Jason Voorhees vs. Sonic the Hedgehog Part III: Back To Square One
Written by Joe Oliver Edwards
26th May 2004 – 3rd July 2004

Disclaimer: This fan fiction is written purely for my own enjoyment and for those that wish to read it. No profit is being gained from this work whatsoever. I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any related characters or properties, they are the property of SEGA and Sonic Team. Likewise, Jason Voorhees, Friday the 13th and all related properties are owned by New Line Cinema.

The song “The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be” was written by Jim Steinman, and appeared on the 1989 Pandora’s Box album “Original Sin”. All rights to the song are owned by Jim Steinman and Virgin Records.

As with the other two instalments of Jason Voorhees vs. Sonic the Hedgehog, this story takes place after the videogame Sonic Heroes and the movie Jason X. As such, it may contain spoilers for both.

EXT. HILL – SUNSET

We open on a red sky. The sun is descending, sinking beneath thick clouds of black smoke that swirl in the air like ink in a fish tank. The sounds of sirens, and the occasional rumble of a distant explosion, are carried on the wind. We pan down, to focus on a solitary figure who sits atop a grassy hill, alone. We move closer in.

The figure is a humanoid fox. He’s small, less than four feet in height. His fur is mostly a pleasant orange, aside from his muzzle and his stomach, which are white. In several places, his fur is matted with dried blood. He wears white gloves on his four-fingered hands, and red and white sneakers on his feet. From his face, we see that he is young, no older than eight years old. His baby blue eyes are the picture of innocence. They are opened wide, and they are bloodshot and swollen. The figure has been crying. His mouth is curled into a pained grimace. A pair of long, bushy tails curl around from his rear.

The young fox is MILES PROWER, better known to his friends as simply “TAILS”. He sits, hugging his knees, rocking back and forth slowly, his eyes wide open and staring blankly ahead, right into the camera, right at us. His two tails sweep slowly from side to side. As he stares at us, we hear his voice. His mouth does not move, and save for his slow rocking motion he does not move a muscle. His voice is young, the voice of a child, but in it there is the sting of adulthood, the unwanted knowledge that the world is not always a good place. He speaks calmly and methodically.

TAILS (VO)
No matter how many times I replay it, running the same events through my mind over and over, I still can’t believe that it happened. It’s simple mathematics: 2 plus 2 does not equal 5, 6 does not multiply into 128, and no matter which way you look at it, 220 will not divide exactly into 640. But that’s exactly what has happened.

The young fox closes his eyes for a moment, and when he opens them, they are wet with tears. He doesn’t move his hand to wipe them away. He continues speaking to us as the tears slowly trickle down his cheeks, darkening his soft fur as they wind downwards.

TAILS (VO)
I guess impossible things do happen. No matter how well you think you understand the rules, even if you think you know every possible outcome, even if you would stake your life on a simple impossibility, you can still be wrong in the end. Guess I was wrong. 2 plus 2 does equal 5. It’s funny, I was always so good with numbers.

Tears begin to flow more freely down his face, and this time he raises a gloved hand to his eyes and rubs them. The tears don’t stop, they begin to flow down his cheeks. His chest begins to shake. He reaches down and picks up one of his tails, and holds it up to his eyes. His chest begins to shake more violently, and he slowly sinks forward until he lies flat on the ground. He begins to sob quietly, the sound obscured by his thick, bushy tail. As he lies on his stomach, quietly crying into his appendage, his voice continues to speak to us in the same calm, methodical tone.

TAILS (VO)
I wonder why I’m even still here. Why I’m even still alive. I don’t understand why the ground doesn’t just swallow me up, why I don’t just fade into the darkness and sleep in a place where dreams won’t trouble me. I guess that’s just one more thing I don’t understand.

He sits up again, wipes his eyes once more with his sodden tail, and regains some control. His eyes, although red and swollen, are dry. They move back up to make contact with the camera, with us.

TAILS (VO)
I know I have to be strong. That’s what they’d all expect of me. I need to stop crying. Crying is for babies, that’s what Knuckles says. I know I need to stand up and walk back down this hill and face them. But I don’t want to. I’ll give it one more minute, and maybe if I close my eyes really tight, so tight that it hurts, maybe the ground will open up and I’ll fall in.

He scrunches his eyes closed tightly and clenches his fists. He sits silently, motionlessly, for a few moments. A woman’s voice is heard a short distance away, calling up, breaking the silence.

WOMAN’S VOICE (OS)
Miles! We don’t have much time! We need to go!

TAILS opens his eyes. He stares at us once more, his eyes lingering on us, wide and cold. Then he turns his head and begins to walk away from us. We watch him leave, the camera remaining motionless. He walks down the hill slowly, gradually disappearing from our sight until he is gone.

We are left with the image of a single grassy hill under the red, smoke-filled sky. TAILS’ voice speaks to us one more time. Calm, controlled, unemotional.

TAILS (VO)
A week ago, everything was fine. Seven days. One hundred and sixty eight hours, ten-thousand and eighty minutes. Six-hundred-and-four-thousand, eight hundred seconds. It seems like an eternity ago. I understood mathematics back then. I knew for certain you couldn’t multiply 6 into 128. I was certain of a lot of things back then.

The sound of an explosion is heard, loud and thunderous. It’s close nearby.

TAILS (VO)
Six-hundred-and-four-thousand, eight hundred seconds. Maybe if I start from the top and count backwards, everything will be okay again by the time I reach zero. But then, what do I know? I was certain that 2 plus 2 equalled 4.

Another explosion is heard, this one even nearer. The hill shakes from the unseen impact. The sky begins to darken, quickly, and in only a few seconds the screen is one of utter blackness.

Upon this dark canvas, the main title: “JASON VOORHEES vs. SONIC THE HEDGEHOG PART III: BACK TO SQUARE ONE” is displayed. It fades into nothingness, and is replaced with a title card reading “ONE WEEK EARLIER”. This too fades, and is replaced with a card reading “604,800 SECONDS EARLIER”.

FADE IN:

EXT. GREEN HILL ZONE – DAY

The Green Hill Zone, located on the mysterious South Island, is a beautiful, lush paradise. It’s easy to see where it earned its name – the landscape for miles around is nothing but steep hills covered with green grass. The occasional waterfall is dotted here and there, adding a touch of pleasant blue to the colour palette, and the sound of gently bubbling fresh water to the quiet soundtrack of birdsong and breeze.

The geography of this Zone is rather peculiar. In addition to steep hills, there are also large loop-de-loops protruding from the ground, and small platforms float high in the air with no visible explanation. The entire landscape is also chequered – the grass is made up of small squares, some light green, some a darker shade of green. The sides of the hills themselves are made of chequered earth that is two shades of brown. Strange looking plants can be seen – tall palm trees with blocky, oddly geometric-leaves and large yellow sunflowers with heads that rotate like a wind-up toy.

The Green Hill Zone stretches out for miles, but beyond it we can see the sparkling blue ocean, upon which the bright sun dances merrily. The pleasant blue sky is reflected, as are the few scattered clouds that make their way lazily towards nowhere in particular.

On the ground, the tranquil near-silence is suddenly shattered as a blue shape moves across the landscape at a blistering pace. We see a long aerial shot as the blur streaks up and down hills, winding this way and that with dazzling agility. Finally, it skids to a halt at the top of a large hill. We move in closer, and see who it is, as if we don’t know already.

It’s SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. Four feet tall, his head and back sporting large, thick spines that are a deep, pure blue in colour. His muzzle and belly are peach-coloured. He wears thick white gloves, and red sneakers with a white stripe down the middle. His large eyes contain pupils that are a dazzling shade of green. The eyes twinkle with excitement, with enjoyment, with humour. The smile on his face – half-grin, half-smirk – enforces this.

SONIC places a hand over his eyes and scans the Zone. We see SONIC’S POV as he looks around. He stops as he spots a shape approaching – it’s distant, but it appears to be some kind of egg-shaped flying craft. SONIC’s grin widens. He speaks, his voice young, the voice of a carefree teenager, but at the same time it conveys wisdom and maturity far beyond his years.

SONIC
(Amusedly)
Late as always! That mad old doctor should invent himself a watch.

The craft nears, and we can make out more details. It is small, and the bottom of it is egg-shaped. It is mostly a metallic grey in colour, with a black, polished underside. A jet booster protrudes from the back of the craft, powering it. The top of the craft is open, and a large man fills the cockpit.

The man is bald, but he makes up for this with an enormous handlebar moustache that sprouts from his large, crooked nose. The figure wears a pair of dark glasses that obscure his eyes and a red uniform. However, the most striking feature of the pilot is his weight, or rather the incredible surplus of it. This man is not just fat, he is obese, to the point that his body is egg-shaped. He fits snugly in the rounded cockpit of the flying craft.

This man is DR. ROBOTNIK, evil genius extraordinaire, but due to his aforementioned girth, he is more commonly known as DR. EGGMAN. The flying craft he pilots is the EGG MOBILE.

The EGG MOBILE halts a short distance from the blue hedgehog. DR. EGGMAN leans forward out of the cockpit, and cackles maniacally. His voice is not an evil voice; rather it is the voice of an egotistical genius who enjoys his work immensely.

EGGMAN
Bwahahaha! Finally, I’ve caught up with you, Sonic!

SONIC responds in a sarcastic tone of voice that reflects his general disdain and exasperation for the egg-shaped villain. The sense of humour and enjoyment remains, however. SONIC is clearly having a good time.

SONIC
Yeah, sure you did. I’ve been waiting for hours!

EGGMAN
Why, you! That does it!

SONIC
What are you going to do? Eat me?

EGGMAN
You little punk! How dare you speak to me like that! I am Dr. Robot-

SONIC
I know who you are, Eggman. You don’t need to tell me every five minutes.

EGGMAN
Such insolence! Well, I’ll wipe that smile off your face!

He presses a series of buttons on the control panel in front of him. It’s an incredibly complicated pattern of buttons and levers and readouts that seem to display gibberish, but EGGMAN’s large, gloved hands negotiate them like a touch typists. The bottom of the EGG MOBILE opens with a mechanical whirr.

Ten feet below, SONIC watches with interest.

SONIC
Ooh.

A large, chequered brown ball descends from the craft, connected to the underside of the EGG MOBILE by a long, thick chain. The chain extends until it is a good eight feet in length. The ball begins to swing back and forth slowly. SONIC watches the ball swing back and forth like a pendulum. He looks decidedly unimpressed.

SONIC
A swinging ball and chain? Eggman, are you losing your mind or just your memory? You’ve used a swinging ball and chain on at least three other occasions!

EGGMAN
I don’t believe I have.

SONIC
You used it in this very Zone! And when you launched the Death Egg from Angel Island, you used it again!

EGGMAN
That was Mecha Sonic!

SONIC
(Ignoring him)
And what about when you tried to steal the Chaos Emeralds and escape into space?

EGGMAN
Your point has been made! I just thought it would be poetic to destroy you with my very first invention, that’s all. After all, it was in this Zone that we fought for the very first time! Do you remember?

SONIC
Sure, I remember. You were thinner then.

EGGMAN
(Flattered)
I was?

SONIC
Sure! You only weighed 400 pounds back then.

He examines the doctor with mock concern.

SONIC
You really let yourself go.

EGGMAN
THAT DOES IT! NOW YOU DIE!

SONIC
Hehe, yeah.

He takes off running. The EGG MOBILE follows him, the large demolition ball swinging back and forth beneath. SONIC zips down a hill, heads up another one, veers to the right and hops over a gap, which brings him to another ledge. The EGG MOBILE follows him, moving at quite a pace for such a small vehicle.

SONIC races over a wooden bridge that stretches over a river, and then hits land again. He heads down another hill, and then deftly manoeuvres through a string of palm trees. He races up another hill. The EGG MOBILE is in hot pursuit. The heavy wrecking ball smashes into the tops of the trees with a crash, bending them and sending leaves fluttering into the air like green butterflies.

SONIC looks back over his shoulder, at the rapidly approaching craft. He grins, and then focuses on the path ahead. A short distance away is a large, perfectly formed loop-de-loop, constructed of chequered brown earth. SONIC zooms towards it, reaches it, and without losing speed or traction travels around the complete 360 degree loop. He heads out of the other side at high speed.

The EGG MOBILE rises upwards to travel over the loop. The swinging ball slams into it, sending chunks of hard earth scattering into the air. EGGMAN sighs with exasperation as he continues his pursuit.

EGGMAN
Slow down!

SONIC reaches the top of a steep hill. Without slowing down, he suddenly drops and curls into a ball. He rolls down the hill at high speed, a blue cannonball that almost glows with energy. He tears down the hill, mowing the chequered green grass neatly behind him. He reaches the bottom and rolls into a large red springboard, that conveniently rests upon a wall at ground level. The spring sends him rocketing into the air at high speed.

EGGMAN’s eyes open wide as the blue ball speeds through the air , heading right for him. It reaches his altitude, and SONIC uncurls. With a huge grin on his face, he soars towards the EGG MOBILE, his arms outstretched. EGGMAN scowls.

EGGMAN
Stop! Get away from me!

He watches as SONIC soars towards him… and then misses his target. SONIC drops out of sight, a few feet short of grabbing the EGG MOBILE. EGGMAN chuckles to himself.

EGGMAN
Haha! Apparently, he didn’t know that hedgehogs can’t fly! Now I’ll crush him into dust!

He looks over the rim of the EGG MOBILE and down at the ground, some twenty feet below. There’s no sign of SONIC anywhere. EGGMAN scratches his bald head, confused.

EGGMAN
Where’d he go?

A loud whistle is heard from nearby.

EGGMAN
What the...?

We see the underside of the craft, where SONIC stands atop the heavy, swinging ball, one hand holding a link of chain to steady himself. He swings back and forth above the ground. SONIC grins, and calls up to EGGMAN.

SONIC
I’m on the ball!

Up in the cockpit, EGGMAN frowns with confusion.

EGGMAN
What’s that supposed to mean?

The underside. SONIC shrugs his shoulders.

SONIC
It means I’m standing on the wrecking ball, you idiot!

In the cockpit, EGGMAN bares his teeth and clenches his fists.

EGGMAN
We’ll see about that! Let’s see how you like this!

He presses a few buttons. Below, the wrecking ball begins to swing back and forth, rapidly gaining momentum, until it whooshes through the air like a pendulum. SONIC keeps his footing on the ball with little difficulty, one hand still holding the thick chain that connects the ball to the EGG MOBILE.

He calls up to EGGMAN:

SONIC
This is fun! You should build a rollercoaster and dress up like a clown, then we’d have an amusement park!

In the cockpit, EGGMAN fumes. He presses more buttons.

EGGMAN
Let’s see him hold on now!

The wrecking ball begins to swing violently from side to side at great speed. SONIC is momentarily thrown off balance, but he grips the chain and regains his footing. After a moment, he lets go of the chain. He begins to run in place, getting faster and faster, his red sneakered feet a blur of motion.

The ball begins to gain momentum, moving further and further, and faster and faster, with each swing. It’s moving in a half-circle motion now, swinging up to the side of the EGG MOBILE before swinging back. This motion repeats itself a few times, the ball getting faster and reaching a greater height each time. After a few times, SONIC suddenly gives a final burst of speed and then somersaults into the air.

The wrecking ball sails into the air and swings right over the top of the EGG MOBILE. EGGMAN gasps as the enormous brown ball flies right over his head. Dragging the thick chain with it, the ball loops around the EGG MOBILE twice, before running out of chain. The weapon has been wrapped around the craft like a badly wrapped Christmas present.

