them combined firing a massive beam of light at the powerful Lost One! However, the red Sol Emerald glowed within his chest, and a small force field surrounded him, blocking the attack! \"Your Divine light has grown dim... Even with forces combined, you are powerless against me!!\" Losipher bellowed, as great black wings burst from his back, and he pulled twin blades from inside his slimy body, each of them burning with blue fire! Copter saw this and pulled his son by the arm, moving to face the swarm with Silver instead. \"What's up?\" Chopper asked him. \"You're not ready for that kind of fight. Tell me, can you even use Chaos Whirlwind?\" Copter asked. His son shrugged, and Copter rubbed his head, groaning softly. \"Stay behind me, then!\" he groaned. Silver was unfortunately unable to grab the lospirits, and the lospides were a bit resistant to his powers as well, so he had to focus on tossing the floating loskulls into them. Cuthburt had joined the battle with a laser gun, and Blaze was in the center, glancing back and forth between the swarm and Losipher. She placed the Chaos Crown on her head. \"The small ones can keep spawning indefinitely... I need to defeat the big one!\" she declared, her body glowing with energy from the crown as she faced Losipher!\n\nLosipher flew at the three mages, his blades crashing against a magical barrier they had swiftly erected. \"Cowards... I will wrest your souls from your flesh!\" he hissed, tentacles erupting from his sides and smacking fiercely at the barriers, cracking them! Timothy shuddered, looking at his friends with fear. \"What do we do?\" he asked. The barriers shattered from Losipher's attacks, and he raised his blades to strike! However, vines suddenly burst from the ground, wrapping around his tentacles and pulling him back! \"What!? ...Gah, the crown!!\" Losipher sneered, glaring at Blaze as she stepped towards him, glowing with the crown's power. \"You can't kill me as long as I have this... But I can burn through every one of your tainted souls!\" she declared, charging at him with her body on fire! As she leapt at him with a spinning kick, he blocked her by crossing his blades together! \"I can still corrupt YOUR soul!!\" Losipher cackled, his blue flame mingling with Blaze's red! \"N-noo!! Blaze!!\" Gemini cried, horrified that she may become a loskel! However, as the blades repelled her, she bounced back onto her feet, the fire surrounding her body burning bright red still! \"My soul burns too brightly already for you to burn it!\" she declared. So, instead, Losipher used his blades to slice right through his bound tentacles, howling in pain for a moment before growing fresh new ones! Blaze stood in shock at what she was seeing, and didn't react fast enough to prevent those tentacles from whipping toward her and knocking off her Chaos Crown! Now, she was vulnerable, and worse, those tentacles quickly wrapped around her, squeezing her in their grip! \"If I swallow you like the emerald, no amount of fire will save you!\" Losipher roared. \"Slibeam!!\" Gemini leapt at Losipher, creating a magical blade to slice at his tentacle herself, freeing Blaze! However, this just served to enrage Losipher. \"Souls, to me! Give me power!\" he howled, his jaw opening wide! Lospirits and loskulls freely threw themselves into his maw, and Losipher grew to a massive size, his tentacles growing out to fill the room! Copter was busy blowing away some lospides with Chaos Whirlwind when he heard Chopper scream, grabbed by a tentacle! \"Shoot! I'm coming, kid!\" he shouted. The tentacles mostly were whipping towards Gemini, though, attempting to grab her!\n\nEveryone raced to Gemini's aid, Timothy and Fred flinging spells, Silver trying to push the tentacles back with his powers, while Blaze scrambled to get the Chaos Crown back to regain her advantage. Gemini herself was shooting spells at the tentacles above her, but not doing much good. Losipher's fang-filled scowl loomed down on them, his furious roars filling them with dread. \"I will take all your souls!!\" he howled, pointed tendrils bursting from his chest towards Gemini! Everyone else was occupied, but Cuthburt saw this, and he ran to push her aside! \"Get down, Gem!!\" he cried, letting out a shriek as the sharp tendrils pierced his body! \"C-cuthburt, no!!\" Gemini shouted, looking in horror to see slime starting to spread from his wounds! \"Ha ha ha... Fate catches up to him... Change time all you wish, but fate wins in the end!\" Losipher sneered. \"W-what?\" Gemini gasped, her eyes tearing up as Cuthburt was turning into a Lost One before her eyes. The voices of Marine and Cosmo snapped her out of it. \"Crikey!! Hang in there, guys!!\" the raccoon shouted. Cosmo began to shoot off her laser from across the room, though it wasn't doing much good. Fred grabbed Gemini by the arm, pointing his wand in Losipher's face. \"Solare!!\" he shouted, blinding him for the moment! \"Galaporta!!\" he and Timothy shouted at once, warping the group near Marine and Cosmo as fast as they could, though leaving Cuthburt behind. \"You can't escape! We'll find you anywhere!!\" Losipher roared. Fred twirled his wand and pointed it away from the Lost Ones. \"Poriftica!!\" he cast, creating his own portal through which they could escape this dimension. Blaze looked around with distress as Lost Ones swarmed Marine's house. \"Come on, it's no use staying here...\" Silver told her. Copter held his son in his arms as he jumped through the portal first, followed one by one by the others. As the portal closed behind them, Lospecter hovered to where the Chaos Crown still laid on the ground. \"Well, this hasn't been a total loss...\" he muttered, glancing at Los Cuthburt. The slimy alligator leaned down and picked up the crown, while Losipher shrank back into his default form. \"Death follows me always... Or, was that my thousandth soul? Hmm, such pain in that soul...\" he murmured. \"Yeah, yeah...\" Lospecter grumbled, \"Let's keep the scheme movin. Apocalos will start getting impatient at this rate...\"\n\nBlaze, Silver, Marine, Cosmo, Copter, Chopper, Gemini, Timothy and Fred all emerged on Angel Island, not too far from the Master Emerald shrine. It had seemed like probably the safest place for Fred to send them. There was a collective feeling of defeat amongst the group. Blaze's world was dead. Cuthburt was gone. The Chaos Crown was lost, and they'd only escaped with three of the Sol Emeralds. After resting for a moment, Blaze stood up and dusted off her jacket. \"Right, I'm off to find Eggman Nega. He's got two of the Sol Emeralds... This is all I have left, so anyone who wants to come with me, that's fine...\" she said, heading for the tunnel that would lead away from the Master Emerald shrine. Silver and Marine watched her. \"All you have left? We don't count?\" Marine said sadly. Silver patted her on the head. \"C'mon, let's remind her that we're still in this with her.\" he suggested. Timothy was busy tending to Chopper's injuries, leaving Copter and Gemini to sit together, while Cosmo headed for what she hoped was the safety of the Master Emerald shrine. \"I may come back...\" the Seedrian had said, \"I need to rest my mind...\" she told them. Copter and Gemini leaned against one another as they rested. \"So... he was your friend?\" he murmured. \"Kinda. He lived close by. Always was friendly...\" Gemini sighed, thinking about Cuthburt. She glanced at Fred grouchily, knowing they'd have to talk eventually. Her expression softened when she felt her hand clutched by Copter's. He was dozing off next to her. Gemini nuzzled him gently. \"I can't be Chopper's mom, I don't belong in this time...\" she murmured to herself, \"...right?\" Fred sat beside Timothy and Chopper, sighing. \"I'll need to tell Adam and Evelyn about Cuthburt...\" he said. \"You also need to talk to Gemini.\" Timothy told him, \"You were like a father to her, it's not right seeing you two avoiding each other.\" he murmured. Fred looked out at Gemini with a sad expression. \"...It's best I maintain my distance. She's suffered enough on my account. Perhaps she's...better off without a father.\" he said, standing up. Chopper jumped. \"Wait, are you her dad?!\" he stammered. \"Stay still!\" Timothy grunted, \"Of course he's not! He's a lion!\" he told him. \"So? Melody's dad is a fox but she's a rabbit...\" Chopper argued. Fred ignored them and started heading off on his way. \"Hey, who's your mom, huh?\" Timothy asked Chopper. \"Don't change the subject! And lemme go, I feel fine!\" Chopper grumbled. \"Yeah? Then do me a favor... Look out for Gemini, will ya? I've gotta...go...\" Timothy said, hurrying after Fred. He couldn't let the lion go alone.\n\n\"Blaze, wait!\" Silver and Marine caught up with her in the icy tunnel. She glanced back at them. \"Ya can't abandon ship without your captain!\" Marine huffed. Blaze looked at her and let out a light sigh. \"If things get dangerous, you get to safety! I... I can't lose you!\" she said sternly, \"...either of you...\" she turned away with a blush as she said that. Silver nodded. \"We can't lose you either.\" he smiled. Sonic's voice suddenly shouted in Blaze and Silver's ears as the comms devices came back online. \"Hello?! You alive!?\" he cried. Blaze held her head due to how loud he was. \"Y-yes, Sonic, barely... Let us tell you what happened...\" she said. This mission might have gone horribly wrong, but Blaze felt slightly better knowing that she didn't have to face this darkness alone. Her friends were still with her...\n\n\nDarkosmo and Dark Spiny waited in a dark chamber. Across from them floated Mephiles the Dark. They watched him uncomfortably. \"I remember this guy... He controls time.\" Dark Spiny murmured. \"Tough guy, is he? Heh...\" Darkosmo scoffed, scowling. Mephiles held up the glowing soul of Firma, looking it over thoughtfully. \"You have nothing to fear from me. We're all Darks here, after all...\" he said calmly. \"Right. And where are all the other darks, anyway?\" Dark Spiny asked. \"They have their own tasks to fulfill...\" came a fourth voice. Glowing eyes gazed at the darks through the shadows, and out of those shadows stepped Apocalos. \"All of you are quite powerful, and will prove useful to my plans... Yet, you are insufficient.\" he stated, drawing their attention. \"Two of us nearly destroyed the world before already!\" Darkosmo scoffed. \"Yet failed. Time and again, Sonic manages to turn back destruction. He has the aid of countless allies...so we need such aid as well. We need our own allies... and we need them under our control. Fortunately... I know where the means to gain control over some of those allies can be found... So...\" Apocalos grinned widely, baring his pointy dinosaur fangs, \"While you collect a certain conch for me...be sure to destroy a certain scepter...\"\n\n\nChapter 8 - Infiltrating the City\nStage 5 - City Escape Act III\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"Follow me, set me free, \nTrust me and we will escape from the city. \nI'll make it through. \nFollow me, set me free, \nTrust me and we will escape from the city. \nI'll make it through, prove it to you. \nFollow me!\" - Escape From the City; Sonic Adventure 2\n\n\nIt wasn't an easy trip by any means, but Spy, aka Riley, had managed to reach his house in Central City while dragging the wounded Guard along with him. Now, he had Guard resting on his couch and a news report on the TV going on about an invasion like it was the end of the world. \"We've lost touch with our Station Square correspondent, Katie the Coyote. By all accounts, Sonic the hedgehog and GUN are missing. The people of our world pray for their safety. This is Scarlett Garcia, cowering in a bunker!\" the report concluded before going to commercial. Riley let out a miserable sigh before poking Guard with his remote. \"Wake up, dude... I wanna get outta town and I can't carry you everywhere...\" he murmured. Guard let out a loud grunt, and Riley jumped in surprise. \"Rrrr… Why are you...helping me?\" he sighed. Riley adjusted his sunglasses and smiled. \"You're not the only one who can rise above his programming.\" he said. Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. Startled and panicked, Riley ran around, grabbing a blanket to cover up Guard before racing to the door. \"This better not be the monsters! Uh, who is it?\" he asked nervously. A laser blast knocked out his doorknob, and the door swung open to reveal Richard Gunner and Ivan Nammad! \"I don't have time to wait around for you, Spy!\" Gunner snarled, marching right into the room. \"Where's the, uh, bathroom??\" Nammad asked anxiously. Riley glanced outside, seeing Techno Sonic collapsed on the side of the road. \"W-wait a minute! You can't just barge into my house!\" Riley shouted, rushing in front of Gunner in an attempt to block him. He responded by pointing his gun arm at him. \"I need to regroup somewhere. Seems my followers have all been eaten by rabid monsters. And before you put this on me, how was I to know they had an army waiting in another dimension!?\" he shouted, going to sit on the couch, but stopping to remove the blanket. Riley covered his eyes and groaned pathetically. \"Well, well. We were wondering where you got to, Guard. Nammad, fix his brain!\" Gunner shouted. \"Grraahh, n-noo!!\" Guard protested. Nammad did a little panicked dance, looking around for the bathroom. \"These facilities are not, uh, ideal... I don't think you appreciate how, uh, difficult brain reprogramming is!\" he babbled. Gunner fired his laser into the ceiling. \"Do what I say!\" he shouted. Riley gulped. This was the last thing he wanted. Now he was stuck with Gunner again...\n\n\nSonic found Knuckles and Violet near one of the entrances to Raisol Sanctuary in Station Square. Violet had wanted to check on her sister, but Illusi had already moved Rainbow to a safer place, so she wasn't there. \"We've been looking all over for the others...\" Knuckles reported, \"There's no sign of Shade, thanks a lot Kosmo, no sign of Amy or Cream...\" he grumbled, punching his fist into a wall in frustration. Sonic sighed. \"No sign of that kid who said he was my son...\" he murmured, scratching his head. Violet placed a hand on each of their shoulders, looking at them with dead seriousness. \"We can't find them standing around like this. So, what do we do now?\" she asked. Sonic looked around the more or less deserted city with a sigh. \"Blaze is off to gather the Sol Emeralds. The rest of us should keep an eye out for the Chaos Emeralds, and the missing Chaos Relics.\" he stated. Knuckles nodded. \"Right, right... That pesky ghost has the Chaos Key! And Conan's got a few of the relics, too! Where do you think he is?\" he wondered. There was a bit of static on their comms devices for a moment, and then of all voices, they heard Bucky the rat. \"Sonic? You there?\" he asked. Knuckles groaned. \"Who gave you a communicator!? I don't want you in my ear!\" he complained. \"...I'm here!\" Sonic reported, tapping the device in his ear and turning away from Knuckles, \"Where's Tails?\" he questioned. \"I'm borrowing his comm device really quick.\" Bucky explained, \"I want to suggest that you head over to Central City. Sonic, Station Square is lost. Other cities need to be alerted. Evacuated. Before the Lost Ones spread too far to contain.\" he warned. Knuckles nodded. \"Good point. I'll go with ya. TAXI!!\" he shouted, \"What? I'm not taking the train in this mess.\" he murmured as Sonic and Violet stared at him. To their surprise, a taxi actually pulled up, and Mia the cat poked her furry blue head out. \"You're lucky you caught me, I was about to bail! Where to?\" she asked. \"Uhh… Central City...\" Violet babbled, \"You're alone?\" she questioned. \"Well, one hopes that Katie is safe with her boyfriend. Razor's probably with Tommy. No one's seen Guard... I don't really have anyone else.\" the cat shrugged. Knuckles hopped into the cab while Sonic started to speed off on his own. \"Meet ya there!\" he shouted. \"If I had the Chaos Boots...\" Knuckles growled.\n\n\nThey were, it would seem, a little too late. Lost Ones were already swarming Central City, and the police force was being pushed back in their attempts to repel them. The chubby Chief Paynson could be seen taking cover behind his squad car. Apparently the Troblusk PD had been called in to assist. The officer poked his head up, fired a couple times at an approaching losohst, and backed away a step. \"Oh, no! Our weapons are useless!\" he cried out. However, Ridley the coati leapt onto his squad car, tossing aside his gun and instead gesturing to the ghostly creature. \"Chaos Splash!\" he cried, tossing a Chaos-infused ball of water at the losohst, knocking it back a bit! Seeing the police in trouble, Sonic sped onto the scene. Homing attacks wouldn't do much against non-corporeal Lost Ones, so he pulled an old move out of his bag of tricks. \"Sonic wind!!\" He sped about, leaving whirlwinds in his wake that stunned the creatures long enough for Knuckles to leap in and slash them with the Chaos Claws, thrashing them into inert puddles of slime! \"Hah! That's what I call teamwork!\" Knuckles cheered. \"On your right!\" Violet shouted, blasting an incoming losohst with a dark energy ball quickly to stop it before it could grab the red echidna. Paynson watched in bewilderment, lifting his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow. \"To think, I was bigoted against Mobians once...\" he muttered under his breath. \"What's that, chief?\" Sonic asked, resting on the hood of his car with his hands held behind his head, looking oddly relaxed. \"S-sonic! It's such a relief to see you! The media has been assuming you were dead!\" Paynson huffed. \"They have a habit of that lately.\" Sonic sighed, thinking back to his six-month confinement not too long ago. Mia stepped out of her cab and waved to Ridley. \"Hey, you seen Razor around?\" she asked. The orange raccoon-like mobian shrugged. \"He didn't make it here. I hope they didn't get him in Station Square...\" he murmured. Knuckles looked around curiously. There weren't any other people in sight. \"Officers, are you...all that's left?\" he asked nervously. Paynson shook his head. \"There's a transport. GUN is preparing to evacuate all civilians who reach it. Sonic, I'm certain having you as an escort would increase their chance of survival considerably.\" he stated. Violet crossed her arms. \"Not just scared to go yourself, are you?\" she murmured. Paynson's droopy mustache drooped further as he frowned. \"You saw us here. We're helpless. The best we can do is search for stragglers and try to get them to safety, too.\" he said. Sonic sat up. \"Alright, where's this transport?\" he asked. Ridley stepped over to a police bike parked nearby. \"I'll take you to it.\" he volunteered. With that settled, Mia headed back for her cab, while Knuckles and Violet stayed on foot. \"We got Chaos Emeralds to find, too. Let's not rush too fast...\" Knuckles murmured.\n\nThe police split up with Sonic, Knuckles, Violet, Mia and Ridley. Knowing they couldn't beat the Lost Ones, the officers would attempt to out-drive them, stopping only to let endangered citizens into their cars. This was all they could do. Hopefully most of the survivors had reached the GUN transport. This thought was foremost in Sonic's mind as he moved alongside Ridley's cycle, keeping his speed low enough that the coati and his friends could keep up. Knuckles seemed a bit distracted as they walked. \"Hey...\" Violet said, snapping her fingers, \"You with us?\" she asked. \"I'm using my senses to feel for Chaos Emeralds... I spend so much time around the Master Emerald, it's actually mildly unsettling if I can't feel emerald energy.\" he stated, \"Unfortunately, that's how it is. Those Chaos Emeralds could be anywhere; Maybe we need a backup plan.\" he added. The echidnas stopped short as they passed by the house Shade had settled in within the city. Knuckles felt a lump in his throat. They had no idea where Shade was, if she was alright, or anything. She had the Chaos Gauntlets so she should be fine, but Knuckles still couldn't help worrying. \"Excuse me a minute, guys. Shade had a bunch of sensitive stuff in her house...\" he said, stepping inside to take a look. The place looked to have been ransacked. All Knuckles found inside of the objects Shade had been looking after was a broken Scepter of Darkness. He took it out with him. \"Anyone recognize this thing?\" he asked curiously. Sonic was tapping his foot impatiently as he stood beside Ridley's parked motorcycle. They both shrugged. \"Looks like a broken wand. Pretty fancy compared to Gemini's.\" Sonic murmured. \"Shade also had some kinda conch in there...\" Ridley noted, \"I did the police report when that mask was stolen from here.\" he added. Sonic frowned at the mention of a conch. \"Where'd she get this stuff?\" he asked nervously. \"...Eggman.\" Knuckles said, clutching the scepter tightly.\n\nAs Knuckles loaded the scepter into Mia's trunk, some terrified screams somewhere in the city caught their attention. Sonic was quick to race into action. \"Meet ya at the action, guys!\" he shouted, rushing ahead down the long roads, eventually speeding through a loop and finding himself running down a wall. He swore he'd done this twice before. Why was it constructed this way? It only made sense for him to use. Leaping off the wall near the ground, he dashed toward the source of the screams and found a number of civilians cornered by...GUN robots? Hunters and beetles were closing in on humans and Mobians alike, so Sonic worked fast, launching into several homing attacks to give those tin cans a good rattling. But he only succeeded in denting the beetles and knocking the limbs loose on the hunters...as well as catching their attention! \"Sturdy fellas, aren't ya?\" Sonic murmured, dashing to draw their attention further away from the civilians, sticking his tongue out at them. A ghostly shape popped out of the head of one of the Hunters before slipping back inside the robot, and Sonic realized what was going on. \"Undead robots. I feel like callin' ya Zombots… Naaah.\" he murmured as Knuckles and Violet were catching up. The echidna went into a glide and tore claws-first into a beetle, coming out the other side covered in - thankfully inert due to the Chaos Claws - slime. He latched on to the nearby wall and froze, groaning. \"Tell me you didn't know I'd be slimed, Sonic...\" he grunted. \"Can't talk, saving people!\" Sonic shouted as he was busy taking citizens into his arms and rushing them back to Mia's cab one by one, all while Violet warped around the robots, zapping them with sparks of dark energy! Not to be left out, Knuckles shook off the slime as best he could and dropped to the ground, charging at an abandoned car nearby with his Chaos Claws! He stabbed into the door, yanking it loose and jolting it with the claws' energy. \"Here's the last thing I learned in training! Enjoy this!\" he shouted, winding up his arms and hurtling the energized car door at the nearest Hunter! There was something of a mini Chaos Blast on impact, and slime rained down from the explosion, landing on Violet as she warped nearby. \"Thanks, Knuckles. I'm gonna tell sis you slimed me.\" she growled. \"So? ...I'm not Punchy!!\" Knuckles shouted, feeling like Violet was forgetting that detail. Meanwhile, Sonic had guided the last citizen to Ridley's cycle, since Mia's cab was full. \"Just hold on, ma'am.\" Ridley sighed. \"Least you won't get billed for the ride!\" Sonic smirked. \"I wouldn't take advantage!\" Mia shouted, looking a bit flustered.\n\nWith GUN robots possessed by Lost Ones, they worried about the GUN transports. So, they hurried there, following Ridley to the President's office where there were a number of GUN trucks parked. Seeing them, Sonic flashed back to the times when such trucks chased him through the streets and chuckled to himself softly. \"This takes me back...\" he murmured. The President himself was talking to the GUN Commander at the front of the convoy, but he was struck speechless when he saw Sonic leading a police cycle and a full taxicab to them. \"Sonic... He made it.\" he sighed in relief. The hedgehog skidded to a halt in front of the humans. \"Hey, Commander, why the radio silence?\" he asked. The GUN Commander watched Knuckles and Violet run to catch up before speaking. \"Well... We couldn't get a signal through to your comms devices. Remember, you're on a different frequency from us. Also, we've been distracted here. With Gunner out of the way, we easily seized control of GUN Headquarters back. However, then those creatures attacked. I haven't felt this pinned down since the Black Arms invaded.\" he said with a distressed expression. Mia walked over holding the Scepter of Darkness while people emptied out of her cab. \"Anybody at GUN know what this is?\" she questioned. \"My word! Is that a Scepter of Darkness from Soleanna??\" a familiar elderly elderly voice caught their attention, and they turned to see Professor Pickle hobbling over. \"Huh...? What are you doing here?\" Sonic asked, surprised. The professor took the Scepter and examined it. \"Hmm... Broken. Ah, yes, Sonic. Well met! I've been sticking around after the defeat of the Covenant of Despair, looking into the history of the Chaos Relics. Quite fascinating. You know, actually, I have a theory that the Chaos Relics have something to do with Light Gaia, oddly enough. Perhaps when you have time, we can discuss my theory over a bit of...err...rations. No cucumbers available, I'm afraid, though.\" he sighed. Knuckles rubbed his head in annoyance. \"Yeah, better we focus on getting everyone out of town, first.\" he grumbled. \"Ah, right. I do think my information could prove helpful, though...\" Pickle stated, shuffling toward the back of the transport, planning to board it. \"That old guy never changes...\" Sonic said with a chuckle.\n\nBefore they could get going, who should find them but Gunner. He stood before them, with Nammad and Riley trailing behind, and glared at Sonic and the Commander. \"Look at you! Running like cowards! I warned you for years, old man! The freaks will be our ruin! Well, what do you call those monsters!?\" Gunner shouted. \"Old man...?\" Violet murmured, \"Isn't he older?\" she questioned. He wasn't. He just looked it. The Commander glanced at the President. \"Get in the truck.\" he stated, placing a hand on his holster in preparation to deal with Gunner. Sonic looked between the humans and raised his hands up between them. \"Hey, hey, look! This isn't the time to be fighting each other! We can hash this out when the Lost Ones have been dealt with!\" he shouted, hoping to defuse the situation and get this escape convoy moving. Gunner snapped his fingers, and Guard swooped down from the sky, his scythe swinging toward the Commander! Reacting fast, Knuckles blocked the blade with the Chaos Claws, pushing back against him with a growl. \"You're on HIS side?!\" he shouted. Guard only growled, a vacant expression on his face. Dr. Nammad smirked. \"Quite a good bit of, uh, work, I must say. Considering I had little more than paper clips to reprogram him with!\" he said, adjusting his tiny glasses. Sonic placed a hand on his forehead and let out a groan. \"We're sitting ducks here, we gotta move!\" he murmured. \"How do we stop Guard? He's not in his right mind!\" Ridley questioned, stepping next to Knuckles as Guard backed away from him, growling and pointing his scythe threateningly. \"Just clear a path for us, and we'll get moving!\" the Commander said, running for the driver's seat of the front truck. Gunner fired the laser from his gun arm into the air. \"You think it's just Guard? You think I'm toothless?! Spy! Go get them!\" he ordered. Riley gulped. \"But I...\" Gunner pointed his gun at Riley, and the timid agent stepped forward. \"Sorry...\" he whimpered, and ran after the only one he could hope to fight in the bunch; Mia.\n\nGuard flapped up into the air, swinging his special scythe to hurl beams of red energy down at Sonic, Knuckles and Ridley! \"Chaos Wave!\" Ridley shouted, summoning a thin wave of water up to block the beams somewhat. Knuckles cut down the water wall with his Chaos Claws and stomped forward. \"You think you can hide from me up there? Hah!\" the echidna laughed, digging the Chaos Claws into thin air and using their power to climb up after the gargoyle! Sonic sped around behind Guard to cut off his escape. \"Remember, Knux, we gotta restrain him! He's been brainwashed!\" he shouted. \"I don't hold back for anyone!!\" Knuckles retorted. Guard was flying at the echidna now, and as the gargoyle neared, Knuckles swung his body, kicking against the long handle of that scythe as Guard blocked him! Suddenly, Violet warped onto his back! \"This'll be for your own good, devil dog...\" she murmured. However, before she could do anything, a shot from Gunner's arm cannon knocked her off the gargoyle! \"Aw, no!\" Sonic gasped, dashing to catch her as she fell! She groaned as Sonic skidded to a stop with her in his arms. \"Just a glancing blow... Ugh... But I think I'm out of it. Damn Gunner...\" she winced. Sonic turned his head as he heard a furious growl from Guard, and he saw Knuckles dropping down to his feet from above. \"I never knew that Frank-an-droid was so tough.\" he grumbled. Fortunately, Ridley was now keeping Gunner and Nammad occupied so that they wouldn't interfere anymore. It was just Sonic, Knuckles and Guard. Sonic left Violet to rest and leapt up at the gargoyle. \"I'll hit 'em high, you hit him low!\" he shouted, launching a homing attack at the airborne gargoyle! Guard turned quickly and swatted Sonic with the side of his scythe, but Sonic quickly landed, dashed around and leapt up again! \"Grrraaaahh!!\" Frustrated, Guard tossed his scythe up and let his body spark with the same red energy that typically channeled through said scythe! This way, Sonic was repelled even as he was knocked out of the air! Sonic landed on his back as Guard stumbled onto a knee, his scythe blade clanging onto the street between them. He and Knuckles both ran for the blade as Sonic got to his feet. However, Mia suddenly jumped in front of them, blocking the way. \"Enough, Guard!!\" she shouted.\n\nRiley was licking his wounds by the cab. Not that his heart had really been in fighting the cat-girl anyway. Now that girl was standing between Guard and his scythe, staring him down with a stern look as he stepped toward her, sparking with red energy. \"You've gotta stop, Guard... You have to still be in there! They can mess with your programming, but they can't delete your soul!\" she shouted. \"Mia, get back!\" Knuckles warned, trying to push Guard back only to be repelled by the red energy and knocked on his back! Guard kept marching forward, snarling in rage, but Mia stood her ground. \"I won't give up on you... You didn't give up on me... So...so snap out of it, ya goon!\" she cried, her eyes tearing a little as she shut them tight. The sight of his friend so desperate seemed to give Guard pause. \"Grah… N-no... I...\" The sparking intensified, and he started to reach for Mia, a crazed look in his eyes. \"I know you're a hero...Garen…\" Mia sniffled. Guard's eyes widened, and he grabbed his head, howling, the energy shooting out into the air suddenly! \"Graaaaaaaahhh!! I-I refuse!!!\" he roared, falling backward as the red energy faded from his body! The sound of a car engine surprised everyone as Mia's cab suddenly pulled away! Riley was driving while Gunner and Nammad piled into the back seat. \"This isn't over, freaks! I'll kill you all! Somehow!!\" Gunner shouted as the cab drove off, leaving Mia to look on in bewilderment for a moment before bending down to check on Guard. \"Shouldn't have left the keys in the damn thing, but at least he's gone. Now, wake up, ya lug!\" she said, shaking the gargoyle. Guard let out an oddly calm growl. \"Androids don't sleep...\" he said wryly. Sonic stepped over to Knuckles as the echidna stood up, giving him a smile. \"Well, that worked out!\" he said, flashing a thumbs up. At that moment, Professor Pickle hobbled over to them again. \"Good, that drama's over. I was thinking while I waited, and I really do want to suggest, while I have you here, that someone should check out the site where any of the Temples of Gaia once stood. Those temples held a deep connection to the Chaos Emeralds and Light Gaia, and I have a strong feeling that we may find an important clue still lingering around there.\" he said. Knuckles let out a sigh. \"I guess I'll set out to check that out. Or try to get in touch with someone else that can, after I see to Violet...\" he murmured, heading over to where she was resting. He lifted her into his arms. \"I don't think I'm that bad off...\" she muttered. \"Punchy would be a pain in my tail again if I let anything happen to you.\" Knuckles grunted. She was Punchy's sister-in-law, after all. As Knuckles carried her off, Sonic realized he was more or less on his own to protect the GUN transports. Unless... \"Hey, Guard... Think you can stand? The real GUN could use you!\" he smiled. The gargoyle sat up. \"Grrr… What's the mission?\" he asked.\n\n\nMeanwhile, Lucky the cat and Lucky Junior were arriving in Central City together. They'd seen Sonic leaving Station Square, and thought it might be a good idea to follow him. But they were very much outran. Looking around the city, Lucky had quite a sad expression. He stood in front of Tails' Central City workshop and sighed. \"This city was where I first teamed up with Whisk and Tails against Zeke. It wasn't the same Tails that we adventured with later, but still...\" he heaved a heavy sigh, \"Seeing the city ravaged by those creatures like this, it's hard.\" he said. Junior patted him on the back. \"We'll do something about this. Just gotta figure out which way to go...\" he said, rubbing his chin as he thought about it. Suddenly, with two bright lights, a pair of Divine felines appeared in front of them! \"Meee-yooow!!\" both of them yelped, but Junior didn't jump with as much surprise as his dad. \"Don't do that! Ugh, sisters!\" he groaned. \"S-sisters??\" Lucky babbled, blinking a couple times. Before him stood twin girls, clearly older than Junior, and resembling Whisk quite a bit. One had yellow and green fur, a purple shirt with red pants, and black wings. Her name was Minnie. The other had grey and light blue fur, white wings, a red shirt and blue pants. She was Pepper. Both of them had matching blue collars. \"Oh, wow, Daddy really does look just like L.J.\" Minnie giggled. Pepper crossed her arms and shook her head. \"We're not here to catch up. You forgot your ProwerPhone.\" she said, tossing Junior a yellow tablet made out of a certain otherworldly material. \"Aaah! Sorry, sis... I had to make sure Dad was alive!\" Junior murmured, catching the gizmo. \"That looks like something Miles would make...\" Lucky murmured. \"Yeah, in the future, hehe!\" Minnie winked. Lucky smiled. \"Good to know Miles is there for you kids... But, but... Whisk and I have THREE kids!?\" he babbled, blushing. Pepper and Minnie glanced at each other awkwardly. \"Uhhh, yeah, at least...\" Pepper muttered. \"Whaddaya mean AT LEAST?! C'mon, tell me!\" Lucky babbled. \"You shouldn't know too much!\" Pepper groaned. Suddenly, the ProwerPhone began to chime. \"Me-yah! Someone's calling!\" Junior gasped. He quickly fumbled with the device and answered it. A red female echidna came onscreen. \"Good, they found you.\" she sighed. \"Ahh! Lara! What's up?\" Junior asked as Lucky peered over his shoulder. \"Is that Knuckles' daughter?? Who's her mom?\" he asked. \"Shush!\" Pepper snapped. On the screen, Lara wore a serious expression. \"There's trouble. Listen to me very carefully...\"\n\nSonic GeneX: Doomsday\nChapter 9 - Infinite's Revenge\nStage 5 - City Escape Act III\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"Cause I was born in this pain, \nIt only hurts if you let it, \nSo if you think you can take me, \nThen you should go and forget it!\n \nAnd after all this time, you're back for more! \n(I won't stop until they know my name!) \nSo I'll take what's mine and start this war! \n(I'm coming at you like a tidal wave!) \" - Infinite's Theme, Sonic Forces\n\n\nPreviously on GeneX…\nCentral City had been invaded and ruined by the Lost Ones as well. Fortunately, GUN had gathered civilians into GUN trucks and were preparing to evacuate them to safety.\nGunner had captured Guard and reprogrammed him to fight Sonic, but with Mia's help, the gargoyle regained his mind.\nOn Professor Pickle's suggestion, Knuckles and Violet set out to find the former site of a Temple of Gaia, where a clue to defeating the Lost Ones might be found.\nNow, our tale continues...\n\n\nNull Space, a world of nothingness. No place to run, no place to go. This void was the prison Infinite the jackal had been trapped in after his final defeat at the hands of Tails, Kosmo and Heather. His Phantom Ruby was shattered, there was no way for him to escape. All he could do was curse that trio, and also Sonic, who defeated Eggman and destroyed the other Phantom Ruby, too, cutting off his means of escape. He thought he would wander the darkness of Null Space forever... but then, one day, a bright portal opened before him! Lospecter floated in with a smirk, and Infinite stepped back, unsure what the ghost wanted from him. \"How? How are you here? Null Space is a realm created and controlled by Phantom Rubies...\" he said, wondering a bit if he'd just lost his mind. Lospecter snickered. \"There are no doors beyond the Chaos Key's power to open... Now, I've got a question for you, sparky. How'd you like a little payback on a Mister, oh what was his name... Sonic the hedgehog?\" he asked, playfully pretending to forget the name. Infinite was clearly growling behind his mask. \"Sonic... Everything went wrong after that blue buffoon escaped the doctor's grasp! If I were to be released from this prison, I would dedicate my every waking moment to making him suffer as I have suffered. He would beg for death by the end!\" the jackal declared with barely masked rage. Lospecter recoiled from him slightly. \"Ooooh, I see the name Infinite refers to all the edginess! So scaaaary!\" he said in mock fear. \"Do you haunt me only to laugh at me? Is that seriously why you're here!?\" Infinite snarled, losing his cool. He reclaimed his composure when he saw Lospecter toss something shiny in his hand. It was...a Phantom Ruby! \"Did you know your Phantom Ruby came from a different dimension in the first place? So, there had to be more in the multiverse...\" Lospecter grinned, tossing the gem to Infinite, \"Don't disappoint us, doggo. I intend to make good use of you...\" Holding the Phantom Ruby in his clawed hand, Infinite nodded. \"Tell me your plan, and I will execute it... And execute those who oppose me, as well...\" he vowed.\n\n\nLara explained to Lucky and Junior that Tails' son, Skye, was being held captive by the Lost Ones. If there was any chance of saving him, they had to try. \"If it wasn't for Skye's time machine, none of us would be here...\" Junior sighed. Pepper and Minnie glanced at one another and nodded. \"Right! We'll get to searching for the location where the Lost Ones are holding him!\" Minnie announced. \"Assuming he's still alive...\" Pepper sighed. Lucky very much wanted to go as well. He wanted to be useful. \"How can I help?\" he asked. Lara, still listening on the ProwerPhone, had her arms crossed as she shook her head. \"We can't risk you, Lucky Senior. You die, Junior, Pepper and Minnie all die. Plus, you told me you can't summon your weapon.\" she pointed out. Minnie placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. \"We'll be fine! We'll watch each other's backs and teleport to safety if there'd danger!\" she said. \"On that note, let's get going...\" Pepper said seriously, \"No time to lose if Skye is alive...\" she pointed out. The both of them warped away, leaving Lucky and Junior alone with Lara on the phone. \"So... What should we do, boss lady?\" Junior asked. Lara sighed. \"Get yourselves to the meeting place. You remember where that is, right? On Angel Island?\" she said with a hint of annoyance. Lucky shook his head. \"I won't be sidelined! Least not while I don't know where Whisk is! Sorry, but we'll just have to talk later!\" he said, looking for the way to hang up the ProwerPhone. Lara tried to protest in the meantime. \"Whisk will be fine! You're the one in danger! Luckys, both of you, hold on!\" Ignoring her, Junior took the phone and turned it off. \"You're right, dad. We can't leave mom alone out there!\" he said. Lucky chuckled awkwardly. \"Don't call her mom, I'm still wrapping my head around being dad...\" he said. As they started walking away, they discussed where to go next. How could they find Whisk... This could be tough...\n\n\nThe convoy of GUN trucks were making their final preparations to leave. With her cab stolen, Mia determined that she'd have to ride in the back of the trucks with the other civilians. As she went to climb aboard, Zooey the fox offered a hand to help her up. \"Hey, there. How's it look out there?\" she asked. \"Like a ghost town...\" Mia sighed. Walking in to find a place to sit, she found Vanilla the rabbit seated with a certain Gizoid, Gemerl. She looked worried, and when she saw Mia, a flicker of desperation came to her eyes. \"Oh! You! That's a Station Square taxi uniform! My daughter, could you possibly have seen my daughter?\" she asked with concern. Mia sat beside her and sadly shook her head. \"It was chaos over there. I don't know what to tell you...\" she sighed. Outside the truck, Sonic was doing some stretches, preparing to speed off. Guard watched him, guessing at his intentions. \"Grrr… Sonic, scouting ahead might seem right, but...we'd be stronger and safer together.\" he stated. Ridley nodded in agreement as he sat perched on his motorcycle. Sonic shook his head. \"You'll all be safer if I can take out the dangers on the road before you even get there.\" he said, and started off into a run even as Guard and Ridley tried to protest! Sonic kept his eyes on the road, not on the ruined, empty building around him. His mind couldn't avoid flashing back to the Security Tower, though. He wasn't fast enough. He couldn't be fast enough. The Lost Ones were too many. And they destroyed two cities now, and scattered his friends. Amy was still missing. \"How could I let this happen... I won't forgive myself if they're...if they're gone...\" he thought, gritting his teeth and speeding up. It was his idea to bring everyone together to defeat Gunner in one fell swoop. He put them all in danger, gathering them like that. That was the thought stinging in his mind. He had to do everything to make up for it. He had to save...everyone!\n\n\nMeanwhile, Knuckles and Violet had gone another way. They were searching for an exit to the city, and they planned to hunt down the Chaos Emeralds, the Chaos Relics, and maybe check out a former Gaia Temple site. So much work for a treasure hunter. They heard some stomping as they walked, and glancing at each other with concern, they hid behind a corner to peer around and see what it was. They then heard a voice behind them. \"It's rude to spy! ...Well, I should talk!\" Knuckles spun around to find Rouge the bat hovering in the air behind him! The stomping was Omega's footsteps as he approached the corner. \"Do not attack, it would be wasteful for me to have to disintegrate you!\" the robot stated. Violet sighed and shrugged. \"I guess...\" she murmured. Rouge chuckled at the sight of Knuckles and Violet together. \"Are you two on a date, Knuckles? Maybe you're the clone of Punchy, going out with his wife's sister...\" she teased. Both echidnas blushed and growled. \"Now's not the time for jokes, Rouge!\" Knuckles snapped. The bat girl dropped to the ground and crossed her arms. \"Joke, right... Say, who's guarding the Master Emerald during all this, anyway?\" she questioned. Knuckles scoffed. \"I am, of course! Angel Island's down in the ocean, but I haven't let the Master Emerald out of my sight, so don't get any ideas!\" he grunted. Omega made some impatient motions with his large arms. \"This dialogue is a waste of time! Mission directive required!\" he stated. Violet looked at him and smiled. \"Ah, want something to do? Well, GUN is attempting to evacuate the civilians from the city. Maybe you two can be good Samaritans and help out?\" she suggested. Rouge shrugged. \"I guess it's technically my job. Why aren't you helping, Knuxie?\" she asked. Knuckles scoffed. \"They already have Sonic. My talents are best served elsewhere right now. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation if we wanna beat the Lost Ones, you know!\" he stated. Rouge smirked at him. \"Oooh, still all commanding. Your tenure as Resistance Commander did you wonders. Well, come on, Omega. Duty calls!\" she winked, turning to leave. Omega began to stomp after her. \"Best of luck. If you see Eggman, punch him for me.\" the robot stated. Violet leaned against the wall and sighed. \"She's so full of herself...\" she murmured. \"A date...\" Knuckles scoffed, glancing at Violet. The two blushed again and quickly looked away. \"So, ah, which way, Knuckles?\" Violet asked.\n\n\nAs Sonic was speeding through the streets, a black and brown jackal observed him through binoculars. One of his ears was bent, and he wore a uniform of the Covenant of Despair adorned with a red thirteen-pointed star. He was also wearing a Despair Seal on his wrist that contained the spirit of the covenant's former leader, Howler the wolf, somehow. This was Anubis the jackal. He lifted a walkie talkie to his muzzle. \"Sonic is on the way. Give him the welcome he deserves...\" he commanded. On the ground, the Battle Bird Armada lay in wait. They had joined forces with Despair last year, though Battle Lord Kukku really wanted to take over for himself. \"Finally, a chance to tangle with Sonic himself! Steady yourselves, my soldiers!\" the large bird ordered his comrades. The other birds were equipped with armor and weapons much like what they'd once used against Tails years ago. Sonic could see them on the road ahead, and stopped his run a good distance in front of them, close enough that he could shout to them. \"Hey, angry birds! We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Seriously, the world's under attack by monsters! Didn't you all notice? You should be worried about other things besides settling a score with me!\" he shouted. Anubis landed on the ground behind Sonic. \"Now we have you surrounded...\" he snarled, raising his hands to call forth his signature black mummies from under the ground! Sonic looked around to see that he was indeed covered from all sides. \"But hey, those mummies are pretty slow...\" Sonic chuckled, and backflipped toward the birds, dashing out of the way upon landing to avoid their incoming bullets and explosives! \"Catch him! Catch him! What do I promise to pay you for!?\" Kukku shouted as he observed Sonic leaping from armored bird to armored bird, rattling them pretty good with homing attacks! Anubis snarled and started towards him. \"Don't laugh me off! I'll incinerate you!!\" he snarled, pointing his arms at Sonic and shooting jets of flames in the hedgehog's direction with his other superpower!\n\nNaturally, the fighting stopped Sonic's forward progress for a bit, and this allowed Guard and Ridley the time to catch up. Sonic was quite outnumbered, and enemies were closing in on him. \"Gee, what do you know, the guy who ran off alone could use some help, who could have predicted this...\" Ridley sighed. \"Grrr, well move it, then, officer!\" Guard grumbled, leaping into action. Sonic was busy evading Anubis' fire and trying to knock down the approaching mummies with his homing attack, but he wasn't able to get enough speed to give his hits the right oomph. Fortunately, Ridley's cycle pulled up, and the coati smirked as he saw Anubis. \"Hey, hothead! You need to cool off! Chaos Splash!\" Before Anubis could react, a blast of water struck him, putting out his fire for the moment! He turned with a look of rage. \"You traitor! Now you're playing at being a police officer?? As though the humans could ever accept you!\" the jackal scoffed. Guard suddenly swooped down, his scythe decapitating one of the black mummies while Sonic managed to spin dash into another, knocking it over! Anubis was surrounded. \"Battle Lord! Where the blazes are you!?\" he shouted. The massive bird leapt out of seemingly nowhere and hurled his fist at Guard, knocking him backward! \"Well! The agent who led the team that foiled our most recent invasion! I've been waiting for someone to use Dr. Funnibone's death ray on!\" Out in the distance, an old voice shouted \"Fukurokov!! Dag blast it!!\" Kukku shrugged and went to fire the comically large gun he'd produced out of nowhere. However, an energy blast from Guard's scythe knocked it from his hands! Anubis picked it up next, it was shockingly light. \"This will do... Now, hold still, Sonic...\" he sneered, pointing the weapon at the hedgehog. Sonic yawned and tapped his foot. \"I coulda zapped me ten times by now.\" he teased. Anubis growled and squeezed the trigger. A massive ball of deadly energy zoomed towards...nothing? Sonic had leapt clear over the shot, and launched a homing attack right at the weapon, smashing it into pieces! The massive blast from it destroyed a car, but otherwise caused little damage. However, Sonic could see the GUN trucks approaching. \"Shoot, we gotta wrap this up!\" he realized.\n\nSuddenly, an unusual sound rang out through the area. A frighteningly familiar sound. In the sky, a large flickering red cube appeared, and before anyone knew what was happening, they were struck by lasers fired from all sides of the cube! Everyone but Sonic had been disabled by the energy of the lasers, the hedgehog managing to evade it. \"It can't be!\" Sonic gasped, looking up at the cube, and seeing it fade away, leaving behind in its wake the masked figure known as Infinite the jackal! He adjusted the mask on his face, leering down at the group. \"Ah, Anubis. Pitiful as ever I see. I'm pleased to see you survived... Having you to humiliate makes life all the more worthwhile.\" Infinite mused. Sonic pointed up at him. \"You! Where have you been!? How did you get another Phantom Ruby!?\" he questioned. The jackal in the sky barely glanced at him. \"I would so delight in destroying you. However, I owe a debt to the Lost Ones... a debt that the souls on those trucks should easily satisfy...\" he said, and with a flick of his wrist, he used the Phantom Ruby's power to create a red ramp in front of the trucks, leading up to a suspended road that would take them wherever he wanted. However, the trucks stopped moving. \"You don't honestly think we'll drive ourselves to the Lost Ones!\" the GUN Commander grunted from his driver's seat. Infinite chuckled softly, and motioned his clawed finger as though beckoning them closer. A small red block of energy appeared over the gas pedal, forcing the GUN truck forward as the passengers yelped in the cargo hold! \"Wh-what's happening??\" Zooey gasped. \"I should be the one driving!\" Mia growled. \"Don't panic, I'm certain Sonic will protect us...\" Vanilla said shakily. Outside, Sonic sped onto the red ramp, dashing ahead of the truck as Infinite led it on a twisted path through the air! \"Alright, I get it. The Lost Ones brought ya back, eh? Always the follower, never the leader!\" Sonic shouted tauntingly. \"That's it, Sonic... Run in front of a speeding truck! If I don't crush you, your runaway friends will! I'll show you the folly of your heroic ways!\" Infinite taunted back!\n\nThe road Infinite had created was winding around buildings, climbing over bridges, all that was missing to make a roller coaster out of it was a loop, but the Lost Ones wanted those souls alive. Behind Sonic, the GUN trucks were at his heels, and in front of him was Infinite, ready to throw anything he could at the hedgehog to try and get him flattened by said trucks. Making matters worse, there were Lost Ones crashing out of nearby windows, going straight for the trucks! This was getting to be too much for one hedgehog to manage. \"Hang in there, guys! I'll take out that jackal fast as I can!\" he said uncertainly, leaping to avoid a snapped street light that Infinite's phantom cubes had yanked up and hurled at him! Fortunately, Sonic wasn't in this alone. Guard was flying up above the trucks, using energy beams from his scythe to try and knock away any losol and lospides that grabbed on to the trucks! Ridley was below the red road, keeping up with his cycle. He pointed his gun up, and energy from his Chaos power covered it. \"How's this for a Wispon?\" he murmured, firing a water-enveloped bullet that sent a lospide flying! Despite their efforts, though, there were still a bit too many Lost Ones coming at the trucks, and they managed to open the back door on the front truck as it swerved through a tight turn! Mia nearly stumbled out the back, caught just in time by Zooey! \"H-hold on!\" the fox cried, as Vanilla rushed over to help pull them up! However, lospide webs were trying to pull Mia back! \"Ugh!! Yuck! Get off, get off!! N-nooo!!\" It looked like the three of them would be pulled out, when suddenly, someone dropped from the sky and knocked the bugs away with a powerful kick! \"I got your backs, girls!\" As the trio stumbled back into the truck, they looked up to see Rouge the bat! \"Sorry I'm late! I'll keep those slimy creeps away while you shut that door!\" she shouted, flying up to join Guard in battling the creatures! Omega boarded the red road using his thrusters as well, charging after the trucks from the rear! \"Target confirmed! Lost Ones and Infinite, prepare for annihilation!\" he declared. Seeing all the help Sonic was getting enraged Infinite. Where was his help when he was trapped in Null Space? He had to wait for Lost Ones!? No Eggman, no Jackal Squad. Friendship was a joke. A joke! \"Sonic!! Forget the meddlers! When it comes down to me and you, I will go on forever, and you will be broken, left in the dust!\" he declared.\n\nInfinite was furious. Using the Phantom Ruby, he summoned dozens of gun turrets along the walls of the nearby buildings! They started to fire indiscriminately, and in order to protect the cargo of the GUN trucks, even the Lost Ones were jumping into the line of fire to block the shots! \"Hey, hey! You leave those refugees out of this! It's me and you, Infinite!\" Sonic shouted, picking up speed to try and catch the jackal! Infinite clenched his fists, and the Phantom Ruby created giant illusions of those fists, allowing him to throw giant punches at the hedgehog! But this was just the sort of thing Sonic needed. He jumped onto the huge disembodied fist, and then leapt at Infinite as the fist drew back! Sonic's homing attack struck Infinite in the mask, driving him to grab for his face to hold it on! However, his phantom hands did the same, and swatted him backward as Sonic landed on the red road, chuckling softly. \"Graaa! You little gnat! How is it you grow more annoying with each battle?\" Infinite grunted. Sonic shrugged as he ran. \"Practice, I guess!\" he replied. Infinite decided to move the GUN trucks onto a separate track, splitting the road and sending the trucks away while he dealt with Sonic one-on-one! \"Now I can get serious without damaging the precious cargo! Take this!\" he sneered as spikes randomly jutted up from the red road, forcing Sonic to jump and bounce off a building to get another hit off Infinite! \"Aaargh!! But where will you land?\" he asked as spikes covered the entirety of the road! \"Uh-oh...\" Sonic whimpered as he was falling towards impalement! \"Hang in, big blue!\" Rouge suddenly swooped in, catching him and flying him to safety! Infinite watched them land on the street below, and snickered. The GUN trucks suddenly turned a corner and were coming at them! \"W-we still can't stop!!\" the Commander yelled. Sonic and Rouge went to move, but found a red barrier blocking them! \"I've got you now!\" Infinite crowed. However, the red barrier suddenly flickered and vanished, while the trucks were able to brake! The trucks stopped inches from Sonic and Rouge's faces, and they placed their hands against the grill, panting in relief. Infinite growled as he shakily flew away. \"This Phantom Ruby hasn't been perfected the way Eggman's was... But I can still accomplish one thing...\" he said, appearing before Anubis as quickly as he could and grabbing the other jackal's wrist! \"Nice bracelet...\" he said, looking at the Despair Seal, \"I know someone who'd like to have a look at that...\" he said, walking off while dragging Anubis behind him. \"You're weakened... What's stopping me from killing you?\" Anubis growled. Infinite glanced back, lifting his mask to glare at him with his scarred face. \"My ruby has energy enough to crush you. Besides, don't you want a little Jackal Squad reunion?\" he smirked, putting his mask back on as the pair of them walked together through the city.\n\nFreed from Infinite, and with allies to defend them from the Lost Ones, the GUN trucks soon reached the edge of the city. \"What a relief...\" the President sighed from the passenger seat beside the Commander. \"We're not out of the woods yet.\" the Commander pointed out. Sonic was standing outside the trucks with Guard, Ridley, Rouge and Omega. \"So, what do we all do now?\" he asked. Ridley patted the side of the truck he was standing beside. \"We should stick with these trucks 'till they get to safety. Then, I'm off to find the chief and Razor.\" he said. Rouge nodded. \"Same here, except I'm gonna find Shadow once this is over.\" she said. Guard grunted softly. \"Grrr… Maybe we should join the hunt for the Chaos Emeralds and Relics, too?\" he suggested. \"Affirmative. Every weapon can be put to use in this battle.\" Omega agreed. Sonic smiled and gave the group a thumbs-up. \"Good to see you all have a keen grasp on where to go. I'll get right on those Chaos Emeralds right away!\" he said, stretching to prepare for another run. Guard and Ridley glanced at each other. \"Runnin' off alone again? Shouldn't someone go with you?\" Ridley asked. Sonic shrugged. \"If Infinite's batteries hadn't gone dead, we all woulda been toast and I would've failed to protect you. It's better I go alone. If I fail alone... No one else has to pay...\" he said, his voice becoming unusually serious. Rouge almost reached out to touch his shoulder, but recoiled her hand. \"Sonic... We all share the burden.\" she said. Sonic nodded, and flashed her a cool smile. \"I know, I know! You're all a big help!\" he winked, and then started to dash off on his own anyway. They didn't understand. It was always him and Eggman, it had been quite the game. But then people started getting hurt. Aliens invaded. The planet blew apart. Time travel, monsters, prophecies. He'd seen so much. He couldn't outrun all this forever. \"Hey, Tails, anyone, gimmie a report!\" he said, pressing a finger to his ear. Little did he realize, the Doomsayer was watching him from an alleyway. \"You doubt yourself... Right on cue.\" the hooded figure whispered, looking down at his gloved hand. He closed it into a fist. \"It's all coming to pass... My suffering will finally end...\"\n\nTo be continued...\n\n\nBzzz...zzzzt...Welcome to a Final Mix scene....\n\nLucky and Junior found themselves fleeing in panic from a pair of rabid lospides. \"This...stinks...I need my...key! Mee-yow!!\" Lucky cried while Junior panted from the effort of fleeing. \"RAWRRR!!\" A familiar roar sounded out, and fire rained down on the lospides, bothering the creatures enough to make them run away! Lucky and Junior looked around for their savior. \"What's with you, kitty? First ya save the universe, now spiders got ya runnin' scared??\" It was a certain dragon who was flapping overhead. \"Zeke! Wh-what do you want!? And where's Zim?\" Lucky babbled. \"Also who is Zim?\" Junior added. Zeke folded his arms as he flapped in the air. \"No, WHY is Zim...your focus? He ditched me for his Zeti buddies. So, I'm headed back to Despair, why not? But, uh... what's with all the monsters?\" he questioned, \"Never mind! I gotta scram! No use hangin' around a dead city! And you should scram, too! You look too weak to handle little Zim right now! Hehe!\" Zeke taunted before starting to fly away. Lucky scratched his head, watching him go. \"So... Zeke just helped us. Weird. Guess he's not as bad without someone pulling his strings.\" he stated. While he and Junior started to walk away, Paynson peered out from his hiding place in an alley. \"Whew... The spiders are gone...\" he huffed. \"Where's your squad car, anyway?\" complained Dave, one of the civilians Paynson had found and now had in his care. \"Eaten by SPIDERS, what did you think?\" the grouchy man snapped. \"Alright, don't yell at me...\" Dave whined. Libra peered out of the alley as well. \"I can defend us. Come, we'll get to a place to hide out...\" she whispered, stepping out of the shadows. \"Please, miss, we should wait out the chaos here!\" Paynson stammered. Libra stared at him seriously. \"My sister's not cowering in this. I'm sure of it. I'm going.\" she insisted, heading off on her own. A number of people started to follow her, but Dave remained by Paynson. \"They're crazy... They'll be eaten by spiders...\" he whined. \"Shh, I hear something...\" Paynson grumbled as eerie eyes glared at them from the darkness. Their screams followed, and soon Paynson and Dave were running...right alongside Lucky and Junior. \"Mee-YOW!! Thanks a lot for leading em here!!\" Junior shouted. \"Just...keep...running!!\" Lucky cried.\n\n\nChapter 9 - Infinite's Revenge\nStage 5 - City Escape Act III\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"Cause I was born in this pain, \nIt only hurts if you let it, \nSo if you think you can take me, \nThen you should go and forget it!\n \nAnd after all this time, you're back for more! \n(I won't stop until they know my name!) \nSo I'll take what's mine and start this war! \n(I'm coming at you like a tidal wave!) \" - Infinite's Theme, Sonic Forces\n\n\nNull Space, a world of nothingness. No place to run, no place to go. This void was the prison Infinite the jackal had been trapped in after his final defeat at the hands of Tails, Kosmo and Heather. His Phantom Ruby was shattered, there was no way for him to escape. All he could do was curse that trio, and also Sonic, who defeated Eggman and destroyed the other Phantom Ruby, too, cutting off his means of escape. He thought he would wander the darkness of Null Space forever... but then, one day, a bright portal opened before him! Lospecter floated in with a smirk, and Infinite stepped back, unsure what the ghost wanted from him. \"How? How are you here? Null Space is a realm created and controlled by Phantom Rubies...\" he said, wondering a bit if he'd just lost his mind. Lospecter snickered. \"There are no doors beyond the Chaos Key's power to open... Now, I've got a question for you, sparky. How'd you like a little payback on a Mister, oh what was his name... Sonic the hedgehog?\" he asked, playfully pretending to forget the name. Infinite was clearly growling behind his mask. \"Sonic... Everything went wrong after that blue buffoon escaped the doctor's grasp! If I were to be released from this prison, I would dedicate my every waking moment to making him suffer as I have suffered. He would beg for death by the end!\" the jackal declared with barely masked rage. Lospecter recoiled from him slightly. \"Ooooh, I see the name Infinite refers to all the edginess! So scaaaary!\" he said in mock fear. \"Do you haunt me only to laugh at me? Is that seriously why you're here!?\" Infinite snarled, losing his cool. He reclaimed his composure when he saw Lospecter toss something shiny in his hand. It was...a Phantom Ruby! \"Did you know your Phantom Ruby came from a different dimension in the first place? So, there had to be more in the multiverse...\" Lospecter grinned, tossing the gem to Infinite, \"Don't disappoint us, doggo. I intend to make good use of you...\" Holding the Phantom Ruby in his clawed hand, Infinite nodded. \"Tell me your plan, and I will execute it... And execute those who oppose me, as well...\" he vowed.\n\n\nLara explained to Lucky and Junior that Tails' son, Skye, was being held captive by the Lost Ones. If there was any chance of saving him, they had to try. \"If it wasn't for Skye's time machine, none of us would be here...\" Junior sighed. Pepper and Minnie glanced at one another and nodded. \"Right! We'll get to searching for the location where the Lost Ones are holding him!\" Minnie announced. \"Assuming he's still alive...\" Pepper sighed. Lucky very much wanted to go as well. He wanted to be useful. \"How can I help?\" he asked. Lara, still listening on the ProwerPhone, had her arms crossed as she shook her head. \"We can't risk you, Lucky Senior. You die, Junior, Pepper and Minnie all die. Plus, you told me you can't summon your weapon.\" she pointed out. Minnie placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. \"We'll be fine! We'll watch each other's backs and teleport to safety if there'd danger!\" she said. \"On that note, let's get going...\" Pepper said seriously, \"No time to lose if Skye is alive...\" she pointed out. The both of them warped away, leaving Lucky and Junior alone with Lara on the phone. \"So... What should we do, boss lady?\" Junior asked. Lara sighed. \"Get yourselves to the meeting place. You remember where that is, right? On Angel Island?\" she said with a hint of annoyance. Lucky shook his head. \"I won't be sidelined! Least not while I don't know where Whisk is! Sorry, but we'll just have to talk later!\" he said, looking for the way to hang up the ProwerPhone. Lara tried to protest in the meantime. \"Whisk will be fine! You're the one in danger! Luckys, both of you, hold on!\" Ignoring her, Junior took the phone and turned it off. \"You're right, dad. We can't leave mom alone out there!\" he said. Lucky chuckled awkwardly. \"Don't call her mom, I'm still wrapping my head around being dad...\" he said. As they started walking away, they discussed where to go next. How could they find Whisk... This could be tough...\n\n\nThe convoy of GUN trucks were making their final preparations to leave. With her cab stolen, Mia determined that she'd have to ride in the back of the trucks with the other civilians. As she went to climb aboard, Zooey the fox offered a hand to help her up. \"Hey, there. How's it look out there?\" she asked. \"Like a ghost town...\" Mia sighed. Walking in to find a place to sit, she found Vanilla the rabbit seated with a certain Gizoid, Gemerl. She looked worried, and when she saw Mia, a flicker of desperation came to her eyes. \"Oh! You! That's a Station Square taxi uniform! My daughter, could you possibly have seen my daughter?\" she asked with concern. Mia sat beside her and sadly shook her head. \"It was chaos over there. I don't know what to tell you...\" she sighed. Outside the truck, Sonic was doing some stretches, preparing to speed off. Guard watched him, guessing at his intentions. \"Grrr… Sonic, scouting ahead might seem right, but...we'd be stronger and safer together.\" he stated. Ridley nodded in agreement as he sat perched on his motorcycle. Sonic shook his head. \"You'll all be safer if I can take out the dangers on the road before you even get there.\" he said, and started off into a run even as Guard and Ridley tried to protest! Sonic kept his eyes on the road, not on the ruined, empty building around him. His mind couldn't avoid flashing back to the Security Tower, though. He wasn't fast enough. He couldn't be fast enough. The Lost Ones were too many. And they destroyed two cities now, and scattered his friends. Amy was still missing. \"How could I let this happen... I won't forgive myself if they're...if they're gone...\" he thought, gritting his teeth and speeding up. It was his idea to bring everyone together to defeat Gunner in one fell swoop. He put them all in danger, gathering them like that. That was the thought stinging in his mind. He had to do everything to make up for it. He had to save...everyone!\n\n\nMeanwhile, Knuckles and Violet had gone another way. They were searching for an exit to the city, and they planned to hunt down the Chaos Emeralds, the Chaos Relics, and maybe check out a former Gaia Temple site. So much work for a treasure hunter. They heard some stomping as they walked, and glancing at each other with concern, they hid behind a corner to peer around and see what it was. They then heard a voice behind them. \"It's rude to spy! ...Well, I should talk!\" Knuckles spun around to find Rouge the bat hovering in the air behind him! The stomping was Omega's footsteps as he approached the corner. \"Do not attack, it would be wasteful for me to have to disintegrate you!\" the robot stated. Violet sighed and shrugged. \"I guess...\" she murmured. Rouge chuckled at the sight of Knuckles and Violet together. \"Are you two on a date, Knuckles? Maybe you're the clone of Punchy, going out with his wife's sister...\" she teased. Both echidnas blushed and growled. \"Now's not the time for jokes, Rouge!\" Knuckles snapped. The bat girl dropped to the ground and crossed her arms. \"Joke, right... Say, who's guarding the Master Emerald during all this, anyway?\" she questioned. Knuckles scoffed. \"I am, of course! Angel Island's down in the ocean, but I haven't let the Master Emerald out of my sight, so don't get any ideas!\" he grunted. Omega made some impatient motions with his large arms. \"This dialogue is a waste of time! Mission directive required!\" he stated. Violet looked at him and smiled. \"Ah, want something to do? Well, GUN is attempting to evacuate the civilians from the city. Maybe you two can be good Samaritans and help out?\" she suggested. Rouge shrugged. \"I guess it's technically my job. Why aren't you helping, Knuxie?\" she asked. Knuckles scoffed. \"They already have Sonic. My talents are best served elsewhere right now. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation if we wanna beat the Lost Ones, you know!\" he stated. Rouge smirked at him. \"Oooh, still all commanding. Your tenure as Resistance Commander did you wonders. Well, come on, Omega. Duty calls!\" she winked, turning to leave. Omega began to stomp after her. \"Best of luck. If you see Eggman, punch him for me.\" the robot stated. Violet leaned against the wall and sighed. \"She's so full of herself...\" she murmured. \"A date...\" Knuckles scoffed, glancing at Violet. The two blushed again and quickly looked away. \"So, ah, which way, Knuckles?\" Violet asked.\n\n\nAs Sonic was speeding through the streets, a black and brown jackal observed him through binoculars. One of his ears was bent, and he wore a uniform of the Covenant of Despair adorned with a red thirteen-pointed star. He was also wearing a Despair Seal on his wrist that contained the spirit of the covenant's former leader, Howler the wolf, somehow. This was Anubis the jackal. He lifted a walkie talkie to his muzzle. \"Sonic is on the way. Give him the welcome he deserves...\" he commanded. On the ground, the Battle Bird Armada lay in wait. They had joined forces with Despair last year, though Battle Lord Kukku really wanted to take over for himself. \"Finally, a chance to tangle with Sonic himself! Steady yourselves, my soldiers!\" the large bird ordered his comrades. The other birds were equipped with armor and weapons much like what they'd once used against Tails years ago. Sonic could see them on the road ahead, and stopped his run a good distance in front of them, close enough that he could shout to them. \"Hey, angry birds! We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Seriously, the world's under attack by monsters! Didn't you all notice? You should be worried about other things besides settling a score with me!\" he shouted. Anubis landed on the ground behind Sonic. \"Now we have you surrounded...\" he snarled, raising his hands to call forth his signature black mummies from under the ground! Sonic looked around to see that he was indeed covered from all sides. \"But hey, those mummies are pretty slow...\" Sonic chuckled, and backflipped toward the birds, dashing out of the way upon landing to avoid their incoming bullets and explosives! \"Catch him! Catch him! What do I promise to pay you for!?\" Kukku shouted as he observed Sonic leaping from armored bird to armored bird, rattling them pretty good with homing attacks! Anubis snarled and started towards him. \"Don't laugh me off! I'll incinerate you!!\" he snarled, pointing his arms at Sonic and shooting jets of flames in the hedgehog's direction with his other superpower!\n\nNaturally, the fighting stopped Sonic's forward progress for a bit, and this allowed Guard and Ridley the time to catch up. Sonic was quite outnumbered, and enemies were closing in on him. \"Gee, what do you know, the guy who ran off alone could use some help, who could have predicted this...\" Ridley sighed. \"Grrr, well move it, then, officer!\" Guard grumbled, leaping into action. Sonic was busy evading Anubis' fire and trying to knock down the approaching mummies with his homing attack, but he wasn't able to get enough speed to give his hits the right oomph. Fortunately, Ridley's cycle pulled up, and the coati smirked as he saw Anubis. \"Hey, hothead! You need to cool off! Chaos Splash!\" Before Anubis could react, a blast of water struck him, putting out his fire for the moment! He turned with a look of rage. \"You traitor! Now you're playing at being a police officer?? As though the humans could ever accept you!\" the jackal scoffed. Guard suddenly swooped down, his scythe decapitating one of the black mummies while Sonic managed to spin dash into another, knocking it over! Anubis was surrounded. \"Battle Lord! Where the blazes are you!?\" he shouted. The massive bird leapt out of seemingly nowhere and hurled his fist at Guard, knocking him backward! \"Well! The agent who led the team that foiled our most recent invasion! I've been waiting for someone to use Dr. Funnibone's death ray on!\" Out in the distance, an old voice shouted \"Fukurokov!! Dag blast it!!\" Kukku shrugged and went to fire the comically large gun he'd produced out of nowhere. However, an energy blast from Guard's scythe knocked it from his hands! Anubis picked it up next, it was shockingly light. \"This will do... Now, hold still, Sonic...\" he sneered, pointing the weapon at the hedgehog. Sonic yawned and tapped his foot. \"I coulda zapped me ten times by now.\" he teased. Anubis growled and squeezed the trigger. A massive ball of deadly energy zoomed towards...nothing? Sonic had leapt clear over the shot, and launched a homing attack right at the weapon, smashing it into pieces! The massive blast from it destroyed a car, but otherwise caused little damage. However, Sonic could see the GUN trucks approaching. \"Shoot, we gotta wrap this up!\" he realized.\n\nSuddenly, an unusual sound rang out through the area. A frighteningly familiar sound. In the sky, a large flickering red cube appeared, and before anyone knew what was happening, they were struck by lasers fired from all sides of the cube! Everyone but Sonic had been disabled by the energy of the lasers, the hedgehog managing to evade it. \"It can't be!\" Sonic gasped, looking up at the cube, and seeing it fade away, leaving behind in its wake the masked figure known as Infinite the jackal! He adjusted the mask on his face, leering down at the group. \"Ah, Anubis. Pitiful as ever I see. I'm pleased to see you survived... Having you to humiliate makes life all the more worthwhile.\" Infinite mused. Sonic pointed up at him. \"You! Where have you been!? How did you get another Phantom Ruby!?\" he questioned. The jackal in the sky barely glanced at him. \"I would so delight in destroying you. However, I owe a debt to the Lost Ones... a debt that the souls on those trucks should easily satisfy...\" he said, and with a flick of his wrist, he used the Phantom Ruby's power to create a red ramp in front of the trucks, leading up to a suspended road that would take them wherever he wanted. However, the trucks stopped moving. \"You don't honestly think we'll drive ourselves to the Lost Ones!\" the GUN Commander grunted from his driver's seat. Infinite chuckled softly, and motioned his clawed finger as though beckoning them closer. A small red block of energy appeared over the gas pedal, forcing the GUN truck forward as the passengers yelped in the cargo hold! \"Wh-what's happening??\" Zooey gasped. \"I should be the one driving!\" Mia growled. \"Don't panic, I'm certain Sonic will protect us...\" Vanilla said shakily. Outside, Sonic sped onto the red ramp, dashing ahead of the truck as Infinite led it on a twisted path through the air! \"Alright, I get it. The Lost Ones brought ya back, eh? Always the follower, never the leader!\" Sonic shouted tauntingly. \"That's it, Sonic... Run in front of a speeding truck! If I don't crush you, your runaway friends will! I'll show you the folly of your heroic ways!\" Infinite taunted back!\n\nThe road Infinite had created was winding around buildings, climbing over bridges, all that was missing to make a roller coaster out of it was a loop, but the Lost Ones wanted those souls alive. Behind Sonic, the GUN trucks were at his heels, and in front of him was Infinite, ready to throw anything he could at the hedgehog to try and get him flattened by said trucks. Making matters worse, there were Lost Ones crashing out of nearby windows, going straight for the trucks! This was getting to be too much for one hedgehog to manage. \"Hang in there, guys! I'll take out that jackal fast as I can!\" he said uncertainly, leaping to avoid a snapped street light that Infinite's phantom cubes had yanked up and hurled at him! Fortunately, Sonic wasn't in this alone. Guard was flying up above the trucks, using energy beams from his scythe to try and knock away any losol and lospides that grabbed on to the trucks! Ridley was below the red road, keeping up with his cycle. He pointed his gun up, and energy from his Chaos power covered it. \"How's this for a Wispon?\" he murmured, firing a water-enveloped bullet that sent a lospide flying! Despite their efforts, though, there were still a bit too many Lost Ones coming at the trucks, and they managed to open the back door on the front truck as it swerved through a tight turn! Mia nearly stumbled out the back, caught just in time by Zooey! \"H-hold on!\" the fox cried, as Vanilla rushed over to help pull them up! However, lospide webs were trying to pull Mia back! \"Ugh!! Yuck! Get off, get off!! N-nooo!!\" It looked like the three of them would be pulled out, when suddenly, someone dropped from the sky and knocked the bugs away with a powerful kick! \"I got your backs, girls!\" As the trio stumbled back into the truck, they looked up to see Rouge the bat! \"Sorry I'm late! I'll keep those slimy creeps away while you shut that door!\" she shouted, flying up to join Guard in battling the creatures! Omega boarded the red road using his thrusters as well, charging after the trucks from the rear! \"Target confirmed! Lost Ones and Infinite, prepare for annihilation!\" he declared. Seeing all the help Sonic was getting enraged Infinite. Where was his help when he was trapped in Null Space? He had to wait for Lost Ones!? No Eggman, no Jackal Squad. Friendship was a joke. A joke! \"Sonic!! Forget the meddlers! When it comes down to me and you, I will go on forever, and you will be broken, left in the dust!\" he declared.\n\nInfinite was furious. Using the Phantom Ruby, he summoned dozens of gun turrets along the walls of the nearby buildings! They started to fire indiscriminately, and in order to protect the cargo of the GUN trucks, even the Lost Ones were jumping into the line of fire to block the shots! \"Hey, hey! You leave those refugees out of this! It's me and you, Infinite!\" Sonic shouted, picking up speed to try and catch the jackal! Infinite clenched his fists, and the Phantom Ruby created giant illusions of those fists, allowing him to throw giant punches at the hedgehog! But this was just the sort of thing Sonic needed. He jumped onto the huge disembodied fist, and then leapt at Infinite as the fist drew back! Sonic's homing attack struck Infinite in the mask, driving him to grab for his face to hold it on! However, his phantom hands did the same, and swatted him backward as Sonic landed on the red road, chuckling softly. \"Graaa! You little gnat! How is it you grow more annoying with each battle?\" Infinite grunted. Sonic shrugged as he ran. \"Practice, I guess!\" he replied. Infinite decided to move the GUN trucks onto a separate track, splitting the road and sending the trucks away while he dealt with Sonic one-on-one! \"Now I can get serious without damaging the precious cargo! Take this!