The scene opens up to show Sonic speeding across the land with his super speed while Monkey Khan was riding his flying nimbus. They were growing close to New Megaopolis.

"So Eggman's city got taken over by the same Iron King and Queen we tackled at Mt. Stormtop?" the speedster asked the monkey.

"Yes," Khan confirmed. "Did you hear nothing I told Princess Sally?"

"You thought I was paying attention?" Sonic laughs. "Cute!"

With their speed, the duo quickly arrive at the ruined outskirts of New Megaopolis.

"Just how childish can you--?

"Yeah-yeah-yeah," Sonic rolls his eyes. "Seriously, we're hitting New Megaopolis proper. Be on the lookout for--"

Lasers immediately rain down on the duo. Sonic dodges them as Khan blocks and reflects them with his staff.

"--sneak attack! Called it!"

The blue hedgehog smirks as be dashes forward as a ball and knocks a Dark Egg Legionaire back. Khan knocked one away as well with his martial arts.

"I'm not familiar with this clan," he admits. "Do you know them?"

"They're the Dark Egg Legion," Sonic rushes by some Legionaires, blowing them away with his speed. "A bunch of Knuckles' people who have a mad hard-on for technology."

Soon the two come together back-to-back.

"Tbey also have a bad habit of picking the losing side," Sonic finishes.

"You said the Doctor was defeated," Khan says. "Why do they side with the Iron Dominion now?"

Lien-Da then arrives on scene in an Egg-Mobile. "Because we're not content to pander to the Guardian or his allies!" she grins evilly. "Now surrender while you have the chance! We have enough problems already with our escaped prisoner!"

Sonic became curious at that. An escaped prisoner? They must be someone strong if they could escape whatever chains Robotnik had originally put in place before the Iron Dominion took over.

Sonic snorts a laugh. "Surrender?"

"I give no sympathy to allies of the Iron Dominion!" Khan says as he fires lightning from his atom-bat.

The blast strikes the Egg-Mobile dead-center, blowing it to pieces as Lien-Da is sent crashing to the ground. She grunts on landing and glares at the Freedom Fighters.

"And I return the sentiment!" she says. "Legion, fall back to support!"

The Legion do as told as their leader smirks. "Yagyu! MOVE IN!"

"Yag-who?!" Sonic questions as a group of bats dressed as ninja/shinobi jump from the shadows. Two throw shurikens at Sonic who narrowly dodges. "YOW! Watch it!"

"Onw perk of joining the Iron Dominion?" Lien-Da smirks. "Our small numbers just got doubled."

The echidna woman watches as Khan and Sonic fight back against the Yagyu Clan members. One kicks the hedgehog in the back, making him grunt in pain.

"I don't hear any wise-cracks, hedgehog," Lien-Da points out. "Is something wrong?"

The blue quickster quickly recovers from the attack and places both hands on the head of a Yagyu warrior. This catches him and the kicker by surprise.

"Yo, M.K.!" Sonic calls out to Khan. "What's the story of these bats in pajamas?"

"They're ninjas of the Yagyu Clan," Khan strikes two bats away with his atom-bat. "They used to be simple sneak-thieves pillaging the Dragon Kingdom..." He swings his staff, knocking three away. "... until the Iron Queen slew their master, the Bride of Rich Nights. Now they're her personal army."

"Bride?" Sonic questions.

"It's an honorific title! I'll explain later!" the lightning manipulator strikes a bat in the chest. "Now is not a good time. I just hope the other three clans aren't here."

"Three clans?" Sonic gulps. "Hoo boy..."

Lien-Da points at her enemies. "Legion! Fire at will! Take care not to hit our allies!"

They do as told and open fire. One laser nicks Khan in the shoulder, making him cry out in pain. He then turns to his attackers and throws his atom-bat at them like a spear, blasting them away with lighting.

"Hang in there!" Sonic says as he and Khan take down an echidna together. "It's rough, but I think we've got this."

"Maybe," Khan smiles. "Just as long as they don't send in--"

A new pair of footsteps catch the duo's attention, sounding hard and heavy as the owner steps over everything in their path. The monkey and hedgehog turn to see their new foe.

"Oh, boy..." Sonic gulps.

"What is this?" Khan questions.

"I've located the targets," Iron Sonic states. "Initiating their extermination."

"What in the name of sweet Chaos is this?!" Sonic asks before having to leap away to dodge an attack from Iron Sonic. "It's like looking at a weird mirror!"

"And he looks almost exactly like you!" Khan states.

"Yeah, like I just said," Sonic said as the Yagyu and the Legion circle him and Lhan. "Peachy. And it looks like we're surrounded." The Blue Blur turns to his ally. "So... we take our chances with the weird copy of me?"

"Cover me while I get my atom-bat," Khan takes a stance, "and then I'll be right behind you."

"Got it," Sonic nods.

"GO!"

