[In 1974, Maria and Shadow lie side by side in a field of flowers over the military base, gazing up at the stars in the night sky.]
Wow. Look at all those stars. They're like diamonds. My grandfather says it can take hundreds of years for the light of a star to reach Earth, and by the time you see it, the star might not even exist anymore. Isn't that crazy?
The light shines... even though the star is gone.
Yeah, it does. I wonder which one you came from, Shadow.
I don't know. I don't know anything about my home.
This is your home, Shadow. Earth.
[sits up]
Maria, do you think I'm... dangerous?
[also sits up]
What are you talking about?
The way the scientists look at me, I can tell they're afraid. Like I'm the horrible thing from that movie we watched. I don't know... what I am.
You're my friend. And you can do or be anything you want. Not because of your powers, but because of who you are... in here. [points at Shadow's chest]
I don't know what I'd do without you. [smiles at Maria]
[Maria smiles and holds Shadow's hand. They resume stargazing, with "End of the Line" starting up again. They share a brief look, smiling.]
[In the Eclipse Cannon, Gerald waits in his new suit while Ivo finishes putting on his own.]
♪ I'm a chip off the old block, I'm a chip off the old block, I'm a chip off the old block... ♪ [suddenly, "E.G.G.M.A.N." rings from his suit, makes a phone sign with his hand and speaks into his glove.] What do you want, Stone? I'm busy.
[Stone talks into his smartphone back outside by the Thames.]
Doctor, I have a bad feeling about this. I don't think your grandfather's been completely honest with us. Something Shadow said... There's more to their plan.
How dare you... You've been jealous of my long-lost grand pop-tart since the very beginning! I no longer require your obsequious groveling. Consider this your notice of termination. Your letter of reference will be L for "loser." Of course, I'll expect you to stay on until you've been successfully cloned, but you and I are done! Like a blackened catfish dinner!
Sir, it's too dangerous, and I'm not there to protect you! I already lost you once, I...!
[hanging up]
Unsubscribe. Blocked and reported.
...I can't lose you again.
TA TV Announcer
[Ivo's crab waits in the sewers. A familiar soap opera plays inside.]
And now back to... La Última Pasión.
G Gabriella
Última Pasión can only belong to one.
J Juan
No... it can only belong... to Juan!
[reveals Shadow watching the show (and making memes come true) while Stone whips up some guac.]
Gabriella should kill them both. She's not a prize to be won.
Kill this, murder that... You need to lighten up, Shadow. We're about to rule the world.
When we're done, there won't be anything left to rule.
That is dark, even for you. What are you and the professor up to?
[Outside, Sonic and Ivo emerge from a ring]
OK, I don't like you, and you don't like me. Let's get this over with quickly.
[bumps Sonic aside]
Out of my way, Dork-upine.
[sarcastic]
Dork-upine?! Really clever!
[Tails, Knuckles, and Stone, still without a shirt, follow them to the base's doors as the Ring closes behind them.] [knocks]
This door is 6-inch-thick solid steel and a pressurized latch. I'll need a moment to calculate the molecular density and invert the venting mechanics.
[simply punches the doors down]
I unlocked it.
Subtle as always, Fists-for-Brains.
[Inside the base, Shadow hears the doors being knocked down.]
Easy, Shadow. Those are the guests I've been expecting. Let's give them a warm welcome.
[Sonic and Ivo investigate a room housing Maria's old tent.]
Whoa, look at all this stuff. This was more than just a military base or a lab. It was a home. People lived here. [finds a framed photo of Shadow and Maria with the glass broken] He had a family.
Is that what I smell? The stench of domestic harmony?
You ever wonder what your life would've been like if you had a family?
Maybe you wouldn't have gone full supervillain.
I have no parents, no aunts, no uncles, and something about my attitude renders me... [looks at his reflection] ...undesirable to all possible genders. [Sonic follows a trail of footprints leading into the next room while Robotnik continues.] My future is a cul-de-sac. The Robotnik name ends... [pulls out Sonic's quill] ...avec moi. Yes, I know French. [shocks his tongue again]
[Sonic's attention is diverted as he enters the adjacent lab housing Shadow's old capsule.]
Whoa, is this where you grew up, Shadow? No wonder you're so mad. This place could really use a beanbag chair and some comic books. What happened here?
[As Sonic inspects the capsule, Shadow suddenly teleports in and smashes Sonic's head against it, cracking the glass even more.]