\" he sneered as spikes randomly jutted up from the red road, forcing Sonic to jump and bounce off a building to get another hit off Infinite! \"Aaargh!! But where will you land?\" he asked as spikes covered the entirety of the road! \"Uh-oh...\" Sonic whimpered as he was falling towards impalement! \"Hang in, big blue!\" Rouge suddenly swooped in, catching him and flying him to safety! Infinite watched them land on the street below, and snickered. The GUN trucks suddenly turned a corner and were coming at them! \"W-we still can't stop!!\" the Commander yelled. Sonic and Rouge went to move, but found a red barrier blocking them! \"I've got you now!\" Infinite crowed. However, the red barrier suddenly flickered and vanished, while the trucks were able to brake! The trucks stopped inches from Sonic and Rouge's faces, and they placed their hands against the grill, panting in relief. Infinite growled as he shakily flew away. \"This Phantom Ruby hasn't been perfected the way Eggman's was... But I can still accomplish one thing...\" he said, appearing before Anubis as quickly as he could and grabbing the other jackal's wrist! \"Nice bracelet...\" he said, looking at the Despair Seal, \"I know someone who'd like to have a look at that...\" he said, walking off while dragging Anubis behind him. \"You're weakened... What's stopping me from killing you?\" Anubis growled. Infinite glanced back, lifting his mask to glare at him with his scarred face. \"My ruby has energy enough to crush you. Besides, don't you want a little Jackal Squad reunion?\" he smirked, putting his mask back on as the pair of them walked together through the city.\n\nFreed from Infinite, and with allies to defend them from the Lost Ones, the GUN trucks soon reached the edge of the city. \"What a relief...\" the President sighed from the passenger seat beside the Commander. \"We're not out of the woods yet.\" the Commander pointed out. Sonic was standing outside the trucks with Guard, Ridley, Rouge and Omega. \"So, what do we all do now?\" he asked. Ridley patted the side of the truck he was standing beside. \"We should stick with these trucks 'till they get to safety. Then, I'm off to find the chief and Razor.\" he said. Rouge nodded. \"Same here, except I'm gonna find Shadow once this is over.\" she said. Guard grunted softly. \"Grrr… Maybe we should join the hunt for the Chaos Emeralds and Relics, too?\" he suggested. \"Affirmative. Every weapon can be put to use in this battle.\" Omega agreed. Sonic smiled and gave the group a thumbs-up. \"Good to see you all have a keen grasp on where to go. I'll get right on those Chaos Emeralds right away!\" he said, stretching to prepare for another run. Guard and Ridley glanced at each other. \"Runnin' off alone again? Shouldn't someone go with you?\" Ridley asked. Sonic shrugged. \"If Infinite's batteries hadn't gone dead, we all woulda been toast and I would've failed to protect you. It's better I go alone. If I fail alone... No one else has to pay...\" he said, his voice becoming unusually serious. Rouge almost reached out to touch his shoulder, but recoiled her hand. \"Sonic... We all share the burden.\" she said. Sonic nodded, and flashed her a cool smile. \"I know, I know! You're all a big help!\" he winked, and then started to dash off on his own anyway. They didn't understand. It was always him and Eggman, it had been quite the game. But then people started getting hurt. Aliens invaded. The planet blew apart. Time travel, monsters, prophecies. He'd seen so much. He couldn't outrun all this forever. \"Hey, Tails, anyone, gimmie a report!\" he said, pressing a finger to his ear. Little did he realize, the Doomsayer was watching him from an alleyway. \"You doubt yourself... Right on cue.\" the hooded figure whispered, looking down at his gloved hand. He closed it into a fist. \"It's all coming to pass... My suffering will finally end...\"\n\nTo be continued... Bzzz...zzzzt...Welcome to a Final Mix scene....\n\nLucky and Junior found themselves fleeing in panic from a pair of rabid lospides. \"This...stinks...I need my...key! Mee-yow!!\" Lucky cried while Junior panted from the effort of fleeing. \"RAWRRR!!\" A familiar roar sounded out, and fire rained down on the lospides, bothering the creatures enough to make them run away! Lucky and Junior looked around for their savior. \"What's with you, kitty? First ya save the universe, now spiders got ya runnin' scared??\" It was a certain dragon who was flapping overhead. \"Zeke! Wh-what do you want!? And where's Zim?\" Lucky babbled. \"Also who is Zim?\" Junior added. Zeke folded his arms as he flapped in the air. \"No, WHY is Zim...your focus? He ditched me for his Zeti buddies. So, I'm headed back to Despair, why not? But, uh... what's with all the monsters?\" he questioned, \"Never mind! I gotta scram! No use hangin' around a dead city! And you should scram, too! You look too weak to handle little Zim right now! Hehe!\" Zeke taunted before starting to fly away. Lucky scratched his head, watching him go. \"So... Zeke just helped us. Weird. Guess he's not as bad without someone pulling his strings.\" he stated. While he and Junior started to walk away, Paynson peered out from his hiding place in an alley. \"Whew... The spiders are gone...\" he huffed. \"Where's your squad car, anyway?\" complained Dave, one of the civilians Paynson had found and now had in his care. \"Eaten by SPIDERS, what did you think?\" the grouchy man snapped. \"Alright, don't yell at me...\" Dave whined. Libra peered out of the alley as well. \"I can defend us. Come, we'll get to a place to hide out...\" she whispered, stepping out of the shadows. \"Please, miss, we should wait out the chaos here!\" Paynson stammered. Libra stared at him seriously. \"My sister's not cowering in this. I'm sure of it. I'm going.\" she insisted, heading off on her own. A number of people started to follow her, but Dave remained by Paynson. \"They're crazy... They'll be eaten by spiders...\" he whined. \"Shh, I hear something...\" Paynson grumbled as eerie eyes glared at them from the darkness. Their screams followed, and soon Paynson and Dave were running...right alongside Lucky and Junior. \"Mee-YOW!! Thanks a lot for leading em here!!\" Junior shouted. \"Just...keep...running!!\" Lucky cried.\n\nReconnect: Sonic GeneX\n\n\nChapter 10 - Rouletar's Return\nStage 6 - Casino Park\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"I can feel your every rage,\nStep aside, I'll turn the page,\nBreakin' through your crazy maze, \nLike a laser beam, my eyes on you!\" - Sonic Heroes, Main Theme\n\n\nWith a boom and a crash, Shadow the hedgehog dropped through a hole and found himself in the interior of one of Eggman's Cloud Cruisers, the airships that had formed up Cloud Carnival previously. Kosmo dropped through the hole behind him, followed by the purple chameleon, Espio, and a yellow furred girl with a forked tail and green shirt, Carrie the mirage. The four of them were planning to bring down the cruiser, crippling what strength Eggman still had so that he couldn't cause any more problems after what he'd done in Station Square. \"Let's split up and get these explosives set...\" Shadow stated, skating ahead on his air shoes. Kosmo shrugged and morphed into him, mockingly imitating his voice. \"I get to say the obvious stuff so I can be in charge!\" Carrie stifled a chuckle while Espio split off from them on his own. \"Don't waste too much time making goo-goo eyes, you two.\" the chameleon grunted before vanishing into the background. Kosmo morphed back to normal, his cheeks a bit red. \"Haha, it's not like you to get flustered like that, tough guy!\" Carrie teased, heading off in yet another direction. She turned and blew a kiss on the way, \"See you again soooon!\" she winked. Kosmo sighed. \"Oh, by the way, Carr, I'm an alien...\" he muttered to himself as he walked off.\n\nShadow happened across the captain's room after he'd set his explosive. He heard Eggman's voice within, and decided to listen. \"So, my first robotic shell didn't provide protection against Chaos energy. It was still a mighty merging of our talents! If I put my brilliant intellect to use, I'll surely solve your little problem... And of course in exchange, you'll leave me a small kingdom to rule...\" The hedgehog's eyes widened at what he was hearing. He then kicked open the door and stomped in, seizing the startled scientist's collar as he stood on a table! \"Gaah!! W-why Shadow! I wasn't expecting you today!\" Eggman babbled, tapping a button on a remote in his hand to shut off the monitor he was communicating through. Shadow gave his collar a shake. \"How could you go this far, doctor!? You're selling the souls of our world for your selfish desires!!\" he shouted before slapping Eggman across the face! The doctor rubbed his cheek and growled. \"You know, a little prudence mixed with self-preservation never hurt anybody!\" he grunted. Shadow crossed his arms and scoffed. \"I know one thing... Professor Gerald would be ashamed of what you've become.\" he said, hopping off the table and heading for the door. \"You dare invoke my grandfather like that!? I'll have you know I... I've gone far beyond his wildest dreams! I have!!\" Eggman shouted uselessly as Shadow left him there alone. \"...I have...\"\n\nAs Shadow was rushing to meet up with the others again, he heard Knuckles' voice over the comms. \"Yo, Shadow! You busy?\" he asked. \"Kind of...\" Shadow grunted. \"Well, get un-busy! I was talkin' to this Pickle guy, and afterwards I was discussing it with Tails a bit, and we agree that you're closer!\" Knuckles said hastily. Shadow approached the hole to the outside, but stopped short as a giant slot machine robot dropped through it! It was E-7X, Rouletar! Shadow groaned and backed up as the robot's slot reels started spinning. \"Closer to what?\" he asked, leaping back to avoid bomb blasts as Rouletar spat them from his mouth in response to the slot results! \"Oh! The Pickle guy says there's some secret at some Gaia Temple place. Might help against the Lost Ones!\" Knuckles reported. Kosmo's voice came over the comms next. \"Professor Pickle?? That old goon's still living? ...I kinda met him while time was screwy.\" he said, \"By the way, we're gonna crash any moment!\" the morph added. Shadow cursed under his breath. Rouletar was blocking the exit pretty good. \"Get Espio and Carrie out of here, Kosmo!\" he shouted! \"If we go down, I'm taking you with us! Your luck has run out!\" Rouletar bellowed, his reels spinning yet again. Shadow leapt at the robot and struck him hard, causing the reels to stop on rings. \"What, how did you do tha--\" the robot gagged, spewing rings onto the floor. \"Not my first dumb slot machine robot. Now, get out of my way!\" Shadow shouted. \"You guys okay up there?\" Knuckles asked. \"Define okay?\" Kosmo gulped. Explosions suddenly rocked the Cloud Cruiser, the ship was starting to rapidly fall toward the earth! Rouletar was flung forward by the momentum, right into Shadow! \"N-not here!!\" the hedgehog shouted before everything went black...\n\nA broken hunk of the ship was tossed aside by Carrie's psychokinesis, providing a path for her, Espio and Kosmo to step out of the wreckage. \"Well, that was fun... Now where are we?\" Kosmo sighed, dusting himself off. Espio shielded his eyes a bit as bright neon lights met his gaze. \"This place... I know it. Casino Park!\" he gasped. Indeed, the ship had crashed within a massive, brightly lit city designed as a gambler's paradise. The most striking feature in the landscape were the enormous pinball tables. Shadow suddenly emerged out of Chaos Control next to the others, rubbing his head and groaning. \"How'd we wind up here? Hmm, and which way to the closest Gaia Temple?\" he asked. \"The closest what??\" Carrie questioned. She didn't have a comms device. \"I'll explain on our way.\" Kosmo said, \"But I guess in order to figure out where to head next, we've got to pass through this city first.\" he reasoned. They all started to walk away from the downed Cloud Cruiser and into the bright city. Espio sighed softly. \"I don't mind this, as long as I don't have to gather rings or casino chips...\" he said, briefly glancing back at the cruiser, \"Eggman never did pay us for all that nonsense.\" he grumbled. Though Shadow and Espio were reminiscing, Kosmo and Carrie were experiencing all of this for the first time. They passed through a glass tunnel leading to a large fan blowing upwards, a wall blocking their way forward. \"What the...?\" Kosmo murmured. \"Do we have to teach them the triangle dive?\" Espio questioned. \"That sounds stupid. Just use me, Carrie.\" Kosmo said, morphing himself into an umbrella, his glowing eyes showing on the cloth part. Carrie shrugged, holding him by the handle and letting the fan blow them up, not realizing this was exactly how Big the Cat handled these fans. Shadow simply touched Espio's shoulder and brought him up with Chaos Control. Watching Kosmo and Carrie float down, Espio scratched his head. \"You are a weird couple...\" he murmured.\n\nThey glanced back over the wall, admiring the view for a moment as Kosmo morphed back to normal. However, they saw something unpleasant on the horizon. More Cloud Cruisers were approaching their position, a fleet that would be above Casino Park in no time and likely flood the park with Eggman's robots. \"Well, c'mon, then! Let's not dillydally!\" Carrie shouted, clapping her hands and pointing the other way. The quartet glanced at what awaited them in the other direction, and collectively groaned. They had to get past one of the giant pinball tables. Making it more challenging, there were fiery loskulls being bounced around the table like they were the balls. \"The Lost Ones have spread this far...\" Shadow realized. Espio stomped his foot and wore a defeated expression. \"They'll have consumed the world in no time...\" he sighed. This did feel a lot like they were losing. Would the so-called Sonic Heroes be able to stop the catastrophic loss of life these creatures were bringing with them? Kosmo growled softly and stepped towards a cannon designed to deliver flexible players into the pinball table. \"There's no time to sit here hoping for a miracle. We've got to keep going!\" he said, hopping into the cannon and morphing into a steel ball as it took aim. As it fired him onto the pinball table, Carrie glanced at Shadow. \"Uhhh… How exactly does controlling the flippers work?\" she asked him. Shadow scratched his head and glanced at Espio. \"Y-you're asking me? I assumed Vector or Charmy...or Vector was working them!\" he babbled, quickly realizing that if it had been Charmy they'd probably still be stuck on those tables to this day. Carrie shrugged and lifted her arm, using her powers to make the flipper knock Kosmo back into the air. \"This'll be really hard when it's my turn...\" she said awkwardly.\n\n\"Ouch!! Ooof!! Gaaah!!\" Kosmo groaned as he bounced and spun through the pinball table. Having his body be made of steel really didn't help much. This seemed like the dumbest way to travel in the world, and Carrie wasn't incredibly good at pinball. He bounced off those loskulls, too, but his steel body cracked the flaming skulls without issue. It just made it take longer for him to reach the exit, and once he got there, he was dizzy and miserable. It didn't help that as he morphed back to normal and laid sprawled on the ground, he saw someone with wings just flying right over the pinball table! To his surprise, it was another morph, white in color with messy hair sticking out of his head. The white morph landed near him and helped him to his feet as its wings morphed away. \"Hey! You look pretty woozy, there!\" the white morph observed. Kosmo rubbed the back of his head, looking at this guy awkwardly. \"Where did you come from? What are you doing here?\" he asked. The other morph chuckled softly. \"I suppose it IS weird to see morphs around here, huh? My name's Ozzie, and I'm looking for a shady guy called Nova...\" he said, glancing around. Kosmo glanced around as well. \"Nova? He's around? I ought to keep an eye out for that guy, too. He always acted like he knew me. I might have some questions for him about that...\" he stated. Ozzie crossed his arms. \"If you know Nova, there's just two possible reasons. Either he's messed with you...or you were in cahoots with him.\" he said suspiciously. Kosmo shrugged. \"Pfft, looking for the worst in me, what else is new. After all, I am the 'evil' Kosmo…\" he grumbled. At about this moment, Espio landed next to Kosmo, rolling onto his back dizzily. \"Worse than I remember...\" he groaned. Then, Shadow and Carrie emerged together via Chaos Control. \"Can you move more than one person at a time, because if you can, I'm gonna punch you now!\" Kosmo snapped. Shadow shrugged. \"You can try it.\" he teased.\n\nOzzie continued on with them for the time being. It was a bit curious to see yet another morph wandering around, though. \"Exactly how long have you been here in our world?\" Shadow asked the stranger. Ozzie looked thoughtful. \"Hmm, how to answer that...\" he murmured. They would have to table this discussion for now, though. Espio raised his hand to halt the group, and pointed up. \"Be on your guard!\" he warned as they all looked where he was pointing to see the Egg Mobile floating their way! \"There you are! You think you can knock down one of my Cloud Cruisers and just walk away??\" Eggman shouted, \"No, sir, I believe you all need to be reminded exactly who you're dealing with! Erm… So, Firepaw, you in?\" he said, his attention turning to a monitor on his dashboard. The fiery feline who was now E-8X was onscreen, giving the doctor a wink. \"This park is about to go viral! Meowr!\" he reported. Shadow rolled his eyes. \"The video game cat again? What can he do to us out here?\" he scoffed. As if in response to his question, the neon lights of the park began to flicker, and the machinery running the attractions began to go haywire! Eggman laughed with glee at the chaos. \"If you thought Casino Park was a wild ride before, try beating the odds against a glitched casino!\" he taunted, \"Oh, and my robots will be filling the park right about now, too. See you around!\" he added, hovering away in his Egg Mobile. \"You fellas sure ticked this guy off, huh?\" Ozzie mused. \"I don't think it's funny...\" Kosmo grumbled. \"Watch out!!\" Espio gasped as a giant red dice block suddenly tumbled away from its intended area of the park, preparing to squash them all! While the others ran to avoid it, Carrie raised her hands and strained to catch it with her psychokinesis, grunting a little as she tossed it back the way they'd came, unwittingly blocking them from going back! \"What the heck is up with that giant dice block??\" she babbled, panting. \"...Why is it physically exhausting to lift something with your mind?\" Kosmo replied. \"Shut up...\" she groaned.\n\nIndeed, the park was going nuts. Fortunately they were now smart enough to skip the pinball tables by flying or Chaos Controlling past them. But they could only do that so much, and they'd have to deal with some of the rolling dice, the bounding bumpers and the giant billiard balls that were there for...some reason. On top of that, robots from Cloud Carnival had flooded the casino. Granted, they were mostly Egg Pawns, not too far off from what Shadow and Espio had faced here before only with a different costume design. There were also spike-toting Orbinauts amongst them, a bit trickier to hit but still not too much of a problem. They were merely distractions meant to put them off balance while the glitched park tried to take them out. The chaos had caused them to split up a bit, Shadow and Kosmo finding themselves separated from the others and fending off robots atop an out-of-control roulette wheel. \"H-how did they e-even get us on h-here?!\" Kosmo groaned, hanging on tightly as the wheel spun with no sign of stopping. Shadow scoffed and leapt right off, launching a homing attack and smashing an Egg Pawn that had firmly planted itself at the center of the wheel! Kosmo could see Orbinauts coming for him, so he morphed his tail into a mace as he spun around. \"I can get spiky, too...\" he growled, letting the momentum carry the spiked ball on the end of his tail and smash it against the robots as he passed by! Shadow had landed on stable ground nearby and was busy shooting at some Egg Pawns with one of their dropped weapons. \"Rrrgh! I should have captured the doctor when I had the chance! He was right in front of me!\" he grunted, frustrated with how much time Eggman was making him lose. Ozzie flew in after a moment and plucked Kosmo from the spinning roulette wheel. \"You CAN fly too, right?\" the white morph asked. \"Usually...when I'm not feeling like I have to puke...\" Kosmo moaned.\n\n\nThey met up with Carrie and Espio again roughly halfway through the park. The bingo boards were up ahead. Espio shook hands with Carrie once it seemed apparent they were safe. \"You fought well...\" he said. \"Good to see you made it...\" Shadow huffed, looking forward intently. \"I sure hope we're going in the right direction...\" Kosmo pointed out. Unfortunately, no one was contacting them over the comms with information. So, all they could do was shrug it off and keep moving. Or, they would keep moving...if they didn't find Lospecter floating in front of them! He was twirling the single Chaos Card in his hand, smirking. \"This is my kinda place... Too bad I don't have a full deck to deal from!\" he chuckled softly. Shadow clenched his fists. \"You! Whatever you're planning with Eggman, we'll put a stop to it!\" he shouted. The ghost hid his card inside his glove and dusted his hands. \"Like you stopped anything from happening to the 'ol professor's research? Hehehe...\" he taunted, only making Shadow angrier. Kosmo glanced from Shadow to Lospecter and crossed his arms. \"Ho, you don't wanna make us angry. Forget Sonic, we're the ones you should fear!\" he smirked. Lospecter did a flip and pulled out the Chaos Key. \"Oooh, really? Maybe I should summon the cavalry? Have you all torn soul from flesh by a ravenous swarm? Hmm, but I think I'd rather have a fun little race with you. Oh, who will reach the Gaia Remnants first? Who will uncover their secrets and put them to use?\" he mused with a snicker. \"Wait... The Lost Ones are interested in this, too?\" Carrie asked. Lospecter pointed his key and turned it. \"Talking time is over!\" he said, opening a portal. Through the portal, Rouletar leapt out to block the group's progress! \"What... This thing again?!\" Shadow said with surprise. Lospecter chuckled. \"Oh, we did a little experimenting without Eggman. Have a good game! Toodles!\" he said, flying into the portal himself before closing it behind him! Rouletar then glared at them with greenish eyes above his slot reels. \"It's time for a spin! But you will not win!\" the robot declared. Ozzie lightly chuckled. \"...Sorry. We're supposed to take him seriously?\" he asked, \"...Okay then...\"\n\nRouletar's slots landed on three skulls, even as the others tried in vain to attack through his tough armor. \"Your prize today is to burn away!\" the robot bellowed, spewing a number of burning loskulls from his mouth! This had to be Lospecter's doing. Shadow immediately took off around the area, tossing Chaos Spears at the loskulls to try and eliminate them quickly. \"We can't let that thing spawn more of these creatures! Figure out how to get through its armor!\" the hedgehog shouted. Rouletar's reels were already spinning again, but Kosmo tried morphing into an elephant and ramming him with his tusks! The morph fell back, shifting into his normal form and groaning. \"That's some armor!\" At the same time, the reels landed on three sevens. \"Here is your jackpot...of doom!!\" Rouletar announced, spitting out dozens of razor-edged coins at the group! Carrie was quick to grab those coins with her powers and redirect them towards the loskulls. \"Gotcha, gotcha… ack!!\" One of the coins slipped by and gashed her arm, so Ozzie quickly ran her out of the line of fire with the speed of a cheetah. \"Gah, you're bleeding, I hate blood...\" he gulped, \"B-but don't worry, I'll take care of ya!\" he winced. This left Espio, Shadow and Kosmo to deal with the slot machine robot. Espio tossed a bunch of smoke bombs to mess with Rouletar's aim. \"Guys! That robot doesn't use its mouth to speak, only to attack!\" the chameleon observed. It had speakers for talking. \"What's your point?\" Kosmo asked. \"The interior is past the armor...\" Shadow realized. Rouletar's reels had landed on three cherries. \"Tough luck! You're about to BOMB out of the battle!\" the robot cackled. Kosmo leapt out of the smoke with a smirk, suddenly morphing into a trampoline that covered Rouletar's mouth! The robot made a gagging noise as the bombs bounced back down its \"throat,\" their fuses lit. \"Oh...fudge!\" Rouletar groaned before he began exploding from the inside, sending the Kosmo-trampoline flying before the morph shifted into his gargoyle form to fly to safety! \"See, I can fly...\" he huffed. In the meantime, Shadow and Espio had finished off the loskulls, and Ozzie managed to bandage Carrie's arm. The battle seemed to be won.\n\nAs the group rested from the battle, though, they were surprised to see Mephiles float into the area! The crystalline entity was fixated on Rouletar's remains. \"Strange, an absurd creation such as this possessed a soul...\" he said, reaching his clawed hand toward the broken slot machine. A ghostly form of Rouletar appeared from the broken parts, and then condensed into a spirit orb that fit comfortably in Mephiles' hand. Shadow was staring at him with wide eyes. The Dark was still using his form. \"Mephiles… How many times do we have to destroy you?\" he asked with a low growl. The Dark gave him a somewhat blank glare, his crystalline expression frozen as his mouthless muzzle moved to speak. \"So much have we been through, Shadow... I can see now how you've changed. The certainty in your eyes. I can see the folly it would be to attempt to ask you to join me this time.\" he said, lifting the spirit orb in his hand to admire it. \"That's... a soul?!\" Kosmo gasped. Espio drew a shuriken. \"Put that down, fiend! Whatever plans you have for it cannot be pure!\" he warned. Mephiles chuckled softly. \"Well, have a look at what my allies have done with the Ultimate Lifeform blood. See the purity of their designs for yourself!\" he cried, raising his arms to call attention to a group of creatures arriving behind him! They were Lost Ones... in Shadow's image! Their eyes were green with turquoise irises, and their lower bodies ended in ghostly tails much like Lospecter! They were monsters created from Gerald's research; exactly what Shadow feared would happen! The hedgehog leapt at Mephiles in anger, but the Dark simply hovered up out of his reach! \"You had your chance in the past, Shadow. Now, watch as your image helps to destroy the world anyway. So many souls lost, in spite of your efforts! Haha... ha ha ha ha ha!!\" he laughed, melting into naught but a shadow and fleeing the scene with the Shadow Spirits rushing off behind him! Landing atop Rouletar's wreckage, Shadow banged his fist against the broken machine in aggravation. He could not allow this. Somehow, he would see the Lost Ones defeated, and he would burn Gerald's research to ash if it meant keeping it from doing further harm!\n\n\nChapter 11 - Of Morphs and Bingo\nStage 6 - Casino Park\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"Can you see all of me?\nWalk into my mystery.\nStep inside and hold on for dear life!\nDo you remember me?\nCapture you, or set you free?\nI am all, and I am all of me!\" - I Am, Shadow the Hedgehog\n\n\nGator's Crazy Adventure!!\n\n\"The Narrator says it's annoying when I pop up at the end of the story, so here I am at the beginning!\" Gator randomly says as he arrives in Station Square for the first time in this adventure. There were still a few Lost Ones slithering about, and on top of that some \"zombified\" citizens were patrolling the area, acting rather similar to how Cuthburt had been corrupted. Gator didn't seem to understand the situation, walking through the city without much unease, let alone fear. \"Yeesh, why's everyone all slimy? Take a bath once in a while, peoples...\" he murmured. A scream drew his attention, and Gator saw Cosmo the Seedrian fleeing from some human \"Lost Zombies.\" She turned around as she ran, firing her laser at them. \"Stay away from me! Aaah! I should have stayed with the others...\" she lamented, not watching where she was going and running smack into Gator! He took the laser out of her hands with an angry expression. \"Hey! No wonder people are chasing you, if you're gonna shoot at them! This really is the worst invention ever!\" the costumed fool grumbled, turning to give the laser a mighty toss, sending it into the ocean at the edge of the city! Cosmo stammered in shock. \"Y-you idiot! Those people are Lost Ones! They'll devour us!\" she cried, yelping and hiding behind Gator as the zombies shambled towards them! Gator looked at the slimy humans with a stupid smile. \"Now, now, we can talk this out...\" he murmured, only to hear \"Lossss!! Lossss!!\" in response! His smile turned into a frown as he realized Cosmo was right. \"Hey, lady, do you have another gun?\" he whimpered, looking back to see Cosmo running away in a panic. \"Save yourself!!\" she cried. \"Ohh, I skipped the Halloween special to avoid this happening to me...\" Gator gulped, screaming as the zombies piled onto him and started trying to maul him! Fortunately, this isn't a Halloween special, so Gator remembered he could teleport, and appeared behind them in a burst of smoke! \"This city's really gone downhill! First the soda tax and now people try to eat you!\" he complained, running away. Cosmo watched him escape from behind a car, sighing with slight relief. \"At least he's alright... I need...to be strong... I need to fight. To survive! ...somehow...\" she vowed.\n\n\"I hope the trains are still going... Oh! Now back to the REAL story!\" - Gator\n\n\nBINGO Highway was sprawled out before the group now. They'd have to pass it to move on. However, what was left of Cloud Carnival loomed above, sending down robots to slow their progress. \"Eggman will slow this trip to a crawl...\" Carrie the mirage sighed in frustration. Kosmo nodded, morphing wings onto his back. \"Guess someone needs to fly up there and finish the job, then!\" he suggested, planning to destroy the remaining Cloud Cruisers himself. \"Funny from the guy who couldn't remember he could fly over the pinball tables...\" Espio the chameleon murmured, making Kosmo's face turn red. \"Look, morphing into a pinball seemed like the obvious solution at the time. It takes imagination to really be good at this...\" he babbled. Ozzie morphed some angelic wings onto his own back. \"Mind if I join you up there? Walking on the ground is pretty dull anyway.\" he chuckled. Kosmo shrugged, and the pair of them took off into the air toward the Cloud Cruisers. Shadow watched them silently. He was still cursing in his mind at how he'd allowed Professor Gerald's last remaining research to be taken and tainted by the Lost Ones. \"I should've secured it in a safer place... This is on me...\" he thought. Espio snapped his fingers near the distracted hedgehog. \"We're not going to just wait here until they finish up there, are we?\" he asked. Shadow glanced at him with an unamused expression. \"Hmph… Come on, then. Try to keep up.\" he scoffed, tearing ahead at high speed! Espio and Carrie scrambled to follow behind him. \"Yeesh! Is it me or has he gone into full edgelord mode all of a sudden?\" Carrie asked, huffing and puffing as she strained just to keep up with Espio's speed. The chameleon let out a thoughtful hum. \"I surmise seeing so many villains that look like him has taken its toll.\" he concluded. He wasn't exactly wrong.\n\n\nEspio and Carrie caught up to Shadow in front of a blocked door. The ninja chameleon examined it and sighed in partial relief. \"I thought this door was gonna need casino chips...\" he shuddered. Shadow looked at him a bit impatiently. \"Well, what does it need?\" he asked. The chameleon motioned to a nearby pinball table with a bingo theme. \"We need to win a bingo. Trust me, that'll be much simpler. It's just getting back out of the pinball table that might be a problem...\" he murmured. Carrie smirked, lifting the chameleon up with her psychokinesis as he yelped in surprise. \"It might be cheating, but leave it to me. I'll get this done quickly!\" she said before putting him back down. Espio sighed to himself as he headed for the pinball table. He remembered how she played the last pinball game without targets. As Espio loaded himself into the cannon that would launch him onto the pinball table, Orbinauts and Egg Flapper robots started to float down towards them from the air! \"Well, this could make controlling pinball difficult...\" Carrie murmured as Espio was fired from the cannon! Shadow scoffed and tossed a Chaos Spear at an incoming Orbinaut. \"I'll deal with the robots... I want to hit something anyway!\" he said, leaping into action to fight them off while Carrie put her focus on playing pinball with Espio as the ball. All the violence around her made the mirage nervous, though. \"Well, don't gotta make myself an easy target...\" she said, taking a deep breath and tightening her focus even more to turn herself invisible. Shadow made a mental note of her location as he leapt up and propelled himself toward an Egg Flapper, launching into a flurry of excessive punches and kicks to rip its metallic body to pieces. He was MAD. He needed this opportunity to just let loose.\n\nFortunately, Shadow was all they needed to keep the robots at bay. The frustrated hedgehog was tearing through them like they were made of paper. Soon, however, he was faced with something genuinely dangerous. He stopped short when he saw it. A ghostly Lost One in his image. One of them had remained in the casino. This was his chance to destroy it! He charged at the LoShadow, lunging into a homing attack, and...he passed right through it. Of course, it was built like Lospecter after all. \"Losss… losss…\" the creature moaned in a deep, low voice, turning toward Shadow. Growling, the hedgehog hurled some Chaos Spears at his ghostly copy. They made it flinch, but unlike most Lost Ones, the chaos energy didn't seem to cause much damage. On top of that, the creature mimicked the motion of Shadow's hands, and hurled its own Chaos Spears back at him! Shadow leapt to dodge them, staring at the Lost One in shock. \"This isn't good. If I can't beat this thing, then the Lost Ones will have used Gerald's research to basically eliminate their main weakness!\" he realized. He ran up to the creature and focused his energy. \"Chaos Blast!!\" he cried, creating a chaotic explosion that enveloped the Lost One! The creature was thrown back by the blast, but to Shadow's dismay, it shook off the attack. Its eyes glared at him, seeming to be angry. \"Shoot...\" Shadow murmured, watching as his ghostly copy began to fly around him at high speed! He looked around, wondering what form the creature's attack would take. He realized he didn't want to find out, so he started to move around the area as well, making himself a difficult target to hit. As he tried to think of a solution, he tossed a few stray Chaos Spears at the LoShadow, while it responded in kind with its own spears. \"Hurry up with that stupid bingo game...!\" Shadow grunted. Worrying about Espio and Carrie wasn't helping.\n\n\nKosmo and Ozzie tore through one of the Cloud Cruisers in dragon form, Kosmo in his usual lizard-dragon form and Ozzie in more of a serpent-dragon form, which was no less impressive. As the ship exploded and started to fall out of the sky behind them, they reverted to their normal winged forms and hi-fived each other. \"Haha! If they thought one morph was bad, they'll never stop two!\" Kosmo laughed. \"How should we trash this one?\" Ozzie wondered as they hovered over another Cloud Cruiser. His thought was interrupted when a powerful burst of electricity suddenly came from below and zapped his body! \"Yaaaaaahh!!\" As Ozzie fell down onto the Cloud Cruiser, Kosmo looked and evaded a second electric shock, seeing a familiar robot catch Ozzie below. It was Eggman's lead Egg Pawn, E-5X, Jolt. The winged yellow robot shook a fist up at Kosmo. \"You killed Rouletar! He was our star attraction here at Cloud Carnival!\" he shouted. Kosmo scoffed. \"The whole carnival's coming down anyway! You'd best leave Ozzie there and abandon ship!\" he warned. Jolt set Ozzie on the ground and kicked him while he was out cold. \"Dumb morphs! Think you're so big! We'll blast YOU out of the sky, wise guy!\" the small robot shouted. Kosmo was surprised to see numerous cannons pop out of the ship all around, poised to shoot him right out of the air. He scrambled to dodge as they shot off...fireworks? Well, the fiery explosions wouldn't be pleasant to get caught in, anyway. Kosmo realized he'd have to land, and growled in frustration to realize that the cannons were keeping him from landing too close to Ozzie. He'd have to fight through the carnival itself to rescue him. Again. \"As if one trip through Eggman's sorry excuse for a theme park wasn't enough...\" he grumbled. The PA system came on as Kosmo landed. \"Attention, patrons! The teacup ride is out of order...due to having crashed into a casino. Thanks, Kosmo!!\" Eggman's aggravated voice announced. Kosmo shrugged. \"You're welcome.\" he sighed.\n\nPurple trumpet-toting Egg Pawns were patrolling Cloud Carnival at park-level. Kosmo recognized these Carnival Pawns, and recalled how troublesome their sound blasts could be. But they were purple, which gave him the idea to morph himself into their form to try and sneak by. If he could just creep past the ferris wheel and to the roller coaster, he could ride his way back to where Jolt was holding Ozzie. He slowly walked by, his robotic yellow eyes scanning around as he tried to act natural for an Egg Pawn...but he didn't think he could act that stupid, honestly. He underestimated their intelligence, though, as once he was halfway past the ferris wheel the Carnival Pawns turned on him. \"Uhh… What gave me away? Lack of trumpet?\" he murmured, morphing back to normal as he broke into a run! The Pawns blew their horns at him, sending powerful shockwaves in his direction! He was hit and knocked over, which served to make him mad. \"I tried this the easy way. Now you face the wrath of...\" his voice deepened as he took on a massive metallic form, \"...Rouletar!!\" If Egg Pawns could emote, they'd have very stupid, alarmed expressions on their faces as Kosmo imitated Rouletar's slot reels. They tried hitting him with their shockwaves, but even Kosmo's imitation of Rouletar's armor was too tough for them! His reels stopped on...his own face three times. \"I win whatever I want... I pick Kosmos!!\" His eyes fired his trademark Kosmos beams at the robots, too strong for them to handle. They were blown apart one by one, and then Kosmo morphed back, panting softly. \"That was a dumb form to maintain for any length of time... Now...\" He hopped on the roller coaster, and when he saw Jolt ahead, he hopped off. The yellow Pawn raised his fists. \"I've already got your buddy out cold! Whatcha gonna do, huh? Huh??\" he taunted. Kosmo rolled his eyes. He transformed himself into Jolt...only a bit taller. \"It's this simple to outdo you, little guy.\" he stated. Jolt jumped up and down, shouting unintelligibly in his anger. Kosmo sighed. \"Always the hard way...\"\n\n\nFed up with his ghostly doppelganger, Shadow used Chaos Control to stop time, and proceeded to unleash a flurry of Chaos Spears on it while it couldn't move, finishing up with a Chaos Blast! Though the speedy creature had given him a run for his money, this amount of chaos energy was too much to handle, and it was reduced to a puddle of ectoplasm. As time resumed, Carrie returned to visible form and brought Espio back to where they were with her psychokinesis, the chameleon looking rather dizzy. \"W-well... That's bingo...\" he said, dazed. \"Now the door should be open, right?\" Carrie said, prompting them to head for the door...only to find it still blocked! \"What?! Don't tell me we need to clear the entire bingo board!?\" Espio groaned. Shadow rolled his eyes, and was about to say something, when they heard an explosion overhead!\n\nA few moments earlier, Jolt had been forced to retreat, flying with his jetpack toward the next closest Cloud Cruiser now that Ozzie had recovered from his shock and left the Egg Pawn far outclassed, even with his shock powers. \"Well, that slowed us down... Shall we?\" Ozzie asked. Kosmo looked thoughtful. \"Hey, Oz... You never did tell me WHY you were looking for Nova. How exactly do YOU know him?\" he asked. Ozzie's eyes darted back and forth, and he turned away from Kosmo. \"I'm not sure I should be telling you any more than I already have. Just know that Nova's not a good guy. His actions won't have good consequences...\" he stated. Kosmo crossed his arms, but nodded. \"Well, obviously. Let's blow this thing, then.\" he said, taking a deep breath before morphing into his Kosmogon form...albeit smaller than usual. \"All this shifting is tiring me out.\" he murmured. Ozzie morphed into his serpent dragon from and nodded. \"It's like a muscle. Takes training to be able to shift a lot in a short space of time!\" he told him.\n\nAfter hearing explosions above, Shadow, Carrie and Espio were forced to run back a bit as the Cloud Cruiser that Kosmo and Ozzie had just attacked plummeted down, the front of it landing right on top of the door and smashing it! When the dust settled, Shadow and company found a wreckage in their path. \"...Oh, thank Chaos. No more bingo.\" Espio sighed. As the trio began carefully climbing over top of the wreck, Kosmo and Ozzie flew down, morphing back to their true forms as they reunited with the others. \"C-carrie! Honest, I had no idea that ship was gonna fall on your head!\" Kosmo stammered. The mirage's forked tail waggled behind her, betraying her mean expression. \"You could have killed us...\" she said. \"No he couldn't...\" Shadow remarked, continuing onward without waiting for the others. As they turned to follow, they noticed that the Cloud Cruisers were starting to fly away. \"Looks like Eggman decided to cut his losses.\" Espio observed. \"Then I guess we'll stop running into road blocks ahead.\" Kosmo said with relief. Shadow shrugged. \"Unless more of my Lost One copies turn up. I fought one while you were all preoccupied...\" he said, stopping in his tracks. It was plain to see he was troubled. \"What happened?\" Espio asked. \"Just one of those creatures gave me a run for my money. Not quite enough for me to ditch my restraint rings, but... Those things are pretty resistant to chaos energy, the Lost Ones' primary weakness. I understand why Lospecter bothered now. The Lost Ones want to eliminate their weaknesses and become unstoppable...\" he concluded, making a fist as his expression became frustrated. He blamed himself for letting this happen. Kosmo stepped closer to him and cleared his throat. \"Of course we're not going to LET them get away with it, yeah? Hopefully whatever's at that Gaia place will help.\" he said. Shadow nodded. \"Let's press on.\" he said.\n\nIt was indeed a fairly uneventful trip once they'd gotten past the downed Cloud Cruiser, most of the way. However, as the group neared the end of Casino Park, of all people, Nova the morph stepped into their path. Ozzie pointed at him as if to shout aha! \"I knew I'd tracked you to this area! Nova, I'm here to, uh... arrest you!\" the white morph shouted. Nova looked at him funny. \"Do I know you? Don't tell me I'm actually missed back home...but Kosmo isn't?\" he asked. Kosmo had to interject here. \"So you confirm it... I had a life on the morph planet before Bucky... What happened to me, Nova!? Why was I dead?!\" he shouted, \"It... it was you, wasn't it!?\" he growled accusingly. Nova cackled softly. \"You were dead? Good... Too bad you came back! Yes, we happened to down one another's ships! Call it a difference of opinion! And you stranded me on this forsaken rock! I'll be glad to kill you again for it!\" he sneered. Shadow grabbed Kosmo's arm, holding the morph back. \"Where's your mask, Nova? I understand you stole it from Shade.\" he questioned. A new voice cackled nearby, and the group was surprised to see Tabitha the orange cat flying over on her broomstick, pointy hat and all. \"Is it Halloween all of a sudden?\" Espio questioned. Tabitha snickered. \"You asked, I'll answer. Blue boy here has grown to fear the effect the mask is having on his mind. So, as a fellow member of the Coven Despair, I've offered to take that off his hands. I can make such an accessory work for me...\" she winked, leaning against her broom. \"I doubt I wanna see you in it, as much as I don't wanna see your face.\" Carrie scoffed. Nova growled at the spotlight being taken from him. \"I don't need Enerjak's power to kill you! I'll drown you myself, Kosmo!\" he shouted, his body taking on a liquid state! Tabitha started to fly up high, cackling. \"I'll keep the other wretches out of your business, my drippy friend! Then perhaps you'll grant me a wish!\" she laughed. Espio gulped. \"Mighty and Ray warned me about this one...\" he grumbled.\n\nAs Kosmo and Nova charged at one another, Tabitha flew in a circle around the others, casting a ring of fire around them. Carrie tried to grab the witch with her psychic powers, but she couldn't get a grip on her. \"Ugh, she's resisting me... Well, I'm not making myself a target.\" she said, becoming invisible again. \"I could try that too, but my focus is better served elsewhere...\" Espio said, lifting a shuriken and taking aim. The witch cackled a bit and tossed a spell at the shuriken in his hand, transforming it into a snake! \"Gah!!\" the chameleon gasped. \"I thought only we could do that...\" Ozzie murmured. Shadow scoffed and stepped forward. \"You all stay back. I'll handle this one and her tricks.\" he said. \"Forgive me if I don't trust them to mind their business...\" Tabitha said, snapping her fingers and somehow causing the snake Espio had dropped to multiply! As Espio and Ozzie backed away nervously, Shadow leapt at the witch, only to be repelled by an invisible barrier around her! \"Not used to fighting against magic, are you?\" she smirked. Shadow scoffed, unimpressed, and leapt out of the way as the witch hurled a fiery spell at him! There had to be a way to get past her defenses...\n\nIn the meantime, though, Kosmo found himself surrounded by Nova's watery form as he coiled around him in an elastic fashion. The solid morph turned his hands into large blades and tried to slice through, but you can't cut through water! Nova began to wrap his liquid body around Kosmo's head, snickering. \"I'll enjoy listening to you drown...\" However, though Kosmo initially gagged, he quickly composed himself, and appeared to be fine. Looking carefully, Nova could see he'd added gills to his anatomy. \"That's the trouble with morph-on-morph combat...\" he grumbled, turning his fist into solid glacier-strength ice before giving Kosmo a hard punch to the gut! The purple morph was knocked backward, but he was out of Nova's watery grip now. \"You really like lording your ability to turn into water over other morphs, hm?\" Kosmo grunted. Nova's body bubbled as his watery form started to boil. \"It does open creative avenues that you can't dream of! Now, I'll scald you!\" he sneered. Kosmo thought about what he could do, and suddenly transformed into Jolt again, his body sparking! \"How well do you take to electricity?\" he asked as Nova grabbed onto him without thinking. Electric current zapped through both of their bodies, but Kosmo was in a robotic form at least. Nova wailed in agony as the shock ran through his every atom! He returned to a solid state and fell backward, a bit charred!\n\nCarrie was fed up. She picked up all the magical snakes with her powers and held them in the air in a coiled ball. \"Hey, witchy! How's your barrier hold up against your own creations!?\" she shouted, tossing the ball of snakes at her! Tabitha blocked the attack with a different, more colorful barrier. \"Calling out your attack is really helpful, thanks.\" she smirked. She suddenly felt a weight on her broom. Turning, she saw Shadow standing on the back of it. \"Would you like to hear your mistake?\" he said with a smirk. A moment later, Tabitha fell out of the sky, and her ring of fire faded. Ozzie ran for the wounded Nova, but Tabitha wasn't quite down and out. She stood up and summoned another huge flame, blocking the path between herself, Nova and the others. She then scooped Nova onto her broomstick and started to fly off. \"One of us needs that mask of yours for next time... Until then... Fare thee well!\" she said with a cackle as she flew off. With her flame barrier fading, Ozzie started to dash off in the direction they'd gone. \"Uhh, see ya, guys! I gotta catch that Nova!\" he shouted. Kosmo looked from Ozzie to Shadow. \"I'm tempted to go after Nova as well. Kill him for killing me... But... Saving the world from the Lost Ones is more important, right?\" he said, looking to Shadow. The black hedgehog smiled and nodded. Kosmo had grown so much since Shadow had met him, and he felt a bit proud as sort of his mentor, but he didn't feel the need to say anything about it. Espio started after Ozzie instead. \"They could be trouble if they start using the power of that mask. I'll monitor the situation... unless Vector needs me for something else.\" he murmured. This left Shadow, Kosmo and Carrie. \"Well, we're at the end of the casino.\" Carrie said, \"Now what?\" Shadow tapped the communicator in his ear. \"Tails? Can you hear us? We need directions, if you can help...\" he said.\n\n\nChapter 12 - Return to Death Row\nStage 7 - Deathbringer Row\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"I awakened in a dark abyss.\nHeld captive, can't get outta this.\nI long to learn the feeling of true bliss.\nI long to hold you, I'm dreamin' of your kiss.\nI'll fight each day 'till I can be with you.\nEscape my prison, find the path that's true...\n\nI'm the dark angel...\nA captive from the light.\nThe dark angel...\nForced into this evil plight.\nI'm flying as a dark angel for eternity!\" - Dark Angel, Theme of Copter, by 2BIT\n\n\nCopter, Gemini and Chopper had gone back to Tails' Workshop to rest, while Timothy was escorting Fred to break the news of what had happened to Cuthburt to their friends. \"That Nega guy sure left a mess...\" Chopper remarked, looking around at the smashed gadgets in Tails' lab. \"At least he didn't burn the place down...\" Gemini sighed. Copter had found an old television and was checking to see if it worked. The only signal he was getting was static. \"Hey, Gemini... Couldn't we just time travel to save everyone? You know when the Lost Ones came into being.\" he pointed out. Gemini took a seat by one of Tails' work benches and heaved a heavy sigh. \"No, the Zodiac Council may be gone in this time, but they are still active elsewhere in history. If we try to change the past like that, we'll alert Ophiuchus.\" she pointed out. Copter knew this. \"Right, right. Not only will he stop us, but he'll figure out we stopped him.\" he murmured. Chopper chuckled softly. \"What's an Offa-achoo?\" he asked. Copter gulped, not wanting to explain his villainous turn as Aries to his son. He didn't have to, though. The TV's static suddenly faded as it picked up a signal. \"Huh?\" the trio murmured, looking. Katie the coyote appeared onscreen, behind bars and looking scared. \"What!? Katie!?\" Copter gasped. The dark-furred coyote looked at someone behind the camera nervously before starting to speak. \"Th-this is not a report. I'm being held captive by the Lost Ones in what used to be the Hopebringer Center! They have a number of hostages, but they say they'll leave us unharmed... If Gemini the fennec will come here within the hour!\" she said, shuddering as she clutched the bars, \"Chet, please stay awa-\" The camera turned around, and Lospecter's face filled the screen. \"Gemmie! Gemmie-poo! You watching? Better hurry! Go ahead and bring the boyfriend, whatever. I'd enjoy a snack while we chat!\" The TV returned to static while a ring tone was heard from Chopper. \"Ahh! Of all times!\" He pulled a ProwerPhone from his pocket, and a brown coyote wearing a red vest and crescent moon pendent necklace appeared on the screen. He was visibly panicked. \"Chopper! M-my mom!\" he stammered. Chopper nodded. \"We just saw. I assume you're coming? Where can I meet you, Casey?\" he asked. Copter and Gemini ignored the kids, looking at each other seriously. \"Trap.\" they both said at once. \"Good, long as we agree.\" Copter said. \"We can't ignore it, though. Even if they have no intention of actually leaving the hostages unharmed, we have to try to help them.\" Gemini told him. Copter nodded and crossed his arms. \"Never wanted to go back to that island, though...\" he murmured. Chopper put away his phone and looked to his father. \"I'll catch up with you as soon as I can. Stay safe, dad...\" he said, hesitating a moment before suddenly giving Copter a tight hug. Copter was surprised, but hugged back. \"You too, kiddo...\" he said.\n\n\nMeanwhile, Katie slumped against the bars of her cell. A certain yellow porcupine stepped up to her and coughed softly, catching her attention. \"You okay, Tommy?\" she asked. Tommy rubbed his arm and frowned. \"I-I'm worried about my brother. He's out there...\" he said. \"I'm sure he's okay...\" came a comforting voice from the next cell over. It was Cream the rabbit, \"Our friends will find us. I know it...\" she whispered. Amy Rose was sharing a cell with Cream, and tapped her foot impatiently. \"Why did they record a message for Gemini and not Sonic?? Don't they realize who they've got here!?\" she complained. Cream held Cheese the Chao tightly and looked at Amy with concern. \"You don't WANT Sonic to walk into a trap, do you?\" she asked. Amy held the bars, looking sad. \"I just want to know he's okay...\" she stated. Looking around outside the cell, she noticed guards appeared scarce. \"Nuts to this! Let's go!\" she said, producing a Piko Piko Hammer and swiftly smashing open the bars of her cell! An alarm immediately went off. \"Ooops…\" she gulped. \"Amy, what were you thinking!\" Cream gasped. Lospides were starting to charge down the halls. Amy clutched her hammer tightly and made a decision. \"Fly, Cream. I won't leave you in a cage again like that time with Eggman… I'll make a diversion, and you can escape!\" she declared, charging forward and swatting the first lospide with her hammer! \"Amy, no! I-I can't leave you!\" Cream gasped. Amy kept fighting. \"You have to! Get Sonic and Tails! I'll hang on until then!\" she shouted, her hammer knocking spider after spider aside! \"What foolhardy farce is this?! Halt thy flight!\" the voice of Loskeletor was heard behind them. Realizing she had no choice, Cream flapped her wings, holding Cheese tightly as she hurried past the lospides! Their webs were shooting Amy, tying her up as Cream escaped. \"Unngh!! Let go! Sonic will make you sorry!\" Amy grunted. Loskeletor stepped to Katie's cell. \"Tsk, such foolishness... I suppose you three will suffice for my designs...\" he said, reaching into the cell for Katie. \"No, what are you doing?! Wait!!\" she cried.\n\n\nThe Hurricane and usual Tornado being unavailable, Copter and Gemini borrowed the Tornado-1 from Tails' garage. With the aid of the plane, they were able to arrive at the island that once housed Death Row, then was repurposed to the Hopebringer Center. Now, the building looked like a strange blending of the two concepts, as it appeared that Gunner had been in the process of remodeling the place back into a prison. As they landed the plane near the shore of the island and hopped out, Copter was quick to notice someone creeping at the prison's front gate. It was Chet, the orange cheetah dressed in red who had become Experiment 16 through Bucky resurrecting him. Copter ran to catch up to him. \"Yo! How widespread was that broadcast??\" he shouted. Chet jumped, spinning around with his claws bared. \"Don't sneak up on a guy! And don't try to stop me, Copter! That's Katie in there!\" he said frantically. He always did get a bit nuts when Katie was in danger. \"Dude, we're all here to rescue her.\" Copter pointed out. During this exchange, Gemini was using magic to unlock the door. \"Hmm, I expected more trouble.\" she stated. Chet looked at the open door and sighed. \"Thank you, guys. And hey, Copter, I'm glad you've moved on from Kate and found someone.\" the cheetah said, clicking his tongue. Copter blinked to process what he was implying. \"Huh? You mean that crack Lospecter made about Gemini having a boyfriend? H-he's just goofing on us like he does!\" he babbled, blushing as he followed the others through the door. \"Yeah...he's a goof...\" Gemini murmured, blushing as well. An alarm blared as they stepped in, and the walls flickered with screens depicting the face of Richard Gunner! \"Oh, yuck!\" Copter groaned. \"You are trespassing on government property! By my authority as your president, I welcome you to your new home; Deathbringer Row!\" he announced, \"Obviously, robots are on the way!\" he added. Copter rolled his eyes. \"I broke out of this place once and now I have to break in. What is my luck??\" he groaned. \"Hey, good point! Lead the way, expert!\" Chet said, nudging Copter to the front. He let out a sarcastic laugh. But...at least this was familiar ground for him.\n\nThe trio made it to the first spiral staircase quickly. At least they'd fixed the oddly-placed window that Copter had knocked Guard through so long ago, but there was still no visible elevator that they could find. Apparently this was so that robots could swarm anyone making their way upstairs. But these were the same old GUN robots, they didn't even appear to be bolstered by Lost One possession. Chet sped up the stairs, avoiding lasers and getting around the shield of a hunter robot at the top of the steps, slashing his claws at any weak point he could find! Gemini followed along, pointing her wand about. \"Blastrotall!\" each bolt she fired easily dispatched a beetle, sending chaos drives rolling down the stairs. Copter leapt onto the rail, grinding upward briefly before leaping up, spinning his tails and flying at some bomb-toting hornet robots above. \"Chaos Whirlwind!!\" he shouted, blowing his chaotic wind upward, knocking the robots into one another, setting off their bombs! Their broken parts fell down toward him and Copter yelped, rapidly flying down the spiral staircase and weaving to avoid the falling debris! Gemini looked down over the railing. \"You okay, sweetie?\" she called out. \"Sweetie??\" Copter called up from the stairs below, sounding indignant. Gemini giggled softly. \"Guess that's a yes. We'll go on ahead! Catch up when you can!\" she called. Down below, Copter was starting back up the steps. \"Teasing me when I could be dead, real cute...\" he mumbled. He shivered as he felt a drop of water hit his fur. \"Shoot...\" he growled as he looked up through the indoor rain and spotted the Doomsayer. \"Welcome back, dark fox...\" the hooded one mused. \"What possible use are your annoying speeches now!?\" Copter spat. The Doomsayer crossed his arms. \"Oh, none. There's no saving you. I was just reminiscing on our first meeting. How little you've grown.\" he said, a hissing laugh escaping him. Copter took a defensive stance. \"I learned how you fight. You won't surprise me this time!\" he warned. The Doomsayer stood firm. \"Oh, you'll fight. And I'll be there. I witnessed your beginning here, and I will witness your final end.\" he said darkly, the rain becoming blindingly harsh after that before ceasing entirely, and when Copter wiped the rain from his eyes, the Doomsayer was gone. \"We'll see who ends first...\" Copter huffed.\n\nGemini and Chet arrived at the first of two balconies that wrapped around the \"Deathbringer Row\" facility. There were several doors they could try from here, but it seemed best to wait for Copter before moving on. \"I know this is a serious mission and all, but if you want my expert opinion, Gemini; I'm not sure the ghost guy was goofing on you two. I mean, you and Copter, you're like a team these days. Hardly see one without the other.\" Chet pointed out. Gemini shrugged. \"One obvious flaw, I've met Copter's son from the future. He doesn't know me.\" she pointed out. \"Ohhhhh…\" Chet murmured, rubbing the back of his head, \"Maybe you died?\" he said awkwardly, realizing that didn't help as he said it. Suddenly, they heard a scream above them! \"Oh, thank Chaos, someone in trouble!\" Gemini sighed, relieved to have an out for this conversation. As she was warping to the upper balcony, Copter stepped through the door and looked around. \"Hey, where's Gem?\" he asked. Chet pointed up. \"So, you got a kid?\" he smirked. Above them, Cream and Cheese were cornered by a giant pumpkin with writhing vines, otherwise known as Loscream. Not only that, but smaller floating pumpkins known as losolanturns were surrounding her. \"Give up, girl. If you continue to struggle, I will simply devour you!\" Loscream bellowed. Cream clutched Cheese tightly and covered her eyes with her ears. \"T-tails... I'm sorry...\" she whimpered. Just then, Gemini appeared between her and Loscream! \"Well! Uh, hi!\" the fennec squeaked, quickly lifting her wand. \"Proplasmar!!\" She cast a barrier around herself and Cream, but the pumpkins rammed it repeatedly, quickly putting cracks in it! \"Hold on to me, Cream! Galaporta!!\" Gemini shouted, warping them back to the balcony below, right between Chet and Copter! Cream looked, seeing a two-tailed fox, and just wrapped her arms around Copter and sobbed. \"I'm sorry, I had to leave Amy and the others behind, and I almost got caught by those scary monsters!\" she wailed, Cheese crying with her. Copter patted her head, making a face. \"H-hey... I think maybe you should talk to Tails. Wanna borrow my ear piece?\" he asked. \"Good luck getting a signal...\" Gemini sighed. Loscream peeked over the side of the upper balcony and laughed. \"We've been expecting you! Come up and say hello!\" the pumpkin cackled. Chet put a hand on his hip and frowned. \"Now we're getting mocked by vegetables. Great.\" he said.\n\nCopter wasn't sure which door to enter next. He didn't exactly escape from this place last week, and the building had been renovated multiple times since the last time he'd been here. He picked a door he thought was right, but quickly found himself in an unfamiliar area. The hall led them to a laboratory, the place where Dr. Nammad would experiment on the prisoners. \"What kind of doctor's office is this?\" Cream asked nervously, looking at the frightening equipment in the room. Looking around a bit more, they saw a table where a familiar face was strapped down. \"Katie!!\" Chet gasped. Copter yanked his arm, pointing at a man in a lab coat standing over her. The man turned, and his form shifted into that of an anthropomorphic snake! Gemini gasped in shock. \"O-Ophiuchus!! No, not possible! You're...\" she babbled. \"Trapped in an empty dimension? Left for dead? Was that what you were going to say?\" he asked, turning some gemstones around in his hand. They looked like the stone on the tip of Gemini's wand. Chet growled softly. \"Exactly what are you doing to Katie??\" he shouted. Ophiuchus hissed softly. \"My freedom and continued survival has a price. If I can't offer the Lost Ones something, all I can offer them is my soul. Quite a reversal of fortune... But thanks to you, my power and my wings are gone, so I must provide these creatures with a reason to keep me around...\" he said. Without his powers, the Chaos Stones in his hand had to be the way he'd transformed earlier. \"You didn't answer the question.\" Copter growled softly, letting go of Chet's arm. Ophiuchus smirked. \"Shouldn't the answer be obvious, Aries? What I can offer the Lost Ones is my knowledge about the workings of magic. After all, I was trained by the great hero, Astra! How is the old girl?\" he asked, raising an eyebrow as if knowing the answer and aiming to get a rise out of them. Gemini pointed her wand at him. \"You're nothing without your powers! Let Katie go!\" she shouted. Cream tugged at her shirt. \"S-something's not right... Miss Katie is so quiet...\" she murmured. Chet bared his claws. \"Enough!!\"\n\nChet was unable to contain himself. He charged forward, kicking Ophiuchus to the side and slashing his claws at the straps holding Katie down! The snake took a couple steps back, acting quite pained, covering his face as if to shield from more blows. However, his eye had a sinister gleam as he watched Chet help Katie to her feet. \"You're okay, Kate... I gotcha…\" he said with relief. To his surprise, Katie began to laugh, and grabbed hold of him tightly! \"H-hey! What gives, babe?\" Chet gasped, looking at her in confusion. \"Didst thou forget?\" That phrasing made Gemini quickly realize what was happening. \"Chet, get away from her!!\" she cried. Chet looked at Gemini in confusion, and then back to Katie, gasping with alarm as her flesh began to melt away! \"With a mere pinch of DNA, I am capable of performing any role on the world's stage to perfection! Fools such as ye cannot possess foresight enough to spot me!\" Clutching Chet tightly, the false Katie revealed her true form as Loskeletor to his horror! Copter and Gemini started forward to do something, but Ophiuchus stood in their way. \"Oh, you would do well not to be so hasty now that we have another hostage!\" he smirked as Loskeletor turned Chet to face him. \"Don't listen to him, guys! Tear him apart! Find Katie!\" he shouted. Ophiuchus smirked widely. \"What was it you said? I'm...nothing? Well, how's this for nothing!\" he said, clutching the Chaos Stones in his hand tightly and turning to Chet, pointing that hand in his direction! \"Hypnoconquera!!\" he shouted, casting the forbidden spell of his own creation on Chet! \"No!!\" Gemini and Copter gasped. The cheetah's expression went blank as Loskeletor released him from his grip, chuckling in his raspy voice. Ophiuchus turned to Copter and Gemini. \"I know Lospecter wants you alive, Gemini, but I have a debt to pay you. Slave, destroy them!\" he said, snapping his fingers. Chet moaned softly. \"D-destroy... Yes, sir...\" Cream clutched cheese tightly, whimpering. \"I-I want to go home!\" she cried. Copter turned to her. \"Kid! Snap out of it! We need you! Help us subdue Chet!\" he shouted. Cream looked at him nervously. \"Y-you...need us?\" she questioned. The sight of Katie melting into Loskeletor was horrifying for the rabbit, but she had to pull herself together. She had to be strong...for her friends!\n\nOphiuchus moved to the back of the room, content to watch what was about to unfold. \"You won't be able to break my spell! He'll kill you or you'll kill him!\" he taunted. Loskeletor cracked his neck as he rose to his full height. \"T'would be tragic for Lospecter not to get what he desires out of the fennec... And I thrive on tragedy!\" he cackled, firing beams from his eyes directly in Gemini's direction! She moved to block it with a spell, but the beam actually knocked the wand from her hand! \"Gah!! No!\" she gasped, scrambling to grab it as it bounced away, Loskeletor creeping toward her! \"Gem, look out!\" Copter shouted, only to be swiftly blocked and kneed in the gut by Chet! \"I'm sure I...probably...deserve that...\" Copter grunted, doubling over. \"That's right. First Katie, then Violet, now Gemini! How many girls you gotta drag into your twisted life, anyway?\" the cheetah said harshly, lifting Copter up by the chest scruff. \"Chao!!\" Cheese suddenly whacked him in the back of the head, making him drop Copter and turn to the rabbit. \"Oh, and let's not forget her! Haha, Tails locked her up like a prisoner!\" he taunted, dashing over to attack her! Cream flapped her ears and flew out of his reach, looking down at him angrily. \"He was trying to protect us from Eggman! I didn't like it, but... Don't lie about him like that!\" she shouted. \"The mind control's making him say these things, Cream!\" Copter assured her, yanking the cheetah's tail to draw his attention away from her. Meanwhile, Gemini was frantically evading Loskeletor's lasers, trying to get close to her wand. \"Ohhh... Fiddlesticks...\" she groaned, grabbing an old doctor's mirror from among the medical equipment in the lab. \"Here, you bone head!\" she said, using the reflective surface to deflect Loskeletor's laser and create an opening to reach her wand! \"What are you fools doing?!\" Ophiuchus shouted. \"Poriftica!\" Gemini shouted, opening a dimensional portal behind Loskeletor! \"What foolery is this?!\" the skeleton questioned. Copter flew in front of him. \"Chaos Whirlwind!!\" he cried, blowing Loskeletor into the portal and into pieces with his chaotic wind! \"Et tu fox boy!!\" he wailed. Gemini sealed the portal. \"Where's Chet?\" she wondered. Cream and Cheese were sitting on him. \"Say you're sorry!\" she insisted.\n\nOphiuchus groaned softly. \"You can have his mind back...\" he said, waving his Chaos Stones before rushing out of the room. Chet groaned with Cream sitting on him. \"What happened? What's that weird taste in my mouth? And why are you squashing me?\" he babbled. \"You said Tails and Copter were bad. Apologize right now!\" Cream said sternly. Chet whimpered softly. \"Uhh… Sorry...\" he babbled, \"I don't know what came over me.\" he said. Copter helped him up once Cream was off him. \"I know I've made mistakes. I'm going to do my best to be better. That's all one can do, isn't it?\" he said. Chet clasped his hand tightly. \"I know you'll be a good dad, Copter.\" he smiled. The moment was brought to a sudden end as metal doors slammed closed over the exits, sealing them in! \"So touching, so sweet! The friendships between all of you! Ohh… If only I had a soul to care!\" laughed Lospecter as he passed through the wall, \"Be a dear and tell me where you banished William just now, wouldja? It's gonna be such a pain searching every dimension.\" he said to Gemini. \"William's dead, and so is Spiro!\" Gemini spat. This got a chuckle out of the ghost. \"Well, that's what we've been saying! Let's get down to brass tacks then. All I want is you, Gems. Give your magical self up, and I'll let the others go, bunny, coyote and all. I'll even let your noble boyfriend who bravely faced down his own dark side walk away, despite how much he makes me sick!\" he said, pretending to lean his ghostly body against the wall. Gemini looked at the others and then back at Lospecter. \"Why me?\" she asked as though considering his offer. \"You're special. Even compared to the Gemini that we defeated in that other dimension. You've got something she hasn't got. But to find out, you have to come with me...\" he said. Copter stepped between them. \"That's never gonna happen!\" he shouted. \"That's right! We won't let you take her!\" Cream chimed in. Lospecter pouted. \"You know, bunny, we really wanted you to lure the other fox boy in. His death will so break everyone's spirits! Ah, well. You kids chill here and think over my proposal. See you soooon!\" the spirit said, slipping through the wall and leaving them trapped. Gemini twirled her wand. \"Chill here, yeah right...\" she smirked.\n\n\nAmy was locked in another cell with increased guard now. She stood close to the bars with her arms folded and an anxious expression on her face, hoping Cream was okay. As she worried about her, footsteps approached her cell. She saw a silhouette in the darkness. \"Sonic?\" she questioned. But stepping into the light, she screamed softly to see Apocalos, the leader of the Lost Ones, part hedgehog, part dinosaur, all monster. He looked at her with a wide, fang-filled smile. \"I've a question for you...\" he said, wrapping his clawed fingers around the bars, his piercing eyes glowing golden as they stared into her soul, \"Would you prefer a short, finite, essentially meaningless life spent with that emotion you call 'love...' Or would you choose to be eternal, everlasting, one that truly matters in this existence, though unchaining yourself from such deep emotion as 'love' in order to accomplish this.\" he asked. Amy looked at him nervously. She'd never seen a creature so frightening as him before. Still, she answered. \"I would choose love... Always. The fact that you clearly wouldn't, just shows that you've never felt love!\" she said shakily, but with conviction. Apocalos reached a clawed hand through the bars toward her, making her yelp and recoil as he grinned widely. \"Oh, Rex did feel love. He felt great love... And where did that get him?\" he asked, pulling his arm back and stepping backward into the shadows again, his eyes glowing in the darkness. \"He was a fool. As are you. Choose love, my dear. Wallow in it. But know this... He will die.\" he said, starting to laugh softly as Amy shuddered, watching him. \"Sonic the hedgehog will die!\" Apocalos declared, walking away and leaving a frightened Amy to wipe a tear from her eye. \"Sonic... I won't let them hurt you... Somehow... I'll find you!\" she sniffled.\n\n\nChapter 13 - Break In Breakout\nStage 7 - Deathbringer Row\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"Oooohhh!! You can't beat time, can't stop your fate!\nI'm an immortal slime, and you're a snack on my plate!\nYou thought you could ditch me, but I'm up in yo' head!\nNow you'll waste in this cell, and I'll make your world un-dead!!\" - Lospecter's Gloat; song by 2BIT\n\n\nAn explosion took care of the door blocking their way forward. Copter coughed softly, waving smoke away from his face. \"Wasn't there a way through with more...finesse?\" he asked. Gemini crossed her arms. \"Maybe I'm angry. Lospecter's doing things to get to me...again!\" she huffed. They headed into the next hall, Chet and Cream following behind. The path ahead seemed strangely calm and quiet, so there was time to think. \"What do you think Lospecter wants you for, anyway?\" Copter asked. Gemini threw up her arms. \"I'm sure I don't know! He's already got Ophi, what could I possibly offer him? All he needs is to get Ophi a wand and he's a better mage than I am!\" she ranted. Chet was watching Copter and Gemini banter like an old married couple, and rubbed his chin. \"Man, I'd be so sure they'd end up together... But apparently Copter's kid doesn't know Gemini.\" he murmured. Cream glanced at him. \"His...kid?\" she asked. \"From the future.\" he explained, \"...I wonder who the mom is.\" he questioned, folding his arms in thought. Cream looked at Copter and giggled softly. \"Maybe it's Miss Heather! Weren't they close?\" she suggested. Chet tilted his head. \"I don't see it. I think she's more into Guard. Maybe...Copter gets back with Violet?\" he suggested. Cream made a face. \"They weren't very good together...\" she said bluntly. \"Ahem!!\" Copter grunted, looking back at them. \"I hope you two are discussing something useful, like maybe you have an idea why the Lost Ones specifically want Gemini?\" he asked. Cream smiled awkwardly. \"D-does she have any interesting knowledge of the future?\" she suggested. Gemini shook her head. \"What use is knowledge of the future? The Lost Ones are altering the future. This invasion never happened. With Ophi under their thumb, he can't delay them anymore.\" she babbled, \"I changed the past so this is all my fault...\" Copter patted her shoulder. \"We all decided to take action. It's not just your fault.\" he said.\n\nThey soon found another of the spiral staircases. \"Ugh, why can't Gunner invest in an elevator?\" Copter complained. Peering into the stairwell, they gasped to see the losolanturns from before patrolling the area, floating around the spiral stairway. \"Well, nothing to do but smash some pumpkins...!\" Copter growled, yelping as Chet pulled him and Gemini back into the previous hall. \"Hold up, I've got an interesting idea!\" he said, \"What if...we were to somehow reprogram the GUN robots to attack the Lost Ones?\" he suggested. Copter looked at him like he was nuts. \"Chet, Gemini can't just go Abra-ka-reprogramma and make that work... You can't can ya?\" he asked, looking at the fennec. \"N-no... Magic isn't really that compatible with technology...\" Gemini babbled. Cream hopped to get their attention. \"You know... If the robots are connected to a computer... I could give it a try!\" she offered. They looked at her with surprise. \"You??\" Copter blurted. Cream smiled. \"Yes. I help Tails in his workshop sometimes. He's been teaching me. I'm not great at building but the computer isn't too hard!\" she said with a giggle. They all looked around at each other and shrugged. \"What have we got to lose?\" Chet asked. \"Everything.\" Copter pointed out, \"But we might as well try it.\" With that settled, they started to head backwards. Copter had a good idea of where Gunner's old control room would have been...he thought. He might have been brought there before being shoved into his cell, for processing or some such. Along the way back to the lab, they ran into Chopper. \"Hey, dad! W-where ya goin?\" he asked. \"We'll talk on the way, how the blazes did you get here?\" Copter asked. Juice the hedgehog, Sonic's son, was running up behind Chopper. \"Our group salvaged your black plane!\" he reported. The Hurricane had gone down with a GUN Warship at the fall of the Security Tower. \"You flew my plane?\" Copter asked. Chopper chuckled awkwardly, while the third member of his group ran up behind Juice. It was Casey the coyote, Chopper's best friend and Katie's son. \"Hey... Why we turnin' the other way?\" he asked. Chet stared at the boy in surprise, particularly at his pendant. \"Wh-where did you get that?\" he stammered, pointing at the crescent moon pendant. Casey held it in his hand. \"Uhh… from mom...\" he murmured. Chet reached into his pocket and produced an identical pendant. Casey's eyes widened. \"...Dad?\" Watching this exchange, Copter stifled a chuckle. \"Chet's boy's a bit scrawny, isn't he?\" he whispered to Gemini. She rolled her eyes in response. \n\nSo, together they all made their way back to the first balcony where they'd be able to find the door to Gunner's control room. Juice explained how he'd been separated from his own father during the Lost Ones' invasion. \"So, I was helping out any way I could. Venice and I dug through all the scrap and found that black plane in pieces. There was this beaver robot already nearby looking for it, he patched it up.\" he explained. Copter chuckled softly. \"Sounds like Hoover's doing alright...\" he said, and opened the door he thought would lead to the control room. It was dark inside, so he found a light switch and flipped it. \"Monsters!! You won't take me alive!!\" someone shouted, shooting blindly towards the door! \"Proplasmar!!\" Gemini quickly erected a magical barrier to protect them until the person inside calmed down. Peering his head out from under a desk, he was revealed to be a GUN agent wearing purple shades. \"O-oh, it's you! Gunner would want me to throw you out but never mind! M-monsters! Ghosts! They ate all my friends! Y-you gotta help me!\" he whimpered. \"Oh, you work for Gunner, do you?\" Juice said with clenched fists. \"He killed my father's weird time-space copy...and also probably my father!\" Chopper growled. The agent backed up, whimpering nervously. Copter glanced at Chopper. \"Copy... Dimentime's dead?\" Chopper had avoided telling Copter too much about the future, but it was already clear that he himself was dead in Chopper's time. Hearing about Dimentime's death was a bit surprising. Chet took it upon himself to calm the angry kids. \"Hey, hey! This guy ain't Gunner! Uh, yo, what's your name?\" he asked. The frightened man babbled. \"Ah, A-agent 77...\" then he realized that his code name was pretty unnecessary here, \"Um... Steven...\" he murmured. Chopper and Juice's expressions softened, and Chet nodded. \"'Kay, Steve, maybe you can help us. We need a computer linked to the robots.\" he said. Cream smiled gently. \"Please help us, Mr. Agent. Our friends are being held by those creatures.\" she said. Steven stood up slowly, lifting his shades to show his gentle brown eyes. \"Aww... You're adorable- why'd I ever stay with Gunner? Okay, uh...what're we doing with the robots?\" he asked.\n\nAnd so, Agent 77, or \"Steven,\" sat down at one of the control room's computers, setting to work trying to establish a link with the remaining robots. There was a free computer nearby, so Chopper sat down and started messing with it. \"This is no time for games, kiddo.\" Copter told him. Chopper chuckled softly. \"When you're a gamer, you learn a thing or two about software... I think I can find where your friends are being held!