As the shuttle enters space, Rouge speaks to Eggman on the computer's screen.

"Looks like your boys really goofed, didn't they, Doc?"

"None of your business!"

"Fine. Let's launch the counterattack. How about giving me the password for the colony?"

"M-A-R-I-A. 'Maria'. That's the magic word. Meanwhile, I'll be standing by on Crazy Gadget."

Eggman vanishes from the screen.

"Fooling that old fool oughta be a snap. All right, let's start hacking."

Rouge enters the password.

"Maria. M-A-R-I-A. Let's see what pops up here."

Several boxes appear on the screen.

"Come on, come on..."

She locates an entry on Project Shadow.

"Ah, here we are. Project Shadow: top secret. Sounds exciting. 'The ultimate creature development project.' Sure sounds juicy to me... 'Shadow... Sealed off...?' But how? If that's true... then who's he?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the Space Colony ARK, Shadow looking out the viewport, while Y/N is sitting next to him. Let's just say it is a nice silence between them as he had thoughts. Y/N glanced at him, wondering if he's feeling okay. Sonic's shuttle is soon visible among the asteroids outside.

"Here comes your brother."

Instantly, Y/N stood up and looks out the window.

"Sonic?"

"He'd be a fool to challenge me."

"No, he's not! He will win!"

"You'll see I'm right. This is one battle your brother cannot win."

Y/N went silent as they both look out the window.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Intuder alert. Sector M14. Intruder alert. Sector M14."

The crashed shuttle can be seen on the computer's screen.

"I wonder who that could be..." Rouge said.

Elsewhere, Tails is piloting the X-Cyclone through the halls.

"Sure is a lonely place." Amy said.

"I never seen such a big ship. It must been abandoned." Chris said.

"We have a big problem. How do we destroy that weapon when we find it?" Sonic said.

"Here. Why not give this a try?"

Tails hands Sonic the fake Chaos Emerald.

"A Chaos Emerald?"

"Well, it's not a real one. I made a copy to help power the X-Tornado. It's doesn't have the power of a real Chaos Emerald, but if we put it in with a real one, it might cause some kind of reaction and mess up the whole system."

"Okay! If this little baby does the trick, it'll be goodbye Eclipse Cannon!"

They reach the center of a room. Unknown to them, Eggman, Decoe, and Bocoe are hiding nearby. They utilize a large claw from the Eggmobile.

"Hey! What's that?" Sonic asked.

The claw speeds toward the back seats of the X-Cyclone, where Chris and Amy are, which grabs Amy.

"Amy!"

A bright light shines on the X-Cyclone as Eggman reveals himself.

"Let's shed some light on things. ... I will set your friend free under one condition: give me the Emerald, and I'll give you the girl."

He lowers the claw for Sonic to see.

"Let's see... Give me a minute to think it over."

Tails is surprised.

"What do you mean, 'Think it over'?" Amy questioned.

"Well, perhaps this might help you think faster!" Eggman said.

The claw squeezes Amy.

"Soooniiiic!!"

Sonic jumps down from the X-Cyclone with the fake Chaos Emerald.

"It's a deal."

"Place the Emerald in the center of that circle."

Sonic walks toward the middle of the room.

"Guess it's just like that old saying, 'Easy come, easy go.'"

Sonic places the Chaos Emerald on the ground.

"Oh well."

Eggman presses a button, a glass tube descends around him.

"Prepare to be blown into space, my lttle blue friend."

"No, wait! What if I promise to give you a real Chaos Emerald?" Tails said.

Eggman is surprised.

"What's that? You mean to tell me that that Chaos Emerald is a counterfeit?"

Tails realizes his mistake.

"I shall make Sonic pay for your deception, you crafty creep!" Eggman glared.

"You let Sonic go right now!" Amy shouted.

"Hey. It's okay." Sonic assured.

"Sonic..."

"You're in charge, pal. Alright? Find my sister and make sure she's okay."