SONIC lands on his feet on the green grass below. He looks up at the EGG MOBILE. The wrecking ball juts from the top of the craft, motionless. The weight of it causes the EGG MOBILE to lose altitude. It begins to descend towards the green grass, sinking like a stone in water.

It hits the grass with a crash. SONIC watches as EGGMAN struggles in the cockpit, trying to free himself of the anchor. He presses a series of buttons, and the ball and chain disconnected themselves from the craft and drop to the ground. Freed, the EGG MOBILE rises back up into the air. It stops at a height of 15 feet, and EGGMAN angrily calls down to the amused hedgehog who watches him.

EGGMAN
One day, Sonic, I will destroy you! I guarantee it!

SONIC
You’ll have to do better than that, Doc. I could beat that thing in my sleep.

EGGMAN
Go ahead, laugh it up! You won’t be laughing for much longer!

The EGG MOBILE turns and begins to fly away. SONIC gives it a goodbye wave. The jet booster on the back of the craft ignites, and it speeds off into the clear blue sky. In a few moments it is gone. SONIC smiles with satisfaction, and then remembers something and looks around.

SONIC
Hey, I hope they didn’t start without me! I’ve built up quite an appetite.

He rushes back the way he came. In a couple of seconds he has disappeared from sight.

EXT. OCEAN – DAY

The EGG MOBILE jets over the pleasant blue ocean. EGGMAN sits inside, a massive grin on his face. His grin suddenly changes to a look of mock despair. The doctor speaks, his voice full of woe and tragedy.

EGGMAN
(Dramatically)
Oh, no! Sonic foiled me once again! Whatever shall I do?

He grins again, his huge mouth threatening to swallow his face. He chuckles to himself.

EGGMAN
Heheheh… foolish hedgehog. Let him think he beat me. Let him think this is the best I can do. I want my sudden rise to power, the overnight domination of the Eggman Empire, to be a surprise. He’ll never even see it coming! Oh, to see the look on his face when he…

He trails off, gazing dreamily into the sky. He regains his focus and taps a few buttons on the control panel. The EGG MOBILE speeds up.

EGGMAN
I’d better get to my hidden base. The final phase of the project is almost underway!

He excitedly jets away, skimming the sea, until the egg-shaped craft has been lost in the distance.

EXT. GREEN HILL ZONE – DAY

In a peaceful corner of the Green Hill Zone, a picnic is taking place. We see the serene scene from above.

Four small figures sit in a flat clearing, on the chequered green grass. A large, white blanket has been spread out, and an enormous wicker picnic basket rests in the centre. A short distance away there is a small biplane. It’s painted blue, with yellow trim on the wings, and it is emblazoned with the image of two orange tails. The names of the planes owners – SONIC and TAILS – are also part of the paint job. The plane is known as the TORNADO II.

We move in closer, to focus on the small figures that sit upon the blanket, eating delicious-looking sandwiches and chatting amiably. The first figure is one we already recognise – a young orange fox named TAILS. His eyes are bright and alert, positively sparkling with youth and energy. He’s taking huge bites out of a sandwich, and between bites he mumbles something about a machine. His speech is muffled by the sandwich, so he uses overblown body language and wild arm gestures to accentuate his point.

The second figure is a young female hedgehog with pink fur. Her spines are much shorter than SONIC’s, and are arranged in a fashion that emulates human hair. A red headband completes the effect. Unlike SONIC and TAILS, the pink hedgehog wears clothing: a red dress with white trim, in addition to the mandatory white gloves and red shoes. Her eyes are green and tipped with long, slender eyelashes. She is AMY ROSE. She holds a sandwich in her hand, unbitten, and nods and smiles along with TAILS’ muffled jargon.

The third figure is a female rabbit with cream-coloured fur and long ears that flop down to rest behind her head. From her facial features, we see that she is only a little girl. She is CREAM THE RABBIT, only six years of age. Her orange eyes are both tipped with a single, long eyelash. Like AMY, she wears a dress, although hers is far simpler and more childish in design than the pink hedgehog’s. CREAM’s dress is orange, with a white collar and an aqua-blue tie. She also wears white gloves with a gold stud at the wrist, white socks, and orange/yellow shoes. She’s holding an ice cream cone, which she licks delicately, while quietly listening to TAILS.

Beside her sits the fourth and final member of the group, and a very, very small member it is. The figure is a tiny blue creature, perhaps only a foot in height. It is humanoid in shape, with a head, a body, two arms and two legs. However, the head is teardrop-shaped and the rest of the body is rounded. The hands and feet are balls, with no fingers or toes. Its skin is a light blue in colour, with yellow highlights on the tip of the head, and the hands and feet. A pair of tiny pink wings can be seen on its back. Two large eyes adorn the head, as does a very tiny mouth. No nose or ears are present. A tiny yellow ball is suspended a few inches above the tip of its head.

This little creature is a CHAO (chow). By definition, Chao are genderless, but are often assigned a gender for the sake of clarity. This particular Chao is a he, and his name is CHEESE. The only thing that separates CHEESE from any other infant Chao is the bright red bowtie he wears. CHEESE is the best friend of CREAM. He too holds an ice cream cone, and in his tiny hands it looks gargantuan.

TAILS takes another bite of his sandwich and continues talking.

TAILS
So then I hooked up the two cables, and the whole thing exploded! There were sparks everywhere! (mumbles through sandwich) decided to decrease the voltage a little.

AMY
(Bored)
Uh-huh.

TAILS
Anyway, so then it worked okay.

AMY
Uh-huh.

TAILS
So what do you think of the sandwiches?

AMY
Uh-huh.

TAILS
Amy?

AMY snaps back to reality. She flushes red and smiles.

AMY
Uh, sorry. I was in a world of my own then.

CREAM giggles sweetly. She raises a hand to her mouth and stifles it.

CREAM
Were you thinking about Mr. Sonic again?

AMY glares at her.

AMY
(Defensively)
No!

CREAM casts her eyes downwards, and AMY’s expression changes to a softer one.

AMY
I’m sorry, Cream. And actually, I was thinking of Sonic.

Her eyes widen, her hands clasp together, and her expression changes to one of soppy devotion.

AMY
(Dreamily)
He’s just so handsome… and heroic…

TAILS, CREAM and CHEESE exchange glances. TAILS quickly changes the subject.

TAILS
So… these sandwiches are nice, aren’t they?

AMY snaps out of it and looks down at the unbitten sandwich in her hand.

AMY
Um, I haven’t taken a bite yet.

CREAM
Why not? My mom made these especially for us!

AMY
I’m just trying to watch my weight, that’s all. A girl can never be too careful about these things. After all, I want to look my best for Sonic! It won’t be long now before he asks me to marry him! I saw it in my cards! We’re destined to be together!

TAILS
(Doubtfully)
Uh, Amy…

CREAM
(Doubtfully)
I’m not sure he-

AMY scowls at them angrily.

AMY
(Angrily)
You’re not sure he WHAT? Hmm?

TAILS, CREAM and CHEESE shrink away. AMY glowers at them for a few moments, and then returns to normal in an instant.

AMY
Anyway, where is Sonic?

TAILS
I guess he’s still fighting Eggman.

CREAM
Do you think he’ll be okay by himself?

TAILS
He said he would be. He always is.

AMY
Typical of Eggman to interrupt our day out. Sonic might have been proposing to me on bended knee right about now!

CHEESE
Cha cha chao! Chao!

AMY narrows her eyes and glares at CHEESE, who hides behind CREAM. AMY looks at CREAM, who returns her stare nervously.

AMY
(Angrily)
What did he say?

CREAM
(Nervously)
Erm, he just said that… erm…

TAILS
Hey, look! It’s Sonic!

He points and they follow his direction. A blue blur appears on the horizon, rapidly moving across the hilly terrain. Only a few seconds later, SONIC screeches to a halt beside the picnic blanket. He smiles at the group and they smile back, clearly pleased to see him.

AMY
(Dreamily)
Sonic!

SONIC
Hey, guys! Nice of you to wait for me!

CREAM
I’m sorry, Mr. Sonic.

CHEESE
Cha chao cha…

SONIC
That’s alright, guys.

He gives them a grin and sits down.

SONIC
Hope you saved some for me, I built up quite an appetite taking care of ol’ Eggman.

He pulls a sandwich out of the seemingly bottomless picnic basket and begins eating it hungrily.

TAILS
So what’s Eggman up to this time?

SONIC
(Between mouthfuls)
Oh, the usual. Destroy me, attain world domination, blah blah blah.

TAILS
That old guy never learns.

AMY
Hi, Sonic!

SONIC looks over at AMY, who is smiling sweetly at him. She gives him a little wave.

SONIC
Hi, Amy.

He goes back to eating his sandwich. AMY sighs.

TAILS
So Sonic, did I tell you that I finally got Omega working again?

SONIC
You did? That’s awesome!

TAILS
I was telling Amy about it a minute ago.

AMY
Mm? Oh, right.

TAILS
First time I tried to reboot him he overloaded, but I fine-tuned him a little and he seems to be okay now. He didn’t seem too happy, though.

SONIC
Why not?

TAILS
Well, at the moment he’s just a head. I didn’t connect his body up yet.

SONIC
That would tick anybody off.

TAILS
Yeah. Well, he’ll be up and running in no time.

SONIC
That’s great. You’re so good with this mechanical stuff. I don’t know how you do it.

TAILS blushes and rubs his head gingerly.

TAILS
Heh, it’s nothing really. We all do what comes naturally, right?

SONIC
That’s right. Speaking of which, I could do with another run. You up for it?

TAILS
Sure!

SONIC and TAILS hop to their feet and dash away. SONIC is in the lead, as always, but TAILS is managing to keep up with him. They speed away and disappear over a nearby hill. AMY, CREAM and CHEESE watch them leave. AMY sighs.

AMY
(Glumly)
Sonic’s always running off somewhere. He never wants to spend time with me.

CREAM
That’s not true, Amy. You know Sonic, he just likes to run.

CHEESE
Chao chacha.

AMY
I guess you’re right.

CREAM
This is such a nice place.

AMY
Yeah. The Green Hill Zone is beautiful.

A small bluebird lands atop a nearby tree and begins to chirp happily. The bluebird’s name is FLICKY. AMY, CREAM and CHEESE smile up at her. CREAM is still slowly wearing down her ice cream cone.

CREAM
So peaceful.

CHEESE
Chao.

The trio fall silent, and the only sound is that of the gentle breeze, the lapping of water, and FLICKY’s sweet singing.

A blue blur appears in the distance, and quickly rushes towards them. A few seconds later, SONIC skids to a halt next to the picnic blanket. Surprised by the sudden rush of movement, FLICKY stops singing.

SONIC
Hey, guys.

He notices FLICKY, and gives her a wink and a thumbs up.

SONIC
Good afternoon, Flicky!

The tiny bluebird gives him a wave of her wing, and then takes off into the air.

CREAM
Did you enjoy your run, Mr. Sonic?

SONIC
I certainly did, Cream. And you don’t have to call me “Mr. Sonic”. We’re all friends here.

CREAM bows her head politely.

CREAM
Okay.

AMY
Where’s Tails?

SONIC
He’ll be here any second now.

As if on cue, TAILS comes dashing over. He stops and doubles over, his hands on his knees, panting heavily. He catches his breath.

TAILS
I nearly beat you that time!

SONIC
I could feel you on my heels every step, little buddy.

TAILS beams with pride. SONIC heads over to the picnic basket and puts a hand inside. He fishes around, but comes out empty.

SONIC
Dang. No more sandwiches.

CREAM
I’m sorry, Mr. Sonic.

CHEESE
Cha chi…

CREAM
I’ll ask my mom to make more next time.

SONIC
Don’t worry about it. I’ll live.

AMY
You can have my sandwich, Sonic.

AMY smiles sweetly at SONIC and offers him her sandwich, which is still intact. SONIC smiles back graciously and takes it. He pauses before he bites into it.

SONIC
Aren’t you hungry?

AMY
Nah, I’m fine. I’m watching my weight.

SONIC
Why? You look fine to me.

AMY’s face flushes red and she looks away, grinning like a maniac. SONIC doesn’t notice and bites into the sandwich, not realising the huge compliment he has paid her. Across from him, CHEESE suddenly flutters his tiny pink wings and rises a few feet into the air. He looks up into the sky.

CHEESE
Chi cha chao chao.

The group look at him.

TAILS
What did he say?

CREAM
He says there’s a storm coming.

The moment she finishes speaking, a droplet of water falls from the sky and lands with a tiny splosh on her ice cream cone. The droplet is quickly followed by more and more, and in only a few moments the heavens have opened and the rain is pouring down. The sky clouds over, and the bright sun is dimmed out. The group stand up quickly.

TAILS
My fur’s getting soaked!

AMY
Ugh!

CREAM
Let’s get out of here!

CREAM and AMY grab the picnic blanket and basket and dash towards the TORNADO II. TAILS has already hopped into the cockpit and has started the engine. SONIC stands on the dual front wings of the biplane, his head tilted upwards. The rain lashes against his face, but he smiles. AMY, CREAM and CHEESE hop into the back of the plane.

It begins to roll forwards, and then takes off. It rapidly heads into the air, gaining speed and altitude. Quickly it has left the island, and they now soar over the ocean. The rain continues to beat down on them. Only SONIC seems to enjoy it, his face and palms still tilted upwards, his eyes closed. Behind and below him, TAILS pilots the plane, desperately trying to keep his wet orange fringe out of his eyes.

In the back seat, AMY, CREAM and CHEESE try and shield themselves from the rain, which is now hitting them almost horizontally due to the speed the TORNADO is travelling at.

CREAM
(Sadly)
So much for a nice day out!

CHEESE
Cha cha chin!

AMY
Don’t worry, guys, I’m sure the sun will come out soon.

The rain continues to beat down as the TORNADO II zooms across the sea and out of sight.

FADE TO:

INT. DARK CORRIDOR – NIGHT

A long, metallic hallway stretches for as far as the eye can see. The walls and floor are a dull grey in colour. Several metal doors line the corridor. The only illumination is provided by dim lights on the ceiling. The walls are swathed in shadow.

Suddenly, one of these shadows moves. We watch from an overhead view as it quickly hops from one side of the corridor to the other. We only see the small, dark shape for a moment before it is lost again. A few moments pass, and then the shape hops again, this time coming to a stop in front of a metal door marked “LABORATORY F11”. The small, black figure reaches out and presses a door release switch. The metallic door raises up into the ceiling with a soft whirring sound.

The dark figure steps inside.

INT. LAB F11 – NIGHT

Lab F11 is even darker. It’s almost pitch black. The only light source is from a few scattered monitors, and all that serves to do is give us an eerie glow, and allow us to see a few indistinct shapes of large terminals and consoles. The dark figure sneaks inside, and the door slides to a close behind them.

Still from an overhead view, the figure creeps forward slowly. We can barely make out the shape of the small, black figure against the darkness. The figure suddenly stops as a voice is heard. A young woman’s voice. It sounds distant, and it crackles slightly.

WOMAN’S VOICE (OS)
Rouge? What’s your position?

We see the figure’s face for the first time. All we can make out are a pair of large eyes, with green pupils. The figures eyelids are heavily shaded with pink eyeshadow. Long, slender eyelashes protrude from them. The figure’s fur is white. She is ROUGE THE BAT.