\" he said. Chet and Casey rushed to his side, shoving Copter out of the way. \"Katie??\" \"My mom??\" they said at once. Chet's tail stood on end when he heard Casey call Katie his mom. He blushed a little. Chopper groaned softly having them both hovering over him. \"You both have the same impatience, you know that?\" he murmured. In the meantime, Juice and Gemini were watching Cream work at the other computer, Juice finding himself holding on to Cheese as the Chao fidgeted. \"I know little Chao, I don't like being cooped up here, either...\" he murmured. \"Well, I hope you two know what you're doing because this is all gibberish to me...\" Gemini said, looking at the screen. Cream giggled. \"We've got this! Almost done!\" At that moment, Chopper had gotten some camera feeds up on the other computer. Amy's cell appeared onscreen, and Juice nearly dropped Cheese in surprise. \"Ah, err, uh... Wh-what's she doing there!?\" he babbled. Copter sighed. \"Making our lives that much harder...\" he murmured. Chopper clicked off the camera feeds and nodded. \"I've got the location of the cells. I think all their prisoners will be there.\" he said. Steven wiped his brow. \"I think we got it! The robots will try to take out those monsters instead of you! ...Probably!\" he said. \"Probably?\" Copter grumbled. \"Well... I'll stay here and keep fine-tuning...\" the agent said. \"Oh, I feel LOADS better...\" Copter sighed. Chet stood up and turned for the door. \"No more time to waste! Let's go save our friends!\" he shouted.\n\nAnd so, the group rushed back to the stairwell they'd found earier. Chet had raced there ahead of the others, being the fastest. \"I hope this works because I'm not sure what the junior brigade can do against Lost Ones...\" Copter said to Gemini. \"Hey! We came to the past to save YOU guys!\" Juice retorted. Catching up with Chet, they found him waiting outside the stairwell with an anxious expression. \"No sign of any robots so far. Maybe the whole detour was a mistake...\" he grumbled. \"Well, it was your idea...\" Copter scoffed. Gemini gripped her wand tightly. \"Alright, you all wait out here, I'll clear the stairway.\" she said. \"Oh, please be careful...\" Cream squeaked. As Gemini stepped through the door, Copter went to follow her, but Chopper grabbed his arm. \"Don't go in there... What if it's an ambush? What if...\" The door reopened suddenly as Copter was standing in front of it, banging his nose. \"OWW!! Son of...me!\" he shouted, walking away to tend to his nose. \"S-sorry...\" Gemini murmured, \"You all might want to follow me, quick!\" she said hastily. Rubbing his nose, Copter followed behind the others, and looked up to see robots charging in from the top of the stairs, firing lasers at the losolanturns and distracting them! \"Well, well, looks like Steve and Cream came through!\" Casey smirked, making Cream smile bashfully. Chet started to rush up the stairs, with Gemini following. \"Hey, wait! It's still dangerous! What about the kids!\" Copter shouted, yelping as a losolanturn dropped down in front of his face! A blast from ground level knocked it away, and Copter turned to see Chopper holding a fancy Wispon. \"Something else I picked up while we were separated!\" he smirked. Copter growled. \"I'm gonna tell you about using guns... Later. Right now, watch each other's backs!\" he said, racing up the stairs with the others behind him!\n\nArriving at the next floor and the balcony beyond, Chet was forced to jump one of Loscream's vines straight away! The large pumpkin Lost One was busy swatting around hunter robots with its vines, snarling fiercely as it moved! The others weren't too far behind Chet. \"Well, good, he's distracted for now...\" Gemini murmured. Cream whimpered softly and hid behind Copter along with Cheese. \"D-don't let him get us...\" she squeaked. Loscream had terrorized her quite a bit during her escape. \"Believe me, Cream, I'm not happy to be here, either...\" Copter said, looking around, \"Pretty sure my old cell was over that way. Also where I first met that creepy Doomsayer guy...\" he mumbled, looking around again to see the others running ahead without him! \"Reminisce another time!! Larger prison's this way!\" Chopper shouted. Sighing, Copter took Cream's hand and led her past Loscream, following after the others. The massive pumpkin saw them and stopped fighting robots to block their way with some vines! \"Oho!! The bunny that got away! Thank you for bringing her! Now, how would you like to be dismembered?\" Loscream bellowed. Cream yelped and clutched Cheese tightly, while Copter looked at the monstrous pumpkin with disgust. \"Just you wait, we're gonna take out all you creeps... You should've stayed in the shadows!\" A few lasers from the remaining robots temporarily blinded Loscream, so Copter took his chance, spinning his tails to fly over the vines in their path. Cream flapped her large ears to follow after him through the air! \"Never thought I'd be teaming up with those robots when I came back here...\" Copter murmured, hurrying past Loscream to catch up to his friends!\n\nThe group arrived at the prison, cells lining the dark area. As they hurried forward, they found Tommy standing in their path. \"Tom?\" Chet murmured, \"Hey! D-did you escape? What about Katie?\" he asked. Tommy was standing stiff, looking at them with a vacant expression. \"She's...here...\" he said. Katie stepped out of the shadows behind him, wearing the same vacant expression. \"Mom... Is she okay??\" Casey asked. Gemini raised her hand to warn the others against moving forward. \"Something isn't right.\" she said, raising her wand, \"Abra-ka-shine-ra!\" Her wand emitted a soft light, illuminating the room ahead. Ophiuchus could be seen glaring at them through the darkness. \"Quite observant. Yes, Gemini, we have nothing left to teach you!\" he grinned. \"YOU never taught me anything!\" Gemini snapped. Chet bared his claws at the snake. \"You've got Katie hypnotized like I was! Let her go, or you'll be sorry!\" he warned. Ophiuchus held the Chaos Stones in his hands, pointing them at the next cell across the hall. The door swung open, and Amy could be heard inside. \"S-stay away from me, you creep!\" she shouted. Cream stepped forward with Cheese at her side. \"What are you doing to Amy!?\" she shouted as Copter followed after her. \"Careful, no telling what this guy'll do!\" he warned. Ophi sneered through the dark at them. \"I of course knew you'd never give in to Lospecter's request. So, I've been preparing for your arrival. I requisitioned some assistance in subduing you...\" he stated, snapping his fingers. As he did so, two more figures approached from the darkness. Copter squinted, and then his eyes widened as the silhouette came into view. \"Punchy!?\" he stammered. The other figure looked like Crash the rhino. However, as they stepped forward, it was clear they were not the friends they knew. \"Wrong, foxy... I've evolved past needing Punchy!\" The echidna before them was the black and green form or Dark Punchy! \"...You can call me Punky now!\" he smirked. The rhino was darker in color, with a black derby, red gloves and a yellow horn. \"Name's Thrash! 'Sup, little kids!\" Dark Crash grunted. Ophiuchus reached into the cell towards Amy. \"Now that the pleasantries are out of the way... Attack them, all of you! I'll get this girl ready to join you...\" he ordered, recoiling as a hammer was swung towards him, \"Feisty...\" he hissed. \"I think you forgot the last time we met, snake!\" Amy warned.\n\nSo, while \"Punky\" and \"Thrash\" ran after Copter, Gemini and Chet, the others were left with the hypnotized Katie and Tommy. Cream had something else to worry about, though. \"Please be gentle with my friends, I'm going to help Amy!\" she said, rushing around toward Ophiuchus. This left Chopper, Juice and Casey with Katie and Tommy. Chopper raised his Wispon. \"S-stay back!\" he warned. Casey slapped him in the back of the head in response. \"Don't point that thing at my mom!!\" he grunted. At that moment, Tommy lunged at Chopper, fighting to grab his Wispon! \"Hey! That's mine!!\" he growled, struggling to keep his grip without hurting the porcupine. Katie approached Juice in the meantime, throwing a punch his way! He sidestepped it and backed away, looking unsure of what to do. \"Is there any way to break the spell?\" he asked. Casey pulled Chopper away from Tommy, thinking he was helping, but the porcupine was left holding the Wispon! \"Uhhh… Run!\" he yelped, both of them fleeing out of the way as Tommy started shooting at them wildly! Meanwhile, Cream approached Ophiuchus. \"Don't you touch my friend!\" she shouted, stopping suddenly as Amy stepped out of the cell! Ophiuchus smirked at her. \"How fitting. Now your friend can stuff you back in your cage!\" he sneered as Amy lifted her hammer, leering at Cream with cold, hypnotized eyes. As the hammer came at Cream's head, Cheese flew in front of it and blocked the attack, falling at the rabbit's feet! \"Oh no!!\" Cream gasped, lifting Cheese into her arms and looking at Amy nervously. \"P-please... Y-you don't want to do this!\" she whimpered. As Amy swung her hammer at Cream again, she flew up out of the hammer's reach, carrying the injured Cheese with her to safety! \"Amy!! I... I have to defend Cheese! I-I'm sorry!\" she said, dropping down and kicking Amy in the face! She growled, looking at Cream and clutching her hammer tightly. They needed some way to break Ophi's spell, fast!\n\nChet was quickly thrown across the hall by Dark Punchy, or \"Punky\" as he chose to call himself. Gemini glanced back at him with concern. \"Be careful! Darks are no joke!\" she warned. \"Clearly...\" Chet groaned, taking a knee. Copter leapt at Punky, swinging his tails at him, only for the echidna to catch them and swing him around, smacking him into the prison bars! \"Idiot! You can't hurt me that way without those tailbands! Why Punchy held you in such high regard, I'll never know!\" he said to taunt him. Copter stood up with a growl. \"I didn't run from my dark side, and I won't run from you!\" he cried. Punky cracked his neck and smirked, \"Good, because without Sonic to save you, the only way you can delay me is running. Just stand there, and I'll rip your head off quickly...\" he sneered. As Punky got close, they both cried out at the same time, \"Chaos Blast!\" As explosions rocked their little area, Gemini was busy running from Thrash the rhino. \"Where you goin', little girl? I promise to leave you with as few broken bones as possible!\" he shouted. Gemini ignored him, heading for Ophiuchus as he watched Amy chase after Cream. \"Our friends are going nowhere if I can't break his hold on them... Ugh, Miniatina!\" she shouted, pointing her wand back at Thrash! Her spell shrank him down to about the size of a Chao. \"Very funny! But darkness cannot be contained in a tiny package!\" Thrash shouted in a squeaky voice. Chet approached him and lightly kicked the rhino. \"Lookit the widdle whino...\" he babbled in baby talk. Growling, Thrash fired jolts of dark lightning from his horn, knocking Chet flat on his back! \"I wish I had powers other than speed...\" Chet groaned. Meanwhile, Gemini went to fling a spell at Ophi, but he raised his Chaos Stones to her and erected a barrier! Gemini growled softly, but then smirked. \"Your mind control spell requires focus to maintain, doesn't it? Must be harder with Zodiac Station gone...\" she stated, flinging spells at his barrier again and again! Ophi smirked at her. \"My dear, you underestimate me...\" he hissed. Gemini shook her head. \"Oh, I'm not willing to make that mistake. Chronokadabra!!\" She cast a spell creating a time portal before them, a move that shocked Ophiuchus. \"You fool! If you use time travel, so can I! And I can warn my past self of all of this!!\" he shouted, staring into the portal as though fixated on it. \"Abra-ka-warpra!\" In the distraction, Gemini warped behind the snake! \"And... Snorozika!!\" Before Ophiuchus knew what was happening, Gemini had cast a sleep spell on him! He staggered towards the time portal drowsily, but Gemini dispelled it as he collapsed in exhaustion. Just in time, as Amy was able to stop herself mere moments before smashing Cream with her hammer. \"Gah!? C-cream?! What happened??\" she babbled.\n\nA clapping was heard in the shadows. Thrash and Punky left the battered heroes to stand at either side of the glowing eyes approaching in the darkness. As the heroes quickly regrouped, they looked to see Apocalos stepping out of the shadows! \"Well done, girl, using the snake's desire against him. He would indeed travel in time, but we monitor his activity closely. And I can follow him to the past should the need arise...\" he explained. Chet and Casey were hugging Katie closely as she shook off the hypnosis, while Tommy stood nervously behind Amy and Cream. Juice and Chopper watched with tension as an injured Copter joined Gemini in staring down Apocalos. \"What do you want with Gemini??\" Copter grunted. The slimy dino-hedgehog chuckled, his pointy teeth bared in a wide grin. \"Such bravado will get you killed one day, fox. I yearn to kill a fox... Bard got away from me all those years ago you see, as did Astra. But that's not why I require this girl...\" he said, reaching a clawed hand slowly toward her, all the heroes backing up a step in nervousness. \"Gemini... You are immune to the Lost Ones. We cannot take your soul, cannot convert you. Of course, my goal is to overcome this... To learn the secret of your immunity, and... take... your... soul!!\" he spoke with ferocious determination, and was walking straight toward Gemini. Frightened and reacting out of panic, Gemini grabbed Copter's arm. \"Everyone, get close!! Galaporta!!\" With a brilliant flash of light, Gemini warped the group out of the room, presumably taking them to safety. Thrash walked over to Ophi and nudged him. \"Wake up! I need you to un-shrink me!\" he squeaked. Apocalos folded his arms and snickered softly. \"What's so funny?\" Punky asked. Apocalos turned and headed back into the shadows. \"We still have the prisoners' DNA... Once Lospecter gets back with Loskeletor, we'll make good use of it. I have waited ever so patiently for this day. Let them run, let them pretend to have hope. Their world is over... Or better put, lost...\"\n\nTo be continued...  - Weeee Wish You a Merry Christmas! -\n\nBooster the reindeer soared over Central City, looking down on the devastation caused by the Lost Ones with a sad expression. \"This isn't holly or jolly... What do we do about this?\" he whimpered, \"But I'm here because people are scared down there! Hang in, people!\" he said to no one, dashing down and speeding about the town, searching for those that the North Pole could see were still trapped in the city. He found Chief Paynson attempting to hotwire a car while Dave was keeping watch. \"Hey! What're you doing? This looks like Naughty List behavior!\" Booster shouted. \"Gaah!! Shush! Don't draw the monsters here!!\" Paynson grunted. Dave looked at the flying reindeer with bright, amazed eyes. \"Oh my goshhh, it's one of Santa's reindeer! Santa Claus is real! In your face, Becky from third grade!\" he said excitedly. Booster smiled and shook Dave's hand. \"That's right! And Santa sees everything! Even all this madness! And it's making him so very sad... So I set out to help people so that Christmas can still happen this year!\" he said with a giggle. Paynson revved the engine of the vehicle he was trying to get moving, only for it to pathetically sputter and silence. \"Ugghh... I think you have your priorities a little...skewed, Mr. Reindeer. Christmas is already cancelled, or didn't you notice the nightmare we're stuck in!\" The reindeer wasn't paying too much attention, but rather had pulled out a long-ish list and was reading over it. \"Say, wasn't Lucky with you guys? He was the reason I came out here. We owe him one for dealing with a certain boogie-man a while back.\" he babbled. Dave rubbed the back of his head. \"Ahh, he and his twin kinda led the monsters away from us. S-sorry... We shoulda stayed with them, I knew it, now Santa will be upset...\" he squealed. Booster sighed and then patted him on the head. \"Now, now, chin up! Everything'll be just fine! As long as good boys and girls with light in their hearts carry on, we'll all pull through!\" he smiled, starting to rise into the air. Paynson gasped and reached out for him. \"W-wait! Take us with you!\" he sputtered. \"Ah, I don't got a sleigh!\" Booster said bashfully, \"But here! I got some presents for ya!\" he giggled, tossing wrapped packages down to the duo before dashing away into the distance! Dave excitedly tore into the paper. \"Clean underwear! It's a little creepy that Santa knows I need it...\" he murmured. Paynson awkwardly looked at his package. \"Please be a spark plug...\" he grumbled, only to find a mustache grooming kit. \"I mean...it's just what I wanted...\" he sniffled, \"But it's no help!!\" Dave held up a paper. \"There's something else in here, too!\" he babbled. They looked, and saw an address scribbled down. \"...a safe place?\" Paynson questioned. They'd have to try it. Santa wouldn't steer them wrong, right...?\n\n\nChapter 14 - The Wisp Mine\nStage 8 - Wisp Mine\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"Let's take a dive, in Aquatic Mine.\nOnce was a coal pit, but now it's a water ride.\nMakes you wanna sit back, enjoy the life,\nAnd do things you like, you will get to shine.\nIt sure beats fighting with them foes all the time.\nBut I gotta do it, they always stay outta line.\nSometimes I wanna just chill and laugh,\nBut I'm the protector of the Emeralds and gems.\" - Aquatic Mine, Sonic Adventure 2\n\n\nIn their search for Chaos Emeralds, Knuckles and Violet left Central City and headed for a mountainous region that Knuckles could recall searching for Master Emerald pieces in years ago. He'd even gotten lost in the Aquatic Mines in this region. Now, he found himself at another, decidedly less aquatic mine. Arriving at the entrance to the mine cavern, they found Dulcy the dragon curled up resting. \"...Don't I know her?\" Knuckles mused, trying to think. A dragon ought to be really memorable, but...he'd had a heck of a couple years. At that moment, Rotor the walrus walked out of the cave, looking quite surprised to see them. \"Well, if it isn't the leader of the Resistance!\" he smiled. Knuckles looked away awkwardly. \"I'm not exactly leading anything these days. Back to treasure hunting for me.\" he murmured. Violet pointed at Rotor as she realized who he was. \"You're the inventor of the Wispons!\" she blurted. The walrus nodded, giving Dulcy a shake to wake her up. \"That's right, my name's Rotor and this is Dulcy.\" he said to refresh their memories. The dragon woke with a start. \"Wha? Ma? I don't wanna go to school, the other kids tease me!\" she babbled. \"You didn't have to wake her...\" Violet said apologetically, \"We're just looking for a Chaos Emerald.\" she explained. Dulcy came out of her wooziness and looked at the echidnas. \"Chaos Emerald? No, I dug out that whole cave and I didn't see any emeralds.\" she yawned. Rotor nodded. \"This operation's not for jewels. It's, uh...\" Before he could finish speaking, a Wisp flew out of the cave, talking up a storm in his alien language. \"Yacker, slow down, you know I can't understand you without the translator.\" Rotor sighed. Knuckles watched the Wisp with confusion. \"What the...?\" he murmured. Dulcy smiled. \"This is a Wisp Mine. Some of the Wisps stayed on Earth after Eggman's theme park was wrecked. They lend us their energy to power Wispons.\" she explained as Rotor used a translator device to figure out Yacker's speech. \"Sounds like the Wisps have actually discovered a... weird glowy rock. You might be on the right track for a Chaos Emerald.\" he said. Knuckles and Violet let out a relieved sigh. This lesson on Wisps and mining wasn't a total waste. \"Right, lead the way, Yapper!\" Knuckles asked. Yacker let out a few annoyed grunts, probably at Knuckles getting his name wrong.\n\nRotor and Yacker led Knuckles and Violet into the mine. Dulcy remained outside; Though she had dug out much of the mine tunnels, she really didn't like going underground, it triggered her claustrophobia. The initial entrance area looked much like a normal mine, digging equipment set by the rock walls, a kart on tracks set to help transport rubble and minerals, and wooden supports set up to keep the ceiling from caving in. Violet looked around curiously. \"How exactly do you... 'mine' for Wisp energy?\" she asked. Rotor glanced back at her. \"Hyper-go-on energy. The Wisps live in the surrounding area, and have even started making homes in the caves. They radiate this power, and it seeps into the ground naturally. I have tech that can siphon this energy. In exchange, we're doing our best to make these caves comfortable for the Wisps that moved in down here.\" he explained. Knuckles scratched his head. \"I always thought you just crammed Wisps directly into the Wispons...\" he murmured. Rotor coughed softly. \"W-well, you can do that, but... This way is definitely kinder.\" he stated. Yacker made some mutters of agreement. It was important to remember that Wisps were still living things. At any rate, Violet glanced at the mine kart with a smirk. \"Hey, can we ride that?\" she asked. Before Rotor could answer, an explosion rocked the cave! The entrance crumbled, sealing them in as holes were blown in the roof! \"T-take cover!!\" Rotor shouted, scrambling for safety along with the others. Dulcy's voice could barely be heard on the other side of the sealed entrance. \"Hang on, fellas! I'll dig you out! Unnngh!!\" she grunted. Waving off the dust from the cave-in, Violet looked to see ropes dropping through the holes in the roof, animals in familiar uniforms climbing down! \"Oh, great... It's the Covenant of Despair!\" she growled.\n\nBears and dogs, some of Despair's go-to species, had started storming the cave. Before Knuckles could chase after them, Eddie the hyena appeared in front of him in a puff of smoke! \"Eeeee hee hee! Hey, red, been a while! Miss me?\" The blue hyena smirked at him, and then glanced at Violet, \"Eee hee... You as well? Much as I'd like to catch up, we have business in this mine.\" he chuckled. Knuckles growled at him. \"You're here for the emerald! I won't let you take it!!\" he shouted, throwing a punch at the hyena, only to fall right through him! \"Eeeee hee hee hee!! I'm not really here, silly! I'm getting a head start on this treasure hunt!\" Eddie cackled. Violet crossed her arms. \"What the heck is Despair up to? What would they want with a Chaos Emerald?\" she asked. Eddie stuck his tongue out at her. \"Maybe you'd know if you hadn't ditched us! Hee hee hee! Bye bye! Oh, mutts! Busy these echidnas for a while so the bears can start their search!\" he said before vanishing. The dogs broke from the pack of Despair agents and started towards the echidnas, growling and raising their fists. Rotor watched this whole thing with a bit of panic on his face. \"What'll these guys do to the Wisps?\" he asked. Nobody wanted to think of Despair with Wisps. Knuckles charged at the nearest Despair Dog, ducked his punch, and gave him a solid return punch to the star symbol on the chest of his uniform! \"Outta the way, pups! I'll knock you all out if you try to stop me!\" he warned. One of the dogs at the back started to glow with dark energy. \"It won't be that easy!\" he shouted. Violet rolled her eyes and charged at him, meeting his dark energy beam with a beam of her own! Meanwhile, Knuckles kept busy trading blows with the non-magical dogs. One of them slammed into one of the cave's supports after Knuckles knocked him away, and the roof started to shake somewhat. \"B-be careful!!\" Rotor shouted.\n\nDulcy could hear the sounds of the scuffle inside, and had a worried expression. \"Hang on, guys! These boulders are heavy!\" she shouted, frustrated. Inside, Rotor was trying to secure the supports to keep the cave from collapsing. \"Why couldn't the Wisps settle on a nice, safe beach? Sand and coconuts... I need a vacation...\" he grumbled, working as fast as he could. The fighting soon subsided, though; A small group of dogs weren't enough to stop Knuckles and Violet. The purple echidna gave her magical opponent a kick in frustration as he laid on the ground unconscious. \"Why would anyone still work for Despair anymore? Are there really so many hateful Mobians?\" she groaned. Knuckles dusted off his gloves and glanced at her. \"Well, you joined them once. I'd think you'd understand better than me.\" he stated. Violet sighed. \"I was in a bad place, and they gave me an outlet for my anger...\" she recalled. They heard movement around the hole above, and looked up, raising their fists defensively. Sliding down one of the ropes came a familiar face, Shade the echidna! \"Hey, guys! I finally caught up to ya!\" she smirked as she landed on the ground. Looking around, she chuckled softly. \"Looks like I missed the action, though.\" she murmured. \"Shade!? How'd you find us!?\" Knuckles stammered. She shrugged. \"Actually, I'm looking for whoever broke into my house. I was following around those sketchy black-suited guys, they seemed suspicious.\" she explained. Violet nodded. \"Yeah, they're suspicious alright... In fact, we should be getting after them.\" she pointed out. Knuckles gasped. \"Right! The emerald! C'mon, Shade, we'll explain everything on the way. You ever heard of a Wisp Mine?\" he asked as the three of them started to walk off deeper into the mine. Rotor glanced at them and sighed. \"Oh, no worries, guys. I'll just stay back here and help Dulcy get the cave open...\" he murmured.\n\nYacker popped out from behind a big rock, and then soared into the mine and raced past Knuckles and the girls. The Wisp seemed a bit panicked. \"He must be worried about his friends.\" Violet said. They hurried after the Wisp, deep into the tunnels until the tunnel came to an end. The echidnas gasped at what they found on the other side. The interior caverns were vast, and between the stalactites and stalagmites, a natural wonderland had been created through the magic of the Wisp's powers. What looked like flora from Planet Wisp was growing amongst luminous mushrooms that lit up the caves. It was rather beautiful. \"This isn't what I pictured when Rotor mentioned a mine...\" Knuckles murmured. Shade looked around with a serious expression. \"Guys, the little creatures are upset...\" she observed. She pointed out places where some Wisps were hiding, looking rather fearful. Violet frowned. \"Despair must have been this way...\" she stated. \"Well, there aren't many other ways they could have gone...\" Knuckles pointed out. That wasn't entirely true. The cavern ahead was quite large and maze-like. Shade rubbed her chin. \"Well... Let's follow the path of fear. That should lead us to the villains.\" she stated. The others nodded, and headed down the path where Wisps weren't floating about freely, but hiding instead. Using this strategy, it didn't take long to find a part of the mine with an underground spring, where uniformed bears were trying to corner a number of colorful Wisps while Yacker tried to pull them away with his little tendrils! One of the bears smacked Yacker to the floor! \"Back off! You're one of those lame powerless Wisps! I want fire powers!!\" he growled. Knuckles jumped in between the bear and Yacker as fast as he could. \"Hey, ya big bully! Pick on someone your own size!!\" he roared. Violet could see other Despair agents escaping deeper into the mine. \"Knuckles, the Chaos Emerald!\" she yelped. If they stayed to protect the Wisps, Despair might beat them to the emerald!\n\nKnuckles charged towards the bears anyway. \"The emerald can wait! Hands off those Wisps!\" he shouted. The bear he was charging towards immediately grabbed the nearest Wisp forcefully. \"Give me FIRE!!\" he snarled. The blue wisp in his hand squealed in fright and reacted, transforming the bear into a large, blue cube and shaking the surrounding area with a powerful slam! Both the bears and echidnas wobbled in place, and when the cube turned back into a bear, said bear looked rather bewildered. \"That...wasn't fire.\" he stammered. Knuckles quickly punched him in the jaw. \"It wasn't funny either! We're in a cave, you could kill us all!!\" he yelled. Violet and Shade got their bearings and went for the other bears, who each grabbed Wisps of their own. Violet jumped out of the way as a pink ball of spikes rolled past her, and Shade grabbed on to an orange rocket moments before it took off in a rather wild and random flight path! \"Yaaaah!! Let the Wisp go and let us down!!\" Shade cried. Violet caught up to the dizzy bear after the pink Wisp popped out of him. \"You guys could be a real menace if you had any idea what you were doing.\" she sighed. Once the rocket crashed into the spring, Violet and Knuckles raced to check on Shade. They found her laying atop a glowing mushroom, the previously rocketing bear collapsed in the shallow water below. \"I guess they pretty much took care of themselves... You okay, Shade?\" Knuckles asked. \"I-I'll be okay in a minute...\" she said woozily. Knuckles and Violet turned to check on the Wisps. They were gathered around Yacker, who seemed okay, and was saying something to the others. Together, the Wisps all flew somewhere else in the mines. \"I hope they know what they're doing...\" Knuckles sighed. Violet nodded and patted Knuckles on the back. \"We did the right thing. If we left them to Despair, who knows what might've happened to them.\" she stated, \"But... I hope the others don't get the emerald now...\" she added with concern.\n\nBefore they could go too far, a long, wet object whipped its way toward the echidnas! Backing up, they looked to see a frog hopping toward them. \"...Porky??\" Violet murmured, looking puzzled. The frog stomped the ground angrily. \"Do I look like a bloody pig! I'm Corky, ya bloomin' idiot! Corky da frog!\" he shouted. Knuckles looked at him cautiously. \"You're looking slimy...even for a frog.\" he said anxiously. The laughter of Eddie the hyena rang behind them. \"Eeeeee hee!! I don't know if you know, but Corky died! The last victim of the original Deathbringer, I've heard!\" he said as he approached, Shade turning to keep her eye on him while the others kept watching Corky. \"He looks pretty good for a dead guy.\" she stated. Corky hopped across the area toward one of the downed bears. \"I got meself a new lease on life, courtesy o' the Lost Ones!\" he grunted, slinging his tongue at the wounded bear and wrapping it around his neck, choking the life out of him! \"No! Stop it!!\" Violet shouted, moving to stop him only for Knuckles to grab her arm. \"He's not the Corky you knew. He's worse. Be careful.\" he warned. Shade watched with wide eyes as Corky's slimy tongue corrupted the bear as he murdered him, turning him into a Lost One, too! The other bears scrambled to get to their feet, but Corky released the newly transformed one from his grip, sending it after its former friends! Eddie laughed like there was something hilarious about this. \"Eeee hee hee hee! Despair's under new management, it seems! Well, not really, I still took my orders from Anubis. I don't care. Any chance to wipe the floor with you is okay with me!\" he smirked as the bears came back with dead looks in their eyes. The echidnas all raised their fists, ready for another fight. \"Got your gauntlets, Shade? I think it's time to get chaotic!\" Knuckles grinned.\n\nAs Knuckles equipped his Chaos Claws, multiple illusions of Eddie surrounded him! \"Eee hee! If you wanna claw the Lost Ones, gotta get past me!\" he taunted. He would keep Knuckles' Chaos Relic off the board while Violet and Shade fought the undead bears and Corky. Fortunately, Shade still had the Chaos Gauntlets, so the bears wouldn't be too much trouble. But Knuckles HATED dealing with Eddie's illusions. \"Why don't you fight fair for once!\" he shouted. Eddie stuck out his tongue. \"You got no blue hedgehog around to help you out this time! Eee hee!!\" the hyena taunted, several of his copies charging Knuckles at once! He slashed one into nothingness with the Chaos Claws, but was swiftly kicked in his sides by the others! \"Ooof!! You dirty cheater! But I know any hyena that comes at me has to be fake!\" he reasoned. Eddie shrugged. \"You're right. That's boring...\" he murmured. So, all the Eddies turned into Knuckles' friends; Sonic, Tails, Amy, Silver and Gemini, based on what Eddie knew. Now, Knuckles had no idea which was Eddie. \"If you think I won't punch Sonic, Gemini or Tails, you're sadly mistaken!\" he shouted. Amy's hammer swung at him, forcing him to jump backward! \"Don't touch my Sonic! Eee hee!\" Eddie said in disguise. He was also suddenly whacked with a homing attack! \"Argh!! Hold still, you scumbag!!\" Knuckles shouted. Meanwhile, Violet was busy evading Corky's tongue as he hopped about, lashing it towards her! \"You were gross before and now you're worse!\" she groaned, noting the slime dripping onto the floor from his tongue. \"If it weren't fer the Lost Ones, I'd be gone fer good! Now, I see clear... Really, lass, I'm tryin' to 'elp you ta gain immortality like I got!\" he grunted. Violet hurled a ball of dark magic at him, which didn't do very much. \"You don't fool me! Undead is dead!\" she huffed. Shade was trying to hit the bears with her Chaos Gauntlets, but they had become oddly fast now that they were dead. \"This might be a problem...\" she said. \"You're telling me!!\" Knuckles groaned as he was carried up by \"Tails\" so that Sonic, Amy and Silver could jump up and attack him repeatedly! It wasn't looking good, but they were about to get backup.\n\nYacker flew back onto the scene with a number of other Wisps, and their varied numbers of eyes all looked MAD. A red Wisp flew into Knuckles, and he BURST into flames, burning off Eddie's illusions and causing the hyena to jump out of the way as his tail got singed! A purple Wisp flew to Violet, and she transformed into a FRENZY monster, chomping at the bit and chasing after a suddenly panicked Corky! A crimson Wisp enabled Shade to transform into an EAGLE, and she flew about in this form, tearing through the undead slimy bears and reducing them to nothing but inert slime! In a moment, the Wisps popped out of the echidnas, and they stood together as Eddie and Corky stood before them. \"Well, dat was cheatin...\" Corky complained. \"Eeehehe... Little guys think they're tough now? Well, let's see how brave they are...\" Eddie smirked, using his illusions to display the monstrous form of Despair, the horrific combination of the Darkseeker and Shadow Chaos that Super Knuckles had to take on some years ago! Granted, it was much smaller in the cave, but it was still imposing enough to frighten off the Wisps once again! Knuckles stood firm, pointing his Chaos Claws at the illusion. \"We've got you outnumbered now, Eddie!\" he shouted. Shade clenched her fists in the Chaos Gauntlets as well, and Violet's hands glowed with dark energy. They heard Corky croak behind the illusion. \"I ain't keen on dyin' again. See ya around, blokes and lasses!\" he said before hopping off. As the illusion faded, they heard Eddie's laugh echoing through the caves. \"...I have a feeling we haven't seen the last of them.\" Violet frowned. Knuckles nodded. \"Let's hurry and find the Chaos Emerald before we do...\" he said.\n\n\nBack at the entrance, Rotor and Dulcy had finally gotten the cave back open. \"Whew... I'll say it again, I wish the Wisps had settled somewhere a bit more safe...\" Rotor sighed. Dulcy yawned. \"Well, maybe now I can get back to my nap...\" she murmured. \"Hold on, somebody's coming...\" Rotor said, noticing a figure in a black robe approaching. It was a grey wolf with red highlights in his fur, along with red eyes. Rotor clutched a wrench threateningly. \"Hey, you... You're not with the guys who blew open my mine's roof, are you?\" he asked. The wolf raised a hand to call for peace. \"My name is Howler. You could say I am following those ruffians. Allow me through, and I will take them from this place for you.\" he said in a calm voice. Dulcy looked at him sleepily. \"Well, I know I'm not going into the cave after them... It's up to you, Rotor.\" she yawned. The walrus' eyes narrowed, but he had no particular reason to feel one way or another about the visitor. \"Be careful in there. And try not to frighten the Wisps inside...\" he said. Howler bowed politely. \"Good fortune to you, fellow animal. I'll be on my way...\" he said. As the wolf stepped into the mine's entrance, he lifted his red-streaked hood over his face, his red eyes glowing in the dark. He also adjusted his robe to allow his twin, red-tipped tails to pop out of the bottom. Beneath his hood, the Darkseeker smirked widely. \"Wisps? Aliens from outside our world? How disgusting. Are you protecting them, O Guardian of All?\" he whispered in a sinister tone, walking down the path Knuckles had gone not so long ago, \"But more importantly, the Chaos Emerald... Let's see which of us will claim this treasure today. And if you have any Chaos Relics with you, so much the better...\" he said, a low, sinister laugh escaping him as Howler the wolf went once more on the prowl...\n\n\nChapter 15 - Darkness in the Depths\nStage 8 - Wisp Mine\n\nNote: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?\nGeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.\n\n\n\"Wake up, living day by day.\nDo what I want, and I'll do it my way.\nThe world is flying right below my feet.\nGot no regrets inside of me.\nNot looking back!\nNot giving up! \nNot letting go!\nI'll keep on running!\" - Reach for the Stars, Sonic Colors\n\n\nHowler, the Darkseeker, had arrived in the mine. As he followed the tunnels, knowingly heading in the direction of Knuckles, he eventually came across the retreating Eddie and Corky. Even the undead Corky expressed shock to see the Darkseeker out and about. \"B-b-boss! Yer here!\" he stammered. Eddie clenched his fists. \"Eee hee... What illusion is this? The Darkseeker is dead.\" he said warily. The hooded wolf snickered softly. \"Edward... You should know I plan for every eventuality. The Despair Seal that Anubis was carrying had a piece of my soul bound to it. Yes, much like how Tikal's heart was bound to the Master Emerald...you're not supposed to know what I'm talking about there.\" he stated, \"The Lost Ones recovered the Seal as well as my body.\" He lifted his robed arm, pulling back his sleeve to show the Despair Seal, \"As long as I wear this seal, I am immortal. Remove it, though, and my rotting corpse reveals its true form. I have those echidnas to thank for this state of affairs... Needless to say, I'm disappointed you haven't killed them.\" he said with a growl. Corky recoiled and hid behind Eddie. He really wasn't keen on dying a second time, but the hyena had a bit more self-esteem. \"Eeee hee hee... Nice story, boss. World's changed a bit since you've been gone, though. Wisps are like weird, living mini-Chaos Emeralds. Eee hee! And sadly we aren't versed in making them work for us!\" he chuckled. Howler turned his back to them and raised his hands, pools of darkness appearing before him. \"I have something from home that could prove useful here...\" he said as shadowy claws reached out of the dark pools! Shadowy demons resembling Despair agents long since passed emerged from the pools, snarling viciously. \"Go, my Demons. Find that Master Emerald guardian. I have business with Athair's heir!\" he commanded, letting the demons speed into the caverns like shadows as Corky recoiled in fright! \"Blimey... You still got it, boss!\" the frog babbled.\n\n\nKnuckles, Violet and Shade found another mine kart in the caverns. This one seemed to go through a rather long tunnel. \"Alright, now, as much fun as walking has been... Come on! How can we not ride one of these?\" Violet asked, tugging Knuckles' arm. \"Now you're reminding me of your sister with that energy.\" Knuckles muttered as he was pulled along. Shade chuckled softly. \"What's the matter, Knuckles? Don't like roller coasters?\" she teased. The red echidna scoffed. \"A mine kart is hardly a roller coaster.\" he said, climbing aboard after Violet. These karts weren't really designed to carry more than two people, but Shade sat herself next to Knuckles anyway. \"Okay, uhh... Cast off!\" Shade babbled. \"That's boat lingo.\" Violet chuckled, finding a lever and pulling it to get the kart moving. It started off going at a fairly slow, relaxing pace, passing beautifully luminous mushrooms as it rolled through the tunnel. Shade yawned softly. \"This is...nice...\" she said, resting her head on Knuckles' shoulder. Both echidnas realized how closely they were positioned, and suddenly jolted, edging away and looked out the sides of the kart, their faces red with blush. \"I...should be in front...\" Knuckles babbled. \"Nope, I was here first!\" Violet teased. After a moment, though, she gasped and gripped the sides of the kart tightly. \"I take it back, I wanna sit in the back!\" she gulped. Before the others could question why, the kart zoomed down a steep drop, all of them screaming before the momentum carried them up a bit of a hill! Looking ahead, they could see a real roller coaster ride was in store for them! Knuckles and Shade barely realized that they were hugging one another in their panic. \"Pull the brake, Violet, pull the brake!!\" they both shouted. Violet attempted to as the kart was rolling down another steep incline...and it snapped off, failing to stop the kart. \"Shoddy work, Rotor...\" she whimpered.\n\nAs the mine kart zoomed out of control through the caves dimly lit by glowing mushrooms, Wisps watched them zip by with alarm. Still, Knuckles thought for a moment that they'd be okay, that they just needed a place to jump out. Then, he heard snarls and the sounds of claws against the walls behind them. Looking, he saw the shadowy demons based on deceased Despair agents that Howler had summoned, chasing after them by climbing and leaping along the very walls. And they were FAST! \"Violet!! Why are those THINGS from Demon Island chasing us!?\" Knuckles shouted. Violet looked back with alarm, yelped, and tried shooting a blast of dark energy at the demons as they chased after them! \"Demon Island is gone, or so I thought, but who knows, the Lost Ones are bringing back everything horrible!\" she shouted to answer Knuckles. The demons, many of whom looked like feral canines, were rapidly catching up to the speeding kart. Shade equipped the Chaos Gauntlets and pointed a fist towards the nearest one. \"Monster, zombies, demons... Sometimes I think I should've stayed in the Twilight Cage!\" she huffed, firing a bolt of chaos energy from her fist at one of the demons, knocking it off the wall! Knuckles turned his attention to the speeding kart while the girls were pelting the creatures with projectiles. \"This doesn't seem like what the Chaos Claws were made for... but...\" he murmured, jamming his claws into the wall in an attempt to slow the kart! It wasn't really working, it was just leaving claw marks in the wall. What was worse, was that the demons were grabbing on to the back of the kart! \"Get off! Let go! Hey, didn't I know you?\" Violet babbled, kicking at the clawed demon hands to try and knock them away. All the ruckus rocking the kart was making it start to jump the track. \"Brace yourselves!! I think we're gonna crash!\" Knuckles warned. \"Ya think!?\" Shade grunted, trying to punch a demon as it leapt on the wall right alongside the kart!\n\nPopping out of the tunnel, the kart tumbled off the tracks, sending the echidnas inside flying off into the cavern beyond! They rolled into the dirt, groaning in pain, but none of them were badly injured. Knuckles lifted his head to see a blue glow near him. It wasn't a Wisp. \"Th-the Chaos Emerald!\" he gasped, grunting as he lifted himself to his knee, and glancing to see Violet and Shade starting to get up as well. He quickly grabbed the emerald, looking around. Wisps had surrounded them with concerned looks in their eyes, Yacker among them. \"We're okay, don't worry...\" Violet sighed to put the aliens at ease. \"Might wanna get out of here, though. We've got demons on our heels...\" Shade warned. As the demons leapt out of the tunnel, snarling at them, Yacker quickly said something to the other Wisps. They nodded, and formed a colorful wall around the echidnas, glowing with energy as they protected them! One of the demons hesitantly tried to attack the Wisp wall, but recoiled from the hyper-go-on energy swirling around them! \"That's... Incredible!\" Violet gasped, looking around as the colorful wall of aliens formed a perfect shield around them. \"We can't just wait here for demons to decide to leave us alone, though. Hmm, maybe if I dig under the shield and take them off guard...\" Knuckles murmured. However, before he could try it, a powerful attack pierced the shield and caused the Wisps to begin scattering! \"Wh-what happened!?\" Shade gasped. Knuckles raised his hands defensively as the dust was settling. \"Something else is in the shadows!\" he warned. Yacker stayed by their side, looking angry. The demons were bowing to whatever it was that had attacked from the shadows. A sinister laugh came from the darkness. \"Those are Wisps? Pitiful aliens. They should have stayed in the stars where they belong...\" said Howler as he stepped into the light, to the utter shock of the echidnas.\n\n\"It can't be!\" Knuckles gasped. Another voice spoke from the shadows. \"Bozos, anything's possible! RAWR!!\" Stepping out of the darkness was a jet black dragon with glowing yellow eyes. He looked vaguely familiar. \"I think some of you know Zeke,\" Howler said, \"This is Xezek, the unchained darkness within him. The Lost Ones were kind enough to provide me with his assistance.\" Violet scoffed at this. \"So, you're just a Lost One like Corky!\" she guessed. Howler laughed softly. \"No, no, my dear descendant of Radia. I am as you knew me...my immortality merely comes from another source now. So, nice try, descendant of Athair, but I am back to finish what I started. I will purge all life...even if it means feeding them to the Lost Ones. Yes, my goals are aligned with those beasts.\" he said with a dark smirk. Knuckles started to charge at Howler. \"Immortal or not, I'll stop you!!\" he shouted, only for Xezek to get in his way, smacking the echidna back with just a flick of his broad wing! Angry, Yacker flew past Xezek to try something, but Howler simply grabbed the Wisp in his clutches! \"Disgusting tentacled thing... So much tolerance in this world now. It makes you weak! Witness what allowing these freaks to come to roost in our world will wreak upon you!!\" the Darkseeker snarled, holding up Yacker tight in his clutches, the Wisp shutting his eye tight and crying out in pain as dark energy coursed through his body! \"What are you doing to him!!\" Violet shouted, trying to charge at him herself only to find demons in her way! Shade had been observing this the whole time, and finally started to launch chaos bolts from her gauntlets at the demons and Xezek! \"I have no clue what the history is here, but you're gonna let the Wisp go!!\" she yelled. Howler held up his other hand, dark sparks crackling from it in a threatening manner. \"By all means, Nocturnus echidna, come and get me! I thought your kind was gone, how thrilling that I can snuff you out myself!\" he taunted.\n\nHowler held up the hand clutching Yacker, and the Wisp levitated over it in a vortex of darkness. He was focused on what he was doing to the Wisp, so this should have been their chance to attack him. Unfortunately, Xezek and the demons stood in their way. Shade went straight for the snarling canine demon directly in her path, punching it directly with the Chaos Gauntlets using all her might! With a burst of light, the demon shrieked and faded into nothing. \"Seems I need a direct hit to take out these things...\" she said, recalling how little her earlier attacks seemed to do. Violet's power WAS darkness, unfortunately, and she couldn't do much of anything but warp away from the demons. \"Well, you hurry and get those direct hits!\" she shouted as she was being chased. Knuckles decided to put his focus squarely on Howler, but Xezek was still blocking his way. \"So, you're a Dark? Gonna crumble like Dark Copter did after a little roughing up?\" Knuckles smirked. Xezek responded by blowing fire in his direction, forcing Knuckles to dive out of the way! \"Look, this isn't anything personal. All we Darks want is a little respect... And we'll break you down to get it! RAWR!!\" the dragon roared, swooping after Knuckles and blowing more flames at him! Knuckles leapt to one side, and Xezek created dark purple flames in his hands, tossing it as fireballs to add more pressure! He was running out of options, so Knuckles dove into the dirt ground, drilling in with the Chaos Claws! Xezek landed by the hole and peered in. \"It's about to get hot in there!\" he snarled, blowing fire right down into the hole! Knuckles burst out of the ground behind him, however, and slashed his back with the Chaos Claws! \"Yaaaaargh!!\" Xezek yowled, the wound glowing. He staggered to his knees, and Knuckles turned his attention to Howler...but it was too late. The dark energy around Yacker subsided, and what was left was an angry-looking Black Wisp! \"Dear me, Xezek... It seems you require assistance. Here...TAKE THIS!!\" Howler shouted, hurling the Black Wisp towards the wounded dragon!\n\nThe echidnas watched with alarm. Xezek yowled and snarled, his body enveloped in black and purple energy. He went into an unstable Wisp transformation, his form flickering and morphing in midair, leaving only his wings attached as a constant! Knuckles backed away from this Black Beast, unsure what to do about it. \"I'll leave you with the dragon, then. Once I've gathered some more aliens to experiment with, I'll check back to pry the emerald and Chaos Relics from your corpses...\" Howler taunted, retreating into the cave with a laugh. Violet and Shade ran up to where Knuckles was standing, looking up at the morphing dragon with concern. \"That alien...Yacker... He's trapped in that thing!\" Shade stammered. The Black Beast seemed to hear her. It shifted into a black EAGLE style form, soaring towards her, only to turn and whip a broad tail at the unprepared echidna, sending her soaring across the cavern and knocking her head into the wall! \"Shade!!\" Knuckles cried, dashing over to her with Violet. \"She's unconscious...\" Violet gasped, unsure if she should even move Shade in her condition. However, she took the Chaos Gauntlets from her. \"What are you doing?!\" Knuckles stammered. \"If she's down for the count, I'd better be ready to pick up the slack!\" Violet pointed out. There was no time to talk it over, as they heard the Black Beast shriek behind them with an otherworldly voice. It was suddenly shifting into a black hole, a VOID pulling in the remaining demons in the room! It also started to pull the echidnas! Thinking fast, Knuckles dug his Chaos Claws into the air as he was pulled along, releasing one hand from the invisible grip in order to grab Violet, who in turn grabbed the unconscious Shade! The demons were devoured by the black hole, and after a moment, the Black Beast began to change form again. \"How can we stop this thing?\" Knuckles wondered.\n\nViolet warped Shade a safe distance away, leaving Knuckles alone with the beast for a moment. It leapt around the cave like a strange, winged energy snake, and Knuckles watched carefully to see what it would do. Its body concentrated into a LASER beam, shooting at the echidna fast! Knuckles quickly raised his golden claws to block the laser, reflecting it into the roof of the cave! \"Unpredictable and seemingly intangible... Well, can't say that, I just deflected it...\" he grunted, looking around for the Black Beast again. \"Knuckles, look out above you!\" he heard Violet shout. The beast was crashing down as a heavy CUBE, barely giving Knuckles time to run out of the way! As Knuckles staggered away from the mini-quake that surrounded the cube when it crashed down, Violet ran in close to try and punch it with the Chaos Gauntlets! The cube seemingly shattered; However, a gray QUAKE sphere crashed out of it, rolling towards Knuckles! He turned quickly and stabbed his claws against the rolling iron ball, his feet creating a pad in the dirt as it pushed him back! Violet smacked the sphere with the gauntlets from the other side, and the sphere began to crack. Screeching, the Black Beast turned back into energy, and then BURST into flames, its fiery form resembling a dragon! Violet warped for cover while Knuckles ran from the blazing, speeding dragon! \"I think the Chaos Relics almost work! They need more power!\" he shouted. Violet took off the gauntlets and tossed them in Knuckles' direction. \"Combine their power!\" she shouted. The Black Beast heard her voice, turned and opened a VOID in its chest, attempting to pull her in like the demons! \"Yaaah!! H-hurry!!\" Violet cried, fighting against the pull of the void! Knuckles raced for the gauntlets, and also produced the Chaos Emerald. \"I wonder if they'll work together...\" he murmured. He heard Violet shriek, so he hurried up and took off the Chaos Claws, slipping on the gauntlets and then the claws over them. He turned to the beast, focusing all the energy he now commanded. \"All right... Take...THIS!!\" he shouted, punching his fists toward the beast as he clutched the Chaos Emerald. Massive bursts of bright gold energy shot from his fists, crashing into the Black Beast and making it wail in pain! Knuckles finished it up by slashing with the claws, sending beams in the shape of slashes crashing through the Black Beast!\n\nAs the dust settled, Yacker popped out of Xezek, the black color fading from his body. Xezek himself collapsed to the floor on his stomach, the slash on his back from before looking worse, glowing brighter. Violet pumped her fist in victory. \"Oh, yeah! My idea! Who's a genius!\" she cheered, \"Oh! Shade!\" she gasped, rushing to check on her. In the meantime, Knuckles pulled off the Chaos Relics he was wearing. \"Well, I'm not sure how much the emerald contributed there...but that sure worked.\" he muttered. Shade opened her eyes groggily and looked around. \"Huh... Guys... Ah! P-pachacamac, stay away!!\" she gasped. The others looked to see the Darkseeker returning from the shadows with his hood on. He removed the hood to reveal that he was indeed still Howler. \"Wrong Darkseeker, girl. Honestly, he was a false Darkseeker as far as I'm concerned. I think the Lost Ones only told me about him to taunt me.\" he grumbled. Xezek looked up and reached a hand to Howler. \"P-please...help me!\" he grunted. The wolf kicked his hand away. \"My hands are full.\" he sneered, lifting a capsule full of trapped Wisps! Yacker looked in his direction and shouted angrily. \"I can't understand you, pest. I'm going to take your fellow aliens and fine-tune the transformation so I can have the perfect soldiers...\" Howler announced. Knuckles looked at Xezek and then at Howler. \"Your friend there will die if you don't help him!\" he shouted. Howler scoffed. \"All beings are merely my tools. Be they dark shadows or aliens, I care not what happens to a tool. As long as my goals are met. Try to help him if you choose, hero...\" he said with a chuckle, escaping into the shadows with the Wisp capsule. Before anyone could chase after him, a blast of darkness struck the cave exit he'd gone through, causing it to cave in! Howler must have had another way out beside the main entrance. The echidnas looked to Xezek, but Violet frowned. \"I don't know how to save him, and I'm the closest we have to a magic expert here.\" she said. The dragon coughed and nodded. \"Time to... return to... the darkness...\" he sighed, his body fading away into nothingness before their eyes. Xezek was gone.\n\n\nThe echidnas made their way back to the entrance, bidding a bittersweet farewell to Yacker. They wanted to promise they'd get the Wisps back, but between Howler and the Lost Ones, who was to say the Wisps would even survive? At any rate, they found Rotor and Dulcy waiting for them. \"Now, this dragon, I'm happy to see...\" Shade sighed. \"Gee, thank you.\" Dulcy murmured. \"You all look miserable,\" Rotor observed, \"Didn't get the emerald?\" he asked. Knuckles held up the blue gem. \"Got it, but lost a bunch of Wisps. Hey, did you have a sinister-looking capsule in there?\" he asked. Rotor rubbed his head. \"It was for containing Nega Wisps. Eggman transformed them. I was working on a cure.\" he explained. Violet nodded. \"At least you treat Wisps with respect...unlike some who only view them as weapons.\" she stated. Before they could relax much, the echidnas could hear Tails on their comms. \"Hello? Come in! Over!\" the fox called. \"Yeah, yeah, we're here, Tails! Got a Chaos Emerald! What's up?\" Knuckles asked. \"That's great!\" Tails said, \"And I got more good news! We got help tracking down my...uh...son.\" he said with an awkward chuckle, \"Feels weird having a son.\" Shade made a confused face as she listened to this, but Knuckles and Violet were already up to speed on Tails' son, Skye. \"That's great! Uh... Who's helping with that in all this mess?\" Knuckles asked. Tails chuckled softly. \"Well, uh... Your daughter.\" As Knuckles eyes widened, Rotor turned to Dulcy. \"Kinda wish I knew what they were talking about...\" he whispered. Tails continued. \"But, uh, yeah, we may have found him! We're getting a gang together to take on the Lost Ones head on and rescue him! This could deal a heavy blow to their forces! You with us?\" he asked. Knuckles held his head. \"I have a...daughter? Huh? Uh, I mean... Ha! You bet I'll be there! Point us at those creeps!\" he laughed, pumping his fist excitedly. Violet turned to Rotor. \"Thanks for all your help. I'd suggest getting in touch with the old Freedom Fighters, we could use all the power we could get!\" she told him. Rotor crossed his arms. \"Yeah, power... That's me... Well, guess I could give Chuck a call.\" he murmured. Saying their goodbyes, the echidnas started on their way back to the city to meet up with Tails and the others. They might be a bit late, but they wouldn't miss this fight for the world!\n\n\n...Howler tapped his foot, staring at the dead end he'd left himself trapped in. \"Where is that simpering spirit?\" he growled. A portal opened in the back wall before long, and Lospecter flew out. \"Just wanna watch ya sweat, hehe! Hey, that doesn't look like a capsule of Chaos Emeralds...\" he pointed out. Howler held up the Wisp capsule. \"This should suffice for now. Take their souls or take their power, it makes little difference to me.\" he snarled. Lospecter hovered by the portal, tossing the Chaos Key up and down in his hand. \"Not much of a team player, are ya? So used to bein' the bossy boss. Well, I got a job you might enjoy. And some friends to introduce ya to. You're gonna love these megalomaniacs! Hehehe...\" the ghost chuckled, clasping the key and diving back into the portal, poking his hand through to motion for Howler to follow. The Darkseeker tossed the Wisp capsule through first. \"...every eventuality...\" he murmured, taking a red Chaos Emerald concealed within his cloak and admiring it, \"I will be the last survivor... No one else...\"\n\nTo be continued...",
  "writing_bbcode_parsed": "<span style='word-wrap: break-word;'>Sonic GeneX: Doomsday<br />Arc 1 - Beginning of the End<br />Chapter 1 - Doomsday<br />Stage 1 - Security Tower: Act III<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;If you were able, <br />Would you go change the past, <br />To mend a faux paux, <br />With one last chance&quot; - Dreams of an Absolution, Sonic the Hedgehog 2006<br /><br /><br />We run and run through life. We run to escape danger. We run to reach our goals and dreams. We run, just to feel alive. Each run begins with a single step. There will come a day also when we take our last. Keep running...but know that every runner must come to a halt eventually. This is the story of Sonic the Hedgehog&#039;s last run. This is how he ran right from mere heroism...into legend. This is how it all ends.<br /><br /><br />Sonic the hedgehog stood at the outskirts of Station Square, looking up at the ominous Security Tower that &quot;President Gunner&quot; was holed up in. The hateful man had gone too far. He&#039;d seized power from the rightful president, from GUN&#039;s Commander as well, and had violently attacked Troblusk City just to get at the Covenant of Despair. Sure, they needed to be stopped, but not like that. Not at the risk of innocents. Not to mention, Gunner&#039;s reign threatened all Mobians, all &quot;furry freaks&quot; as he called them. This man had to be stopped, even in spite of the recent doomsday prophecy from the Doomsayer which now implied that the Lost Ones were the true threat. The Lost Ones, creatures of ectoplasm born of stolen souls, originally created through the horrific union of a sort of Anti-lifeform with energy from Light Gaia some thousands of years ago. Sonic knew precious little about them, but he&#039;d seen their handiwork, not to mention the fact that one of them had murdered a good friend not too long ago. Sonic and his friends would be coming for them next. They&#039;d trained for this. Heroes, united, no more senseless bickering and vying to one-up each other when there were real threats to worry about. They were beyond Dr. Eggman now...although Eggman was also still at large. There was much to do. No time like the present to get started. Sonic tapped a finger to a comm device attached to his left ear. &quot;Tails? Guys, can you read me? I&#039;m ready to knock at the front door!&quot; he said with a smirk.<br /><br />This would be the third raid on the Security Tower by Sonic&#039;s friends. The first was by Copter and Punchy, the genetic clones of Tails and Knuckles who at the time were working for Eggman to swipe a Chaos Emerald...and happened to find the tower swarming with Lost Ones. The second time, Sonic himself scaled the tower while it was under Eggman&#039;s control, and encountered Lospecter of the Lost Ones for the first time during the assault. Lospecter, formerly a hero in the time before the Lost Ones, the ghostly being had acted as the public leader of the creatures until recently. This time, though, the Security Tower had been re-fortified by Gunner&#039;s loyalists. They&#039;d be less likely to find ghosts, more likely to find robots and traps waiting for them now. A proper Security Tower.<br /><br />&quot;I read you, Sonic!&quot; Tails replied through the comms, &quot;And thank goodness! I wasn&#039;t sure using SPOT as the transmitter for these communicators would work, but thanks to that, Gunner won&#039;t be able to listen in on our conversations...unlike that time on Shadow Arcangel, heh.&quot; the fox explained. Sonic could hear the voice of GUN&#039;s Commander next. &quot;I appreciate your efforts, but you&#039;d better take care of that robot, then. If anything disrupts its signal...&quot; he warned. Shadow the hedgehog was circling behind the Security Tower with Rouge the bat and Omega, and he was listening in. &quot;Hmph&hellip; It&#039;s just Gunner. I think we&#039;ll be fine. Small army or not, he&#039;s still the same idiot who wrecked all of GUN&#039;s top combat mechs in twenty-four hours.&quot; he said. &quot;He&#039;s also the same idiot who took over GUN less than a month ago, mister ultimate.&quot; Copter retorted over the comms. Sonic snickered from his position in front of the tower. They did have a bit of an overkill team assembled for this assault. The Commander wasn&#039;t actually there, but they had Knuckles the echidna, Punchy the echidna, Silver the hedgehog, Blaze the cat, Kosmo the morph, Guard the gargoyle, Shade the echidna, Violet the echidna, Amy Rose, Cream the rabbit, Gemini the fennec...basically everyone who&#039;d been present for the big battle in Troblusk City or the Doomsayer&#039;s prophecy. Bucky the rat was flying his fortress/lab Shadow Arcangel in for support, which Sonic could see over his shoulder. And on top of all that, Lucky the cat and Whisk the divine had returned from their travels and were raring to join the fight. &quot;Lemme at him, I&#039;ll show Gunner that scared kitty he remembers is long gone!&quot; Lucky smirked, the black cat in baggy red pants stepping up behind Sonic with the angelic Whisk following. &quot;Isn&#039;t that cute, the kitten thinks he&#039;s grown up...&quot; Knuckles teased. &quot;Hey, how many times have you saved the whole universe, huh? Hm?&quot; Lucky snapped. &quot;I dunno, I don&#039;t keep count.&quot; Sonic shrugged, starting into a run. &quot;You guys can catch up once you&#039;re all organized! I&#039;m bored!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Agh!! Y-you don&#039;t need to yell on comms!!&quot; Tails grumbled while everyone else groaned. As Sonic zipped through the forested area leading to the tower, the ghostly white face of Lospecter poked out of a treetop. &quot;Aaaaand hedgehog, check...&quot; he murmured, holding a clipboard and checking off a list, &quot;Yup, seems like all the toughies are here. Better go let the big boss know, hehe...who am I talkin&#039; to?&quot; he said to himself.<br /><br />Gunner stood at the top floor of the tower, glaring out the window and pointing his gun arm at the rustling plant life in the forest below, tree branches blown by the force of Sonic&#039;s speed. The aging, hateful man scowled down at the world below. &quot;As expected, the freaks are coming to me. Give the order, Spy!&quot; he snapped. Spy stood up from a seat at a nearby desk. &quot;Finally!&quot; he grinned, picking up the phone, &quot;I&#039;d like a large pizza with extra pineapple!&quot; Gunner was far from amused by the shades wearing Spy&#039;s antics. &quot;You know what? I&#039;m the damn president now! You&#039;re fired, Spy! Fired! Go hide in the closet until the battle&#039;s over and then leave my sight forever!!&quot; he shouted, stomping to the PA mic and giving the order himself. &quot;Everyone be on high alert! Intruders on premises, shoot to kill!&quot; He then stomped out of the office, leaving a bewildered Spy to mull over what just happened. &quot;F-f-fired...? Me? Fired? B-but I did...everything. I kissed every butt! I... I did every dirty job... And... And that old creep couldn&#039;t ever bother to even learn my name!!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Do tell...&quot; Spy turned to see the window open, and a familiar dark green gargoyle with a scythe stepping in. &quot;Y-you! What are you doing up here??&quot; Spy babbled. Guard, the gargoyle, softly laughed at him. Quite the uncommon thing for the gruff android to do. &quot;Me? What are you doing up here? Grrrr&hellip; Why is it the robot realized Gunner wasn&#039;t worth working for before the human? Grrr&hellip; Who&#039;s the real robot, I wonder?&quot; Guard stated. Spy hung his head. He was right. &quot;No time for the pity party. Grrr... You can still be useful, Riley.&quot; Guard added. Before Spy could say anything, the door swung open and Guard was shot with a shock blast from Gunner&#039;s arm cannon, causing him to fall to the ground unconscious! &quot;Indeed, well said, Guard! Take that mess to Dr. Nammad, Spy. He could do with some reprogramming...&quot; Gunner sneered before walking out again. Spy stood there with a nervous expression, considering what to do. &quot;...My name is Riley. And I was just fired...&quot; he said, attempting to scoop Guard into his arms. &quot;Ack!! Y-you&#039;re heavy!&quot; he groaned, heading for the door.<br /><br /><br />Sonic approached the main entrance to the tower and playfully knocked on the door. &quot;Hello, anyone home? It&#039;s the scouts! We&#039;re here selling cookies!&quot; he said sarcastically. There were cameras mounted above the door, and as they turned toward the hedgehog, laser cannons emerged from their undersides! &quot;Don&#039;t care for thin mints, huh?&quot; Sonic smirked, easily sidestepping the laser blasts that followed. &quot;We have their attention...&quot; Tails reported over the comms, &quot;GUN Warships inbound. The Tornado and the Hurricane will carry some of us up to disable them...&quot; he stated. Sonic nodded and zipped back into the forest out of the cameras&#039; sight. Then, he zoomed back toward the door, spinning in a destructive blue ball that tore right through the metal doorway! &quot;Huh... You&#039;d think they&#039;d reinforce that thing with tougher stuff. I mean I smash bots like its my job.&quot; Sonic muttered, brushing metal dust off himself as he stood up in the entrance hall. He then remembered that Lucky and Whisk would be following him. &quot;Right, the cameras...&quot; he muttered, glancing out to plan his attack on them. Before he could make that move, another hedgehog came out of nowhere and smacked each camera with a quick set of jump attacks! &quot;Wrong side, Shadow...&quot; Sonic murmured, but when he saw who it actually was, he tilted his head in confusion. It was a light purple hedgehog, with green eyes like him. In fact, he pretty much had Sonic&#039;s eyes. &quot;Hey, dad! I was worried I wouldn&#039;t catch up!&quot; the youngster said. Sonic turned around to compose himself. Punchy&#039;s wife, Rainbow, had apparently met with a bunch of time-travelling kids from the future recently. But they ran off when the Doomsayer delivered his prophecy. &quot;Who are you supposed to be?&quot; Sonic asked without looking at him again. The younger hedgehog shrugged. &quot;You named me Juice for some reason. Lucky&#039;s right behind me, if you&#039;re wondering.&quot; he said. Sonic tapped his foot. He didn&#039;t have time for any time travel shenanigans. &quot;Well, let&#039;s juice, Juice. You&#039;re on Gunner&#039;s hit list now, like it or not!&quot; he said, running into the tower. Juice shrugged. &quot;What else is new? Let&#039;s try getting you out of this with those legs intact, old man...&quot; he murmured, rushing after his father.<br /><br /><br />Shade was piloting the Tornado, carrying Knuckles and Violet on the wings as they approached one of the GUN Warships. &quot;Urgh&hellip; S-shade, you said you could fly this thing! Why aren&#039;t you up here, Tails??&quot; Knuckles complained. &quot;I can fly! This plane is just an old-fashioned hunk of junk!&quot; Shade retorted. &quot;I can hear you both...&quot; Tails sighed over the comms, &quot;I&#039;m taking care of the side building with Amy and Cream. Wanna trade?&quot; he asked sarcastically. &quot;...Yes.&quot; Violet murmured. The echidnas were forced to hold on tight as Shade turned hard to evade laser fire from the warship. &quot;How are we supposed to get onboard?!&quot; she growled. They heard Punchy&#039;s voice over the comms. &quot;I know a way, but you won&#039;t like it...&quot; Before he could elaborate, Kosmo flew up to the warship in his familiar purple dragon form. His glowing eyes glared in annoyance as the warship pelted his tough scales with laser fire. &quot;I&#039;ll give you an opening...!&quot; he grunted, firing a hot beam of his own from his mouth and melting a hole in the ship&#039;s hull! Knuckles stared in surprise. &quot;Did you know the Kosmogon could fire a superlaser?&quot; he asked. &quot;I didn&#039;t even know this guy&#039;s dragon form had a name!&quot; Shade replied. The Tornado quickly flew up to the hole, and Shade put it on autopilot as the three of them hopped into the ship. Kosmo flew to the hole as well, morphing into his fairly minimalist true form as he landed behind them. &quot;Let&#039;s bring this heap down!&quot; he smirked. &quot;If you were coming up here did we even have to?&quot; Violet grumbled. That notion made Knuckles growl in annoyance. &quot;No one questions my usefulness! I&#039;ll bring down this rust-bucket myself! Yaaaaaaaaah!!&quot; And so, he charged forward, equipping his Chaos Claws as he ran and using them to slash apart the first steel door in his way, finding countless beetle robots pointing their guns directly at him on the other side. &quot;Uh, wrong door...&quot; he said before running the other way hastily. &quot;Yaaaaaaah!!&quot; he shouted as the lasers shot at his heels! Once he&#039;d put some distance between himself and the bots, he turned and slashed a hole in the wall, passing into another section of the ship. The others were close behind him. &quot;You know we could handle whatever&#039;s in the path together!&quot; Shade shouted to him, slipping on the Chaos Gauntlets so she could assist with extra power, too. Knuckles was circling his way around to surprise the swarm of beetles. &quot;I don&#039;t need any help... I just need space to punch!&quot; he murmured. However, by the time he&#039;d circled around, he found Kosmo and Violet smashing up the beetles without him, the morph doing his best Sonic impression while the echidna blasted the bots with dark magic blasts. Shade came up behind Knuckles and pushed him out of the hole in the wall he&#039;d made as he was gawking at the scene. &quot;See? Don&#039;t try to hog all the glory, knucklehead!&quot; she said. While she was distracted, a flaming beetle was making a kamikaze run towards her face, but Knuckles leapt in the way quickly and swiped it aside with his claws! &quot;Noted, Shade... If you pay attention!&quot; he said while she blushed a bit sheepishly. &quot;Err... thanks...&quot; she murmured.<br /><br />Copter the fox had piloted his own black plane, the Hurricane, to the second GUN Warship, and brought along Gemini the fennec and her good friend Timothy the fawn. The white fennec with the pink sweater had come quite a long way with her magic, and was able to simply warp the whole plane into the warship&#039;s hangar. &quot;Now that the flying&#039;s done, I feel redundant...&quot; Copter murmured as Gemini and Timothy held their wands, ready to zap anything in their way with magic. &quot;Don&#039;t start thinking like that again. We&#039;ve all gotta watch each other&#039;s backs!&quot; Gemini told him. While the others hopped out of the plane, Copter secured his goggles on his head, took a breath, and twirled his two spiky tails to fly down and join them. He heard his plane&#039;s mechanic, a beaver robot named Hoover, over the comms. &quot;Don&#039;t fergit to bring back the plane! I don&#039;t think I kin go crawlin&#039; back ta Eggman agin, so... I need somethin&#039; to work on!&quot; Gemini giggled lightly at his worried tone, but Copter looked annoyed. Hoover was always nagging him. Timothy darted his eyes around nervously. &quot;Is it weird how empty it is in here?&quot; he asked. &quot;Kinda&hellip; Kinda not. Who&#039;d expect us to come in through a closed hangar?&quot; Copter shrugged. Gemini rubbed her chin, pointing her wand around. &quot;...Reveasualia&hellip;&quot; she said, casting a new spell. It caused invisible objects throughout the room to reveal themselves...and the trio gasped to find themselves surrounded by hundreds of Gold Beetles! &quot;...Wait a minute! Aren&#039;t these things just recon bots?&quot; Copter asked. Alarms started to blare from them, and they began to blink with red lights. &quot;I think Gunner made them explosive.&quot; Timothy hypothesized. &quot;Chaos Whirlwind!!&quot; Copter shouted, blowing a bunch of them away from the Hurricane to keep it safe! Timothy then jumped between Copter and Gemini. &quot;Proplasmar!!&quot; he shouted, casting a barrier around them with his wand! As the beetles began to explode around them, Copter felt himself panic slightly. He ran to Gemini&#039;s side and hugged her close to him, protectively...instinctively. When the dust settled, Timothy looked away from them awkwardly as Copter realized what he&#039;d done and quickly released her. &quot;I, uh... Ahem... Not used to magical barriers. Thought you might, uh... F-forget it...&quot; he babbled, turning to walk away and hide his blush. Gemini wrung her own tail as she watched him walk away from her. &quot;You two need to have a talk later.&quot; Timothy said. &quot;About what? Aren&#039;t I going back home to the future when everything&#039;s done...&quot; Gemini sighed. &quot;Is that even your home anymore?&quot; Timothy asked. &quot;Hey! Guys, don&#039;t leave me to do this on my own! I think it&#039;s been established that I make bad choices!&quot; Copter shouted back. As Gemini and Timothy started to follow him, a stowaway dropped from the underside of the Hurricane, having been clinging tightly to the bottom, blending in with his black fur. &quot;Bad choices? Aw, dad... Well, I did have to grow up without you...&quot; said the three tailed fox as he climbed out from under the plane. It was Copter&#039;s son from the future... Chopper Prower.<br /><br />Sonic and Juice were stopped about halfway up the tower. They&#039;d found a big door that actually was reinforced enough to withstand Sonic&#039;s spin. Whisk teleported up with Lucky to catch up after a moment. &quot;Oh, hey Sonic, thanks for waiting for us!&quot; Whisk murmured. Sonic shrugged. &quot;Eh, well, I&#039;m told you have a key on ya that can unlock anything. Care to do the honors, Lucky?&quot; he asked, leaning against the wall in a relaxed pose. Juice did a double take upon looking at Lucky. &quot;Wow, he really does look exactly like you...&quot; he murmured. &quot;How&#039;s that? Hey, Sonic, where&#039;d the little guy come from? Eh, never mind. Time to do what I do best!&quot; Lucky grinned, holding a hand toward the door. There was silence for a moment. &quot;Uhh&hellip; Lucky?&quot; Whisk murmured. The black cat squinted as though focusing hard. &quot;C&#039;mon... Scourge can&#039;t have swiped it again...!&quot; he grumbled. Juice whistled nonchalantly and looked away while Sonic tapped his foot. &quot;Hey, Tails, we could really use you up here to deal with an electronic lock...&quot; he murmured. &quot;We&#039;ve got our own problems, Sonic!&quot; Tails gulped over the comms. &quot;We&#039;re surrounded by stupid androids! And some of them look like ME! I&#039;ll sue!!&quot; Amy shouted. They couldn&#039;t help letting out nervous chuckles. &quot;Not sure which is scarier, Amy or Android Amy...&quot; Sonic murmured. &quot;What&#039;d you say!?&quot; she growled. Lucky was still trying to summon his key, but it wasn&#039;t working. Whisk patted him on the shoulder. &quot;Don&#039;t worry. My magic can handle it...&quot; she told him. However, before she could do that, they heard a loud scraping noise coming from the door. The four of them backed up, watching as flames burned around the edges of the door, and then it was yanked out from the other side, held up by the psychokinetic power of Silver the hedgehog! Blaze the cat was there beside him. &quot;Hey, guys! We took the elevator!&quot; Blaze said with a wave. &quot;Gunner&#039;s up ahead. We could sure use you!&quot; Silver added. Sonic shrugged and stepped through the opened door. &quot;Heh, I&#039;d have wrapped all this up by now if that door wasn&#039;t in the way! ...Guess it&#039;s less lonely this way!&quot; he chuckled. &quot;Careful, dad... My friends and I think this is a trap.&quot; Juice stated, &quot;You see, Skye Prower built a device that detected an anomaly in the timeline...&quot; he continued. &quot;That&#039;s nice, kiddo. Gotta run!&quot; Sonic said, speeding ahead! Lucky and Blaze glanced at Juice curiously. &quot;Who did you say you were?&quot; Lucky asked.<br /><br />Each group had their part to play. Shadow Arcangel kept a third GUN Warship occupied in the air, unable to bother Shadow and Punchy&#039;s groups as they secured the perimeter below. The team seemed to have thought of everything, and Sonic was proceeding to the roof of the tower pretty quickly, ready to bring down Gunner once and for all. However, he was again halted as he reached the final stairway leading to the roof. The Doomsayer was standing in the way, cloaked in black with only his glowing eyes visible per the norm. Also as usual, a rain cloud accompanied him, even inside. Lucky held up his hands, feeling the rain drops as he, Whisk and Juice started to catch up to Sonic. &quot;Hey, how&#039;d you get up here? Outta the way!&quot; Sonic said impatiently. The Doomsayer simply stared at him. &quot;I beat you here. I&#039;m faster than you.&quot; he said, clearly intending to rile Sonic up. &quot;Oh yeah? Try again when I know we&#039;re racing, I dare ya!&quot; Sonic warned. The Doomsayer shook his head. &quot;There will be no chance for future frivolities. I&#039;m afraid your time is up. Today... is Doomsday.&quot; he said, his voice low, almost a tone of mourning. Juice looked particularly nervous. &quot;Wait, that can&#039;t be. I...exist!