Khan rushes forward towards his weapon as Sonic leaps above him as a spinning ball. The hedgehog goes to attack Iron Sonic, only to be caught and slammed into the ground.

"Hmph. No amount of spinning will help you, Sonic," Iron stated before kicking his bio-organic counterpart away.

"THEN WE'LL JUST HAVE TO TRY SOMETHING ELSE!"

Iron Sonic looks up to see Monkey Khan leaping above him with his atom-bat in hand. He swings down at the dark blue hedgehog who lifts up a crossguard to block. He is still struck by lightning bolts from Khan's atom-bat, though, which cover him completely. However, he seems practically unwavered as he looks up at his opponent. His crimson eyes scan the monkey.

"Bio-data acquired," the techno-organic hedgehog says. "Hello, Ken Khan."

"Wha--?"

Khan wasn't able to finish as he was blasted away by a bolt of lightning similar to his own. He crashes to the ground behind Sonic who was picking himself up.

"I never thought there'd be a day when I honestly missed the Swat Bots," the hedgehog admits. Then he was tapped on the shoulder and turns to see Espio. "Wh--Espio! Sweet! Reinforcements!"

Khan, however, was more aware of tbe danger the chameleon possessed. "Look out! He's one of the Shinobi Clan!"

"What?" Sonic laughs. "No, he's with the Chaotix--"

Sonic was cutoff when Espio hits him in the face with a palm strike, sending him back and to the ground. Khan growled as he turned away.

"If he was only as fast on the up-take..." he mutters under his breath.

Lightning Lynx suddenly came in and sboulder-bashed the monkey away. "Speak for yourself, your 'majesty'."

Khan quickly got back on his feet and glared at Lightning.

"You're one of the Raiju Clan," he grunts, "but I don't remember you specifically."

"I am Lightning Lynx, servant to the Bride of the Conquering Storm on these shores," the lynx announces, "and with honor restored."

Back with Sonic and Espio, the chameleon kicks the hedgehog who blocks it.

"What's going on, dude? Say something!" Sonic yells. "Is it mind-control?" He spins away. "It's mind-control, isn't it? Punch me once for yes, twice for no."

Espio kicks Sonic instead.

"No, see that was a kick," Sonic Spin Attacks his friend. "Sorry, Es, but this has got to stop."

Unfortunately for Sonic, however, the Yagyu Clan had surrounded him and started to dogpile. Back with Khan and Lightning, the monkey ducked under a kick from the lynx.

"You think you're 'Lightning'?" Khan readied up his atom-bat and fired at his opponent. "I'll show you lightning!"

Lightning Lynx fell to the ground, smoking from the blast. Khan let out a breath to get his bearings back, only to be sent flying back from an energy blast from Iron Sonic. The monkey crashes to the ground next to Sonic, both being beaten and bruised.

"Have you finished beating these 'push-overs', hero?" Khan asks Sonic.

"What are you talking about?" the Blue Blur grinned. "Sally said this was a recon-only mission."

"Anything to get out of an 'I told you so', huh?" Khan smirked as well.

"Yeah, pretty much," Sonic confirmed.

They both turned back to their enemies when they see a shadow cover them. Iron Sonic stood before them, his red eyes gazing at them menacingly.

"You are defeated and cannot hope to defeat us," the Sonic clone states. "Swear loyalty to the Iron King and Queen, and you may live to serve the Iron Dominion."

"I dunno," Sonic smirked as he stood back on. "What's your dental plan like?"

"I believe your sarcasm would only fly over his head, Sonic," Khan stands as well.

"Nothing could fly over my head," Iron Sonic states, obviously not understanding the phrase. "My reflexes are too quick. I would catch it."

Khan gives Sonic an 'I told you so' look, and the hedgehog rolls his eyes.

"Pity," he turns back to his copy. "Thanks for the offer, me-not-me... but we'll pass."

"Then you will die," Iron Sonic balls a hand into a fist, covering it in energy, "and the hope for resistance along with you."

"KHAN!"

"WATCH OUT!"

Iron Sonic raises his fist up and goes to slam it into the two heroes. However, a blink of green light appears and someone smacks the Sonic clone away. Both Sonic and Khan look at their savior in shock as the Iron Dominion's forces ready themselves.

"What the...?" Khan questioned.

"That's not possible..." Sonic's eyes went wide.

"It's the prisoner!" Lien-Da yelled and pointed at the escapee. "Take him down, and kill the hedgehog and monkey!"

Sonic couldn't believe what he was seeing. "Y/N?!"

Said Human teen spins around and lifts up his hand to create a barrier that blocks the lasers and shurikens that was shot at him and the other two Freedom Fighters. Sonic was left speechless as Khan looked on in shock.

"Y-you're Y/n? The hero Sonic had told me of?" Khan asked. "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Yeah, it's weird for me, too!" Y/n stated as he kept up the barrier as the Legionaires kept firing and the Yagyu charged forward. "I'll try to explain later! First, we need to get outta here!"