The figure is dressed in black from head to toe, with the exception of a pink heart on her chest. Her large, pointed ears and her thin, folded wings are obscured in the form fitting material. A small microphone rests close to her concealed mouth.

ROUGE quietly speaks into the microphone, responding to the transmission. Her voice is that of a sexy teenage girl, but it also contains an intelligence and cunning rarely found in such a person.

ROUGE
(Quietly)
I’m in one of the Doctor’s labs. Nothing so far.

A pause, then a response.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
Keep looking.

ROUGE rolls her eyes and speaks in a sarcastic tone.

ROUGE
I know what I’m doing, dear.

She turns around and heads back out to the corridor, moving slowly and carefully at all times. She doesn’t make a sound, and her outfit combined with the dull lighting renders her almost invisible.

INT. CORRIDOR – NIGHT

ROUGE creeps over to the next door, which is marked “LAB F13”.

ROUGE
(Quietly)
I have a good feeling about this one.

She reaches up and presses the door release switch, but nothing happens. She presses it again. Nothing. We see that there is a numbered keypad next to the switch. ROUGE folds her arms and sighs.

ROUGE
(Sarcastically)
Great. Just great.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
Rouge? What’s wrong?

ROUGE
(Quietly)
The door won’t open. Looks like you need to enter some kind of security code.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
Which door is it?

ROUGE
(Quietly)
F13.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
Hang tight. I’m on it. Tsun, we need a clearance code.

ROUGE waits impatiently for a few moments, glancing around nervously. The place is still silent and still.

ROUGE
(Impatiently)
I’d better get paid well for this.

After a few moments, the woman’s voice speaks again.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
Okay, got it. The code is 7-8-3-7-4-2-6-4-3.

As she speaks, ROUGE inputs the code. When the final digit is entered, the door slides upwards with a whirr.

ROUGE
It’s open.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
You can thank us later.

ROUGE
(Insincerely)
I’ll be sure to do that.

She enters the room. The door closes behind her.

INT. LAB F13 – NIGHT

Like the last lab, this one is dark. However, something on the far side of the room casts an eerie green glow. ROUGE enters the room and stops. Her eyes widen as she stares at the contents of the room. We don’t see what she sees. Whatever it is, it’s bad news. ROUGE gasps.

ROUGE
(Speechless)
Oh my…

RADIO VOICE (OS)
Rouge? What’s wrong?

ROUGE doesn’t reply. She’s stunned.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
(More urgently)
Rouge!

ROUGE snaps out of it.

ROUGE
Looks like I’ve found what we were looking for. It’s worse than we thought.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
What do you mean?

ROUGE goes to respond, but falls silent as she hears the door behind her slide open. She turns around slowly, and her eyes widen with fear. She backs away, slowly. Again, we don’t see what she sees.

ROUGE
(Fearfully)
No…

She backs into a large terminal. There’s nowhere to go.

We see a POV shot of someone entering the room, walking slowly, looking down at the cowering bat.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
Rouge? Rouge? What’s going on?

ROUGE doesn’t respond. Her eyes are glued to the figure that approaches her.

FIGURE’S POV as he nears ROUGE. At barely four feet tall, she’s almost half the height of our stalker.

CLOSE-UP on ROUGE’s eyes. They widen as the huge figure’s shadow falls over her, covering her inch by inch in darkness.

ROUGE
(Quietly)
No…

CLOSE-UP on the metal floor. A harsh female scream is heard, and a headset consisting of a small earpiece and microphone clatters to the ground, filling the screen. The sounds of a struggle can be heard off-screen. The headset crackles into life.

RADIO VOICE (OS)
Rouge? What’s happening? Rouge, respond! ROUGE!

No response. Suddenly, a massive, heavy boot crashes down and crushes the headset into tiny pieces. It fills our vision for a moment, and then is gone. We linger on the shattered headset for a few moments. Off-screen, the sounds of a tussle, interspersed with ROUGE’s grunts and groans, can still be heard.

FADE TO:

EXT. TAILS’ HOUSE – MORNING

TAILS’ residence is a small cottage perched atop a tall hill in the Mystic Ruins. A small workshop is connected to it, a logo image of two orange tails painted onto the shutter doors. Leading away from the workshop is a long strip of ground, lined by palm trees. Beyond that is a sharp drop that leads to the magnificent blue ocean, an ocean that stretches right to the horizon. The morning sun beams down on this peaceful place.

The silence is shattered as a helicopter appears in the distance. It descends until it is flying only twenty feet above the ground. The tops of the trees flutter beneath the force of the vehicle’s propeller. The small helicopter stops over a hill with a large, flat, circular top. The chopper is a military green in colour, and we see that the initials “G.U.N.” are painted on the side in bold, white lettering. It descends until it makes a landing, and then the propeller begins to slow down. It comes to a stop, and the door opens. From a distance, we see a single figure step out. They head towards a flight of stone steps that lead up to the hill where TAILS’ cottage sits.

INT. TAILS’ KITCHEN – MORNING

The young owner of the cottage sits at a small table, eating his breakfast, which consists of an egg and several slices of toast. The toast pieces are cut into the shape of a plane. He wears a small napkin around his neck. The kitchen he sits in is tiny, but very neat and tidy. He finishes the last bite, and just as he does there is a loud knock at the door. TAILS stands up, removes his napkin and heads out of the room.

EXT. TAILS’ HOUSE – MORNING

The small, bright red front door opens, and the small fox looks up at the caller. We don’t see them yet. TAILS smiles politely.

TAILS
Good morning!

WOMAN’S VOICE (OS)
Yes, I’m looking for Sonic the Hedgehog.

TAILS
Sonic? Well, he’s not here right now.

WOMAN’S VOICE (OS)
Do you know where he might be?

TAILS grins.

TAILS
Sonic? Nah, you can never know where Sonic is. He’s all over the place.

WOMAN’S VOICE (OS)
Hm.

TAILS thinks for a moment.

TAILS
You can wait here for a while! Sonic said he’d be over this morning to check out Omega.

WOMAN’S VOICE (OS)
Thanks.

We see the woman’s face for the first time. She’s a very attractive woman who looks to be in her late twenties, perhaps early thirties. Her facial features are Filipinian, giving her an exotic look, and her brown eyes are warm and kind. She has dark brown hair that runs down to her shoulders. Her pleasant voice has a hint of a Canadian accent in it. She wears a blue suit and carries a small, black briefcase.

The woman smiles down at the fox warmly and offers her hand. TAILS reaches up and shakes it politely.

WOMAN
My name’s Rowan. Alexandra Rowan.

TAILS
Pleased to meet you. My name’s Miles Prower, but everyone calls me “Tails”.

ROWAN
Why’s that?

TAILS turns to the side, showing her his two tails. He flicks them into the air and then lets them fall back to the ground. ROWAN smiles.

ROWAN
I see.

TAILS
Please, come in.

ROWAN steps into the house, ducking slightly to fit through the small doorway. TAILS closes the door behind her.

INT. LIVING ROOM – MORNING

Like the kitchen, the living room is a small, neat one. It’s brightly decorated in a pleasant shade of orange. A small television set sits in one corner of the room. A couple of small chairs are also present. TAILS takes a seat in one of them. ROWAN sits in the other one. It’s a very small chair, and she looks rather outsized sitting in it.

TAILS
Sorry about the small chair. I don’t have many humans over.

ROWAN
That’s alright.

TAILS
You want something to eat or drink?

ROWAN
No, thank-you.

TAILS
So why are you looking for Sonic?

ROWAN
I work for the Guardian Unit of Nations.

TAILS’ eyes widen slightly.

TAILS
(Nervously)
You work for G.U.N.? You aren’t going to try and arrest Sonic again, are you?

ROWAN
Arrest him? For what?

TAILS
Never mind. So if you aren’t here to arrest him, why are looking for Sonic?

ROWAN
A matter of utmost urgency.

TAILS
That sounds bad.

SONIC (OS)
It sure does.

TAILS and ROWAN turn their heads to see SONIC standing in the open doorway.

TAILS
(Pleased to see him)
Sonic!

SONIC
Good morning, little buddy.

He examines ROWAN with interest and grins.

SONIC
Care to introduce me to your girlfriend?

TAILS blushes bright red and giggles nervously.

TAILS
(Stammering)
I… um… uh…

ROWAN smiles and holds out her hand. SONIC shakes it vigorously.

ROWAN
My name’s Rowan.

SONIC
Pleased to meet you. I’m Sonic the Hedgehog.

ROWAN
I know, I’ve heard all about you. You’re considered quite the hero.

SONIC
Well, I do my best. So what brings you here, Rowan?

ROWAN
I work for G.U.N., and I-

SONIC
G.U.N.? Oh, great. You’re not here to arrest me again, are you?

ROWAN looks confused.

ROWAN
No, I’m not. Have you had a run-in with G.U.N. before?

SONIC
You could say that. Got arrested and taken to their stupid Prison Island. Not that I ever did anything! Shadow was the one running around stealing Chaos Emeralds! The whole world must have gone colour blind for the day.

ROWAN
Okay… I wouldn’t know, I’ve only been with the company for a few months. Anyway, that’s not why I’m here. I’m here because of Jason Voorhees.

SONIC and TAILS’ eyes widen and their mouths drop open simultaneously. They both exchange a wide-eyed glance.

TAILS
(Fearfully)
Jason Voorhees?!

SONIC
(Incredulously)
What about Jason?

ROWAN
Well, after his last rampage through Station Square a few months ago, G.U.N. took his dead body from the site of your final battle with him. I was part of the team that brought him in.

SONIC
Don’t tell me he wasn’t really dead! There’s no way he could’ve survived!

TAILS
He was lifeless!

SONIC
So what, his dead body got up and started killing again?

ROWAN
No, not at all. In fact, the body had no signs of life whatsoever. We cremated it just in case. There wasn’t even ash left by the end of it.

TAILS
Whew! That’s a relief!

SONIC
So if Jason is finally dead and gone, what do you need me for?

ROWAN
Ever since the Eclipse Cannon incident, G.U.N. has been secretly keeping tabs on Dr. Robotnik. He’s notoriously tricky to observe, but we believe we’ve located one of his secret bases and we’ve been keeping an eye on him from a distance. You never know what he’s planning.

SONIC
Yeah, that Eggman is one persistent guy.

ROWAN opens her small briefcase with a click and pulls out a large, black and white photograph. She hands it to SONIC. TAILS, his ears pricked with curiosity, heads over to take a look.

ROWAN
A couple of days ago, this surveillance photo was taken.

TAILS
Oh, no!

We see the photo. It’s blurry and distant, but it appears to show the unmistakable figure of JASON VOORHEES. The figure is tall and bulky and dressed in dark clothing. A white hockey mask obscures his misshapen head.

SONIC
Jason! That’s him, right?

ROWAN
It certainly appears to be.

TAILS
But how? Sonic destroyed Jason! And you cremated the body yourself!

SONIC
Are you absolutely sure it was cremated?

ROWAN
I was there when it was done. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.

SONIC
How is this possible?

ROWAN
We don’t know. That’s what we wanted to find out. The security around Robotnik’s base is almost impenetrable, but the order came down from the President himself. Rouge the Bat was sent in to dig up some information, and we were ordered to co-ordinate with her.
 
SONIC
Yeah, Rouge is pretty good at all that espionage stuff.

ROWAN
She’s the best. That’s why we were shocked when she went missing.

TAILS
Rouge went missing?

ROWAN
She broke into one of the labs and found something. We don’t know what it is, but it wasn’t good. A few moments later, we heard her scream and then radio contact with her was terminated. We don’t know what happened, but we fear the worst.

SONIC
Dang…

TAILS
I hope she’s okay.

SONIC
So you think Jason got her?

ROWAN
We don’t know. All we know is, Robotnik is up to something, Jason is somehow involved, and Rouge’s life may be in danger. That is, assuming she’s still alive now.

TAILS
I don’t think Eggman would have killed her. He may be crazy but I don’t think he’d do that.

SONIC
I’m not so sure of that, Tails. Eggman is capable of a lot of things. And if she did somehow run into Jason, he wouldn’t let her go without a fight.

TAILS
I just don’t understand how Jason could still be alive.

ROWAN
Nor do I. We don’t even have any concrete evidence that Jason – THE Jason – is responsible. That photo might be something else – a new kind of robot, maybe. But I just have a feeling that he’s still out there, somehow, and that he’s stronger than ever. And I won’t rest until he’s dead and gone for good.

As she speaks the last sentence, her eyes take on a hardness we have not yet seen. SONIC notices this.

SONIC
Have you encountered Jason before? You seem to bear quite a grudge.

ROWAN
As a matter of fact, I do. I was a research scientist at Crystal Lake. After a string of murders that stretched for over 20 years, we finally managed to capture Jason alive. We tried to execute him several times, but nothing would work. He was unkillable.

SONIC
You got that right!

ROWAN
Eventually, we decided to freeze him, keep him in storage until we could figure out what to do with him. But the higher-ups were more interested in his potential as a weapon, and they overruled me. They wanted to study him, find out how he regenerated from damage. I tried to stop them, but they wouldn’t listen. Jason got loose and killed everyone. I managed to seal him in one of the stasis pods, but before he froze he ruptured the unit. I was frozen right along with him.

TAILS
That doesn’t sound fun. Was it cold?

ROWAN smiles at TAILS’ innocence in spite of her story.

ROWAN
Yes, it was very cold. I remained frozen for a long time – in fact, I was frozen for over 400 years.

SONIC
400 years? Wow. And I thought Eggman was old!

ROWAN
During that time, humankind abandoned the Earth, which had been destroyed in World War 3, and set up home on this planet. I was discovered by a scout ship full of students – the Grendel – who brought me on board along with Jason. Before I could do anything, Jason thawed out and went on another rampage. He killed an entire squad of marines and most of the crew. He even caused our ship to crash into Solaris, destroying it and killing everybody inside.

TAILS
Solaris? The spaceport? I heard about that. It was horrible.

ROWAN
The ship was badly damaged, and most of the remaining crew died trying to get away. Jason was flushed out into space and plummeted into the planet’s atmosphere. We all assumed he was dead… I mean, how could anyone survive re-entering a planet’s atmosphere?

SONIC
Well, I’ve done it a few times. But I was powered by the Chaos Emeralds.

ROWAN frowns at this, and opens her mouth to ask a question, but decides against it. She continues her story.

ROWAN
So we reached the planet, and I spent the next few days getting used to this new planet. It’s very different to the place I came from. We certainly didn’t have any four-foot tall talking blue hedgehogs capable of supersonic speed back on Earth Prime.

SONIC
Must have been a pretty dull planet!

TAILS
Did you have foxes?

ROWAN
Yes, but they couldn’t walk or talk either, and they only had one tail.

TAILS
Oh, the two-tails thing is unique to me. We don’t all have that.

ROWAN
Anyway, I was so wrapped up with discovering this new world that I didn’t even hear about Jason surviving and going on yet another killing spree until after you’d stopped him. I figured it was all over then.

SONIC
Me too. I popped his head like a cherry!

ROWAN
But sure enough, a few months later, he’s back. By that time I had become a member of G.U.N., and I tried to get them to move on Jason. They didn’t seem interested, didn’t believe he was still alive. It wasn’t until he started storming the city again that they believed me, and by then it was too late. Luckily, you showed up and stopped him again.

SONIC casts his eyes downwards. ROWAN has opened up a wound that hasn’t finished healing.

