The once quiet desert was alive with the sounds of battle. An old oil refinery belonging to the Eggman Empire was in the middle of being raided by a trio of Freedom Fighters. The centre of attention was a rather new radio tower in the middle of the refinery.

Tails ran from the tower yelling. "Go! Go! Go! It's about to blow!"

The explosives detonated, blowing the base of the tower apart. Bunnie blocked flying pieces of shrapnel with her energy shield while Sonic simply dodged. Tails watched them both, knocking debris aside with his tails. They could hear annoyed whining coming from a nearby speaker.

"That's just not fair! How am I supposed to control the King's mind without that?"

Sonic stopped and glanced up at the speaker, which held the likeness of Dr. Robotnik. "Hey, Ro-butt-nik! Your plans are scrambled, Eggman! You're fried!"

Above the small scene of destruction, Eggman sat in his one-man pod. He mumbled to himself. "If he uses another one of those infernal puns again, I'll detonate the city's main reactor… maybe if I move it first."

Tails glanced up, spotting the pod. "Sonic! He's here!"

Sonic looked up. "Dang! There's no way I'd make it up there. Tails, Bunnie, can you get him?"

Bunnie nodded. "Sure enough, sugar hog." She rocketed towards Eggman with Tails right behind her. Tails sped past her, arching around the pod and slashing its control lines with his tails.

Eggman groaned as the pod sunk to the ground. "Once again, versatile and unnatural limbs win the day."

Sonic leaned on the pod. "Hey, doc? When you gonna be sunny side up?"

Eggman shook his head. "Just get it over with. Please don't gloat."

Sonic nodded to Bunnie. She grabbed him and pulled him out of the pod. "You have the right to remain silent, but since you obviously won't we'll skip your other rights as well. You have the right to an attorney, but you unfortunately outlawed them so there are none to represent you."

Tails watched, completely content. Eggman had proved difficult to capture, but they had finally come through and for the first time in years there was no one interfering with their mission. Eggman's reign of terror over Mobius had finally come to an end.

A bullet clipped Bunnie in the arm. She whirled just in time to catch another bullet in the shoulder. Blood sprayed and she fell. A third bullet bounced off a metal storage container beside Tails. He ducked behind the container, not wanting his head to be the next thing featuring a bullet hole. Sonic grabbed Bunnie and dragged her behind the pod. More bullets bounced around the area.

Tails called across to Sonic. "Is Bunnie okay?"

He checked her neck. "Yeah, but she doesn't look too good. Tails, can you see who's shooting at us?"

Tails peeked around the container, ducking back just in time as a bullet whizzed past. "No, he's too quick. I wouldn't be surprised if it's Nack, judging by his aim."

Sonic looked around for any larger cover. There was none. "Well, you're gonna have to do this one, buddy. I gotta take care of Bunnie."

Tails nodded. "Okay! Go around the left! He won't be expecting that!" Tails broke into a fast run, going around the right. As he had planned, Nack had been watching the left after overhearing the plan. By the time he could readjust his sights Tails was under him.

The Weasel cursed. Before he could even stand, the raised platform he had perched on collapsed. Tails had cut through the structure's supports with his razor sharp namesakes. Nack landed in a heap in front of Tails who hauled him upright.

"I should have known it was too good to be true. We had him. Why are you always there to get in our way, you or someone else? Answer me, Weasel!"

Nack shook the daze from himself. "Uh… I suppose it has something to do with old rivalries." He pulled his sidearm from its holster and fired. Tails was quick enough to avoid being shot, and knocked the gun away. Nack punched him in the face, knocking him over. The mercenary turned and ran, quickly disappearing into the landscape.

Tails pulled himself to his feet. He growled at the disappearing figure. "Whatever. You run. You're going down. I'll get you somehow."

Sonic walked over helping Bunnie along. "He got away again?" Tails nodded. "Huh, well… so did Eggman. How does that guy disappear so quickly?"

Tails glanced away from the spot where Nack had vanished. "Sonic? You've noticed, right? That every time we get one of them, they manage to escape and we have to deal with them all over again?"

Sonic nodded. "Eh, well, it's all part of life."

"It doesn't have to be."

Sonic didn't respond for a time. He eventually looked down at Bunnie, saying. "Okay, I get you, buddy. We'll talk about this when we get back. Right now, we need to get Bunnie some medical attention."

Tails sighed, nodding. "Yeah, alright. Where's the truck?"