&quot; he protested. &quot;Not for long... Time has changed once too often, I&#039;m afraid. And there are no Divine Masters to correct it any longer. Good job, Sonic.&quot; the Doomsayer said, mockingly applauding. The Zodiac Council of Divine Masters had previously watched over time, but their leader had gone mad with power, and Gemini turned to Sonic for help in defeating him. They trapped Ophiuchus the serpent in a dimension of nothingness where he could do no further harm, but the Zodiac Station that was the source of the Divine Master&#039;s powers had been obliterated. Sonic didn&#039;t care what the Doomsayer had to say, though. &quot;Every time you say the end is here, we stop it! So get out of my way and lemme stop it!&quot; he snapped. The Doomsayer calmly stepped aside and let Sonic through, the others following. &quot;Nice to meet you. Or see you again. My memory hasn&#039;t always been good, hehe...&quot; Whisk said as she passed the Doomsayer by. The hooded one looked up the stairs and sighed. &quot;Yes... This is happenin&#039;. And I can&#039;t stop it.&quot; he said, clenching his fist.<br /><br />Shots whizzed past Sonic&#039;s head as he stepped up to the roof. It was now raining up there, too. Gunner growled as he stood with his arm cannon aimed at the four animals. &quot;Sonic! I hereby formally charge you with treason! Terrorism! Trespassing on Government property! Aiding a fugitive! Assisting a murderer!!&quot; he snarled, his eyes glancing toward Shadow Arcangel as his voice lingered on &quot;murderer.&quot; Sonic just made hand puppets to mimic his flapping lips. &quot;Yap yap yap. Back at you, old man.&quot; he yawned. Gunner growled fiercely, and behind him, the wild haired scientist Dr. Nammad approached. &quot;Uh... We should attack with our robot, yes?&quot; he murmured. The old man rolled his eyes. &quot;Yes, idiot! Deploy the Techno Sonic Mark Six!&quot; he ordered. A hatch on the floor opened, and up rose a heavily armored robot that vaguely resembled Sonic. &quot;Six?&quot; Lucky asked. &quot;Never can, uh, get it quite right...&quot; Nammad confessed. Sonic smirked, and leapt at the robot, which rocketed at him with jet-powered feet! Juice watched in concern as the two Sonics clashed, and he tugged on Lucky&#039;s arm. &quot;We should do something! I&#039;ve got a very bad feeling!&quot; he warned. Lucky shrugged. &quot;I can try to get my key working... Hnnnnghh!!&quot; he grunted, looking rather constipated. &quot;What are you even doing, Lucky?&quot; Whisk murmured. Meanwhile, Sonic had knocked the robot close to Gunner, who kicked it in rage. &quot;Stupid machine!! Kill him! Kill him!! Why is it so hard to kill him!?&quot; he shouted. The robot raised its arms toward Sonic, which it turned out ended in machine guns, and started shooting as Sonic sped out of the way. &quot;Gotta say, he&#039;s pretty uninspired, Dr. Nam!&quot; Sonic yawned. The doctor shrugged awkwardly. Suddenly, the battle was ended by a strike of lightning crashing down and zapping the robot, frying it! &quot;Huh??&quot; Sonic gasped, glancing around to see the Doomsayer peeking from the stairs. &quot;...time&#039;s up. Look at the sky.&quot; the hooded one said. They looked up, and saw a single ghost hovering above them. Lospecter!<br /><br />The ghost glanced down at them with his greenish gaze, smirking before taking a bow. &quot;Hello! Sonic, Gunner, thank you both for gathering such a marvelous audience for our show.&quot; he said. Silver and Blaze had been taking care of some pesky robots inside the tower so Sonic could get up here so fast, but by now they hurried past the Doomsayer to join the others on the roof. &quot;Hey, guys... What are you all looking at?&quot; Silver wondered. Lospecter smirked but also frowned. &quot;Aw, not the future face I was hoping to see. Guess Gem&#039;s got other plans for this evening. But I know she&#039;s close!&quot; he smirked. Gunner fired a shot up at Lospecter, which just went right through him. &quot;Hahaha stop! It tickles! Aw, don&#039;t you worry Richie, we&#039;re going to spare you for now... Your ruckus did gather all the pesky heroes that might get in our way right here so we could take care of &#039;em in one fell swoop!&quot; the ghost announced. &quot;What&#039;s all this &#039;we&#039; stuff? You&#039;re all alone!&quot; Sonic pointed out. Voices called over the comms, worried about what might be happening. &quot;Sonic? Sonic! Is there a trap up there?&quot; Tails asked. &quot;Do you have Gunner?&quot; the Commander questioned. &quot;The Doctor didn&#039;t decide to get involved, did he?&quot; Shadow asked. Sonic tapped his comms off so he could hear Lospecter. The ghost produced the Chaos Key, the mystical object that could open anything, including portals. &quot;We&#039;ve been quiet for a bit because we&#039;ve been prepping. Ever since Zodiac went kaput. Prepping to eat up all the souls in this world...and then all worlds! Everything will become nice and lost, and live forever with us! Won&#039;t that be nice?&quot; he asked with a giggle. &quot;It sounds like a nightmare...&quot; Blaze said. Lospecter shrugged and shook his head. &quot;Well, I&#039;m sorry you feel that way... Because we were prepping by building our army using your world, and all the yummy koala souls on those islands! Ha ha ha ha!!&quot; As Lospecter cackled, Blaze looked up at him with shock and horror. &quot;Wh-what?! M-my world?! Destroyed in my absence?! M-marine!! N-nooooo!!&quot; she fell to her knees, and Silver rushed to console her. Sonic clenched his teeth. &quot;If you&#039;re telling the truth, you&#039;re history!&quot; he warned. Lospecter laughed at him. &quot;Oh... I forgot one thing... I touched base with a fellow Lospecter who successfully conquered his world, too. So, I&#039;ve got a two world Lost One army to add to my own... And they&#039;re waiting behind portal number one!!&quot; he announced, pointing the Chaos Key skyward! The Doomsayer stepped back and shut his eyes. &quot;Game over...&quot; he said. Sonic watched a beam shoot upward from the key, a look of panic sweeping over him very suddenly. He turned his comms back on. &quot;Everyone... RUN!! As fast as you can... GET TO SAFETY!!&quot; he cried.<br /><br />A massive portal radiating green energy appeared above the Security Tower. From it, every type of Lost One began to swarm out, rapidly forming a swirling cyclone of evil that surrounded the tower, starting to tear it apart! Gunner grabbed Nammad by the collar in panic. &quot;Get us the HELL out of here!! Where&#039;s Guard??&quot; he shouted. &quot;G-guard?&quot; Nammad blurted. Spy hadn&#039;t done as told. They had no idea where he&#039;d gone with Guard. Whisk grabbed Lucky&#039;s hand, ready to teleport them both, but before she could, a Loskull struck her, causing her to lose her grip as she teleported! &quot;W-whisk!!&quot; he gasped. Silver helped Blaze to her feet and led her to the edge of the building. &quot;W-we have to jump!&quot; he said. Blaze nodded. &quot;Get us out, Silver... I can&#039;t die here. I have some monsters to kill...&quot; she hissed. They both jumped over the edge together, while Nammad hastily made some repairs to Techno Sonic. &quot;We&#039;ll have to, uh, hold on to this!&quot; he told his boss. &quot;Rrrrgh&hellip; Damn FREAKS!!&quot; Gunner growled, grabbing on to Techno Sonic with Nammad and letting it fly both of them off the roof. Sonic grabbed Juice and Lucky by the arms. &quot;We&#039;re going fast, kids. Swallow your gum now!&quot; he warned. A Losol Golem landed right in front of the stairs, trying to block them. &quot;No, Sonic... No, no, no, meeeee-yoooooooow!!&quot; Lucky wailed as Sonic sped right through it at such a speed he broke it into individual losol! Lospecter watched everyone flee and cackled, glancing up as the hedgehog-tyrannosaur fusion known as Apocalos descended from the portal. He grinned with his huge, pointed teeth. &quot;The end has begun, at last. Wipe out the heroes. Find a way to defeat our weaknesses. Bring me the one with immunity to us. And ensure Sonic the hedgehog cannot get in our way.&quot; he commanded. Lospecter smirked. &quot;Tall order. Fortunately, I have all the grunts I need to get it all done. Every world will be all ours, hehehe...&quot; he said, floating away.<br /><br />The GUN Warships were all plummeting to the earth below. Knuckles and his group raced to get back to the Tornado. However, the collapsing interior of the ship separated Shade and Kosmo from Knuckles and Violet! &quot;Don&#039;t panic! I&#039;ll get Shade out!&quot; Kosmo promised. &quot;You&#039;d better!&quot; Knuckles shouted as he followed Violet on the path to where they left Tails&#039; plane. Timothy was quick to warp himself out of the other collapsing warship, but Copter had to get his own plane back. &quot;I know what Hoover said, but it&#039;s not worth your life!&quot; Gemini told him. &quot;Well, it&#039;s not worth YOUR life...&quot; Copter replied, continuing on his way back. Suddenly, a group of Losoar bats flapped into the ship and came gnashing their teeth toward the surprised Copter! It was then that Chopper leapt out of nowhere and pushed him out of harm&#039;s way, while Gemini zapped the beasts with her wand! &quot;Dad! You gotta be careful!&quot; the tri-tailed fox cried. Copter shoved the boy off him and leaned up. &quot;What the... DAD??&quot; he gasped. Gemini frowned. &quot;That&#039;s it... Galaporta!&quot; she said, taking both foxes and warping them off the ship with her...dooming the Hurricane.<br /><br />Sonic fled the Security Tower as the Lost Ones shredded it apart behind him, leaving only a skeletal remains of the building in their wake before they began to scatter and chase the fleeing heroes. They were spreading into nearby Station Square, too. Sonic left Juice and Lucky by the burger shop and turned to the swarm. &quot;Stay here... I gotta&hellip; do something!&quot; he said, dashing back to help anyone he could. &quot;Dad, wait!!&quot; Juice cried, leaving Lucky alone. &quot;Gah! What should I...&quot; Lucky began, but suddenly heard a &quot;Psst!&quot; Turning around, he saw someone watching him from a nearby alleyway. He didn&#039;t get a good look, but it appeared to be a black cat like him. &quot;Okay, I&#039;m coming...&quot; he said, having nowhere else to go.<br /><br />The Lost Ones spread through Station Square quickly. Some tried to flee, some tried to fight. Libra the fennec, Gemini&#039;s blue-furred sister, was out with the surviving Zodiac Council members for a meeting of their support group. When the Lost Ones attacked, they tried to fight them off, despite Libra&#039;s warnings. &quot;Guys, I know you miss all your powers but you don&#039;t have them!&quot; she pleaded. Pisces had a replica of her old trident, and tried to stab a Lospide tarantula. &quot;I&#039;ve been waiting for something to skewer again!&quot; the shark lady growled. Taurus tried to charge down a Loskel while Aquarius tried to punch out some losol. Capricorn was the only one who shared Libra&#039;s concern. &quot;Get to safety, Libra. I&#039;ll try to help them!&quot; the ferret said, rushing to Aquarius&#039; side as his hands got stuck in the losol&#039;s slime! &quot;Aaack!! Th-they won&#039;t let go!!&quot; he grunted. &quot;Graaahh!! F-firrrre!!&quot; Taurus wailed as the Loskel set him aflame! Libra gasped and started to run, glancing back only to see each member of the former council succumbing...transforming. They were losing their souls and becoming Lost Ones! &quot;G-gemini&hellip; I need to find Gemini!!&quot; Libra gasped, tears flowing from her eyes.<br /><br /><br />Before long, Station Square had come to resemble a ghost town. Lucky had taken cover in the remains of the burger shop. &quot;I&#039;ve been through so much... I&#039;ve fought to save so many worlds... But is the fight for my own world...all for nothing?&quot; he asked sadly. Outside, Sonic sped past, his finger tapping furiously on the comms device. &quot;Tails!! Knuckles!! Shadow!! Anyone!! Please respond!! ...Please...&quot; He was a wreck. The mission had started out so perfect. They seemed so prepared. Now he didn&#039;t know if anyone was alive or dead. Back in the burger shop, Lucky was panicking. &quot;Whisk!! Whisk, where are you!?&quot; he shouted out the door. &quot;Lucky, are you listening? She&#039;s not here. You&#039;d think you&#039;d listen to me, I am your son.&quot; the other black cat from before had been talking to him but he hadn&#039;t been paying much attention. Until now. &quot;Meee-yow!? Wh-what!? SON?!&quot; Lucky gasped. The other cat had a bit of blue hair on his head like Whisk&#039;s, and a collar identical to Lucky&#039;s. &quot;Yeah. Lucky Junior. Nice to meet ya, pop. Also, I think I might have something to do with why your key&#039;s flown the coop...&quot; he said awkwardly. Meanwhile, Sonic stopped at the desolate street where the Central Station stood, windows broken and slime spattered all around. He gritted his teeth and shut his eyes, struggling to hold back tears. Then, static came over the comms. He perked up. But the words he heard weren&#039;t encouraging. &quot;We lost the city... We lost Shadow Arcangel&hellip; Anybody, can anybody hear me? This is Tails... I&#039;m trapped behind enemy lines...&quot; A lump formed in Sonic&#039;s throat. This could be good news. It could mean all wasn&#039;t lost; the Doomsayer&#039;s prophecy said that the first official death of the end of the world would be a Prower. It also could mean that Tails didn&#039;t have long. &quot;I&#039;m here, buddy... Hang in there... I&#039;m on my way!&quot;<br /><br /><br />Gator&#039;s Crazy Adventure!!<br /><br />The Mystic Ruins was completely safe from the Lost Ones&#039; wrath...for now. Big the cat was calmly fishing while Froggy rested on his head. Skipping between the trees nearby was the costumed oddball known as Gator. No longer tied to BIT Squad, he was free to do whatever he wanted. He wanted to sing. &quot;Yo ho ho, and a bottle of cola! We&#039;re pirates and gators and Infinity-BIT! Yo ho ho and a bottle of cola!&quot; As his skipping neared Big, his singing irritated Froggy, and the amphibian hopped off the cat&#039;s head and headed away from the noise! &quot;Where ya goin, Froggy? Hey! Come back!&quot; Big stammered. &quot;You, sailor! How be the fish biting?&quot; Gator shouted, catching Big&#039;s attention. &quot;Ahh... It&#039;s not about how much fish you catch. It&#039;s about the peace and quiet...&quot; he said, sighing pleasantly. The two of them were silent for a moment, and then Big remembered. &quot;Gwaaah!! Where&#039;s Froggy!?&quot; he gasped, looking around before standing up. Gator pointed in the water. &quot;There&#039;s a froggy!&quot; he said. Big shook his head. &quot;No, that&#039;s Stevie. Awww, I got distracted and now Froggy is gone...&quot; the feline sighed. &quot;That&#039;s nice!&quot; Gator grinned, not paying attention. It was at this point our writer questioned the value of this segment. But as Big went off to look for Froggy, it seemed he probably wouldn&#039;t be getting involved in the mayhem Sonic was dealing with for some time. Hopefully Gator would be staying out of it, too...<br /><br />&quot;Hey! What are you asking me to stay out of? I&#039;m the main guy in this story!&quot; - Gator<br /><br /><br />Chapter 2 - Fallout<br />Stage 2 - Fallen Angel<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;All my anxiety, <br />Now is taking control of me. <br />I&#039;m holding onto every little bit of hope... <br /><br />Got a feeling you are near, <br />Somewhere here in the atmosphere. <br />I can&#039;t escape, there&#039;s nowhere left for me to hide.<br />&nbsp;<br />Nowhere to run... <br />Nowhere to hide... <br />Destiny will vanish forever...&quot; - Nowhere to Run, Sonic Forces<br /><br /><br />Sonic was racing back towards the ruins of the Security Tower, determined to find his friend. However, Tails was trying to get him back over the comms despite interference. &quot;S--nic! -- hear me? Ah! Got it! Sonic, don&#039;t worry about me! You should be focusing on people who can&#039;t help themselves! The whole city&#039;s in trouble!&quot; Tails pointed out. Sonic slowed his pace but didn&#039;t stop. &quot;Tails, the Doomsayer said...&quot; he was cut off by Shadow&#039;s voice coming through the comms. &quot;He said someone with Prower blood would die. That could be his uncle for all you know. Stop freaking out and do your part! I&#039;m closer so I&#039;ll check on Tails.&quot; the black hedgehog said seriously. Sonic stopped running and glanced back toward the city, where people&#039;s screams were on the wind. &quot;You&#039;re right. Ugh, I&#039;m not used to so much disaster going on that I&#039;m not fast enough to fix it all...&quot; he sighed. &quot;Don&#039;t worry, Sonic. You&#039;re not alone out there!&quot; Tails told him, &quot;I&#039;m going to head over to Shadow Arcangel&#039;s crash site to see if Bucky and the experiments are okay. Hopefully me or Shadow will find Amy and Cream on the way... We got separated in the chaos.&quot; he sighed. &quot;Rouge and Omega are missing, too.&quot; Shadow reported. This didn&#039;t sound good by any means. &quot;Keep me posted, and I&#039;ll keep my comms open to see if I can hear from anyone else...&quot; Sonic sighed, dashing back into the city. Along the way, he got a signal from Knuckles. &quot;Hello? Anyone alive??&quot; the echidna called. Sonic had zipped into a losol-infested building and was carrying a crying child to safety. &quot;For now, Knux, but I don&#039;t have a good feeling about this kid&#039;s parents...&quot; he said nervously. &quot;Shoot... Well, ahh... the Tornado&#039;s seen better days, too.&quot; Knuckles said nervously, &quot;I hope Tails doesn&#039;t need it.&quot; That was just what Sonic didn&#039;t want to hear as he carried the child toward the police station, the safest place he could think of. &quot;Where are ya, anyway, Knux?&quot; he asked.<br /><br /><br />Tails was heading towards the Arcangel crash site with his robotic dog, SPOT in tow. Broken GUN robots littered the landscape of the forest, where the trees had been displaced by the terrible tornado of Lost Ones that had torn past the area. Tails wasn&#039;t sure how they missed him, to be honest. He was inside the Security Center next to the tower during the chaos. &quot;...Amy? Cream? Man, I can&#039;t believe we lost them...&quot; he said nervously as he stepped through the creepy environment. Behind him, the broken robots started to stir. As a pair of battered, sparking Hunters rose to their wobbly feet, some losol peered out from their heads. The robots were possessed! They pointed their lasers at Tails&#039; back, and SPOT&#039;s alarm went off. &quot;What? Yikes!&quot; Tails gasped as he turned around. Shots rang out as Tails raised his arms in defense, but...somehow the shots missed? He looked to see what happened. Fera, the dark grey she-wolf that was once known to them as Felicia or &quot;rookie,&quot; had jumped between the robots and the fox and knocked the robots back with her dark magic! &quot;What happened here?! Where&#039;s Gunner! Talk, machines!!&quot; the wolf snarled. The bots fell apart and the losol emerged from within them, startling the wolf! &quot;Look out!&quot; Tails shouted, dashing in front of her and slipping one of the Chaos Tailbands onto his tail as he gave the monsters a good tail whip! The chaos energy defeated the monsters, rending their slime inert. &quot;Good thing I brought the tailbands with me... I wonder if I should&#039;ve gone super when this went down...&quot; Tails whimpered. From where he was, he couldn&#039;t have known how bad things had gotten, and now without a source to focus his super form on, it&#039;d be a waste of energy. He heard footsteps and turned to see Fera walking away. &quot;Hey, wait!&quot; he called. &quot;If you expect me to swoon for you coming to my defense, you&#039;re an idiot.&quot; she scoffed. &quot;Uhhh&hellip; I was gonna thank you for helping me, actually...&quot; Tails said, &quot;And, well... It&#039;s not safe to wander out here alone!&quot; he pointed out. &quot;We&#039;re not friends. Your group lied to me. Let me think I was a choir girl. While Gunner was permitted to run rampant, and look what happened.&quot; she huffed. Tails crossed his arms. &quot;Well... You can&#039;t get even with Gunner if you&#039;re dead. And who&#039;ll help you these days?&quot; he asked, raising an eyebrow. Fera gritted her teeth. She hated how right he was. Despair betrayed her. This fox was literally all she had. &quot;Fine. If you&#039;re such a man, lead the way! But at my first opportunity, I&#039;m taking vengeance on everyone who wronged me...so don&#039;t get on my bad side.&quot; she warned, pointing at him with a wisp of dark energy on her finger. Tails nodded, &quot;Yes, ma&#039;am...&quot;<br /><br />More possessed robots were present at Shadow Arcangel&#039;s crash site. Bolt, the creature who was made up of bat, turtle and chinchilla parts, was having his electric shell kicked between the bots by Sonata the unicorn, both of them looking rather desperate as Hunters and Beetles closed in on them. Tails and Fera could see the trouble from a distance. &quot;Ah! We gotta hurry and help them!&quot; Tails gasped. &quot;Must we? In my experience those experiments are not to be trusted...&quot; Fera sighed. While they were debating it, Shadow was able to catch up to them. &quot;Chaos Control!&quot; he warped close to the robots and quickly set to work attacking them with furious punches and kicks. Kosmo dashed in disguised as Sonic as well, smacking the other bots with homing attacks. &quot;Oh, good, we&#039;re not needed.&quot; Fera shrugged. &quot;I&#039;m going to check on everyone inside the ship.&quot; Tails told her while Shadow and Kosmo easily tore apart the possessed robots, Shadow&#039;s Chaos Spears quickly finishing off the weak losol. Sonata wiped his forehead in relief while Bolt sat on the ground looking dizzy once the enemies were gone. &quot;I-I c-can&#039;t take this...&quot; Bolt whined. &quot;There, there. Let&#039;s get inside...&quot; Sonata said, &quot;Thanks, guys.&quot; Shadow and Kosmo shrugged and turned to Tails and Fera as they approached. &quot;Well, well, what are you doing here, wolfie?&quot; Kosmo asked. &quot;I came to take out Gunner and you idiots mucked it up.&quot; she groaned. &quot;Is Bucky okay?&quot; Shadow asked, getting to the point. Sonata looked to the ship awkwardly. &quot;He is troubled... worried... Agh&hellip; My empathic abilities are running a bit haywire with all that&#039;s happening, though...&quot; he stated, holding his head. &quot;Where is he?&quot; Tails asked. As they all headed inside the crashed ship, Fera looked around uncertainly. She didn&#039;t want to be there, but she wasn&#039;t sure where to go now.<br /><br />SPOT was running diagnostics and attempting to connect through the interference to the comms of the other heroes while they walked through the halls of the ship. This enabled Copter to get through. &quot;Hello? Anyone alive? This is Copter and Gemini and...company.&quot; he said. Chopper was still with them. &quot;Good to hear from you, Copter! Where are you?&quot; Tails asked. Fera crossed her arms with a frown. She didn&#039;t have a comm device so she wasn&#039;t privy to this conversation. &quot;I dunno&hellip; Gemini warped us to &#039;safety.&#039; But we can see the chaos that happened.&quot; he said. &quot;Yeah, me too...&quot; Punchy&#039;s voice popped up over the comms suddenly, &quot;I gotta get back into town...Rainbow&#039;s in that mess with Aurora!&quot; he grunted with concern. Shadow scoffed. &quot;Running in by yourself won&#039;t help her. No one should go into that mess alone.&quot; he warned. Blaze&#039;s voice came over the comms next. She sounded pretty intense. &quot;Call me if you find the leaders of those monsters... I need to burn them until there&#039;s nothing left...&quot; she huffed. Silver was with her, and he spoke up. &quot;Lospecter told us that they... they destroyed her world. They turned all her people into Lost Ones...&quot; he said gravely. Tails stopped in his tracks, his ears drooping as the news sunk in. &quot;M-marine...? No...&quot; he stammered. &quot;So don&#039;t get in my way. I&#039;m getting my revenge!&quot; Blaze snapped. Shadow crossed his arms. &quot;We can&#039;t let emotion divide us. We all share the same goal, so we should coordinate our efforts to defeat these monsters.&quot; he told everyone. Fera glanced to Sonata and Bolt, each of them shrugging since they weren&#039;t privy to the full conversation. &quot;Sorry, I&#039;ll fill you in.&quot; Tails sighed, sniffling a bit over the thought that a whole dimension of friends was gone. &quot;Let&#039;s hurry and get our visit to Bucky over with, guys.&quot; Kosmo complained, &quot;That way we can move on to more important things...&quot;<br /><br />Bucky&#039;s lab had been converted into an infirmary. Talon the griffin, Vortex the chameleon and one of the newest experiments, Emily the squirrel, were all laid down on the examination tables with injuries. While Bucky was tending to one of Talon&#039;s wings, a glowing pale blue hedgehog was standing over Vortex, sending some of her energy into his body. Fera&#039;s eye focused on Emily as she walked in with the others. &quot;Hey... I know her. She...she&#039;s the girl from the picture that Conan carries around everywhere.&quot; she stated. Bucky nodded as he patched up Talon&#039;s wing. &quot;Emily. She&#039;s leverage. I brought her back from the grave in order to appeal to Conan&#039;s emotions. We may need his Chaos Relics before this is all over.&quot; he stated. Shadow glanced at the glowing hedgehog. &quot;Who is she? That energy radiating from her is...soothing...&quot; he murmured. Bucky stretched out the kinks in his back after finishing his work and glanced at his visitors. &quot;It, not she. It is Experiment Twenty, my final creation. I call her Gideon the GeneX, because... well, that&#039;s what it is. Pure creation energy, or GeneX as I called it in my error. My head was always stuck in the clouds of science and I couldn&#039;t see the magic of my discovery all those years ago.&quot; he explained. Tails rubbed his chin. &quot;Magic? So... is Gideon really even a living thing?&quot; he asked. Gideon glanced at him as it finished transferring energy to Vortex. &quot;I am only life. As such, I am the perfect healer. If any of you are injured, I will help you when I am finished here.&quot; the glowing creature said, turning to Emily as Vortex sat up with a refreshed yawn. &quot;I feel like hugging sssomeone. That energy isss potent!&quot; the chameleon mumbled. &quot;Well, good, you&#039;re alive. Can we go now?&quot; Kosmo grunted. Bucky shrugged. &quot;Go if you must, but I need help to get this ship back in the air. Mr. Prower, can you lend your considerable brain to the task? Vortex will assist you.&quot; he asked. Tails nodded. &quot;Right! This ship would really help getting everyone to a safe distance from the Lost One swarm!&quot; he reasoned. But another new voice came from the doorway at that moment. &quot;We&#039;ll handle the repairs!&quot; This made Fera growl in annoyance. &quot;Enough new people! Let&#039;s get this show on the... Tails, he looks just like you!&quot; she gasped. In the doorway stood Skye Prower, his son from the future. He was joined by Kosmo&#039;s daughter, Starr, Vector&#039;s son Argyle, and Skye&#039;s sister, Melody... who happened to be a rabbit!<br /><br />It took a bit for the kids to explain how they were from the future. Skye explained how they came to be there. &quot;I was performing a bit of an experiment with temporal energy, and I detected an anomaly in the timeline. It was...the world coming to an end, basically. If that happened in the past, we&#039;d all cease to exist in our time, so... I kinda...invented a time machine, hehe...&quot; he chuckled softly. &quot;Not a perfect time machine, you could only harness enough temporal energy to get us this far!&quot; Melody pouted, &quot;And how will we get back?&quot; she added. Tails was staring at his kids with utter shock. He...was not ready to be a dad. Kosmo was looking at Starr funny too. &quot;Hey, why is it just you kids? Why aren&#039;t we chaperoning you?&quot; he asked. Argyle shrugged. &quot;Most of ya are dead. Others are kinda retired. And we kinda didn&#039;t tell Sonic anything.&quot; Starr elbowed him for saying that. &quot;Don&#039;t tell them they&#039;re dead!&quot; she snapped. &quot;I didn&#039;t, you did!&quot; he grunted. Bucky cleared his throat loudly. &quot;Repairs, not spoilers.&quot; he grumbled, wanting to keep them on-topic. &quot;You&#039;re not the least bit worried about kids from the future saying you&#039;re dead?&quot; Fera asked. &quot;Oh, we don&#039;t know nothin&#039; about you, ma&#039;am.&quot; Argyle said. &quot;Swell...&quot; Fera shrugged. Tails and Skye both nodded to themselves. &quot;Bucky&#039;s right.&quot; they said at once, smiling at each other. &quot;Melody and I can fix the ship easy. We just need you guys to protect us from those creatures...&quot; Skye said. &quot;They&#039;re called the Lost Ones...&quot; Shadow told the kids, &quot;...You&#039;re sure you can handle this? If you are, then we&#039;ll back you up.&quot; he stated. &quot;I&#039;ll get Crassssh and Zipp!&quot; Vortex announced as the group started to head out. Fera sighed in frustration. &quot;I don&#039;t need all this babysitting. I just want a shot at Gunner and Anubis...&quot; she murmured. Bucky walked over to her. &quot;Your vendettas aside, you must agree that the destruction of the world is important to deal with.&quot; he told her. She rolled her eye, and then glanced at Tails as he called to her. &quot;You coming? We could really use you!&quot; he said. She didn&#039;t get him. He still seemed to look at her as a friend, just as he looked at Felicia. &quot;I&#039;m coming...&quot; she sighed.<br /><br />They had to split up, as the ship needed repairs in different areas. Tails, Fera and Argyle went with Skye, while Shadow, Kosmo and Starr were going with Melody. Vortex would have a look at a third area of the ship and receive aid from other experiments. As they headed for the part of the ship Skye was going to work on, Tails couldn&#039;t help asking questions. &quot;So, ahh... Y-your mother... she&#039;s...?&quot; he seemed pretty awkward about asking. Skye seemed awkward about answering, too. &quot;Dad, I-I&#039;m sorry... I don&#039;t really know you. Gunner had you and mom killed when Melody and I were little. We only recently defeated him.&quot; he sighed. Fera scoffed. &quot;Well, don&#039;t worry yourself about that too much. Your future will change when I kill that man.&quot; she stated. They reached an area of the ship where sparks were coming from the ceiling. &quot;Yeah, gotta fix this...&quot; Skye murmured, spinning his own two tails to fly up to the ceiling and asses the situation. &quot;You sure I didn&#039;t get to teach you anything?&quot; Tails mused, watching him. Skye suddenly shouted in alarm. &quot;You get a shock?&quot; Argyle asked. &quot;We&#039;ve got a big problem up here!&quot; Skye yelled, dropping to the ground. Electrified losol dripped out of the hole in the ceiling, their ghostly faces looking at the group angrily! &quot;Huh, I didn&#039;t know they could hold a charge...&quot; Tails muttered. &quot;Geek out later! We&#039;ve got to clear the way for repairs to take place!&quot; Argyle grunted. &quot;Alas, this lowly corridor is where thy story cometh to a close! You&#039;ve fallen into the trap of Loskeletor!&quot; Behind them, the greenish skeleton who was once William the Raccoon so long ago was approaching. His eyes were glowing with fiery energy, ready to shoot beams at them any moment. Fera placed a hand on her hip and looked back at the skeleton. &quot;You picked us over Shadow and Kosmo. Scared, are you?&quot; she smirked. &quot;It&#039;s a stratagem. With but a hint of DNA from one of you, I can deceive your allies by transforming... then get close and stab them in the back, as my ally of old, Brutus once attempted.&quot; Loskeletor said. Fera gave him a deadpan look. &quot;Yeah, I have no idea who that is. Tails, foil him by telling Shadow exactly what he just told us.&quot; she suggested. &quot;I&#039;m just getting static on the comms!&quot; Tails groaned. The electric losol, meanwhile, were expelling shocks toward them, attempting to immobilize them with electrocution! &quot;We&#039;ve ways of disrupting your communications. Now, whose soul shalt join the lost first?&quot; Loskeletor sneered.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Vortex was busy attempting to repair the ship&#039;s engines. Crash, the rhinoceros with the yellow bowler hat, was guarding the entrance to the room with Zipp, the red striped hornet whose helmet&#039;s black visor hid his eyes. Zipp cocked a shotgun and gritted his teeth. &quot;I hear &#039;em slithering this way. Ready to rock, Crash, or are you still stiff from your year as a bot?&quot; he smirked. &quot;Stop bringing that up.&quot; Crash groaned. Sparks escaped through the crack under the door as electric losol banged on it, attempting to break in. After a moment, they slithered in right through the crack, and Zipp fired his shotgun, but that only slowed them down a bit. Vortex glanced back. &quot;Sssstupid! You have to hit them with elemental energy!&quot; he hissed. &quot;Maybe you should be up here, then!&quot; Zipp grumbled, &quot;Ack!&quot; he dropped his shotgun as the losol zapped him with a burst of electricity. Crash quickly caught Zipp and held him with his stinger pointed at the creatures. &quot;You&#039;ve got the right ammo! I&#039;ll point and you shoot!&quot; he grunted. &quot;Hey! Put me down! Th-this is so humiliating! Ughhh!!&quot; Zipp protested. The electrified slime monsters were jumping towards them quickly, so there wasn&#039;t much choice. Crash gave the hornet a squeeze. &quot;Ack!! C-chaos Stinger!!&quot; he shouted, his stinger glowing red and firing wherever Crash pointed! Each losol hit exploded as a result of the electrical energy, requiring Crash to back away slowly. &quot;Hurry up with those repairs, &#039;Tex! We may need you on the offense if they keep comin&#039;!&quot; Crash warned. Vortex reached for a nearby wrench and hissed. &quot;I can&#039;t tell how I&#039;m doing, there&#039;sss no power! Thosssse foxesss better get their tailssss in gear! ...And the rabbit, too.&quot; he growled. Zipp smirked. &quot;So... Tails and Cream, huh?&quot; he snickered. &quot;Not the time to gossip.&quot; Crash grumbled.<br /><br />Outside the ship, Melody was working on repairing damage to the wings, flapping her long ears to fly from place to place, carrying her tools on a heavy belt attached to her waist. Shadow kept an eye on her while Kosmo stood with his back to Starr, not paying much attention to his daughter. &quot;Hmm... No questions for me?&quot; the female morph asked. &quot;Your mere existence gives me all the answers I need from you.&quot; Kosmo said without looking at her. Starr crossed her arms. &quot;Yeah, sure. Guess you don&#039;t want my daddy issues put on you when you haven&#039;t even had me yet...&quot; she huffed. &quot;You got it.&quot; Kosmo sighed. &quot;Must be sooooome issues, though... &#039;Cuz my real form is based on mom, you know. But I choose to make myself into daddy&#039;s girl.&quot; Starr said as she stretched and leaned against her father&#039;s back. &quot;Talk to mom about it.&quot; Kosmo grunted. Melody chuckled softly as her ears picked up on their conversation. She wiped some sweat from her forehead and looked out over the forest around the ship. &quot;Hmm... Ahh! M-mister Shadow! Something&#039;s coming!&quot; she gasped, pointing at some rustling trees. The rustling was moving their way. Shadow clenched his fists and turned toward the danger, while Kosmo and Starr both turned as well. Out of the trees flew some possessed robots; Beetles with laser cannons and flying Hunters. &quot;Stay with the bunny. We&#039;ll handle this.&quot; Kosmo said to Starr. She stood defiantly in front of him. &quot;Uh, hellooo? You die, I die? You should guard Mel!&quot; she insisted. Shadow dashed past them in the meantime, hurling Chaos Spears at the first approaching robots! &quot;Don&#039;t waste each other&#039;s time! Fan out and we&#039;ll form a perimeter around the kid!&quot; he shouted. The morphs looked at him, blinking. &quot;Uh, yeah, guess that&#039;s smart.&quot; Starr murmured. And so, they split up to protect Melody...<br /><br />Back inside, Argyle was doing his best to watch Skye&#039;s back while he was making repairs and Tails and Fera were busy with Loskeletor. The crocodile happened to have a rather advanced looking Wispon with him...but really technology hadn&#039;t advanced that much twenty years in the future. Wispons still shot ammo based on the Wisp used to power it. His was running on asteroid power, and shot at the incoming losol in a rapid-fire fashion. &quot;How&#039;s the repairs comin&#039;, Skye?&quot; he asked. The fox rubbed his head. &quot;I think I&#039;ve just about got this problem fixed...&quot; he murmured. Meanwhile, Fera had tossed balls of dark energy directly at Loskeletor&#039;s ribs, seemingly shattering them, but... his limbs and head just floated undeterred, his skull shooting hot lasers back at her while his arms picked up the fragments of his chest. &quot;You&#039;re kidding me. He&#039;ll just fix himself?!&quot; the wolf growled, hopping away from his lasers. &quot;Maybe not after a dose of Chaos energy!&quot; Tails smirked. &quot;The Chaos Relics are powered by Creation energy.&quot; Skye corrected. Tails knew that but nobody wanted to start saying creation all the time. The fox tried to move in for a tailband-powered tail whip, but Loskeletor&#039;s legs walked ahead and kicked him back! &quot;Ooof!!&quot; he groaned. Fera quickly helped him up. &quot;I&#039;ll get you close...&quot; she said, clutching his hand before enveloping them both in darkness! They warped above Loskeletor&#039;s skull, and Fera spun in the air while holding on to Tails&#039; hand. &quot;Whip it!!&quot; she cried. The fox&#039;s tails crashed into the skull, a flash of light coming from the tailband as Loskeletor screamed and collapsed to the ground! Tails and Fera landed nearby, and Tails tried to pull back his hand only to find Fera&#039;s grip too tight. Glancing at her, they both blushed and looked away, hands separating quickly. A voice prevented any celebration from starting. <br /><br />&quot;Willy, willy, willy... I hardly knew ye...&quot; A portal emerged beside Loskeletor&#039;s remains, and Lospecter appeared, &quot;What&#039;ll we do with you? Oh, but wait... How&#039;s that? You&#039;re no ordinary Lost One? Riiight, Loskeletor was made out of someone! When body and soul are given to the Lost Ones, well... You might as well be immortal!&quot; Lospecter floated past Argyle and grabbed one of the sparking losol, carrying it to Loskeletor&#039;s broken bones and wringing it out over them. The slime that fell onto the bones restored Loskeletor&#039;s vitality, and the skeleton quickly rose up, reformed back into a whole! Tails and Fera stared in surprise, so distracted by Loskeletor&#039;s revival, they didn&#039;t notice what Lospecter was doing. &quot;Aaaahh!! Help, Dad!!&quot; The ghost nabbed Skye and carried him to the open portal! &quot;W-wait!! Stop!!&quot; Tails shouted. &quot;You have so many foxes. You can let us borrow one, right? Unless you wanna trade those pretty tailbands... In that case, meet me in this ship&#039;s basement... In the deepest darkness!&quot; Lospecter cackled, escaping through the portal with Loskeletor following. &quot;We will reprise this... Prepare for Act 2!&quot; the skeleton sneered. The portal vanished as Tails attempted to give chase. Clenching his fists, he tapped his comms device. &quot;I&#039;m going after Lospecter... You guys keep fixing the ship!&quot; he said. Fera crossed her arms and shook her head. &quot;You&#039;re the last one who should go. It&#039;s you they want.&quot; she said. Argyle looked between them awkwardly. &quot;Uhh... Sh-should I come?&quot; he asked. Tails started to walk away. &quot;I&#039;ll go it alone if I have to.&quot; he said. &quot;You didn&#039;t even know the kid an hour ago.&quot; Fera pointed out. &quot;It&#039;s not about who he is. No one should be left in the hands of those creatures!&quot; Tails insisted. Fera was watching him go, contemplating leaving while she could. However, she started to follow him. &quot;You got guts, kid. Let&#039;s try to keep them from spilling all over the floor.&quot; she said. &quot;Ugh, gross. Felicia never talked like that...&quot; Tails groaned. The fox and the wolf...unlikely allies. Could Fera really be trusted? Time would tell...<br /><br /><br />Chapter 3 - Double Doom<br />Stage 2 - Fallen Angel<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;A common mission, an epic quest,<br />Until journey&#039;s end, we shall not rest!<br />And with our power joined... darkness shall not win...<br />And I&#039;ll sing a song of victory! Now it&#039;s time we begin!&quot;<br />&nbsp;&nbsp; - Song of Fellowship, Sonic GeneX: the Series; Zodiac in Time<br /><br /><br />Shadow, Kosmo and Starr were still on the outside of the ship while Melody was working on repairs. Shadow growled softly as Tails shut off his communicator before he could talk him out of going directly to Lospecter. &quot;I have to stop that kid from walking straight into a trap... But I can&#039;t leave the other kid alone, so I guess you&#039;re babysitting, Kosmo&hellip;&quot; he said as he started to head for an entrance to Shadow Arcangel. Kosmo crossed his arms grouchily. &quot;Oh, I work for you people now? Why don&#039;t I go inside and you babysit?&quot; he asked. &quot;None of those kids are mine!&quot; Shadow shouted back. He had a point. Kosmo sighed and glanced back at where Melody was working. &quot;How&#039;s it coming?&quot; he asked. The rabbit shrugged. &quot;This is weird tech. It&#039;s like, ancient and modern at the same time. It&#039;s taking me a bit to figure it out.&quot; she said. Once again, Kosmo was seemingly ignoring his daughter, Starr. She fiddled with one of her ponytails and walked over, clearing her throat. &quot;Well, uhh&hellip; You mind if I ask you some questions?&quot; she murmured. Kosmo winced. &quot;I&#039;m not sure what you could possibly ask me...&quot; he grumbled. Skye had already established for them that most of the parents were dead in the future, and the kids had to pretty much make do without them. &quot;Well... I want to know what you were like!&quot; Starr babbled. Kosmo shrugged. &quot;I&#039;m like this.&quot; He wasn&#039;t in any kind of mood to suddenly be a father. It was a bit frustrating for Starr, but she took a breath and tried again. &quot;Well, um... Hey! Could you tell me anything about your home planet!? I&#039;ve never been!&quot; she asked with a grin. Kosmo raised an eyebrow and finally looked at her, quite a bit puzzled. &quot;Home planet? Is that a joke?&quot; he asked. Starr frowned. &quot;Huh? How&#039;s it a joke, everyone knows you came to Earth from another planet, morphs aren&#039;t native to this planet...&quot; she mumbled. Kosmo turned around, took a deep breath, and yelled, &quot;BUCKYYYYY!!!&quot;<br /><br /><br />Tails was heading deep down into the bowels of the ship, joined by Fera. Argyle had gone to rejoin Melody and Starr, not being quite brave enough to walk into a trap. They found a stairway leading down below any area of the ship either of them had seen before. These corridors were quite dark, even for Shadow Arcangel, but not so dark that they couldn&#039;t see the losol watching them as they explored. The creatures were only watching, and not approaching. Their wispy voices were unsettling, though. &quot;They&#039;re just making sure we&#039;re going the right way, aren&#039;t they?&quot; Tails murmured, looking around worriedly. Fera nodded. &quot;There&#039;s no need for them to attack us right now. Apparently the beasts aren&#039;t mindless.&quot; she observed, stopping and placing a hand on her hip, &quot;We need a plan or this will not end well for us.&quot; she told him. Tails slowed his steps and glanced back at her. &quot;Somehow I doubt Lospecter&#039;s going to let us sit here and think about it...&quot; he murmured. Indeed, some of the Lost Ones behind them were stirring, moving to block their way back. Fera resumed walking alongside Tails. &quot;Leave it to me. I&#039;ve had to work under pressure before... Just do as I say when the time comes. Think of me as your commander.&quot; she said, rubbing his shoulder and then patting it gently. Tails was starting to worry that maybe he&#039;d been too hasty, but now he had little choice but to trust Fera to help him. She could easily just warp to safety if things went bad, though, and leave him for dead. At any rate, they kept moving until they found a bridge that usually spanned across the underside of the ship while in midair. The bridge had broken in the crash...but they were on the ground. &quot;Last chance to run away...&quot; Fera told him. Tails carefully stepped around the rubble of the broken bridge. &quot;What kind of father am I if I leave my son like this?&quot; he asked. Fera rolled her eye. &quot;He&#039;s not yours. You haven&#039;t had a child yet.&quot; she argued. It didn&#039;t matter. They were going anyway.<br /><br /><br />Shadow returned to Bucky&#039;s lab, where Gideon was wrapping up Emily&#039;s medical treatment. Bucky was checking Talon&#039;s eyes...for some reason, and Shadow also found SPOT there. Tails had left the robo-puppy behind in case anyone needed it for anything. &quot;Hey, robot! Tails hung up on me. Can you re-establish communications?&quot; he asked. The robot looked up at him. His robotic eyes darted back and forth. &quot;I can&#039;t do that, Shadow. The boss doesn&#039;t want to talk to you...&quot; SPOT said, his voice filled with more personality than ever before. Seemed Tails had given him an upgrade in that department. Shadow wasn&#039;t impressed with it, though. &quot;Your boss is going to kill himself!&quot; he snapped. Just then, Kosmo&#039;s voice came through his comms device. &quot;Shadow! You near Bucky? Put him on! I need a word with that rat!&quot; The hedgehog growled softly. &quot;Fine, fine. Looks like this thing won&#039;t help me anyway...&quot; he grumbled, taking the comm device from his ear and giving it to Bucky. &quot;...Hello?&quot; the rat murmured. Talon shielded his eyes as Bucky continued to hold a light in his face. &quot;Can I go now??&quot; he groaned. Bucky didn&#039;t answer him as Kosmo spoke. &quot;Hey, rat boy... My uh...daughter...is telling me some cockamamie story about me not being from this planet. Like it&#039;s a known fact in the future. Talk.&quot; he said with a grouchy tone. Bucky took the light out of Talon&#039;s face and turned away. &quot;Ohh&hellip; I suppose I never should have kept it from you. Kosmo&hellip; I didn&#039;t create you.&quot; the rat said casually. &quot;What, you can&#039;t just drop a bomb like that over the phone!!&quot; Talon gasped. Bucky ignored him. &quot;You see, after the Black Arms invasion, I happened to find a downed spacecraft not far from my lab. You were inside...dead. You became my first experiment in reanimating dead tissue...something your shapeshifting form was more receptive to than beings of this world. But it was valuable experience for the future...&quot; he explained, glancing at Emily as he spoke. She looked at him uncomfortably. It was unclear how much she knew about her own circumstances to most of those in the room. At any rate, Kosmo had this to process now. &quot;So, I am a freak, just not the kind you told me I was... I wonder if the Black Arms shot down my ship... Or...&quot; Kosmo&#039;s voice trailed off before he continued, &quot;...maybe Nova&#039;s not as crazy as I think when he claims to know me...&quot;<br /><br /><br />Tails and Fera soon arrived at the deepest dungeon within the ancient temple-like flying fortress. Or, perhaps vault would be a more apt description of the room, as the pair of them found a horde of glittering gold and jewels...the treasure of the dragon tribe that used to reside within Shadow Arcangel! Both of them looked around in awe. &quot;Wait, does Bucky know about this room?! This treasure looks like it&#039;s been untouched for hundreds of years!&quot; Tails gasped. Fera nodded. There were golden dragon sculptures, jeweled eggs...it was quite a sight. Her eye fixed on a sarcophagus at the back, possibly depicting the ancient ruler of the dragons on the front. &quot;Is this where we&#039;re supposed to be?&quot; she wondered. Suddenly, a banging was heard from inside the sarcophagus! &quot;I&#039;m in here! Help! I-it&#039;s dark!!&quot; Skye shouted fearfully. Lospecter popped through the sarcophagus and waggled his finger at them. &quot;Uh-uh! Tailbands first, please!&quot; he demanded. He also waved to Fera. &quot;By the way, you wouldn&#039;t happen to have gotten my cards back, would ya, wolfie? Myself... I&#039;m a few cards short of a deck!&quot; he chuckled, holding up just a single gold-backed Chaos Card, &quot;Ah, but I guess this&#039;ll have to be my trump card, then.&quot; Fera crossed her arms, glancing around the room intently. &quot;Funny, I would think you&#039;d just warp over and snatch the tailbands. Why don&#039;t you, Lospecter?&quot; she asked. Lospecter chuckled. &quot;I give the pop quizzes here, lady!&quot; he said, hiding the card up his glove. Fera smirked. &quot;You&#039;re playing to win, I&#039;m pretty sure, so there&#039;s no reason to hold back. So, the answer must be...you can&#039;t. There must be a limit to how many relics your slimy hands can safely hold...&quot; she stated. &quot;Oh! That&#039;s a good point!&quot; Tails realized. Lospecter juggled the Chaos Key in his hand. &quot;Lospecter&#039;s Quiz Mania time! What did I do very recently that could easily solve that problem? Can you think of the answer?&quot; he snickered. Before they could say anything, a pair of dark figures stepped out from behind some of the golden statues. One greatly resembled Shadow... Dark Spiny! The other was...Kosmo? &quot;We meet again...the natural-born freak who wrecked my revenge!! Go on, hit me with those bands again! This time, you don&#039;t have a second super form to save you!&quot; Kosmo&#039;s voice was a bit distorted... &quot;Are you... Dark Kosmo?!&quot; Tails gasped. Lospecter smirked. &quot;Think they can hold the bands for me?&quot; he asked. <br /><br />Rather than wait for a response from Tails, Dark Spiny ran ahead and gave him a swift kick to the chest, knocking him back into a pile of gold coins in the corner of the room! Fera reacted by zapping the porcupine with dark lightning, but it didn&#039;t seem to bother a being of pure darkness too much. &quot;That tickled. Maybe it&#039;d hurt a hedgehog...&quot; he scoffed, hurling a Chaos Spear at Fera and forcing her to jump backward! While the two of them began fighting, Tails climbed out of the pile of gold, only to find Dark Kosmo standing over him. The morph grabbed him by the neck, lifting him up. &quot;I didn&#039;t think revenge would be quite this easy...&quot; he sneered. &quot;I-it&#039;s not!&quot; Tails choked, a flash of light coming from his tails as he suddenly vanished before Darkosmo&#039;s eyes! He was surprised, and that gave the invisible fox a chance to kick him while his guard was down and cause the morph to drop him! &quot;Coward! Hiding from me like a wimp! You know you can&#039;t win!&quot; he snarled, morphing his body into a bat and starting to fly around in search of the fox. In the meantime, Fera was evading Dark Spiny&#039;s Chaos Spears, looking for an opening to hit him with brute force since her dark magic wouldn&#039;t work on him. &quot;You really don&#039;t have anything on your other self but a darkness immunity, huh? No originality?&quot; the wolf taunted. Dark Spiny growled. &quot;Why are you jerks always comparing me to other rodents?! STOP THAT!!!&quot; he roared, firing dozens of spears from his hands in a rapid-fire manner as Fera smirked and warped herself out of the way. &quot;Hotheaded baby, just like the real deal...&quot; she said, appearing behind him and giving him a solid punch to the head! Meanwhile, Darkosmo had located Tails using his bat form&#039;s echolocation. &quot;You can&#039;t hide from me!&quot; he sneered, lunging at the fox! Tails smacked him with a tail whip as he approached. &quot;Yeah, you can transform into anything, I know that.&quot; he said. The morph rubbed his head and then morphed into the form of Sonic. &quot;Well, we all know one form you can&#039;t beat!&quot; However, at this point Lospecter yawned loudly. &quot;Why don&#039;t I just kill the kid?&quot; he suggested, stopping Tails&#039; resistance instantly. &quot;That&#039;s right, you remember why you&#039;re here...&quot; the ghost snickered.<br /><br />Tails reached for his tailbands. &quot;Don&#039;t hurt him. I...I&#039;ll give you the tailbands...&quot; he sighed, feeling he had no choice. Fera kicked Dark Spiny away and quickly warped over to Tails. &quot;Sorry, but this isn&#039;t an option...&quot; she grunted, grabbing the bands away from Tails quickly. &quot;Wait, stop!&quot; he gasped. &quot;If you hand them over now, we&#039;ll have nothing keeping them from killing both of you!&quot; Fera told him, tossing the bands up into the air before sending a blast of dark energy upward, warping the bands out of the room to a place only she knew. Lospecter floated over to Darkosmo and slapped him in the back of the head. &quot;Way to STOP her, genius!&quot; he complained. The morph growled. &quot;I guess we kill the kid, then.&quot; he said with a smirk. Fera shook her head. &quot;If you lay a hand on any of us, you&#039;ll never find those pretty little rings again. So, now we&#039;ll see just how much you want them.&quot; she grinned. Tails looked from her to Lospecter worriedly. The ghost was rubbing his chin, thinking it over. &quot;Well, you know, if I have all of you killed, I suppose no one will know where those silly bands are, and it&#039;s one less two-tailed twit who can use them against us. Not really a very tough decision, hehehe...&quot; he chuckled, snapping his fingers to signal for the losol in the hall to start slithering into the room, surrounding them. Dark Kosmo and Spiny stepped towards them as well, dark smirks on their faces as they contemplated how they would end the canine&#039;s lives. Fera grabbed Tails&#039; arm, starting to glow with dark energy. &quot;Time to go, kid...&quot; she said. Tails pulled away. &quot;We can&#039;t leave Skye to die!&quot; he told her. Fera quickly shot some dark flames from her hands at the enemies approaching them from either sides. &quot;They&#039;ve got the advantage on us, don&#039;t be an idiot!&quot; she shouted. Darkosmo started to glow in order to transform. &quot;It&#039;s too late for petty arguing. Now, die already!!&quot; he snarled.<br /><br />&quot;Tails detected!&quot; SPOT&#039;s robotic voice was heard down the hall. A second later, a Chaos Blast scattered the losol at the entrance to the room, and Shadow the hedgehog leapt in, quickly smacking the Dark beings with swift homing attacks and stalling Darkosmo&#039;s transformation! &quot;Good timing.&quot; Fera sighed. &quot;Shadow! They&#039;ve got Skye in that coffin!&quot; Tails shouted. However, Lospecter had opened the sarcophagus during the distraction, and was pulling the young fox out by the tail. &quot;Ow, ow! Let go!!&quot; Skye yelped. &quot;Nah, new idea. Listen up, Tailsy-wailsy. You can keep knocking about the land of the living for a bit, and hang on to those tailbands too...&quot; Lospecter said, turning the Chaos Key to open a portal, &quot;Buuut, if I catch wind of you actually using those tailbands, well... Skye here might lose some parts. Maybe his soul! Hehehehe! Oh, and Shadow! We&#039;ll be in touch... We&#039;ve got an experiment going with these lovely blood samples we happened to get our hands on while everyone was distracted with Eggman and Infinite for a few months. Byeeee!&quot; he said, tossing Skye into the portal and following after him. Dark Spiny and Kosmo followed after, the morph glancing at Tails hatefully before leaving. &quot;I look forward to your grisly demise. I hear it&#039;s written in the stars... Farewell!&quot; With that, the portal vanished. Tails was busy processing what happened, but Shadow grabbed him by the &quot;collar&quot; and shook him a little. &quot;Is Lospecter right? You lost the Ultimate Life blood samples I entrusted you with!? That&#039;s the last of Professor Gerald&#039;s work!&quot; he shouted. Tails stammered a bit. &quot;W-we were a little busy with the Resistance!!&quot; he babbled. Shadow threw him away, and he fell into Fera&#039;s arms. &quot;You should have told me. Now I have this on top of everything else!&quot; Shadow grumbled. Fera placed the fox on his feet and crossed her arms. &quot;That ghost was never going to give up his hostage. But for now, the kid&#039;s being kept alive. Maybe we can figure out how to save him.&quot; she said, &quot;...Not that I care. Come on, let&#039;s get out of this pit.&quot; she scoffed. Tails walked over to SPOT and patted the robo-puppy. &quot;Get me in touch with Sonic, SPOT. I&#039;m gonna need a friendly voice...&quot; he sighed.<br /><br />Between Melody and Vortex, the repairs to the ship had finally been completed. They were ready to take off, so everyone returned inside the ship and regrouped at the control room. Bucky was there, preparing for a tricky takeoff from the middle of the forest. Tails was still trying to contact Sonic, Fera was contemplating what her next move should be, and Argyle was explaining what had happened to Skye to Melody and Starr. Observing everyone, Shadow nodded to himself and turned to leave. &quot;You all should stick together. I&#039;m going to head out and try to regain contact with the Commander and GUN proper.&quot; he said. Kosmo started to follow him. &quot;I don&#039;t wanna hang around this ship, I might as well join you.&quot; he said. Shadow shrugged. &quot;You really don&#039;t want to get to know your future daughter, do you?&quot; he murmured. Kosmo scoffed. &quot;My future will be my own. Nothing&#039;s going to decide it but me.&quot; he said bluntly. Nodding, Shadow left with Kosmo following. &quot;Don&#039;t let the door hit ya on the way out!&quot; Zipp shouted, &quot;Seriously, this dump is falling apart.&quot; Melody glanced at him. &quot;I did my best. I can take a look at anything else that needs repairs...if you&#039;ll help save my brother.&quot; she said. &quot;Why, Tails, you&#039;ve raised an extortionist!&quot; Zipp commented. Tails rolled his eyes at the hornet, and Bucky cleared his throat loudly. &quot;Let&#039;s try to get along, here. We may need one another for a while. Vortex, take the controls. Sonny, Bolt, patrol the halls.&quot; the rat ordered. Bolt glanced at Sonata. &quot;I thought they forgot about us...&quot; he muttered to the unicorn. &quot;They have much on their minds. Their emotions are all over the place...&quot; the empathic Sonata stated. While everyone was preparing for takeoff, Fera handed the tailbands back to Tails. &quot;Here... Sorry, I had to. They would have killed you both.&quot; she said matter-of-factly. Tails didn&#039;t take the bands. &quot;I can&#039;t use them. If Lospecter knows, he&#039;ll kill Skye anyway... But do you really care? You&#039;re Fera, not Felicia, remember?&quot; he sighed, taking SPOT and heading out of the control room, looking to be alone.<br /><br />Shadow Arcangel had to knock down a few trees, but it rose back into the air once again. From the sky above, they could see the extent of the damage to Station Square. &quot;Holy Chaos...&quot; Crash gasped, looking out the window, &quot;Were the Lost Ones always capable of this?&quot; Emily and Gideon approached the window to peer down as well. &quot;Awful... Is there...anything we can do?&quot; Emily wondered. Bucky nodded. &quot;You&#039;ll have your chance...&quot; he mused. Gideon shivered, looking at the slimy creatures running rampant through the streets below. &quot;We have to...save them...&quot; it whispered.<br /><br />In the hall, Tails had finally gotten through to Sonic. He was explaining what happened, when Fera approached. &quot;What does Sonic have to say?&quot; she asked. Tails glanced at her questioningly. The wolf sighed. &quot;You...are all I have now. I&#039;d be a fool to betray you.&quot; she said. Thinking on that, Tails opened a hatch on SPOT&#039;s body and pulled out an extra comm device. &quot;Here, you are hereby back in the Resistance.&quot; he said. Fera put on the device and heard Sonic&#039;s voice. &quot;Good to have ya back. We&#039;ll figure out how to get Tails&#039; kid back, too. Never thought I&#039;d say that sentence...&quot; he murmured. &quot;The Lost Ones will likely target the other Chaos Relics, too.&quot; Fera stated, &quot;We should warn whoever has them.&quot; Tails nodded in agreement, and then yelped as a drop of water struck his head. &quot;A leak?&quot; No, it was starting to rain within the ship. Down in the city, it was starting to rain around Sonic&#039;s location, too. &quot;Shoot, Tails, I think the Doomsayer&#039;s here...&quot; he murmured. &quot;Can&#039;t be, he&#039;s up...here...&quot; Tails babbled, both he and Fera stepping back as the Doomsayer entered the hall. His golden eyes narrowed. &quot;And of course, we know one could never be in two places at once...&quot; The Doomsayer&#039;s voice was both in the room, but also came over the comm device. Tails&#039; eyes widened, realizing what Sonic was seeing. A second Doomsayer stood before Sonic at the same time, down in the city! &quot;Sonic, running for everyone&#039;s life as always. When are you going to realize that there is no outrunning this world&#039;s fate?&quot; the Doomsayer on the ground asked. Sonic was busy processing what was going on. &quot;Th-there&#039;s two of you??&quot; he babbled. The second Doomsayer spoke to Tails. &quot;I told you a Prower will die to complete my prophecy. I never said which Prower. Will it be you? Will it be your poor, captured, time-displaced child? Do you wish to hear my prediction?&quot; the hooded being asked. Tails growled softly. &quot;We won&#039;t let anyone die!&quot; he shouted. &quot;As if you have that level of control. Time is like a breaking dam. You can patch a leak here or there, but there is no stopping the force of destiny.&quot; the Doomsayer warned. &quot;Indeed. Sonic, once the Prower fox dies, it won&#039;t be long before you fall as well. Rage against this fate if you must, but know that there is no changing it.&quot; the other Doomsayer added. Sonic clenched his fists. &quot;Maybe the first step is to pull off that hood and see who you really are!&quot; he said, but before he could attempt it, an icy wind blew fiercely from behind the Doomsayer, knocking Sonic over as the hooded one vanished! On the ship, the Doomsayer also vanished in a sudden burst of fog! Coughing and climbing to his feet, Sonic tapped his finger to the comm device to get Tails back. &quot;You okay up there?&quot; he asked. &quot;He&#039;s gone. How can there be two of him?&quot; Tails asked. &quot;I dunno, bro. Add that mystery to the pile. For now, we gotta figure out our next move. Where do you suppose everyone else is?&quot; Sonic wondered.<br /><br /><br />Punchy the echidna was on his way through the ruined streets of Station Square, looking for the sewer entrance to the Raisol Sanctuary. He was also trying to get into contact with someone, anyone, via his comm device. &quot;Is this thing busted? Hello!? Anyone there?!&quot; he shouted. A garbage can lid rustled, startling the green echidna. &quot;Yaaah!? Who?!&quot; he gasped. Out of the can popped Heather the phoenix, to his surprise. &quot;I&#039;m here, you looking for me?&quot; she asked. Punchy tilted his head. &quot;Uhhhhhh... What are you doing in the trash?&quot; he asked. Heather started to climb out, and yelped as the can fell over. &quot;Ooof! Ugh... I thought this would be a good place to take cover from that weird storm of monsters...&quot; she told him, &quot;Smart move, wearing brown pants. No one will ever know if those freaks made you-&quot; Punchy didn&#039;t wait for her to finish that thought. &quot;Errr, good to know you&#039;re alive, Heather, but I got a wife to find...and seeing as I have the Chaos Boots, I have no idea why I&#039;m waiting around here! I&#039;ll be right back for you.&quot; he said, zooming off at high speed with the power of the winged shoes while Heather climbed to her feet. He was back a moment later with a panicked look. &quot;She&#039;s not home! There&#039;s no sign of her or our daughter! What if... what if... WHAT IF!?&quot; he babbled. Heather slapped him across the face. &quot;Thanks, I needed that...&quot; Punchy sighed. Heather took his hand. &quot;We&#039;ll find them, Punchy. I&#039;ve got to find Garen, too... Did you...happen to see where he was when this mess happened?&quot; she asked. Punchy tilted his head again. &quot;Garen...? Oh, oh, Guard, yeah someone said you named him. Didn&#039;t anyone tell you about naming strays?&quot; he chuckled. Heather frowned, looking at the ground a bit insecurely. &quot;...I&#039;m the stray...&quot; she sighed. Punchy crossed his arms and shook his head. He had no idea where Guard was. &quot;Well, I guess we&#039;re in this together. Come with me, Tweety.&quot; he said, motioning for her to follow as he started in a random direction. They weren&#039;t sure how to find their friends, but they had to start somewhere...<br /><br /><br />Gator&#039;s Crazy Adventure!!<br /><br />Sailing across the sea, our costumed human arrived at Darkegg Fortress. Surely Dr. Eggman had left some treasure behind on this island base. Nope, Gator wasn&#039;t about to help Big find Froggy. But we&#039;ll try to keep him in mind for later. At any rate, Gator was accosted by Alpha upon entering the base. &quot;Doctor! You lost weight! And you grew hair! And you changed DNA!!&quot; the kooky robot babbled. &quot;I did? I&#039;m sorry!&quot; Gator gasped. Couple of real geniuses we&#039;re dealing with here. Alpha hugged Gator and then went flying away. &quot;Daddy&#039;s home! When will mommy come home??&quot; the robot babbled. Gator smiled and headed for the main elevator. &quot;What a good kid. Now...which floor do I want... Oooh, eight!&quot; he murmured. The voice of BAS, the Base Announcement System, spoke to him while he was in the elevator. &quot;Who the devil? Well, I&#039;ve got a place for you! Goin&#039; uuuup!&quot; the voice announced. Gator jumped in protest. &quot;Wait, treasure would be buried!! Go down!!&quot; he shouted. &quot;No.&quot; BAS retorted. Gator started kicking the elevator doors in frustration, and then stumbled out when they opened! The chittering of Chao surrounded him as he stood up and looked around. &quot;Welcome to the Chao Chambers!&quot; BAS announced, &quot;Feed the Chao for us, wouldja?&quot; At the notion of food, several of the Chao fluttered over to Gator excitedly. &quot;Hey, hold on! I don&#039;t have any pie, I mean, food! I have no food!&quot; Gator babbled. &quot;Hey, mister, whya dressed like that?&quot; one of the Chao spoke. It was one of Char&#039;s brother&#039;s, Chip. &quot;What do you mean, I&#039;m a gator, I don&#039;t wear anything!&quot; Gator babbled. &quot;Hey, have you seen our brother...or Copter? They haven&#039;t been around in a while.&quot; asked Chuck, Char&#039;s other brother. &quot;What am I, the answer man?&quot; Gator stammered. Suddenly, the Chao charged him, swarming the costumed man before flying off with confiscated slices of pie! &quot;Hey!! My pie!! You hooligans!!&quot; Gator shouted, shaking his fists. &quot;Thank you for visiting Chao Chambers. Please leave now.&quot; said BAS, opening the elevator doors. Gator groaned in disappointment. &quot;...I wanna stay and pet the little fairy-monkeys...&quot; he whined.<br /><br />Will Gator&#039;s adventures have any purpose? ...Uh, who knows?<br /><br /><br />Chapter 4 - The Office of Eggman<br />Stage 3 - Under Reconstruction<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;Yin and yang! Black and white!<br />Face the darkness! Face the night!<br />Who am I? You don&#039;t see<br />What this power does to me!<br />I am my worst enemy!<br />I&#039;ll take control of who I&#039;ll be!&quot; - Who am I?, Theme of Punchy the Echidna<br /><br /><br />The green echidna and the fiery phoenix were looking through the city, but what they were seeing was mainly a ghost town. The Lost Ones had either chased away of consumed seemingly everyone in the city, leaving nothing but a ghastly ruin behind. &quot;How did they pull this off... Did they always have these numbers?&quot; Heather asked, looking around with alarm at the devastation. A voice nearby caught Punchy off guard. &quot;The Lost Ones have been busy building their army in other worlds.&quot; As Punchy looked for the source of the voice, a car in the street vanished, Illusi the shrew standing in its place, his blue cape blowing gently in the breeze. Behind him stood a green female echidna with a few multi-colored quills, about 20 years of age. She wore a blue jacket and tan khaki pants. &quot;What the heck, Illusi!? Trying to give me a heart attack!?&quot; Punchy shouted. The shrew glanced at the female echidna. &quot;Somehow he never gets used to me.&quot; he muttered. Heather looked from the girl to Punchy. &quot;Whoa... Uhhh&hellip; Who&#039;s the girl?&quot; she asked. The girl crossed her arms. &quot;Name&#039;s Aurora. I just wanted to let you know that mom&#039;s alright, dad... I&#039;ll watch over her.&quot; she said. Punchy looked at her, getting a good look at Aurora&#039;s blue eyes. &quot;Good lord!&quot; he gasped, &quot;You&#039;re a baby but here you are all grown up... Your mother&#039;s eyes don&#039;t lie.&quot; he said. Illusi nodded. &quot;Time travel. Rainbow said she told you, remember? There&#039;s something more pressing, Punchy.&quot; he stated. Punchy rubbed his chin. &quot;What happened to &#039;Dark One,&#039; Illusi?&quot; he asked. The shew sighed. &quot;The darkness no longer resides within you. Focus!! We need the Chaos Emeralds, and you&#039;re a treasure hunter, aren&#039;t you?&quot; he said, his tone making him sound rather pressed for time. Punchy darted his eyes back and forth. &quot;Sometimes...&quot; he muttered. Aurora sighed. &quot;I wish I could do more to help you, but if anything happens to mom while she&#039;s taking care of me in the past...I&#039;m kinda done for.&quot; she said. Realizing this, Punchy bent down and started to pull off the Chaos Boots. &quot;Do me a favor, zip over home with these and fetch my old shoes... And then you use these to protect your mom!&quot; Punchy said. &quot;Is that sanitary?&quot; Heather whispered. Illusi looked bewildered as Punchy placed the boots in Aurora&#039;s hands. &quot;Punchy! You were chosen - and trained - to use those! You can&#039;t just give them away! Chosen one! Tikal&#039;s prophecy!&quot; he babbled. Punchy shrugged. &quot;Prophecy shmophecy. Doomsayer says something different. I say we make our own fate!&quot; he grinned, winking at his daughter. Aurora smiled. &quot;Right... I&#039;ll, uh... find your shoes.&quot; she chuckled.<br /><br />So, with his old orange and blue sneakers back on his feet, Punchy parted ways with Aurora and Illusi, setting off with Heather to try and find a Chaos Emerald and maybe Guard. They weren&#039;t sure exactly where to look, but as they passed by the burger shop, Punchy decided to head in. &quot;I&#039;m hungry... I just hope the Lost Ones didn&#039;t slime all the food.&quot; he muttered. As they started inside the shop though, Punchy was hit in the face with a broom. &quot;Get away, monsters!! We don&#039;t serve your kind here!&quot; It was the burger shop&#039;s manager, Dave, swinging the broom with his eyes shut tight. &quot;I&#039;m not a monster, I&#039;m a customer!&quot; Punchy shouted. Heather walked in behind him, and gasped softly. &quot;Survivors! Fantastic!&quot; she said with relief. There were a few people taking shelter in the burger shop, most of them just random humans that Punchy and Heather didn&#039;t know. Libra was crying softly at the counter. She&#039;d seen things. At this point Dave had opened his eyes, too. &quot;Great, more loiterers. Upper management isn&#039;t going to give me a good performance review this week...&quot; he sighed. As he returned behind the counter, Punchy sat down and looked at the menu while Heather observed the people. They all seemed quite scared. Except for one. Whisk the divine approached her from amongst the group. &quot;Hey, I know you! From Soleanna...and Demon Island! Wow, you turn up everywhere things go bad!&quot; the angelic feline commented in an oddly cheerful tone, &quot;But, hey, uh... You wouldn&#039;t happen to have seen Lucky around, would ya? Black cat? Cute as a button?&quot; Punchy gagged a bit on his soda as Whisk described Lucky. Heather shook her head sadly. &quot;No, no sign of Lucky.&quot; she said, &quot;We&#039;re looking for the Chaos Emeralds ourselves.&quot; she murmured. Libra lifted her head, her ears perking at he idea. &quot;Yes...yes... The Chaos Emeralds... That&#039;s how we avenge everyone. The Lost Ones can&#039;t stand Chaos energy!&quot; she stated. Punchy took a bag of fries from Dave and turned to the trio of girls. &quot;Why do I get the feeling you&#039;re all coming with me...?&quot; he murmured, munching slowly. Whisk produced a magic wand similar to Gemini&#039;s and twirled it. &quot;Because! I can use a spell to hunt down an emerald for you! Thank Gemini for teaching it to me, hehe!&quot; she giggled. Heather&#039;s eyes lit up. &quot;That&#039;s great! Hey, can you use that spell to find anything? Anyone?&quot; she asked. Before Whisk could get into it, a loud crash rocked the building, and Eggman&#039;s voice was heard over a speaker outside. &quot;Don&#039;t panic, citizens of Station Square! Your savior, the illustrious Dr. Eggman, has finally arrived!! Ho ho ho ho ho!!&quot; Punchy couldn&#039;t help gagging again. &quot;Ughhh!! The timing on this guy!&quot; he groaned.<br /><br />Outside, they found that Eggman&#039;s machines had apparently damaged a nearby building. The chubby doctor sat in his floating Egg Mobile, watching as his robots were busily reconstructing the building into something better suited to his purposes. &quot;You know, I think I used this very building in a hostage situation, back when it was just a construction site. Ahh, so many memories in this city...&quot; Eggman mused. Punchy growled softly as he witnessed this scene. &quot;He&#039;s gonna draw the Lost One&#039;s attention back here... Or drop half the building on someone! Either way, what&#039;s he thinking? This is just mindless mayhem, even for him!&quot; he grumbled. Whisk was ignoring him and cast her search spell, which sent a light shooting from her wand and zipping straight across the street...into the building Eggman was repurposing. &quot;Good news, guys! The nearest Chaos Emerald is right there...oh.&quot; she said, pointing and then frowning as she noticed Eggman. Heather and Libra both sighed. &quot;It figures.&quot; they said at once. Punchy rolled up his imaginary sleeves and started stomping towards Eggman. &quot;Stand back, ladies! I&#039;ll handle this!&quot; he grunted. Libra scoffed, crossing her arms. &quot;Oh, will he? This oughta be good.&quot; she huffed. &quot;Hey, Eggman!!&quot; Punchy shouted as he approached. The doctor turned with a wide grin. &quot;Ah, Punchy! Nice to see you survived! And where is that charming wife of yours?&quot; he asked. &quot;Can it! I&#039;m chasing you and your bots outta town!&quot; Punchy shouted. Eggman stroked his moustache and sat back in his seat. &quot;Now, Punchy, how can I possibly help you defeat the Lost Ones if you treat me like that? I need an outpost close to the action so that I can study what makes those creatures tick and find their weaknesses.&quot; he stated. Punchy crossed his arms. &quot;And the Chaos Emerald?&quot; he asked in an interrogative manner. Eggman perked up suddenly. &quot;Chaos Emerald? What Chaos Emerald? There&#039;s a Chaos Emerald!? Um... E-excuse me, Punchy!&quot; he babbled, turning his Egg Mobile quickly and flying into the building through a hole in the wall. Punchy stood there with a dumbfounded look as the girls walked up to him. &quot;Good job. You told him about the Chaos Emerald.&quot; Heather said sarcastically. &quot;Hey, Eggman&#039;s usually on top of these things!&quot; Punchy protested. &quot;Well, we better head inside and try to get it from him.&quot; Whisk sighed, &quot;Why couldn&#039;t he be like Moebius Eggman?&quot; she murmured.<br /><br />They ran into the building, and at the entrance, they found Charmy bee getting chased in circles by a couple of bumbling robots, Clucky and Burrowbot. &quot;Get back here, you little twerp! We won&#039;t hurt ya!&quot; Clucky yelled. &quot;Huh? We won&#039;t?&quot; Burrowbot murmured, looking confused. &quot;Idiot, of course we will!&quot; Clucky snapped, smacking him upside the head. Seeing Punchy, Charmy stopped and waved. &quot;Hey, there, Knuckles!&quot; This got Punchy riled up. &quot;You know I&#039;m not Knuckles, cut it out!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Should we...help him?&quot; Libra wondered. Those robots didn&#039;t look exactly competent. Heather wasn&#039;t willing to let it go, though. She quickly tossed some fireballs at the pesky bots, causing them to break into a heap of jumbled parts! &quot;D&#039;oh, argh! You shoulda warned me, digger-nose!&quot; Clucky shouted. &quot;Me? You&#039;re the birdbrain with the plans!&quot; Burrowbot complained. Charmy flew over to Heather and shook her hand. &quot;Thanks! Now I can get back to tracking that Chaos Emerald!&quot; he grinned. Punchy looked thoughtful. &quot;You&#039;re looking for the emerald, too?&quot; he asked. Charmy hovered up in the air, nodding. &quot;Yeah, Vector and Espio tracked one here. They&#039;ve got other missions though, so I&#039;m looking for it alone. Those Lost Ones are so freaky and scary, it&#039;s gonna take a lot of overtime to take &#039;em out, Vector said!&quot; he explained, moving his hands about in a very animated fashion as he described how Vector spoke to him. Heather nodded and looked around. &quot;Well, there&#039;s enough of us, and the building seems fairly big. Maybe we should split up?&quot; she suggested. Punchy shrugged. &quot;Fine by me... Can I go alone?&quot; he asked. Charmy patted his head. &quot;Aww, don&#039;t be silly! I know you&#039;ve missed goin&#039; on adventures with your best bee buddy! C&#039;mon, let&#039;s smash those bots!&quot; he cheered. Punchy rolled his eyes, but then chuckled softly. &quot;Whatever... Hopefully they&#039;re all as dumb as these yo-yos.&quot; he said. &quot;We can still hear you!&quot; Burrowbot groaned. &quot;Show some respect for the busted!&quot; Clucky chimed in.<br /><br />Whisk and Libra hopped in an elevator, leaving Punchy, Heather and Charmy to take the stairs as they explored the building. Punchy scratched his head as they neared the top of the first flight of stairs. &quot;Wait, Whisk can teleport. How come she got the elevator and we got stuck with the stairs like a bunch of suckers?&quot; he questioned. &quot;Because you&#039;re too slow to think of that!&quot; Charmy teased. &quot;Shh, who knows what&#039;s waiting for us...&quot; Heather warned as they opened a door and proceded... into an office space. It didn&#039;t look like the area had really been converted to Eggman&#039;s purposes yet. &quot;Honestly...&quot; Punchy murmured as he stepped past a stuffy, post-it covered cubicle, &quot;This is scarier than one of Eggman&#039;s bases.&quot; he murmured. Suddenly, the computer screens in the cubicles flickered on, and the trio jumped with alarm as each of them displayed the Eggman Empire logo. The voice of the Base Alarm System; BAS; came over the speakers. &quot;This building and its technology is now under Eggman control! We seeee you!&quot; the familiar voice teased. Charmy looked around and shrugged. &quot;It&#039;s just computers, though. It&#039;s not like Eggman&#039;s gonna be able to take over a stapler and staple us to death!&quot; he pointed out. A light drew Heather&#039;s attention, and she walked over to a copy machine to check what was printing. &quot;Please don&#039;t be Eggman&#039;s butt...&quot; she winced. It was a single line repeated over and over. &quot;All work and no play makes BAS a dull boy...