ROWAN
We picked up the body and I watched it get cremated with great pleasure. Jason was finally dead and gone forever. But now, lo and behold, he pops up again a couple of months later. I don’t how he’s back, or even if it’s really him, but I’m going to find out and I’ve been ordered to come here and ask for your assistance.

SONIC
Assistance?

ROWAN
You’ve stopped Jason twice before, and saved the world on countless other occasions. If Jason really is back, you’re one of our best hopes in stopping him. You too, Miles.

She smiles at TAILS, and he smiles back.

ROWAN
So what do you say?

SONIC thinks about her proposition.

SONIC
I don’t know. I mean, I’m not really a fan of G.U.N.’s methods. And they did try to kill me several times.

ROWAN
I’m in charge of this operation, not some power-obsessed bureaucrat. I’ll do everything in my power to stop Jason. I give you my word on that. There’s no hidden agenda here.

She sounds sincere. SONIC and TAILS exchange a glance. They look back at ROWAN, and SONIC nods.

SONIC
Alright, I’m in!

TAILS
Me too!

ROWAN smiles with gratitude.

ROWAN
Excellent! That’s great to hear.

SONIC
So what’s the plan?

ROWAN
As soon as night falls, we infiltrate Robotnik’s base, find and rescue Rouge – assuming she’s still alive – and find out exactly what’s going on with Jason Voorhees.

SONIC
Sounds like a good time to me! As for Rouge, I wouldn’t count her out just yet. She’s pretty tough.

TAILS
Are we the only two you’ve asked for help?

ROWAN
No. As a matter of fact, another operative has been sent up to Angel Island to talk to-

SONIC
Knuckles? (Laughs) Now that’s a conversation I’d like to see!

EXT. ANGEL ISLAND – MORNING

Angel Island is a massive expanse of land that floats magically in the clouds, miles above the ground. This particular area is the HOLY SUMMIT, a small section of grassy, rock-studded land connected to the mainland by a long wooden bridge. In the centre of this summit is a massive stone shrine. Several stone steps lead up to the top of the shrine, and in the very centre of it is a massive green jewel – the MASTER EMERALD. This is the power source that enables Angel Island to float in the heavens.

On the ground, a human figure suddenly flies into frame. He hurtles through the air and lands hard on his backside. He scrambles to his feet. He’s a tall man with short, neat blonde hair and he wears a blue suit similar to ROWAN’s. He backs away from his attacker, his hands raised disarmingly.

We see that his attacker is a humanoid red echidna, tall at almost five feet in height. His spines hang downwards on his head, in a way that resemble dreadlocks. A white half circle is emblazoned on his upper chest. His eyes frown at the terrified man in front of him. He raises his enormous fists, which wear white gloves and have two large, spiked knuckles. It is for this reason that the powerful creature is known simply as KNUCKLES.

KNUCKLES advances on the man, fists raised. He speaks, his voice young but full of authority and power.

KNUCKLES
I won’t ask you again! Why are you trying to steal the Master Emerald?

The MALE AGENT shakes his head furiously. He continues to back away slowly.

MALE AGENT
(Scared)
I already told you! I don’t want your Emerald!

KNUCKLES
Sure you don’t! I come back from my early morning meditation and find you sneaking around the Emerald shrine? What else would you be doing?

MALE AGENT
(Scared)
I… I was looking for you!

KNUCKLES
Well, you found me, pal!

KNUCKLES storms towards him, fists raised, looking to deal with the intruder. The man stumbles backwards and trips over a rock. He falls flat on his back. KNUCKLES advances on him. The man raises his arms and pleads with the echidna.

MALE AGENT
(Terrified)
Please! I’m not a thief! I’m with G.U.N.!

KNUCKLES ignores him. He reaches the cowering man and raises one of his powerful fists into the air.

MALE AGENT
(Terrified)
It’s about Jason Voorhees!

KNUCKLES stops. He lowers his fists and frowns.

KNUCKLES
(Incredulously)
Jason Voorhees? What are you talking about?

MALE AGENT
We have reason to believe he’s still alive!

KNUCKLES
Hah! Jason Voorhees is dead and gone! I took care of him myself!

MALE AGENT
I thought Sonic was the one who defeated him?

KNUCKLES glares at him and folds his arms across his broad chest.

KNUCKLES
I weakened him, okay? Sonic just finished what I started.

MALE AGENT
Okay, sure! Look, I’m telling the truth!

KNUCKLES
Hey, give me some credit! I’m not that gullible! Nobody tricks Knuckles the Echidna!

MALE AGENT
It’s true! Look!

He thrusts a photo at KNUCKLES. It’s the same black and white surveillance photo that ROWAN showed SONIC and TAILS. KNUCKLES takes it suspiciously and examines it. His eyes widen.

KNUCKLES
Well, it sure looks like Jason, alright.

MALE AGENT
We sent Rouge the Bat into Robotnik’s base to find out what was going on, but she was attacked and we lost contact with her.

KNUCKLES’ eyes widen fearfully.

KNUCKLES
(Concerned)
Rouge?

In an instant, he wipes the concerned look off his face. A noncommittal look takes its place.

KNUCKLES
(Defiantly)
That bat girl had it coming. Always trying to steal my Master Emerald. She deserves everything she gets.

MALE AGENT
Look, we’re going to mount a rescue operation tonight. Another agent has been sent to recruit Sonic and Tails.

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
What?! Every time there’s trouble, you always go to Sonic for help! You never ask me!

MALE AGENT
Uh, we’re asking you now.

KNUCKLES
Yeah, well… the answer is no. My duty is to stay here and guard the Master Emerald from thieves like you. And besides, I’m sure Sonic will save the day for the millionth time.

MALE AGENT
Are you sure?

KNUCKLES
Yes.

MALE AGENT
Is there nothing I can say to make you change your mind?

KNUCKLES
No. Now get out of here before I throw you out.

The MALE AGENT gets to his feet and begins to walk away. He begins to mutter something to himself. KNUCKLES frowns and follows him.

KNUCKLES
What did you say?

MALE AGENT
(Innocently)
Mm? Oh, nothing, really. Just thinking aloud.

KNUCKLES
About what?

MALE AGENT
(Innocently)
I was just thinking that the stories about you are all true.

KNUCKLES smiles proudly.

KNUCKLES
Really? What stories might they be?

MALE AGENT
You know, that you’re a coward, that you’re selfish, that you’re intimidated by girls, that you-

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
WHAT?! LIES! I’m no coward! And I’m not selfish! I’m a team player!

MALE AGENT
(Doubtfully)
Sure you are.

KNUCKLES
Alright, fine! I’ll join your stupid team! I’ll show you all! Selfish indeed!

The MALE AGENT smiles to himself as KNUCKLES storms past him and heads over the rope bridge, back towards the mainland, where the man’s helicopter is parked. He mutters loudly and angrily to himself as he walks. We can only make out a few words.

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
(mumbles) Selfish! (mumbles) Sonic! (mumbles) Intimidated by girls?! GAAH!

INT. TAILS’ HOUSE – MORNING

Back in TAILS’ living room, ROWAN closes her briefcase and stands up.

ROWAN
Well, I’d better be going. We have preparations to make for tonight.

SONIC nods. TAILS looks disappointed.

TAILS
Aw, you sure you can’t stay a while?

ROWAN
Well, I-

TAILS
I have some cool stuff to show you in my workshop!

ROWAN smiles.

ROWAN
I don’t know…

TAILS
Come on! It’ll be fun!

He grabs her hand and leads her over to the door that connects the cottage to his workshop. ROWAN giggles as he opens the door and leads her through. TAILS stops and looks back at SONIC, who is grinning.

TAILS
You coming? I’ve got to show you Omega!

SONIC
Right behind you.

TAILS charges into the shop, still gripping ROWAN’s hand. SONIC grins to himself and then heads after them.

FADE TO:

EXT. EGGMAN’S BASE – NIGHT

The sun has just descended below the horizon, and night has fallen. We’re looking down at EGGMAN’s top secret base. All we can see is a small, thin metallic corridor, built into the foot of a mountain and shielded by rock faces on three sides. It’s practically invisible. Only the outline of the entrance can be seen in the silver moonlight.

We move up and around the mountain, to see that a single black truck is parked nearby, hidden from the moonlight by the shade of the mountain. The engine is off, as are their lights.

INT. G.U.N. TRUCK – NIGHT

Inside one of the small trucks sit several figures, illuminated by a single lightbulb that hangs from the low ceiling. SONIC, TAILS and KNUCKLES sit on one side. They wear headsets identical to the one ROUGE wore – a small earpiece and a microphone.

On the other side of the van sit ROWAN and two other figures. The first is a man dressed in G.U.N. uniform. He’s in his early 30’s and has an intelligent face and short, dark hair. He is TSUNARON.

The other figure is a tall, slender woman with a short, brown, completely symmetrical hairstyle. Her eyes are wide and have an intense and rather unnerving stare to them. Her face is devoid of an expression, and her voice bears a distinct lack of emotion. Everything about her, from her hair to her stiff body language, seems artificial. She is KAY-EM 14.

ROWAN
So let’s run through this one more time. The three of you, plus Kay-Em, are to infiltrate Robotnik’s base, gather as much information as you can about Jason Voorhees, or whatever that was we saw in the photo, and find and rescue Rouge the Bat.

KNUCKLES folds his arms across his chest and glares over at KAY-EM. She gives him a blank smile with no warmth in it.

KNUCKLES
I still don’t see why we need her.

ROWAN
As I said before, Kay-Em is well trained in these kinds of operations. Without her, we never would have escaped the Grendel and I wouldn’t be talking to you right now.

TSUNARON
She won’t let you down. I programmed her myself. She’s state of the art. Right, Kay-Em?

KAY-EM
That is correct.

ROWAN
Tsunaron is right. She won’t get in your way.

SONIC shoots KAY-EM a smile, which is similarly returned flatly.

SONIC
As long as you don’t slow us down, you’re free to help us out.

KAY-EM
Thanks to my sophisticated frame and lack of energy limitations, I can move 64% faster than the fastest of real humans.

SONIC
That’s as maybe, but in case you’re late tuning in, they don’t call me Sonic for nothing.

KAY-EM
I am aware of your capabilities and shall do my best to keep up with you.

SONIC
That’s what I like to hear.

ROWAN
Myself and Tsunaron will be in constant radio contact with all of you, and we’ll be on-hand to provide you with advice or any other support we can give you. Don’t be afraid to ask for our help.

KNUCKLES
Hmph.

SONIC
Well, I say that’s enough talking. Let’s get this party started!

ROWAN
Be careful.

SONIC
Careful is my middle name!

He stands up, pulls open the door and hops out of the back of the truck. KNUCKLES gets up and follows him out.

TSUNARON
Good luck, Knuckles.

KNUCKLES
I don’t need luck.

He heads out. TAILS is next.

ROWAN
Good luck, Miles.

TAILS
(Shyly)
Thanks. You know, everyone calls me Tails. No-one ever calls me Miles.

ROWAN
I like Miles. Tails sounds like a nickname a kid might have. And you’re not a kid, are you?

TAILS
(Proudly)
No, I’m not! I’m eight years old!

ROWAN
Well, good luck in there, Miles. I’m sure you won’t need it.

TAILS’ twin tails wag back and forth happily. He grins at her.

TAILS
Thanks!

He gives TSUNARON a polite wave, and then hops out of the back of the truck. KAY-EM stands up to follow them.

TSUNARON
Be careful, Kay-Em.

KAY-EM
I will.

TSUNARON
Don’t lose your head in there.

KAY-EM shoots him a grin that seems slightly more sincere than her other smiles.

KAY-EM
Not this time.

She heads out of the back of the truck, leaving ROWAN and TSUNARON alone. They begin to unload cases full of complex-looking equipment and set it up in the centre of the truck.

EXT. MOUNTAIN – NIGHT

SONIC, TAILS, KNUCKLES and KAY-EM head away from the van, walking side-by-side briskly.

SONIC
So this is one of Eggman’s hidden bases, eh? Built on the inside of a mountain. Sneaky.

KAY-EM
Dr. Robotnik is notoriously difficult to outmanoeuvre due to his IQ of 300.

SONIC
Tell me something I don’t know!

TAILS
I hope Rouge is okay.

KNUCKLES
Me too. Uh, I mean, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to her. Not that I like her or anything. In fact, I dislike her. She’s annoying!

SONIC
Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s get going!

SONIC charges away at high speed, heading down a winding path that leads to the bottom of the mountain. TAILS shoots off after him, whirling his twin tails into a propeller for an extra boost. KNUCKLES takes off after them, his arms outstretched behind him. KAY-EM starts sprinting, rapidly gaining on them.

SONIC reaches the bottom first and screeches to a halt near the obscure entrance to the base. A few seconds later, TAILS appears and joins him. A few moments later, KNUCKLES heads around the corner and skids to a halt beside them. Finally KAY-EM rounds the corner and sprints over to them, not in the least bit tired or breathless.

The four of them walk over to the entrance. It’s a tiny metallic corridor that leads into the mountain, with a single large, heavy door the only point of entrance. SONIC examines it.

SONIC
Looks like a tough door.

KNUCKLES steps forward, pushing him aside, and jerk a thumb at the door.

KNUCKLES
Leave this to me.

He rears back and punches the metal door. His massive, spiked fist slams into it with incredible impact, but save for a loud clang and a small indentation, the door is unharmed. SONIC smiles, and KNUCKLES frowns at him.

KNUCKLES
(Defensively)
Like you said, it’s a pretty tough door. Alright, this time I’ll put some effort into it.

He rears back to strike again, but KAY-EM grabs his fist. He looks up at her, annoyed.

KAY-EM
The only thing that will serve to do is to wake the good doctor up. I suggest a more thoughtful approach.

TAILS
Guys, I think I found something!

They look over at TAILS, who stands by the side of the door. There’s some kind of control panel next to it. The others head over.

TAILS
Looks like some kind of control panel.

SONIC
Well, let’s see what it does.

He presses a few buttons on it randomly. A smooth, female voice speaks to them from a speaker just above the panel.

SPEAKER (OS)
Incorrect entry. Please state name and reason for entry.

SONIC
Sonic the Hedgehog, and I’m here to boil an egg!

SPEAKER (OS)
Voice pattern not recognised. You are not Dr. Eggman. Please verify your identity or the alarm shall be raised in 10 seconds. 9. 8. 7.

KNUCKLES
Nice work, Sonic.

SONIC
Did you have a better idea?

SPEAKER (OS)
4. 3.

TAILS
Oh, no…

SPEAKER (OS)
2. 1.

EGGMAN (OS)
This is Dr. Eggman, requesting entry.

The countdown stops in the nick of time.

SPEAKER (OS)
Voice pattern verified. Welcome back, Dr. Eggman.

The door slides open with a metallic whirr. SONIC, TAILS and KNUCKLES exchange worried glances, and then turn around. KAY-EM stands there, a somewhat satisfied smile on her pale face.

KAY-EM
(In voice of EGGMAN)
Told you I’d come in useful!

TAILS
Ugh, that’s creepy!

SONIC
Come on, guys, let’s go.

The four head into the open doorway. It seals behind them.

INT. SECRET BASE – NIGHT

The group head into the base. We recognise it as the same dimly-lit, seemingly never-ending corridor that ROUGE was in. Doors line both sides of the corridor. The first are “A01” and “A02”, on opposite sides of the corridor.

Their headsets crackle into life and the voice of ROWAN is heard.

ROWAN (OS)
What’s your position?

SONIC
We’re inside the base.