I'm tired of giving you warnings! [throws Sonic against the lab's machinery and charges a Chaos energy-infused punch, knocking Sonic out again.]
Where'd you go, hedgehog? I wasn't finished trauma-dumping. [looks around the room, he finds his drones neatly stacked and inactive.] My... darlings! [hugs his drones] My eggy-weggies!
[Then the door to the room creaks open, and the Professor slowly enters, singing Barbara Streisand's "The Way We Were".]
♪ Memories... light the corners of my mind... misty watercolor memories... ♪ [walks into view, Ivo discovers that he bears a striking resemblance to him.] ♪ ...of the way we were... n't! ♪
Imposter! You stole my babies! [activates his drones via his glove] They know who their real daddy is, drone-napper!
[laughs]
Magnificent creations, my boy. I borrowed them to lure you here and reunite our family. You see, Ivo. [removes glasses] I'm your grandfather: Gerald Robotnik.
My... grandfather? But how? And why? And who did what with whom?!
You hail from an ancestry of excellence, tied directly à moi. Yes, I know French.
[closely inspecting]
You do look like me. But fatter, and older. And there's that funny smell. But the resemblance is uncanny. It's as if...
B Both
We're two characters in a movie [slowly turning to the camera] being played by the same actor!
Ivo! We have very little time. [commands a drone via his glove to shoot at Gerald's feet. Gerald hops over the bullet and immediately reconsiders] But I could field a couple of queries.
[Ivo starts walking around Gerald and quizzing him.]
Name the most elegant formula in mathematics.
Euler's identity: e to the i times pi plus one equals zilch.
European capitals arranged alphabetically by the fourth letter.
[yawns]
Riga, Monaco, Sarajevo, Tirana.
The speed of light divided by the speed of sound divided by the speed of the bus in the movie Speed.
[mimics calculator beeps]
17,893.33333...
And, for all the marbles...
A rare lung disease, and the longest word in the English dictionary.
B Both
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis!
[whispering in shock]
Pop-Pop?
In the saggy flesh. But lookin' pretty good for 110. [shocks his tongue on Shadow's quill]
[tearfully overjoyed]
Oh, Grampy-poo! [hugs Gerald] Where have you been my entire life? [pulls back] Wait. [angrily] Where have you been... my ENTIRE LIFE?!
Locked in a top-secret prison for the last 50 years. Made it kinda hard to send Christmas cards. Now, you're probably wondering why I brought you here.
You didn't bring me here. I used my unparalleled intellect to track you down.
Per the plan I concocted with my unparalleled intellect. You'll see. I have the answer to everything. C'mon, kiddo.
[Ivo follows Gerald with a skip in his step. Behind them, the drones form hearts in their optics.]
[Sonic sits on top of the London Eye capsule and immediately gets impatient, speaking into his comm with his friends and family.]
Guys? Are you ready for me yet? I've been waiting here all day.
[Tails flies to the roof of 20 Fenchurch Street, setting up his Miles Electric.]
Sonic, we literally just started! Tom, Maddie, are you in position and ready?
[On the ground, Tom and Maddie scout G.U.N. HQ with binoculars, dressed in G.U.N. soldier attires.]
We were born ready.
[kneels over one of Big Ben's gargoyles]
I have taken my perch atop the giant clock. Now, where is this glass I'm supposed to break?
Actually, Knucks, your job is to "break glass in case of emergency".
Understood. I will shatter this glass like the jaw of a vile foe.
I will pulverize it like the skull of a loathsome rival!
Just to be clear, the emergency is the important part.
The glass will beg for mercy under the shadow of my mighty fist!
Guys, remember, we're a team. Now, let's focus.
You know what? Let's move on.
All right, everyone knows what to do. Tom and Maddie, you guys plant the USB drive. I'll disable the traps. Sonic will snag the launch key. And Knuckles, you stand by to...
[eagerly puts his fists together]
Break glass in case of emergency.
[to Tom]
Then we're all set.
Hologram time. [hands her a Tails-made disguiser] You go first.
[clicks her disguiser, turning her into a hologram version of Rachel, speaking with her voice]
Tom! It's me, Rachel. Can you believe it? We're both in London together!
Have you met your sister? Try again. Unless... you're not up for this mission? Yeah, maybe you wanna be back in Green Hills baking sourdough and--
[grabs Tom by the collar, acting abrasive]
Thomas Michael Wachowski! You brought aliens to my wedding, punched up my husband, and buried me in an avalanche. Your day of reckoning is at hand! (Better?)
