Modern Sonic crouched as the earth trembled beneath him.
"Not again!" Knuckles murmured, crouched beside him.
"It's easier if you fly," Rouge said tauntingly.
"We can't!" Knuckles snapped.
"She's trying to get to you," Sonic told him, "ignore her."
Knuckles grumbled in response.
"What is making the ground shake like this?" Amy asked.
"An earthquake?" Silver suggested.
"No, Silver," Shadow said sarcastically, "it's obviously an Eggman robot that is shaking the ground. Of course it's an earthquake!"
Silver flinched.
"Something feels... unnatural about this," Espio said, referring to the earthquake.
"I'm with Espio," Knuckles agreed.
A loud crack came from the house behind Cream and Cheese, who were flying.
"Look out!" Sonic called, and Vanilla ran out of the house before it collapsed.
"What's the big idea?" Knuckles yelled at the ground. He normally wouldn't, but all of this- the two Tails, them disappearing, the shaking- was getting to all of them.
Eggman's laughter rang through the air.
"Shaky, Shaky!" he called through hidden speakers, "You fools didn't stop me while you still could. The shaking is the universes coming together. Soon the world will be 11 times bigger and there will be 11 Eggmans, 2 of which have taken complete control of their world.
"The only one of you that can match in numbers is Sonic. There are only 8 Knuckles, 6 Amy's, and 5 of everyone else. Not even Tails can match, because in Sonic Underground he was replaced by a couple of siblings."
Everyone listened with either stone faces or utter shock, and Eggman continued.
"Unfortunately, you will need to be deported for this part of the plan. I need this world as an arena for your fox friends," Eggman paused, waiting for an answer.
Sonic stood up.
"Fat chance, Eggbelly," he said, speaking to the air but knowing full well that whoever was playing the recordings could hear him could hear him, "we won't go. And you're dead!"
"Either go or your friends will be killed in a sneak attack with no chance of defending themselves. They will be killed anyways, but at least fairly if you cooperate," Eggman said with calm glee.
Sonic paused.
"You're not buying this, are you?" Knuckles asked, surprisingly soft, looking directly at Sonic.
Sonic looked away, not wanting to. But he couldn't go against Eggman's demand, he just couldn't! Not if Tails' life was in the balance. If they went, Tails would have a fair chance to fight back.
Sonic knew how powerful Tails was. On the first day they'd met, he destroyed an army of robots with Sonic. He'd beaten Sonic a few times in a fight, and knew how to kick butt. He could go against whatever Eggman could throw at him.
Sonic looked up, solemn determination on his face.
"Fine," he said, "we'll play along."
_______________________________________
On the ARK, Modern Orbot breathed a silent sigh of relief. He'd been worried Sonic wouldn't budge, and the Tails would be heading to the village as soon as the shaking stopped.
They had to move everyone quickly, so as to set the next trap for the Tails.
"I knew you'd have the sense to comply. We're moving you to the universe of Sonic X. It is the most like our own," he played the recording to the group.
"No, Sonic!" Amy yelled in his screen at Sonic.
"You have to be kidding," Knuckles was aghast.
"Are you out of your mind?!" Silver asked, furious.
"You know we can't trust Eggman," Shadow pointed out solemnly.
"I know," Sonic replied, "but he- or whoever is in charge of this operation- better stay true to his word, or he will pay more than Eggman ever has."
Sonic glared at the camera.
'Noted,' Orbot thought, then played, "now stand still and I'll transport you there."
He hit a button and zapped the lot of them. They were moved to the Sonic X universe, just like he'd promised. Another button put the trap in place.
He was ready for the Tails.