KAY-EM
It’s just a long corridor lined with doors on both sides.

TAILS
Where should we go?

ROWAN (OS)
Whatever Rouge found, it was behind door F13.

SONIC
Got it. Tails, you and Kay-Em go and check it out. Me and Knuckles will go and look for Rouge.

KNUCKLES folds his arms.

KNUCKLES
Why am I going with you?

SONIC
(Matter-of-factly)
Because I’m the fastest and you’re the strongest.

KNUCKLES
Fine.

SONIC turns to TAILS.

SONIC
Good luck, little buddy.

TAILS
Thanks! You too.

SONIC gives him a thumbs-up, which TAILS returns. SONIC shoots KAY-EM a wink.

SONIC
You too, Kay.

KAY-EM
Luck will not play a factor in our success.

SONIC
Sure. Come on, Knucklehead, let’s go!

SONIC blasts down the corridor, quickly vanishing into the darkness. KNUCKLES charges after him.

KNUCKLES
Hey! Wait up!

After a moment, he too is lost in the darkness. TAILS and KAY-EM are left alone. TAILS smiles up at her.

TAILS
Ladies first!

KAY-EM
Thank you.

They start off towards room F13.

Some distance down the corridor – the door numbers now begin with “L” – KNUCKLES continues to run. There is no sign of SONIC. He scowls.

KNUCKLES
Where’d that darned hedgehog go? He should wait for me! He knows-

He is suddenly silenced as a pair of arms rush out of the darkness and grab him. Surprised, KNUCKLES is dragged into the shadows. A hand is clamped over his mouth. KNUCKLES pulls it away and spins around, and finds himself staring into the green eyes of a certain hedgehog.

KNUCKLES
What the heck do you think you’re doing?!

SONIC
Shhhh!

KNUCKLES
What are you talking about?!

SONIC
(Quietly but forcefully)
Would you shut up already? Look!

He points. KNUCKLES follows his finger. We see his POV as he looks into the darkness. We can’t see anything.

KNUCKLES
(Whispering)
What? I don’t see anything?

SONIC
(Whispering)
Look harder.

He does. We see his POV as a tall, dark figure heads towards us, appearing slowly out of the darkness. We can’t make out any details of the figure, we just hear his footsteps as he plods down the corridor. We focus on SONIC and KNUCKLES as they watch, eyes wide, backs pressed against the corridor wall, not daring to breathe. The shadow of the hulking man slowly passes. They watch until he disappears back into the darkness and then exhale, relieved.

KNUCKLES
That was him, alright. That was Jason.

SONIC
Rowan, can you hear me? We just caught sight of him.

ROWAN (OS)
Are you sure it was him?

KNUCKLES
Definitely.

SONIC
He’s headed down towards the corridor towards Tails and Kay. I’m going after him.

ROWAN (OS)
Don’t. Keep going. You have to find Rouge. I’ll warn Tails and Kay-Em that he’s on the way.

SONIC
Okay. I guess they’ll be alright by themselves.

KNUCKLES
Let’s go.

SONIC and KNUCKLES head off further down the corridor.

Back down the corridor, TAILS and KAY-EM reach door F13. They notice the numerical keypad.

TAILS
Do you know the code?

Without replying, KAY-EM inputs the 8-digit code. The door slides open. KAY-EM steps in. TAILS heads in after her.

INT. LAB F13 – NIGHT

KAY-EM and TAILS step into the darkened lab. The only light source is an eerie green glow that comes from the far wall. The door seals behind KAY-EM and TAILS, and they stare in shock at what they see. Whatever it is, we don’t see it just yet.

TAILS
(Horrified)
Oh… no…

KAY-EM
This is not good.

ROWAN (OS)
Miles? Kay-Em? Sonic and Knuckles have spotted Jason. He’s heading down the corridor towards your position. He’ll be there any second.

KAY-EM
We have bigger problems. We’ve found what Rouge found.

ROWAN (OS)
What is it? Is it as bad as she said?

TAILS
(Sadly)
It’s a lot worse.

We pan around to finally see what troubles them, and what troubled ROUGE, so much. The entire wall is covered with glass tubes. The tubes are full of water and give off the sickly green glow that lights the room. Floating inside each tube is the large, powerful form of a man. A man with a nearly bald head and a severely deformed face. There’s no doubt about it, they’re all identical copies of JASON VOORHEES himself. There is one in each tube, and the tubes stretch right across the lab. There are dozens of them.

TAILS
A LOT worse.

ROWAN (OS)
What are you talking about? Miles?

TAILS goes to answer, but before he can the door behind them whirrs open. TAILS and KAY-EM spin around. TAILS’ eyes widen with fear at what he sees.

TAILS
(Frightened)
Crud!

INT. CORRIDOR – NIGHT

SONIC and KNUCKLES continue to head down the corridor. SONIC is jogging briskly, allowing KNUCKLES to keep up with him. They are now passing the “O” doors. KNUCKLES looks less than happy.

KNUCKLES
How do you even know where you’re going?

SONIC
What do you mean?

KNUCKLES
We’re just wandering down the corridor aimlessly. Shouldn’t we be checking these rooms?

SONIC
Knuckles, if we check every room we’ll be here all week.

KNUCKLES
But Rouge might be in one of them.

SONIC
Look, if Rouge was captured, what would Eggman do with her?

KNUCKLES
Well, he’d put her in prison, I guess.

SONIC
Exactly. And what letter does the word “prison” start with?

KNUCKLES
“P”. What does that have to do with anything?

SONIC
What letter are these doors we’re passing?

KNUCKLES looks around as they pass a door marked “O68”.

KNUCKLES
“O”.

SONIC
Exactly. If we want to find Rouge, we should look in the P’s.

KNUCKLES
That’s your plan?!

SONIC
“P” for “Prison”. What’s wrong with that?

KNUCKLES
It’s dumb, that’s what!

SONIC
Just follow me.

KNUCKLES frowns, but does as SONIC asks. They finally reach the doors marked “P”. They stop.

SONIC
You start checking these rooms. I’ll head to the end of the “P” section and head backwards. We’ll meet up in the middle. If I’m right, we’ll find Rouge in one of these rooms.

KNUCKLES
This is about the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.

SONIC
Don’t you ever listen to yourself?

KNUCKLES
Grrr…

SONIC
Meet you in the middle!

Before KNUCKLES can protest, SONIC speeds off into the darkness. KNUCKLES folds his arms and sighs heavily.

KNUCKLES
“P” for “Prison”. What a lame idea. I should’ve gone with the android.

He shrugs resignedly and heads over to door “P01”. He presses the door release switch and the door slides open. He heads inside.

INT. LAB F13 – NIGHT

TAILS stares in shock at the open doorway. Through his POV, we see that a large, hulking shape fills it, swathed in darkness. It begins to head towards them. TAILS’ gulps loudly.

TAILS
(Frightened)
Uh-oh…

KAY-EM steps in front of him, unafraid. She speaks to the DARK SHAPE that approaches them.

KAY-EM
I’ll ask you to stop once.

The DARK SHAPE does not stop. KAY-EM smiles a dry smile.

KAY-EM
Your choice.

She steps towards the DARK SHAPE. TAILS watches, afraid.

INT. LAB P04 – NIGHT

KNUCKLES steps into another lab and looks around. The place is full of dismantled robot parts. He rolls his eyes.

KNUCKLES
More broken robots.

He heads out of the door.

INT. LAB P68 – NIGHT

SONIC quickly zips into one of the labs and looks around. It appears to be full of frozen food.

SONIC
Nope.

He rushes out.

INT. LAB P67 – NIGHT

SONIC zooms into the room and looks around. There are several large vats that appear to be full of milk.

SONIC
Nope.

He rushes out.

INT. LAB P66 – NIGHT

SONIC rushes into the next lab and looks around. In the centre of the room is a huge mechanical bull. The saddle on it is a curved egg shape, and the face of the bull sports a large red nose and an enormous brown moustache.

SONIC
Weird.

He zooms out.

EXT. CORRIDOR – NIGHT

From an aerial view, we see SONIC rushing from side to side, quickly scoping out each room in turn.

INT. LAB F13 – NIGHT

TAILS watches as KAY-EM battles with the DARK SHAPE. She hits out with kicks and punches, but they seem to have no effect. The DARK SHAPE takes several blows, and then hits out with a punch. A huge fist slams into KAY-EM and sends her flying backwards. She crashes into a computer terminal, which explodes and showers sparks everywhere. KAY-EM sinks to the ground, not moving.

TAILS whimpers. We see his POV as he looks up at the DARK SHAPE. His head is obscured by darkness. TAILS’ headset crackles into life.

ROWAN (OS)
Miles? What’s going on?

TAILS
(Frightened)
It’s him! He’s here! And I think he’s killed Kay-Em!

TSUNARON (OS)
What?! No!

ROWAN (OS)
(Urgently)
Miles, get out of there!

TAILS yelps as the DARK SHAPE steps forward. We see from TAILS’ POV as we see the figure’s head for the first time. He wears a white hockey mask on his head, which is malformed and lumpy and decorated with a few straggly strands of dark hair. A small red image of EGGMAN’s grinning, moustachioed face is printed on the forehead of the mask, above and between the eyeholes. Two red, jagged triangles stretch out from the nose, resembling a moustache. The figure wears a red work shirt, black trousers, and heavy boots. His large hands wear white gloves. His movement is jerky and robotic, as if he’s animatronic. Despite his odd regalia and movement, he’s a dead ringer for JASON VOORHEES.

JASON glares down at TAILS. One of his eyes is fixed on him with an intense stare. His left eye, on the other hand, stares blankly ahead, focusing on nothing. JASON raises his gloved hand and brings it crashing down. TAILS dives out of the way, and the fist slams into the floor, leaving a dent.

JASON stomps after TAILS. TAILS runs right between his legs. He stops next to the fallen body of KAY-EM, and shakes her. She opens her eyes and looks at him.

TAILS
Kay-Em, are you alright?

KAY-EM
Sandwiches.

TAILS
Kay-Em?

KAY-EM
Frumple quintuplet nugget pies!

TAILS
What?

JASON’s shadow falls over them. TAILS looks over his shoulder fearfully.

TAILS
Oh, sugar.

INT. LAB P14 – NIGHT

KNUCKLES steps into another lab and looks around. The place is full of robots. They are around five feet tall, humanoid in shape and gunmetal grey in colour. They have domed heads and large, blocky bodies. Their arms are tipped with sharp, metallic fingers. They appear to be intact, but deactivated. KNUCKLES surveys the room and then shakes his head and turns around.

GUARD ROBO (OS)
Intruder detected.

KNUCKLES turns around. All of the GUARD ROBOS are staring at him with their round, grey eyes. One of them speaks with a deep, synthetic voice.

GUARD ROBO
Target identified as Knuckles the Echidna. Objective: destroy.

KNUCKLES rolls his eyes.

KNUCKLES
Great. Just great.

The GUARD ROBOS, a dozen of them, advance on him. KNUCKLES raises his fists and dives right into the middle of them. He aims a punch at one of them and knocks its head clean off. The robot fizzes and falls to the ground. He punches another one in the chest, and it flies across the room and crashes into the wall, smashing into several pieces on impact. The others surround KNUCKLES. They raise their arms and begin to fire a stream of machinegun bullets from their wrists. KNUCKLES deftly hops into the air, avoiding them. All of the remaining robots are studded with bullets. They spark with electricity and freeze.

KNUCKLES lands on the shoulders of one of them. He grabs its head with both hands and with a small amount of effort, tears it right off. The bot tumbles forward and crashes to the ground. KNUCKLES hops off and straightens out in the air, until he’s horizontal. He holds his fists in front of him and glides forwards quickly, heading towards the stalled bots. He crashes fists-first into one GUARD ROBO and smashes right through it. Still gliding, he smashes through another, and another. Three metal bodies tumble to the ground. KNUCKLES lands on the ground in a crouch and turns around.

Six GUARD ROBOS remain. They seemed to have recovered from the machinegun fire.

GUARD ROBO
You will be terminated.

KNUCKLES
Bring it on!

He raises his fists as they approach. Their hands begin to crackle with electricity, and they advance on him with the intent of shocking him. KNUCKLES frowns, his face full of intensity. The first one reaches him and it swings, its hand buzzing. KNUCKLES grabs the arm in mid-swing and tears it clean off. He swings it around like a baton so that the sparking end is facing away from him, and then shoves it into the robots face. The GUARD ROBO judders uncontrollably, and then its head explodes. It collapses.

KNUCKLES faces the five remaining robots. He smiles and cracks his knuckles.

KNUCKLES
Who wants some?

He raises his fists, but stops as a dark shadow falls over him. He turns his head and looks over his shoulder. His eyes widen. We don’t see who it is.

KNUCKLES
Dang.

INT. LAB F13 – NIGHT

JASON pursues TAILS around the lab, throwing huge punches. TAILS ducks and dodges, back-pedalling desperately. TAILS’ headset crackles into life and ROWAN is heard, her voice concerned.

ROWAN
Miles! What’s going on? Miles, can you hear me? Miles?

JASON swings another punch and TAILS hops backwards. The punch almost connects. It grazes his ear, knocking the headset off. It clatters to the ground.

INT. G.U.N. TRUCK – NIGHT

ROWAN and TSUNARON sit in the dark van, concerned. ROWAN speaks desperately into the microphone.

ROWAN
Miles! Are you okay? Miles?

The sounds of muffled grunts and yelps are the only response.

ROWAN
(Desperately)
Miles?!

The sound of harsh static is heard. ROWAN’s eyes widen.

ROWAN
Damn it!

She takes off her headset and stands up.

TSUNARON
What are you doing?

ROWAN
I’m going in after them.

TSUNARON
Are you crazy? It’s suicide!

ROWAN
I know what I’m doing, Tsun. I seem to recall me doing some suicidal things on the Grendel.

She picks up a machinegun and heads towards the back of the truck.

ROWAN
Stay here and hold the fort. I’ll need you to hack the front door for me. Try and break through his firewall, a floor plan of this place would be a real big help.

TSUNARON
I’ll keep trying, but he’s got security measures as big as his ass.

ROWAN
Wish me luck.

TSUNARON
Good luck.

ROWAN turns to head out.

TSUNARON
Rowan.

ROWAN
Yeah?

TSUNARON
About Kay-Em…

ROWAN
I’ll find her, Tsun.

She gives him a determined smile. He nods back. ROWAN exits the truck, and TSUNARON begins to quickly type on the keyboard in front of him.

INT. LAB P14 – NIGHT

KNUCKLES stands in the corner of the room. We see his POV. The five remaining GUARD ROBOS lie trashed and destroyed on the ground. Amidst the wreckage stands the hulking, mask-wearing form of JASON VOORHEES, complete with EGGMAN-themed outfit.

KNUCKLES
You just don’t know when to give up, do you?

JASON watches him, motionlessly.

KNUCKLES
Fine. Let’s go.

He steps forward, fists raised. JASON steps forward too, again moving jerkily and robotically. They meet in the middle of the room and square up, nose-to-stomach. A few intense moments pass, and then KNUCKLES leaps into the air. He punches JASON in the chest. JASON stumbles backwards and crashes into the wall. He regains his balance and comes marching back.

KNUCKLES hops up again and aims another punch, this time for JASON’s head, but this time JASON reaches out and snatches him out of the air. He grabs the echidna with both hands and hurls him across the room. KNUCKLES slams into the metal wall with a clang, bounces off, and crashes to the ground hard. He picks himself up, dusts himself down, and glares at his masked opponent.