&quot; Punchy looked it over. &quot;Is it me, or is BAS sounding a bit out of whack?&quot; he murmured. &quot;YAAAAAAHH!!&quot; shrieked Charmy, and as Punchy and Heather looked, they saw him tugged into an office cubicle! &quot;...I don&#039;t wanna die in an office!&quot; Punchy gulped, &quot;You go! You can&#039;t die!&quot; he said, shoving Heather. &quot;Way to kill the dramatic tension!&quot; BAS complained. They heard some struggling from inside the cubicle, and suddenly an explosion, followed by a head rolling onto the floor! &quot;Yaaaaaaaaaah!!&quot; Punchy and Heather yelled. Charmy flew out and glanced at the Egg Pawn head on the ground. &quot;We&#039;re dealing with Eggman. Why are you guys so jumpy?&quot; he asked. Punchy and Heather glanced at each other with annoyance, but couldn&#039;t say anything as more Pawns started to emerge from the cubicles! &quot;Just another day at the office...&quot; Punchy grunted, cracking his knuckles.<br /><br /><br />As Whisk and Libra rode the elevator, it suddenly stalled. &quot;Lift service out of order!&quot; BAS announced. Libra anxiously pressed the elevator&#039;s buttons repeatedly. &quot;Agh! Why didn&#039;t we take the stairs?!&quot; she stammered. Whisk looked around. &quot;Well... I could teleport us out, and we could get stuck in a wall...&quot; she murmured. &quot;Come on! Didn&#039;t Zodiac teach you any useful magic??&quot; Libra shouted, tearing up a little as the fate of the Zodiac Council flashed back to her mind. Whisk was surprised. She&#039;d never seen Libra&#039;s face while Zodiac was teaching her magic...her Deathbringer hood always hid it. &quot;Wait...you were...? But I guess you don&#039;t have powers anymore...&quot; Whisk sighed. It was true, Libra didn&#039;t even have wings any longer. She was an ordinary fennec again. Whisk looked up and saw a hatch at the top of the elevator. &quot;I can fly us through there.&quot; she stated. Libra wiped her eyes. &quot;Thanks, yeah. Let&#039;s get out of this box...&quot; she sniffled. The hatch was too narrow for both of them at once, but Whisk helped Libra up into the elevator shaft before she joined her. Looking up the shaft, they saw elevator doors open above them, and Egg Pawns with construction hats peering down at them! &quot;Elevator&#039;s closed!&quot; Libra shouted up. The robots pulled their heads back in. &quot;Huh... Did they...listen?&quot; Whisk wondered. However, the bots returned with bombs in hand, dropping them down the elevator shaft! Whisk quickly grabbed on to Libra and started to fly them both up as the bombs crashed below them, causing the elevator to break and go hurtling down to the bottom of the shaft! As they flew upward, another bomb struck the wall near them, and the explosion nearly tossed them down the shaft, but they both grabbed on to the elevator cables! &quot;Maybe getting stuck in a wall wouldn&#039;t be so bad!&quot; Libra cried. Whisk grabbed her hand nervously. &quot;Guess we need luck on our side...&quot; she gulped as both of their bodies glowed, and she teleported them away! They emerged in a hallway, a few feet off the ground, and fell onto their behinds! &quot;Ugh, well, at least this can&#039;t get worse...&quot; Libra murmured, only to look up and find Egg Pawns surrounding them. &quot;Splitting up was dumb...&quot; Whisk grumbled.<br /><br /><br />Punchy, Heather and Charmy fought their way out of the cubicles and found their way to what apparently used to be a break room. Eggman&#039;s robots had cleared out a lot of the furniture, all that was really left was a vending machine that Char the Chao was trying to get a snack from. The red Chao kicked the machine in a fit. &quot;Darn it! Why don&#039;t you take rings?&quot; he complained. &quot;Aw, no, it&#039;s the evil Chao.&quot; Charmy remarked. Char looked at the bee and shook his little arms at him. &quot;I&#039;m not evil this machine is evil!!&quot; he yelled. A door at the other side of the room opened and Eggman himself stepped in. &quot;No sugar, Char! You get too hyper! Gah! Punchy! Why didn&#039;t you take the elevator??&quot; he babbled, &quot;I had a trap waiting and everything!&quot; Punchy glanced at Heather worriedly. &quot;Our friends better be okay!&quot; Heather warned. The doctor backed toward the door. &quot;I don&#039;t see why we must be enemies. I only want this little outpost to study the Lost Ones for weaknesses...to help!&quot; he stated. Punchy nodded. &quot;And to conquer the city from.&quot; he added. &quot;Exactly! Eh, wa-wait! Ohhh... Who am I kidding. You&#039;ve grown apart from Knuckles, that&#039;s for sure.&quot; he said, suddenly breaking into a run back through the door he came from! &quot;Wow, he&#039;s quick...&quot; Heather murmured. Punchy started to chase after the doctor, but as he reached the door, an explosion blew it open, throwing him backward! A familiar purple and black E-X series robot stood in the doorway, its red eyes glaring at Punchy as he climbed back up. &quot;Oh for the love of... &#039;Course it&#039;s you, Terra!&quot; the echidna growled. Behind Terra, his orange and pink counterpart, Firma, was approaching. &quot;Yuck, the ugly girl-bot, too!&quot; Charmy remarked. The two robots raised their clawed fists. &quot;You will not interfere in Dr. Eggman&#039;s plans...&quot; Firma said calmly. &quot;At last, my chance has come!! I WILL ANNIHILATE YOU, EXPERIMENT 1!!&quot; Terra roared. Punchy raised his own fists into a fighting stance as well. &quot;Some things just never change... Can&#039;t say I&#039;m sorry Rainbow has to miss this reunion!&quot; he smirked.<br /><br />Char watched the tense situation unfolding and gulped hard. &quot;Uhhh... Suddenly I&#039;m not so hungry. I think I&#039;ll go somewhere... else.&quot; he murmured, flying out of the room hastily. Charmy landed on top of the snack machine and started to watch. &quot;I&#039;ll referee! I, uh, have some experience with that, hehe.&quot; the bee smirked. Punchy rolled his eyes and charged at Terra, only to get a fist to the face from Firma! &quot;Ooof!! I&#039;ve been relying on those Chaos Boots for too long... Gotta remember I&#039;m not fast anymore.&quot; he grumbled, rubbing his jaw. Heather threw fireballs at Firma&#039;s eyes, forcing the robot back. &quot;Come on! We&#039;ve got to get past these bots, find out if the others are okay, and find that emerald!&quot; she said urgently. Punchy glanced at her and nodded. &quot;Well, when you put it that way... Chaos Avalanche!!&quot; This was quite a risky move for Punchy to make inside the building. Chaos Avalanche pulled chunks of the floor up with Chaos energy and hurled them at Terra and Firma, making the ground unstable in the process. The robots smashed through the projectiles with their mighty metal arms, and then retracted their claws, replacing them with laser cannons. &quot;Create distance between us with an unstable floor...we will still OBLITERATE you!!&quot; Terra shouted, firing shots at Punchy wildly while Firma took aim at Heather! Charmy hummed to himself from his safe perch, until a stray laser blasted the snack machine out from under him! &quot;Waaah!! Hey!! That&#039;s a foul!!&quot; the bee yelled. He was forced to take cover as more shots came his way, though. Frustrated, Heather used her power to create a dome of fire around her friends, blocking the laser fire! &quot;Ahh! H-heather... Don&#039;t burn us up here!&quot; Punchy stammered. As Terra kept up the laser fire, Firma stopped and changed up her weapons. &quot;The phoenix is the true threat... Prepare to eliminate...&quot; she said calmly. A hose nozzle popped out of her wrist, and water sprayed over the dome of fire, thinning out the flames and allowing Terra to get a shot through, hitting Heather in the stomach! &quot;Agggh!! N-nooo!!&quot; she gasped, falling to the floor! &quot;Heather!!&quot; Charmy gasped, jumping as he watched her body burst into flames! Enraged, Punchy charged forward. He leapt across the holes in the floor, right at Firma! &quot;Enough!!&quot; he cried, his fist crashing into the robot&#039;s head with tremendous force! Firma began sparking, and Terra backed away, alarmed. &quot;No... NOOOOO!!&quot; the purple robot roared as Firma began to explode! &quot;...farewell...brother...&quot; she managed to say before collapsing into a heap of broken parts!<br /><br />Heather sat up, rising from her own ashes. &quot;Ughhh&hellip; What happened?&quot; she groaned. &quot;You died and now I&#039;m mentally scarred!&quot; Charmy remarked. Heather looked at him with an unconvinced expression. &quot;You&#039;re in Station Square not too long after the Lost Ones devastated the city and this is what scars you?&quot; she murmured. Their attention turned to Punchy and Terra as the two were violently exchanging blows. &quot;MURDERER!!!&quot; Terra roared, slamming his fist into Punchy&#039;s chest as Punchy tried to land a solid hit in return. &quot;You&#039;re robots!&quot; he growled. Terra backed up, swinging his fist and glaring at Punchy with genuine hate. &quot;We were created using GeneX power... Creation energy. We are no mere robots. We have souls!&quot; he declared, aiming a laser at Punchy&#039;s head, &quot;And my soul is now filled... WITH VENGEANCE!!&quot; he roared. However, Punchy easily evaded his shot. Then, an alarm started to blare through the base. &quot;All robots, to the twelfth floor! All bots, to the twelfth floor! This is not a drill!&quot; BAS announced. Terra glared at Punchy, but started to run away through the door in order to answer the call. &quot;I will return for your head!! YOU WILL BE CRUSHED BY MY HAND!!&quot; Terra shouted back as he left. Punchy thought to go after him, but he decided to check on Heather instead. The Phoenix was fine, in fact she appeared unharmed whatsoever. &quot;No wonder Howler wanted your power back when Despair was a bigger thing...&quot; Punchy mused. Heather sighed. &quot;I&#039;d rather we don&#039;t bring up those times. Sometimes I wish I could give up this power... So many fiends have come after me just to use it.&quot; she sighed. Charmy nodded. &quot;Got that right! How many now? Vector&#039;s trying to keep a list, these things can come in handy. Let&#039;s see... There was Howler, the Battle Birds...and, and, uhhh...&quot; he murmured. Heather growled softly at the bee dredging this up despite her protests. &quot;Mephiles, it was Mephiles.&quot; she stated. There wasn&#039;t much of a pause before a deep voice called to them. &quot;Did I just hear...my name?&quot;<br /><br />Punchy took on a defensive stance and Heather&#039;s eyes widened as a familiar black, crystalline hedgehog floated into the room. It was Mephiles...but something was off about him. His coloring was a bit more greenish than Heather remembered. &quot;How long it&#039;s been... Though, time for some of us is relative...&quot; the Dark stated, floating across the room slowly. &quot;You&#039;re the goon that messed up the world with the Time Eater&#039;s power! I thought Hyper Sonic finished you off!&quot; Punchy shouted. Mephiles didn&#039;t even look at him. &quot;So afraid of me, Heather. I wonder, which version of your memory does this fear stem from? I seem to recall this version of you being oh so willing to join with me... But memory, like time, is so very fickle. Who&#039;s to say what is real... Who&#039;s to say who is real?&quot; he said cryptically as he floated slowly towards the broken remains of Firma. Charmy hid behind Punchy nervously. &quot;Go on, stop him before he starts transforming into Razor or Tails or a big scary monster!&quot; he murmured, recalling how Mephiles used to steal forms and powers by diving into peoples&#039; shadows. Mephiles chuckled softly. &quot;That was another me. Another age. I have been brought to this time with new purpose...&quot; he said, holding his hand over Firma&#039;s remains, &quot;A broken soul, just like mine... Perfect fuel to fan the flames... That will burn a path of ruin across this world!&quot; With a flash of light, a ghostly image of Firma appeared over the spare parts, which then formed into a small spirit ball that fit snugly into Mephiles&#039; hand! &quot;Hey! Th-that looks like the light... Like Tikal!&quot; Punchy babbled. Heather growled softly. &quot;Firma&#039;s soul. Mephiles is stealing souls!&quot; she realized. Mephiles looked at them with wide eyes, one eye green, one purple. &quot;Enjoy your souls while you can... You all are quickly running out of time!&quot; he said with a sinister laugh before his body transformed into a shadow, swiftly escaping with Firma&#039;s soul! Punchy watched this with disbelief. &quot;So...is Terra right? Am I a...murderer?&quot; he asked. Heather patted him on the back. &quot;No time to think like that. Whisk and Libra might be in trouble!&quot; She had a point. At any rate, the twelfth floor seemed like a place to start. They had a lot of stairs to climb...<br /><br /><br />Chapter 5 - Another Day at the Office<br />Stage 3 - Under Reconstruction<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;We all danced in fire, <br />Trapped in this machine,<br />Don&#039;t know how long we&#039;ve waited, <br />As the Eggman&#039;s watching.&quot; - This Machine, Sonic Heroes<br /><br /><br />Whisk and Libra had been taken by a swarm of Egg Pawns earlier, and were now trapped in an office cubicle while Slash and Sting, the mantis and scorpion bots, stood guard over them. Slash had his claws crossed as he watched Sting swap his stinger to different weapon types. &quot;How bout the acid cannon?&quot; Sting asked. &quot;Too messy and corrosive. If you miss you could mess up my paint job!&quot; Slash replied, prompting Sting to swap his stinger for a different weapon. Whisk looked across the office space, seeing her wand on a desk across from them. &quot;They don&#039;t realize I can still teleport...&quot; she whispered, &quot;But I can&#039;t leave without my wand...&quot; As she said this, a rather large hammer-toting Egg Pawn crept past the desk with her wand. They weren&#039;t going to make it very easy. Libra glanced at Whisk with a nod. &quot;I&#039;ll distract them. You get that wand.&quot; she whispered. Whisk looked worried. &quot;No, I can&#039;t leave you to face them alone...&quot; she told the fennec. Sting turned to them, his stinger now sporting a crossbow of all things. &quot;Hey! Be quiet! Don&#039;t make me come in there!&quot; he shouted. &quot;Maybe we need to put a little fear in &#039;em&hellip;&quot; Slash suggested, lifting his sickle-like claws. Libra tried to think of what to do, and suddenly just pointed behind the bots. &quot;Look! Sonic&#039;s here!!&quot; she shouted. The robots quickly spun around in a panic. &quot;I&#039;m not prepared for Sonic!!&quot; Slash yelped. Libra then grabbed for Sting&#039;s stinger, trying to manipulate the crossbow! &quot;Hey! I don&#039;t yank your tail! Stop it!!&quot; the robot shouted, trying to shake her off. &quot;I don&#039;t like the crossbow. I&#039;ll just slice that tail off!&quot; Slash growled, but got an arrow in the eye before he could make a move. It couldn&#039;t do much to his robotic eye, but it distracted him. &quot;Control yourself!&quot; Slash grunted. Sting shook Libra off and turned around. &quot;Hyah ha ha ha! Thought you&#039;d get the jump on us! Hey, where&#039;s the other girl?&quot; he murmured. A sudden explosion surprised the two bots as they turned to see the large Egg Pawn fall onto its back! Whisk pointed her wand at Slash and Sting, and the bots shrieked, running into each other as they scrambled to get out of the way! &quot;C&#039;mon, Libra! We better hurry!&quot; Whisk called. Those robots that caught them would be back on their trail in no time...<br /><br /><br />The stairwell door opened at the twelfth floor, and Punchy stumbled through it out of breath. &quot;I... should&#039;ve kept... the Chaos Boots!&quot; he huffed. &quot;Too bad the elevator was busted.&quot; Charmy said, flying past him completely unaffected by the trip. Heather quickly grabbed him by the wings. &quot;Slow down... Look.&quot; she warned. The trio looked around to find that Eggman&#039;s robots had been busy. This floor had been somewhat converted into his base, the walls sloppily repainted red and a security system now in place that was obviously Eggman&#039;s design. There were cameras and motion-sensing tripwires through the hallway, obviously in place to inform wall-mounted lasers where to shoot. Punchy took a few deep breaths, recovering from the long trip up the stairs. &quot;Think we&#039;re too late for...whatever tripped Eggman&#039;s alarms?&quot; he wondered. Charmy pulled free of Heather&#039;s grip and quickly flew above the tripwires - and below the cameras. &quot;I&#039;ll check it out, leave it to me! You just hang out here, heh.&quot; he chuckled. Heather shrugged. &quot;Terra hasn&#039;t come looking for us yet. He&#039;s probably still up here. We should be careful.&quot; she reasoned. &quot;Ooops!&quot; Charmy babbled as an invisible tripwire revealed itself...just as he passed through it. The lasers popped out of the wall and pointed right at him, forcing Charmy to flee hastily and hide behind Punchy. &quot;It&#039;s all you! Smashy smashy, greenie!&quot; he shouted. &quot;No, no, ruuuuun!!&quot; Punchy yelled, grabbing Charmy and taking off as the lasers whizzed towards them! The three of them charged into the hallway, doing their best to evade the laser fire, when they heard a voice. &quot;In here, quick!&quot; A door opened, and the trio didn&#039;t hesitate to rush inside, closing it behind them to escape the lasers! &quot;That was a close one!&quot; Charmy panted. &quot;Are you kids alright? I&#039;ve gotta say, though, it&#039;s good to see some friendly faces.&quot; the voice said again. Punchy looked at the owner of the voice to see a blue hedgehog with a white mustache. It was Sonic&#039;s Uncle Chuck!<br /><br />The old hedgehog stepped to a computer in the room and sat down. &quot;Relax here a while, I guess. I&#039;m trying to get control of the building back in between attempting to get a message out to Sally...&quot; he said. Punchy looked a bit confused. &quot;What are you doing here?&quot; he asked. Chuck held up a badge. &quot;I work here. This is my office for AcornCorp. And isn&#039;t it convenient, Eggman&#039;s here the week we acquire a Chaos Emerald...&quot; he murmured, typing furiously at his keyboard. Charmy popped up next to Chuck, looking at the computer screen curiously. &quot;Chaos Emerald? Where is it? Whatcha typing? Didn&#039;t Sally die?&quot; he babbled annoyingly. Chuck was patient, though. &quot;I&#039;m sure Eggman&#039;s snatched the emerald by now. Anyway, I&#039;m trying to shut off the alarm again... I set it off earlier, and it looks like you set it off again.&quot; he explained. Punchy found a chair to take a rest in and sighed. &quot;You think Sally can help with the whole... Lost One apocalypse?&quot; he asked. Heather raised an eyebrow. &quot;Are we sure it&#039;s that bad yet?&quot; she questioned. Uncle Chuck stopped typing and turned to her with a grave expression. &quot;They&#039;re multiplying rapidly. We should be very concerned. It&#039;s all hands on deck here.&quot; he said. At that moment, a video chat popped up on his monitor. He&#039;d gotten through to Sally. The chipmunk had a worried look as she spoke. &quot;Charles, what&#039;s happening there?&quot; she asked. &quot;The world&#039;s going to hell again.&quot; Punchy grumbled. Chuck glanced back at Punchy and Heather, moving the video window with a click of his mouse so he could get back to his hacking. &quot;Could you two get Sally up to speed? I wanna get control back from Eggman if I can...&quot; he stated. Charmy popped up impatiently. &quot;What can I do? I&#039;m bored! Let me help!&quot; he babbled. Sally&#039;s eyes narrowed. &quot;Eggman&#039;s involved... Why am I not surprised...&quot; she murmured.<br /><br /><br />Terra was now leading the robots chasing after Whisk and Libra. Teleporting wasn&#039;t really a good option being in the middle of a building that Whisk wasn&#039;t familiar with. So, the winged feline was forced to use her magic to protect Libra as Terra blasted desks and cubicles in pursuit of them. Libra knocked over a desk and took cover behind it while Whisk fired some magical blasts at the Egg Pawns accompanying Terra. &quot;You wouldn&#039;t happen to have ANY abilities left from when you were working for Zodiac, would you?&quot; Whisk asked her. Libra covered her head as explosions went off around her. &quot;If I had any of those powers wouldn&#039;t I USE them?!&quot; she yelled. Terra stomped towards them, his focus now on Whisk since Libra was posing no threat. &quot;Intruders! You are delaying me from my REVENGE! If you do not surrender yourselves, I will hold you just as guilty as the intruder who destroyed Firma!&quot; the robot warned. &quot;You could just let us go and get back to your revenge!&quot; Libra suggested. &quot;Yeah, right...&quot; Whisk sighed, lifting her wand in preparation to cast a spell. It was then that a wall-mounted laser popped up behind her and fired, knocking the wand out of her hand! &quot;Oh, come on!&quot; she groaned. &quot;By the way, Eggman&#039;s installed lasers on the walls!&quot; Libra babbled. Terra&#039;s metallic foot stomped onto Whisk&#039;s wand, keeping her from recovering it. &quot;Surrender!!&quot; he shouted. Whisk jumped behind the table with Libra and grabbed her hand. &quot;I&#039;m not getting caught again, let&#039;s run for it!&quot; she suggested. &quot;But... your wand!&quot; Libra murmured. &quot;It&#039;ll be fine, come on!&quot; Whisk shouted. The duo stayed low as they started to run, and Terra roared in frustration. &quot;You can&#039;t escape!! I WILL ANNIHILATE YOU!!&quot; the robot shouted as it charged after them, more robots following behind. At the rear of the chase was Slash riding on Sting&#039;s back. &quot;Terra, Terra, he&#039;s our guy, if he can&#039;t do it, why should we try?&quot; they cheered unenthusiastically.<br /><br />Punchy was stepping out of Chuck&#039;s office at this point. &quot;I don&#039;t care, I&#039;m gonna smash all that security myself if I have to!&quot; he shouted impatiently. Before he could move far, though, he heard explosions down the hall and turned to see Whisk and Libra getting chased! &quot;Move out of the way!!&quot; Whisk shouted as the two girls passed by the echidna. Seeing Terra coming, Punchy clenched his fists and started to charge at him. &quot;If you want them you gotta go through me!&quot; he yelled. &quot;Forget them, I WILL DESTROY YOU!!&quot; Terra shouted, firing up the thrusters on his back and suddenly speeding up! Punchy wasn&#039;t prepared for the sudden speed boost. &quot;Oh, sh-&quot; He went flying as Terra tackled him, landing on his back as Whisk and Libra turned to help him. &quot;Look out!&quot; Charmy yelped from the doorway. The wall-mounted lasers were pointing at them, ready to fire. &quot;Farewell!!&quot; Terra said, watching for the shots to barbeque the stunned echidna. However, the lasers slowly turned, and began to point at Terra and the other robots instead! &quot;...WHAT?! What is happening, BAS?!&quot; Terra shouted. The alarm voice sounded...a bit woozy as it responded. &quot;M-my systems are being h-hacked! I don&#039;t feel so goooo... D-daisy, daisy! Give me your answer, blue! I&#039;m two-thirds crazy, all for the love of glue!&quot; it babbled. The lasers suddenly fired, knocking out some Egg Pawns beside Terra before the purple robot started to back away. &quot;Blast you! You won&#039;t get away forever! WE WILL HAVE OUR RECKONING!!&quot; he yelled, turning and nearly trampling Slash and Sting as he fled from the laser shots! &quot;H-hey! Wait for us!!&quot; Slash babbled. &quot;I always knew BAS had a bad firewall!&quot; Sting groaned. As Punchy stood up, Libra shook her fist at the robots. &quot;And don&#039;t come back, you rusted rejects!&quot; she shouted. &quot;If you guys are done...&quot; Heather murmured from inside the office, &quot;Chuck&#039;s got a read on the Chaos Emerald.&quot; she said. Punchy nodded. &quot;He hacked the lasers, too, right? Man, where has he been all my life?&quot; he chuckled softly. &quot;Stuck in a stuffy office like this...&quot; Chuck murmured, &quot;But no matter. Get going! One more floor up!&quot; he said.<br /><br /><br />On the next floor up, Eggman had set up a makeshift lab. Char, Orbot and Cubot were watching Eggman work from behind a wall of safety glass while the doctor installed a canister into a robot. &quot;I&#039;ve powered robots with animals, emeralds, flowers, hyper-go-on energy... Now, my scientific curiosity can&#039;t help but see if I can control robots powered by ectoplasm. It&#039;s already clear that the substance can control robots themselves...even power them beyond destruction...&quot; Eggman said, flipping some switches on the robot before making his way behind the safety glass himself. &quot;Are you sure this is a good idea, boss?&quot; Orbot questioned. &quot;Yeah, you&#039;re talking about making haunted robots! I don&#039;t wanna be haunted!&quot; Cubot shivered. The doctor pressed some buttons on a control panel, and then motioned to a container on the wall. A familiar green glow was coming from behind the glass of the container. &quot;That&#039;s why it&#039;s fortunate we have this Chaos Emerald. If necessary, the Chaos energy should repel the Lost One that I installed in the machine.&quot; he explained. Char looked through the safety glass nervously. &quot;How did you catch a Lost One without getting... lost?&quot; he asked. Eggman scratched his head. &quot;Well, let&#039;s just say... don&#039;t get close to Metal Eggman for a while. He&#039;s going to need a good cleansing.&quot; the doctor murmured. He then pressed a button to contact BAS. &quot;What&#039;s the status of our intruders?&quot; he asked. BAS chuckled in a crazed tone as he spoke. &quot;Successfully repelled Terra, your fatness!&quot; he reported. Eggman&#039;s mustache drooped as he frowned. &quot;Sonic&#039;s uncle is proving to be a bigger annoyance than I&#039;d hoped. It&#039;s just a shame that borrowing some of his equipment made this building the most practical to take over. I need to do something about my budget issues...&quot; he muttered to himself. &quot;You could sell Char!&quot; Cubot suggested. &quot;I was here first, let&#039;s sell you bozos!&quot; Char snapped. &quot;No matter!&quot; Eggman chuckled, &quot;Commence the experiment!&quot; he said, hovering his finger over a red button...<br /><br />A door at the other end of the room swung open, and Punchy led Heather, Whisk, Libra and Charmy into the lab! &quot;Where&#039;s that Chaos Emerald?!&quot; Punchy shouted, stopping short as he and his friends noticed the robot in the room. It didn&#039;t really look like much, it kind of resembled an enlarged bladed spinner robot. Eggman chuckled from behind his safety glass. &quot;This experiment just got interesting. Punchy, I&#039;d like you to meet my Spectral Prototype! Let&#039;s see how this goes...&quot; he said, pressing the red button. A sound like a ghastly shriek came from the robot as it powered up, and Punchy and his friends backed up a step. &quot;What&#039;s wrong with that robot?&quot; Heather gasped. The Spectral Spinner rose into the air as its blade spun about...but then it wavered, its robotic face taking on a frightening expression! &quot;Uh, boss... You didn&#039;t give that robot expressiveness...&quot; Orbot whimpered. The robot began to spark, and slimy tendrils burst out of its metal frame! &quot;Eggman, you&#039;ve created a monster!&quot; Punchy growled, &quot;Well, I&#039;ll just Chaos Avalanche it and...&quot; Heather tugged his arm. &quot;You wanna tear up the building from this high up?? You could drop the roof on Chuck&#039;s head!&quot; she warned. As the robot started to move towards them, Charmy hid behind Whisk, holding her wing as if to shield himself. &quot;L-let&#039;s get out of here!&quot; he babbled. &quot;Hey, my wings aren&#039;t toys!&quot; Whisk yelped. Libra pointed behind the safety glass. &quot;Look, the Chaos Emerald!&quot; she said. Charmy peered out from behind Whisk and smiled. &quot;Cool! How can we get it?&quot; he wondered. While those three worried about that, Punchy and Heather jumped to either side of the robot as the tendrils reached out farther to grab them! The robot groaned in what sounded like agony, and then the two blades that were spinning tore from its sides, held up by longer tendrils while the machine turned towards Punchy! &quot;I hate the Lost Ones. Alright, then, let&#039;s do this!&quot; he said, throwing a quick jab at the air as he readied for a fight!<br /><br />Punchy tried to throw a punch at the Spectral Spinner, but was quickly caught in its tendrils, held in place as it raised a blade in preparation to strike! &quot;Uh, help!&quot; he gasped. Heather struck the machine with flames from behind, which annoyed it enough to drop Punchy, but it didn&#039;t slow the haunted robot down much. It flailed the blades around in both their directions, and while Punchy dropped onto his back to avoid the blade, Heather leapt up to get out of the way, leaving her wide open to getting grabbed by a tendril next! Punchy gulped. &quot;Uhh, will you resurrect if you&#039;re decapitated?&quot; he asked. &quot;I don&#039;t wanna find out!!&quot; Heather protested, covering her body in flames to try and get free! The entity inside the robot moaned in pain, but kept its grip, raising both blades towards the phoenix! Punchy had to act fast...just in case...so he threw himself at the robot, struggling to get a punch through its grabby tendrils! &quot;Gaaah, I&#039;m gonna need a shower!&quot; he groaned before pulling his arm back forcefully and slamming his fist into the bot&#039;s metal body! The metal cracked, and the enraged Spectral Spinner hurled Punchy away before spinning and tossing Heather at him as well! Its robotic shell was sparking, but the slime was holding it together! &quot;Ughhh, get off, Heather...&quot; Punchy groaned as they stumbled to their feet, &quot;That bot should be toast. Stupid Lost One!&quot; he growled. Eggman was watching the battle intently. &quot;With the Lost Ones powering my machines, they won&#039;t quit on me any longer! I&#039;ll finally be able to pin down that annoying blue pincushion and conquer the world!&quot; he sneered. &quot;Aw, I knew he wasn&#039;t planning to help beat the Lost Ones...&quot; Charmy sighed. Eggman gasped, turning to find Whisk and Charmy on his side of the safety glass, trying to swipe the Chaos Emerald while he was distracted. &quot;Now, if only I had something to deal with pesky teleporters!&quot; the scientist growled. Whisk chuckled. &quot;Too bad about that...&quot; she said, reaching for the Chaos Emerald...only to get zapped by a powerful electric jolt! She fell over, passed out, and Eggman smirked. &quot;I always plan for thieves, though.&quot; he noted.<br /><br />Libra watched from the back of the lab as Punchy and Heather fought a useless battle against an indestructible robot, and Charmy attempted to shake Whisk awake as Eggman approached them. The image of the Zodiac Council being devoured by Lost Ones flashed before her eyes again. She began to breathe heavily. &quot;No... not again...&quot; she panted. She&#039;s failed her friends once before. The fennec held her head, panic washing over her as her friends were once again in jeopardy. Black energy started to swirl around her. &quot;I can&#039;t...let this happen...again!!&quot; she cried, her eyes glowing with dark power as forgotten training returned to her on instinct. Eggman jumped when Libra was suddenly between him and the Chaos Emerald. &quot;Another teleporter!! Hey, you&#039;re not Gemini...&quot; he babbled. Libra raised a hand to the container with the emerald, and a ball of dark energy shot from her hand, breaking its security measures! &quot;I am Libra the fennec... Ex-Agent of Despair...&quot; she said, taking the green Chaos Emerald and holding it out towards the robot beyond the safety glass, &quot;And...I am also...the Deathbringer!!&quot; she declared, channeling dark energy through the Chaos Emerald, converting it into a beam of Chaos energy which shot straight through the safety glass, shattering it before striking the robot, expelling the tentacled losol creature from within! The broken shell of the robot&#039;s body crumbled as a result, and Heather quickly turned to the losol to burn it into an inert puddle with her fire-powers! Eggman looked a bit nervous for a second, but quickly tapped his control panel, calling lasers out from seemingly everywhere in the room! &quot;I still have security measures!&quot; he smirked. However, the lasers immediately went back to their hiding places, and Uncle Chuck&#039;s voice came through a computer speaker. &quot;Sorry, Eggman, I&#039;ve taken back this building!&quot; With that, Punchy, Heather and Libra started toward the panicking doctor. &quot;You know... You all have much bigger fish to fry than me right now... So, uh, I&#039;ll be nice and let you...get back to that...Gaaah!!&quot; As Eggman started to flee, Char, Orbot and Cubot hastily took off behind him. &quot;I don&#039;t wanna be a fish fry!!&quot; Cubot wailed. Whisk started to stir once they were gone. &quot;What&#039;d I miss?&quot; she murmured. &quot;Only the awesome parts!&quot; Charmy teased. Libra let out a sigh of relief that everything was okay, and held up the Chaos Emerald to look at it. &quot;Guess I still have some power left, after all...&quot; she murmured.<br /><br />They all gathered around the broken robot to examine it. &quot;It can&#039;t come back to life, right?&quot; Charmy asked. &quot;A funny question. Was it even alive?&quot; The voice of Mephiles surprised the group, and as they looked for him, Libra gasped and fell to the ground! The Dark stood over her, now holding the green Chaos Emerald! &quot;It&#039;s best I take this from you...&quot; he said as Punchy tried to charge at him. &quot;Get back here!!&quot; the echidna shouted when Mephiles turned into a shadow and swiftly soared out of the room, escaping! Punchy kicked the ground in frustration while Whisk helped Libra back up. Just then, he heard voices through his comms device. &quot;Hello? Anyone, do you copy?&quot; It was Tails. Punchy tapped a finger to the device in his ear. &quot;Tails? I just got a Chaos Emerald nabbed from me by Mephiles! Also... Eggman&#039;s around.&quot; he reported. &quot;Ordinarily I&#039;m up for a party, but it sounds like we got too many guests crashin&#039;.&quot; Sonic&#039;s voice responded. Heather watched Punchy curiously. &quot;You got Tails in your ear?&quot; she murmured. Punchy nodded. &quot;Well, keep an eye out for Mephiles, and I&#039;ll keep looking for emeralds. Also, Heather would like it if anyone could find Guard.&quot; he said. Shadow&#039;s voice was heard next. &quot;We&#039;ll do what we can. It&#039;s tough to coordinate with all the weird interference.&quot; he stated. Listening to the conversation from near the Station Square train station was Silver and Blaze. The cat had something important on her mind. &quot;Tails... I want to get to my dimension. I have to see it for myself... So, can I use your transporter?&quot; she asked. Tails sounded uncertain as he replied. &quot;Supposedly, the Lost Ones destroyed your world. It&#039;s not worth the risk going... Plus, who knows if my workshop&#039;s even safe right now... Lospecter already admitted to taking something from me.&quot; he warned. &quot;She won&#039;t be alone.&quot; Silver said, &quot;I&#039;m with her.&quot; Even so, that didn&#039;t seem enough. &quot;Wait up, I&#039;ll go too!&quot; Sonic volunteered. &quot;No, Sonic... This world needs you too much now.&quot; Blaze said. Gemini&#039;s voice chimed in next. &quot;Let me go...&quot; she offered, &quot;I have the most experience with the Lost Ones... and I need to do SOMETHING.&quot; she said. Blaze nodded. &quot;Thank you...&quot; she sighed. Punchy turned to the friends with him as the conversation ended. &quot;What should we do now, though...?&quot; he wondered. Whisk crossed her arms. &quot;I&#039;m going to find Lucky.&quot; she insisted. &quot;I&#039;ll escort Charmy back to his friends.&quot; Libra added. &quot;Aww, I failed my mission. Vector&#039;s gonna be so mad...&quot; Charmy sighed. This left Punchy and Heather. The phoenix offered her hand to him. &quot;I guess we&#039;re in this together until we reunite with our loved ones.&quot; she said. Punchy shook her hand and nodded. &quot;Right. Let&#039;s get outta this grimy town and wrap this up as fast as we can, for their sakes.&quot; he said. This adventure was still just beginning, but with so much to fight for, there was no way our heroes would back down.<br /><br />To be continued... Bzzt! Zzzt! Add-on content incoming!<br /><br />Sally Acorn had gotten off the phone after learning the situation from Chuck, Punchy and the others. She was quick to race to her father&#039;s office afterwards. &quot;Dad! It&#039;s an emergency!&quot; she cried. Max Acorn was sitting at his desk, looking somewhat contemplative. &quot;I know, Sally. An invasion of creatures. I&#039;ve sent for Antoine and Bunnie.&quot; he stated. Sally looked a bit frustrated. &quot;You want them to guard me? Wait just a moment!&quot; she stammered. Max stood up quickly. &quot;Of course not! Sally... I do remember how you fought Eggman in my stead. I wouldn&#039;t dare keep you from the fight now.&quot; he told her. She looked at him with a sense of anxious relief. &quot;Th-thank you... If only I knew where to start.&quot; she murmured. Max nodded. &quot;This is a problem beyond the scope of my intellect, I&#039;ll readily admit. If you asked me yesterday, I wouldn&#039;t have even believed in such creatures as the so-called Lost Ones.&quot; he stated, &quot;That&#039;s why I&#039;m pulling every string I have to get the brightest minds I can find on this. We&#039;ve got Sir Charles on the case already. Rotor is regrettably off the grid, but perhaps you can make contact with him once you arrive at the United Federation. Lastly, I will reach out to Professor Pickle... My sources tell me his expertise in certain fields may prove helpful in this scenario.&quot; It was good to hear that her father was already working on formulating a plan. Of course, Chuck had likely called him as well. With her destination set for the United Federation, all that was left were her escorts, who conveniently arrived that moment. &quot;Sally-girl! Never thought we&#039;d be workin&#039; together like this again!&quot; Bunnie said, giving Sally a hug as she walked into the office. Antoine gave Max a salute in greeting. &quot;Monsieur Acorn! I will protect your daughter with all the best and worst of the skills I have forged through my extinguished career!&quot; he announced. &quot;You mean &#039;distinguished.&#039;&quot; Max corrected. Sally smiled a little at being reunited with her old Freedom Fighters. &quot;Alright, then! Let&#039;s get in the air and head for the danger zone! Move out!&quot;<br /><br /><br />Chapter 6 - Finding Marine<br />Stage 4 - Lost Dimension<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;Nothin&#039;s gonna stop us now! <br />We&#039;ll conquer the seven seas! <br />No one&#039;s gettin&#039; left behind! <br />Get ready for a new venture!&quot; - A New Venture, Sonic Rush Adventure<br /><br /><br />Blaze, joined by Silver, had made the journey to the Mystic Ruins via the train. The train was running on automation, so even though Station Square had fallen, they could still use it. &quot;Let&#039;s be ready for anything...&quot; Blaze said to Silver as the train pulled into the Mystic Ruins station, &quot;We still don&#039;t know how far the Lost Ones&#039; army has spread.&quot; Silver nodded as they stepped off the train, cautiously heading down the steps, looking around for any dangers. &quot;Hey, there you are!&quot; a voice called, startling Silver into grabbing its owner with his psychokinetic powers! &quot;Hey!! Put me down, Silver! Cut it out!&quot; The hedgehog looked up to see that he was holding up Copter. &quot;Ooops&hellip; Sorry, you surprised me.&quot; he murmured, setting the fox down. Behind Copter, Gemini was approaching with Timothy and...a three-tailed fox with glasses who looked a lot like Copter. Blaze sighed. &quot;I guess you beat us here using magic?&quot; she reasoned. Gemini nodded. &quot;Well, I know how you&#039;re feeling, Blaze, and I didn&#039;t want you to leave without us hastily and wind up in over your head.&quot; she said. Copter dusted himself off after Silver put him down, and chuckled softly. &quot;Sounds like Gem&#039;s still in protective teacher mode.&quot; he teased. Gemini had been an important teacher for Blaze in the past year, as she was attempting to learn to control the Chaos Crown. She had it with her, but so far hadn&#039;t felt the urge to use it. Timothy noticed Silver staring at the three-tailed fox, so he decided to introduce him. &quot;This guy&#039;s called Chopper. He&#039;s Copter&#039;s son from the future...but not our future time, Silver! I guess he&#039;d still be from the past to us...&quot; he murmured. Silver scratched his head. &quot;Uh... Sure, I think I get it...&quot; he muttered. Chopper looked a bit nervous. &quot;Do we really gotta go where we know the Lost Ones have full control?&quot; he asked. Blaze huffed and started marching toward Tails&#039; Workshop. &quot;Anyone who doesn&#039;t want to go can stay behind. If any of my people are alive, I have to save them!&quot; she insisted. &quot;Yeah, we&#039;re goin.&quot; Copter shrugged.<br /><br />The Mystic Ruins appeared untouched by the Lost Ones as of yet. Big the cat could even be seen sitting by the lake where Sonic once battled Chaos 4, getting in some fishing. Still, Lospecter had admitted to breaking into Tails&#039; Workshop, so they had to be prepared for anything. Silver and Copter were going to go in first. Silver used his powers to push the door open, while Copter charged inside to take any enemies by surprise. &quot;Hyaaaah!!&quot; he shouted, only to be tackled to the ground immediately by someone inside! &quot;You won&#039;t take over Tails&#039; house you monsters!!&quot; a female voice grunted, struggling with him, &quot;Wait...two tails...&quot; The girl let Copter up, and he could see who it was. Flowers growing from her head, it was Cosmo the Seedrian, an alien that had arrived in their world a couple years ago and apparently knew Tails in some way. &quot;What are you doing in here?&quot; Silver asked, helping Copter to his feet. Cosmo backed away a few steps as the others walked in. &quot;I... I panicked and fled when Station Square was attacked. This felt like the safest place for me to go...&quot; she explained. &quot;No need to feel ashamed, it was a terrifying thing that happened.&quot; Gemini told her. Cosmo looked at the ground with a bit of shame anyway. &quot;No... I have to stop being like this. My homeworld was taken from me by an invading force, too, you see...&quot; she stated, &quot;Rather than fighting to save my people, I have been running. Hiding. And now this world is in danger, invaded by monsters... I need to stop hiding! Please, is there any way I can help?&quot; she asked, looking at them with a bit of desperation. Blaze crossed her arms. &quot;I don&#039;t know. Can you fight? We&#039;re going to a place that may be worse off than Station Square...&quot; she told her. Cosmo stepped to a table and picked up a laser that she apparently had placed there. Fortunately she chose not to use it on Copter. &quot;I can shoot... So, where are we going? And why does he look so like Tails?&quot; she asked. Copter groaned softly. &quot;You can field that one, Junior...&quot; he said to Chopper.<br /><br />Blaze led the group to the lab, where the ring-shaped portal device could be found. &quot;Good, artificial Chaos Emerald is in place to keep the portal open...&quot; she murmured, examining it. &quot;Have any of us actually been to Blaze&#039;s world?&quot; Timothy asked. Only Copter raised his hand. &quot;...kinda? I mean, it was a piece that the Time Eater pulled from somewhere, apparently.&quot; he said. &quot;Doesn&#039;t matter... Even I don&#039;t know what to expect...&quot; Blaze said, activating the portal and leading the way as each of them stepped through it. Those of them with comms devices quickly noticed static... they couldn&#039;t link to SPOT across dimensions. The next thing they noticed was how dark the beach they arrived at was. Dark clouds hung over the world, blotting out any sunlight. Gemini and Timothy both held up their wands, casting a soft light to illuminate their path. &quot;This is Southern Island...&quot; Blaze murmured, looking out in the direction of Marine&#039;s house. Silver nodded. &quot;Lead the way, Blaze. We&#039;ll keep our eyes peeled for anything dangerous.&quot; he said. With murmurs of agreement, they all started on the path from the beach towards Marine&#039;s house, which was a pretty impressive building after all the improvements Tails had put in back when he and Sonic were stranded in this world. Looking around, they all felt like the island was eerily quiet. Not even any Lost Ones in sight. &quot;I guess the Lost One army completely abandoned this world to attack ours. Like locusts.&quot; Gemini murmured. &quot;Let&#039;s not assume anything...&quot; Cosmo said softly, shuddering nervously. Chopper shuddered as well. &quot;Does it feel like we&#039;re being watched to any of you?&quot; he asked. Copter scoffed. &quot;Just what we needed in our group. A couple of jumpy kids.&quot; he complained. &quot;Hey, thanks a lot, Dad!&quot; Chopper remarked. Behind a mass of palm trees, a pair of robotic eyes did indeed watch them. &quot;Aye, at last we be meetin&#039; again, princess. Tragedy it be under circumstances such as these, and not a clever plot of me own design. Either way... Davy Jones awaits ye!&quot; the robot cackled.<br /><br />A large section of Marine&#039;s home was basically just a hangar for the vehicles Tails, and later she, had built. Blaze and Gemini went searching the building for the raccoon while the others looked around in the hangar. Copter was fixated on a tunneling machine. &quot;Why is &#039;Hurricane&#039; written on the side of this... I think Hoover is gonna wanna sue.&quot; he muttered. Silver was looking at a funny makeshift...jetski? He wasn&#039;t exactly sure what it was, but it had a raccoon motif. Clearly built by Marine. He chuckled softly looking at it. However, examining it closely, he noticed a paper stuck to the side of it. &quot;Huh...? Hmm...&quot; He reached out and grabbed the paper, &quot;It&#039;s a note... Ah! Blaze!! Where are you?&quot; he called. Gemini suddenly warped to his side, holding Blaze&#039;s hand. &quot;What is it?&quot; the cat asked anxiously. Silver handed her the note, and Gemini looked over her shoulder, reading aloud as she read quietly. &quot;Gone ta the spooky pirate ship. Huntin&#039; fer the Sol Emeralds to fight back against the freaky monsters. Capp&#039;n Marine won&#039;t let ya down, Cobbers!&quot; Gemini sounded a bit awkward reading Marine&#039;s exact words. Chopper stepped over, leaning over Blaze&#039;s other shoulder to look at the note. &quot;Cobber? Sol Emerald? What&#039;s all this?&quot; he asked. Blaze looked serious. &quot;It was supposed to be my duty to guard the Sol Emeralds. I left them in my royal guard&#039;s possession, but in the event of an emergency, they have a system in place to scatter them. That&#039;s what likely happened. Marine must want to use their power to protect herself... I hope she survived the trip.&quot; she sighed. The others were approaching now, and seemed to have heard enough. &quot;So, we&#039;re going to a pirate ship?&quot; Timothy asked. &quot;Should we try to collect those Sol Emeralds, too?&quot; Cosmo asked. Copter looked around awkwardly. &quot;And how are we getting to a pirate ship?&quot; he asked. &quot;Yer not, scallywags!&quot; came a loud, threatening voice!<br /><br />A familiar robot that looked like Eggman in a pirate ensemble approached them, Captain Whisker! The speedy green robot Johnny was with him as well. &quot;Our crew be commissioned to send ye all to the locker!&quot; Whisker announced. &quot;And we&#039;d better work fast...&quot; Johnny added. Behind them, dozens of skeletal pirate robots approached, but something seemed off about them. They were hissing in ghostly voices, and were shambling like they were possessed. &quot;Looks like the Lost Ones did leave a force here...&quot; Gemini realized, pointing her wand defensively. Whisker chuckled nervously. &quot;Aye, an&#039; if Johnny and I want to keep our minds for ourselves, we have to obey our new captains!&quot; he said. Silver and Copter glanced at each other. &quot;We&#039;ll split up. Each of us take a vehicle and look for Marine and the Sol Emeralds separately.&quot; Silver said. &quot;If only our comms still worked...&quot; Copter muttered. &quot;Hey! Don&#039;t just make plans like we&#039;re not here!!&quot; Johnny shouted. Gemini looked to Timothy. &quot;Go with Blaze, I&#039;ll go with Copter...&quot; she told him. &quot;Uhh&hellip; Good idea!&quot; the fawn nodded. Whisker was looking pretty annoyed now, too. &quot;Disrespectful little whelps!! C&#039;mon, mateys!! Send &#039;em over the metaphorical plank!!&quot; he shouted. The robots started to charge, swords drawn. Worse, those blades were lit with blue ghost fire! Copter grabbed his son&#039;s arm and started to run. &quot;Come on, kid! Don&#039;t gawk at the flames!&quot; he shouted. Blaze and Timothy stepped forward with their wands. &quot;Abra-ka-blastra!!&quot; they shouted, creating explosions that kicked up dust and smoke, covering the group as they split up and ran for some vehicles! Whisker looked around with a flustered expression. &quot;Cowards! Knaves!! Johnny, go get them!!&quot; he yelled, grabbing the other robot and spinning around before tossing him! Johnny sped off like a missile towards Silver and Blaze as they ran for the Ocean Tornado, a sailboat. &quot;Get on board!&quot; Silver shouted, turning and raising his hands to Johnny. He caught the robot with his powers, and tossed him back at Whisker! &quot;When I catch you you&#039;re throoooough!!&quot; Johnny yelled.<br /><br />Copter and Gemini were heading for the Deep Typhoon, a submarine. But, of course, the robots were blocking their path. Still holding on to Chopper&#039;s hand, Copter raised his other hand to direct his signature attack. &quot;Chaos Whirlwind!!&quot; The chaotic wind not only blew up the robot in front of him, it also wiped out the Lost One that was piloting it. The other robots moved a bit more cautiously, swinging their blades toward Gemini instead. &quot;Yaaa! Oh, you bots are just metal loskels!&quot; Gemini shouted, pointing her wand at the nearest robot, &quot;Blastrotall!&quot; she cast, firing bolts from her wand to punch holes in the robots, which dripped with losol slime. As one of the bots staggered to her and raised its sword, a laser blast blew up its head! Cosmo was following them. &quot;Let&#039;s get aboard that ship!&quot; she said urgently. As Copter opened the hatch and they started to jump into the submarine, Chopper looked at his dad sheepishly. &quot;Say... You don&#039;t think you could teach me how to cast that magic you used, could you?&quot; he asked. Copter shoved the boy down the hatch. &quot;Gotta have the chaos energy in you to use Chaos Whirlwind.&quot; he muttered. As the Ocean Tornado and Deep Typhoon both started to pull away from the docks, a portal opened behind Captain Whisker, and Lospecter emerged. &quot;You had one job...&quot; the ghost complained as Whisker and Johnny backed away from him, cowering in fear. &quot;G-give a mate another chance! We&#039;ll capture those lubbers!&quot; he babbled. Lospecter twirled his single Chaos Card in his hand, looking thoughtful. &quot;Well, capture the white fennec for me, for sure. Don&#039;t damage a hair on her pesky little head. She has value to us. Otherwise, go ahead and kill &#039;em all. Don&#039;t you dare let them get those Sol Emeralds... I&#039;ve got some pretty scary friends that would be awfully upset...&quot; he said with a soft chuckle. Johnny gave a salute. &quot;They won&#039;t get far. Nobody can outrun me!&quot; he said. Lospecter laughed in his face. &quot;Except Sonic, Shadow, Blaze, Metal Sonic... Anybody else remember that big race from a couple years ago? Quit making me laugh and get moving!&quot; the ghost commanded.<br /><br />Timothy had joined Silver and Blaze on the Ocean Tornado. Between the three of them, they were figuring out how to sail the ship. They would head for the Haunted Ship, but what of the others? Since the comms wouldn&#039;t work in this world, Timothy had another idea. &quot;Connechatra!&quot; he said to his wand. Focusing for a moment, the wand emitted a holographic projection of Gemini. Silver was manning the wheel, but Blaze observed this spell and sighed with relief. &quot;Perfect, we can keep in touch.&quot; she said. Gemini nodded. &quot;I just learned this spell from my spell book recently! Anyway, which way should we go?&quot; she asked. Timothy shrugged and looked to Blaze. The cat rubbed her chin thoughtfully. &quot;We&#039;ll be following up on Marine&#039;s note, so... You guys should try to find the Sol Emeralds elsewhere. They could be scattered pretty much anywhere, though. So, search whatever island you reach.&quot; she told the fennec. Gemini nodded, but then stumbled a bit, the sound of Copter and Cosmo shouting heard in the background! &quot;Undersea Lost Ones!? Uh, gotta go!&quot; Gemini gasped, her hologram vanishing. &quot;Well, that sounds bad...&quot; Timothy murmured. &quot;We&#039;ve got company, guys!!&quot; Silver shouted, pointing ahead. Johnny was indeed pretty fast, and had already gotten in front of them. He was accompanied by a swarm of flaming loskulls. &quot;Turn the ship! We&#039;ll have to use the cannons!&quot; Blaze shouted. Timothy clutched his wand tightly. &quot;I&#039;ll be ready if they come aboard!&quot; he said. Underwater, the Deep Typhoon was under attack by what could only be described as &quot;losquids.&quot; Perhaps this was the same tendril-covered Lost One that had possessed Eggman&#039;s Spinner robot and attacked Punchy. At any rate, they moved like squids and seemed intent on ramming the ship until they could punch a hole in it. &quot;Do we have any weapons in this thing!?&quot; Copter growled. Chopper took a look at the controls. &quot;I&#039;ll say we do... Stand back!&quot; he said, sitting down and working the controls just like it were a video game, zapping losquids one by one with torpedoes and bullets. Copter crossed his arms watching him. &quot;Kids...&quot; he murmured. &quot;At least he&#039;s got a skill...&quot; Gemini chuckled softly. It would be a while before the Deep Typhoon would reach land, though...<br /><br /><br />Johnny didn&#039;t count on Blaze being a crack shot with the cannons. This was far from her first time on the Ocean Tornado, and even though he was a quick target, she sank him easily! &quot;Aaaaahh!! A-avenge me, captain!!&quot; the speed-obsessed robot wailed as he sand beneath the ocean waves. &quot;I hope I don&#039;t see him again...&quot; Blaze sighed as their ship neared the Haunted Ships, a set of broken pirate ships floating on the rocks, looking very much like a pirate&#039;s graveyard. &quot;W-well... This place is creepy...&quot; Silver murmured. Timothy walked up to him as he was &quot;parking&quot; the Ocean Tornado. &quot;Hey, Silver... Since we&#039;re here, that means we win, right? Our future has to stay intact, doesn&#039;t it?&quot; he asked. &quot;I&#039;m not so sure...&quot; Blaze told him, &quot;You see, I was originally from your time. The timeline was overwritten, but I&#039;m still around. I remember Iblis, Mephiles, all of it. But...I escaped the changes to the timeline by going to another dimension, so... I can&#039;t say what the rules are.&quot; she stated. With that basically answering nothing, the trio made their way off the ship and started to explore the wreckages. They didn&#039;t get too far before they heard Marine&#039;s voice. &quot;Blaze! Turn about, mate! It&#039;s not...!&quot; they heard her mouth gagged, and quickly started looking for the source of her voice. &quot;Marine!? Where are you!? I&#039;m not leaving without you!&quot; Blaze called. Silver pointed up. &quot;Nega!!&quot; he shouted. An Egg Mobile was above them, and Eggman Nega tossed a gagged Marine down, catching her in a claw attached to the bottom of his vehicle! &quot;Heh heh heh&hellip; Silver, it&#039;s been so long! And Blaze, a pleasure. I was hoping to run into some living souls. A deal! Direct me to the portal to Sonic&#039;s world, and I will give you this annoying child, unharmed!&quot; he said with a smirk. Blaze and Silver glanced at one another. &quot;As if Sonic&#039;s world doesn&#039;t have enough problems...&quot; Silver muttered. &quot;How&#039;s that? Speak up!&quot; Nega shouted. Suddenly, a gunshot tore through the cable holding the claw to Nega&#039;s Egg Mobile, and Marine cried out as she started to fall! Silver dashed forward and caught her with his psychic powers, and Nega turned with an angry growl. &quot;Who did that!?&quot; he shouted. The buzzing from a green hornet in a leather jacket could be heard. He was holding a smoking gun. Beside him was a white chameleon, and behind them was Captain Whisker. &quot;Arrr, sorry me old maker. I answer to the Ones what be Lost now...and they gave me this new crew to battle those scurvy lubbers with!&quot; Whisker announced. Silver removed the gag from Marine, and she pointed at Whisker frantically. &quot;Oi!! You again! Fuzzy face!! C&#039;mere, we got a score ta settle!&quot; she shouted. The chameleon scoffed. &quot;You&#039;re all dead. We&#039;ll ssssee to that. Right, Zapp?&quot; he said to the obvious Dark Zipp. The hornet chuckled, pointing his gun at Blaze. &quot;Sure thing, Vanitas.&quot; he replied to the clear Dark Vortex.<br /><br />Eggman Nega pivoted his Egg Mobile out of the way of the action, watching in amusement as Whisker, Zapp and Vanitas came at Silver, Blaze, Timothy and Marine. The raccoon was a little too eager to jump into the fight. &quot;Lemme &#039;ave a go at him!! Capp&#039;n against capp&#039;n!!&quot; she shouted, only for Silver to pull her back with his powers. &quot;Stay back, we don&#039;t know what to expect...&quot; he said. Zapp smirked, charging dark energy in his guns. &quot;Expect to die!&quot; he sneered, shooting bullets of black energy at the group! Silver tried to catch the bullets as they hurtled towards Blaze, but it was a good thing she moved, because his psychokinesis had no effect on them! Whisker decided to keep the pressure on them, raising his arms and firing them from his robotic body like rockets! &quot;Proplasmar!!&quot; Timothy cast, blocking the rocketing arms with a barrier before Blaze ran ahead, her body trailing flames in her preparation to fight back! Vanitas hissed and charged at her himself, trailing darkness in a similar fashion. His fist collided with her foot as she did a twirling kick, neither of them seeming to gain any ground as fire and darkness erupted from the point of their impact! Meanwhile, Timothy entered a shootout with Zapp using his wand, keeping the hornet busy while Silver and Marine went after Captain Whisker. &quot;Fer Mini, Mum and Johnny! The Captain will fight on! I&#039;ll shiver yer timbers!&quot; he shouted, taking a breath before suddenly blowing flames at them! &quot;Yikes!!&quot; Silver used his powers to block the fire, spreading it out around him and Marine, but it was very difficult for him to mentally control an element like flames. Marine shrank behind him. &quot;Crikey! He&#039;s puttin&#039; us on the barbie alright!&quot; she whimpered. Silver realized he had to get Marine out of there, so he lifted them both out of the flames quickly, hovering over the captain. &quot;Arrrgh! Get down here! Don&#039;t ye fly away like some pixie!!&quot; the pirate shouted angrily. By this point, Eggman Nega was getting rather bored. &quot;Hmm... Well, I&#039;m not going to take betrayal lying down...&quot; he said, tapping some buttons on his controls that caused his Egg Mobile to reveal several hidden missile compartments. &quot;Send my regards to Davy Jones, you pitiful pirate!&quot; he snickered, firing dozens of missiles all around the ship!<br /><br />The missiles specifically targeted Captain Whisker and his allies, and as the robotic pirate tried to evade them, he quickly realized his mistake. &quot;Gah! M-me maker! Please! Spare an old pirate! Noo!!&quot; Silver kept Marine shielded behind him as the missiles found their mark, blasting Captain Whisker to smithereens, leaving only scraps and a tattered mustache behind. Zapp and Vanitas leapt back to gain distance from the other missiles, and the hornet shot a few to blow them up while Vanitas took care of the rest. &quot;Chaosss Hole!&quot; he said, opening a small black hole to swallow the remaining missiles up! It was then that a portal opened behind them, and Lospecter poked his head out. &quot;Meh... Gem ain&#039;t here. C&#039;mon, let&#039;s move on.&quot; he said, grabbing Zapp and Vanitas&#039; arms and tugging them into the portal before it vanished. Marine walked over and gently nudged Whisker&#039;s mustache with her foot. &quot;I knew it. Those whiskers were fake!&quot; she remarked. The others turned to Eggman Nega, who lowered his Egg Mobile down to a better height to speak with them. &quot;It seems we both have an enemy in those creatures. And I have radar that can track down the Sol Emeralds, while you have access back to Sonic&#039;s world. We need each other.&quot; the doctor said plainly. Blaze crossed her arms. &quot;I find that unlikely. I&#039;ve found the Sol Emeralds before without you.&quot; she scoffed. Nega smirked. &quot;I&#039;d think you&#039;d feel a bit pressed for time now, though. I saw the devastation take this world. They went from one world to this, now to Sonic&#039;s world... Unchecked, those creatures could take over all worlds.&quot; he warned. Silver nodded. &quot;Much as I hate to say it, I think we could use Eggman Nega&#039;s help...&quot; he said. Timothy shrugged. &quot;We&#039;ll have to keep a close eye on him...&quot; he pointed out. Blaze heaved a heavy sigh. What choice did she really have? &quot;I fully expect you to betray us, just so we&#039;re clear. Do you have a lock on any Sol Emeralds?&quot; she asked. Nega grinned widely. &quot;Right. Let&#039;s get straight to work, then...&quot; he snickered, &quot;I&#039;m sure those Sol Emeralds will be a great asset in defeating those Lost Ones...&quot;<br /><br /><br />Chapter 7 - Sol Emerald Scramble<br />Stage 4 - Lost Dimension<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;It&#039;s the price of being aware,<br />But too afraid it all might die,<br />Some things, they never mend,<br />I know I&#039;m never the same again.&quot; - Worth A Chance, Sonic and the Secret Rings<br /><br /><br />Eggman Nega flew ahead while Silver, Blaze, Marine and Timothy followed him through the cluster of broken, beached ships that formed something of a pirate&#039;s graveyard. Timothy had used the &quot;Connechatra&quot; spell to get back in touch with Gemini, the pair of them communicating their situations. &quot;Be careful, Tim... I don&#039;t trust that Nega.&quot; Gemini told him. &quot;Yeah, seriously...&quot; Timothy murmured, glancing towards the doctor&#039;s Egg Mobile with a frown. &quot;We&#039;ve arrived at Sky Babylon, so we&#039;ll look for a Sol Emerald here...&quot; Gemini reported before the magical call ended. Silver had been listening in. &quot;I hope they don&#039;t run into any trouble...&quot; he murmured. Blaze spotted a sparkle at the top of a broken mast, and went into a run, leaping up the ship&#039;s rigging to get up there. &quot;Careful, mate! Watch out fer spooks!&quot; Marine shouted, shivering as she looked around the Haunted Ship. The raccoon probably would have gone somewhere else to look for a Sol Emerald first, but a place like this, devoid of life, was the last place the Lost Ones would look for her. As Blaze neared the sparkling object, Eggman Nega reached it and snagged it before she could. &quot;Nice acrobatics, but I&#039;ve got this little beauty...&quot; he chuckled, clutching the blue Sol Emerald in his hand. Blaze crossed her arms, balancing atop the broken mast. &quot;You have no need of it. I&#039;m the guardian, hand it to me!&quot; she huffed. Nega placed the emerald in a compartment inside his Egg Mobile and shook his head. &quot;Partnerships are about trust, Blaze. You&#039;re expecting me to trust you to guide me out of this world. So it stands to reason, you should trust me with this. Besides, it will help me to improve my radar and find the other Sol Emeralds more quickly.&quot; he stated. Silver rubbed his head with an uncertain expression on his face. &quot;As hard as he is to trust, finding the other emeralds faster would definitely be good.&quot; he murmured. Marine pointed to Timothy. &quot;Why we need Mr. Moustache when this cobber can just magic us to the Sol Emeralds??&quot; she asked. Timothy chuckled awkwardly. &quot;I&#039;ve gotta keep the magical lines of communication open in case Gemini calls us. That means limiting my spell useage...&quot; he explained. Marine did not understand, and folded her arms grouchily at the idea of working with Nega. Blaze let out a sigh. She was the princess, they&#039;d follow her decision. &quot;Well, you&#039;d better get to tracking down that next emerald before the Lost Ones find us...&quot; she said with a light groan. Eggman Nega nodded and his Egg Mobile started to float down. &quot;Follow me... I believe we&#039;ll need your ship.&quot; he stated as he examined the radar on his Egg Mobile. &quot;Can I take my own ship?&quot; Marine sighed, not wanting to hang around Nega. &quot;Leave it, we&#039;re safer together.&quot; Silver told her. Thus, they were on their way...<br /><br /><br />Gemini, along with Cosmo, Copter and his son Chopper, had arrived at Sky Babylon. The location was somewhat familiar to Copter, with its odd levitating crystals and flames burning here and there. &quot;I seem to remember running into that Captain Whisker around here, and being in a treasure hunt race with the Babylon Rogues... The treasure turned out to be junk, though.&quot; Copter said. Cosmo was holding a futuristic scanner, tech that she had from her homeworld. &quot;I&#039;m detecting the energy of the Sol Emerald...I think. I&#039;ve never actually encountered such a gem.&quot; she admitted. They began to follow Cosmo as she led them in the direction of the signal, not noticing that some losquids had slipped out of the water to follow them from the shore. They did notice Chopper&#039;s scream as one of the creatures grabbed him in its tendrils! &quot;Yaaah! Let go of me! D-dad, help!!&quot; he cried! Gemini turned and tried to aim her wand, but the creature was behind Chopper, using his body like a shield! &quot;Distract it, I&#039;ll circle around!&quot; she said. There was no need, though. Several beams of light shot from somewhere to the side, swiftly destroying the losquids! Chopper shook some slime off himself and groaned. &quot;I thought I blasted all those things...&quot; he whined. Looking in the direction the beams had come from, Gemini saw her former teacher, Fred Leo the white lion, accompanied by Cuthburt the turqoise alligator. Gemini pouted to see them. &quot;If it isn&#039;t the liar lion. Were you spying on me?&quot; she asked. Fred rubbed a hand through his light blue mane, frowning. &quot;I truly am sorry for what passed between us, Gemini. However, the Lost One invasion is bigger than both of us. The future time I made my home in is in jeopardy. If there&#039;s any way I can help, I must.&quot; he said. Cuthburt nodded. &quot;Look, I dunno what happened with you two, and I gotta say I was weirded out to learn Fred was really a lion, but from where I stand, I can&#039;t believe that this lion never cared about you, Gemini.&quot; the gator stated. Gemini looked a bit thoughtful. &quot;Well, seven Sol Emeralds. We could use some help. You stay here with Copter, MISTER Leo, and I&#039;ll take Cosmo here to another island to search.&quot; she said, grabbing Cosmo&#039;s hand and lifting her wand, thinking about where to warp. &quot;Wait, she&#039;s got the detector!&quot; Copter babbled. &quot;Detector? I got something like that!&quot; Cuthburt said, pulling a futuristic scanner of his own from...somewhere. Copter didn&#039;t look too happy as Gemini cast Galaporta to warp far away. Fred looked at him with a sheepish smile. &quot;How have you been, Aries? Who&#039;s the kid?&quot; he asked. Chopper looked at his father awkwardly. &quot;Aries?&quot; he questioned. Copter groaned. &quot;Thanks, Fred. Now I gotta have THAT conversation...&quot; he complained.<br /><br /><br />In the meantime, Eggman Nega was busy making tweaks to the Ocean Tornado so it would traverse the ocean faster. Blaze was watching him closely, a look of intense distrust in her eyes. &quot;You missed out on the war with Eggman and Infinite...&quot; Silver said, walking over to her, &quot;There were some strange team-ups and stranger betrayals. You can&#039;t really know who to trust during extreme situations like this...&quot; he told her. Blaze nodded. The only part she had in that conflict was getting trapped in her own dimension by a distraught Tails who didn&#039;t want to see Blaze&#039;s world destroyed...an act that felt utterly pointless now. &quot;Peoples&#039; true nature won&#039;t really change, though. Nega was dangerous before, he&#039;s dangerous now.&quot; the cat insisted. &quot;You should hope so!&quot; Nega said, standing up from his work, &quot;It&#039;s that kind of dangerousness you want on your side now! Hold on, this ship&#039;s about to blast off!&quot; he said with a smirk.<br /><br /><br />Lost Ones and robots possessed by Lost Ones stalked Copter&#039;s group at every turn as they searched Sky Babylon for a Sol Emerald, aided by Cuthburt&#039;s scanner. Arachnid Lospides were trying to string them up in slimy webs while Chopper snuck around, leaping over a levitative crystal and using its energy to float himself. &quot;According to the signal, the Sol Emerald should be across this...chasm!&quot; he whimpered, his tails tangling up as he tried to fly to gain control of himself. Sometimes a third tail was one too many. &quot;Chillazim!!&quot; Fred cast a freezing spell to hold the Lospides still while Copter finished them off. &quot;Chaos Whirlwind!&quot; The fox&#039;s trademark attack blew the icy Lost Ones over the ledge, and they shattered on the ground below. &quot;How ya doin over there, kid?&quot; Cuthburt called out to Chopper. The younger fox grabbed the ledge on the other side, panting heavily as he pulled himself up. &quot;I made it... Now, where&#039;s that Sol Emerald?&quot; he murmured, walking around a corner. He found a piraty Egg Pawn holding a cannon in its hands, pointing it right at him! &quot;Oh, hi...&quot; he squeaked with a gulp. Copter heard the cannon go off, and looked in the direction of the sound with a hint of panic. &quot;Kid! Are you alive!?&quot; he yelled. Chopper had sidestepped the initial shot, but the cannon began burning with ghost fire as the robot approached him. &quot;Oh, yeah, it&#039;s haunted of course!&quot; he yelped. Fortunately, Fred warped to his side. &quot;You came to this time from yours and didn&#039;t prepare to deal with the dangers of this time?&quot; the lion asked, pointing his wand and casting Solare to blow the robot and the Lost One within away. Chopper let out a sigh. &quot;You sound just like Lara...&quot; he mumbled, dashing ahead and picking up the purple Sol Emerald. Fred chuckled softly. &quot;And you remind me of... Oh, but that couldn&#039;t be... Could it?&quot; he mused. &quot;What are you guys doing over there!?&quot; Copter shouted, &quot;C&#039;mon, hurry up before we get swarmed again!&quot; He had a point. Fred grabbed Chopper and warped him back to the others. The lion wondered about the boy&#039;s parentage... But since Copter didn&#039;t know, it was best not to look into it. He shouldn&#039;t know too much about his future, right?<br /><br /><br />The powered-up Ocean Tornado brought Blaze&#039;s group quickly to Blizzard Peaks. The snowy region was normally home to the Vikings, but there was no sign of them anywhere. Like the Coconut Crew and Blaze&#039;s royal guard, they had been devoured by the Lost Ones. Blaze was trying to keep up a brave front as they proceeded through the snowy mountain, but Marine was looking less cheery than usual as it became clear that no living souls would greet them. &quot;Our poor world... What kinds of adventures can we have if everyone&#039;s gone?&quot; she sniffled. Timothy patted her on the shoulder. &quot;Maybe we can get everyone back somehow...&quot; he said. &quot;Don&#039;t make promises you can&#039;t keep!&quot; Eggman Nega huffed as his Egg Mobile floated above them. He pointed beyond an icy canyon, clearly the Sol Emerald was that way. Seeing this and nodding, Blaze sped off ahead of the others to check it out. Once she was gone, though, some of the nearby snowballs began to move! &quot;Oh, right... I designed robots to camoflauge using snow.&quot; Nega babbled. Silver was quick to react, using his powers to lift his own clumps of snow and hurl them at the disguised robots! It simply caused them to leap out from their snowball hideaways, revealing their tiny bodies that looked almost like toys. Marine growled and tossed a snowball at one, knocking its head off! However, the head was replaced by a ghostly Lost One face! &quot;Great, the bots are just snow suits for those creatures!&quot; Silver groaned. The robots kept their group busy while Blaze was busy grinding on icy rails to cross the canyon. Lospirits were floating up to chase her, ghostly Lost Ones that were likely the same type that had possessed the robots. Most Lost Ones hated the cold, but these seemed to be adapting to it fine. &quot;If you don&#039;t mind the ice, how about I turn up the heat!?&quot; Blaze shouted, tossing fireballs at the lospirits while attempting to keep her balance on the icy rail. She soon came to the end of the rail, though, and had to leap to land on the next cliff safely! There, Lospecter was hovering over the sparkling white Sol Emerald. &quot;I&#039;m holding too much chaos here. I wonder if it&#039;d be safe for me to touch Sol energy, though? Too bad it&#039;s Sol like the sun and not soul, heh...&quot; the ghost chuckled. Blaze angrily threw a burning punch at him, but Lospecter just floated up above her. &quot;Kitten, why so mad? Oh, right, this was your world...&quot; he chuckled. Blaze suddenly reached into her coat and pulled out the Chaos Crown, placing it on her head. &quot;I&#039;ll destroy you!!&quot; she yelled, her body glowing. Lospecter pointed his key to create a portal nearby. &quot;Attack me with my own crown, would you!? Ho ho, but there are other Sol Emeralds out there! Try and beat me to it!&quot; he taunted, escaping into the portal and leaving Blaze to cry out in frustration. She picked up the Sol Emerald and took off the crown. &quot;Coward! Just wait until I find you...&quot; she warned, vengeance burning in her heart.<br /><br /><br />Gemini and Cosmo had warped to a forest, with long vines twisting around giant bouncy mushrooms. It was a strange feeling being there; Despite all the devastation the Lost Ones had caused, wiping out most sentient life in this world, the forest still felt calm and peaceful. Cosmo let out a nostalgic sigh as the pair of them walked. &quot;The plants make me feel almost at home...&quot; she murmured. Gemini couldn&#039;t help giving her a light smile. At least it wasn&#039;t all gloom and doom. However, Cosmo stopped short as the pair of them neared an old-looking tree. &quot;Gemini, don&#039;t go any farther! That&#039;s not a real tree!&quot; the Seedrian gasped. Gemini looked up at it curiously, and then felt the ground under her feet go unsteady! She was lifted up in hand-like branches, crying out as she saw a ghostly face stare at her from the tree trunk! &quot;A-a trap!?&quot; she gasped. Lospecter, having warped from Blizzard Peaks to here with the Chaos Key, emerged from the top of the tree. He was holding a green Sol Emerald with a set of tongs. &quot;Heeey, ladies. Lookie what I found! Oh, and Gemini! You wouldn&#039;t mind coming home with me, would ya? Your magical self is holding secrets that the Lost Ones MUST know about!&quot; he snickered, pointing his key and creating a portal just above Gemini! The fennec wasn&#039;t going to let herself be captured, though. &quot;Abra-ka-warpra!&quot; she said quickly, using simple magic to teleport back down next to Cosmo! Lospecter shrugged. &quot;Have it your way. The animals that used to live here can soften you up...&quot; he sneered, flying into the portal with the Sol Emerald as dozens of lospirits flew out! Gemini and Cosmo backed up a step, and each of them started shooting off their weapons! Cosmo fired her laser around with a look of rage in her eyes. &quot;Get out of this forest!!&quot; she shouted. Gemini saw the tree robot reaching out for Cosmo and decided to do something about it. &quot;Pyrower!!&quot; she shouted, shooting flames from her wand that caught onto the tree-bot and made it flail its wooden arm around in panic! At this point, Cosmo heard a blip from her radar device. &quot;Oh! There&#039;s still an emerald here!&quot; she gasped. Gemini nodded. &quot;Go find it! I&#039;ll deal with these spooks!&quot; she said. While the Seedrian ran after the emerald, the lospirits ignored her and began to surround their main target, Gemini. &quot;Why would the Lost Ones want to capture me? ...Never mind!&quot; She started to spin about with her wand quickly, firing bolts of light at the spirits rapidly! &quot;Blastrotall! Take that and that!&quot; she yelled, zapping each spirit as it closed in on her! Soon, Cosmo came running back with the light blue Sol Emerald! &quot;I&#039;ve got it! Now l-let&#039;s get out of here!&quot; she yelled as pirate robots chased her! Gemini nodded, running over to her and casting a warp spell once they grabbed each others&#039; hands!<br /><br /><br />Blaze&#039;s group was sailing the seas on the Ocean Tornado again. During the trip, Eggman Nega was expanding his search by boosting the radar signal. &quot;Hmm... I&#039;m getting energy signatures moving on two separate islands. Then, there&#039;s two final emeralds back at Southern Island...&quot; the doctor stated. &quot;Whaaat? How did I not know about that!?&quot; Marine gasped, &quot;I coulda just...NOT gone to the spooky ships...&quot; she added quietly. Silver looked to Timothy. &quot;We should check in with Gemini to see if they have either of those other emeralds...&quot; he suggested. Timothy nodded and cast connechatra to get in touch. Both Gemini and Fred were projected by the wand. &quot;Teacher??&quot; Timothy gasped. Fred smiled. &quot;Good to see you, Tim. We have one of the Sol Emeralds over here, by Gemini&#039;s request.&quot; he explained. &quot;We&#039;ve got one too, but Lospecter got away with one...&quot; she reported. Blaze clenched her teeth and growled softly. &quot;We can&#039;t let them take anything more from this world! Everyone, back to Southern Island, quickly!&quot; she told them, &quot;The final emeralds are there!&quot;<br /><br />It was a fairly uneventful trip back to Southern Island, and as Blaze&#039;s group left the Ocean Tornado, the cat was looking over the white Sol Emerald that was the only one in her possession. &quot;I have to do better than this...&quot; she sighed. Eggman Nega smirked as he looked at a monitor on his Egg Mobile. &quot;So, the portal to Sonic&#039;s world must be there...&quot; he said quietly. Then, with a flick of a switch, he sent an arm out from his Egg Mobile to snatch the Sol Emerald from Blaze&#039;s hand! &quot;Hey!!&quot; she gasped. The doctor was already fleeing, kicking his boosters into overdrive. &quot;Forget this world, princess! It&#039;s dead! Time to move on to other worlds to conquer! Hee hee hee hee!!&quot; he cackled. As Blaze and her group began to give chase across the island, Gemini and Cosmo ran up to them. &quot;Now what&#039;s going on here?? ...Eggman Nega!?&quot; Gemini gasped. Copter, Chopper, Fred and Cuthburt came from another direction, uniting their entire group. &quot;Hey, Tim! Wassup?&quot; Cuthburt waved. &quot;Why we runnin??