*Credit to the original comic owner. This chapter is somewhat based on it, mostly with Infinite and Gadget's encounter after the final battle in the first Sonic Forces book. Enjoy.*
PRESENT DAY
A soft knock tapped against the wooden door in the old house Gadget lived in. Even after the war, he didn't even bother moving, despite how run down the setting was. Still, he knew that whoever was knocking wasn't a good thing. Walking to the door, he opened it gently.
"Amy? Shadow? What brings you here?" Gadget said with a small smile. His smile faded as they didn't return it. Noticing how distraught they were even he knew something terrible happened. "Come in, come in. Tell me what happened."
After Amy and Shadow explained the encounter with Phantom Sonic, Gadget also became distraught. Even after getting the Blue Blur back from Eggman, the hero could never catch a break.
"This 'Phantom' is actually an old villain Sonic took down years ago?" Gadget asked as Shadow nodded. Everyone was seated in the living room, looking tired and restless.
"Yes. Imperator IX is a very powerful echidna and a ruthless leader. We just don't understand how he was able to escape the Phantom Zone unharmed by its effects," Amy answered.
"What do you mean?" Gadget asked.
"The Phantom Zone is a mysterious realm, home to many strange and unusual creatures. Apparently, about 4,000 years ago, the Nocturnus Clan was banished to that place, along with their leader, IX," Shadow explained. "This realm is meant to keep those banished enclosed from the outside world forever."
"But, you all managed to escape the realm after getting dragged in all those years ago, right? So, there must have been a loophole that IX used to his advantage," Gadget noted.
"Actually, that's what we wanted to talk about with you," Shadow said as Gadget perked up. "IX now has control of the ruby and he's been using it to bring back villains that Sonic or I defeated in the past. Do you think he may be able to hop through different dimensions or time places using the artifact?"
"....Yes. Yes, he can, but with only enough power. To be able to do that, he would still need a large amount of energy similar to the ruby...Which means they must be after the-"
"Chaos Emeralds?" Amy asked as Gadget nodded.
"Of course. With Silver now in their grasp, they may not even need all seven to be able to travel through time or dimensions without problems. However, if they accomplish this, it could rip apart time and space itself," Gadget said as he intertwined his hands together a bit firmly. "He could even warp this world into his own liking."
"How do you know all this?" Amy asked, even asking the same question Shadow was about to say. Gadget hesitated for a moment, but then let out a soft sigh.
"I know because that was Eggman's original plan. He only told one person about it. I have the one who first bared the ruby in our world...."
Infinite.
A MONTH EARLIER
Zero...Where are you, pal?
Gadget wondered to himself as he swung around the buildings in the crumpling city. He had done a farewell to both Shadow and Amy, and with their permission, he was excused from his duties to locate his friend.
The one who nearly killed them all in the first place...Infinite.
Without the ruby though, Gadget hoped his friend's mind snapped back to reality.
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Sonic Forces: The Phantom Ruby Strikes Back (SLOW UPDATES)
FanfictionWith the world finally won again by the resistance, it was finally time for our heroes to finally rebuild their world. Or was it? After the power was restored to the emeralds and the ruby, Sonic took it upon himself to search for the stones, first c...