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
Now you’ve made me mad!

The two stomp towards each other again.

INT. LAB P31 – NIGHT

The door slides open and SONIC charges in. He takes a look around the room. It appears to be a dentist’s room, with a large leather chair in the centre and several pieces of dental equipment scattered around. SONIC shrugs.

SONIC
I guess even mad scientists need dental hygiene.

He runs out of the room.

INT. LAB F13 – NIGHT

TAILS continues to narrowly dodge JASON’s attacks. He hops around the room, dodging fast and powerful punches, desperately looking around for a way of escape. On the floor, the lifeless heap that is KAY-EM suddenly sits bolt upright. She gets to her feet. JASON catches sight of her and stares at her, momentarily forgetting TAILS. TAILS smiles thankfully.

TAILS
Kay-Em? Are you okay?

KAY-EM
I’m fine, thank-you Susan.

She walks towards JASON.

KAY-EM
Let’s get this onion on the donkey before it’s too cold!

With those fighting words, she somersaults into the air and lands right in front of JASON. She grins at him and goes to make a move, but before she can JASON punches her right in the chest. She hurtles backwards, rotating in the air, and crashes into the wall upside down. She slides down the wall and lands with a crack neck-first on the steel floor.

TAILS
Kay-Em!

She gets to her feet slowly, shakily. She reaches into her pockets and pulls out two pistols, which she aims at JASON execution-style.

KAY-EM
I’m afraid I’m gonna have to eat you now.

She begins to fire. JASON walks towards her, his steps jerky and robotic. Bullets slam into his body but have no effect other than to slow him down slightly. He finally reaches her, and rears back with his fist. He punches her in the face. Her head sails clean off of her shoulders, flies into the air, bounces off the wall, and lands with a thud on the ground.

TAILS
(Horrified)
Kay-Em!

Her body falls to the ground, twitching and spasming. The head rolls its eyes.

KAY-EM
Janessa has them!

JASON walks over to her head, picks it up with both hands, and begins to squeeze it. A trickle of white liquid begins to spill out of KAY-EM’s mouth.

KAY-EM
Giddy up! Giddy up!

JASON applies more pressure, and the head splits like a ripe melon. Complex circuitry spills out of it and spills onto the ground. TAILS watches in horror as JASON drops the split head. It lands on the floor, its dead eyes staring at JASON. White liquid trickles out of the mouth and nose.

JASON starts towards TAILS, who backs away, his eyes full of fear. He backs into the wall of glowing green tubes. He looks up, and yelps as he sees that each and every one of the stationary, naked JASONs inside is staring down at him with hate-filled eyes. He turns his head back to see that JASON is right in front of him. JASON’s arm shoots out. TAILS tries to dodge, but he’s too late. JASON grabs him by the throat and lifts him up, holding him still against the glass tube with one hand.

TAILS
(Panicked)
Sonic! Sonic! Help me!

JASON rears back with his other fist, aiming a powerful punch right at TAILS’ small head. TAILS closes his eyes, bracing himself for the blow.

VOICE (OS)
Hey, asshole! Put the fox down!

JASON turns his head. ROWAN stands in the open doorway, her machinegun aimed directly at his head. TAILS’ eyes light up at the sight of her.

TAILS
(Thankfully)
Rowan!

ROWAN
Put him down, Jason. Put him down or I’ll fill you so full of lead you won’t be able to move.

JASON seems to consider this for a moment, and then he tosses TAILS across the room. TAILS crashes into the wall and hits the ground painfully.

JASON stares at ROWAN, who walks towards him slowly, carefully, the machinegun still aimed at his head. She speaks slowly.

ROWAN
So this is the grand plan? Instead of one Jason Voorhees, there’s going to be a whole army of you fuckers? I gotta hand it to Dr. Robotnik, that’s a pretty good plan. One of you is pretty much impossible to kill, let alone a whole squad. But I won’t let it happen. I’m going to kill you, and then I’m going to pull the plug on all your baby brothers here.

JASON takes a jerky step towards her. ROWAN fires a burst of machinegun fire at his head. It slams into him, peppering his mask with bullet holes. JASON stumbles backwards until he reaches the wall of glass tubes. ROWAN quickly advances on him. She reaches him and pokes the barrel of the machinegun right into the base of his neck.

Before she can pull the trigger, JASON suddenly swings around and grabs her. He shoves her away. ROWAN stumbles backwards and trips. The machinegun clatters to the ground. ROWAN quickly gets to her feet, but before she can do anything JASON is on her. He grabs her around the throat with one hand, lifts her into the air, and hurls her into the wall. ROWAN bounces off it and lands with a painful crack. She writhes in pain on the ground. JASON heads towards her, but stops as a voice calls out from behind him.

TAILS (OS)
(Nervously)
H-Hold it!

JASON turns around. TAILS stands on the other side of the room, holding ROWAN’s machinegun. It’s a little big for him. He has it aimed at JASON’s head. His hands are shaking.

TAILS
(Nervously)
L-Leave her alone, you big bully!

JASON heads towards him. TAILS pulls the trigger. A burst of machinegun fire roars out. The recoil is too much for TAILS, and the weapon jerks backwards. The bullets stream across the walls, and then slam into the glass tubes on the far side of the room. TAILS drops the machinegun and watches in fear as JASON stomps towards him, fists clenched.

TAILS
I knew I should’ve brought my Magic Hand…

INT. LAB P25 – NIGHT

SONIC races into the room and takes a look around. This room is full of computer terminals. SONIC crouches down on one knee and puts a hand to his ear. He speaks into his microphone in a low voice.

SONIC
Rowan? Rowan, can you hear me?

Silence.

SONIC
Rowan? Are you there?

After a few moments, the voice of TSUNARON is heard.

TSUNARON
Sonic? It’s Tsunaron.

SONIC
Nice to see someone’s not asleep on the job. Listen, I’m in a room full of computer terminals. I was thinking they might contain something useful to us. Like, the room where Rouge is being held or something.

TSUNARON
It’s worth a look. I’m having no luck cracking Robotnik’s security codes.

SONIC
You’ll have to give me some advice. Computers are really Tails’ forte.

TSUNARON
I’ll talk you through it.

SONIC takes a seat at a nearby terminal.

INT. LAB F13 – NIGHT

TAILS hops around the room, dodging JASON’s attacks. On the other side of the room, ROWAN slowly gets to her feet, holding her ribs.

ROWAN
(Pained)
Miles! Come to me! Let’s get out of here!

TAILS nods. JASON swings a punch at him. TAILS leaps into the air and somersaults right over JASON’s head. As he sails over, his twin tails lash out like whips and hit JASON in the face. TAILS lands running and charges over to ROWAN. He grabs her hand and the two of them run for the door.

They reach it, and ROWAN slams her hand into the door release switch. Nothing happens. She hits it again, and again. Nothing.

ROWAN
Shit!

TAILS
Um, Rowan?

She turns her head to see that JASON is still advancing on them. ROWAN looks down at the frightened TAILS, her eyes wide.

ROWAN
Miles, you look for another way out. Maybe there’s a duct on a wall or the ceiling or something. I’ll keep him distracted.

TAILS
Alright. Be careful!

ROWAN
Hurry!

TAILS dashes off. JASON starts to pursue him, but ROWAN waves her arms at him wildly.

ROWAN
Leave him alone! Pick on someone your own species!

JASON advances on her. ROWAN quickly runs across the room, staying out of his range. She reaches the spot where TAILS dropped the machinegun and quickly bends down to pick it up. She aims the weapon at the advancing JASON and backs away. She stops as she reaches the wall of green glass tubes. She presses her back up against it and aims the machinegun at JASON’s head.

ROWAN
Alright, you bastard. I’m ready for you.

Her eyes widen as she hears a sound behind her, loud and clear. There’s no mistaking it.

It’s the sound of cracking glass.

INT. LAB P14 – NIGHT

KNUCKLES and JASON are still fighting. KNUCKLES is covered in bumps and bruises. JASON’s outfit is tattered and his mask is cracked and broken, but neither of them are giving up anytime soon. They leap at each other again and exchange a flurry of punches. KNUCKLES gets the upper hand, and he knocks JASON away. JASON stumbles backs into the door release switch, and the door slides up.

KNUCKLES runs at him and aims a flying punch. JASON steps aside, and KNUCKLES soars through the open doorway and back into the corridor.

INT. CORRIDOR – NIGHT

KNUCKLES backs down the corridor, slowly. JASON follows him. Their eyes are locked together. JASON stops and presses a nearby switch, opening a door. He walks into it. KNUCKLES waits, silently, cautiously. A few moments of silence pass, and then JASON steps out of the room. He’s now carrying a large, razor-sharp machete. It’s practically the size of a samurai sword. The grinning face of DR. EGGMAN is engraved on the blade, right below the hilt.

He advances on KNUCKLES, the machete aimed forwards.

KNUCKLES
Two can play that game.

He presses the nearest door release switch and hops into the room. JASON waits patiently. He hear KNUCKLES rummaging around inside the room. Various objects can be heard being thrown around the room, and KNUCKLES mutters to himself quietly.

KNUCKLES (OS)
(Quietly)
No… no… that’s not… no… no good… nah… aha!

He steps out of the room triumphantly, holding a large black box. He holds it above his head, and JASON examines it.

KNUCKLES
Take THIS! HYAAA!

He rears back and hurls the black box at JASON, and quickly turns away and sticks his thumbs in his ears, waiting for the detonation. The box strikes JASON in the head with a dull thud and falls to the ground. JASON is unfazed. KNUCKLES waits, his eyes closed, for a few moments. Nothing happens. Then, something does happen. The box begins to open. The top of it begins to slide up. KNUCKLES backs away cautiously. The box is right at JASON’s feet.

The top opens up completely, and a large figurine of DR. EGGMAN pops out. It begins to twirl around like a ballerina, as a twinkling and melodic rendition of “E.G.G.M.A.N.” – the mad doctor’s theme from Sonic Adventure 2 – rings out loud and clear in the silent corridor.

JASON looks down at the box. KNUCKLES gazes at it, dumbstruck. We see a close-up of the grinning, dancing EGGMAN figure. JASON’s heavy boot crashes down, crushing it in one blow. We pan up JASON’s body until we reach the massive machete, which he holds forward. KNUCKLES’ eyes widen as JASON begins to pursue him, machete raises to strike.

KNUCKLES
Darn it!

KNUCKLES backs away.

INT. LAB F13 – NIGHT

ROWAN backs away from the approaching JASON hurriedly, the machinegun aimed forward. JASON lunges after her, but she manages to stay just out of arm’s reach. Her eyes flicker between JASON and the far wall. Several long, thin cracks have appeared on several of the glass tubes. She calls out to TAILS anxiously.

ROWAN
Miles?

TAILS (OS)
Yeah?

ROWAN
You find anything yet?

She gasps as JASON lunges at her, arms outstretched. She narrowly avoids him.

TAILS (OS)
Not yet!

ROWAN
Well, could you please hurry it up?

She eyes the glass tubes. The cracks are spreading in every direction, inch by agonising inch.

ROWAN
Because it’s about to get really crowded in here!

TAILS (OS)
Just hang on! I’ll find a way out!

ROWAN
Please do!

She barely avoids the lumbering JASON’s grip again.

INT. LAB P25 – NIGHT

SONIC sits in front of the computer terminal. The monitor displays what appears to be a map of the facility. TSUNARON speaks to him through his earpiece.

TSUNARON (OS)
You in?

SONIC
Yep. We’ve got a map of the entire base here.

TSUNARON (OS)
Good. Now try and find out where Rouge is being held.

SONIC
Will do.

He starts to click on various rooms on the floor plan. As he does, a live camera image of displayed. Most of the rooms contain nothing of interest, just lab equipment of varying natures. SONIC continues clicking rapidly, his eyes scanning each image and then moving on.

INT. CORRIDOR – NIGHT

KNUCKLES continues to back away from the approaching, machete-wielding JASON. His eyes are intense. He doesn’t appear to be afraid, simply cautious. He stops next to a lab door and hits the release switch. The door slides open. KNUCKLES stands by the open doorway, facing JASON as he approaches, his eyes hard, his body tensed.

JASON reaches him and raises the machete. He swings it down hard, aiming right for the middle of the echidna’s head. Just before it impacts with his skull, KNUCKLES’ arms spring up. He catches the blade in his gloved hands. He manages to hold it in place, his hands shaking with the effort, the blade hovering only inches above his head.

He looks up at JASON.

KNUCKLES
I’m sorry, but we’ll have to finish this some other time. I have to find someone.

With considerable effort, he lifts his arms upwards, raising the machete up. JASON looks down in surprise as his feet begin to leave the floor. KNUCKLES slowly lifts him until he’s a foot off the ground, and then he hurls the machete to the side, into the open doorway. JASON, both hands still gripping the hilt of the weapon, flies in after it. He disappears into the darkness of the lab. He begins to get to his feet, but as he does KNUCKLES reaches up towards the door release switch. His hand hovers an inch away from the button. JASON gets up and glares down at the echidna.

KNUCKLES
Here’s your new home.

He presses the switch, and the door slides down. JASON steps forward, but it’s too late. The door closes and he’s sealed inside. The sound of banging comes from inside, as JASON pounds on the door. KNUCKLES smiles.

KNUCKLES
Guess I’d better find Rouge.

He heads off down the corridor.

INT. LAB P25 – NIGHT

SONIC continues to flick through various rooms quickly, one after the other. None of them contain anything of interest. Suddenly, he stops. His eyes widen. We see that on the monitor, the latest webcam shows an isometric view of a small room. It’s dark, and the only furnishings are a small bed and a toilet. There are no windows. It’s difficult to see in the darkness, but we can make out a small figure lying face down on the bed. We can make out two large, white ears. SONIC claps his hands together once.

SONIC
Rouge!

TSUNARON (OS)
You’ve found her?

SONIC
Yeah. She’s in room… Z99?!

TSUNARON (OS)
Z99?

SONIC
Yeah. That’s literally the last room. Should’ve known Eggman would’ve gone for the most obvious choice. Well, thanks for the help, Tsunny, but I’ll take it from here. I’m gonna go bust her out.

He stands up and turns to leave.

TSUNARON (OS)
Hold on a sec!

SONIC
What is it?

TSUNARON (OS)
Before you go, take off the headset.

SONIC
(Confused)
Okay.

He does. TSUNARON’s voice continues to speak from the earpiece.

TSUNARON (OS)
Remove the earpiece from the microphone.

SONIC
Won’t that kinda break it?

TSUNARON (OS)
It’ll be fine.

SONIC
Alright, but I’m not paying for it.

He pulls the microphone off. It comes away easily, and underneath there is some kind of adapter.

SONIC
You still here me?

TSUNARON (OS)
Yes.

SONIC
How?

TSUNARON (OS)
Radio waves.

SONIC
Huh.

TSUNARON (OS)
Now, head around to the back of the terminal.

SONIC does so.

TSUNARON (OS)
Do you see a port that matches the one on the headset?

SONIC
Uh…

He examines the back. There is a small port that appears to match the adapter on the headset.

SONIC
I see it.

TSUNARON (OS)
Connect the two together.

SONIC does so. The two fit together perfectly. A small green light on the headset blinks into life.

TSUNARON (OS)
Excellent. That’s all I need.

SONIC
So what is this thing?

TSUNARON (OS)
By directly interfacing with Robotnik’s mainframe, it’ll be much easier to break through his security codes. I should be able to find out some of his secrets or maybe even something about Jason.