Tails is speechless as tears form in his eyes.

"Now, Sonic, it's time to say goodbye!"

It is revealed that the tube is an escape pod, which Eggman jettisons into space.

"Sonic! No!"

Eggman releases Amy, and she runs over to the window to watch the escape pod.

"He's gone..."

Suddenly, the pod is engulfed in a fiery explosion. Amy lets out an anguished cry.

"Soooniiiiiiiic!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back to viewport, Shadow and Y/N watch the explosion. Her eyes widen in shock.

"Your brother could not save himself." Shadow said.

"What? Sonic was in there?"

"Yes, I'm afraid he was. Perhaps Sonic was not the great hero you thought him to be."

Y/N turned to him with a glare.

"You're wrong! He can't be gone! He always finds a way to get out of the death situation! What about those things I said about the world and the people? At least show some sympathy!"

Y/N runs out from the room. Shadow tried to reach out to her, but she was already gone. He sighed and retrieved his hand back. Shadow took out the flower as he knew that she's right and know nothing about earth besides hatred and revenge. He wondered what Maria had to say about this.

Meanwhile, Knuckles is carrying the Master Emerald down another hallway. Suddenly, a bright light materializes in front of him. Sonic emerges from the light and falls on the ground.

"Sonic!"

He puts down the Master Emerald and bends down to Sonic's level.

"Hey. Are you alright?"

Sonic wakes up.

"I'm okay."

He sits up and holds up the fake Chaos Emerald.

"I want to try something."

In the pod, minutes ago...

"Now... Let's see if this works... Chaos Control!"

He vanishes.

Back in the present.

"This may be a fake, but it works."

"You gonna tell me what's going on or not?" Knuckles asked.

"Yeah, I will, but first things first. I need you to keep an eye on Tails and the others. And find my sister."

"Okay."

"Great, and while you're doing that, I'm gonna put this guy to the ultimate test!" Sonic said with a wink.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In the computer room, Rouge is communicating with Topaz, who is still at Eggman's base.

"Now don't you worry your pretty little head, Topaz. I'm copying all the data as we speak."

"Just be sure that you get every bit of information. Don't leave anything behind, Rouge. ...We need to know all we can." Topaz said over the radio.

After the data has been copied, a floppy disk is ejected, and Rouge picks it up.

"I got it all, honey, and it looos like there's plenty of it. Even that dope Eggman doesn't know the whole story. And it's quite a story."

"You'd better hurry up and get out of there. Have you got the Emeralds?"

Rouge's radio is on the floor.

"We can analyze the data when you get back. After that, we can che--"

Suddenly, a newly-arrived Shadow crushes Rouge's radio underfoot.

"I suggest you keep your hands off those Chaos Emeralds. We wouldn't want them to fall into the wrong hands, now would we, Agent Rouge?"

Rouge smirks.

"Have you been spying on me? Aren't you the naughty little boy."

"You've been a government spy all this time." Shadow glared.

"Uh-huh. Now that I have my hands on this hot little disc here, I think I'll make my exit if you don't mind."

"I do mind, you phony!"

"That's pretty funny coming from you."

"...What do you mean by that?"

Rouge holds up a Project Shadow progress report for Shadow to see.

"According to this, the body for the original creature was sealed off fifty years ago."

"Yes, that's right, but that was the prototype. I was the very first creature created after that one."

"Ah, but it says here there were two capsules ejected from the ARK when the facility was shut down. Apparently neither of them was ever found. And if those two capsules were never found, then how did you end up on Prison Island? I wonder. ... I have a feeling neither of us is who we say we are." Rouge explained.

Shadow's radio crackles.

"Good news, Shadow! I've gotten a hold of the Chaos Emeralds!" Eggman said over the radio.

"And?" Shadow replied.

"It appears one of out enemies is headed straight for the Eclipse Cannon. We have no time to waste. Prepare for takeoff immediately!"