&quot; Copter huffed. Eggman Nega cackling ahead of them pretty much put everyone up to speed. &quot;I&#039;ve just had a thought, Blaze! Since you like this world so much, I&#039;ll destroy the portal device on the other side so you can remain here!&quot; the crazed scientist laughed, still speeding ahead of them. &quot;Grab him, Silver!!&quot; Blaze yelled. &quot;I-I can&#039;t get close enough! Sorry...&quot; he panted, struggling just to keep up with everyone else. He was one of the slowest runners there, after all.<br /><br />During the chase across the sandy beaches of the island, Marine suddenly tripped and fell over. &quot;Ooof!&quot; Cosmo stopped to check on her. &quot;Let me help you up...&quot; she offered. &quot;She&#039;ll be apples...&quot; Marine murmured, kneeling up and glancing at what had caused her to trip. She noticed a yellow sparkle in the sand. &quot;Strewth!!&quot; she exclaimed, reaching into the sand and pulling out the sixth Sol Emerald! &quot;Oh! What luck!&quot; Cosmo smiled. However, the others had disappeared from their sight now. &quot;...Oh dear, where do we go?&quot; the Seedrian wondered. Marine leapt to her feet. &quot;You just follow Captain Marine! I&#039;ll lead ya right!&quot; she announced with confidence!<br /><br />The others had followed Nega into Marine&#039;s house, where the portal device could be found. Conveniently, the red Sol Emerald was also sitting right in front of the portal. Nega ignored it, though. &quot;Blaze would have picked it up already. Obviously a trap!&quot; he said, racing for the portal device. &quot;Stoooop!!&quot; Blaze cried, only to see Eggman Nega pass through the portal and escape! &quot;Don&#039;t worry! Just grab that Sol Emerald!&quot; Gemini panted as she and the others were catching up to Blaze. She looked at it, and stepped towards it, when something dripped down from the ceiling next to it. &quot;What...?&quot; Blaze murmured, glancing upward. The others looked up as well, gasping. Losipher the Lost was clinging to the roof, slimy drool dripping from his fearsome fangs as tentacles from his body pierced the ceiling to hold him up! He quickly dropped down, standing over the Sol Emerald as his body shifted back to his usual vampire form based on the combo of the ancient human Gunther and Bucky&#039;s old colleague, Nevin Crimm. He then reached down, picked up the emerald, unhinged his jaw, and swallowed it! &quot;What the!? H-how can you...?!&quot; Blaze gasped. Losipher let out a sinister chuckle. &quot;I am formed of too many souls to let something as trivial as the energy from ONE emerald bother me. And yet, there is still one among you with a strange power... Immune to my soul-stealing charms!&quot; he said in a raspy voice. This didn&#039;t make sense to anyone there. No one was aware of any immunity to the Lost Ones. Gemini, Timothy and Fred stepped forward, though, pointing their wands at Losipher. &quot;You should have stayed in your own dimension! Now we&#039;ll finally destroy you, Losipher!&quot; Gemini smirked. Copter and Chopper ran up behind them, ready to back them up. Losipher, however, only smirked. &quot;This timeline, this version of you... only ever had a taste of my power. Now...experience the pain and sorrow of a thousand souls sent screaming into the abyss! As your souls join them!!&quot; <br /><br />An explosion suddenly came through the exit portal, and the device powered down. Nega had gone through with destroying the portal device from the other side! &quot;We&#039;re trapped!!&quot; Chopper gasped. Making matters worse, a new portal emerged behind them, Lospecter poking his head out of it. &quot;Ah, good. We got them cornered. Remember, big guy, don&#039;t kill the fennec... Though, a lost limb or two might not be too problematic. Here, we&#039;ll keep the other kids occupied!&quot; he snickered, snapping his fingers before a small army of lospirits, lospides and loskulls started to swarm out of his portal! Silver turned in the direction of the swarm and immediately started trying to grab some of them with his powers. &quot;Nobody panic! We can fight our way out of this!&quot; he shouted. Gemini nodded, and quickly fired a spell at Losipher. &quot;Solare!!&quot; Fred and Timothy joined her, the three of them combined firing a massive beam of light at the powerful Lost One! However, the red Sol Emerald glowed within his chest, and a small force field surrounded him, blocking the attack! &quot;Your Divine light has grown dim... Even with forces combined, you are powerless against me!!&quot; Losipher bellowed, as great black wings burst from his back, and he pulled twin blades from inside his slimy body, each of them burning with blue fire! Copter saw this and pulled his son by the arm, moving to face the swarm with Silver instead. &quot;What&#039;s up?&quot; Chopper asked him. &quot;You&#039;re not ready for that kind of fight. Tell me, can you even use Chaos Whirlwind?&quot; Copter asked. His son shrugged, and Copter rubbed his head, groaning softly. &quot;Stay behind me, then!&quot; he groaned. Silver was unfortunately unable to grab the lospirits, and the lospides were a bit resistant to his powers as well, so he had to focus on tossing the floating loskulls into them. Cuthburt had joined the battle with a laser gun, and Blaze was in the center, glancing back and forth between the swarm and Losipher. She placed the Chaos Crown on her head. &quot;The small ones can keep spawning indefinitely... I need to defeat the big one!&quot; she declared, her body glowing with energy from the crown as she faced Losipher!<br /><br />Losipher flew at the three mages, his blades crashing against a magical barrier they had swiftly erected. &quot;Cowards... I will wrest your souls from your flesh!&quot; he hissed, tentacles erupting from his sides and smacking fiercely at the barriers, cracking them! Timothy shuddered, looking at his friends with fear. &quot;What do we do?&quot; he asked. The barriers shattered from Losipher&#039;s attacks, and he raised his blades to strike! However, vines suddenly burst from the ground, wrapping around his tentacles and pulling him back! &quot;What!? ...Gah, the crown!!&quot; Losipher sneered, glaring at Blaze as she stepped towards him, glowing with the crown&#039;s power. &quot;You can&#039;t kill me as long as I have this... But I can burn through every one of your tainted souls!&quot; she declared, charging at him with her body on fire! As she leapt at him with a spinning kick, he blocked her by crossing his blades together! &quot;I can still corrupt YOUR soul!!&quot; Losipher cackled, his blue flame mingling with Blaze&#039;s red! &quot;N-noo!! Blaze!!&quot; Gemini cried, horrified that she may become a loskel! However, as the blades repelled her, she bounced back onto her feet, the fire surrounding her body burning bright red still! &quot;My soul burns too brightly already for you to burn it!&quot; she declared. So, instead, Losipher used his blades to slice right through his bound tentacles, howling in pain for a moment before growing fresh new ones! Blaze stood in shock at what she was seeing, and didn&#039;t react fast enough to prevent those tentacles from whipping toward her and knocking off her Chaos Crown! Now, she was vulnerable, and worse, those tentacles quickly wrapped around her, squeezing her in their grip! &quot;If I swallow you like the emerald, no amount of fire will save you!&quot; Losipher roared. &quot;Slibeam!!&quot; Gemini leapt at Losipher, creating a magical blade to slice at his tentacle herself, freeing Blaze! However, this just served to enrage Losipher. &quot;Souls, to me! Give me power!&quot; he howled, his jaw opening wide! Lospirits and loskulls freely threw themselves into his maw, and Losipher grew to a massive size, his tentacles growing out to fill the room! Copter was busy blowing away some lospides with Chaos Whirlwind when he heard Chopper scream, grabbed by a tentacle! &quot;Shoot! I&#039;m coming, kid!&quot; he shouted. The tentacles mostly were whipping towards Gemini, though, attempting to grab her!<br /><br />Everyone raced to Gemini&#039;s aid, Timothy and Fred flinging spells, Silver trying to push the tentacles back with his powers, while Blaze scrambled to get the Chaos Crown back to regain her advantage. Gemini herself was shooting spells at the tentacles above her, but not doing much good. Losipher&#039;s fang-filled scowl loomed down on them, his furious roars filling them with dread. &quot;I will take all your souls!!&quot; he howled, pointed tendrils bursting from his chest towards Gemini! Everyone else was occupied, but Cuthburt saw this, and he ran to push her aside! &quot;Get down, Gem!!&quot; he cried, letting out a shriek as the sharp tendrils pierced his body! &quot;C-cuthburt, no!!&quot; Gemini shouted, looking in horror to see slime starting to spread from his wounds! &quot;Ha ha ha... Fate catches up to him... Change time all you wish, but fate wins in the end!&quot; Losipher sneered. &quot;W-what?&quot; Gemini gasped, her eyes tearing up as Cuthburt was turning into a Lost One before her eyes. The voices of Marine and Cosmo snapped her out of it. &quot;Crikey!! Hang in there, guys!!&quot; the raccoon shouted. Cosmo began to shoot off her laser from across the room, though it wasn&#039;t doing much good. Fred grabbed Gemini by the arm, pointing his wand in Losipher&#039;s face. &quot;Solare!!&quot; he shouted, blinding him for the moment! &quot;Galaporta!!&quot; he and Timothy shouted at once, warping the group near Marine and Cosmo as fast as they could, though leaving Cuthburt behind. &quot;You can&#039;t escape! We&#039;ll find you anywhere!!&quot; Losipher roared. Fred twirled his wand and pointed it away from the Lost Ones. &quot;Poriftica!!&quot; he cast, creating his own portal through which they could escape this dimension. Blaze looked around with distress as Lost Ones swarmed Marine&#039;s house. &quot;Come on, it&#039;s no use staying here...&quot; Silver told her. Copter held his son in his arms as he jumped through the portal first, followed one by one by the others. As the portal closed behind them, Lospecter hovered to where the Chaos Crown still laid on the ground. &quot;Well, this hasn&#039;t been a total loss...&quot; he muttered, glancing at Los Cuthburt. The slimy alligator leaned down and picked up the crown, while Losipher shrank back into his default form. &quot;Death follows me always... Or, was that my thousandth soul? Hmm, such pain in that soul...&quot; he murmured. &quot;Yeah, yeah...&quot; Lospecter grumbled, &quot;Let&#039;s keep the scheme movin. Apocalos will start getting impatient at this rate...&quot;<br /><br />Blaze, Silver, Marine, Cosmo, Copter, Chopper, Gemini, Timothy and Fred all emerged on Angel Island, not too far from the Master Emerald shrine. It had seemed like probably the safest place for Fred to send them. There was a collective feeling of defeat amongst the group. Blaze&#039;s world was dead. Cuthburt was gone. The Chaos Crown was lost, and they&#039;d only escaped with three of the Sol Emeralds. After resting for a moment, Blaze stood up and dusted off her jacket. &quot;Right, I&#039;m off to find Eggman Nega. He&#039;s got two of the Sol Emeralds... This is all I have left, so anyone who wants to come with me, that&#039;s fine...&quot; she said, heading for the tunnel that would lead away from the Master Emerald shrine. Silver and Marine watched her. &quot;All you have left? We don&#039;t count?&quot; Marine said sadly. Silver patted her on the head. &quot;C&#039;mon, let&#039;s remind her that we&#039;re still in this with her.&quot; he suggested. Timothy was busy tending to Chopper&#039;s injuries, leaving Copter and Gemini to sit together, while Cosmo headed for what she hoped was the safety of the Master Emerald shrine. &quot;I may come back...&quot; the Seedrian had said, &quot;I need to rest my mind...&quot; she told them. Copter and Gemini leaned against one another as they rested. &quot;So... he was your friend?&quot; he murmured. &quot;Kinda. He lived close by. Always was friendly...&quot; Gemini sighed, thinking about Cuthburt. She glanced at Fred grouchily, knowing they&#039;d have to talk eventually. Her expression softened when she felt her hand clutched by Copter&#039;s. He was dozing off next to her. Gemini nuzzled him gently. &quot;I can&#039;t be Chopper&#039;s mom, I don&#039;t belong in this time...&quot; she murmured to herself, &quot;...right?&quot; Fred sat beside Timothy and Chopper, sighing. &quot;I&#039;ll need to tell Adam and Evelyn about Cuthburt...&quot; he said. &quot;You also need to talk to Gemini.&quot; Timothy told him, &quot;You were like a father to her, it&#039;s not right seeing you two avoiding each other.&quot; he murmured. Fred looked out at Gemini with a sad expression. &quot;...It&#039;s best I maintain my distance. She&#039;s suffered enough on my account. Perhaps she&#039;s...better off without a father.&quot; he said, standing up. Chopper jumped. &quot;Wait, are you her dad?!&quot; he stammered. &quot;Stay still!&quot; Timothy grunted, &quot;Of course he&#039;s not! He&#039;s a lion!&quot; he told him. &quot;So? Melody&#039;s dad is a fox but she&#039;s a rabbit...&quot; Chopper argued. Fred ignored them and started heading off on his way. &quot;Hey, who&#039;s your mom, huh?&quot; Timothy asked Chopper. &quot;Don&#039;t change the subject! And lemme go, I feel fine!&quot; Chopper grumbled. &quot;Yeah? Then do me a favor... Look out for Gemini, will ya? I&#039;ve gotta...go...&quot; Timothy said, hurrying after Fred. He couldn&#039;t let the lion go alone.<br /><br />&quot;Blaze, wait!&quot; Silver and Marine caught up with her in the icy tunnel. She glanced back at them. &quot;Ya can&#039;t abandon ship without your captain!&quot; Marine huffed. Blaze looked at her and let out a light sigh. &quot;If things get dangerous, you get to safety! I... I can&#039;t lose you!&quot; she said sternly, &quot;...either of you...&quot; she turned away with a blush as she said that. Silver nodded. &quot;We can&#039;t lose you either.&quot; he smiled. Sonic&#039;s voice suddenly shouted in Blaze and Silver&#039;s ears as the comms devices came back online. &quot;Hello?! You alive!?&quot; he cried. Blaze held her head due to how loud he was. &quot;Y-yes, Sonic, barely... Let us tell you what happened...&quot; she said. This mission might have gone horribly wrong, but Blaze felt slightly better knowing that she didn&#039;t have to face this darkness alone. Her friends were still with her...<br /><br /><br />Darkosmo and Dark Spiny waited in a dark chamber. Across from them floated Mephiles the Dark. They watched him uncomfortably. &quot;I remember this guy... He controls time.&quot; Dark Spiny murmured. &quot;Tough guy, is he? Heh...&quot; Darkosmo scoffed, scowling. Mephiles held up the glowing soul of Firma, looking it over thoughtfully. &quot;You have nothing to fear from me. We&#039;re all Darks here, after all...&quot; he said calmly. &quot;Right. And where are all the other darks, anyway?&quot; Dark Spiny asked. &quot;They have their own tasks to fulfill...&quot; came a fourth voice. Glowing eyes gazed at the darks through the shadows, and out of those shadows stepped Apocalos. &quot;All of you are quite powerful, and will prove useful to my plans... Yet, you are insufficient.&quot; he stated, drawing their attention. &quot;Two of us nearly destroyed the world before already!&quot; Darkosmo scoffed. &quot;Yet failed. Time and again, Sonic manages to turn back destruction. He has the aid of countless allies...so we need such aid as well. We need our own allies... and we need them under our control. Fortunately... I know where the means to gain control over some of those allies can be found... So...&quot; Apocalos grinned widely, baring his pointy dinosaur fangs, &quot;While you collect a certain conch for me...be sure to destroy a certain scepter...&quot;<br /><br /><br />Chapter 8 - Infiltrating the City<br />Stage 5 - City Escape Act III<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;Follow me, set me free, <br />Trust me and we will escape from the city. <br />I&#039;ll make it through. <br />Follow me, set me free, <br />Trust me and we will escape from the city. <br />I&#039;ll make it through, prove it to you. <br />Follow me!&quot; - Escape From the City; Sonic Adventure 2<br /><br /><br />It wasn&#039;t an easy trip by any means, but Spy, aka Riley, had managed to reach his house in Central City while dragging the wounded Guard along with him. Now, he had Guard resting on his couch and a news report on the TV going on about an invasion like it was the end of the world. &quot;We&#039;ve lost touch with our Station Square correspondent, Katie the Coyote. By all accounts, Sonic the hedgehog and GUN are missing. The people of our world pray for their safety. This is Scarlett Garcia, cowering in a bunker!&quot; the report concluded before going to commercial. Riley let out a miserable sigh before poking Guard with his remote. &quot;Wake up, dude... I wanna get outta town and I can&#039;t carry you everywhere...&quot; he murmured. Guard let out a loud grunt, and Riley jumped in surprise. &quot;Rrrr&hellip; Why are you...helping me?&quot; he sighed. Riley adjusted his sunglasses and smiled. &quot;You&#039;re not the only one who can rise above his programming.&quot; he said. Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. Startled and panicked, Riley ran around, grabbing a blanket to cover up Guard before racing to the door. &quot;This better not be the monsters! Uh, who is it?&quot; he asked nervously. A laser blast knocked out his doorknob, and the door swung open to reveal Richard Gunner and Ivan Nammad! &quot;I don&#039;t have time to wait around for you, Spy!&quot; Gunner snarled, marching right into the room. &quot;Where&#039;s the, uh, bathroom??&quot; Nammad asked anxiously. Riley glanced outside, seeing Techno Sonic collapsed on the side of the road. &quot;W-wait a minute! You can&#039;t just barge into my house!&quot; Riley shouted, rushing in front of Gunner in an attempt to block him. He responded by pointing his gun arm at him. &quot;I need to regroup somewhere. Seems my followers have all been eaten by rabid monsters. And before you put this on me, how was I to know they had an army waiting in another dimension!?&quot; he shouted, going to sit on the couch, but stopping to remove the blanket. Riley covered his eyes and groaned pathetically. &quot;Well, well. We were wondering where you got to, Guard. Nammad, fix his brain!&quot; Gunner shouted. &quot;Grraahh, n-noo!!&quot; Guard protested. Nammad did a little panicked dance, looking around for the bathroom. &quot;These facilities are not, uh, ideal... I don&#039;t think you appreciate how, uh, difficult brain reprogramming is!&quot; he babbled. Gunner fired his laser into the ceiling. &quot;Do what I say!&quot; he shouted. Riley gulped. This was the last thing he wanted. Now he was stuck with Gunner again...<br /><br /><br />Sonic found Knuckles and Violet near one of the entrances to Raisol Sanctuary in Station Square. Violet had wanted to check on her sister, but Illusi had already moved Rainbow to a safer place, so she wasn&#039;t there. &quot;We&#039;ve been looking all over for the others...&quot; Knuckles reported, &quot;There&#039;s no sign of Shade, thanks a lot Kosmo, no sign of Amy or Cream...&quot; he grumbled, punching his fist into a wall in frustration. Sonic sighed. &quot;No sign of that kid who said he was my son...&quot; he murmured, scratching his head. Violet placed a hand on each of their shoulders, looking at them with dead seriousness. &quot;We can&#039;t find them standing around like this. So, what do we do now?&quot; she asked. Sonic looked around the more or less deserted city with a sigh. &quot;Blaze is off to gather the Sol Emeralds. The rest of us should keep an eye out for the Chaos Emeralds, and the missing Chaos Relics.&quot; he stated. Knuckles nodded. &quot;Right, right... That pesky ghost has the Chaos Key! And Conan&#039;s got a few of the relics, too! Where do you think he is?&quot; he wondered. There was a bit of static on their comms devices for a moment, and then of all voices, they heard Bucky the rat. &quot;Sonic? You there?&quot; he asked. Knuckles groaned. &quot;Who gave you a communicator!? I don&#039;t want you in my ear!&quot; he complained. &quot;...I&#039;m here!&quot; Sonic reported, tapping the device in his ear and turning away from Knuckles, &quot;Where&#039;s Tails?&quot; he questioned. &quot;I&#039;m borrowing his comm device really quick.&quot; Bucky explained, &quot;I want to suggest that you head over to Central City. Sonic, Station Square is lost. Other cities need to be alerted. Evacuated. Before the Lost Ones spread too far to contain.&quot; he warned. Knuckles nodded. &quot;Good point. I&#039;ll go with ya. TAXI!!&quot; he shouted, &quot;What? I&#039;m not taking the train in this mess.&quot; he murmured as Sonic and Violet stared at him. To their surprise, a taxi actually pulled up, and Mia the cat poked her furry blue head out. &quot;You&#039;re lucky you caught me, I was about to bail! Where to?&quot; she asked. &quot;Uhh&hellip; Central City...&quot; Violet babbled, &quot;You&#039;re alone?&quot; she questioned. &quot;Well, one hopes that Katie is safe with her boyfriend. Razor&#039;s probably with Tommy. No one&#039;s seen Guard... I don&#039;t really have anyone else.&quot; the cat shrugged. Knuckles hopped into the cab while Sonic started to speed off on his own. &quot;Meet ya there!&quot; he shouted. &quot;If I had the Chaos Boots...&quot; Knuckles growled.<br /><br /><br />They were, it would seem, a little too late. Lost Ones were already swarming Central City, and the police force was being pushed back in their attempts to repel them. The chubby Chief Paynson could be seen taking cover behind his squad car. Apparently the Troblusk PD had been called in to assist. The officer poked his head up, fired a couple times at an approaching losohst, and backed away a step. &quot;Oh, no! Our weapons are useless!&quot; he cried out. However, Ridley the coati leapt onto his squad car, tossing aside his gun and instead gesturing to the ghostly creature. &quot;Chaos Splash!&quot; he cried, tossing a Chaos-infused ball of water at the losohst, knocking it back a bit! Seeing the police in trouble, Sonic sped onto the scene. Homing attacks wouldn&#039;t do much against non-corporeal Lost Ones, so he pulled an old move out of his bag of tricks. &quot;Sonic wind!!&quot; He sped about, leaving whirlwinds in his wake that stunned the creatures long enough for Knuckles to leap in and slash them with the Chaos Claws, thrashing them into inert puddles of slime! &quot;Hah! That&#039;s what I call teamwork!&quot; Knuckles cheered. &quot;On your right!&quot; Violet shouted, blasting an incoming losohst with a dark energy ball quickly to stop it before it could grab the red echidna. Paynson watched in bewilderment, lifting his hat to wipe the sweat from his brow. &quot;To think, I was bigoted against Mobians once...&quot; he muttered under his breath. &quot;What&#039;s that, chief?&quot; Sonic asked, resting on the hood of his car with his hands held behind his head, looking oddly relaxed. &quot;S-sonic! It&#039;s such a relief to see you! The media has been assuming you were dead!&quot; Paynson huffed. &quot;They have a habit of that lately.&quot; Sonic sighed, thinking back to his six-month confinement not too long ago. Mia stepped out of her cab and waved to Ridley. &quot;Hey, you seen Razor around?&quot; she asked. The orange raccoon-like mobian shrugged. &quot;He didn&#039;t make it here. I hope they didn&#039;t get him in Station Square...&quot; he murmured. Knuckles looked around curiously. There weren&#039;t any other people in sight. &quot;Officers, are you...all that&#039;s left?&quot; he asked nervously. Paynson shook his head. &quot;There&#039;s a transport. GUN is preparing to evacuate all civilians who reach it. Sonic, I&#039;m certain having you as an escort would increase their chance of survival considerably.&quot; he stated. Violet crossed her arms. &quot;Not just scared to go yourself, are you?&quot; she murmured. Paynson&#039;s droopy mustache drooped further as he frowned. &quot;You saw us here. We&#039;re helpless. The best we can do is search for stragglers and try to get them to safety, too.&quot; he said. Sonic sat up. &quot;Alright, where&#039;s this transport?&quot; he asked. Ridley stepped over to a police bike parked nearby. &quot;I&#039;ll take you to it.&quot; he volunteered. With that settled, Mia headed back for her cab, while Knuckles and Violet stayed on foot. &quot;We got Chaos Emeralds to find, too. Let&#039;s not rush too fast...&quot; Knuckles murmured.<br /><br />The police split up with Sonic, Knuckles, Violet, Mia and Ridley. Knowing they couldn&#039;t beat the Lost Ones, the officers would attempt to out-drive them, stopping only to let endangered citizens into their cars. This was all they could do. Hopefully most of the survivors had reached the GUN transport. This thought was foremost in Sonic&#039;s mind as he moved alongside Ridley&#039;s cycle, keeping his speed low enough that the coati and his friends could keep up. Knuckles seemed a bit distracted as they walked. &quot;Hey...&quot; Violet said, snapping her fingers, &quot;You with us?&quot; she asked. &quot;I&#039;m using my senses to feel for Chaos Emeralds... I spend so much time around the Master Emerald, it&#039;s actually mildly unsettling if I can&#039;t feel emerald energy.&quot; he stated, &quot;Unfortunately, that&#039;s how it is. Those Chaos Emeralds could be anywhere; Maybe we need a backup plan.&quot; he added. The echidnas stopped short as they passed by the house Shade had settled in within the city. Knuckles felt a lump in his throat. They had no idea where Shade was, if she was alright, or anything. She had the Chaos Gauntlets so she should be fine, but Knuckles still couldn&#039;t help worrying. &quot;Excuse me a minute, guys. Shade had a bunch of sensitive stuff in her house...&quot; he said, stepping inside to take a look. The place looked to have been ransacked. All Knuckles found inside of the objects Shade had been looking after was a broken Scepter of Darkness. He took it out with him. &quot;Anyone recognize this thing?&quot; he asked curiously. Sonic was tapping his foot impatiently as he stood beside Ridley&#039;s parked motorcycle. They both shrugged. &quot;Looks like a broken wand. Pretty fancy compared to Gemini&#039;s.&quot; Sonic murmured. &quot;Shade also had some kinda conch in there...&quot; Ridley noted, &quot;I did the police report when that mask was stolen from here.&quot; he added. Sonic frowned at the mention of a conch. &quot;Where&#039;d she get this stuff?&quot; he asked nervously. &quot;...Eggman.&quot; Knuckles said, clutching the scepter tightly.<br /><br />As Knuckles loaded the scepter into Mia&#039;s trunk, some terrified screams somewhere in the city caught their attention. Sonic was quick to race into action. &quot;Meet ya at the action, guys!&quot; he shouted, rushing ahead down the long roads, eventually speeding through a loop and finding himself running down a wall. He swore he&#039;d done this twice before. Why was it constructed this way? It only made sense for him to use. Leaping off the wall near the ground, he dashed toward the source of the screams and found a number of civilians cornered by...GUN robots? Hunters and beetles were closing in on humans and Mobians alike, so Sonic worked fast, launching into several homing attacks to give those tin cans a good rattling. But he only succeeded in denting the beetles and knocking the limbs loose on the hunters...as well as catching their attention! &quot;Sturdy fellas, aren&#039;t ya?&quot; Sonic murmured, dashing to draw their attention further away from the civilians, sticking his tongue out at them. A ghostly shape popped out of the head of one of the Hunters before slipping back inside the robot, and Sonic realized what was going on. &quot;Undead robots. I feel like callin&#039; ya Zombots&hellip; Naaah.&quot; he murmured as Knuckles and Violet were catching up. The echidna went into a glide and tore claws-first into a beetle, coming out the other side covered in - thankfully inert due to the Chaos Claws - slime. He latched on to the nearby wall and froze, groaning. &quot;Tell me you didn&#039;t know I&#039;d be slimed, Sonic...&quot; he grunted. &quot;Can&#039;t talk, saving people!&quot; Sonic shouted as he was busy taking citizens into his arms and rushing them back to Mia&#039;s cab one by one, all while Violet warped around the robots, zapping them with sparks of dark energy! Not to be left out, Knuckles shook off the slime as best he could and dropped to the ground, charging at an abandoned car nearby with his Chaos Claws! He stabbed into the door, yanking it loose and jolting it with the claws&#039; energy. &quot;Here&#039;s the last thing I learned in training! Enjoy this!&quot; he shouted, winding up his arms and hurtling the energized car door at the nearest Hunter! There was something of a mini Chaos Blast on impact, and slime rained down from the explosion, landing on Violet as she warped nearby. &quot;Thanks, Knuckles. I&#039;m gonna tell sis you slimed me.&quot; she growled. &quot;So? ...I&#039;m not Punchy!!&quot; Knuckles shouted, feeling like Violet was forgetting that detail. Meanwhile, Sonic had guided the last citizen to Ridley&#039;s cycle, since Mia&#039;s cab was full. &quot;Just hold on, ma&#039;am.&quot; Ridley sighed. &quot;Least you won&#039;t get billed for the ride!&quot; Sonic smirked. &quot;I wouldn&#039;t take advantage!&quot; Mia shouted, looking a bit flustered.<br /><br />With GUN robots possessed by Lost Ones, they worried about the GUN transports. So, they hurried there, following Ridley to the President&#039;s office where there were a number of GUN trucks parked. Seeing them, Sonic flashed back to the times when such trucks chased him through the streets and chuckled to himself softly. &quot;This takes me back...&quot; he murmured. The President himself was talking to the GUN Commander at the front of the convoy, but he was struck speechless when he saw Sonic leading a police cycle and a full taxicab to them. &quot;Sonic... He made it.&quot; he sighed in relief. The hedgehog skidded to a halt in front of the humans. &quot;Hey, Commander, why the radio silence?&quot; he asked. The GUN Commander watched Knuckles and Violet run to catch up before speaking. &quot;Well... We couldn&#039;t get a signal through to your comms devices. Remember, you&#039;re on a different frequency from us. Also, we&#039;ve been distracted here. With Gunner out of the way, we easily seized control of GUN Headquarters back. However, then those creatures attacked. I haven&#039;t felt this pinned down since the Black Arms invaded.&quot; he said with a distressed expression. Mia walked over holding the Scepter of Darkness while people emptied out of her cab. &quot;Anybody at GUN know what this is?&quot; she questioned. &quot;My word! Is that a Scepter of Darkness from Soleanna??&quot; a familiar elderly elderly voice caught their attention, and they turned to see Professor Pickle hobbling over. &quot;Huh...? What are you doing here?&quot; Sonic asked, surprised. The professor took the Scepter and examined it. &quot;Hmm... Broken. Ah, yes, Sonic. Well met! I&#039;ve been sticking around after the defeat of the Covenant of Despair, looking into the history of the Chaos Relics. Quite fascinating. You know, actually, I have a theory that the Chaos Relics have something to do with Light Gaia, oddly enough. Perhaps when you have time, we can discuss my theory over a bit of...err...rations. No cucumbers available, I&#039;m afraid, though.&quot; he sighed. Knuckles rubbed his head in annoyance. &quot;Yeah, better we focus on getting everyone out of town, first.&quot; he grumbled. &quot;Ah, right. I do think my information could prove helpful, though...&quot; Pickle stated, shuffling toward the back of the transport, planning to board it. &quot;That old guy never changes...&quot; Sonic said with a chuckle.<br /><br />Before they could get going, who should find them but Gunner. He stood before them, with Nammad and Riley trailing behind, and glared at Sonic and the Commander. &quot;Look at you! Running like cowards! I warned you for years, old man! The freaks will be our ruin! Well, what do you call those monsters!?&quot; Gunner shouted. &quot;Old man...?&quot; Violet murmured, &quot;Isn&#039;t he older?&quot; she questioned. He wasn&#039;t. He just looked it. The Commander glanced at the President. &quot;Get in the truck.&quot; he stated, placing a hand on his holster in preparation to deal with Gunner. Sonic looked between the humans and raised his hands up between them. &quot;Hey, hey, look! This isn&#039;t the time to be fighting each other! We can hash this out when the Lost Ones have been dealt with!&quot; he shouted, hoping to defuse the situation and get this escape convoy moving. Gunner snapped his fingers, and Guard swooped down from the sky, his scythe swinging toward the Commander! Reacting fast, Knuckles blocked the blade with the Chaos Claws, pushing back against him with a growl. &quot;You&#039;re on HIS side?!&quot; he shouted. Guard only growled, a vacant expression on his face. Dr. Nammad smirked. &quot;Quite a good bit of, uh, work, I must say. Considering I had little more than paper clips to reprogram him with!&quot; he said, adjusting his tiny glasses. Sonic placed a hand on his forehead and let out a groan. &quot;We&#039;re sitting ducks here, we gotta move!&quot; he murmured. &quot;How do we stop Guard? He&#039;s not in his right mind!&quot; Ridley questioned, stepping next to Knuckles as Guard backed away from him, growling and pointing his scythe threateningly. &quot;Just clear a path for us, and we&#039;ll get moving!&quot; the Commander said, running for the driver&#039;s seat of the front truck. Gunner fired the laser from his gun arm into the air. &quot;You think it&#039;s just Guard? You think I&#039;m toothless?! Spy! Go get them!&quot; he ordered. Riley gulped. &quot;But I...&quot; Gunner pointed his gun at Riley, and the timid agent stepped forward. &quot;Sorry...&quot; he whimpered, and ran after the only one he could hope to fight in the bunch; Mia.<br /><br />Guard flapped up into the air, swinging his special scythe to hurl beams of red energy down at Sonic, Knuckles and Ridley! &quot;Chaos Wave!&quot; Ridley shouted, summoning a thin wave of water up to block the beams somewhat. Knuckles cut down the water wall with his Chaos Claws and stomped forward. &quot;You think you can hide from me up there? Hah!&quot; the echidna laughed, digging the Chaos Claws into thin air and using their power to climb up after the gargoyle! Sonic sped around behind Guard to cut off his escape. &quot;Remember, Knux, we gotta restrain him! He&#039;s been brainwashed!&quot; he shouted. &quot;I don&#039;t hold back for anyone!!&quot; Knuckles retorted. Guard was flying at the echidna now, and as the gargoyle neared, Knuckles swung his body, kicking against the long handle of that scythe as Guard blocked him! Suddenly, Violet warped onto his back! &quot;This&#039;ll be for your own good, devil dog...&quot; she murmured. However, before she could do anything, a shot from Gunner&#039;s arm cannon knocked her off the gargoyle! &quot;Aw, no!&quot; Sonic gasped, dashing to catch her as she fell! She groaned as Sonic skidded to a stop with her in his arms. &quot;Just a glancing blow... Ugh... But I think I&#039;m out of it. Damn Gunner...&quot; she winced. Sonic turned his head as he heard a furious growl from Guard, and he saw Knuckles dropping down to his feet from above. &quot;I never knew that Frank-an-droid was so tough.&quot; he grumbled. Fortunately, Ridley was now keeping Gunner and Nammad occupied so that they wouldn&#039;t interfere anymore. It was just Sonic, Knuckles and Guard. Sonic left Violet to rest and leapt up at the gargoyle. &quot;I&#039;ll hit &#039;em high, you hit him low!&quot; he shouted, launching a homing attack at the airborne gargoyle! Guard turned quickly and swatted Sonic with the side of his scythe, but Sonic quickly landed, dashed around and leapt up again! &quot;Grrraaaahh!!&quot; Frustrated, Guard tossed his scythe up and let his body spark with the same red energy that typically channeled through said scythe! This way, Sonic was repelled even as he was knocked out of the air! Sonic landed on his back as Guard stumbled onto a knee, his scythe blade clanging onto the street between them. He and Knuckles both ran for the blade as Sonic got to his feet. However, Mia suddenly jumped in front of them, blocking the way. &quot;Enough, Guard!!&quot; she shouted.<br /><br />Riley was licking his wounds by the cab. Not that his heart had really been in fighting the cat-girl anyway. Now that girl was standing between Guard and his scythe, staring him down with a stern look as he stepped toward her, sparking with red energy. &quot;You&#039;ve gotta stop, Guard... You have to still be in there! They can mess with your programming, but they can&#039;t delete your soul!&quot; she shouted. &quot;Mia, get back!&quot; Knuckles warned, trying to push Guard back only to be repelled by the red energy and knocked on his back! Guard kept marching forward, snarling in rage, but Mia stood her ground. &quot;I won&#039;t give up on you... You didn&#039;t give up on me... So...so snap out of it, ya goon!&quot; she cried, her eyes tearing a little as she shut them tight. The sight of his friend so desperate seemed to give Guard pause. &quot;Grah&hellip; N-no... I...&quot; The sparking intensified, and he started to reach for Mia, a crazed look in his eyes. &quot;I know you&#039;re a hero...Garen&hellip;&quot; Mia sniffled. Guard&#039;s eyes widened, and he grabbed his head, howling, the energy shooting out into the air suddenly! &quot;Graaaaaaaahhh!! I-I refuse!!!&quot; he roared, falling backward as the red energy faded from his body! The sound of a car engine surprised everyone as Mia&#039;s cab suddenly pulled away! Riley was driving while Gunner and Nammad piled into the back seat. &quot;This isn&#039;t over, freaks! I&#039;ll kill you all! Somehow!!&quot; Gunner shouted as the cab drove off, leaving Mia to look on in bewilderment for a moment before bending down to check on Guard. &quot;Shouldn&#039;t have left the keys in the damn thing, but at least he&#039;s gone. Now, wake up, ya lug!&quot; she said, shaking the gargoyle. Guard let out an oddly calm growl. &quot;Androids don&#039;t sleep...&quot; he said wryly. Sonic stepped over to Knuckles as the echidna stood up, giving him a smile. &quot;Well, that worked out!&quot; he said, flashing a thumbs up. At that moment, Professor Pickle hobbled over to them again. &quot;Good, that drama&#039;s over. I was thinking while I waited, and I really do want to suggest, while I have you here, that someone should check out the site where any of the Temples of Gaia once stood. Those temples held a deep connection to the Chaos Emeralds and Light Gaia, and I have a strong feeling that we may find an important clue still lingering around there.&quot; he said. Knuckles let out a sigh. &quot;I guess I&#039;ll set out to check that out. Or try to get in touch with someone else that can, after I see to Violet...&quot; he murmured, heading over to where she was resting. He lifted her into his arms. &quot;I don&#039;t think I&#039;m that bad off...&quot; she muttered. &quot;Punchy would be a pain in my tail again if I let anything happen to you.&quot; Knuckles grunted. She was Punchy&#039;s sister-in-law, after all. As Knuckles carried her off, Sonic realized he was more or less on his own to protect the GUN transports. Unless... &quot;Hey, Guard... Think you can stand? The real GUN could use you!&quot; he smiled. The gargoyle sat up. &quot;Grrr&hellip; What&#039;s the mission?&quot; he asked.<br /><br /><br />Meanwhile, Lucky the cat and Lucky Junior were arriving in Central City together. They&#039;d seen Sonic leaving Station Square, and thought it might be a good idea to follow him. But they were very much outran. Looking around the city, Lucky had quite a sad expression. He stood in front of Tails&#039; Central City workshop and sighed. &quot;This city was where I first teamed up with Whisk and Tails against Zeke. It wasn&#039;t the same Tails that we adventured with later, but still...&quot; he heaved a heavy sigh, &quot;Seeing the city ravaged by those creatures like this, it&#039;s hard.&quot; he said. Junior patted him on the back. &quot;We&#039;ll do something about this. Just gotta figure out which way to go...&quot; he said, rubbing his chin as he thought about it. Suddenly, with two bright lights, a pair of Divine felines appeared in front of them! &quot;Meee-yooow!!&quot; both of them yelped, but Junior didn&#039;t jump with as much surprise as his dad. &quot;Don&#039;t do that! Ugh, sisters!&quot; he groaned. &quot;S-sisters??&quot; Lucky babbled, blinking a couple times. Before him stood twin girls, clearly older than Junior, and resembling Whisk quite a bit. One had yellow and green fur, a purple shirt with red pants, and black wings. Her name was Minnie. The other had grey and light blue fur, white wings, a red shirt and blue pants. She was Pepper. Both of them had matching blue collars. &quot;Oh, wow, Daddy really does look just like L.J.&quot; Minnie giggled. Pepper crossed her arms and shook her head. &quot;We&#039;re not here to catch up. You forgot your ProwerPhone.&quot; she said, tossing Junior a yellow tablet made out of a certain otherworldly material. &quot;Aaah! Sorry, sis... I had to make sure Dad was alive!&quot; Junior murmured, catching the gizmo. &quot;That looks like something Miles would make...&quot; Lucky murmured. &quot;Yeah, in the future, hehe!&quot; Minnie winked. Lucky smiled. &quot;Good to know Miles is there for you kids... But, but... Whisk and I have THREE kids!?&quot; he babbled, blushing. Pepper and Minnie glanced at each other awkwardly. &quot;Uhhh, yeah, at least...&quot; Pepper muttered. &quot;Whaddaya mean AT LEAST?! C&#039;mon, tell me!&quot; Lucky babbled. &quot;You shouldn&#039;t know too much!&quot; Pepper groaned. Suddenly, the ProwerPhone began to chime. &quot;Me-yah! Someone&#039;s calling!&quot; Junior gasped. He quickly fumbled with the device and answered it. A red female echidna came onscreen. &quot;Good, they found you.&quot; she sighed. &quot;Ahh! Lara! What&#039;s up?&quot; Junior asked as Lucky peered over his shoulder. &quot;Is that Knuckles&#039; daughter?? Who&#039;s her mom?&quot; he asked. &quot;Shush!&quot; Pepper snapped. On the screen, Lara wore a serious expression. &quot;There&#039;s trouble. Listen to me very carefully...&quot;<br /><br />Sonic GeneX: Doomsday<br />Chapter 9 - Infinite&#039;s Revenge<br />Stage 5 - City Escape Act III<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;Cause I was born in this pain, <br />It only hurts if you let it, <br />So if you think you can take me, <br />Then you should go and forget it!<br />&nbsp;<br />And after all this time, you&#039;re back for more! <br />(I won&#039;t stop until they know my name!) <br />So I&#039;ll take what&#039;s mine and start this war! <br />(I&#039;m coming at you like a tidal wave!) &quot; - Infinite&#039;s Theme, Sonic Forces<br /><br /><br />Previously on GeneX&hellip;<br />Central City had been invaded and ruined by the Lost Ones as well. Fortunately, GUN had gathered civilians into GUN trucks and were preparing to evacuate them to safety.<br />Gunner had captured Guard and reprogrammed him to fight Sonic, but with Mia&#039;s help, the gargoyle regained his mind.<br />On Professor Pickle&#039;s suggestion, Knuckles and Violet set out to find the former site of a Temple of Gaia, where a clue to defeating the Lost Ones might be found.<br />Now, our tale continues...<br /><br /><br />Null Space, a world of nothingness. No place to run, no place to go. This void was the prison Infinite the jackal had been trapped in after his final defeat at the hands of Tails, Kosmo and Heather. His Phantom Ruby was shattered, there was no way for him to escape. All he could do was curse that trio, and also Sonic, who defeated Eggman and destroyed the other Phantom Ruby, too, cutting off his means of escape. He thought he would wander the darkness of Null Space forever... but then, one day, a bright portal opened before him! Lospecter floated in with a smirk, and Infinite stepped back, unsure what the ghost wanted from him. &quot;How? How are you here? Null Space is a realm created and controlled by Phantom Rubies...&quot; he said, wondering a bit if he&#039;d just lost his mind. Lospecter snickered. &quot;There are no doors beyond the Chaos Key&#039;s power to open... Now, I&#039;ve got a question for you, sparky. How&#039;d you like a little payback on a Mister, oh what was his name... Sonic the hedgehog?&quot; he asked, playfully pretending to forget the name. Infinite was clearly growling behind his mask. &quot;Sonic... Everything went wrong after that blue buffoon escaped the doctor&#039;s grasp! If I were to be released from this prison, I would dedicate my every waking moment to making him suffer as I have suffered. He would beg for death by the end!&quot; the jackal declared with barely masked rage. Lospecter recoiled from him slightly. &quot;Ooooh, I see the name Infinite refers to all the edginess! So scaaaary!&quot; he said in mock fear. &quot;Do you haunt me only to laugh at me? Is that seriously why you&#039;re here!?&quot; Infinite snarled, losing his cool. He reclaimed his composure when he saw Lospecter toss something shiny in his hand. It was...a Phantom Ruby! &quot;Did you know your Phantom Ruby came from a different dimension in the first place? So, there had to be more in the multiverse...&quot; Lospecter grinned, tossing the gem to Infinite, &quot;Don&#039;t disappoint us, doggo. I intend to make good use of you...&quot; Holding the Phantom Ruby in his clawed hand, Infinite nodded. &quot;Tell me your plan, and I will execute it... And execute those who oppose me, as well...&quot; he vowed.<br /><br /><br />Lara explained to Lucky and Junior that Tails&#039; son, Skye, was being held captive by the Lost Ones. If there was any chance of saving him, they had to try. &quot;If it wasn&#039;t for Skye&#039;s time machine, none of us would be here...&quot; Junior sighed. Pepper and Minnie glanced at one another and nodded. &quot;Right! We&#039;ll get to searching for the location where the Lost Ones are holding him!&quot; Minnie announced. &quot;Assuming he&#039;s still alive...&quot; Pepper sighed. Lucky very much wanted to go as well. He wanted to be useful. &quot;How can I help?&quot; he asked. Lara, still listening on the ProwerPhone, had her arms crossed as she shook her head. &quot;We can&#039;t risk you, Lucky Senior. You die, Junior, Pepper and Minnie all die. Plus, you told me you can&#039;t summon your weapon.&quot; she pointed out. Minnie placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. &quot;We&#039;ll be fine! We&#039;ll watch each other&#039;s backs and teleport to safety if there&#039;d danger!&quot; she said. &quot;On that note, let&#039;s get going...&quot; Pepper said seriously, &quot;No time to lose if Skye is alive...&quot; she pointed out. The both of them warped away, leaving Lucky and Junior alone with Lara on the phone. &quot;So... What should we do, boss lady?&quot; Junior asked. Lara sighed. &quot;Get yourselves to the meeting place. You remember where that is, right? On Angel Island?&quot; she said with a hint of annoyance. Lucky shook his head. &quot;I won&#039;t be sidelined! Least not while I don&#039;t know where Whisk is! Sorry, but we&#039;ll just have to talk later!&quot; he said, looking for the way to hang up the ProwerPhone. Lara tried to protest in the meantime. &quot;Whisk will be fine! You&#039;re the one in danger! Luckys, both of you, hold on!&quot; Ignoring her, Junior took the phone and turned it off. &quot;You&#039;re right, dad. We can&#039;t leave mom alone out there!&quot; he said. Lucky chuckled awkwardly. &quot;Don&#039;t call her mom, I&#039;m still wrapping my head around being dad...&quot; he said. As they started walking away, they discussed where to go next. How could they find Whisk... This could be tough...<br /><br /><br />The convoy of GUN trucks were making their final preparations to leave. With her cab stolen, Mia determined that she&#039;d have to ride in the back of the trucks with the other civilians. As she went to climb aboard, Zooey the fox offered a hand to help her up. &quot;Hey, there. How&#039;s it look out there?&quot; she asked. &quot;Like a ghost town...&quot; Mia sighed. Walking in to find a place to sit, she found Vanilla the rabbit seated with a certain Gizoid, Gemerl. She looked worried, and when she saw Mia, a flicker of desperation came to her eyes. &quot;Oh! You! That&#039;s a Station Square taxi uniform! My daughter, could you possibly have seen my daughter?&quot; she asked with concern. Mia sat beside her and sadly shook her head. &quot;It was chaos over there. I don&#039;t know what to tell you...&quot; she sighed. Outside the truck, Sonic was doing some stretches, preparing to speed off. Guard watched him, guessing at his intentions. &quot;Grrr&hellip; Sonic, scouting ahead might seem right, but...we&#039;d be stronger and safer together.&quot; he stated. Ridley nodded in agreement as he sat perched on his motorcycle. Sonic shook his head. &quot;You&#039;ll all be safer if I can take out the dangers on the road before you even get there.&quot; he said, and started off into a run even as Guard and Ridley tried to protest! Sonic kept his eyes on the road, not on the ruined, empty building around him. His mind couldn&#039;t avoid flashing back to the Security Tower, though. He wasn&#039;t fast enough. He couldn&#039;t be fast enough. The Lost Ones were too many. And they destroyed two cities now, and scattered his friends. Amy was still missing. &quot;How could I let this happen... I won&#039;t forgive myself if they&#039;re...if they&#039;re gone...&quot; he thought, gritting his teeth and speeding up. It was his idea to bring everyone together to defeat Gunner in one fell swoop. He put them all in danger, gathering them like that. That was the thought stinging in his mind. He had to do everything to make up for it. He had to save...everyone!<br /><br /><br />Meanwhile, Knuckles and Violet had gone another way. They were searching for an exit to the city, and they planned to hunt down the Chaos Emeralds, the Chaos Relics, and maybe check out a former Gaia Temple site. So much work for a treasure hunter. They heard some stomping as they walked, and glancing at each other with concern, they hid behind a corner to peer around and see what it was. They then heard a voice behind them. &quot;It&#039;s rude to spy! ...Well, I should talk!&quot; Knuckles spun around to find Rouge the bat hovering in the air behind him! The stomping was Omega&#039;s footsteps as he approached the corner. &quot;Do not attack, it would be wasteful for me to have to disintegrate you!&quot; the robot stated. Violet sighed and shrugged. &quot;I guess...&quot; she murmured. Rouge chuckled at the sight of Knuckles and Violet together. &quot;Are you two on a date, Knuckles? Maybe you&#039;re the clone of Punchy, going out with his wife&#039;s sister...&quot; she teased. Both echidnas blushed and growled. &quot;Now&#039;s not the time for jokes, Rouge!&quot; Knuckles snapped. The bat girl dropped to the ground and crossed her arms. &quot;Joke, right... Say, who&#039;s guarding the Master Emerald during all this, anyway?&quot; she questioned. Knuckles scoffed. &quot;I am, of course! Angel Island&#039;s down in the ocean, but I haven&#039;t let the Master Emerald out of my sight, so don&#039;t get any ideas!&quot; he grunted. Omega made some impatient motions with his large arms. &quot;This dialogue is a waste of time! Mission directive required!&quot; he stated. Violet looked at him and smiled. &quot;Ah, want something to do? Well, GUN is attempting to evacuate the civilians from the city. Maybe you two can be good Samaritans and help out?&quot; she suggested. Rouge shrugged. &quot;I guess it&#039;s technically my job. Why aren&#039;t you helping, Knuxie?&quot; she asked. Knuckles scoffed. &quot;They already have Sonic. My talents are best served elsewhere right now. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation if we wanna beat the Lost Ones, you know!&quot; he stated. Rouge smirked at him. &quot;Oooh, still all commanding. Your tenure as Resistance Commander did you wonders. Well, come on, Omega. Duty calls!&quot; she winked, turning to leave. Omega began to stomp after her. &quot;Best of luck. If you see Eggman, punch him for me.&quot; the robot stated. Violet leaned against the wall and sighed. &quot;She&#039;s so full of herself...&quot; she murmured. &quot;A date...&quot; Knuckles scoffed, glancing at Violet. The two blushed again and quickly looked away. &quot;So, ah, which way, Knuckles?&quot; Violet asked.<br /><br /><br />As Sonic was speeding through the streets, a black and brown jackal observed him through binoculars. One of his ears was bent, and he wore a uniform of the Covenant of Despair adorned with a red thirteen-pointed star. He was also wearing a Despair Seal on his wrist that contained the spirit of the covenant&#039;s former leader, Howler the wolf, somehow. This was Anubis the jackal. He lifted a walkie talkie to his muzzle. &quot;Sonic is on the way. Give him the welcome he deserves...&quot; he commanded. On the ground, the Battle Bird Armada lay in wait. They had joined forces with Despair last year, though Battle Lord Kukku really wanted to take over for himself. &quot;Finally, a chance to tangle with Sonic himself! Steady yourselves, my soldiers!&quot; the large bird ordered his comrades. The other birds were equipped with armor and weapons much like what they&#039;d once used against Tails years ago. Sonic could see them on the road ahead, and stopped his run a good distance in front of them, close enough that he could shout to them. &quot;Hey, angry birds! We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Seriously, the world&#039;s under attack by monsters! Didn&#039;t you all notice? You should be worried about other things besides settling a score with me!&quot; he shouted. Anubis landed on the ground behind Sonic. &quot;Now we have you surrounded...&quot; he snarled, raising his hands to call forth his signature black mummies from under the ground! Sonic looked around to see that he was indeed covered from all sides. &quot;But hey, those mummies are pretty slow...&quot; Sonic chuckled, and backflipped toward the birds, dashing out of the way upon landing to avoid their incoming bullets and explosives! &quot;Catch him! Catch him! What do I promise to pay you for!?&quot; Kukku shouted as he observed Sonic leaping from armored bird to armored bird, rattling them pretty good with homing attacks! Anubis snarled and started towards him. &quot;Don&#039;t laugh me off! I&#039;ll incinerate you!!&quot; he snarled, pointing his arms at Sonic and shooting jets of flames in the hedgehog&#039;s direction with his other superpower!<br /><br />Naturally, the fighting stopped Sonic&#039;s forward progress for a bit, and this allowed Guard and Ridley the time to catch up. Sonic was quite outnumbered, and enemies were closing in on him. &quot;Gee, what do you know, the guy who ran off alone could use some help, who could have predicted this...&quot; Ridley sighed. &quot;Grrr, well move it, then, officer!&quot; Guard grumbled, leaping into action. Sonic was busy evading Anubis&#039; fire and trying to knock down the approaching mummies with his homing attack, but he wasn&#039;t able to get enough speed to give his hits the right oomph. Fortunately, Ridley&#039;s cycle pulled up, and the coati smirked as he saw Anubis. &quot;Hey, hothead! You need to cool off! Chaos Splash!&quot; Before Anubis could react, a blast of water struck him, putting out his fire for the moment! He turned with a look of rage. &quot;You traitor! Now you&#039;re playing at being a police officer?? As though the humans could ever accept you!&quot; the jackal scoffed. Guard suddenly swooped down, his scythe decapitating one of the black mummies while Sonic managed to spin dash into another, knocking it over! Anubis was surrounded. &quot;Battle Lord! Where the blazes are you!?&quot; he shouted. The massive bird leapt out of seemingly nowhere and hurled his fist at Guard, knocking him backward! &quot;Well! The agent who led the team that foiled our most recent invasion! I&#039;ve been waiting for someone to use Dr. Funnibone&#039;s death ray on!&quot; Out in the distance, an old voice shouted &quot;Fukurokov!! Dag blast it!!&quot; Kukku shrugged and went to fire the comically large gun he&#039;d produced out of nowhere. However, an energy blast from Guard&#039;s scythe knocked it from his hands! Anubis picked it up next, it was shockingly light. &quot;This will do... Now, hold still, Sonic...&quot; he sneered, pointing the weapon at the hedgehog. Sonic yawned and tapped his foot. &quot;I coulda zapped me ten times by now.&quot; he teased. Anubis growled and squeezed the trigger. A massive ball of deadly energy zoomed towards...nothing? Sonic had leapt clear over the shot, and launched a homing attack right at the weapon, smashing it into pieces! The massive blast from it destroyed a car, but otherwise caused little damage. However, Sonic could see the GUN trucks approaching. &quot;Shoot, we gotta wrap this up!&quot; he realized.<br /><br />Suddenly, an unusual sound rang out through the area. A frighteningly familiar sound. In the sky, a large flickering red cube appeared, and before anyone knew what was happening, they were struck by lasers fired from all sides of the cube! Everyone but Sonic had been disabled by the energy of the lasers, the hedgehog managing to evade it. &quot;It can&#039;t be!&quot; Sonic gasped, looking up at the cube, and seeing it fade away, leaving behind in its wake the masked figure known as Infinite the jackal! He adjusted the mask on his face, leering down at the group. &quot;Ah, Anubis. Pitiful as ever I see. I&#039;m pleased to see you survived... Having you to humiliate makes life all the more worthwhile.&quot; Infinite mused. Sonic pointed up at him. &quot;You! Where have you been!? How did you get another Phantom Ruby!?&quot; he questioned. The jackal in the sky barely glanced at him. &quot;I would so delight in destroying you. However, I owe a debt to the Lost Ones... a debt that the souls on those trucks should easily satisfy...&quot; he said, and with a flick of his wrist, he used the Phantom Ruby&#039;s power to create a red ramp in front of the trucks, leading up to a suspended road that would take them wherever he wanted. However, the trucks stopped moving. &quot;You don&#039;t honestly think we&#039;ll drive ourselves to the Lost Ones!&quot; the GUN Commander grunted from his driver&#039;s seat. Infinite chuckled softly, and motioned his clawed finger as though beckoning them closer. A small red block of energy appeared over the gas pedal, forcing the GUN truck forward as the passengers yelped in the cargo hold! &quot;Wh-what&#039;s happening??&quot; Zooey gasped. &quot;I should be the one driving!&quot; Mia growled. &quot;Don&#039;t panic, I&#039;m certain Sonic will protect us...&quot; Vanilla said shakily. Outside, Sonic sped onto the red ramp, dashing ahead of the truck as Infinite led it on a twisted path through the air! &quot;Alright, I get it. The Lost Ones brought ya back, eh? Always the follower, never the leader!&quot; Sonic shouted tauntingly. &quot;That&#039;s it, Sonic... Run in front of a speeding truck! If I don&#039;t crush you, your runaway friends will! I&#039;ll show you the folly of your heroic ways!&quot; Infinite taunted back!<br /><br />The road Infinite had created was winding around buildings, climbing over bridges, all that was missing to make a roller coaster out of it was a loop, but the Lost Ones wanted those souls alive. Behind Sonic, the GUN trucks were at his heels, and in front of him was Infinite, ready to throw anything he could at the hedgehog to try and get him flattened by said trucks. Making matters worse, there were Lost Ones crashing out of nearby windows, going straight for the trucks! This was getting to be too much for one hedgehog to manage. &quot;Hang in there, guys! I&#039;ll take out that jackal fast as I can!&quot; he said uncertainly, leaping to avoid a snapped street light that Infinite&#039;s phantom cubes had yanked up and hurled at him! Fortunately, Sonic wasn&#039;t in this alone. Guard was flying up above the trucks, using energy beams from his scythe to try and knock away any losol and lospides that grabbed on to the trucks! Ridley was below the red road, keeping up with his cycle. He pointed his gun up, and energy from his Chaos power covered it. &quot;How&#039;s this for a Wispon?&quot; he murmured, firing a water-enveloped bullet that sent a lospide flying! Despite their efforts, though, there were still a bit too many Lost Ones coming at the trucks, and they managed to open the back door on the front truck as it swerved through a tight turn! Mia nearly stumbled out the back, caught just in time by Zooey! &quot;H-hold on!&quot; the fox cried, as Vanilla rushed over to help pull them up! However, lospide webs were trying to pull Mia back! &quot;Ugh!! Yuck! Get off, get off!! N-nooo!!&quot; It looked like the three of them would be pulled out, when suddenly, someone dropped from the sky and knocked the bugs away with a powerful kick! &quot;I got your backs, girls!&quot; As the trio stumbled back into the truck, they looked up to see Rouge the bat! &quot;Sorry I&#039;m late! I&#039;ll keep those slimy creeps away while you shut that door!&quot; she shouted, flying up to join Guard in battling the creatures! Omega boarded the red road using his thrusters as well, charging after the trucks from the rear! &quot;Target confirmed! Lost Ones and Infinite, prepare for annihilation!&quot; he declared. Seeing all the help Sonic was getting enraged Infinite. Where was his help when he was trapped in Null Space? He had to wait for Lost Ones!? No Eggman, no Jackal Squad. Friendship was a joke. A joke! &quot;Sonic!! Forget the meddlers! When it comes down to me and you, I will go on forever, and you will be broken, left in the dust!&quot; he declared.<br /><br />Infinite was furious. Using the Phantom Ruby, he summoned dozens of gun turrets along the walls of the nearby buildings! They started to fire indiscriminately, and in order to protect the cargo of the GUN trucks, even the Lost Ones were jumping into the line of fire to block the shots! &quot;Hey, hey! You leave those refugees out of this! It&#039;s me and you, Infinite!&quot; Sonic shouted, picking up speed to try and catch the jackal! Infinite clenched his fists, and the Phantom Ruby created giant illusions of those fists, allowing him to throw giant punches at the hedgehog! But this was just the sort of thing Sonic needed. He jumped onto the huge disembodied fist, and then leapt at Infinite as the fist drew back! Sonic&#039;s homing attack struck Infinite in the mask, driving him to grab for his face to hold it on! However, his phantom hands did the same, and swatted him backward as Sonic landed on the red road, chuckling softly. &quot;Graaa! You little gnat! How is it you grow more annoying with each battle?&quot; Infinite grunted. Sonic shrugged as he ran. &quot;Practice, I guess!&quot; he replied. Infinite decided to move the GUN trucks onto a separate track, splitting the road and sending the trucks away while he dealt with Sonic one-on-one! &quot;Now I can get serious without damaging the precious cargo! Take this!&quot; he sneered as spikes randomly jutted up from the red road, forcing Sonic to jump and bounce off a building to get another hit off Infinite! &quot;Aaargh!! But where will you land?&quot; he asked as spikes covered the entirety of the road! &quot;Uh-oh...&quot; Sonic whimpered as he was falling towards impalement! &quot;Hang in, big blue!&quot; Rouge suddenly swooped in, catching him and flying him to safety! Infinite watched them land on the street below, and snickered. The GUN trucks suddenly turned a corner and were coming at them! &quot;W-we still can&#039;t stop!!&quot; the Commander yelled. Sonic and Rouge went to move, but found a red barrier blocking them! &quot;I&#039;ve got you now!&quot; Infinite crowed. However, the red barrier suddenly flickered and vanished, while the trucks were able to brake! The trucks stopped inches from Sonic and Rouge&#039;s faces, and they placed their hands against the grill, panting in relief. Infinite growled as he shakily flew away. &quot;This Phantom Ruby hasn&#039;t been perfected the way Eggman&#039;s was... But I can still accomplish one thing...&quot; he said, appearing before Anubis as quickly as he could and grabbing the other jackal&#039;s wrist! &quot;Nice bracelet...&quot; he said, looking at the Despair Seal, &quot;I know someone who&#039;d like to have a look at that...&quot; he said, walking off while dragging Anubis behind him. &quot;You&#039;re weakened... What&#039;s stopping me from killing you?&quot; Anubis growled. Infinite glanced back, lifting his mask to glare at him with his scarred face. &quot;My ruby has energy enough to crush you. Besides, don&#039;t you want a little Jackal Squad reunion?&quot; he smirked, putting his mask back on as the pair of them walked together through the city.<br /><br />Freed from Infinite, and with allies to defend them from the Lost Ones, the GUN trucks soon reached the edge of the city. &quot;What a relief...&quot; the President sighed from the passenger seat beside the Commander. &quot;We&#039;re not out of the woods yet.&quot; the Commander pointed out. Sonic was standing outside the trucks with Guard, Ridley, Rouge and Omega. &quot;So, what do we all do now?&quot; he asked. Ridley patted the side of the truck he was standing beside. &quot;We should stick with these trucks &#039;till they get to safety. Then, I&#039;m off to find the chief and Razor.&quot; he said. Rouge nodded. &quot;Same here, except I&#039;m gonna find Shadow once this is over.&quot; she said. Guard grunted softly. &quot;Grrr&hellip; Maybe we should join the hunt for the Chaos Emeralds and Relics, too?&quot; he suggested. &quot;Affirmative. Every weapon can be put to use in this battle.&quot; Omega agreed. Sonic smiled and gave the group a thumbs-up. &quot;Good to see you all have a keen grasp on where to go. I&#039;ll get right on those Chaos Emeralds right away!&quot; he said, stretching to prepare for another run. Guard and Ridley glanced at each other. &quot;Runnin&#039; off alone again? Shouldn&#039;t someone go with you?&quot; Ridley asked. Sonic shrugged. &quot;If Infinite&#039;s batteries hadn&#039;t gone dead, we all woulda been toast and I would&#039;ve failed to protect you. It&#039;s better I go alone. If I fail alone... No one else has to pay...&quot; he said, his voice becoming unusually serious. Rouge almost reached out to touch his shoulder, but recoiled her hand. &quot;Sonic... We all share the burden.&quot; she said. Sonic nodded, and flashed her a cool smile. &quot;I know, I know! You&#039;re all a big help!&quot; he winked, and then started to dash off on his own anyway. They didn&#039;t understand. It was always him and Eggman, it had been quite the game. But then people started getting hurt. Aliens invaded. The planet blew apart. Time travel, monsters, prophecies. He&#039;d seen so much. He couldn&#039;t outrun all this forever. &quot;Hey, Tails, anyone, gimmie a report!&quot; he said, pressing a finger to his ear. Little did he realize, the Doomsayer was watching him from an alleyway. &quot;You doubt yourself... Right on cue.&quot; the hooded figure whispered, looking down at his gloved hand. He closed it into a fist. &quot;It&#039;s all coming to pass... My suffering will finally end...&quot;<br /><br />To be continued...<br /><br /><br />Bzzz...zzzzt...Welcome to a Final Mix scene....<br /><br />Lucky and Junior found themselves fleeing in panic from a pair of rabid lospides. &quot;This...stinks...I need my...key! Mee-yow!!&quot; Lucky cried while Junior panted from the effort of fleeing. &quot;RAWRRR!!&quot; A familiar roar sounded out, and fire rained down on the lospides, bothering the creatures enough to make them run away! Lucky and Junior looked around for their savior. &quot;What&#039;s with you, kitty? First ya save the universe, now spiders got ya runnin&#039; scared??&quot; It was a certain dragon who was flapping overhead. &quot;Zeke! Wh-what do you want!? And where&#039;s Zim?&quot; Lucky babbled. &quot;Also who is Zim?&quot; Junior added. Zeke folded his arms as he flapped in the air. &quot;No, WHY is Zim...your focus? He ditched me for his Zeti buddies. So, I&#039;m headed back to Despair, why not? But, uh... what&#039;s with all the monsters?&quot; he questioned, &quot;Never mind! I gotta scram! No use hangin&#039; around a dead city! And you should scram, too! You look too weak to handle little Zim right now! Hehe!&quot; Zeke taunted before starting to fly away. Lucky scratched his head, watching him go. &quot;So... Zeke just helped us. Weird. Guess he&#039;s not as bad without someone pulling his strings.&quot; he stated. While he and Junior started to walk away, Paynson peered out from his hiding place in an alley. &quot;Whew... The spiders are gone...&quot; he huffed. &quot;Where&#039;s your squad car, anyway?&quot; complained Dave, one of the civilians Paynson had found and now had in his care. &quot;Eaten by SPIDERS, what did you think?&quot; the grouchy man snapped. &quot;Alright, don&#039;t yell at me...&quot; Dave whined. Libra peered out of the alley as well. &quot;I can defend us. Come, we&#039;ll get to a place to hide out...&quot; she whispered, stepping out of the shadows. &quot;Please, miss, we should wait out the chaos here!&quot; Paynson stammered. Libra stared at him seriously. &quot;My sister&#039;s not cowering in this. I&#039;m sure of it. I&#039;m going.&quot; she insisted, heading off on her own. A number of people started to follow her, but Dave remained by Paynson. &quot;They&#039;re crazy... They&#039;ll be eaten by spiders...&quot; he whined. &quot;Shh, I hear something...&quot; Paynson grumbled as eerie eyes glared at them from the darkness. Their screams followed, and soon Paynson and Dave were running...right alongside Lucky and Junior. &quot;Mee-YOW!! Thanks a lot for leading em here!!&quot; Junior shouted. &quot;Just...keep...running!!&quot; Lucky cried.<br /><br /><br />Chapter 9 - Infinite&#039;s Revenge<br />Stage 5 - City Escape Act III<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;Cause I was born in this pain, <br />It only hurts if you let it, <br />So if you think you can take me, <br />Then you should go and forget it!<br />&nbsp;<br />And after all this time, you&#039;re back for more! <br />(I won&#039;t stop until they know my name!) <br />So I&#039;ll take what&#039;s mine and start this war! <br />(I&#039;m coming at you like a tidal wave!) &quot; - Infinite&#039;s Theme, Sonic Forces<br /><br /><br />Null Space, a world of nothingness. No place to run, no place to go. This void was the prison Infinite the jackal had been trapped in after his final defeat at the hands of Tails, Kosmo and Heather. His Phantom Ruby was shattered, there was no way for him to escape. All he could do was curse that trio, and also Sonic, who defeated Eggman and destroyed the other Phantom Ruby, too, cutting off his means of escape. He thought he would wander the darkness of Null Space forever... but then, one day, a bright portal opened before him! Lospecter floated in with a smirk, and Infinite stepped back, unsure what the ghost wanted from him. &quot;How? How are you here? Null Space is a realm created and controlled by Phantom Rubies...&quot; he said, wondering a bit if he&#039;d just lost his mind. Lospecter snickered. &quot;There are no doors beyond the Chaos Key&#039;s power to open... Now, I&#039;ve got a question for you, sparky. How&#039;d you like a little payback on a Mister, oh what was his name... Sonic the hedgehog?&quot; he asked, playfully pretending to forget the name. Infinite was clearly growling behind his mask. &quot;Sonic... Everything went wrong after that blue buffoon escaped the doctor&#039;s grasp! If I were to be released from this prison, I would dedicate my every waking moment to making him suffer as I have suffered. He would beg for death by the end!&quot; the jackal declared with barely masked rage. Lospecter recoiled from him slightly. &quot;Ooooh, I see the name Infinite refers to all the edginess! So scaaaary!&quot; he said in mock fear. &quot;Do you haunt me only to laugh at me? Is that seriously why you&#039;re here!?&quot; Infinite snarled, losing his cool. He reclaimed his composure when he saw Lospecter toss something shiny in his hand. It was...a Phantom Ruby! &quot;Did you know your Phantom Ruby came from a different dimension in the first place? So, there had to be more in the multiverse...&quot; Lospecter grinned, tossing the gem to Infinite, &quot;Don&#039;t disappoint us, doggo. I intend to make good use of you...&quot; Holding the Phantom Ruby in his clawed hand, Infinite nodded. &quot;Tell me your plan, and I will execute it... And execute those who oppose me, as well...&quot; he vowed.<br /><br /><br />Lara explained to Lucky and Junior that Tails&#039; son, Skye, was being held captive by the Lost Ones. If there was any chance of saving him, they had to try. &quot;If it wasn&#039;t for Skye&#039;s time machine, none of us would be here...&quot; Junior sighed. Pepper and Minnie glanced at one another and nodded. &quot;Right! We&#039;ll get to searching for the location where the Lost Ones are holding him!&quot; Minnie announced. &quot;Assuming he&#039;s still alive...&quot; Pepper sighed. Lucky very much wanted to go as well. He wanted to be useful. &quot;How can I help?&quot; he asked. Lara, still listening on the ProwerPhone, had her arms crossed as she shook her head. &quot;We can&#039;t risk you, Lucky Senior. You die, Junior, Pepper and Minnie all die. Plus, you told me you can&#039;t summon your weapon.&quot; she pointed out. Minnie placed a consoling hand on his shoulder. &quot;We&#039;ll be fine! We&#039;ll watch each other&#039;s backs and teleport to safety if there&#039;d danger!&quot; she said. &quot;On that note, let&#039;s get going...&quot; Pepper said seriously, &quot;No time to lose if Skye is alive...&quot; she pointed out. The both of them warped away, leaving Lucky and Junior alone with Lara on the phone. &quot;So... What should we do, boss lady?&quot; Junior asked. Lara sighed. &quot;Get yourselves to the meeting place. You remember where that is, right? On Angel Island?&quot; she said with a hint of annoyance. Lucky shook his head. &quot;I won&#039;t be sidelined! Least not while I don&#039;t know where Whisk is! Sorry, but we&#039;ll just have to talk later!&quot; he said, looking for the way to hang up the ProwerPhone. Lara tried to protest in the meantime. &quot;Whisk will be fine! You&#039;re the one in danger! Luckys, both of you, hold on!&quot; Ignoring her, Junior took the phone and turned it off. &quot;You&#039;re right, dad. We can&#039;t leave mom alone out there!&quot; he said. Lucky chuckled awkwardly. &quot;Don&#039;t call her mom, I&#039;m still wrapping my head around being dad...&quot; he said. As they started walking away, they discussed where to go next. How could they find Whisk... This could be tough...<br /><br /><br />The convoy of GUN trucks were making their final preparations to leave. With her cab stolen, Mia determined that she&#039;d have to ride in the back of the trucks with the other civilians. As she went to climb aboard, Zooey the fox offered a hand to help her up. &quot;Hey, there. How&#039;s it look out there?&quot; she asked. &quot;Like a ghost town...&quot; Mia sighed. Walking in to find a place to sit, she found Vanilla the rabbit seated with a certain Gizoid, Gemerl. She looked worried, and when she saw Mia, a flicker of desperation came to her eyes. &quot;Oh! You! That&#039;s a Station Square taxi uniform! My daughter, could you possibly have seen my daughter?&quot; she asked with concern. Mia sat beside her and sadly shook her head. &quot;It was chaos over there. I don&#039;t know what to tell you...&quot; she sighed. Outside the truck, Sonic was doing some stretches, preparing to speed off. Guard watched him, guessing at his intentions. &quot;Grrr&hellip; Sonic, scouting ahead might seem right, but...we&#039;d be stronger and safer together.&quot; he stated. Ridley nodded in agreement as he sat perched on his motorcycle. Sonic shook his head. &quot;You&#039;ll all be safer if I can take out the dangers on the road before you even get there.&quot; he said, and started off into a run even as Guard and Ridley tried to protest! Sonic kept his eyes on the road, not on the ruined, empty building around him. His mind couldn&#039;t avoid flashing back to the Security Tower, though. He wasn&#039;t fast enough. He couldn&#039;t be fast enough. The Lost Ones were too many. And they destroyed two cities now, and scattered his friends. Amy was still missing. &quot;How could I let this happen... I won&#039;t forgive myself if they&#039;re...if they&#039;re gone...&quot; he thought, gritting his teeth and speeding up. It was his idea to bring everyone together to defeat Gunner in one fell swoop. He put them all in danger, gathering them like that. That was the thought stinging in his mind. He had to do everything to make up for it. He had to save...everyone!<br /><br /><br />Meanwhile, Knuckles and Violet had gone another way. They were searching for an exit to the city, and they planned to hunt down the Chaos Emeralds, the Chaos Relics, and maybe check out a former Gaia Temple site. So much work for a treasure hunter. They heard some stomping as they walked, and glancing at each other with concern, they hid behind a corner to peer around and see what it was. They then heard a voice behind them. &quot;It&#039;s rude to spy! ...Well, I should talk!&quot; Knuckles spun around to find Rouge the bat hovering in the air behind him! The stomping was Omega&#039;s footsteps as he approached the corner. &quot;Do not attack, it would be wasteful for me to have to disintegrate you!&quot; the robot stated. Violet sighed and shrugged. &quot;I guess...&quot; she murmured. Rouge chuckled at the sight of Knuckles and Violet together. &quot;Are you two on a date, Knuckles? Maybe you&#039;re the clone of Punchy, going out with his wife&#039;s sister...&quot; she teased. Both echidnas blushed and growled. &quot;Now&#039;s not the time for jokes, Rouge!&quot; Knuckles snapped. The bat girl dropped to the ground and crossed her arms. &quot;Joke, right... Say, who&#039;s guarding the Master Emerald during all this, anyway?&quot; she questioned. Knuckles scoffed. &quot;I am, of course! Angel Island&#039;s down in the ocean, but I haven&#039;t let the Master Emerald out of my sight, so don&#039;t get any ideas!&quot; he grunted. Omega made some impatient motions with his large arms. &quot;This dialogue is a waste of time! Mission directive required!&quot; he stated. Violet looked at him and smiled. &quot;Ah, want something to do? Well, GUN is attempting to evacuate the civilians from the city. Maybe you two can be good Samaritans and help out?&quot; she suggested. Rouge shrugged. &quot;I guess it&#039;s technically my job. Why aren&#039;t you helping, Knuxie?&quot; she asked. Knuckles scoffed. &quot;They already have Sonic. My talents are best served elsewhere right now. This is an all-hands-on-deck situation if we wanna beat the Lost Ones, you know!&quot; he stated. Rouge smirked at him. &quot;Oooh, still all commanding. Your tenure as Resistance Commander did you wonders. Well, come on, Omega. Duty calls!&quot; she winked, turning to leave. Omega began to stomp after her. &quot;Best of luck. If you see Eggman, punch him for me.&quot; the robot stated. Violet leaned against the wall and sighed. &quot;She&#039;s so full of herself...&quot; she murmured. &quot;A date...&quot; Knuckles scoffed, glancing at Violet. The two blushed again and quickly looked away. &quot;So, ah, which way, Knuckles?&quot; Violet asked.<br /><br /><br />As Sonic was speeding through the streets, a black and brown jackal observed him through binoculars. One of his ears was bent, and he wore a uniform of the Covenant of Despair adorned with a red thirteen-pointed star. He was also wearing a Despair Seal on his wrist that contained the spirit of the covenant&#039;s former leader, Howler the wolf, somehow. This was Anubis the jackal. He lifted a walkie talkie to his muzzle. &quot;Sonic is on the way. Give him the welcome he deserves...&quot; he commanded. On the ground, the Battle Bird Armada lay in wait. They had joined forces with Despair last year, though Battle Lord Kukku really wanted to take over for himself. &quot;Finally, a chance to tangle with Sonic himself! Steady yourselves, my soldiers!