New world, same hero.

After all the preparations for the journey to where Sonic and the Chaos Emeralds had ended up, the team was ready on the island. The group, consisting of Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Cream, Shadow, and Omega, was prepared for the trip. They only needed to wait for the signal from Tails, the young and intellectual member of the team, who was ensuring that everything was in perfect condition for the jump from their reality to the next in search of their friend.

At least two days and a few hours had passed since Sonic disappeared, but Tails had dedicated himself to making sure everything was ready. The team was set, the entire island was protected and covered by a barrier thanks to the energy shared by the Master Emerald through Tails' inventions. Sonic’s whereabouts were unknown, but they had found a signal—one Chaos Emerald was enough. No matter how weak the signal was, it was all they needed.

"Okay, everything is set and checked at least ten times to make sure we get there without losing a single hair in the process!" the young fox exclaimed, smiling victoriously after his hard work to achieve the impossible. He was literally about to move mountains, land, deserts, and an entire floating island to rescue his friend and brother.

A static sound came from beside him. He looked at a small handheld radio sitting on his desk.

"Everything ready, Tails?" The voice of his tough Echidna friend came from the other side.

"All ready and set to go, Knuckles! I’ve checked everything at least ten times for everyone’s safety, including the island’s. The worst you’ll lose will be some palm leaves when we make the jump," he explained cheerfully while closing his yellow laptop, which had a sticker symbolizing his two white-tipped tails.

"Perfect! Then I'll be waiting here. Shadow, you can come and wait too! Amy, you and Cream stay inside your temporary house, and Omega… do whatever you want until we arrive."

"Who put you in charge of this operation?" The dark hedgehog’s voice came through the radio.

"This is my island! My Master Emerald! So technically, I’m the boss!" the echidna protested, causing a distortion in the communication device due to his loud voice.

"Technically, we divided leadership roles… So you’re not entirely in charge. I gave you the idea, and you accepted."

"That sounds like the fox is above your authority to give orders." The Ultimate Lifeform added in a relaxed tone.

Tails just looked at his walkie-talkie, watching the custom-colored lights alternate for each person speaking.

"TAILS IS NOT ABOVE MY ORDERS!"

Tails’ radio nearly jumped from his hand at his friend’s outburst, making him chuckle as he continued walking towards the altar.

"Confirmed. Whoever organized this operation is in charge of leading it." Omega’s robotic voice spoke through his communication system.

"Come on, guys, don’t fight. This is all thanks to the teamwork we’re putting in to save Sonic, wherever he is."

Amy Rose’s sweet voice came from the other end, bringing peace for only two seconds.

"Ugh… I won’t argue with you for obvious reasons, and by that, I mean that ‘dialogue’ with you is never a good thing."

"You’re not implying that ‘dialogue’ is when I take out my hammer to knock some sense into you, are you?"

There was no response—just an uncomfortable silence for a few seconds.

"Then… Tails, give the orders when you’re ready."

That was the last thing Knuckles said before cutting off communication, causing Amy and Cream to laugh on the other end where no one else could hear them. Shadow simply shook his head at how easily the echidna had accepted his defeat.

"Hehe, well then, I’ll give you tasks in the meantime. Omega, make sure you’re prepared and ready for any threats, including Eggman and his robots. We don’t know if he’s there too, but it’s highly likely."

"Affirmative."

"Shadow, you can go to the altar now. I’m almost there. Knuckles, prepare the Master Emerald to release its power."

The hedgehog didn’t respond, but that was expected of him. As Tails reached the altar, he used his twin tails like a helicopter and flew to the top, where he saw his echidna friend standing with his arms extended toward the massive emerald. It was covered in cables and pieces of technology created by the young fox himself. Knuckles’ calm act made the emerald shine even brighter—it was responding to his request for power for a noble cause.

Tails landed a few meters away, opened his laptop, and extended a cable to connect it to the device on the Master Emerald. This allowed the device and the computer to sync, making the energy emitted by the emerald react to the tracking program.

"Great job, Knuckles! With this, we can finally make the jump beyond Mobius."

At that moment, a flicker caught the young fox’s attention. He turned his gaze to see Shadow the Hedgehog standing nearby with his arms crossed, close to the powerful gem.

"I’m here. Let’s get this over with. Let’s save the imposter and consider this operation completed."

His words were cold, emotionless, but deep down, it was clear that he had good intentions. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have bothered to help rescue the blue hedgehog he constantly clashed with.

"Alright, the program is ready! I’m initializing it! When the Master Emerald detects any trace of Chaos energy, it should move the entire island like a ship, and we’ll be pulled through Chaos Control to reach the emeralds—and hopefully, Sonic. Any questions?"

He looked at the pair, who were glaring at each other but still held a hopeful smile for the plan he had managed to create in just two days.

"Yeah! How long will it take us to get wherever the emeralds are?"

Shadow looked at the fox, who glanced at his laptop, tapping a few keys before showing an animated simulation.

"It depends on how many emeralds we detect. It works like a giant magnet that pulls opposite waves toward the correct polarity. The more Chaos Emeralds we find within range, the faster we’ll travel to our destination. In other words, if we find one, we’ll go fast, but if there are three or more—maybe five—we’ll be there in under ten minutes."

"And if all seven are together, we’ll arrive instantly," Knuckles added, drawing the attention of both the hedgehog and the fox. The latter nodded at his correct understanding.

"Correct, Knuckles!"

The buttons on his laptop clicked rapidly as his eyes reflected the green programming codes on the screen, verifying that everything was functioning correctly. A large white-gloved hand appeared on the screen, giving a thumbs-up.

"Everything’s ready! Knuckles, Shadow—it’s your turn!"

At his signal, the two exchanged looks and responded with mutual understanding.

Shadow placed his hands on the Master Emerald while Knuckles whispered ancient incantations, urging the emerald to respond.

"Attention, everyone! We’re about to depart. Hold on tight—we might experience some mild turbulence!" Tails shouted through the radio, warning the rest of his friends on the island.

The device connected to the great emerald lit up, emitting a glow of the same color. Thanks to its connection to the computer, the beacons Tails had asked Omega to plant around the island all activated at the same time. Together, they created a translucent bubble around Angel Island, radiating the same color as the emerald.

Along with this, the island began to shake as if an earthquake had struck.

"It’s working! Now, Shadow!"

Shadow nodded upon receiving his cue and closed his eyes, feeling the Master Emerald’s energy flow through his body, surrounding him with a golden aura.

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

A surge of energy erupted from the Master Emerald, and a brilliant white light engulfed the entire island from within the bubble. In an instant, the island vanished into thin air, leaving only a faint trail of sparks after the flash of light.

"Here we come, Sonic!"