Shadow starts to leave.

"Come back! Don't you understand you're not the real Shadow?"

Shadow does not answer.

"Everything in your memories is as unreal as you are! I'm sure Y/N would be disappointed that she was talking to the fake. I overheard her singing when she was explaining to you about the world."

Shadow flinched and stopped.

"If it is true that all of my memories are not my own, they are still all that I have. I will do what I must. I promised her. As for Y/N, she did get me to remember something that I never have or learn."

Shadow leaves, and Rouge crosses her arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Knuckles stops running when he sees Shadow moving along a conveyor belt below.

"Him again. He must be going after Sonic."

"So he's alright! I knew it!!"

Knuckles turns to see and out-of-breath Y/N standing there.

"I'm glad he's okay!"

"Y/N! You alright? Did that Shadow hurt you?"

Knuckles ran over to check on Y/N.

"I'm fine. He didn't hurt me. Thanks for your concern, Knuckles. I knew you guys would come for me." she smiled.

"Well... it's nothing! I--"

"Y/N!!!"

Knuckles and Y/N turned to see Tails, Amy, and Chris running up to them as they engulfed Y/N into a big group hug.

"You're okay!"

"We were so worried!"

"G-Guys! Can't breath!" Y/N gasped out from the tightness of their hug.

Knuckles look on with a hint of jealousy as Tails secretly gave him a smirk.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sonic is riding one of the conveyor belts.

"What a surprise."

Sonic sees Shadow nearby.

"I could have sworn you were blown to bits just a short time ago."

Sonic hops onto the other belt and walks against it.

"Well, I guess I'm a lot tougher than I look. In fact, it's thanks to you I'm okay."

"I see. You caused Chaos Control with that phony Emerald there." Shadow said.

"Yup. I gotta run!"

Sonic begins running, but Shadow catches up to him.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you get away from me that easily, my friend. Now, I demand to know who you are."

"Who, me? I'm just a guy with a need for speed. They call me Sonic the Hedgehog!"

"Ah, yes. I can well understand your love of speed, Sonic, but now your high-speed adventure must come to an end!"

They both take off down the belts.

"Chaos Spear!"

Shadow throws a bolt of pure Chaos energy at Sonic, who dodges. Sonic attempts a home attack which misses.

"Chaos Spear!"

Shadow throws several Chaos Spears at Sonic, which damage the pipework inside the Eclipse Cannon.

"What's he trying to do, barbecue me?" Sonic thought.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Y/N and her friends watch as several parts of the Eclipse Cannon begin glowing.

"It's the Eclipse Cannon!" Y/N gasped.

"Sonic must have done that." Knuckles said.

"Now all we have to do is get that Chaos Emerald back from Eggman! Then we'll be in the clear!" Tails said.

Chris suddenly looks sad. Will Sonic, Y/N, and their friends return home this time?

Back at the computer room, Bocoe and Decoe assess the situation.

"Doctor! The Eclipse Cannon has been badly damaged!"

"What does Shadow think he's doing?"

"Oh no! The gun battery has been hit!"

"...Well, fire it anyway!"

Eggman inserts the last Chaos Emerald, then pushes his hench-bots aside.

"Eclipse Cannon, fire!"

He punches through the glass over a button and presses it. The Chaos Emeralds begin glowing, but stop.

"Huh? Huh? Huh?"

A timer reading 00:27:53:00 appears, followes by several images of Gerald Robotnik, who is shown to be in the same prison Sonic was in earlier.

"Grandpa!"

Then Gerald's foreboding voice echoes a grim warning which can be heard throughout the entire space station.

"The countdown marking my final revenge on this world has begun! In just a few minutes, you will be destroyed. Soon, Space Colony Ark will hurtle through the atmosphere and crash into this planet with cataclysmic force!"

The countdown begins.

https://youtu.be/rvqqp8vH0ok