SONIC
Sounds pretty complicated.

TSUNARON (OS)
It is.

SONIC
Well, good luck with all that. I’d better go get Rouge and find the others. This place isn’t exactly the Casino Paradise Zone. Later, Tsunny.

TSUNARON (OS)
Must you call me that?

There’s no response.

TSUNARON (OS)
Sonic?

The room is empty. SONIC has gone.

INT. LAB F13 – NIGHT

ROWAN, machinegun in hand, strafes around the room in a steady circle. JASON follows her tirelessly. ROWAN’s eyes continually flick back towards the glass tubes. The cracks on several of them now resemble a massive spider’s web. They won’t hold out for much longer.

ROWAN
(Anxiously)
Miles? Anything?!

TAILS (OS)
I think I’ve found something! Just hold on!

ROWAN
Hurry!

She yelps and hops back as JASON lunges at her. The machinegun is still trained on him, but she does not fire. She continues to circle around, leading the lumbering JASON in circles. With a sudden burst of movement, JASON lunges at her. ROWAN doesn’t expect it, and is taken off guard. He rams into her and shoves her into the wall. His powerful arm pin her to the wall. Her eyes are alive with desperation as he bears down on her.

She manages to raise the machinegun and poke it right into his throat. She squeezes the trigger, and several rounds explode out. JASON staggers backwards, clutching his torn throat. He stumbles back, across the room, heading right for the wall of glass tubes containing his “siblings”. ROWAN’s mouth drops open.

ROWAN
NO!

She dashes forwards but before she can do anything, JASON slams into one of the glass tubes with a heavy thump. For a moment, time seems to stand still as ROWAN gazes with horror at the tube. The moment passes, and JASON regains his balance. The tube has held out.

ROWAN
Oh, thank God for that.

Crack.

First one crack, then another, and another, and soon the air is alive with the sound of crunching glass. One of the tubes springs a leak, then another. Green liquid begins to flows out of the cracks, spreading messily around the floor. It hits the ruined computer terminal that KAY-EM landed on and begins to spark and fizz.

ROWAN watches, motionless, her eyes glazed, her mouth hanging open, as the tubes slowly splinter. Finally, there is a mighty crash and several of the tubes explode outwards. ROWAN puts up a hand to shield herself as shards of glass hurl themselves across the room. A few pieces strike her, giving her shallow cuts on her arms and making small gashes in her uniform.

In total, five of the tubes have ruptured. Green liquid flows all over the room. Five massive bodies slump to the ground, and then begin to stand up. Each of them is almost identical to JASON in size and build. Their faces are hideously deformed. One side of their faces is higher than the other, twisting their eyes and mouths into a hideous sneer. The figures are totally bald, and their heads are lumpy and huge. Their bodies are naked, their skin a sickly shade of pink. They may not be dressed, but there’s no doubt that all five of them are JASON VOORHEES.

The six JASON’s – one dressed, the others not, examine each other curiously. After a moment of observation, they simultaneously turn their heads to glare at ROWAN. Six identical pairs of leering eyes and twisted grins.

ROWAN’s eyes bulge out of their head in terror.

ROWAN
(Terrified)
S-SHIT!

TAILS (OS)
Rowan? What’s wrong?

ROWAN
(Terrified)
MILES! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!

TAILS (OS)
I’ve found a hatch on the ceiling! It’s screwed in but I’ve almost got it!

ROWAN
(Terrified)
Miles, I don’t mean to alarm you, but HURRY THE FUCK UP!

The six JASONs approach her slowly. The five new-borns move slower than the dressed JASON. Like the other JASONs we’ve seen so far, their movements are quite jerky and robotic. The six of them approach ROWAN in a line, filling the room. There’s no escape.

ROWAN aims the machinegun at them, her hands shaking.

ROWAN
Fuck you all!

She fires, waving the weapon back and forth, spraying each of the JASONs in turn with bullets. They stagger back under the impact, the bullets piercing their bare flesh. Thick, dark blood dribbles out of the wounds, but it doesn’t appear to bother them much. They keep advancing slowly, stepping simultaneously like marching soldiers.

ROWAN fires another burst of fire, this time focusing on the head of two JASONs. The bullets slam into their faces. The two JASONs stagger backwards, blood oozing from facial wounds.  Aside from superficial damage, the bullets don’t seem to bother them much. They continue to advance along with the others. ROWAN backs away, weapon raised.

ROWAN
(Terrified)
That was supposed to be the part where you died!

She pulls the trigger again, and this time there’s nothing. Just a click. Her ammo has been expended. She looks down at the weapon, unbelieving, and pulls the trigger again. Nothing. She presses the trigger repeatedly. Click. Click. Click. Nothing.

ROWAN drops the weapon. It clatters onto the ground beside her feet. She looks up, and sees to her surprise that only two JASONs now stand in front of her.

ROWAN
(Confused)
Where the hell did-

She spins around. Two more JASONs stand behind her. Her head darts to the left, where another JASON stands. Then to the right, where the final JASON stands. The six JASONs have got her surrounded in the centre of the room. They advance on her slowly. ROWAN’s face is the picture of misery.

ROWAN
Oh… shit…

The six JASONs simultaneously take a step forward and raise their arms to strike. ROWAN cowers, her arms in front of her face. The JASONs suddenly stop and look up. ROWAN follows their gaze. TAILS hovers a few feet above her, his twin tails whirring like a helicopter rotor on his backside. He’s descending towards her rapidly.

ROWAN holds up her hand, and we see a close-up of the two hands grasping. TAILS quickly lifts off the ground, taking ROWAN with him. The six JASONs simultaneously lunge for her, but ROWAN twists in the air, narrowly avoiding their grasping hands. They quickly ascend towards the ceiling, the JASONs reaching upwards in a vain attempt to catch them. TAILS and ROWAN quickly reach the ceiling, and head up through an open shaft into a ventilation duct. They ascend for a moment, and then the duct levels out. ROWAN grabs onto it and crawls for a few feet until she’s fully inside. She then promptly collapses onto her front. TAILS, who due to his size is much more comfortable inside the cramped duct, follows her in and leans against the wall.

ROWAN looks up at him, her eyes wet with tears. She smiles at him, a smile overflowing with gratitude and relief.

ROWAN
(Gratefully)
Miles… you just saved my life! They would’ve torn me to pieces.

TAILS smiles back at her, slightly embarrassed.

TAILS
It was nothing. You were the one who risked your life luring him around in circles. And if it hadn’t been for you, he would’ve flattened me like a pancake after he squashed Kay-Em.

ROWAN
(Sadly)
Kay-Em… Tsunaron is going to be crushed. Strange as it sounds, he loved that android. And I considered her a friend.

TAILS
I’m sorry. I can’t imagine how you feel. I’ve never lost someone dear to me.

ROWAN
Then you’re a very lucky man, Miles.

TAILS flushes bright red and looks away.

TAILS
No-one’s ever called me a man before. I’m only eight.
 
ROWAN
Being a man has got nothing to do with age.
 
TAILS
(Giggles)

ROWAN
Come on, let’s get out of here. We should try and find the others. There could be other Jason’s lurking around in this place.

TAILS
Don’t worry. Sonic and Knuckles are the strongest people I know.

ROWAN
They’re in good company.

ROWAN begins to crawl down the vent shaft. TAILS crawls after her, grinning proudly from ear-to-ear.

INT. CORRIDOR – NIGHT

SONIC races down the long, dark corridor. Doors appear before him, fly past him and are gone in the blink of an eye. His feet are a spinning blur of motion. He finally reaches the end of the corridor, and digs his heels into the ground, screeching to a halt. He approaches the door marked “Z99”. He presses the door release switch. Nothing happens.

SONIC
Drat. Locked.

He looks around thoughtfully, and then spots a ventilation shaft on the ceiling. He smiles.

SONIC
Tight.

He crouches, and then springs up into the air, out of frame.

INT. AIR DUCT – NIGHT

ROWAN and TAILS crawl slowly through the air duct. It’s dark and cramped, and not overly comfortable, especially for ROWAN. She begins to hum quietly to herself, a pleasant, tuneful sound. TAILS’ ears prick up.

TAILS
What’s that?

ROWAN
Mm? Oh, just humming. Sorry.

TAILS
No, it’s nice. It’s a nice tune. What is it?

ROWAN
Oh, it’s a song that I loved when I was a teenager. It came out when I was sixteen, I think. It’s called “The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be”. It was by a girl group called Pandora’s Box.

TAILS
Never heard of them.

ROWAN
Doesn’t surprise me. They’d probably qualify as classical music now.

TAILS
You’ll have to teach me to sing it.

ROWAN
I’m not sure it’s your kind of song. It’s quite sombre and depressing.

TAILS
It is? Then why do you like it?

ROWAN
I don’t know. It’s very… oh, I can’t think of the words. It’s nice though. When I was a teenager I was all rebellious and moody. I was a bright kid, and my parents wanted me to go to college, continue studying, but I just wanted to hang around with my friends all day and drink.

TAILS
(Matter-of-factly)
Yeah, drinking is good when you’re thirsty.

ROWAN
Anyway, we used to have big fights and I’d run upstairs and listen to that song over and over and get myself all worked up and depressed.

TAILS
Why?

ROWAN
I don’t know, really. It’s something teenagers do. It’s rebellion.

TAILS
Sonic and Knuckles are teenagers and they’re never depressed.

ROWAN
True… but I’m talking more about human teenagers. Anyway, I eventually realised my parents were right, and I went to college and studied and here I am. 400 years later.

TAILS
I bet you regret that, huh?

ROWAN
Why do you say that?

TAILS
If you hadn’t become a researcher, you wouldn’t have met Jason and you wouldn’t have been frozen.

ROWAN
I wouldn’t say I regretted it.

TAILS
Don’t you miss your friends and family?

ROWAN
Of course I do, and it hurts when I think that I never got to say goodbye to them, that they lived out their entire lives without ever knowing what happened to me. After Jason busted out and we got frozen the place must have just been sealed up and buried. You’d think someone would have looked for me, but when I woke up four-hundred-and-fifty-odd years later it was just me and the big guy in the freezer.

TAILS
Didn’t your family look for you?

ROWAN
I don’t know. My guess would be that the top brass at the facility told everyone I’d died. Probably assumed I was and just sealed the place up to stop Jason ever getting free again. I know how the management at those places works. They wouldn’t risk coming in to find me.

TAILS
That’s mean.

ROWAN
It certainly is.

They’re still crawling down the seemingly never-ending vent shaft.

ROWAN
What was I talking about before that?

TAILS
The song. You were gonna sing it for me.

ROWAN
Oh, I wasn’t.

TAILS
You said you would!

ROWAN
I don’t think I did.

TAILS
Aww… I wanna hear it!

ROWAN
(Laughs) Miles, seriously, I’m a terrible singer. You don’t want to hear me sing.

TAILS
I bet you’re not! Besides, I’ve attended a Team Chaotix gig. To put it nicely, they should stick to detective work.

ROWAN
(Giggles)

TAILS
So will you sing?

ROWAN
Well… alright. But… I don’t promise to be good.

TAILS
(Pleased)
Okay!

ROWAN
Alright.

She thinks for a moment, remembering the lyrics, and then begins to sing nervously. Her voice wavers slightly, but she has far from a terrible singing voice. The words echo around the enclosed ventilation shaft. TAILS listens eagerly, his ears pricked up, a smile on his face.

ROWAN
(Singing nervously)
I never knew so many bad times could follow me so mercilessly… it’s almost surreal, all the pain that I feel, the future ain’t what it used to be. It doesn’t matter what… what…

She trails off, embarrassed.

TAILS
(Disappointed)
Why’d you stop?

ROWAN
(Embarrassed)
Because! Because I’m terrible! And it’s such a melancholy song, it’s not really good for our spirits in a place like this.

TAILS
Just sing a little bit more. Please?

ROWAN
Alright. One more verse.

She clears her throat.

ROWAN
(Singing nervously)
It doesn’t matter what they’re thinking, it doesn’t matter what they’re thinking of me… it’s always so cold, I’m too young to be old, the future ain’t what it used to be.

She seems to be enjoying herself a little more now. She continues into the bridge, a little louder and more confident. TAILS’ twin tails wag from side to side with enjoyment.

ROWAN
(Singing)
Were there ever any stars in the sky? Did the sun ever shine so bright? Do you have any dreams I can borrow just to get me through the lonely night? Is there anything left to hold on to when the rivers wash it all away? Is there anyone left to hold on to, is there anything left I can say?

She launches into the chorus, crawling in time with the beat of the song, a huge grin on her face. TAILS beams from ear to ear, his tails wagging and his head moving up and down in time.

ROWAN
(Singing loudly)
Say a prayer for the fallen angels! Stem the tide of the rising water! Toll a bell for the broken hearted! Burn a torch for your sons and daughters! The endless night has got a hold of me! Dark days are pulling me forward! And all these tears are washing over me, and I’m crying, I’m lost forever, in a future that ain’t what it used to be… no more… no more…

She looks back at TAILS as she repeats the words “no more”.

ROWAN
(Singing loudly)
No more!

TAILS picks up, and they both begin to sing in time.

ROWAN / TAILS
(Singing in time)
No more! No more! No more!

The camera heads down the vent shaft, getting further and further away. Their voices fade, becoming distant echoes and then falling silent. Our speed increases until we are zooming down the vents at incredible speed. We slam to a halt right behind a familiar blue hedgehog, who crawls on his hands and knees.

SONIC
These shafts are so tight. Can’t even stand up to run.

He approaches a vent covering that leads into a room below. He stops and looks through it. It’s dark inside, but we can make out a few details. Directly below us is a bed, and on it sits a small figure with a large, white head. The figure appears to be doing sit-ups. SONIC smiles.

SONIC
Found her.

He pushes the vent covering off and drops into the dark room.

INT. ROOM Z99 – NIGHT

SONIC drops into the dark room. ROUGE stops in mid sit-up and looks at him, surprised.

ROUGE
(Surprised)
Sonic?

SONIC
Rouge! Nice to-

He trails off as he notices that ROUGE is wearing only her underwear: a white bra and panties. They’re rather small, and emphasise the more noticeable female qualities of the bat woman. SONIC blushes bright red.

SONIC
(Embarrassed)
… see you.

ROUGE gives him a wink.

ROUGE
(Suggestively)
So what’s up, sugar? You come to bust me out?

SONIC’s head is turned away.

SONIC
Yeah, that’s about it. We heard Jason Voorhees had been spotted around here. I haven’t seen him yet but-

ROUGE
You don’t know?

SONIC
Know what?

ROUGE
Jason is here. In fact, there’s a whole lot of him here.

SONIC turns back to her, forgetting his embarrassment, his curiosity piqued.

SONIC
What do you mean?

ROUGE
What I mean is, Eggman found a way to clone him. There isn’t just one Jason here, there are dozens of them, maybe more. He found out who to create perfect clones by studying his grandfather’s research on Project Shadow. The clones of Jason are not only just as strong and durable as he is, but they also have all of the real Jason’s memories and emotions.

SONIC
But… dozens of Jason’s? How would he manage that? He couldn’t even control one Jason, let alone fifty. They would gone nuts and smashed the place up by now.

ROUGE
I don’t know how he’s doing it, but he’s controlling them somehow. The one that grabbed me was moving kinda jerkily.