&quot; the large bird ordered his comrades. The other birds were equipped with armor and weapons much like what they&#039;d once used against Tails years ago. Sonic could see them on the road ahead, and stopped his run a good distance in front of them, close enough that he could shout to them. &quot;Hey, angry birds! We can do this the easy way or the hard way. Seriously, the world&#039;s under attack by monsters! Didn&#039;t you all notice? You should be worried about other things besides settling a score with me!&quot; he shouted. Anubis landed on the ground behind Sonic. &quot;Now we have you surrounded...&quot; he snarled, raising his hands to call forth his signature black mummies from under the ground! Sonic looked around to see that he was indeed covered from all sides. &quot;But hey, those mummies are pretty slow...&quot; Sonic chuckled, and backflipped toward the birds, dashing out of the way upon landing to avoid their incoming bullets and explosives! &quot;Catch him! Catch him! What do I promise to pay you for!?&quot; Kukku shouted as he observed Sonic leaping from armored bird to armored bird, rattling them pretty good with homing attacks! Anubis snarled and started towards him. &quot;Don&#039;t laugh me off! I&#039;ll incinerate you!!&quot; he snarled, pointing his arms at Sonic and shooting jets of flames in the hedgehog&#039;s direction with his other superpower!<br /><br />Naturally, the fighting stopped Sonic&#039;s forward progress for a bit, and this allowed Guard and Ridley the time to catch up. Sonic was quite outnumbered, and enemies were closing in on him. &quot;Gee, what do you know, the guy who ran off alone could use some help, who could have predicted this...&quot; Ridley sighed. &quot;Grrr, well move it, then, officer!&quot; Guard grumbled, leaping into action. Sonic was busy evading Anubis&#039; fire and trying to knock down the approaching mummies with his homing attack, but he wasn&#039;t able to get enough speed to give his hits the right oomph. Fortunately, Ridley&#039;s cycle pulled up, and the coati smirked as he saw Anubis. &quot;Hey, hothead! You need to cool off! Chaos Splash!&quot; Before Anubis could react, a blast of water struck him, putting out his fire for the moment! He turned with a look of rage. &quot;You traitor! Now you&#039;re playing at being a police officer?? As though the humans could ever accept you!&quot; the jackal scoffed. Guard suddenly swooped down, his scythe decapitating one of the black mummies while Sonic managed to spin dash into another, knocking it over! Anubis was surrounded. &quot;Battle Lord! Where the blazes are you!?&quot; he shouted. The massive bird leapt out of seemingly nowhere and hurled his fist at Guard, knocking him backward! &quot;Well! The agent who led the team that foiled our most recent invasion! I&#039;ve been waiting for someone to use Dr. Funnibone&#039;s death ray on!&quot; Out in the distance, an old voice shouted &quot;Fukurokov!! Dag blast it!!&quot; Kukku shrugged and went to fire the comically large gun he&#039;d produced out of nowhere. However, an energy blast from Guard&#039;s scythe knocked it from his hands! Anubis picked it up next, it was shockingly light. &quot;This will do... Now, hold still, Sonic...&quot; he sneered, pointing the weapon at the hedgehog. Sonic yawned and tapped his foot. &quot;I coulda zapped me ten times by now.&quot; he teased. Anubis growled and squeezed the trigger. A massive ball of deadly energy zoomed towards...nothing? Sonic had leapt clear over the shot, and launched a homing attack right at the weapon, smashing it into pieces! The massive blast from it destroyed a car, but otherwise caused little damage. However, Sonic could see the GUN trucks approaching. &quot;Shoot, we gotta wrap this up!&quot; he realized.<br /><br />Suddenly, an unusual sound rang out through the area. A frighteningly familiar sound. In the sky, a large flickering red cube appeared, and before anyone knew what was happening, they were struck by lasers fired from all sides of the cube! Everyone but Sonic had been disabled by the energy of the lasers, the hedgehog managing to evade it. &quot;It can&#039;t be!&quot; Sonic gasped, looking up at the cube, and seeing it fade away, leaving behind in its wake the masked figure known as Infinite the jackal! He adjusted the mask on his face, leering down at the group. &quot;Ah, Anubis. Pitiful as ever I see. I&#039;m pleased to see you survived... Having you to humiliate makes life all the more worthwhile.&quot; Infinite mused. Sonic pointed up at him. &quot;You! Where have you been!? How did you get another Phantom Ruby!?&quot; he questioned. The jackal in the sky barely glanced at him. &quot;I would so delight in destroying you. However, I owe a debt to the Lost Ones... a debt that the souls on those trucks should easily satisfy...&quot; he said, and with a flick of his wrist, he used the Phantom Ruby&#039;s power to create a red ramp in front of the trucks, leading up to a suspended road that would take them wherever he wanted. However, the trucks stopped moving. &quot;You don&#039;t honestly think we&#039;ll drive ourselves to the Lost Ones!&quot; the GUN Commander grunted from his driver&#039;s seat. Infinite chuckled softly, and motioned his clawed finger as though beckoning them closer. A small red block of energy appeared over the gas pedal, forcing the GUN truck forward as the passengers yelped in the cargo hold! &quot;Wh-what&#039;s happening??&quot; Zooey gasped. &quot;I should be the one driving!&quot; Mia growled. &quot;Don&#039;t panic, I&#039;m certain Sonic will protect us...&quot; Vanilla said shakily. Outside, Sonic sped onto the red ramp, dashing ahead of the truck as Infinite led it on a twisted path through the air! &quot;Alright, I get it. The Lost Ones brought ya back, eh? Always the follower, never the leader!&quot; Sonic shouted tauntingly. &quot;That&#039;s it, Sonic... Run in front of a speeding truck! If I don&#039;t crush you, your runaway friends will! I&#039;ll show you the folly of your heroic ways!&quot; Infinite taunted back!<br /><br />The road Infinite had created was winding around buildings, climbing over bridges, all that was missing to make a roller coaster out of it was a loop, but the Lost Ones wanted those souls alive. Behind Sonic, the GUN trucks were at his heels, and in front of him was Infinite, ready to throw anything he could at the hedgehog to try and get him flattened by said trucks. Making matters worse, there were Lost Ones crashing out of nearby windows, going straight for the trucks! This was getting to be too much for one hedgehog to manage. &quot;Hang in there, guys! I&#039;ll take out that jackal fast as I can!&quot; he said uncertainly, leaping to avoid a snapped street light that Infinite&#039;s phantom cubes had yanked up and hurled at him! Fortunately, Sonic wasn&#039;t in this alone. Guard was flying up above the trucks, using energy beams from his scythe to try and knock away any losol and lospides that grabbed on to the trucks! Ridley was below the red road, keeping up with his cycle. He pointed his gun up, and energy from his Chaos power covered it. &quot;How&#039;s this for a Wispon?&quot; he murmured, firing a water-enveloped bullet that sent a lospide flying! Despite their efforts, though, there were still a bit too many Lost Ones coming at the trucks, and they managed to open the back door on the front truck as it swerved through a tight turn! Mia nearly stumbled out the back, caught just in time by Zooey! &quot;H-hold on!&quot; the fox cried, as Vanilla rushed over to help pull them up! However, lospide webs were trying to pull Mia back! &quot;Ugh!! Yuck! Get off, get off!! N-nooo!!&quot; It looked like the three of them would be pulled out, when suddenly, someone dropped from the sky and knocked the bugs away with a powerful kick! &quot;I got your backs, girls!&quot; As the trio stumbled back into the truck, they looked up to see Rouge the bat! &quot;Sorry I&#039;m late! I&#039;ll keep those slimy creeps away while you shut that door!&quot; she shouted, flying up to join Guard in battling the creatures! Omega boarded the red road using his thrusters as well, charging after the trucks from the rear! &quot;Target confirmed! Lost Ones and Infinite, prepare for annihilation!&quot; he declared. Seeing all the help Sonic was getting enraged Infinite. Where was his help when he was trapped in Null Space? He had to wait for Lost Ones!? No Eggman, no Jackal Squad. Friendship was a joke. A joke! &quot;Sonic!! Forget the meddlers! When it comes down to me and you, I will go on forever, and you will be broken, left in the dust!&quot; he declared.<br /><br />Infinite was furious. Using the Phantom Ruby, he summoned dozens of gun turrets along the walls of the nearby buildings! They started to fire indiscriminately, and in order to protect the cargo of the GUN trucks, even the Lost Ones were jumping into the line of fire to block the shots! &quot;Hey, hey! You leave those refugees out of this! It&#039;s me and you, Infinite!&quot; Sonic shouted, picking up speed to try and catch the jackal! Infinite clenched his fists, and the Phantom Ruby created giant illusions of those fists, allowing him to throw giant punches at the hedgehog! But this was just the sort of thing Sonic needed. He jumped onto the huge disembodied fist, and then leapt at Infinite as the fist drew back! Sonic&#039;s homing attack struck Infinite in the mask, driving him to grab for his face to hold it on! However, his phantom hands did the same, and swatted him backward as Sonic landed on the red road, chuckling softly. &quot;Graaa! You little gnat! How is it you grow more annoying with each battle?&quot; Infinite grunted. Sonic shrugged as he ran. &quot;Practice, I guess!&quot; he replied. Infinite decided to move the GUN trucks onto a separate track, splitting the road and sending the trucks away while he dealt with Sonic one-on-one! &quot;Now I can get serious without damaging the precious cargo! Take this!&quot; he sneered as spikes randomly jutted up from the red road, forcing Sonic to jump and bounce off a building to get another hit off Infinite! &quot;Aaargh!! But where will you land?&quot; he asked as spikes covered the entirety of the road! &quot;Uh-oh...&quot; Sonic whimpered as he was falling towards impalement! &quot;Hang in, big blue!&quot; Rouge suddenly swooped in, catching him and flying him to safety! Infinite watched them land on the street below, and snickered. The GUN trucks suddenly turned a corner and were coming at them! &quot;W-we still can&#039;t stop!!&quot; the Commander yelled. Sonic and Rouge went to move, but found a red barrier blocking them! &quot;I&#039;ve got you now!&quot; Infinite crowed. However, the red barrier suddenly flickered and vanished, while the trucks were able to brake! The trucks stopped inches from Sonic and Rouge&#039;s faces, and they placed their hands against the grill, panting in relief. Infinite growled as he shakily flew away. &quot;This Phantom Ruby hasn&#039;t been perfected the way Eggman&#039;s was... But I can still accomplish one thing...&quot; he said, appearing before Anubis as quickly as he could and grabbing the other jackal&#039;s wrist! &quot;Nice bracelet...&quot; he said, looking at the Despair Seal, &quot;I know someone who&#039;d like to have a look at that...&quot; he said, walking off while dragging Anubis behind him. &quot;You&#039;re weakened... What&#039;s stopping me from killing you?&quot; Anubis growled. Infinite glanced back, lifting his mask to glare at him with his scarred face. &quot;My ruby has energy enough to crush you. Besides, don&#039;t you want a little Jackal Squad reunion?&quot; he smirked, putting his mask back on as the pair of them walked together through the city.<br /><br />Freed from Infinite, and with allies to defend them from the Lost Ones, the GUN trucks soon reached the edge of the city. &quot;What a relief...&quot; the President sighed from the passenger seat beside the Commander. &quot;We&#039;re not out of the woods yet.&quot; the Commander pointed out. Sonic was standing outside the trucks with Guard, Ridley, Rouge and Omega. &quot;So, what do we all do now?&quot; he asked. Ridley patted the side of the truck he was standing beside. &quot;We should stick with these trucks &#039;till they get to safety. Then, I&#039;m off to find the chief and Razor.&quot; he said. Rouge nodded. &quot;Same here, except I&#039;m gonna find Shadow once this is over.&quot; she said. Guard grunted softly. &quot;Grrr&hellip; Maybe we should join the hunt for the Chaos Emeralds and Relics, too?&quot; he suggested. &quot;Affirmative. Every weapon can be put to use in this battle.&quot; Omega agreed. Sonic smiled and gave the group a thumbs-up. &quot;Good to see you all have a keen grasp on where to go. I&#039;ll get right on those Chaos Emeralds right away!&quot; he said, stretching to prepare for another run. Guard and Ridley glanced at each other. &quot;Runnin&#039; off alone again? Shouldn&#039;t someone go with you?&quot; Ridley asked. Sonic shrugged. &quot;If Infinite&#039;s batteries hadn&#039;t gone dead, we all woulda been toast and I would&#039;ve failed to protect you. It&#039;s better I go alone. If I fail alone... No one else has to pay...&quot; he said, his voice becoming unusually serious. Rouge almost reached out to touch his shoulder, but recoiled her hand. &quot;Sonic... We all share the burden.&quot; she said. Sonic nodded, and flashed her a cool smile. &quot;I know, I know! You&#039;re all a big help!&quot; he winked, and then started to dash off on his own anyway. They didn&#039;t understand. It was always him and Eggman, it had been quite the game. But then people started getting hurt. Aliens invaded. The planet blew apart. Time travel, monsters, prophecies. He&#039;d seen so much. He couldn&#039;t outrun all this forever. &quot;Hey, Tails, anyone, gimmie a report!&quot; he said, pressing a finger to his ear. Little did he realize, the Doomsayer was watching him from an alleyway. &quot;You doubt yourself... Right on cue.&quot; the hooded figure whispered, looking down at his gloved hand. He closed it into a fist. &quot;It&#039;s all coming to pass... My suffering will finally end...&quot;<br /><br />To be continued... Bzzz...zzzzt...Welcome to a Final Mix scene....<br /><br />Lucky and Junior found themselves fleeing in panic from a pair of rabid lospides. &quot;This...stinks...I need my...key! Mee-yow!!&quot; Lucky cried while Junior panted from the effort of fleeing. &quot;RAWRRR!!&quot; A familiar roar sounded out, and fire rained down on the lospides, bothering the creatures enough to make them run away! Lucky and Junior looked around for their savior. &quot;What&#039;s with you, kitty? First ya save the universe, now spiders got ya runnin&#039; scared??&quot; It was a certain dragon who was flapping overhead. &quot;Zeke! Wh-what do you want!? And where&#039;s Zim?&quot; Lucky babbled. &quot;Also who is Zim?&quot; Junior added. Zeke folded his arms as he flapped in the air. &quot;No, WHY is Zim...your focus? He ditched me for his Zeti buddies. So, I&#039;m headed back to Despair, why not? But, uh... what&#039;s with all the monsters?&quot; he questioned, &quot;Never mind! I gotta scram! No use hangin&#039; around a dead city! And you should scram, too! You look too weak to handle little Zim right now! Hehe!&quot; Zeke taunted before starting to fly away. Lucky scratched his head, watching him go. &quot;So... Zeke just helped us. Weird. Guess he&#039;s not as bad without someone pulling his strings.&quot; he stated. While he and Junior started to walk away, Paynson peered out from his hiding place in an alley. &quot;Whew... The spiders are gone...&quot; he huffed. &quot;Where&#039;s your squad car, anyway?&quot; complained Dave, one of the civilians Paynson had found and now had in his care. &quot;Eaten by SPIDERS, what did you think?&quot; the grouchy man snapped. &quot;Alright, don&#039;t yell at me...&quot; Dave whined. Libra peered out of the alley as well. &quot;I can defend us. Come, we&#039;ll get to a place to hide out...&quot; she whispered, stepping out of the shadows. &quot;Please, miss, we should wait out the chaos here!&quot; Paynson stammered. Libra stared at him seriously. &quot;My sister&#039;s not cowering in this. I&#039;m sure of it. I&#039;m going.&quot; she insisted, heading off on her own. A number of people started to follow her, but Dave remained by Paynson. &quot;They&#039;re crazy... They&#039;ll be eaten by spiders...&quot; he whined. &quot;Shh, I hear something...&quot; Paynson grumbled as eerie eyes glared at them from the darkness. Their screams followed, and soon Paynson and Dave were running...right alongside Lucky and Junior. &quot;Mee-YOW!! Thanks a lot for leading em here!!&quot; Junior shouted. &quot;Just...keep...running!!&quot; Lucky cried.<br /><br />Reconnect: Sonic GeneX<br /><br /><br />Chapter 10 - Rouletar&#039;s Return<br />Stage 6 - Casino Park<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;I can feel your every rage,<br />Step aside, I&#039;ll turn the page,<br />Breakin&#039; through your crazy maze, <br />Like a laser beam, my eyes on you!&quot; - Sonic Heroes, Main Theme<br /><br /><br />With a boom and a crash, Shadow the hedgehog dropped through a hole and found himself in the interior of one of Eggman&#039;s Cloud Cruisers, the airships that had formed up Cloud Carnival previously. Kosmo dropped through the hole behind him, followed by the purple chameleon, Espio, and a yellow furred girl with a forked tail and green shirt, Carrie the mirage. The four of them were planning to bring down the cruiser, crippling what strength Eggman still had so that he couldn&#039;t cause any more problems after what he&#039;d done in Station Square. &quot;Let&#039;s split up and get these explosives set...&quot; Shadow stated, skating ahead on his air shoes. Kosmo shrugged and morphed into him, mockingly imitating his voice. &quot;I get to say the obvious stuff so I can be in charge!&quot; Carrie stifled a chuckle while Espio split off from them on his own. &quot;Don&#039;t waste too much time making goo-goo eyes, you two.&quot; the chameleon grunted before vanishing into the background. Kosmo morphed back to normal, his cheeks a bit red. &quot;Haha, it&#039;s not like you to get flustered like that, tough guy!&quot; Carrie teased, heading off in yet another direction. She turned and blew a kiss on the way, &quot;See you again soooon!&quot; she winked. Kosmo sighed. &quot;Oh, by the way, Carr, I&#039;m an alien...&quot; he muttered to himself as he walked off.<br /><br />Shadow happened across the captain&#039;s room after he&#039;d set his explosive. He heard Eggman&#039;s voice within, and decided to listen. &quot;So, my first robotic shell didn&#039;t provide protection against Chaos energy. It was still a mighty merging of our talents! If I put my brilliant intellect to use, I&#039;ll surely solve your little problem... And of course in exchange, you&#039;ll leave me a small kingdom to rule...&quot; The hedgehog&#039;s eyes widened at what he was hearing. He then kicked open the door and stomped in, seizing the startled scientist&#039;s collar as he stood on a table! &quot;Gaah!! W-why Shadow! I wasn&#039;t expecting you today!&quot; Eggman babbled, tapping a button on a remote in his hand to shut off the monitor he was communicating through. Shadow gave his collar a shake. &quot;How could you go this far, doctor!? You&#039;re selling the souls of our world for your selfish desires!!&quot; he shouted before slapping Eggman across the face! The doctor rubbed his cheek and growled. &quot;You know, a little prudence mixed with self-preservation never hurt anybody!&quot; he grunted. Shadow crossed his arms and scoffed. &quot;I know one thing... Professor Gerald would be ashamed of what you&#039;ve become.&quot; he said, hopping off the table and heading for the door. &quot;You dare invoke my grandfather like that!? I&#039;ll have you know I... I&#039;ve gone far beyond his wildest dreams! I have!!&quot; Eggman shouted uselessly as Shadow left him there alone. &quot;...I have...&quot;<br /><br />As Shadow was rushing to meet up with the others again, he heard Knuckles&#039; voice over the comms. &quot;Yo, Shadow! You busy?&quot; he asked. &quot;Kind of...&quot; Shadow grunted. &quot;Well, get un-busy! I was talkin&#039; to this Pickle guy, and afterwards I was discussing it with Tails a bit, and we agree that you&#039;re closer!&quot; Knuckles said hastily. Shadow approached the hole to the outside, but stopped short as a giant slot machine robot dropped through it! It was E-7X, Rouletar! Shadow groaned and backed up as the robot&#039;s slot reels started spinning. &quot;Closer to what?&quot; he asked, leaping back to avoid bomb blasts as Rouletar spat them from his mouth in response to the slot results! &quot;Oh! The Pickle guy says there&#039;s some secret at some Gaia Temple place. Might help against the Lost Ones!&quot; Knuckles reported. Kosmo&#039;s voice came over the comms next. &quot;Professor Pickle?? That old goon&#039;s still living? ...I kinda met him while time was screwy.&quot; he said, &quot;By the way, we&#039;re gonna crash any moment!&quot; the morph added. Shadow cursed under his breath. Rouletar was blocking the exit pretty good. &quot;Get Espio and Carrie out of here, Kosmo!&quot; he shouted! &quot;If we go down, I&#039;m taking you with us! Your luck has run out!&quot; Rouletar bellowed, his reels spinning yet again. Shadow leapt at the robot and struck him hard, causing the reels to stop on rings. &quot;What, how did you do tha--&quot; the robot gagged, spewing rings onto the floor. &quot;Not my first dumb slot machine robot. Now, get out of my way!&quot; Shadow shouted. &quot;You guys okay up there?&quot; Knuckles asked. &quot;Define okay?&quot; Kosmo gulped. Explosions suddenly rocked the Cloud Cruiser, the ship was starting to rapidly fall toward the earth! Rouletar was flung forward by the momentum, right into Shadow! &quot;N-not here!!&quot; the hedgehog shouted before everything went black...<br /><br />A broken hunk of the ship was tossed aside by Carrie&#039;s psychokinesis, providing a path for her, Espio and Kosmo to step out of the wreckage. &quot;Well, that was fun... Now where are we?&quot; Kosmo sighed, dusting himself off. Espio shielded his eyes a bit as bright neon lights met his gaze. &quot;This place... I know it. Casino Park!&quot; he gasped. Indeed, the ship had crashed within a massive, brightly lit city designed as a gambler&#039;s paradise. The most striking feature in the landscape were the enormous pinball tables. Shadow suddenly emerged out of Chaos Control next to the others, rubbing his head and groaning. &quot;How&#039;d we wind up here? Hmm, and which way to the closest Gaia Temple?&quot; he asked. &quot;The closest what??&quot; Carrie questioned. She didn&#039;t have a comms device. &quot;I&#039;ll explain on our way.&quot; Kosmo said, &quot;But I guess in order to figure out where to head next, we&#039;ve got to pass through this city first.&quot; he reasoned. They all started to walk away from the downed Cloud Cruiser and into the bright city. Espio sighed softly. &quot;I don&#039;t mind this, as long as I don&#039;t have to gather rings or casino chips...&quot; he said, briefly glancing back at the cruiser, &quot;Eggman never did pay us for all that nonsense.&quot; he grumbled. Though Shadow and Espio were reminiscing, Kosmo and Carrie were experiencing all of this for the first time. They passed through a glass tunnel leading to a large fan blowing upwards, a wall blocking their way forward. &quot;What the...?&quot; Kosmo murmured. &quot;Do we have to teach them the triangle dive?&quot; Espio questioned. &quot;That sounds stupid. Just use me, Carrie.&quot; Kosmo said, morphing himself into an umbrella, his glowing eyes showing on the cloth part. Carrie shrugged, holding him by the handle and letting the fan blow them up, not realizing this was exactly how Big the Cat handled these fans. Shadow simply touched Espio&#039;s shoulder and brought him up with Chaos Control. Watching Kosmo and Carrie float down, Espio scratched his head. &quot;You are a weird couple...&quot; he murmured.<br /><br />They glanced back over the wall, admiring the view for a moment as Kosmo morphed back to normal. However, they saw something unpleasant on the horizon. More Cloud Cruisers were approaching their position, a fleet that would be above Casino Park in no time and likely flood the park with Eggman&#039;s robots. &quot;Well, c&#039;mon, then! Let&#039;s not dillydally!&quot; Carrie shouted, clapping her hands and pointing the other way. The quartet glanced at what awaited them in the other direction, and collectively groaned. They had to get past one of the giant pinball tables. Making it more challenging, there were fiery loskulls being bounced around the table like they were the balls. &quot;The Lost Ones have spread this far...&quot; Shadow realized. Espio stomped his foot and wore a defeated expression. &quot;They&#039;ll have consumed the world in no time...&quot; he sighed. This did feel a lot like they were losing. Would the so-called Sonic Heroes be able to stop the catastrophic loss of life these creatures were bringing with them? Kosmo growled softly and stepped towards a cannon designed to deliver flexible players into the pinball table. &quot;There&#039;s no time to sit here hoping for a miracle. We&#039;ve got to keep going!&quot; he said, hopping into the cannon and morphing into a steel ball as it took aim. As it fired him onto the pinball table, Carrie glanced at Shadow. &quot;Uhhh&hellip; How exactly does controlling the flippers work?&quot; she asked him. Shadow scratched his head and glanced at Espio. &quot;Y-you&#039;re asking me? I assumed Vector or Charmy...or Vector was working them!&quot; he babbled, quickly realizing that if it had been Charmy they&#039;d probably still be stuck on those tables to this day. Carrie shrugged and lifted her arm, using her powers to make the flipper knock Kosmo back into the air. &quot;This&#039;ll be really hard when it&#039;s my turn...&quot; she said awkwardly.<br /><br />&quot;Ouch!! Ooof!! Gaaah!!&quot; Kosmo groaned as he bounced and spun through the pinball table. Having his body be made of steel really didn&#039;t help much. This seemed like the dumbest way to travel in the world, and Carrie wasn&#039;t incredibly good at pinball. He bounced off those loskulls, too, but his steel body cracked the flaming skulls without issue. It just made it take longer for him to reach the exit, and once he got there, he was dizzy and miserable. It didn&#039;t help that as he morphed back to normal and laid sprawled on the ground, he saw someone with wings just flying right over the pinball table! To his surprise, it was another morph, white in color with messy hair sticking out of his head. The white morph landed near him and helped him to his feet as its wings morphed away. &quot;Hey! You look pretty woozy, there!&quot; the white morph observed. Kosmo rubbed the back of his head, looking at this guy awkwardly. &quot;Where did you come from? What are you doing here?&quot; he asked. The other morph chuckled softly. &quot;I suppose it IS weird to see morphs around here, huh? My name&#039;s Ozzie, and I&#039;m looking for a shady guy called Nova...&quot; he said, glancing around. Kosmo glanced around as well. &quot;Nova? He&#039;s around? I ought to keep an eye out for that guy, too. He always acted like he knew me. I might have some questions for him about that...&quot; he stated. Ozzie crossed his arms. &quot;If you know Nova, there&#039;s just two possible reasons. Either he&#039;s messed with you...or you were in cahoots with him.&quot; he said suspiciously. Kosmo shrugged. &quot;Pfft, looking for the worst in me, what else is new. After all, I am the &#039;evil&#039; Kosmo&hellip;&quot; he grumbled. At about this moment, Espio landed next to Kosmo, rolling onto his back dizzily. &quot;Worse than I remember...&quot; he groaned. Then, Shadow and Carrie emerged together via Chaos Control. &quot;Can you move more than one person at a time, because if you can, I&#039;m gonna punch you now!&quot; Kosmo snapped. Shadow shrugged. &quot;You can try it.&quot; he teased.<br /><br />Ozzie continued on with them for the time being. It was a bit curious to see yet another morph wandering around, though. &quot;Exactly how long have you been here in our world?&quot; Shadow asked the stranger. Ozzie looked thoughtful. &quot;Hmm, how to answer that...&quot; he murmured. They would have to table this discussion for now, though. Espio raised his hand to halt the group, and pointed up. &quot;Be on your guard!&quot; he warned as they all looked where he was pointing to see the Egg Mobile floating their way! &quot;There you are! You think you can knock down one of my Cloud Cruisers and just walk away??&quot; Eggman shouted, &quot;No, sir, I believe you all need to be reminded exactly who you&#039;re dealing with! Erm&hellip; So, Firepaw, you in?&quot; he said, his attention turning to a monitor on his dashboard. The fiery feline who was now E-8X was onscreen, giving the doctor a wink. &quot;This park is about to go viral! Meowr!&quot; he reported. Shadow rolled his eyes. &quot;The video game cat again? What can he do to us out here?&quot; he scoffed. As if in response to his question, the neon lights of the park began to flicker, and the machinery running the attractions began to go haywire! Eggman laughed with glee at the chaos. &quot;If you thought Casino Park was a wild ride before, try beating the odds against a glitched casino!&quot; he taunted, &quot;Oh, and my robots will be filling the park right about now, too. See you around!&quot; he added, hovering away in his Egg Mobile. &quot;You fellas sure ticked this guy off, huh?&quot; Ozzie mused. &quot;I don&#039;t think it&#039;s funny...&quot; Kosmo grumbled. &quot;Watch out!!&quot; Espio gasped as a giant red dice block suddenly tumbled away from its intended area of the park, preparing to squash them all! While the others ran to avoid it, Carrie raised her hands and strained to catch it with her psychokinesis, grunting a little as she tossed it back the way they&#039;d came, unwittingly blocking them from going back! &quot;What the heck is up with that giant dice block??&quot; she babbled, panting. &quot;...Why is it physically exhausting to lift something with your mind?&quot; Kosmo replied. &quot;Shut up...&quot; she groaned.<br /><br />Indeed, the park was going nuts. Fortunately they were now smart enough to skip the pinball tables by flying or Chaos Controlling past them. But they could only do that so much, and they&#039;d have to deal with some of the rolling dice, the bounding bumpers and the giant billiard balls that were there for...some reason. On top of that, robots from Cloud Carnival had flooded the casino. Granted, they were mostly Egg Pawns, not too far off from what Shadow and Espio had faced here before only with a different costume design. There were also spike-toting Orbinauts amongst them, a bit trickier to hit but still not too much of a problem. They were merely distractions meant to put them off balance while the glitched park tried to take them out. The chaos had caused them to split up a bit, Shadow and Kosmo finding themselves separated from the others and fending off robots atop an out-of-control roulette wheel. &quot;H-how did they e-even get us on h-here?!&quot; Kosmo groaned, hanging on tightly as the wheel spun with no sign of stopping. Shadow scoffed and leapt right off, launching a homing attack and smashing an Egg Pawn that had firmly planted itself at the center of the wheel! Kosmo could see Orbinauts coming for him, so he morphed his tail into a mace as he spun around. &quot;I can get spiky, too...&quot; he growled, letting the momentum carry the spiked ball on the end of his tail and smash it against the robots as he passed by! Shadow had landed on stable ground nearby and was busy shooting at some Egg Pawns with one of their dropped weapons. &quot;Rrrgh! I should have captured the doctor when I had the chance! He was right in front of me!&quot; he grunted, frustrated with how much time Eggman was making him lose. Ozzie flew in after a moment and plucked Kosmo from the spinning roulette wheel. &quot;You CAN fly too, right?&quot; the white morph asked. &quot;Usually...when I&#039;m not feeling like I have to puke...&quot; Kosmo moaned.<br /><br /><br />They met up with Carrie and Espio again roughly halfway through the park. The bingo boards were up ahead. Espio shook hands with Carrie once it seemed apparent they were safe. &quot;You fought well...&quot; he said. &quot;Good to see you made it...&quot; Shadow huffed, looking forward intently. &quot;I sure hope we&#039;re going in the right direction...&quot; Kosmo pointed out. Unfortunately, no one was contacting them over the comms with information. So, all they could do was shrug it off and keep moving. Or, they would keep moving...if they didn&#039;t find Lospecter floating in front of them! He was twirling the single Chaos Card in his hand, smirking. &quot;This is my kinda place... Too bad I don&#039;t have a full deck to deal from!&quot; he chuckled softly. Shadow clenched his fists. &quot;You! Whatever you&#039;re planning with Eggman, we&#039;ll put a stop to it!&quot; he shouted. The ghost hid his card inside his glove and dusted his hands. &quot;Like you stopped anything from happening to the &#039;ol professor&#039;s research? Hehehe...&quot; he taunted, only making Shadow angrier. Kosmo glanced from Shadow to Lospecter and crossed his arms. &quot;Ho, you don&#039;t wanna make us angry. Forget Sonic, we&#039;re the ones you should fear!&quot; he smirked. Lospecter did a flip and pulled out the Chaos Key. &quot;Oooh, really? Maybe I should summon the cavalry? Have you all torn soul from flesh by a ravenous swarm? Hmm, but I think I&#039;d rather have a fun little race with you. Oh, who will reach the Gaia Remnants first? Who will uncover their secrets and put them to use?&quot; he mused with a snicker. &quot;Wait... The Lost Ones are interested in this, too?&quot; Carrie asked. Lospecter pointed his key and turned it. &quot;Talking time is over!&quot; he said, opening a portal. Through the portal, Rouletar leapt out to block the group&#039;s progress! &quot;What... This thing again?!&quot; Shadow said with surprise. Lospecter chuckled. &quot;Oh, we did a little experimenting without Eggman. Have a good game! Toodles!&quot; he said, flying into the portal himself before closing it behind him! Rouletar then glared at them with greenish eyes above his slot reels. &quot;It&#039;s time for a spin! But you will not win!&quot; the robot declared. Ozzie lightly chuckled. &quot;...Sorry. We&#039;re supposed to take him seriously?&quot; he asked, &quot;...Okay then...&quot;<br /><br />Rouletar&#039;s slots landed on three skulls, even as the others tried in vain to attack through his tough armor. &quot;Your prize today is to burn away!&quot; the robot bellowed, spewing a number of burning loskulls from his mouth! This had to be Lospecter&#039;s doing. Shadow immediately took off around the area, tossing Chaos Spears at the loskulls to try and eliminate them quickly. &quot;We can&#039;t let that thing spawn more of these creatures! Figure out how to get through its armor!&quot; the hedgehog shouted. Rouletar&#039;s reels were already spinning again, but Kosmo tried morphing into an elephant and ramming him with his tusks! The morph fell back, shifting into his normal form and groaning. &quot;That&#039;s some armor!&quot; At the same time, the reels landed on three sevens. &quot;Here is your jackpot...of doom!!&quot; Rouletar announced, spitting out dozens of razor-edged coins at the group! Carrie was quick to grab those coins with her powers and redirect them towards the loskulls. &quot;Gotcha, gotcha&hellip; ack!!&quot; One of the coins slipped by and gashed her arm, so Ozzie quickly ran her out of the line of fire with the speed of a cheetah. &quot;Gah, you&#039;re bleeding, I hate blood...&quot; he gulped, &quot;B-but don&#039;t worry, I&#039;ll take care of ya!&quot; he winced. This left Espio, Shadow and Kosmo to deal with the slot machine robot. Espio tossed a bunch of smoke bombs to mess with Rouletar&#039;s aim. &quot;Guys! That robot doesn&#039;t use its mouth to speak, only to attack!&quot; the chameleon observed. It had speakers for talking. &quot;What&#039;s your point?&quot; Kosmo asked. &quot;The interior is past the armor...&quot; Shadow realized. Rouletar&#039;s reels had landed on three cherries. &quot;Tough luck! You&#039;re about to BOMB out of the battle!&quot; the robot cackled. Kosmo leapt out of the smoke with a smirk, suddenly morphing into a trampoline that covered Rouletar&#039;s mouth! The robot made a gagging noise as the bombs bounced back down its &quot;throat,&quot; their fuses lit. &quot;Oh...fudge!&quot; Rouletar groaned before he began exploding from the inside, sending the Kosmo-trampoline flying before the morph shifted into his gargoyle form to fly to safety! &quot;See, I can fly...&quot; he huffed. In the meantime, Shadow and Espio had finished off the loskulls, and Ozzie managed to bandage Carrie&#039;s arm. The battle seemed to be won.<br /><br />As the group rested from the battle, though, they were surprised to see Mephiles float into the area! The crystalline entity was fixated on Rouletar&#039;s remains. &quot;Strange, an absurd creation such as this possessed a soul...&quot; he said, reaching his clawed hand toward the broken slot machine. A ghostly form of Rouletar appeared from the broken parts, and then condensed into a spirit orb that fit comfortably in Mephiles&#039; hand. Shadow was staring at him with wide eyes. The Dark was still using his form. &quot;Mephiles&hellip; How many times do we have to destroy you?&quot; he asked with a low growl. The Dark gave him a somewhat blank glare, his crystalline expression frozen as his mouthless muzzle moved to speak. &quot;So much have we been through, Shadow... I can see now how you&#039;ve changed. The certainty in your eyes. I can see the folly it would be to attempt to ask you to join me this time.&quot; he said, lifting the spirit orb in his hand to admire it. &quot;That&#039;s... a soul?!&quot; Kosmo gasped. Espio drew a shuriken. &quot;Put that down, fiend! Whatever plans you have for it cannot be pure!&quot; he warned. Mephiles chuckled softly. &quot;Well, have a look at what my allies have done with the Ultimate Lifeform blood. See the purity of their designs for yourself!&quot; he cried, raising his arms to call attention to a group of creatures arriving behind him! They were Lost Ones... in Shadow&#039;s image! Their eyes were green with turquoise irises, and their lower bodies ended in ghostly tails much like Lospecter! They were monsters created from Gerald&#039;s research; exactly what Shadow feared would happen! The hedgehog leapt at Mephiles in anger, but the Dark simply hovered up out of his reach! &quot;You had your chance in the past, Shadow. Now, watch as your image helps to destroy the world anyway. So many souls lost, in spite of your efforts! Haha... ha ha ha ha ha!!&quot; he laughed, melting into naught but a shadow and fleeing the scene with the Shadow Spirits rushing off behind him! Landing atop Rouletar&#039;s wreckage, Shadow banged his fist against the broken machine in aggravation. He could not allow this. Somehow, he would see the Lost Ones defeated, and he would burn Gerald&#039;s research to ash if it meant keeping it from doing further harm!<br /><br /><br />Chapter 11 - Of Morphs and Bingo<br />Stage 6 - Casino Park<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;Can you see all of me?<br />Walk into my mystery.<br />Step inside and hold on for dear life!<br />Do you remember me?<br />Capture you, or set you free?<br />I am all, and I am all of me!&quot; - I Am, Shadow the Hedgehog<br /><br /><br />Gator&#039;s Crazy Adventure!!<br /><br />&quot;The Narrator says it&#039;s annoying when I pop up at the end of the story, so here I am at the beginning!&quot; Gator randomly says as he arrives in Station Square for the first time in this adventure. There were still a few Lost Ones slithering about, and on top of that some &quot;zombified&quot; citizens were patrolling the area, acting rather similar to how Cuthburt had been corrupted. Gator didn&#039;t seem to understand the situation, walking through the city without much unease, let alone fear. &quot;Yeesh, why&#039;s everyone all slimy? Take a bath once in a while, peoples...&quot; he murmured. A scream drew his attention, and Gator saw Cosmo the Seedrian fleeing from some human &quot;Lost Zombies.&quot; She turned around as she ran, firing her laser at them. &quot;Stay away from me! Aaah! I should have stayed with the others...&quot; she lamented, not watching where she was going and running smack into Gator! He took the laser out of her hands with an angry expression. &quot;Hey! No wonder people are chasing you, if you&#039;re gonna shoot at them! This really is the worst invention ever!&quot; the costumed fool grumbled, turning to give the laser a mighty toss, sending it into the ocean at the edge of the city! Cosmo stammered in shock. &quot;Y-you idiot! Those people are Lost Ones! They&#039;ll devour us!&quot; she cried, yelping and hiding behind Gator as the zombies shambled towards them! Gator looked at the slimy humans with a stupid smile. &quot;Now, now, we can talk this out...&quot; he murmured, only to hear &quot;Lossss!! Lossss!!&quot; in response! His smile turned into a frown as he realized Cosmo was right. &quot;Hey, lady, do you have another gun?&quot; he whimpered, looking back to see Cosmo running away in a panic. &quot;Save yourself!!&quot; she cried. &quot;Ohh, I skipped the Halloween special to avoid this happening to me...&quot; Gator gulped, screaming as the zombies piled onto him and started trying to maul him! Fortunately, this isn&#039;t a Halloween special, so Gator remembered he could teleport, and appeared behind them in a burst of smoke! &quot;This city&#039;s really gone downhill! First the soda tax and now people try to eat you!&quot; he complained, running away. Cosmo watched him escape from behind a car, sighing with slight relief. &quot;At least he&#039;s alright... I need...to be strong... I need to fight. To survive! ...somehow...&quot; she vowed.<br /><br />&quot;I hope the trains are still going... Oh! Now back to the REAL story!&quot; - Gator<br /><br /><br />BINGO Highway was sprawled out before the group now. They&#039;d have to pass it to move on. However, what was left of Cloud Carnival loomed above, sending down robots to slow their progress. &quot;Eggman will slow this trip to a crawl...&quot; Carrie the mirage sighed in frustration. Kosmo nodded, morphing wings onto his back. &quot;Guess someone needs to fly up there and finish the job, then!&quot; he suggested, planning to destroy the remaining Cloud Cruisers himself. &quot;Funny from the guy who couldn&#039;t remember he could fly over the pinball tables...&quot; Espio the chameleon murmured, making Kosmo&#039;s face turn red. &quot;Look, morphing into a pinball seemed like the obvious solution at the time. It takes imagination to really be good at this...&quot; he babbled. Ozzie morphed some angelic wings onto his own back. &quot;Mind if I join you up there? Walking on the ground is pretty dull anyway.&quot; he chuckled. Kosmo shrugged, and the pair of them took off into the air toward the Cloud Cruisers. Shadow watched them silently. He was still cursing in his mind at how he&#039;d allowed Professor Gerald&#039;s last remaining research to be taken and tainted by the Lost Ones. &quot;I should&#039;ve secured it in a safer place... This is on me...&quot; he thought. Espio snapped his fingers near the distracted hedgehog. &quot;We&#039;re not going to just wait here until they finish up there, are we?&quot; he asked. Shadow glanced at him with an unamused expression. &quot;Hmph&hellip; Come on, then. Try to keep up.&quot; he scoffed, tearing ahead at high speed! Espio and Carrie scrambled to follow behind him. &quot;Yeesh! Is it me or has he gone into full edgelord mode all of a sudden?&quot; Carrie asked, huffing and puffing as she strained just to keep up with Espio&#039;s speed. The chameleon let out a thoughtful hum. &quot;I surmise seeing so many villains that look like him has taken its toll.&quot; he concluded. He wasn&#039;t exactly wrong.<br /><br /><br />Espio and Carrie caught up to Shadow in front of a blocked door. The ninja chameleon examined it and sighed in partial relief. &quot;I thought this door was gonna need casino chips...&quot; he shuddered. Shadow looked at him a bit impatiently. &quot;Well, what does it need?&quot; he asked. The chameleon motioned to a nearby pinball table with a bingo theme. &quot;We need to win a bingo. Trust me, that&#039;ll be much simpler. It&#039;s just getting back out of the pinball table that might be a problem...&quot; he murmured. Carrie smirked, lifting the chameleon up with her psychokinesis as he yelped in surprise. &quot;It might be cheating, but leave it to me. I&#039;ll get this done quickly!&quot; she said before putting him back down. Espio sighed to himself as he headed for the pinball table. He remembered how she played the last pinball game without targets. As Espio loaded himself into the cannon that would launch him onto the pinball table, Orbinauts and Egg Flapper robots started to float down towards them from the air! &quot;Well, this could make controlling pinball difficult...&quot; Carrie murmured as Espio was fired from the cannon! Shadow scoffed and tossed a Chaos Spear at an incoming Orbinaut. &quot;I&#039;ll deal with the robots... I want to hit something anyway!&quot; he said, leaping into action to fight them off while Carrie put her focus on playing pinball with Espio as the ball. All the violence around her made the mirage nervous, though. &quot;Well, don&#039;t gotta make myself an easy target...&quot; she said, taking a deep breath and tightening her focus even more to turn herself invisible. Shadow made a mental note of her location as he leapt up and propelled himself toward an Egg Flapper, launching into a flurry of excessive punches and kicks to rip its metallic body to pieces. He was MAD. He needed this opportunity to just let loose.<br /><br />Fortunately, Shadow was all they needed to keep the robots at bay. The frustrated hedgehog was tearing through them like they were made of paper. Soon, however, he was faced with something genuinely dangerous. He stopped short when he saw it. A ghostly Lost One in his image. One of them had remained in the casino. This was his chance to destroy it! He charged at the LoShadow, lunging into a homing attack, and...he passed right through it. Of course, it was built like Lospecter after all. &quot;Losss&hellip; losss&hellip;&quot; the creature moaned in a deep, low voice, turning toward Shadow. Growling, the hedgehog hurled some Chaos Spears at his ghostly copy. They made it flinch, but unlike most Lost Ones, the chaos energy didn&#039;t seem to cause much damage. On top of that, the creature mimicked the motion of Shadow&#039;s hands, and hurled its own Chaos Spears back at him! Shadow leapt to dodge them, staring at the Lost One in shock. &quot;This isn&#039;t good. If I can&#039;t beat this thing, then the Lost Ones will have used Gerald&#039;s research to basically eliminate their main weakness!&quot; he realized. He ran up to the creature and focused his energy. &quot;Chaos Blast!!&quot; he cried, creating a chaotic explosion that enveloped the Lost One! The creature was thrown back by the blast, but to Shadow&#039;s dismay, it shook off the attack. Its eyes glared at him, seeming to be angry. &quot;Shoot...&quot; Shadow murmured, watching as his ghostly copy began to fly around him at high speed! He looked around, wondering what form the creature&#039;s attack would take. He realized he didn&#039;t want to find out, so he started to move around the area as well, making himself a difficult target to hit. As he tried to think of a solution, he tossed a few stray Chaos Spears at the LoShadow, while it responded in kind with its own spears. &quot;Hurry up with that stupid bingo game...!&quot; Shadow grunted. Worrying about Espio and Carrie wasn&#039;t helping.<br /><br /><br />Kosmo and Ozzie tore through one of the Cloud Cruisers in dragon form, Kosmo in his usual lizard-dragon form and Ozzie in more of a serpent-dragon form, which was no less impressive. As the ship exploded and started to fall out of the sky behind them, they reverted to their normal winged forms and hi-fived each other. &quot;Haha! If they thought one morph was bad, they&#039;ll never stop two!&quot; Kosmo laughed. &quot;How should we trash this one?&quot; Ozzie wondered as they hovered over another Cloud Cruiser. His thought was interrupted when a powerful burst of electricity suddenly came from below and zapped his body! &quot;Yaaaaaahh!!&quot; As Ozzie fell down onto the Cloud Cruiser, Kosmo looked and evaded a second electric shock, seeing a familiar robot catch Ozzie below. It was Eggman&#039;s lead Egg Pawn, E-5X, Jolt. The winged yellow robot shook a fist up at Kosmo. &quot;You killed Rouletar! He was our star attraction here at Cloud Carnival!&quot; he shouted. Kosmo scoffed. &quot;The whole carnival&#039;s coming down anyway! You&#039;d best leave Ozzie there and abandon ship!&quot; he warned. Jolt set Ozzie on the ground and kicked him while he was out cold. &quot;Dumb morphs! Think you&#039;re so big! We&#039;ll blast YOU out of the sky, wise guy!&quot; the small robot shouted. Kosmo was surprised to see numerous cannons pop out of the ship all around, poised to shoot him right out of the air. He scrambled to dodge as they shot off...fireworks? Well, the fiery explosions wouldn&#039;t be pleasant to get caught in, anyway. Kosmo realized he&#039;d have to land, and growled in frustration to realize that the cannons were keeping him from landing too close to Ozzie. He&#039;d have to fight through the carnival itself to rescue him. Again. &quot;As if one trip through Eggman&#039;s sorry excuse for a theme park wasn&#039;t enough...&quot; he grumbled. The PA system came on as Kosmo landed. &quot;Attention, patrons! The teacup ride is out of order...due to having crashed into a casino. Thanks, Kosmo!!&quot; Eggman&#039;s aggravated voice announced. Kosmo shrugged. &quot;You&#039;re welcome.&quot; he sighed.<br /><br />Purple trumpet-toting Egg Pawns were patrolling Cloud Carnival at park-level. Kosmo recognized these Carnival Pawns, and recalled how troublesome their sound blasts could be. But they were purple, which gave him the idea to morph himself into their form to try and sneak by. If he could just creep past the ferris wheel and to the roller coaster, he could ride his way back to where Jolt was holding Ozzie. He slowly walked by, his robotic yellow eyes scanning around as he tried to act natural for an Egg Pawn...but he didn&#039;t think he could act that stupid, honestly. He underestimated their intelligence, though, as once he was halfway past the ferris wheel the Carnival Pawns turned on him. &quot;Uhh&hellip; What gave me away? Lack of trumpet?&quot; he murmured, morphing back to normal as he broke into a run! The Pawns blew their horns at him, sending powerful shockwaves in his direction! He was hit and knocked over, which served to make him mad. &quot;I tried this the easy way. Now you face the wrath of...&quot; his voice deepened as he took on a massive metallic form, &quot;...Rouletar!!&quot; If Egg Pawns could emote, they&#039;d have very stupid, alarmed expressions on their faces as Kosmo imitated Rouletar&#039;s slot reels. They tried hitting him with their shockwaves, but even Kosmo&#039;s imitation of Rouletar&#039;s armor was too tough for them! His reels stopped on...his own face three times. &quot;I win whatever I want... I pick Kosmos!!&quot; His eyes fired his trademark Kosmos beams at the robots, too strong for them to handle. They were blown apart one by one, and then Kosmo morphed back, panting softly. &quot;That was a dumb form to maintain for any length of time... Now...&quot; He hopped on the roller coaster, and when he saw Jolt ahead, he hopped off. The yellow Pawn raised his fists. &quot;I&#039;ve already got your buddy out cold! Whatcha gonna do, huh? Huh??&quot; he taunted. Kosmo rolled his eyes. He transformed himself into Jolt...only a bit taller. &quot;It&#039;s this simple to outdo you, little guy.&quot; he stated. Jolt jumped up and down, shouting unintelligibly in his anger. Kosmo sighed. &quot;Always the hard way...&quot;<br /><br /><br />Fed up with his ghostly doppelganger, Shadow used Chaos Control to stop time, and proceeded to unleash a flurry of Chaos Spears on it while it couldn&#039;t move, finishing up with a Chaos Blast! Though the speedy creature had given him a run for his money, this amount of chaos energy was too much to handle, and it was reduced to a puddle of ectoplasm. As time resumed, Carrie returned to visible form and brought Espio back to where they were with her psychokinesis, the chameleon looking rather dizzy. &quot;W-well... That&#039;s bingo...&quot; he said, dazed. &quot;Now the door should be open, right?&quot; Carrie said, prompting them to head for the door...only to find it still blocked! &quot;What?! Don&#039;t tell me we need to clear the entire bingo board!?&quot; Espio groaned. Shadow rolled his eyes, and was about to say something, when they heard an explosion overhead!<br /><br />A few moments earlier, Jolt had been forced to retreat, flying with his jetpack toward the next closest Cloud Cruiser now that Ozzie had recovered from his shock and left the Egg Pawn far outclassed, even with his shock powers. &quot;Well, that slowed us down... Shall we?&quot; Ozzie asked. Kosmo looked thoughtful. &quot;Hey, Oz... You never did tell me WHY you were looking for Nova. How exactly do YOU know him?&quot; he asked. Ozzie&#039;s eyes darted back and forth, and he turned away from Kosmo. &quot;I&#039;m not sure I should be telling you any more than I already have. Just know that Nova&#039;s not a good guy. His actions won&#039;t have good consequences...&quot; he stated. Kosmo crossed his arms, but nodded. &quot;Well, obviously. Let&#039;s blow this thing, then.&quot; he said, taking a deep breath before morphing into his Kosmogon form...albeit smaller than usual. &quot;All this shifting is tiring me out.&quot; he murmured. Ozzie morphed into his serpent dragon from and nodded. &quot;It&#039;s like a muscle. Takes training to be able to shift a lot in a short space of time!&quot; he told him.<br /><br />After hearing explosions above, Shadow, Carrie and Espio were forced to run back a bit as the Cloud Cruiser that Kosmo and Ozzie had just attacked plummeted down, the front of it landing right on top of the door and smashing it! When the dust settled, Shadow and company found a wreckage in their path. &quot;...Oh, thank Chaos. No more bingo.&quot; Espio sighed. As the trio began carefully climbing over top of the wreck, Kosmo and Ozzie flew down, morphing back to their true forms as they reunited with the others. &quot;C-carrie! Honest, I had no idea that ship was gonna fall on your head!&quot; Kosmo stammered. The mirage&#039;s forked tail waggled behind her, betraying her mean expression. &quot;You could have killed us...&quot; she said. &quot;No he couldn&#039;t...&quot; Shadow remarked, continuing onward without waiting for the others. As they turned to follow, they noticed that the Cloud Cruisers were starting to fly away. &quot;Looks like Eggman decided to cut his losses.&quot; Espio observed. &quot;Then I guess we&#039;ll stop running into road blocks ahead.&quot; Kosmo said with relief. Shadow shrugged. &quot;Unless more of my Lost One copies turn up. I fought one while you were all preoccupied...&quot; he said, stopping in his tracks. It was plain to see he was troubled. &quot;What happened?&quot; Espio asked. &quot;Just one of those creatures gave me a run for my money. Not quite enough for me to ditch my restraint rings, but... Those things are pretty resistant to chaos energy, the Lost Ones&#039; primary weakness. I understand why Lospecter bothered now. The Lost Ones want to eliminate their weaknesses and become unstoppable...&quot; he concluded, making a fist as his expression became frustrated. He blamed himself for letting this happen. Kosmo stepped closer to him and cleared his throat. &quot;Of course we&#039;re not going to LET them get away with it, yeah? Hopefully whatever&#039;s at that Gaia place will help.&quot; he said. Shadow nodded. &quot;Let&#039;s press on.&quot; he said.<br /><br />It was indeed a fairly uneventful trip once they&#039;d gotten past the downed Cloud Cruiser, most of the way. However, as the group neared the end of Casino Park, of all people, Nova the morph stepped into their path. Ozzie pointed at him as if to shout aha! &quot;I knew I&#039;d tracked you to this area! Nova, I&#039;m here to, uh... arrest you!&quot; the white morph shouted. Nova looked at him funny. &quot;Do I know you? Don&#039;t tell me I&#039;m actually missed back home...but Kosmo isn&#039;t?&quot; he asked. Kosmo had to interject here. &quot;So you confirm it... I had a life on the morph planet before Bucky... What happened to me, Nova!? Why was I dead?!&quot; he shouted, &quot;It... it was you, wasn&#039;t it!?&quot; he growled accusingly. Nova cackled softly. &quot;You were dead? Good... Too bad you came back! Yes, we happened to down one another&#039;s ships! Call it a difference of opinion! And you stranded me on this forsaken rock! I&#039;ll be glad to kill you again for it!&quot; he sneered. Shadow grabbed Kosmo&#039;s arm, holding the morph back. &quot;Where&#039;s your mask, Nova? I understand you stole it from Shade.&quot; he questioned. A new voice cackled nearby, and the group was surprised to see Tabitha the orange cat flying over on her broomstick, pointy hat and all. &quot;Is it Halloween all of a sudden?&quot; Espio questioned. Tabitha snickered. &quot;You asked, I&#039;ll answer. Blue boy here has grown to fear the effect the mask is having on his mind. So, as a fellow member of the Coven Despair, I&#039;ve offered to take that off his hands. I can make such an accessory work for me...&quot; she winked, leaning against her broom. &quot;I doubt I wanna see you in it, as much as I don&#039;t wanna see your face.&quot; Carrie scoffed. Nova growled at the spotlight being taken from him. &quot;I don&#039;t need Enerjak&#039;s power to kill you! I&#039;ll drown you myself, Kosmo!&quot; he shouted, his body taking on a liquid state! Tabitha started to fly up high, cackling. &quot;I&#039;ll keep the other wretches out of your business, my drippy friend! Then perhaps you&#039;ll grant me a wish!&quot; she laughed. Espio gulped. &quot;Mighty and Ray warned me about this one...&quot; he grumbled.<br /><br />As Kosmo and Nova charged at one another, Tabitha flew in a circle around the others, casting a ring of fire around them. Carrie tried to grab the witch with her psychic powers, but she couldn&#039;t get a grip on her. &quot;Ugh, she&#039;s resisting me... Well, I&#039;m not making myself a target.&quot; she said, becoming invisible again. &quot;I could try that too, but my focus is better served elsewhere...&quot; Espio said, lifting a shuriken and taking aim. The witch cackled a bit and tossed a spell at the shuriken in his hand, transforming it into a snake! &quot;Gah!!&quot; the chameleon gasped. &quot;I thought only we could do that...&quot; Ozzie murmured. Shadow scoffed and stepped forward. &quot;You all stay back. I&#039;ll handle this one and her tricks.&quot; he said. &quot;Forgive me if I don&#039;t trust them to mind their business...&quot; Tabitha said, snapping her fingers and somehow causing the snake Espio had dropped to multiply! As Espio and Ozzie backed away nervously, Shadow leapt at the witch, only to be repelled by an invisible barrier around her! &quot;Not used to fighting against magic, are you?&quot; she smirked. Shadow scoffed, unimpressed, and leapt out of the way as the witch hurled a fiery spell at him! There had to be a way to get past her defenses...<br /><br />In the meantime, though, Kosmo found himself surrounded by Nova&#039;s watery form as he coiled around him in an elastic fashion. The solid morph turned his hands into large blades and tried to slice through, but you can&#039;t cut through water! Nova began to wrap his liquid body around Kosmo&#039;s head, snickering. &quot;I&#039;ll enjoy listening to you drown...&quot; However, though Kosmo initially gagged, he quickly composed himself, and appeared to be fine. Looking carefully, Nova could see he&#039;d added gills to his anatomy. &quot;That&#039;s the trouble with morph-on-morph combat...&quot; he grumbled, turning his fist into solid glacier-strength ice before giving Kosmo a hard punch to the gut! The purple morph was knocked backward, but he was out of Nova&#039;s watery grip now. &quot;You really like lording your ability to turn into water over other morphs, hm?&quot; Kosmo grunted. Nova&#039;s body bubbled as his watery form started to boil. &quot;It does open creative avenues that you can&#039;t dream of! Now, I&#039;ll scald you!&quot; he sneered. Kosmo thought about what he could do, and suddenly transformed into Jolt again, his body sparking! &quot;How well do you take to electricity?&quot; he asked as Nova grabbed onto him without thinking. Electric current zapped through both of their bodies, but Kosmo was in a robotic form at least. Nova wailed in agony as the shock ran through his every atom! He returned to a solid state and fell backward, a bit charred!<br /><br />Carrie was fed up. She picked up all the magical snakes with her powers and held them in the air in a coiled ball. &quot;Hey, witchy! How&#039;s your barrier hold up against your own creations!?&quot; she shouted, tossing the ball of snakes at her! Tabitha blocked the attack with a different, more colorful barrier. &quot;Calling out your attack is really helpful, thanks.&quot; she smirked. She suddenly felt a weight on her broom. Turning, she saw Shadow standing on the back of it. &quot;Would you like to hear your mistake?&quot; he said with a smirk. A moment later, Tabitha fell out of the sky, and her ring of fire faded. Ozzie ran for the wounded Nova, but Tabitha wasn&#039;t quite down and out. She stood up and summoned another huge flame, blocking the path between herself, Nova and the others. She then scooped Nova onto her broomstick and started to fly off. &quot;One of us needs that mask of yours for next time... Until then... Fare thee well!&quot; she said with a cackle as she flew off. With her flame barrier fading, Ozzie started to dash off in the direction they&#039;d gone. &quot;Uhh, see ya, guys! I gotta catch that Nova!&quot; he shouted. Kosmo looked from Ozzie to Shadow. &quot;I&#039;m tempted to go after Nova as well. Kill him for killing me... But... Saving the world from the Lost Ones is more important, right?&quot; he said, looking to Shadow. The black hedgehog smiled and nodded. Kosmo had grown so much since Shadow had met him, and he felt a bit proud as sort of his mentor, but he didn&#039;t feel the need to say anything about it. Espio started after Ozzie instead. &quot;They could be trouble if they start using the power of that mask. I&#039;ll monitor the situation... unless Vector needs me for something else.&quot; he murmured. This left Shadow, Kosmo and Carrie. &quot;Well, we&#039;re at the end of the casino.&quot; Carrie said, &quot;Now what?&quot; Shadow tapped the communicator in his ear. &quot;Tails? Can you hear us? We need directions, if you can help...&quot; he said.<br /><br /><br />Chapter 12 - Return to Death Row<br />Stage 7 - Deathbringer Row<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;I awakened in a dark abyss.<br />Held captive, can&#039;t get outta this.<br />I long to learn the feeling of true bliss.<br />I long to hold you, I&#039;m dreamin&#039; of your kiss.<br />I&#039;ll fight each day &#039;till I can be with you.<br />Escape my prison, find the path that&#039;s true...<br /><br />I&#039;m the dark angel...<br />A captive from the light.<br />The dark angel...<br />Forced into this evil plight.<br />I&#039;m flying as a dark angel for eternity!&quot; - Dark Angel, Theme of Copter, by 2BIT<br /><br /><br />Copter, Gemini and Chopper had gone back to Tails&#039; Workshop to rest, while Timothy was escorting Fred to break the news of what had happened to Cuthburt to their friends. &quot;That Nega guy sure left a mess...&quot; Chopper remarked, looking around at the smashed gadgets in Tails&#039; lab. &quot;At least he didn&#039;t burn the place down...&quot; Gemini sighed. Copter had found an old television and was checking to see if it worked. The only signal he was getting was static. &quot;Hey, Gemini... Couldn&#039;t we just time travel to save everyone? You know when the Lost Ones came into being.&quot; he pointed out. Gemini took a seat by one of Tails&#039; work benches and heaved a heavy sigh. &quot;No, the Zodiac Council may be gone in this time, but they are still active elsewhere in history. If we try to change the past like that, we&#039;ll alert Ophiuchus.&quot; she pointed out. Copter knew this. &quot;Right, right. Not only will he stop us, but he&#039;ll figure out we stopped him.&quot; he murmured. Chopper chuckled softly. &quot;What&#039;s an Offa-achoo?&quot; he asked. Copter gulped, not wanting to explain his villainous turn as Aries to his son. He didn&#039;t have to, though. The TV&#039;s static suddenly faded as it picked up a signal. &quot;Huh?&quot; the trio murmured, looking. Katie the coyote appeared onscreen, behind bars and looking scared. &quot;What!? Katie!?&quot; Copter gasped. The dark-furred coyote looked at someone behind the camera nervously before starting to speak. &quot;Th-this is not a report. I&#039;m being held captive by the Lost Ones in what used to be the Hopebringer Center! They have a number of hostages, but they say they&#039;ll leave us unharmed... If Gemini the fennec will come here within the hour!&quot; she said, shuddering as she clutched the bars, &quot;Chet, please stay awa-&quot; The camera turned around, and Lospecter&#039;s face filled the screen. &quot;Gemmie! Gemmie-poo! You watching? Better hurry! Go ahead and bring the boyfriend, whatever. I&#039;d enjoy a snack while we chat!&quot; The TV returned to static while a ring tone was heard from Chopper. &quot;Ahh! Of all times!&quot; He pulled a ProwerPhone from his pocket, and a brown coyote wearing a red vest and crescent moon pendent necklace appeared on the screen. He was visibly panicked. &quot;Chopper! M-my mom!&quot; he stammered. Chopper nodded. &quot;We just saw. I assume you&#039;re coming? Where can I meet you, Casey?&quot; he asked. Copter and Gemini ignored the kids, looking at each other seriously. &quot;Trap.&quot; they both said at once. &quot;Good, long as we agree.&quot; Copter said. &quot;We can&#039;t ignore it, though. Even if they have no intention of actually leaving the hostages unharmed, we have to try to help them.&quot; Gemini told him. Copter nodded and crossed his arms. &quot;Never wanted to go back to that island, though...&quot; he murmured. Chopper put away his phone and looked to his father. &quot;I&#039;ll catch up with you as soon as I can. Stay safe, dad...&quot; he said, hesitating a moment before suddenly giving Copter a tight hug. Copter was surprised, but hugged back. &quot;You too, kiddo...&quot; he said.<br /><br /><br />Meanwhile, Katie slumped against the bars of her cell. A certain yellow porcupine stepped up to her and coughed softly, catching her attention. &quot;You okay, Tommy?&quot; she asked. Tommy rubbed his arm and frowned. &quot;I-I&#039;m worried about my brother. He&#039;s out there...&quot; he said. &quot;I&#039;m sure he&#039;s okay...&quot; came a comforting voice from the next cell over. It was Cream the rabbit, &quot;Our friends will find us. I know it...&quot; she whispered. Amy Rose was sharing a cell with Cream, and tapped her foot impatiently. &quot;Why did they record a message for Gemini and not Sonic?? Don&#039;t they realize who they&#039;ve got here!?&quot; she complained. Cream held Cheese the Chao tightly and looked at Amy with concern. &quot;You don&#039;t WANT Sonic to walk into a trap, do you?&quot; she asked. Amy held the bars, looking sad. &quot;I just want to know he&#039;s okay...&quot; she stated. Looking around outside the cell, she noticed guards appeared scarce. &quot;Nuts to this! Let&#039;s go!&quot; she said, producing a Piko Piko Hammer and swiftly smashing open the bars of her cell! An alarm immediately went off. &quot;Ooops&hellip;&quot; she gulped. &quot;Amy, what were you thinking!&quot; Cream gasped. Lospides were starting to charge down the halls. Amy clutched her hammer tightly and made a decision. &quot;Fly, Cream. I won&#039;t leave you in a cage again like that time with Eggman&hellip; I&#039;ll make a diversion, and you can escape!&quot; she declared, charging forward and swatting the first lospide with her hammer! &quot;Amy, no! I-I can&#039;t leave you!&quot; Cream gasped. Amy kept fighting. &quot;You have to! Get Sonic and Tails! I&#039;ll hang on until then!&quot; she shouted, her hammer knocking spider after spider aside! &quot;What foolhardy farce is this?! Halt thy flight!&quot; the voice of Loskeletor was heard behind them. Realizing she had no choice, Cream flapped her wings, holding Cheese tightly as she hurried past the lospides! Their webs were shooting Amy, tying her up as Cream escaped. &quot;Unngh!! Let go! Sonic will make you sorry!&quot; Amy grunted. Loskeletor stepped to Katie&#039;s cell. &quot;Tsk, such foolishness... I suppose you three will suffice for my designs...&quot; he said, reaching into the cell for Katie. &quot;No, what are you doing?! Wait!!&quot; she cried.<br /><br /><br />The Hurricane and usual Tornado being unavailable, Copter and Gemini borrowed the Tornado-1 from Tails&#039; garage. With the aid of the plane, they were able to arrive at the island that once housed Death Row, then was repurposed to the Hopebringer Center. Now, the building looked like a strange blending of the two concepts, as it appeared that Gunner had been in the process of remodeling the place back into a prison. As they landed the plane near the shore of the island and hopped out, Copter was quick to notice someone creeping at the prison&#039;s front gate. It was Chet, the orange cheetah dressed in red who had become Experiment 16 through Bucky resurrecting him. Copter ran to catch up to him. &quot;Yo! How widespread was that broadcast??&quot; he shouted. Chet jumped, spinning around with his claws bared. &quot;Don&#039;t sneak up on a guy! And don&#039;t try to stop me, Copter! That&#039;s Katie in there!&quot; he said frantically. He always did get a bit nuts when Katie was in danger. &quot;Dude, we&#039;re all here to rescue her.&quot; Copter pointed out. During this exchange, Gemini was using magic to unlock the door. &quot;Hmm, I expected more trouble.&quot; she stated. Chet looked at the open door and sighed. &quot;Thank you, guys. And hey, Copter, I&#039;m glad you&#039;ve moved on from Kate and found someone.&quot; the cheetah said, clicking his tongue. Copter blinked to process what he was implying. &quot;Huh? You mean that crack Lospecter made about Gemini having a boyfriend? H-he&#039;s just goofing on us like he does!&quot; he babbled, blushing as he followed the others through the door. &quot;Yeah...he&#039;s a goof...&quot; Gemini murmured, blushing as well. An alarm blared as they stepped in, and the walls flickered with screens depicting the face of Richard Gunner! &quot;Oh, yuck!&quot; Copter groaned. &quot;You are trespassing on government property! By my authority as your president, I welcome you to your new home; Deathbringer Row!&quot; he announced, &quot;Obviously, robots are on the way!&quot; he added. Copter rolled his eyes. &quot;I broke out of this place once and now I have to break in. What is my luck??&quot; he groaned. &quot;Hey, good point! Lead the way, expert!&quot; Chet said, nudging Copter to the front. He let out a sarcastic laugh. But...at least this was familiar ground for him.<br /><br />The trio made it to the first spiral staircase quickly. At least they&#039;d fixed the oddly-placed window that Copter had knocked Guard through so long ago, but there was still no visible elevator that they could find. Apparently this was so that robots could swarm anyone making their way upstairs. But these were the same old GUN robots, they didn&#039;t even appear to be bolstered by Lost One possession. Chet sped up the stairs, avoiding lasers and getting around the shield of a hunter robot at the top of the steps, slashing his claws at any weak point he could find! Gemini followed along, pointing her wand about. &quot;Blastrotall!&quot; each bolt she fired easily dispatched a beetle, sending chaos drives rolling down the stairs. Copter leapt onto the rail, grinding upward briefly before leaping up, spinning his tails and flying at some bomb-toting hornet robots above. &quot;Chaos Whirlwind!!&quot; he shouted, blowing his chaotic wind upward, knocking the robots into one another, setting off their bombs! Their broken parts fell down toward him and Copter yelped, rapidly flying down the spiral staircase and weaving to avoid the falling debris! Gemini looked down over the railing. &quot;You okay, sweetie?&quot; she called out. &quot;Sweetie??&quot; Copter called up from the stairs below, sounding indignant. Gemini giggled softly. &quot;Guess that&#039;s a yes. We&#039;ll go on ahead! Catch up when you can!&quot; she called. Down below, Copter was starting back up the steps. &quot;Teasing me when I could be dead, real cute...&quot; he mumbled. He shivered as he felt a drop of water hit his fur. &quot;Shoot...&quot; he growled as he looked up through the indoor rain and spotted the Doomsayer. &quot;Welcome back, dark fox...&quot; the hooded one mused. &quot;What possible use are your annoying speeches now!?&quot; Copter spat. The Doomsayer crossed his arms. &quot;Oh, none. There&#039;s no saving you. I was just reminiscing on our first meeting. How little you&#039;ve grown.&quot; he said, a hissing laugh escaping him. Copter took a defensive stance. &quot;I learned how you fight. You won&#039;t surprise me this time!&quot; he warned. The Doomsayer stood firm. &quot;Oh, you&#039;ll fight. And I&#039;ll be there. I witnessed your beginning here, and I will witness your final end.&quot; he said darkly, the rain becoming blindingly harsh after that before ceasing entirely, and when Copter wiped the rain from his eyes, the Doomsayer was gone. &quot;We&#039;ll see who ends first...&quot; Copter huffed.<br /><br />Gemini and Chet arrived at the first of two balconies that wrapped around the &quot;Deathbringer Row&quot; facility. There were several doors they could try from here, but it seemed best to wait for Copter before moving on. &quot;I know this is a serious mission and all, but if you want my expert opinion, Gemini; I&#039;m not sure the ghost guy was goofing on you two. I mean, you and Copter, you&#039;re like a team these days. Hardly see one without the other.&quot; Chet pointed out. Gemini shrugged. &quot;One obvious flaw, I&#039;ve met Copter&#039;s son from the future. He doesn&#039;t know me.&quot; she pointed out. &quot;Ohhhhh&hellip;&quot; Chet murmured, rubbing the back of his head, &quot;Maybe you died?&quot; he said awkwardly, realizing that didn&#039;t help as he said it. Suddenly, they heard a scream above them! &quot;Oh, thank Chaos, someone in trouble!&quot; Gemini sighed, relieved to have an out for this conversation. As she was warping to the upper balcony, Copter stepped through the door and looked around. &quot;Hey, where&#039;s Gem?&quot; he asked. Chet pointed up. &quot;So, you got a kid?&quot; he smirked. Above them, Cream and Cheese were cornered by a giant pumpkin with writhing vines, otherwise known as Loscream. Not only that, but smaller floating pumpkins known as losolanturns were surrounding her. &quot;Give up, girl. If you continue to struggle, I will simply devour you!&quot; Loscream bellowed. Cream clutched Cheese tightly and covered her eyes with her ears. &quot;T-tails... I&#039;m sorry...&quot; she whimpered. Just then, Gemini appeared between her and Loscream! &quot;Well! Uh, hi!&quot; the fennec squeaked, quickly lifting her wand. &quot;Proplasmar!!&quot; She cast a barrier around herself and Cream, but the pumpkins rammed it repeatedly, quickly putting cracks in it! &quot;Hold on to me, Cream! Galaporta!!&quot; Gemini shouted, warping them back to the balcony below, right between Chet and Copter! Cream looked, seeing a two-tailed fox, and just wrapped her arms around Copter and sobbed. &quot;I&#039;m sorry, I had to leave Amy and the others behind, and I almost got caught by those scary monsters!&quot; she wailed, Cheese crying with her. Copter patted her head, making a face. &quot;H-hey... I think maybe you should talk to Tails. Wanna borrow my ear piece?&quot; he asked. &quot;Good luck getting a signal...&quot; Gemini sighed. Loscream peeked over the side of the upper balcony and laughed. &quot;We&#039;ve been expecting you! Come up and say hello!&quot; the pumpkin cackled. Chet put a hand on his hip and frowned. &quot;Now we&#039;re getting mocked by vegetables. Great.&quot; he said.<br /><br />Copter wasn&#039;t sure which door to enter next. He didn&#039;t exactly escape from this place last week, and the building had been renovated multiple times since the last time he&#039;d been here. He picked a door he thought was right, but quickly found himself in an unfamiliar area. The hall led them to a laboratory, the place where Dr. Nammad would experiment on the prisoners. &quot;What kind of doctor&#039;s office is this?&quot; Cream asked nervously, looking at the frightening equipment in the room. Looking around a bit more, they saw a table where a familiar face was strapped down. &quot;Katie!!&quot; Chet gasped. Copter yanked his arm, pointing at a man in a lab coat standing over her. The man turned, and his form shifted into that of an anthropomorphic snake! Gemini gasped in shock. &quot;O-Ophiuchus!! No, not possible! You&#039;re...&quot; she babbled. &quot;Trapped in an empty dimension? Left for dead? Was that what you were going to say?&quot; he asked, turning some gemstones around in his hand. They looked like the stone on the tip of Gemini&#039;s wand. Chet growled softly. &quot;Exactly what are you doing to Katie??&quot; he shouted. Ophiuchus hissed softly. &quot;My freedom and continued survival has a price. If I can&#039;t offer the Lost Ones something, all I can offer them is my soul. Quite a reversal of fortune... But thanks to you, my power and my wings are gone, so I must provide these creatures with a reason to keep me around...&quot; he said. Without his powers, the Chaos Stones in his hand had to be the way he&#039;d transformed earlier. &quot;You didn&#039;t answer the question.&quot; Copter growled softly, letting go of Chet&#039;s arm. Ophiuchus smirked. &quot;Shouldn&#039;t the answer be obvious, Aries? What I can offer the Lost Ones is my knowledge about the workings of magic. After all, I was trained by the great hero, Astra! How is the old girl?&quot; he asked, raising an eyebrow as if knowing the answer and aiming to get a rise out of them. Gemini pointed her wand at him. &quot;You&#039;re nothing without your powers! Let Katie go!&quot; she shouted. Cream tugged at her shirt. &quot;S-something&#039;s not right... Miss Katie is so quiet...&quot; she murmured. Chet bared his claws. &quot;Enough!!&quot;<br /><br />Chet was unable to contain himself. He charged forward, kicking Ophiuchus to the side and slashing his claws at the straps holding Katie down! The snake took a couple steps back, acting quite pained, covering his face as if to shield from more blows. However, his eye had a sinister gleam as he watched Chet help Katie to her feet. &quot;You&#039;re okay, Kate... I gotcha&hellip;&quot; he said with relief. To his surprise, Katie began to laugh, and grabbed hold of him tightly! &quot;H-hey! What gives, babe?&quot; Chet gasped, looking at her in confusion. &quot;Didst thou forget?&quot; That phrasing made Gemini quickly realize what was happening. &quot;Chet, get away from her!!&quot; she cried. Chet looked at Gemini in confusion, and then back to Katie, gasping with alarm as her flesh began to melt away! &quot;With a mere pinch of DNA, I am capable of performing any role on the world&#039;s stage to perfection! Fools such as ye cannot possess foresight enough to spot me!&quot; Clutching Chet tightly, the false Katie revealed her true form as Loskeletor to his horror! Copter and Gemini started forward to do something, but Ophiuchus stood in their way. &quot;Oh, you would do well not to be so hasty now that we have another hostage!