As he said this, Iron Sonic had stood back to his feet and looked at his targets. He began calmly approaching them.

"R-right!" Sonic finally snapped out of his daze and turned to Khan. "M.K., we could really use that little cloud-thingy of yours."

Khan stretched out his hand and conjured a nimbus. "Here!"

Sonic turned to Y/n who seemed to be struggling with keeping up the barrier.

"We gotta go now!" he told his old friend. "Drop the shield and let's bounce!"

Y/n looks at Sonic and then at Khan who was climbing onto his flying nimbus. The human Freedom Fighter nods and turns back to his barrier. He pushes both hands forward, sending the bubble shield he created stretching outwards in a forceful blast that knocks everyone around it back. He then turns to Sonic and Monkey Khan who offers his atom-bat to Sonic. He grabs it and offers his own hand to Y/n who takes it, and they all take off into the sky.

"I'd love to say our mission's complete, but things just got a whole lot weirder!" Sonic said and turned to Y/n. "How in the world are you alive? Sally and Nicole saw you die with Anarchy!"

"It's a long story!" Y/n informed. "One I'd like to tell when we're safe!"

"Righty-o, then!" Sonic turns back to Khan. "Now, fly magic cloud monkey, fly!"

And with that, the trio flew off into the sky and escaped witn their lives intact. However, Lien-Da wouldn't see that they would.

"Legion! Shoot them down!" she ordered her troops.

Iron Sonic stepped forward. "Ignore that last order."

"How dare--?!" the echidna woman sharply turns to Iron, only to be met with a cold gaze. "I mean... why?"

"The enemy is wounded. Let it run and finish itself off. Let their heroes tell of their defeat. Let their moral crumble them to pieces," Iron Sonic says as he places his hands behind his back. "Today will be the first of many victories to come for the Iron Dominion."

Iron Sonic smirks a bit. Besides... everything was already going according to plan.

New Mobotropolis...

At Castle Acorn, Sonic and Khan had finished explaining what had happened their recon mission. Before him were Knuckles, Sally, and Elias, all three of them shocked at the news.

"... and then we got back and I called you guys," Sonic finishes. "The Iron Dominion means business. They've got the Dark Egg Legion on their side, plus a whole slew of those Yagyu ninjas. Lightning seems to have left the Destructix, Espio's gone rogue, they have some sort of weird clone of me, and... Y/n's alive."

Behind Sonic was Khan, sitting by the wall behind the hedgehog. Y/n wasn't present as he was dragged to the hospital almost immediately after he arrived. He would have to give an explanation on how he survived his own sacrifice another day.

Sonic continued. "Eggman may be done, but we're essentially back to square one."

"I can't believe this... Y/n's alive," Knuckles said in shock and awe. "And I thought Espio was from Rainbow Valley. I know there isn't a ninja clan there."

"I'll have the royal guard on high alert and inform the populace," Elias tells Sonic. "Will you and Khan relate all your findings to the full Council tomorrow?"

"Sure thing!" Sonic gives a thumbs up. "We have to find sure everyone knows the good news, right?"

"Yes," Elias nods. "Especially since Y/n is with us once more. Which... I am still completely shocked about..."

Sally couldn't help but agree as she clenched her hands into tight fists. It had been weeks since she had last saw the boy. How would he react when he saw her? How would she react?

Soon the meeting was called to a stop until the next day, and Sonic sped off to check up on Y/n. Sally was going to follow, but stopped when she saw Khan brooding by the wall. She walked up to him.

"Khan? Are you okay?" she asks him.

"Hmm? Oh, no," Khan shook his head as he stood up. "I'm not, princess."

"Please, just Sally," the chipmunk told the monkey.

"... then just Ken for me," Ken smiled.

"Alright, Ken. Don't let it eat at you," Sally comforted her friend. "We've faced setbacks worse that this."

"Yeah, but it's just one more in long line of failures for me," Khan stated as he walked away, using his atom-bat as support. "What kind of king have I turned out to be?"

Timeskip...

It wasn't much later in the day. Y/n is seen lying down on the hospital bed he was given, half-asleep. His hair had grown slightly longer with a less prominent green color in his locksn and his skin was dirty and grimy. He also no longer bore his Chaos Gem in his chest.

Someone enters the room and hastily walks up to Y/n. She stopped right next to the bed and looked at her old friend, a million questions going through her head. How could Y/n be alive? She saw him die with her own eyes! And yet... there he was, lying right before her. She couldn't be more overjoyed!

After a moment's hesitation, she brings her hand to Y/n's face and cups his cheek, rubbing her thumb across it. This causes the half-asleep human to stir which makes his visitor pull her hand back, and Y/n turns to look at her. He smiles softly.

"Hey, Nic. Long time no see, eh?"
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Y/n is alive?! How can this be? When did Khan become a king? And have our villains truly won? Find out, next time on No Longer Human!