Note: Tragity strikes us! Lil, Rouge and Lilith have been captured da Dr. Eggman! Myzak has just revealed that he shares the brain of the late-homisidal Dr. Gerald Robotnik! And what of the rest of the gang? Find out più as the Wandering Soul continues!

***

Knuckles tiptoed across the giants hallways of ARK. “This is suicide.” He detto to himself. “Hopefully the guys get here in time. Stupid Myzak! Why'd he send me in alone?” Then the thought occurred to him. “Hey, anyone there?” He called into the wristwatch communicator Tails had dato all of them.

“Sure, yeah, I guess.” Myzak's voice replied. “Ya there yet?”

“No,” Knuckles shook his head. “I haven't seen them. But, are te sure Eggman isn't watching? If he is, it'll ruin everything!”

“Don't sweat it partner!” Myzak chuckled in the transistor-radio-watch. “I've already hacked into the systems. He might be watchin' you, but we're invisible.”

Knuckles wasn't amused. “Thanks, Myzak.” He detto in a sarcastic tone, and turned off the communicator. “Okay, now this really IS suicide!”

“You can say that again, Knucky.” Rouge's voice came from right in front of him. “I'd start backing away if I were you.” Rouge leaned on the bars of her cage. “But then again, te never listen to me, so I might as well not say anything to your stinky echidna numbskull.”

Knuckles ignored the insult. “So, te guys are really stuck?” He asked, inching closer.

“Yep.” Lil's voice this time. She had stopped straining herself to get free. Now, she was just sitting, crying into her lap. “Just don't pass the crack in the floor.”

“Oh,” Knuckles looked down as he walked right over, “you mean, this crack!” SNAP! Another trap was set. The cage sprung up from below. Knuckles had suspected it, so he dodged it completely. A cage from above came down. Knuckles sliced it in half with his knux. Darts began to fly. He blocked those as well. “That's what happens when you're the head master at a martial arts center.” He laughed. “And here I thought that this was su-”

Glass broke. Knuckles fell to the ground, unconscious. “Surprised, my pets?” Eggman laughed, holding the remains of a wine bottle in his hands. “Decoe! Bocoe! Get our newest guest to a better room!”

“Yes, Doctor.” Two robotic voices chimed together. Lil expected two huge robots with homicidal qualities, big guns, and twin designs. After all, Eggman had been winning. So, why couldn't his machines look like they were winning as well?

But, out of the shadows came Decoe and Bocoe. Decoe was tall, slim and oro with long wiry limbs. On the other hand, Bocoe was short, stubby, stocky and silver. Their names were written across their chests. They looked almost humanoid. They walked over to the unconscious Knuckles, inserted a dart into his neck, and wiped their hands on handkerchiefs.

“These are the furious robotic androids?” Lil looked flabbergasted. “At least warn me before sending in protocol droids. What are te guys called in the galaxy of far, far away? C3PO and R2D2? Please...”

“We are not protocol droids!” Decoe looked insulted.

“Yeah, we're battle robots!” Bocoe added. “If dato the chance, we combine our bodies to become an ultra-megafied battle droid with the capability of destroying-”

“I'm not exactly impressed,” Lil interrupted in a curtly manner.

“I should've warned te that these guys are insane.” Rouge rolled her eyes. “But no. No one ever listens to me!”

“Now you're whining!” Lil snapped. “At least te have the ability to sposta your arms! te have no right to complain about not being listened to!” Lil then glare down at her boots. “Sonic never listened to me. And now look where we are.”

***

“Looks like the diversion worked...but how well?” Shadow pressed himself against the wall. His eyes watched as Knuckles was dragged away. “For all we know, Knuckles could be in a lot of trouble.”

“That's the point, te see.” Myzak nodded. He had hooked up a keypad to the lock on the door to Doctor Gerald Robotnik’s lab door. “He agreed to distract Eggman so we could get in.” He typed on the keyboard at lightning speed. “The override is almost complete, ya'll.” Suddenly, the door opened. Eggman stepped out.

“Bravo! You've opened the front door.” Eggman laughed. “Very impressive. But why didn't te go through the back door? It's always unlocked.”

“Eggman.” Sonic's tone of voice was threatening. “What did te do to Knuckles?”

Eggman chuckled and waved his arms to reveal Bocoe and Decoe hooking Knuckles up to a machine. “Nothing yet. I'm trying to follow in my grandfather's footsteps! I WILL CREATE ULTIMATE LIFE!”