&quot; he smirked as Loskeletor turned Chet to face him. &quot;Don&#039;t listen to him, guys! Tear him apart! Find Katie!&quot; he shouted. Ophiuchus smirked widely. &quot;What was it you said? I&#039;m...nothing? Well, how&#039;s this for nothing!&quot; he said, clutching the Chaos Stones in his hand tightly and turning to Chet, pointing that hand in his direction! &quot;Hypnoconquera!!&quot; he shouted, casting the forbidden spell of his own creation on Chet! &quot;No!!&quot; Gemini and Copter gasped. The cheetah&#039;s expression went blank as Loskeletor released him from his grip, chuckling in his raspy voice. Ophiuchus turned to Copter and Gemini. &quot;I know Lospecter wants you alive, Gemini, but I have a debt to pay you. Slave, destroy them!&quot; he said, snapping his fingers. Chet moaned softly. &quot;D-destroy... Yes, sir...&quot; Cream clutched cheese tightly, whimpering. &quot;I-I want to go home!&quot; she cried. Copter turned to her. &quot;Kid! Snap out of it! We need you! Help us subdue Chet!&quot; he shouted. Cream looked at him nervously. &quot;Y-you...need us?&quot; she questioned. The sight of Katie melting into Loskeletor was horrifying for the rabbit, but she had to pull herself together. She had to be strong...for her friends!<br /><br />Ophiuchus moved to the back of the room, content to watch what was about to unfold. &quot;You won&#039;t be able to break my spell! He&#039;ll kill you or you&#039;ll kill him!&quot; he taunted. Loskeletor cracked his neck as he rose to his full height. &quot;T&#039;would be tragic for Lospecter not to get what he desires out of the fennec... And I thrive on tragedy!&quot; he cackled, firing beams from his eyes directly in Gemini&#039;s direction! She moved to block it with a spell, but the beam actually knocked the wand from her hand! &quot;Gah!! No!&quot; she gasped, scrambling to grab it as it bounced away, Loskeletor creeping toward her! &quot;Gem, look out!&quot; Copter shouted, only to be swiftly blocked and kneed in the gut by Chet! &quot;I&#039;m sure I...probably...deserve that...&quot; Copter grunted, doubling over. &quot;That&#039;s right. First Katie, then Violet, now Gemini! How many girls you gotta drag into your twisted life, anyway?&quot; the cheetah said harshly, lifting Copter up by the chest scruff. &quot;Chao!!&quot; Cheese suddenly whacked him in the back of the head, making him drop Copter and turn to the rabbit. &quot;Oh, and let&#039;s not forget her! Haha, Tails locked her up like a prisoner!&quot; he taunted, dashing over to attack her! Cream flapped her ears and flew out of his reach, looking down at him angrily. &quot;He was trying to protect us from Eggman! I didn&#039;t like it, but... Don&#039;t lie about him like that!&quot; she shouted. &quot;The mind control&#039;s making him say these things, Cream!&quot; Copter assured her, yanking the cheetah&#039;s tail to draw his attention away from her. Meanwhile, Gemini was frantically evading Loskeletor&#039;s lasers, trying to get close to her wand. &quot;Ohhh... Fiddlesticks...&quot; she groaned, grabbing an old doctor&#039;s mirror from among the medical equipment in the lab. &quot;Here, you bone head!&quot; she said, using the reflective surface to deflect Loskeletor&#039;s laser and create an opening to reach her wand! &quot;What are you fools doing?!&quot; Ophiuchus shouted. &quot;Poriftica!&quot; Gemini shouted, opening a dimensional portal behind Loskeletor! &quot;What foolery is this?!&quot; the skeleton questioned. Copter flew in front of him. &quot;Chaos Whirlwind!!&quot; he cried, blowing Loskeletor into the portal and into pieces with his chaotic wind! &quot;Et tu fox boy!!&quot; he wailed. Gemini sealed the portal. &quot;Where&#039;s Chet?&quot; she wondered. Cream and Cheese were sitting on him. &quot;Say you&#039;re sorry!&quot; she insisted.<br /><br />Ophiuchus groaned softly. &quot;You can have his mind back...&quot; he said, waving his Chaos Stones before rushing out of the room. Chet groaned with Cream sitting on him. &quot;What happened? What&#039;s that weird taste in my mouth? And why are you squashing me?&quot; he babbled. &quot;You said Tails and Copter were bad. Apologize right now!&quot; Cream said sternly. Chet whimpered softly. &quot;Uhh&hellip; Sorry...&quot; he babbled, &quot;I don&#039;t know what came over me.&quot; he said. Copter helped him up once Cream was off him. &quot;I know I&#039;ve made mistakes. I&#039;m going to do my best to be better. That&#039;s all one can do, isn&#039;t it?&quot; he said. Chet clasped his hand tightly. &quot;I know you&#039;ll be a good dad, Copter.&quot; he smiled. The moment was brought to a sudden end as metal doors slammed closed over the exits, sealing them in! &quot;So touching, so sweet! The friendships between all of you! Ohh&hellip; If only I had a soul to care!&quot; laughed Lospecter as he passed through the wall, &quot;Be a dear and tell me where you banished William just now, wouldja? It&#039;s gonna be such a pain searching every dimension.&quot; he said to Gemini. &quot;William&#039;s dead, and so is Spiro!&quot; Gemini spat. This got a chuckle out of the ghost. &quot;Well, that&#039;s what we&#039;ve been saying! Let&#039;s get down to brass tacks then. All I want is you, Gems. Give your magical self up, and I&#039;ll let the others go, bunny, coyote and all. I&#039;ll even let your noble boyfriend who bravely faced down his own dark side walk away, despite how much he makes me sick!&quot; he said, pretending to lean his ghostly body against the wall. Gemini looked at the others and then back at Lospecter. &quot;Why me?&quot; she asked as though considering his offer. &quot;You&#039;re special. Even compared to the Gemini that we defeated in that other dimension. You&#039;ve got something she hasn&#039;t got. But to find out, you have to come with me...&quot; he said. Copter stepped between them. &quot;That&#039;s never gonna happen!&quot; he shouted. &quot;That&#039;s right! We won&#039;t let you take her!&quot; Cream chimed in. Lospecter pouted. &quot;You know, bunny, we really wanted you to lure the other fox boy in. His death will so break everyone&#039;s spirits! Ah, well. You kids chill here and think over my proposal. See you soooon!&quot; the spirit said, slipping through the wall and leaving them trapped. Gemini twirled her wand. &quot;Chill here, yeah right...&quot; she smirked.<br /><br /><br />Amy was locked in another cell with increased guard now. She stood close to the bars with her arms folded and an anxious expression on her face, hoping Cream was okay. As she worried about her, footsteps approached her cell. She saw a silhouette in the darkness. &quot;Sonic?&quot; she questioned. But stepping into the light, she screamed softly to see Apocalos, the leader of the Lost Ones, part hedgehog, part dinosaur, all monster. He looked at her with a wide, fang-filled smile. &quot;I&#039;ve a question for you...&quot; he said, wrapping his clawed fingers around the bars, his piercing eyes glowing golden as they stared into her soul, &quot;Would you prefer a short, finite, essentially meaningless life spent with that emotion you call &#039;love...&#039; Or would you choose to be eternal, everlasting, one that truly matters in this existence, though unchaining yourself from such deep emotion as &#039;love&#039; in order to accomplish this.&quot; he asked. Amy looked at him nervously. She&#039;d never seen a creature so frightening as him before. Still, she answered. &quot;I would choose love... Always. The fact that you clearly wouldn&#039;t, just shows that you&#039;ve never felt love!&quot; she said shakily, but with conviction. Apocalos reached a clawed hand through the bars toward her, making her yelp and recoil as he grinned widely. &quot;Oh, Rex did feel love. He felt great love... And where did that get him?&quot; he asked, pulling his arm back and stepping backward into the shadows again, his eyes glowing in the darkness. &quot;He was a fool. As are you. Choose love, my dear. Wallow in it. But know this... He will die.&quot; he said, starting to laugh softly as Amy shuddered, watching him. &quot;Sonic the hedgehog will die!&quot; Apocalos declared, walking away and leaving a frightened Amy to wipe a tear from her eye. &quot;Sonic... I won&#039;t let them hurt you... Somehow... I&#039;ll find you!&quot; she sniffled.<br /><br /><br />Chapter 13 - Break In Breakout<br />Stage 7 - Deathbringer Row<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;Oooohhh!! You can&#039;t beat time, can&#039;t stop your fate!<br />I&#039;m an immortal slime, and you&#039;re a snack on my plate!<br />You thought you could ditch me, but I&#039;m up in yo&#039; head!<br />Now you&#039;ll waste in this cell, and I&#039;ll make your world un-dead!!&quot; - Lospecter&#039;s Gloat; song by 2BIT<br /><br /><br />An explosion took care of the door blocking their way forward. Copter coughed softly, waving smoke away from his face. &quot;Wasn&#039;t there a way through with more...finesse?&quot; he asked. Gemini crossed her arms. &quot;Maybe I&#039;m angry. Lospecter&#039;s doing things to get to me...again!&quot; she huffed. They headed into the next hall, Chet and Cream following behind. The path ahead seemed strangely calm and quiet, so there was time to think. &quot;What do you think Lospecter wants you for, anyway?&quot; Copter asked. Gemini threw up her arms. &quot;I&#039;m sure I don&#039;t know! He&#039;s already got Ophi, what could I possibly offer him? All he needs is to get Ophi a wand and he&#039;s a better mage than I am!&quot; she ranted. Chet was watching Copter and Gemini banter like an old married couple, and rubbed his chin. &quot;Man, I&#039;d be so sure they&#039;d end up together... But apparently Copter&#039;s kid doesn&#039;t know Gemini.&quot; he murmured. Cream glanced at him. &quot;His...kid?&quot; she asked. &quot;From the future.&quot; he explained, &quot;...I wonder who the mom is.&quot; he questioned, folding his arms in thought. Cream looked at Copter and giggled softly. &quot;Maybe it&#039;s Miss Heather! Weren&#039;t they close?&quot; she suggested. Chet tilted his head. &quot;I don&#039;t see it. I think she&#039;s more into Guard. Maybe...Copter gets back with Violet?&quot; he suggested. Cream made a face. &quot;They weren&#039;t very good together...&quot; she said bluntly. &quot;Ahem!!&quot; Copter grunted, looking back at them. &quot;I hope you two are discussing something useful, like maybe you have an idea why the Lost Ones specifically want Gemini?&quot; he asked. Cream smiled awkwardly. &quot;D-does she have any interesting knowledge of the future?&quot; she suggested. Gemini shook her head. &quot;What use is knowledge of the future? The Lost Ones are altering the future. This invasion never happened. With Ophi under their thumb, he can&#039;t delay them anymore.&quot; she babbled, &quot;I changed the past so this is all my fault...&quot; Copter patted her shoulder. &quot;We all decided to take action. It&#039;s not just your fault.&quot; he said.<br /><br />They soon found another of the spiral staircases. &quot;Ugh, why can&#039;t Gunner invest in an elevator?&quot; Copter complained. Peering into the stairwell, they gasped to see the losolanturns from before patrolling the area, floating around the spiral stairway. &quot;Well, nothing to do but smash some pumpkins...!&quot; Copter growled, yelping as Chet pulled him and Gemini back into the previous hall. &quot;Hold up, I&#039;ve got an interesting idea!&quot; he said, &quot;What if...we were to somehow reprogram the GUN robots to attack the Lost Ones?&quot; he suggested. Copter looked at him like he was nuts. &quot;Chet, Gemini can&#039;t just go Abra-ka-reprogramma and make that work... You can&#039;t can ya?&quot; he asked, looking at the fennec. &quot;N-no... Magic isn&#039;t really that compatible with technology...&quot; Gemini babbled. Cream hopped to get their attention. &quot;You know... If the robots are connected to a computer... I could give it a try!&quot; she offered. They looked at her with surprise. &quot;You??&quot; Copter blurted. Cream smiled. &quot;Yes. I help Tails in his workshop sometimes. He&#039;s been teaching me. I&#039;m not great at building but the computer isn&#039;t too hard!&quot; she said with a giggle. They all looked around at each other and shrugged. &quot;What have we got to lose?&quot; Chet asked. &quot;Everything.&quot; Copter pointed out, &quot;But we might as well try it.&quot; With that settled, they started to head backwards. Copter had a good idea of where Gunner&#039;s old control room would have been...he thought. He might have been brought there before being shoved into his cell, for processing or some such. Along the way back to the lab, they ran into Chopper. &quot;Hey, dad! W-where ya goin?&quot; he asked. &quot;We&#039;ll talk on the way, how the blazes did you get here?&quot; Copter asked. Juice the hedgehog, Sonic&#039;s son, was running up behind Chopper. &quot;Our group salvaged your black plane!&quot; he reported. The Hurricane had gone down with a GUN Warship at the fall of the Security Tower. &quot;You flew my plane?&quot; Copter asked. Chopper chuckled awkwardly, while the third member of his group ran up behind Juice. It was Casey the coyote, Chopper&#039;s best friend and Katie&#039;s son. &quot;Hey... Why we turnin&#039; the other way?&quot; he asked. Chet stared at the boy in surprise, particularly at his pendant. &quot;Wh-where did you get that?&quot; he stammered, pointing at the crescent moon pendant. Casey held it in his hand. &quot;Uhh&hellip; from mom...&quot; he murmured. Chet reached into his pocket and produced an identical pendant. Casey&#039;s eyes widened. &quot;...Dad?&quot; Watching this exchange, Copter stifled a chuckle. &quot;Chet&#039;s boy&#039;s a bit scrawny, isn&#039;t he?&quot; he whispered to Gemini. She rolled her eyes in response. <br /><br />So, together they all made their way back to the first balcony where they&#039;d be able to find the door to Gunner&#039;s control room. Juice explained how he&#039;d been separated from his own father during the Lost Ones&#039; invasion. &quot;So, I was helping out any way I could. Venice and I dug through all the scrap and found that black plane in pieces. There was this beaver robot already nearby looking for it, he patched it up.&quot; he explained. Copter chuckled softly. &quot;Sounds like Hoover&#039;s doing alright...&quot; he said, and opened the door he thought would lead to the control room. It was dark inside, so he found a light switch and flipped it. &quot;Monsters!! You won&#039;t take me alive!!&quot; someone shouted, shooting blindly towards the door! &quot;Proplasmar!!&quot; Gemini quickly erected a magical barrier to protect them until the person inside calmed down. Peering his head out from under a desk, he was revealed to be a GUN agent wearing purple shades. &quot;O-oh, it&#039;s you! Gunner would want me to throw you out but never mind! M-monsters! Ghosts! They ate all my friends! Y-you gotta help me!&quot; he whimpered. &quot;Oh, you work for Gunner, do you?&quot; Juice said with clenched fists. &quot;He killed my father&#039;s weird time-space copy...and also probably my father!&quot; Chopper growled. The agent backed up, whimpering nervously. Copter glanced at Chopper. &quot;Copy... Dimentime&#039;s dead?&quot; Chopper had avoided telling Copter too much about the future, but it was already clear that he himself was dead in Chopper&#039;s time. Hearing about Dimentime&#039;s death was a bit surprising. Chet took it upon himself to calm the angry kids. &quot;Hey, hey! This guy ain&#039;t Gunner! Uh, yo, what&#039;s your name?&quot; he asked. The frightened man babbled. &quot;Ah, A-agent 77...&quot; then he realized that his code name was pretty unnecessary here, &quot;Um... Steven...&quot; he murmured. Chopper and Juice&#039;s expressions softened, and Chet nodded. &quot;&#039;Kay, Steve, maybe you can help us. We need a computer linked to the robots.&quot; he said. Cream smiled gently. &quot;Please help us, Mr. Agent. Our friends are being held by those creatures.&quot; she said. Steven stood up slowly, lifting his shades to show his gentle brown eyes. &quot;Aww... You&#039;re adorable- why&#039;d I ever stay with Gunner? Okay, uh...what&#039;re we doing with the robots?&quot; he asked.<br /><br />And so, Agent 77, or &quot;Steven,&quot; sat down at one of the control room&#039;s computers, setting to work trying to establish a link with the remaining robots. There was a free computer nearby, so Chopper sat down and started messing with it. &quot;This is no time for games, kiddo.&quot; Copter told him. Chopper chuckled softly. &quot;When you&#039;re a gamer, you learn a thing or two about software... I think I can find where your friends are being held!&quot; he said. Chet and Casey rushed to his side, shoving Copter out of the way. &quot;Katie??&quot; &quot;My mom??&quot; they said at once. Chet&#039;s tail stood on end when he heard Casey call Katie his mom. He blushed a little. Chopper groaned softly having them both hovering over him. &quot;You both have the same impatience, you know that?&quot; he murmured. In the meantime, Juice and Gemini were watching Cream work at the other computer, Juice finding himself holding on to Cheese as the Chao fidgeted. &quot;I know little Chao, I don&#039;t like being cooped up here, either...&quot; he murmured. &quot;Well, I hope you two know what you&#039;re doing because this is all gibberish to me...&quot; Gemini said, looking at the screen. Cream giggled. &quot;We&#039;ve got this! Almost done!&quot; At that moment, Chopper had gotten some camera feeds up on the other computer. Amy&#039;s cell appeared onscreen, and Juice nearly dropped Cheese in surprise. &quot;Ah, err, uh... Wh-what&#039;s she doing there!?&quot; he babbled. Copter sighed. &quot;Making our lives that much harder...&quot; he murmured. Chopper clicked off the camera feeds and nodded. &quot;I&#039;ve got the location of the cells. I think all their prisoners will be there.&quot; he said. Steven wiped his brow. &quot;I think we got it! The robots will try to take out those monsters instead of you! ...Probably!&quot; he said. &quot;Probably?&quot; Copter grumbled. &quot;Well... I&#039;ll stay here and keep fine-tuning...&quot; the agent said. &quot;Oh, I feel LOADS better...&quot; Copter sighed. Chet stood up and turned for the door. &quot;No more time to waste! Let&#039;s go save our friends!&quot; he shouted.<br /><br />And so, the group rushed back to the stairwell they&#039;d found earier. Chet had raced there ahead of the others, being the fastest. &quot;I hope this works because I&#039;m not sure what the junior brigade can do against Lost Ones...&quot; Copter said to Gemini. &quot;Hey! We came to the past to save YOU guys!&quot; Juice retorted. Catching up with Chet, they found him waiting outside the stairwell with an anxious expression. &quot;No sign of any robots so far. Maybe the whole detour was a mistake...&quot; he grumbled. &quot;Well, it was your idea...&quot; Copter scoffed. Gemini gripped her wand tightly. &quot;Alright, you all wait out here, I&#039;ll clear the stairway.&quot; she said. &quot;Oh, please be careful...&quot; Cream squeaked. As Gemini stepped through the door, Copter went to follow her, but Chopper grabbed his arm. &quot;Don&#039;t go in there... What if it&#039;s an ambush? What if...&quot; The door reopened suddenly as Copter was standing in front of it, banging his nose. &quot;OWW!! Son of...me!&quot; he shouted, walking away to tend to his nose. &quot;S-sorry...&quot; Gemini murmured, &quot;You all might want to follow me, quick!&quot; she said hastily. Rubbing his nose, Copter followed behind the others, and looked up to see robots charging in from the top of the stairs, firing lasers at the losolanturns and distracting them! &quot;Well, well, looks like Steve and Cream came through!&quot; Casey smirked, making Cream smile bashfully. Chet started to rush up the stairs, with Gemini following. &quot;Hey, wait! It&#039;s still dangerous! What about the kids!&quot; Copter shouted, yelping as a losolanturn dropped down in front of his face! A blast from ground level knocked it away, and Copter turned to see Chopper holding a fancy Wispon. &quot;Something else I picked up while we were separated!&quot; he smirked. Copter growled. &quot;I&#039;m gonna tell you about using guns... Later. Right now, watch each other&#039;s backs!&quot; he said, racing up the stairs with the others behind him!<br /><br />Arriving at the next floor and the balcony beyond, Chet was forced to jump one of Loscream&#039;s vines straight away! The large pumpkin Lost One was busy swatting around hunter robots with its vines, snarling fiercely as it moved! The others weren&#039;t too far behind Chet. &quot;Well, good, he&#039;s distracted for now...&quot; Gemini murmured. Cream whimpered softly and hid behind Copter along with Cheese. &quot;D-don&#039;t let him get us...&quot; she squeaked. Loscream had terrorized her quite a bit during her escape. &quot;Believe me, Cream, I&#039;m not happy to be here, either...&quot; Copter said, looking around, &quot;Pretty sure my old cell was over that way. Also where I first met that creepy Doomsayer guy...&quot; he mumbled, looking around again to see the others running ahead without him! &quot;Reminisce another time!! Larger prison&#039;s this way!&quot; Chopper shouted. Sighing, Copter took Cream&#039;s hand and led her past Loscream, following after the others. The massive pumpkin saw them and stopped fighting robots to block their way with some vines! &quot;Oho!! The bunny that got away! Thank you for bringing her! Now, how would you like to be dismembered?&quot; Loscream bellowed. Cream yelped and clutched Cheese tightly, while Copter looked at the monstrous pumpkin with disgust. &quot;Just you wait, we&#039;re gonna take out all you creeps... You should&#039;ve stayed in the shadows!&quot; A few lasers from the remaining robots temporarily blinded Loscream, so Copter took his chance, spinning his tails to fly over the vines in their path. Cream flapped her large ears to follow after him through the air! &quot;Never thought I&#039;d be teaming up with those robots when I came back here...&quot; Copter murmured, hurrying past Loscream to catch up to his friends!<br /><br />The group arrived at the prison, cells lining the dark area. As they hurried forward, they found Tommy standing in their path. &quot;Tom?&quot; Chet murmured, &quot;Hey! D-did you escape? What about Katie?&quot; he asked. Tommy was standing stiff, looking at them with a vacant expression. &quot;She&#039;s...here...&quot; he said. Katie stepped out of the shadows behind him, wearing the same vacant expression. &quot;Mom... Is she okay??&quot; Casey asked. Gemini raised her hand to warn the others against moving forward. &quot;Something isn&#039;t right.&quot; she said, raising her wand, &quot;Abra-ka-shine-ra!&quot; Her wand emitted a soft light, illuminating the room ahead. Ophiuchus could be seen glaring at them through the darkness. &quot;Quite observant. Yes, Gemini, we have nothing left to teach you!&quot; he grinned. &quot;YOU never taught me anything!&quot; Gemini snapped. Chet bared his claws at the snake. &quot;You&#039;ve got Katie hypnotized like I was! Let her go, or you&#039;ll be sorry!&quot; he warned. Ophiuchus held the Chaos Stones in his hands, pointing them at the next cell across the hall. The door swung open, and Amy could be heard inside. &quot;S-stay away from me, you creep!&quot; she shouted. Cream stepped forward with Cheese at her side. &quot;What are you doing to Amy!?&quot; she shouted as Copter followed after her. &quot;Careful, no telling what this guy&#039;ll do!&quot; he warned. Ophi sneered through the dark at them. &quot;I of course knew you&#039;d never give in to Lospecter&#039;s request. So, I&#039;ve been preparing for your arrival. I requisitioned some assistance in subduing you...&quot; he stated, snapping his fingers. As he did so, two more figures approached from the darkness. Copter squinted, and then his eyes widened as the silhouette came into view. &quot;Punchy!?&quot; he stammered. The other figure looked like Crash the rhino. However, as they stepped forward, it was clear they were not the friends they knew. &quot;Wrong, foxy... I&#039;ve evolved past needing Punchy!&quot; The echidna before them was the black and green form or Dark Punchy! &quot;...You can call me Punky now!&quot; he smirked. The rhino was darker in color, with a black derby, red gloves and a yellow horn. &quot;Name&#039;s Thrash! &#039;Sup, little kids!&quot; Dark Crash grunted. Ophiuchus reached into the cell towards Amy. &quot;Now that the pleasantries are out of the way... Attack them, all of you! I&#039;ll get this girl ready to join you...&quot; he ordered, recoiling as a hammer was swung towards him, &quot;Feisty...&quot; he hissed. &quot;I think you forgot the last time we met, snake!&quot; Amy warned.<br /><br />So, while &quot;Punky&quot; and &quot;Thrash&quot; ran after Copter, Gemini and Chet, the others were left with the hypnotized Katie and Tommy. Cream had something else to worry about, though. &quot;Please be gentle with my friends, I&#039;m going to help Amy!&quot; she said, rushing around toward Ophiuchus. This left Chopper, Juice and Casey with Katie and Tommy. Chopper raised his Wispon. &quot;S-stay back!&quot; he warned. Casey slapped him in the back of the head in response. &quot;Don&#039;t point that thing at my mom!!&quot; he grunted. At that moment, Tommy lunged at Chopper, fighting to grab his Wispon! &quot;Hey! That&#039;s mine!!&quot; he growled, struggling to keep his grip without hurting the porcupine. Katie approached Juice in the meantime, throwing a punch his way! He sidestepped it and backed away, looking unsure of what to do. &quot;Is there any way to break the spell?&quot; he asked. Casey pulled Chopper away from Tommy, thinking he was helping, but the porcupine was left holding the Wispon! &quot;Uhhh&hellip; Run!&quot; he yelped, both of them fleeing out of the way as Tommy started shooting at them wildly! Meanwhile, Cream approached Ophiuchus. &quot;Don&#039;t you touch my friend!&quot; she shouted, stopping suddenly as Amy stepped out of the cell! Ophiuchus smirked at her. &quot;How fitting. Now your friend can stuff you back in your cage!&quot; he sneered as Amy lifted her hammer, leering at Cream with cold, hypnotized eyes. As the hammer came at Cream&#039;s head, Cheese flew in front of it and blocked the attack, falling at the rabbit&#039;s feet! &quot;Oh no!!&quot; Cream gasped, lifting Cheese into her arms and looking at Amy nervously. &quot;P-please... Y-you don&#039;t want to do this!&quot; she whimpered. As Amy swung her hammer at Cream again, she flew up out of the hammer&#039;s reach, carrying the injured Cheese with her to safety! &quot;Amy!! I... I have to defend Cheese! I-I&#039;m sorry!&quot; she said, dropping down and kicking Amy in the face! She growled, looking at Cream and clutching her hammer tightly. They needed some way to break Ophi&#039;s spell, fast!<br /><br />Chet was quickly thrown across the hall by Dark Punchy, or &quot;Punky&quot; as he chose to call himself. Gemini glanced back at him with concern. &quot;Be careful! Darks are no joke!&quot; she warned. &quot;Clearly...&quot; Chet groaned, taking a knee. Copter leapt at Punky, swinging his tails at him, only for the echidna to catch them and swing him around, smacking him into the prison bars! &quot;Idiot! You can&#039;t hurt me that way without those tailbands! Why Punchy held you in such high regard, I&#039;ll never know!&quot; he said to taunt him. Copter stood up with a growl. &quot;I didn&#039;t run from my dark side, and I won&#039;t run from you!&quot; he cried. Punky cracked his neck and smirked, &quot;Good, because without Sonic to save you, the only way you can delay me is running. Just stand there, and I&#039;ll rip your head off quickly...&quot; he sneered. As Punky got close, they both cried out at the same time, &quot;Chaos Blast!&quot; As explosions rocked their little area, Gemini was busy running from Thrash the rhino. &quot;Where you goin&#039;, little girl? I promise to leave you with as few broken bones as possible!&quot; he shouted. Gemini ignored him, heading for Ophiuchus as he watched Amy chase after Cream. &quot;Our friends are going nowhere if I can&#039;t break his hold on them... Ugh, Miniatina!&quot; she shouted, pointing her wand back at Thrash! Her spell shrank him down to about the size of a Chao. &quot;Very funny! But darkness cannot be contained in a tiny package!&quot; Thrash shouted in a squeaky voice. Chet approached him and lightly kicked the rhino. &quot;Lookit the widdle whino...&quot; he babbled in baby talk. Growling, Thrash fired jolts of dark lightning from his horn, knocking Chet flat on his back! &quot;I wish I had powers other than speed...&quot; Chet groaned. Meanwhile, Gemini went to fling a spell at Ophi, but he raised his Chaos Stones to her and erected a barrier! Gemini growled softly, but then smirked. &quot;Your mind control spell requires focus to maintain, doesn&#039;t it? Must be harder with Zodiac Station gone...&quot; she stated, flinging spells at his barrier again and again! Ophi smirked at her. &quot;My dear, you underestimate me...&quot; he hissed. Gemini shook her head. &quot;Oh, I&#039;m not willing to make that mistake. Chronokadabra!!&quot; She cast a spell creating a time portal before them, a move that shocked Ophiuchus. &quot;You fool! If you use time travel, so can I! And I can warn my past self of all of this!!&quot; he shouted, staring into the portal as though fixated on it. &quot;Abra-ka-warpra!&quot; In the distraction, Gemini warped behind the snake! &quot;And... Snorozika!!&quot; Before Ophiuchus knew what was happening, Gemini had cast a sleep spell on him! He staggered towards the time portal drowsily, but Gemini dispelled it as he collapsed in exhaustion. Just in time, as Amy was able to stop herself mere moments before smashing Cream with her hammer. &quot;Gah!? C-cream?! What happened??&quot; she babbled.<br /><br />A clapping was heard in the shadows. Thrash and Punky left the battered heroes to stand at either side of the glowing eyes approaching in the darkness. As the heroes quickly regrouped, they looked to see Apocalos stepping out of the shadows! &quot;Well done, girl, using the snake&#039;s desire against him. He would indeed travel in time, but we monitor his activity closely. And I can follow him to the past should the need arise...&quot; he explained. Chet and Casey were hugging Katie closely as she shook off the hypnosis, while Tommy stood nervously behind Amy and Cream. Juice and Chopper watched with tension as an injured Copter joined Gemini in staring down Apocalos. &quot;What do you want with Gemini??&quot; Copter grunted. The slimy dino-hedgehog chuckled, his pointy teeth bared in a wide grin. &quot;Such bravado will get you killed one day, fox. I yearn to kill a fox... Bard got away from me all those years ago you see, as did Astra. But that&#039;s not why I require this girl...&quot; he said, reaching a clawed hand slowly toward her, all the heroes backing up a step in nervousness. &quot;Gemini... You are immune to the Lost Ones. We cannot take your soul, cannot convert you. Of course, my goal is to overcome this... To learn the secret of your immunity, and... take... your... soul!!&quot; he spoke with ferocious determination, and was walking straight toward Gemini. Frightened and reacting out of panic, Gemini grabbed Copter&#039;s arm. &quot;Everyone, get close!! Galaporta!!&quot; With a brilliant flash of light, Gemini warped the group out of the room, presumably taking them to safety. Thrash walked over to Ophi and nudged him. &quot;Wake up! I need you to un-shrink me!&quot; he squeaked. Apocalos folded his arms and snickered softly. &quot;What&#039;s so funny?&quot; Punky asked. Apocalos turned and headed back into the shadows. &quot;We still have the prisoners&#039; DNA... Once Lospecter gets back with Loskeletor, we&#039;ll make good use of it. I have waited ever so patiently for this day. Let them run, let them pretend to have hope. Their world is over... Or better put, lost...&quot;<br /><br />To be continued...&nbsp;&nbsp;- Weeee Wish You a Merry Christmas! -<br /><br />Booster the reindeer soared over Central City, looking down on the devastation caused by the Lost Ones with a sad expression. &quot;This isn&#039;t holly or jolly... What do we do about this?&quot; he whimpered, &quot;But I&#039;m here because people are scared down there! Hang in, people!&quot; he said to no one, dashing down and speeding about the town, searching for those that the North Pole could see were still trapped in the city. He found Chief Paynson attempting to hotwire a car while Dave was keeping watch. &quot;Hey! What&#039;re you doing? This looks like Naughty List behavior!&quot; Booster shouted. &quot;Gaah!! Shush! Don&#039;t draw the monsters here!!&quot; Paynson grunted. Dave looked at the flying reindeer with bright, amazed eyes. &quot;Oh my goshhh, it&#039;s one of Santa&#039;s reindeer! Santa Claus is real! In your face, Becky from third grade!&quot; he said excitedly. Booster smiled and shook Dave&#039;s hand. &quot;That&#039;s right! And Santa sees everything! Even all this madness! And it&#039;s making him so very sad... So I set out to help people so that Christmas can still happen this year!&quot; he said with a giggle. Paynson revved the engine of the vehicle he was trying to get moving, only for it to pathetically sputter and silence. &quot;Ugghh... I think you have your priorities a little...skewed, Mr. Reindeer. Christmas is already cancelled, or didn&#039;t you notice the nightmare we&#039;re stuck in!&quot; The reindeer wasn&#039;t paying too much attention, but rather had pulled out a long-ish list and was reading over it. &quot;Say, wasn&#039;t Lucky with you guys? He was the reason I came out here. We owe him one for dealing with a certain boogie-man a while back.&quot; he babbled. Dave rubbed the back of his head. &quot;Ahh, he and his twin kinda led the monsters away from us. S-sorry... We shoulda stayed with them, I knew it, now Santa will be upset...&quot; he squealed. Booster sighed and then patted him on the head. &quot;Now, now, chin up! Everything&#039;ll be just fine! As long as good boys and girls with light in their hearts carry on, we&#039;ll all pull through!&quot; he smiled, starting to rise into the air. Paynson gasped and reached out for him. &quot;W-wait! Take us with you!&quot; he sputtered. &quot;Ah, I don&#039;t got a sleigh!&quot; Booster said bashfully, &quot;But here! I got some presents for ya!&quot; he giggled, tossing wrapped packages down to the duo before dashing away into the distance! Dave excitedly tore into the paper. &quot;Clean underwear! It&#039;s a little creepy that Santa knows I need it...&quot; he murmured. Paynson awkwardly looked at his package. &quot;Please be a spark plug...&quot; he grumbled, only to find a mustache grooming kit. &quot;I mean...it&#039;s just what I wanted...&quot; he sniffled, &quot;But it&#039;s no help!!&quot; Dave held up a paper. &quot;There&#039;s something else in here, too!&quot; he babbled. They looked, and saw an address scribbled down. &quot;...a safe place?&quot; Paynson questioned. They&#039;d have to try it. Santa wouldn&#039;t steer them wrong, right...?<br /><br /><br />Chapter 14 - The Wisp Mine<br />Stage 8 - Wisp Mine<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;Let&#039;s take a dive, in Aquatic Mine.<br />Once was a coal pit, but now it&#039;s a water ride.<br />Makes you wanna sit back, enjoy the life,<br />And do things you like, you will get to shine.<br />It sure beats fighting with them foes all the time.<br />But I gotta do it, they always stay outta line.<br />Sometimes I wanna just chill and laugh,<br />But I&#039;m the protector of the Emeralds and gems.&quot; - Aquatic Mine, Sonic Adventure 2<br /><br /><br />In their search for Chaos Emeralds, Knuckles and Violet left Central City and headed for a mountainous region that Knuckles could recall searching for Master Emerald pieces in years ago. He&#039;d even gotten lost in the Aquatic Mines in this region. Now, he found himself at another, decidedly less aquatic mine. Arriving at the entrance to the mine cavern, they found Dulcy the dragon curled up resting. &quot;...Don&#039;t I know her?&quot; Knuckles mused, trying to think. A dragon ought to be really memorable, but...he&#039;d had a heck of a couple years. At that moment, Rotor the walrus walked out of the cave, looking quite surprised to see them. &quot;Well, if it isn&#039;t the leader of the Resistance!&quot; he smiled. Knuckles looked away awkwardly. &quot;I&#039;m not exactly leading anything these days. Back to treasure hunting for me.&quot; he murmured. Violet pointed at Rotor as she realized who he was. &quot;You&#039;re the inventor of the Wispons!&quot; she blurted. The walrus nodded, giving Dulcy a shake to wake her up. &quot;That&#039;s right, my name&#039;s Rotor and this is Dulcy.&quot; he said to refresh their memories. The dragon woke with a start. &quot;Wha? Ma? I don&#039;t wanna go to school, the other kids tease me!&quot; she babbled. &quot;You didn&#039;t have to wake her...&quot; Violet said apologetically, &quot;We&#039;re just looking for a Chaos Emerald.&quot; she explained. Dulcy came out of her wooziness and looked at the echidnas. &quot;Chaos Emerald? No, I dug out that whole cave and I didn&#039;t see any emeralds.&quot; she yawned. Rotor nodded. &quot;This operation&#039;s not for jewels. It&#039;s, uh...&quot; Before he could finish speaking, a Wisp flew out of the cave, talking up a storm in his alien language. &quot;Yacker, slow down, you know I can&#039;t understand you without the translator.&quot; Rotor sighed. Knuckles watched the Wisp with confusion. &quot;What the...?&quot; he murmured. Dulcy smiled. &quot;This is a Wisp Mine. Some of the Wisps stayed on Earth after Eggman&#039;s theme park was wrecked. They lend us their energy to power Wispons.&quot; she explained as Rotor used a translator device to figure out Yacker&#039;s speech. &quot;Sounds like the Wisps have actually discovered a... weird glowy rock. You might be on the right track for a Chaos Emerald.&quot; he said. Knuckles and Violet let out a relieved sigh. This lesson on Wisps and mining wasn&#039;t a total waste. &quot;Right, lead the way, Yapper!&quot; Knuckles asked. Yacker let out a few annoyed grunts, probably at Knuckles getting his name wrong.<br /><br />Rotor and Yacker led Knuckles and Violet into the mine. Dulcy remained outside; Though she had dug out much of the mine tunnels, she really didn&#039;t like going underground, it triggered her claustrophobia. The initial entrance area looked much like a normal mine, digging equipment set by the rock walls, a kart on tracks set to help transport rubble and minerals, and wooden supports set up to keep the ceiling from caving in. Violet looked around curiously. &quot;How exactly do you... &#039;mine&#039; for Wisp energy?&quot; she asked. Rotor glanced back at her. &quot;Hyper-go-on energy. The Wisps live in the surrounding area, and have even started making homes in the caves. They radiate this power, and it seeps into the ground naturally. I have tech that can siphon this energy. In exchange, we&#039;re doing our best to make these caves comfortable for the Wisps that moved in down here.&quot; he explained. Knuckles scratched his head. &quot;I always thought you just crammed Wisps directly into the Wispons...&quot; he murmured. Rotor coughed softly. &quot;W-well, you can do that, but... This way is definitely kinder.&quot; he stated. Yacker made some mutters of agreement. It was important to remember that Wisps were still living things. At any rate, Violet glanced at the mine kart with a smirk. &quot;Hey, can we ride that?&quot; she asked. Before Rotor could answer, an explosion rocked the cave! The entrance crumbled, sealing them in as holes were blown in the roof! &quot;T-take cover!!&quot; Rotor shouted, scrambling for safety along with the others. Dulcy&#039;s voice could barely be heard on the other side of the sealed entrance. &quot;Hang on, fellas! I&#039;ll dig you out! Unnngh!!&quot; she grunted. Waving off the dust from the cave-in, Violet looked to see ropes dropping through the holes in the roof, animals in familiar uniforms climbing down! &quot;Oh, great... It&#039;s the Covenant of Despair!&quot; she growled.<br /><br />Bears and dogs, some of Despair&#039;s go-to species, had started storming the cave. Before Knuckles could chase after them, Eddie the hyena appeared in front of him in a puff of smoke! &quot;Eeeee hee hee! Hey, red, been a while! Miss me?&quot; The blue hyena smirked at him, and then glanced at Violet, &quot;Eee hee... You as well? Much as I&#039;d like to catch up, we have business in this mine.&quot; he chuckled. Knuckles growled at him. &quot;You&#039;re here for the emerald! I won&#039;t let you take it!!&quot; he shouted, throwing a punch at the hyena, only to fall right through him! &quot;Eeeee hee hee hee!! I&#039;m not really here, silly! I&#039;m getting a head start on this treasure hunt!&quot; Eddie cackled. Violet crossed her arms. &quot;What the heck is Despair up to? What would they want with a Chaos Emerald?&quot; she asked. Eddie stuck his tongue out at her. &quot;Maybe you&#039;d know if you hadn&#039;t ditched us! Hee hee hee! Bye bye! Oh, mutts! Busy these echidnas for a while so the bears can start their search!&quot; he said before vanishing. The dogs broke from the pack of Despair agents and started towards the echidnas, growling and raising their fists. Rotor watched this whole thing with a bit of panic on his face. &quot;What&#039;ll these guys do to the Wisps?&quot; he asked. Nobody wanted to think of Despair with Wisps. Knuckles charged at the nearest Despair Dog, ducked his punch, and gave him a solid return punch to the star symbol on the chest of his uniform! &quot;Outta the way, pups! I&#039;ll knock you all out if you try to stop me!&quot; he warned. One of the dogs at the back started to glow with dark energy. &quot;It won&#039;t be that easy!&quot; he shouted. Violet rolled her eyes and charged at him, meeting his dark energy beam with a beam of her own! Meanwhile, Knuckles kept busy trading blows with the non-magical dogs. One of them slammed into one of the cave&#039;s supports after Knuckles knocked him away, and the roof started to shake somewhat. &quot;B-be careful!!&quot; Rotor shouted.<br /><br />Dulcy could hear the sounds of the scuffle inside, and had a worried expression. &quot;Hang on, guys! These boulders are heavy!&quot; she shouted, frustrated. Inside, Rotor was trying to secure the supports to keep the cave from collapsing. &quot;Why couldn&#039;t the Wisps settle on a nice, safe beach? Sand and coconuts... I need a vacation...&quot; he grumbled, working as fast as he could. The fighting soon subsided, though; A small group of dogs weren&#039;t enough to stop Knuckles and Violet. The purple echidna gave her magical opponent a kick in frustration as he laid on the ground unconscious. &quot;Why would anyone still work for Despair anymore? Are there really so many hateful Mobians?&quot; she groaned. Knuckles dusted off his gloves and glanced at her. &quot;Well, you joined them once. I&#039;d think you&#039;d understand better than me.&quot; he stated. Violet sighed. &quot;I was in a bad place, and they gave me an outlet for my anger...&quot; she recalled. They heard movement around the hole above, and looked up, raising their fists defensively. Sliding down one of the ropes came a familiar face, Shade the echidna! &quot;Hey, guys! I finally caught up to ya!&quot; she smirked as she landed on the ground. Looking around, she chuckled softly. &quot;Looks like I missed the action, though.&quot; she murmured. &quot;Shade!? How&#039;d you find us!?&quot; Knuckles stammered. She shrugged. &quot;Actually, I&#039;m looking for whoever broke into my house. I was following around those sketchy black-suited guys, they seemed suspicious.&quot; she explained. Violet nodded. &quot;Yeah, they&#039;re suspicious alright... In fact, we should be getting after them.&quot; she pointed out. Knuckles gasped. &quot;Right! The emerald! C&#039;mon, Shade, we&#039;ll explain everything on the way. You ever heard of a Wisp Mine?&quot; he asked as the three of them started to walk off deeper into the mine. Rotor glanced at them and sighed. &quot;Oh, no worries, guys. I&#039;ll just stay back here and help Dulcy get the cave open...&quot; he murmured.<br /><br />Yacker popped out from behind a big rock, and then soared into the mine and raced past Knuckles and the girls. The Wisp seemed a bit panicked. &quot;He must be worried about his friends.&quot; Violet said. They hurried after the Wisp, deep into the tunnels until the tunnel came to an end. The echidnas gasped at what they found on the other side. The interior caverns were vast, and between the stalactites and stalagmites, a natural wonderland had been created through the magic of the Wisp&#039;s powers. What looked like flora from Planet Wisp was growing amongst luminous mushrooms that lit up the caves. It was rather beautiful. &quot;This isn&#039;t what I pictured when Rotor mentioned a mine...&quot; Knuckles murmured. Shade looked around with a serious expression. &quot;Guys, the little creatures are upset...&quot; she observed. She pointed out places where some Wisps were hiding, looking rather fearful. Violet frowned. &quot;Despair must have been this way...&quot; she stated. &quot;Well, there aren&#039;t many other ways they could have gone...&quot; Knuckles pointed out. That wasn&#039;t entirely true. The cavern ahead was quite large and maze-like. Shade rubbed her chin. &quot;Well... Let&#039;s follow the path of fear. That should lead us to the villains.&quot; she stated. The others nodded, and headed down the path where Wisps weren&#039;t floating about freely, but hiding instead. Using this strategy, it didn&#039;t take long to find a part of the mine with an underground spring, where uniformed bears were trying to corner a number of colorful Wisps while Yacker tried to pull them away with his little tendrils! One of the bears smacked Yacker to the floor! &quot;Back off! You&#039;re one of those lame powerless Wisps! I want fire powers!!&quot; he growled. Knuckles jumped in between the bear and Yacker as fast as he could. &quot;Hey, ya big bully! Pick on someone your own size!!&quot; he roared. Violet could see other Despair agents escaping deeper into the mine. &quot;Knuckles, the Chaos Emerald!&quot; she yelped. If they stayed to protect the Wisps, Despair might beat them to the emerald!<br /><br />Knuckles charged towards the bears anyway. &quot;The emerald can wait! Hands off those Wisps!&quot; he shouted. The bear he was charging towards immediately grabbed the nearest Wisp forcefully. &quot;Give me FIRE!!&quot; he snarled. The blue wisp in his hand squealed in fright and reacted, transforming the bear into a large, blue cube and shaking the surrounding area with a powerful slam! Both the bears and echidnas wobbled in place, and when the cube turned back into a bear, said bear looked rather bewildered. &quot;That...wasn&#039;t fire.&quot; he stammered. Knuckles quickly punched him in the jaw. &quot;It wasn&#039;t funny either! We&#039;re in a cave, you could kill us all!!&quot; he yelled. Violet and Shade got their bearings and went for the other bears, who each grabbed Wisps of their own. Violet jumped out of the way as a pink ball of spikes rolled past her, and Shade grabbed on to an orange rocket moments before it took off in a rather wild and random flight path! &quot;Yaaaah!! Let the Wisp go and let us down!!&quot; Shade cried. Violet caught up to the dizzy bear after the pink Wisp popped out of him. &quot;You guys could be a real menace if you had any idea what you were doing.&quot; she sighed. Once the rocket crashed into the spring, Violet and Knuckles raced to check on Shade. They found her laying atop a glowing mushroom, the previously rocketing bear collapsed in the shallow water below. &quot;I guess they pretty much took care of themselves... You okay, Shade?&quot; Knuckles asked. &quot;I-I&#039;ll be okay in a minute...&quot; she said woozily. Knuckles and Violet turned to check on the Wisps. They were gathered around Yacker, who seemed okay, and was saying something to the others. Together, the Wisps all flew somewhere else in the mines. &quot;I hope they know what they&#039;re doing...&quot; Knuckles sighed. Violet nodded and patted Knuckles on the back. &quot;We did the right thing. If we left them to Despair, who knows what might&#039;ve happened to them.&quot; she stated, &quot;But... I hope the others don&#039;t get the emerald now...&quot; she added with concern.<br /><br />Before they could go too far, a long, wet object whipped its way toward the echidnas! Backing up, they looked to see a frog hopping toward them. &quot;...Porky??&quot; Violet murmured, looking puzzled. The frog stomped the ground angrily. &quot;Do I look like a bloody pig! I&#039;m Corky, ya bloomin&#039; idiot! Corky da frog!&quot; he shouted. Knuckles looked at him cautiously. &quot;You&#039;re looking slimy...even for a frog.&quot; he said anxiously. The laughter of Eddie the hyena rang behind them. &quot;Eeeeee hee!! I don&#039;t know if you know, but Corky died! The last victim of the original Deathbringer, I&#039;ve heard!&quot; he said as he approached, Shade turning to keep her eye on him while the others kept watching Corky. &quot;He looks pretty good for a dead guy.&quot; she stated. Corky hopped across the area toward one of the downed bears. &quot;I got meself a new lease on life, courtesy o&#039; the Lost Ones!&quot; he grunted, slinging his tongue at the wounded bear and wrapping it around his neck, choking the life out of him! &quot;No! Stop it!!&quot; Violet shouted, moving to stop him only for Knuckles to grab her arm. &quot;He&#039;s not the Corky you knew. He&#039;s worse. Be careful.&quot; he warned. Shade watched with wide eyes as Corky&#039;s slimy tongue corrupted the bear as he murdered him, turning him into a Lost One, too! The other bears scrambled to get to their feet, but Corky released the newly transformed one from his grip, sending it after its former friends! Eddie laughed like there was something hilarious about this. &quot;Eeee hee hee hee! Despair&#039;s under new management, it seems! Well, not really, I still took my orders from Anubis. I don&#039;t care. Any chance to wipe the floor with you is okay with me!&quot; he smirked as the bears came back with dead looks in their eyes. The echidnas all raised their fists, ready for another fight. &quot;Got your gauntlets, Shade? I think it&#039;s time to get chaotic!&quot; Knuckles grinned.<br /><br />As Knuckles equipped his Chaos Claws, multiple illusions of Eddie surrounded him! &quot;Eee hee! If you wanna claw the Lost Ones, gotta get past me!&quot; he taunted. He would keep Knuckles&#039; Chaos Relic off the board while Violet and Shade fought the undead bears and Corky. Fortunately, Shade still had the Chaos Gauntlets, so the bears wouldn&#039;t be too much trouble. But Knuckles HATED dealing with Eddie&#039;s illusions. &quot;Why don&#039;t you fight fair for once!&quot; he shouted. Eddie stuck out his tongue. &quot;You got no blue hedgehog around to help you out this time! Eee hee!!&quot; the hyena taunted, several of his copies charging Knuckles at once! He slashed one into nothingness with the Chaos Claws, but was swiftly kicked in his sides by the others! &quot;Ooof!! You dirty cheater! But I know any hyena that comes at me has to be fake!&quot; he reasoned. Eddie shrugged. &quot;You&#039;re right. That&#039;s boring...&quot; he murmured. So, all the Eddies turned into Knuckles&#039; friends; Sonic, Tails, Amy, Silver and Gemini, based on what Eddie knew. Now, Knuckles had no idea which was Eddie. &quot;If you think I won&#039;t punch Sonic, Gemini or Tails, you&#039;re sadly mistaken!&quot; he shouted. Amy&#039;s hammer swung at him, forcing him to jump backward! &quot;Don&#039;t touch my Sonic! Eee hee!&quot; Eddie said in disguise. He was also suddenly whacked with a homing attack! &quot;Argh!! Hold still, you scumbag!!&quot; Knuckles shouted. Meanwhile, Violet was busy evading Corky&#039;s tongue as he hopped about, lashing it towards her! &quot;You were gross before and now you&#039;re worse!&quot; she groaned, noting the slime dripping onto the floor from his tongue. &quot;If it weren&#039;t fer the Lost Ones, I&#039;d be gone fer good! Now, I see clear... Really, lass, I&#039;m tryin&#039; to &#039;elp you ta gain immortality like I got!&quot; he grunted. Violet hurled a ball of dark magic at him, which didn&#039;t do very much. &quot;You don&#039;t fool me! Undead is dead!&quot; she huffed. Shade was trying to hit the bears with her Chaos Gauntlets, but they had become oddly fast now that they were dead. &quot;This might be a problem...&quot; she said. &quot;You&#039;re telling me!!&quot; Knuckles groaned as he was carried up by &quot;Tails&quot; so that Sonic, Amy and Silver could jump up and attack him repeatedly! It wasn&#039;t looking good, but they were about to get backup.<br /><br />Yacker flew back onto the scene with a number of other Wisps, and their varied numbers of eyes all looked MAD. A red Wisp flew into Knuckles, and he BURST into flames, burning off Eddie&#039;s illusions and causing the hyena to jump out of the way as his tail got singed! A purple Wisp flew to Violet, and she transformed into a FRENZY monster, chomping at the bit and chasing after a suddenly panicked Corky! A crimson Wisp enabled Shade to transform into an EAGLE, and she flew about in this form, tearing through the undead slimy bears and reducing them to nothing but inert slime! In a moment, the Wisps popped out of the echidnas, and they stood together as Eddie and Corky stood before them. &quot;Well, dat was cheatin...&quot; Corky complained. &quot;Eeehehe... Little guys think they&#039;re tough now? Well, let&#039;s see how brave they are...&quot; Eddie smirked, using his illusions to display the monstrous form of Despair, the horrific combination of the Darkseeker and Shadow Chaos that Super Knuckles had to take on some years ago! Granted, it was much smaller in the cave, but it was still imposing enough to frighten off the Wisps once again! Knuckles stood firm, pointing his Chaos Claws at the illusion. &quot;We&#039;ve got you outnumbered now, Eddie!&quot; he shouted. Shade clenched her fists in the Chaos Gauntlets as well, and Violet&#039;s hands glowed with dark energy. They heard Corky croak behind the illusion. &quot;I ain&#039;t keen on dyin&#039; again. See ya around, blokes and lasses!&quot; he said before hopping off. As the illusion faded, they heard Eddie&#039;s laugh echoing through the caves. &quot;...I have a feeling we haven&#039;t seen the last of them.&quot; Violet frowned. Knuckles nodded. &quot;Let&#039;s hurry and find the Chaos Emerald before we do...&quot; he said.<br /><br /><br />Back at the entrance, Rotor and Dulcy had finally gotten the cave back open. &quot;Whew... I&#039;ll say it again, I wish the Wisps had settled somewhere a bit more safe...&quot; Rotor sighed. Dulcy yawned. &quot;Well, maybe now I can get back to my nap...&quot; she murmured. &quot;Hold on, somebody&#039;s coming...&quot; Rotor said, noticing a figure in a black robe approaching. It was a grey wolf with red highlights in his fur, along with red eyes. Rotor clutched a wrench threateningly. &quot;Hey, you... You&#039;re not with the guys who blew open my mine&#039;s roof, are you?&quot; he asked. The wolf raised a hand to call for peace. &quot;My name is Howler. You could say I am following those ruffians. Allow me through, and I will take them from this place for you.&quot; he said in a calm voice. Dulcy looked at him sleepily. &quot;Well, I know I&#039;m not going into the cave after them... It&#039;s up to you, Rotor.&quot; she yawned. The walrus&#039; eyes narrowed, but he had no particular reason to feel one way or another about the visitor. &quot;Be careful in there. And try not to frighten the Wisps inside...&quot; he said. Howler bowed politely. &quot;Good fortune to you, fellow animal. I&#039;ll be on my way...&quot; he said. As the wolf stepped into the mine&#039;s entrance, he lifted his red-streaked hood over his face, his red eyes glowing in the dark. He also adjusted his robe to allow his twin, red-tipped tails to pop out of the bottom. Beneath his hood, the Darkseeker smirked widely. &quot;Wisps? Aliens from outside our world? How disgusting. Are you protecting them, O Guardian of All?&quot; he whispered in a sinister tone, walking down the path Knuckles had gone not so long ago, &quot;But more importantly, the Chaos Emerald... Let&#039;s see which of us will claim this treasure today. And if you have any Chaos Relics with you, so much the better...&quot; he said, a low, sinister laugh escaping him as Howler the wolf went once more on the prowl...<br /><br /><br />Chapter 15 - Darkness in the Depths<br />Stage 8 - Wisp Mine<br /><br />Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA. You knew that, right?<br />GeneX and related OCs are (c) 2BIT (TheGreatGator), the author.<br /><br /><br />&quot;Wake up, living day by day.<br />Do what I want, and I&#039;ll do it my way.<br />The world is flying right below my feet.<br />Got no regrets inside of me.<br />Not looking back!<br />Not giving up! <br />Not letting go!<br />I&#039;ll keep on running!&quot; - Reach for the Stars, Sonic Colors<br /><br /><br />Howler, the Darkseeker, had arrived in the mine. As he followed the tunnels, knowingly heading in the direction of Knuckles, he eventually came across the retreating Eddie and Corky. Even the undead Corky expressed shock to see the Darkseeker out and about. &quot;B-b-boss! Yer here!&quot; he stammered. Eddie clenched his fists. &quot;Eee hee... What illusion is this? The Darkseeker is dead.&quot; he said warily. The hooded wolf snickered softly. &quot;Edward... You should know I plan for every eventuality. The Despair Seal that Anubis was carrying had a piece of my soul bound to it. Yes, much like how Tikal&#039;s heart was bound to the Master Emerald...you&#039;re not supposed to know what I&#039;m talking about there.&quot; he stated, &quot;The Lost Ones recovered the Seal as well as my body.&quot; He lifted his robed arm, pulling back his sleeve to show the Despair Seal, &quot;As long as I wear this seal, I am immortal. Remove it, though, and my rotting corpse reveals its true form. I have those echidnas to thank for this state of affairs... Needless to say, I&#039;m disappointed you haven&#039;t killed them.&quot; he said with a growl. Corky recoiled and hid behind Eddie. He really wasn&#039;t keen on dying a second time, but the hyena had a bit more self-esteem. &quot;Eeee hee hee... Nice story, boss. World&#039;s changed a bit since you&#039;ve been gone, though. Wisps are like weird, living mini-Chaos Emeralds. Eee hee! And sadly we aren&#039;t versed in making them work for us!&quot; he chuckled. Howler turned his back to them and raised his hands, pools of darkness appearing before him. &quot;I have something from home that could prove useful here...&quot; he said as shadowy claws reached out of the dark pools! Shadowy demons resembling Despair agents long since passed emerged from the pools, snarling viciously. &quot;Go, my Demons. Find that Master Emerald guardian. I have business with Athair&#039;s heir!&quot; he commanded, letting the demons speed into the caverns like shadows as Corky recoiled in fright! &quot;Blimey... You still got it, boss!&quot; the frog babbled.<br /><br /><br />Knuckles, Violet and Shade found another mine kart in the caverns. This one seemed to go through a rather long tunnel. &quot;Alright, now, as much fun as walking has been... Come on! How can we not ride one of these?&quot; Violet asked, tugging Knuckles&#039; arm. &quot;Now you&#039;re reminding me of your sister with that energy.&quot; Knuckles muttered as he was pulled along. Shade chuckled softly. &quot;What&#039;s the matter, Knuckles? Don&#039;t like roller coasters?&quot; she teased. The red echidna scoffed. &quot;A mine kart is hardly a roller coaster.&quot; he said, climbing aboard after Violet. These karts weren&#039;t really designed to carry more than two people, but Shade sat herself next to Knuckles anyway. &quot;Okay, uhh... Cast off!&quot; Shade babbled. &quot;That&#039;s boat lingo.&quot; Violet chuckled, finding a lever and pulling it to get the kart moving. It started off going at a fairly slow, relaxing pace, passing beautifully luminous mushrooms as it rolled through the tunnel. Shade yawned softly. &quot;This is...nice...&quot; she said, resting her head on Knuckles&#039; shoulder. Both echidnas realized how closely they were positioned, and suddenly jolted, edging away and looked out the sides of the kart, their faces red with blush. &quot;I...should be in front...&quot; Knuckles babbled. &quot;Nope, I was here first!&quot; Violet teased. After a moment, though, she gasped and gripped the sides of the kart tightly. &quot;I take it back, I wanna sit in the back!&quot; she gulped. Before the others could question why, the kart zoomed down a steep drop, all of them screaming before the momentum carried them up a bit of a hill! Looking ahead, they could see a real roller coaster ride was in store for them! Knuckles and Shade barely realized that they were hugging one another in their panic. &quot;Pull the brake, Violet, pull the brake!!&quot; they both shouted. Violet attempted to as the kart was rolling down another steep incline...and it snapped off, failing to stop the kart. &quot;Shoddy work, Rotor...&quot; she whimpered.<br /><br />As the mine kart zoomed out of control through the caves dimly lit by glowing mushrooms, Wisps watched them zip by with alarm. Still, Knuckles thought for a moment that they&#039;d be okay, that they just needed a place to jump out. Then, he heard snarls and the sounds of claws against the walls behind them. Looking, he saw the shadowy demons based on deceased Despair agents that Howler had summoned, chasing after them by climbing and leaping along the very walls. And they were FAST! &quot;Violet!! Why are those THINGS from Demon Island chasing us!?&quot; Knuckles shouted. Violet looked back with alarm, yelped, and tried shooting a blast of dark energy at the demons as they chased after them! &quot;Demon Island is gone, or so I thought, but who knows, the Lost Ones are bringing back everything horrible!&quot; she shouted to answer Knuckles. The demons, many of whom looked like feral canines, were rapidly catching up to the speeding kart. Shade equipped the Chaos Gauntlets and pointed a fist towards the nearest one. &quot;Monster, zombies, demons... Sometimes I think I should&#039;ve stayed in the Twilight Cage!&quot; she huffed, firing a bolt of chaos energy from her fist at one of the demons, knocking it off the wall! Knuckles turned his attention to the speeding kart while the girls were pelting the creatures with projectiles. &quot;This doesn&#039;t seem like what the Chaos Claws were made for... but...&quot; he murmured, jamming his claws into the wall in an attempt to slow the kart! It wasn&#039;t really working, it was just leaving claw marks in the wall. What was worse, was that the demons were grabbing on to the back of the kart! &quot;Get off! Let go! Hey, didn&#039;t I know you?&quot; Violet babbled, kicking at the clawed demon hands to try and knock them away. All the ruckus rocking the kart was making it start to jump the track. &quot;Brace yourselves!! I think we&#039;re gonna crash!&quot; Knuckles warned. &quot;Ya think!?&quot; Shade grunted, trying to punch a demon as it leapt on the wall right alongside the kart!<br /><br />Popping out of the tunnel, the kart tumbled off the tracks, sending the echidnas inside flying off into the cavern beyond! They rolled into the dirt, groaning in pain, but none of them were badly injured. Knuckles lifted his head to see a blue glow near him. It wasn&#039;t a Wisp. &quot;Th-the Chaos Emerald!&quot; he gasped, grunting as he lifted himself to his knee, and glancing to see Violet and Shade starting to get up as well. He quickly grabbed the emerald, looking around. Wisps had surrounded them with concerned looks in their eyes, Yacker among them. &quot;We&#039;re okay, don&#039;t worry...&quot; Violet sighed to put the aliens at ease. &quot;Might wanna get out of here, though. We&#039;ve got demons on our heels...&quot; Shade warned. As the demons leapt out of the tunnel, snarling at them, Yacker quickly said something to the other Wisps. They nodded, and formed a colorful wall around the echidnas, glowing with energy as they protected them! One of the demons hesitantly tried to attack the Wisp wall, but recoiled from the hyper-go-on energy swirling around them! &quot;That&#039;s... Incredible!&quot; Violet gasped, looking around as the colorful wall of aliens formed a perfect shield around them. &quot;We can&#039;t just wait here for demons to decide to leave us alone, though. Hmm, maybe if I dig under the shield and take them off guard...&quot; Knuckles murmured. However, before he could try it, a powerful attack pierced the shield and caused the Wisps to begin scattering! &quot;Wh-what happened!?&quot; Shade gasped. Knuckles raised his hands defensively as the dust was settling. &quot;Something else is in the shadows!&quot; he warned. Yacker stayed by their side, looking angry. The demons were bowing to whatever it was that had attacked from the shadows. A sinister laugh came from the darkness. &quot;Those are Wisps? Pitiful aliens. They should have stayed in the stars where they belong...&quot; said Howler as he stepped into the light, to the utter shock of the echidnas.<br /><br />&quot;It can&#039;t be!&quot; Knuckles gasped. Another voice spoke from the shadows. &quot;Bozos, anything&#039;s possible! RAWR!!&quot; Stepping out of the darkness was a jet black dragon with glowing yellow eyes. He looked vaguely familiar. &quot;I think some of you know Zeke,&quot; Howler said, &quot;This is Xezek, the unchained darkness within him. The Lost Ones were kind enough to provide me with his assistance.&quot; Violet scoffed at this. &quot;So, you&#039;re just a Lost One like Corky!&quot; she guessed. Howler laughed softly. &quot;No, no, my dear descendant of Radia. I am as you knew me...my immortality merely comes from another source now. So, nice try, descendant of Athair, but I am back to finish what I started. I will purge all life...even if it means feeding them to the Lost Ones. Yes, my goals are aligned with those beasts.&quot; he said with a dark smirk. Knuckles started to charge at Howler. &quot;Immortal or not, I&#039;ll stop you!!&quot; he shouted, only for Xezek to get in his way, smacking the echidna back with just a flick of his broad wing! Angry, Yacker flew past Xezek to try something, but Howler simply grabbed the Wisp in his clutches! &quot;Disgusting tentacled thing... So much tolerance in this world now. It makes you weak! Witness what allowing these freaks to come to roost in our world will wreak upon you!!&quot; the Darkseeker snarled, holding up Yacker tight in his clutches, the Wisp shutting his eye tight and crying out in pain as dark energy coursed through his body! &quot;What are you doing to him!!&quot; Violet shouted, trying to charge at him herself only to find demons in her way! Shade had been observing this the whole time, and finally started to launch chaos bolts from her gauntlets at the demons and Xezek! &quot;I have no clue what the history is here, but you&#039;re gonna let the Wisp go!!&quot; she yelled. Howler held up his other hand, dark sparks crackling from it in a threatening manner. &quot;By all means, Nocturnus echidna, come and get me! I thought your kind was gone, how thrilling that I can snuff you out myself!&quot; he taunted.<br /><br />Howler held up the hand clutching Yacker, and the Wisp levitated over it in a vortex of darkness. He was focused on what he was doing to the Wisp, so this should have been their chance to attack him. Unfortunately, Xezek and the demons stood in their way. Shade went straight for the snarling canine demon directly in her path, punching it directly with the Chaos Gauntlets using all her might! With a burst of light, the demon shrieked and faded into nothing. &quot;Seems I need a direct hit to take out these things...&quot; she said, recalling how little her earlier attacks seemed to do. Violet&#039;s power WAS darkness, unfortunately, and she couldn&#039;t do much of anything but warp away from the demons. &quot;Well, you hurry and get those direct hits!&quot; she shouted as she was being chased. Knuckles decided to put his focus squarely on Howler, but Xezek was still blocking his way. &quot;So, you&#039;re a Dark? Gonna crumble like Dark Copter did after a little roughing up?&quot; Knuckles smirked. Xezek responded by blowing fire in his direction, forcing Knuckles to dive out of the way! &quot;Look, this isn&#039;t anything personal. All we Darks want is a little respect... And we&#039;ll break you down to get it! RAWR!!&quot; the dragon roared, swooping after Knuckles and blowing more flames at him! Knuckles leapt to one side, and Xezek created dark purple flames in his hands, tossing it as fireballs to add more pressure! He was running out of options, so Knuckles dove into the dirt ground, drilling in with the Chaos Claws! Xezek landed by the hole and peered in. &quot;It&#039;s about to get hot in there!&quot; he snarled, blowing fire right down into the hole! Knuckles burst out of the ground behind him, however, and slashed his back with the Chaos Claws! &quot;Yaaaaargh!!&quot; Xezek yowled, the wound glowing. He staggered to his knees, and Knuckles turned his attention to Howler...but it was too late. The dark energy around Yacker subsided, and what was left was an angry-looking Black Wisp! &quot;Dear me, Xezek... It seems you require assistance. Here...TAKE THIS!!&quot; Howler shouted, hurling the Black Wisp towards the wounded dragon!<br /><br />The echidnas watched with alarm. Xezek yowled and snarled, his body enveloped in black and purple energy. He went into an unstable Wisp transformation, his form flickering and morphing in midair, leaving only his wings attached as a constant! Knuckles backed away from this Black Beast, unsure what to do about it. &quot;I&#039;ll leave you with the dragon, then. Once I&#039;ve gathered some more aliens to experiment with, I&#039;ll check back to pry the emerald and Chaos Relics from your corpses...&quot; Howler taunted, retreating into the cave with a laugh. Violet and Shade ran up to where Knuckles was standing, looking up at the morphing dragon with concern. &quot;That alien...Yacker... He&#039;s trapped in that thing!&quot; Shade stammered. The Black Beast seemed to hear her. It shifted into a black EAGLE style form, soaring towards her, only to turn and whip a broad tail at the unprepared echidna, sending her soaring across the cavern and knocking her head into the wall! &quot;Shade!!&quot; Knuckles cried, dashing over to her with Violet. &quot;She&#039;s unconscious...&quot; Violet gasped, unsure if she should even move Shade in her condition. However, she took the Chaos Gauntlets from her. &quot;What are you doing?!&quot; Knuckles stammered. &quot;If she&#039;s down for the count, I&#039;d better be ready to pick up the slack!&quot; Violet pointed out. There was no time to talk it over, as they heard the Black Beast shriek behind them with an otherworldly voice. It was suddenly shifting into a black hole, a VOID pulling in the remaining demons in the room! It also started to pull the echidnas! Thinking fast, Knuckles dug his Chaos Claws into the air as he was pulled along, releasing one hand from the invisible grip in order to grab Violet, who in turn grabbed the unconscious Shade! The demons were devoured by the black hole, and after a moment, the Black Beast began to change form again. &quot;How can we stop this thing?&quot; Knuckles wondered.<br /><br />Violet warped Shade a safe distance away, leaving Knuckles alone with the beast for a moment. It leapt around the cave like a strange, winged energy snake, and Knuckles watched carefully to see what it would do. Its body concentrated into a LASER beam, shooting at the echidna fast! Knuckles quickly raised his golden claws to block the laser, reflecting it into the roof of the cave! &quot;Unpredictable and seemingly intangible... Well, can&#039;t say that, I just deflected it...&quot; he grunted, looking around for the Black Beast again. &quot;Knuckles, look out above you!&quot; he heard Violet shout. The beast was crashing down as a heavy CUBE, barely giving Knuckles time to run out of the way! As Knuckles staggered away from the mini-quake that surrounded the cube when it crashed down, Violet ran in close to try and punch it with the Chaos Gauntlets! The cube seemingly shattered; However, a gray QUAKE sphere crashed out of it, rolling towards Knuckles! He turned quickly and stabbed his claws against the rolling iron ball, his feet creating a pad in the dirt as it pushed him back! Violet smacked the sphere with the gauntlets from the other side, and the sphere began to crack. Screeching, the Black Beast turned back into energy, and then BURST into flames, its fiery form resembling a dragon! Violet warped for cover while Knuckles ran from the blazing, speeding dragon! &quot;I think the Chaos Relics almost work! They need more power!&quot; he shouted. Violet took off the gauntlets and tossed them in Knuckles&#039; direction. &quot;Combine their power!&quot; she shouted. The Black Beast heard her voice, turned and opened a VOID in its chest, attempting to pull her in like the demons! &quot;Yaaah!! H-hurry!!&quot; Violet cried, fighting against the pull of the void! Knuckles raced for the gauntlets, and also produced the Chaos Emerald. &quot;I wonder if they&#039;ll work together...&quot; he murmured. He heard Violet shriek, so he hurried up and took off the Chaos Claws, slipping on the gauntlets and then the claws over them. He turned to the beast, focusing all the energy he now commanded. &quot;All right... Take...THIS!!&quot; he shouted, punching his fists toward the beast as he clutched the Chaos Emerald. Massive bursts of bright gold energy shot from his fists, crashing into the Black Beast and making it wail in pain! Knuckles finished it up by slashing with the claws, sending beams in the shape of slashes crashing through the Black Beast!<br /><br />As the dust settled, Yacker popped out of Xezek, the black color fading from his body. Xezek himself collapsed to the floor on his stomach, the slash on his back from before looking worse, glowing brighter. Violet pumped her fist in victory. &quot;Oh, yeah! My idea! Who&#039;s a genius!&quot; she cheered, &quot;Oh! Shade!&quot; she gasped, rushing to check on her. In the meantime, Knuckles pulled off the Chaos Relics he was wearing. &quot;Well, I&#039;m not sure how much the emerald contributed there...but that sure worked.&quot; he muttered. Shade opened her eyes groggily and looked around. &quot;Huh... Guys... Ah! P-pachacamac, stay away!!&quot; she gasped. The others looked to see the Darkseeker returning from the shadows with his hood on. He removed the hood to reveal that he was indeed still Howler. &quot;Wrong Darkseeker, girl. Honestly, he was a false Darkseeker as far as I&#039;m concerned. I think the Lost Ones only told me about him to taunt me.&quot; he grumbled. Xezek looked up and reached a hand to Howler. &quot;P-please...help me!&quot; he grunted. The wolf kicked his hand away. &quot;My hands are full.&quot; he sneered, lifting a capsule full of trapped Wisps! Yacker looked in his direction and shouted angrily. &quot;I can&#039;t understand you, pest. I&#039;m going to take your fellow aliens and fine-tune the transformation so I can have the perfect soldiers...&quot; Howler announced. Knuckles looked at Xezek and then at Howler. &quot;Your friend there will die if you don&#039;t help him!&quot; he shouted. Howler scoffed. &quot;All beings are merely my tools. Be they dark shadows or aliens, I care not what happens to a tool. As long as my goals are met. Try to help him if you choose, hero...&quot; he said with a chuckle, escaping into the shadows with the Wisp capsule. Before anyone could chase after him, a blast of darkness struck the cave exit he&#039;d gone through, causing it to cave in! Howler must have had another way out beside the main entrance. The echidnas looked to Xezek, but Violet frowned. &quot;I don&#039;t know how to save him, and I&#039;m the closest we have to a magic expert here.&quot; she said. The dragon coughed and nodded. &quot;Time to... return to... the darkness...&quot; he sighed, his body fading away into nothingness before their eyes. Xezek was gone.<br /><br /><br />The echidnas made their way back to the entrance, bidding a bittersweet farewell to Yacker. They wanted to promise they&#039;d get the Wisps back, but between Howler and the Lost Ones, who was to say the Wisps would even survive? At any rate, they found Rotor and Dulcy waiting for them. &quot;Now, this dragon, I&#039;m happy to see...&quot; Shade sighed. &quot;Gee, thank you.&quot; Dulcy murmured. &quot;You all look miserable,&quot; Rotor observed, &quot;Didn&#039;t get the emerald?&quot; he asked. Knuckles held up the blue gem. &quot;Got it, but lost a bunch of Wisps. Hey, did you have a sinister-looking capsule in there?&quot; he asked. Rotor rubbed his head. &quot;It was for containing Nega Wisps. Eggman transformed them. I was working on a cure.&quot; he explained. Violet nodded. &quot;At least you treat Wisps with respect...unlike some who only view them as weapons.&quot; she stated. Before they could relax much, the echidnas could hear Tails on their comms. &quot;Hello? Come in! Over!&quot; the fox called. &quot;Yeah, yeah, we&#039;re here, Tails! Got a Chaos Emerald! What&#039;s up?&quot; Knuckles asked. &quot;That&#039;s great!&quot; Tails said, &quot;And I got more good news! We got help tracking down my...uh...son.&quot; he said with an awkward chuckle, &quot;Feels weird having a son.&quot; Shade made a confused face as she listened to this, but Knuckles and Violet were already up to speed on Tails&#039; son, Skye. &quot;That&#039;s great! Uh... Who&#039;s helping with that in all this mess?&quot; Knuckles asked. Tails chuckled softly. &quot;Well, uh... Your daughter.&quot; As Knuckles eyes widened, Rotor turned to Dulcy. &quot;Kinda wish I knew what they were talking about...&quot; he whispered. Tails continued. &quot;But, uh, yeah, we may have found him! We&#039;re getting a gang together to take on the Lost Ones head on and rescue him! This could deal a heavy blow to their forces! You with us?&quot; he asked. Knuckles held his head. &quot;I have a...daughter? Huh? Uh, I mean... Ha! You bet I&#039;ll be there! Point us at those creeps!&quot; he laughed, pumping his fist excitedly. Violet turned to Rotor. &quot;Thanks for all your help. I&#039;d suggest getting in touch with the old Freedom Fighters, we could use all the power we could get!&quot; she told him. Rotor crossed his arms. &quot;Yeah, power... That&#039;s me... Well, guess I could give Chuck a call.&quot; he murmured. Saying their goodbyes, the echidnas started on their way back to the city to meet up with Tails and the others. They might be a bit late, but they wouldn&#039;t miss this fight for the world!<br /><br /><br />...Howler tapped his foot, staring at the dead end he&#039;d left himself trapped in. &quot;Where is that simpering spirit?&quot; he growled. A portal opened in the back wall before long, and Lospecter flew out. &quot;Just wanna watch ya sweat, hehe! Hey, that doesn&#039;t look like a capsule of Chaos Emeralds...&quot; he pointed out. Howler held up the Wisp capsule. &quot;This should suffice for now. Take their souls or take their power, it makes little difference to me.&quot; he snarled. Lospecter hovered by the portal, tossing the Chaos Key up and down in his hand. &quot;Not much of a team player, are ya? So used to bein&#039; the bossy boss. Well, I got a job you might enjoy. And some friends to introduce ya to. You&#039;re gonna love these megalomaniacs! Hehehe...&quot; the ghost chuckled, clasping the key and diving back into the portal, poking his hand through to motion for Howler to follow. The Darkseeker tossed the Wisp capsule through first. &quot;...every eventuality...&quot; he murmured, taking a red Chaos Emerald concealed within his cloak and admiring it, &quot;I will be the last survivor... No one else...&quot;<br /><br />To be continued...</span>",
  "pools_count": 2,
  "title": "Sonic GeneX: Doomsday (Arc 1)",
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  "submission_type_id": "12",
  "type_name": "Writing - Document",
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