[strained, scared]
Yeah, that's perfect. [after being let go] Okay, now for her better half. [clicks his disguiser, turning into Randall Handel and admires the size of his own arms] Hoo-hoo, my name is Randall, and I am too much to "Handel". [flexes] Welcome to the gun show! ["Rachel" nods along] Baby, would you describe me as jacked, juiced or shredded?
I would describe your head as swollen. Let's get to work.
[Team Sonic, Ivo, and Stone enter the base.]
Whoa, what is this place?
Looks like a military base, but nobody's been here for years. I wonder if it's haunted.
Haunted? Nobody said anything about being haunted.
What's the matter? You afraid of g-g-g-ghosts?
Nothing scares an Echidna warrior.
Uh, yeah, do you remember what happened last movie night? [Cut to a brief flashback of Knuckles screaming in terror... at Casper the Friendly Ghost. He holds onto his friends' hands, crushing them in the process.] AAAHH! Let go-let go-let-go-let go!
[Cut back to the present.]
There's no such thing as a "friendly ghost".
[Sonic rolls his eyes, unconvinced. Tails still visibly feels the pain in his hand. They soon come across three hallways.]
So, which way do we go?
I know! We should split up. Everyone with hideous, brightly colored fur take the left and the middle. Stone and I will go right.
No, no, no, no, no. I'm not letting you out of my sight. Tails, you and Stone go left. Knuckles, you take the middle. Eggman, you and I go right.
By all means. We could use some time together. To work on your trust issues.
You know what, you're right, I should be more trusting. I mean, you've only tried to kill me twice!
[The crab's computer scans the crater where the mountain and abandoned base once sat: "No lifeforms detected".]
I've spent years trying to cleanse the cosmos of that spiny, blue speed freak, and you did it... in one afternoon.
There's nothing we can't destroy together, my boy.
Charting route to G.U.N. headquarters in London, sirs. ETA: four hours, as the crab flies.
By all accounts, we're ahead of schedule. We should take this time to get to know each other better.
Wow, what...? You mean... spend some qu-qu-qu... ality time?
You've waited for this your whole life. How would you choose to spend one perfect day with your new grand pal?
[The G.U.N. helicopter exits a Ring over Tokyo as the instrumental version of "Neon" by ONE OK ROCK start up. Tails sits in the cockpit with a British G.U.N. pilot]
Good evening, and welcome to Tails Airflight 1012. We're looking at an on-time arrival into Tokyo!
Okay, Captain, we've got a rogue alien on the loose. How do we find him?
[they both notice a large explosion at the Shibuya Scramble Crossing]
Uh, start with the giant fireball?
I love it, let's start with the giant fireball!
[Sonic and Tails join Knuckles in the back]
Ha-ha-ha...! Finally, some action!
Okay, time to gear up. [pulls out some handcuffs] Titanium handcuffs. Completely indestructible.
I don't need your silly gizmos, fox. And you know why? Because I am...
[reciting with Knuckles, unamused]
1,000,000% muscle.
Yes, good, you've been listening.
GU G.U.N. Pilot
We're over the drop zone.
All right, here we go. Showtime!
[Sonic slides open the helicopter door, and the team looks down at the crossing as they prepare to skydive]
Now, look, we don't know if it's Godzilla or Hello Kitty down there, but as long as we stick together, there is nothing we can't handle. Team Sonic on three! [As he counts up, he, Tails, and Knuckles each put their fists together one by one.] One, two, three...
[at the same time]
...Knuckles!
[groans, then turns to Rockwell]
Talk about low budget flights. No food or movies? We're outta here!
[Team Sonic jumps out of the helicopter, and the vocals of "Neon" kick in as they skydiving down to the crossing, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles opening their parachutes, Landed Safely]
[The Wachowskis' living room is cluttered with signs of various activities, from loaves of bread, a knitting set, to a painting of Ozzy. Tom, dressed in a "Donut Lord" sweater, finishes building a model Taj Mahal at the table.]
And done! Masterpiece. Look at that.
Yay! [wearing an "All or Muffin" apron, she brings more bread and joins Tom on the sofa.] It's really been great having time to ourselves.
Right? Absolutely, I just feel so relaxed. You know, clear-headed?
Look at all these new interests we found.
I've got so many hobbies.
After the action and adventure of the last few years, I could get used to this.
[Suddenly, the room starts to shake. The bread pans wobble, puzzles break apart, and the model Taj Mahal comes tumbling down. A ring appears, and Team Sonic emerges, still chained up, with Knuckles in front.]