Myzak thought fast. He began to retreat. He colomba for inside the laboratory. He hadn't hacked into the system just to fail now. Shadow and Sonic went into their spinballs attacks...only to bounce back. Eggman had a shield. “Fools,” the doctor cackled. “Too bad te won't live to see tomorrow!”

Tails screamed. He'd been shot from behind da a tranquilizer dart. “Tails!” Sonic yelled. He turned around and fell through a trap door. Down, down Sonic fell through the air. Suddenly, he felt the ground rise to meet him. THUD! He blacked out for a second. Darkness swirled around his head. Cold swept over him like a blanket. Then, something he didn't expect was added...water.

Sonic awoke with a start. He coughed, sputtered, and gasped for air. His shoes were almost an inch underwater. “I'm in the drainage systems!” Sonic screamed. “Oh bother! I can't swim, nor am I very buoyant! Eggman!”

“Yes?” The doctor's voice echoed down from above. “You've been asleep for only a few minutes. Do te like the cold water?”

“Why don't we talk about this?” Sonic asked. “I mean, I know that we won't get anywhere with our relationship, but why don't we discuss your true feelings. te know, have a heart-to-heart?” Sonic nervously chuckled as the water came to his chest. “Yeah. Let's reach down to the depths of our souls. te do know that (gulp) deep down we're all the same, right?”

Eggman shook his head as he watched the hedgehog begin to panic. “Naughty hedgehog. te know what? You've always been a nuisance. So, why don't I drown te instead. You've always ruined my plans, so I might as well take te out. You, and all of your friends!”

“NO!” Myzak yelled. This caught Eggman's attention. The doctor spun around. Myzak stood at akimbo, eyes blazing. “Johnny Robotnik! What have te done!” Myzak's voice sounded old and frail. Just like the late doctor Gerald himself. “Didn't I teach te not to look down at me! Stop staring!”

“Yes, grandfather.” Eggman nodded. “Could te help me with something? It's about making Ultimate Life.”

“Indeed.” Myzak/Gerald replied. “What would te want to know?”

“How do te create it?” Eggman pressed.

“Come to the table, and I'll mostra you.” The tomcat walked over to a large white tavolo that stood in the middle of the room. Shadow was at one end, flabbergasted. “I'll write it out for you,” the body of Myzak spoke.

***

“I can't get through!” Lil's voice screamed. “And don't expect ME to hack into these computer chains!” Tails slowly but surely work up. He couldn't see anything clearly. His glasses were gone. His wrists were chained to something soft. “At least I'm not on the bacheca anymore,” Lil's voice continued.

“Lil?” Tails asked. “Is that you?” His eyes began to sting.

“Duh.” Lil snapped. “You're pulling to tight on my wrists! You're tied to my back!”

“That's complicated...” Tails added. Suddenly, a loud electronic buzz began to fill the air. “What's that?”

“A very, very large gun.” Lil whispered. “We're the targets!”

***

“Why haven't te finished, Grandfather?” Eggman asked as Myzak stopped writing.

Myzak had to think fast to keep the bluff up. “Why...I got distracted.” Myzak continued in the Gerald voice. “I miss Maria. Where is she? I want her to be here to.” Yeah, Myzak thought, act stupid. Why me??

Eggman shuffled. “I'm sorry, but Maria's dead. Do te remember her eyes? te used to say how much te loved them.”

“Oh yes.” Myzak didn't look at Eggman for a second. “They were the prettiest shade of brown. They reminded me of chocolate...” Myzak suddenly realized his mistake. “I mean they were blue! Yes, they...oh dangit.”

Shadow gasped. Eggman snarled, “You liar!” He grabbed the tomcat da the throat and pushed him down on the table. The cat began to gag. “Now,” Eggman hissed, “finish the manuscript, because if te don't...Lil and Tails are blown to bits!”

A countdown began. The loud beeps hurt Myzak's ears. But to lose both Lil, his best friend, and Tails, who was too young to die, would be più than he could bear. “I'll...I'll do it! Just let go!” It didn't sound like an answer Myzak would normally give, but it worked. Eggman let go. Myzak fell to the ground, gasping for air. “I'll finish the manuscript.” Myzak mumbled. He then looked up to Shadow and said, “Save them.”