Tom, Maddie, we need your help on a super… Knuckles, do you mind?
Oh, excuse me. [turns around so Sonic faces Tom and Maddie]
(Thank you.)
Tom, Maddie, we need your help on a super dangerous, top-secret mission!
[Tom and Maddie mull it over.]
Thank God.
[both getting up]
Yeah, we're in.
Really? You're in, just like that?
[same time]
Yes. It was getting so boring without you guys here.
No, none taken. [to Team Sonic] I mean, whatever crazy plan you're cooking up, the answer's yes.
Great! But first thing's first, what is that? [points to a ventriloquist puppet of Tom with Sergeant Sprinkles. Tom picks it up off the floor. Maddie is unamused.]
Oh, this is... [puts on a high-pitched voice] Little Tom! [in normal voice] Isn't he great?
[Team Sonic is too stunned to speak.]
I told you to get rid of that. It's very creepy.
[as Little Tom]
I told him to get rid of you. [in normal voice] Okay, that's going a bit too far...
You're in so much trouble.
[sets his Miles Electric on the living room table, creating a hologram of G.U.N. HQ.]
Okay, this is it, the belly of the beast: G.U.N. headquarters in London.
Aw, Tom, we're finally gonna get to see London together...!
Hey, I told you we'd get there someday, baby.
Okay, so here's the plan! I run in super fast, fly over that water, no problem, then right when I get to the-- [his hologram turns to ash upon running into G.U.N. HQ's shield, leaving only his shoes behind.] AAAH! What just happened?
Congratulations, you just got incinerated by their energy shield. We'll need to shut it down by planting a USB drive in their server room. That will give me full control over it. (re: Tom and Maddie) That's what we need you two for.
A couple bad-**** spies, that's what we are.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith. [fist bumps Tom]
Once we disable the shield, you'll face... the laser hall. These high-density bad boys will cut you into tiny pieces. And cut those pieces into even tinier pieces.
Once again... AAH! Can't we just get Tom Cruise to do this?
Nope, because not even he could break into... the vault.
Why is it empty in there?
Because we have no idea what's on the other side of that door. To prevent the vault from ever being accessed by a ring, all images and schematics have been wiped from G.U.N.'s database. So, for the last leg of this heist...
[as Little Tom]
We're goin' in blind. [off Maddie's look, quietly] Sorry.
Okay, I'm just gonna say it. It sounds like this plan would work a heck of a lot better if Sonic used the Master Emerald to go golden god mode to get the key.
No way, Maddie. The Master Emerald is too powerful to ever use again. We made a promise to each other to keep it hidden.
In a location only Knuckles knows.
As Guardian of the Master Emerald, anyone who tries to take it away for any reason will become a sworn enemy.
Okay-okay, sheesh, no need to get all growly on me, buddy.
You guys are always telling us to make good choices. Well, this is the right choice.
Okay! I guess we're going to...
[Tom and Maddie lift their disguises and find the door to the server room. Maddie then disguises herself as Rockwell.]
Did it work?
[admiring]
Yeah... [Maddie smacks him] Ow!
[inputs a code at the door and speaks into the intercom.]
Director Rockwell. Seeking access to the server room.
Agent's Voice: Just one moment, ma'am.
[Just as Tom and Maddie exchange smiles at their success, Tom sees something concerning down the hall.]
Oh, no. No-no-no-no. It's her, it's her, it's the real her...!
[Maddie turns around and sees the real Rockwell with a few soldiers walking their way.]
...the incident in Colorado.
GU G.U.N. Soldier
Still assessing.
What do you mean we're still assessing?
[lifting her disguise]
Quick, change faces!
Okay. [frantically clicks his disguiser, but it instead cartoonishly distorts his face and voice with each click.] Did it work? [off Maddie's weirded out look] What's going on? Why're you looking at me like that?
[the disguiser changes Tom's face to Sergeant Sprinkles, then the head of Little Tom] What am I doin' wrong? [the disguiser then changes Tom's face to Ozzy's. Maddie chops the disguiser, changing Tom into Randall again just before Rockwell and the soldiers approach. "Randall" salutes while Maddie turns away and pretends to look occupied.]
[Rockwell simply gives Tom a look and walks away with the soldiers without breaking stride.]
"Aye-aye, Captain"?! Who are you, Popeye (or what)?!
[lifting his disguise]
I panicked! I was panicking.
Geez! Get it together.
[The door to the server room finally opens.]