SONIC
(Thinking aloud)
Just like when he was collecting the Chaos Emeralds… he was piloting Jason by remote control…

ROUGE
There’s no way Eggman would pilot that many Jason’s. I guess he has something else, but I don’t know what. When he captured me he gave me a little speech about his grand plan, about how he’d-

SONIC
(Interrupting)
Take over the world, one Zone at a time, Eggman Empire, bwahaha, and so on.

ROUGE
Basically, yeah. But he stopped short of telling me how he controlled the Jason’s. Just said it was something that “only a genius such as himself” could have concocted.

SONIC
Well, we’d better find out what it is and put a stop to it. I just hope the others haven’t bumped into any Jason’s.

ROUGE
Others?

SONIC
Well, G.U.N. are the ones who got us involved, your buddy Rowan, the tech-guy Tsunaron and that android of his came with us.

ROUGE
Us?

SONIC
Tails is with me, so is Knuckles.

ROUGE
(Smiling)
Ooh, Knuckles. If I’d known he was coming I’d have worn something more formal.

SONIC remembers that she’s half-naked and averts his eyes again, embarrassed.

SONIC
Yeah, what happened to your clothes?

ROUGE
When I was captured, Eggman took my sneaking suit. Apparently, an all-black outfit in all all-black room doesn’t show up too well on a surveillance camera. He’d know if I tried to escape.

SONIC
Well, he’ll know soon enough. Let’s get you out of here. You’re not hurt or anything, are you?

ROUGE
Nah, I’m fine. A little restless though. I’ve been cooped up in this cell for like an entire day.

SONIC
Good.

ROUGE
Oh, wait, he did do one thing. He put some kind of thing on my wings… it’s like wing-cuffs or something. To stop me from just flying up to the vent shaft and escaping myself. Not the most comfortable thing.

She gets off the bed and stands with her back facing SONIC. We see that some kind of electrical device is attached to the bottom of her black, slender wings, stopping them from moving.

ROUGE
Would you mind getting this thing off of me?

SONIC
Uh, sure.

He leans down. He reaches out a hand, slowly, and touches the device that holds her wings. His hand is only a few inches above the top of her behind, and he gulps nervously. He presses a switch on the device, and it is deactivated. It clatters to the ground. ROUGE unfolds her wings and flaps them a couple of times, sighing with pleasure.

ROUGE
That’s so much better! Thanks, hon.

SONIC
No worries. Now let’s go.

He hops up into the open vent shaft above. ROUGE flaps her wings and follows him.

INT. CORRIDOR – NIGHT

SONIC and ROUGE drop out of the vent shaft, back into the corridor outside door Z99. SONIC begins to walk back down the corridor, but ROUGE stays put. SONIC looks back. ROUGE is standing next to the door for room Z98, opposite her holding room.

SONIC
What is it?

ROUGE
I’d guess Eggman stashed my gear in there. I’d like to get it back. My radio might be in there, if it is then we can use it get back in touch with Rowan and Tsunaron.

SONIC
Okay.

ROUGE
Plus, I can put some clothes on.

She shivers.

ROUGE
You’d think a man as intelligent as Eggman would invent some heating.

SONIC
I hear fat people don’t feel the cold so bad.

ROUGE presses the door release switch to Z98. To her surprise, it slides right open.

ROUGE
Unlocked. Things are looking up.

SONIC
Get a move on, would you? We’d better find Tails and Knuckles before Jason finds them.

ROUGE
I’ll be right back. No peeking!

She shoots him a wink and heads into the room. SONIC pulls a face like he’s just bitten into a rotten apple.

SONIC
Ugh.

INT. CORRIDOR “R” SECTION – NIGHT

KNUCKLES wanders aimlessly down the corridor, occasionally opening a door and poking his head in before continuing. He frowns as he walks.

KNUCKLES
Typical. Every time I don’t want to see that bat girl, she’s right there. The one time I’m actually looking for her and she’s nowhere to be found.

He is startled by a voice behind him.

EGGMAN (OS)
You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of madness.

KNUCKLES spins around and raises his fists instinctively. DR. EGGMAN stands behind him, the light illuminating his bald head and broad shoulders but unable to reach over his bulbous stomach, cloaking his lower body in darkness and giving him a ghostly, floating appearance. He grins at KNUCKLES, his hands clasped behind his back.

KNUCKLES
You’d know! Is the second sign getting really, really fat?

EGGMAN
Oh-ho-ho, that’s cutting!

KNUCKLES
Tell me where Rouge is or I’ll make you pay!

EGGMAN
Ah, Knuckles. Simple, simple Knuckles. Straight to the point as always, I see?

KNUCKLES
Don’t mess with me, old man. I’ve spent long enough in this funhouse of yours and I’m no mood for your games.

EGGMAN
Games? Why, Knuckles, I’m not playing any games. This is deadly serious, and I emphasise the word “deadly”.

KNUCKLES
Is that a threat?

EGGMAN
No, but this is.

He moves his arms around to the front of his egg-shaped body, and we see that he holds some kind of device in his hand. It looks like a radio. EGGMAN holds it up and shakes it back and forth, and then speaks into it.

EGGMAN
Intruder spotted in sector R!

Nothing happens. KNUCKLES waits expectantly. A few moments pass. Nothing. KNUCKLES smirks at EGGMAN, but EGGMAN grins back at him and raises his eyebrows. KNUCKLES grows uncomfortable.

KNUCKLES
What? What?

He turns around.

KNUCKLES
I don’t see-

He suddenly stops as ten enormous figures step out of the shadows. They walk in unison, their heavy footsteps echoing in the miles-long corridor. The light hits them, and we see who they are. JASON VOORHEES. All ten of them are completely identical, wearing hockey masks with the Eggman Empire logo on the forehead and red/black outfits just like their “creator”. The JASONs halt their jerky march and stop. KNUCKLES gazes up at them, his mouth open with shock.

KNUCKLES
(Shocked)
What… the…

EGGMAN
Quite impressive, isn’t it?

KNUCKLES
What did you do?

EGGMAN
Oh, nothing really. I just created an army of unstoppable Jason clones, that’s all.

KNUCKLES
You… you…

EGGMAN
Genius? Yes, I’d say I am. An army of supermen, all of them super strong and almost impossible to kill.

KNUCKLES
But… how?

EGGMAN
Your puny little echidna brain wouldn’t comprehend the techniques I used. What matters is that they worked. You see, my red little friend, with this army no-one shall be able to stand in my way. They’ll crush anyone who opposes me!

KNUCKLES
You think you can control an army of madmen? You’re even crazier than Jason was.

EGGMAN
Haven’t you noticed that these fine young Jason’s aren’t ripping you to shreds? Or me, for that matter? Or each other? You see, the cloning process I used was so flawless that it recreated the original sample perfectly, right down to personality and memory. I knew that they would be unstable and volatile, just like the original Jason. So I came up with a solution.

KNUCKLES
And that is?

EGGMAN
You expect me to tell you?

KNUCKLES
I’m not asking you.

EGGMAN
Ha! Your threats mean nothing to me! But I will tell you, for one reason: in a few short minutes you’ll be pitted in battle against all ten of these Jasons. There’s no way you’ll survive! I’ll tell you what you want to know, simply because I want you to die in awe of my intellect!

KNUCKLES
You just mentioned two things that will never happen.

EGGMAN
We’ll just see. Since you ask, every single one of these Jasons is not acting under their own free will. They are being controlled by an artificial intelligence that I created, which is being transmitted from a computer terminal located in this very facility. I created it myself. Every one of my Jasons is born with a microchip in their brain that receives input from the AI’s signal. Under the AI’s influence, they will follow my orders to the letter. They won’t attack each other, they won’t attack me, and it is through this power that I shall use them to take over the world!

KNUCKLES
How nice for you.

EGGMAN walks over to one of the JASONs, grinning. He stares right into the eyes of one of them, and then sticks his tongue out. The JASON does not react. EGGMAN pulls a variety of grotesque facial expressions, and then starts smacking the masked maniac on the top of the head. JASON does not react. EGGMAN turns back to KNUCKLES and grins.

EGGMAN
You see? It’s really quite amazing. JASONs true personality is sealed away inside, powerless against my control. All of that wasteful rage and aggression. That’s gone now, replaced by discipline. The AI is totally dominant.

KNUCKLES
Hah. This band of freaks you call an army might be as strong as JASON was, but without his black, rage-filled heart they won’t be anywhere near as destructive.

EGGMAN
Perhaps not. But they’ll be enough to take care of you and that insolent hedgehog, and they’ll be more than enough to exert my power over Station Square, and then every city in this country in turn.

KNUCKLES
Are you going to start talking about the Eggman Empire again? Because if you are, I’m gonna take a nap.

EGGMAN
You’ve been hanging around with that hedgehog too much! You’re starting to sound like him.

KNUCKLES
(Offended)
I am not!

EGGMAN
Well, I’ve had enough of this chit-chat. Let’s get down to business, shall we? Jasons, surround the echidna!

The ten JASONs form a tight circle around KNUCKLES, filling the hallway completely. There’s no escaping. KNUCKLES looks around at them and raises his fists. He seems unafraid.

KNUCKLES
What are you gonna do? Have them drag me off to a cell?

EGGMAN
Oh, I’m afraid that would be too good for you. Farewell, Knuckles the Echidna. You’ve been a worthy opponent and a useful tool on occasion, but I no longer have any use for you. Jasons, destroy him! Don’t stop until he’s a stain on the floor!
 
The JASONs all focus on KNUCKLES. KNUCKLES looks around at them, ready for the fight.

KNUCKLES
(Under his breath)
Stone fists…

EGGMAN
ATTACK!

The ten JASONs suddenly lurch into action. They all aim punches at the echidna in the centre of their circle. Their punches are powerful but slow, and their computer-controlled limbs move in a heavy, cumbersome way. KNUCKLES is ready, and he hops into the air, avoiding them. KNUCKLES swings a punch at one of the JASONs, connecting with the side of his head. The JASON stumbles backwards, crashing into a couple of his brethren. All three of them tumble to the ground. KNUCKLES lands on the ground beside them, but his feet barely impact before he’s leapt up again. He soars towards another trio and aims a massive punch. It strikes all three of them in the face before they can react, knocking them to the ground. They begin to get to their feet. The other three that were knocked down are already back up.

The gang advance on KNUCKLES. KNUCKLES backs up against a wall, so his back is flat against it. He’s safe from an attack from behind now. The JASONs begin to rain down kicks and punches. KNUCKLES raises his fists and blocks them as best he can, his hands darting from side to side with incredible timing. He’s blocking their attacks, but he can’t return them.

He suddenly grabs one of the JASONs attacking fists and jerks him to the side. The JASON loses his footing and falls to the side. He hits a JASON, who hits another, and so on, until half of the attackers have been knocked over. They lie in a heap on the floor. KNUCKLES turns just in time to see another punch coming. He hops into the air and it misses him by mere inches. A huge, fist-shaped impression is left in the steel wall. At the height of his jump, KNUCKLES punches the wall behind him. His spiked knuckles dig into it, and he hangs just out of attacking distance for a moment. Then he swings around so he’s facing the wall, and digs his other fist in. He climbs up the wall and onto the ceiling. He looks down at the waiting JASONs, who are all back on their feet.

A moment passes, and then he springs off the ceiling. He hurtles downwards, his fists pointed forwards, his arms outstretched. He slams into the JASONs with a huge impact, and the group again tumble to the ground in a heap, spreading outwards like a ripple. KNUCKLES stands in the centre of their bodies as they get up. He glares over at EGGMAN, who is watching the melee.

EGGMAN
It’s only a matter of time, Knuckles. You can knock them down but you can’t hurt them. They never get tired. They don’t feel pain. They don’t die.

KNUCKLES
We’ll see about that.

The JASONs are back up now. They aim their jerky punches at him again. KNUCKLES dodges one, two, three, a fourth, but suddenly a fist slams into his chest. He hurtles backwards and slams into a wall, where he lands in a sitting position. He gets up, obviously hurt. EGGMAN’s laugh is heard from somewhere beyond the wall of psychopaths.

EGGMAN
(Gleefully)
What did I tell you? You can’t win!

KNUCKLES
WE’LL SEE!

The echidna launches himself at the group.

INT. CORRIDOR “Z” SECTION - NIGHT

SONIC stands outside room Z98, tapping his foot impatiently. The door slides open and ROUGE steps out, wearing her all-over black sneaking suit. She assumes a little pose for SONIC, who rolls his eyes.

ROUGE
How do I look?

SONIC
(Impatiently)
Warmer. Now let’s go!

ROUGE
Hold up a second! I got my radio back. The Doc was probably planning to study it to find out who I was working for. His loss.

She crouches down on one knee, places a hand to her large, concealed ear and speaks.

ROUGE
This is Rouge calling Rowan. You there?

TSUNARON’s voice replies from her earpiece.

TSUNARON (OS)
This is Tsunaron here. Glad to hear you’re free, Rouge.

ROUGE
What happened to Rowan?

TSUNARON (OS)
You don’t know? She came into the base after you!

ROUGE
She did?

SONIC
Why?

TSUNARON (OS)
Sonic, that you?

SONIC
Yeah. Why did Rowan come in?

TSUNARON (OS)
Tails and Kay-Em ran into some trouble.

SONIC
Darn! They must have found Jason… or maybe more than one.

ROUGE
Tsunaron, I’ve discovered Eggman’s plan: he’s created an army of Jason clones and he plans to unleash them on the world.

TSUNARON (OS)
Way ahead of you. Thanks to Sonic, I managed to get through some of his security levels. I can’t get the highest clearance, he’s got an incredible level of security, but I’ve found out a few things. I uncovered something about a device called “Pamela”.

SONIC
Pamela? That name sounds familiar.

TSUNARON (OS)
It’s the name of Jason’s mother. As far as I can tell, it’s some kind of mother computer that is controlling all the Jason clones through radio waves.

ROUGE
Where is this computer located?

TSUNARON (OS)
It’s in lab U68.

ROUGE
That’s not too far away.

SONIC
Then what are we waiting for? Let’s get going.

TSUNARON (OS)
What are you planning to do?

SONIC
Destroy it, or her, or whatever it is. If this thing is controlling the Jason clones, then taking it out should stop them. Right?

ROUGE
It’s worth a try.

TSUNARON (OS)
The room is pretty well protected, but I’ve already cracked the door code for you. The room inside is booby-trapped, though, so be careful.

ROUGE
Don’t worry, sweetie. Are you forgetting that I’m the world’s greatest treasure hunter? It can’t be any tougher than acquiring the Tesph Sapphire.

TSUNARON (OS)
Acquiring? You mean stealing?

ROUGE
All the same to me, dear. Over and out.

She closes communication.

SONIC
We’d better hurry. The others might be in big trouble if they’ve bumped into a Jason or two.

ROUGE
Or fifty.

SONIC rushes off down the corridor. He’s gone from sight in a moment. ROUGE starts after him, as quickly as she can.

INT. CORRIDOR “R” SECTION – NIGHT

KNUCKLES continues to battle the ten JASONs, leaping from place to place to avoid their sluggish attacks and returning with a punch of his own when he can. He’s surviving so far, but none of the JASONs show the slightest sign of weakness or injury.

He leaps and lands on the shoulders of one, and punches him in the side of the head. His knuckles sink in to the malformed, lumpy head. Two small trails of blood begin to make their way from the points of impact. KNUCKLES jerks his fist out, and two splatters of blood spray out. Alarmingly, the JASON doesn’t appear harmed.

Two JASONs aim their punches at the echidna. He leaps out of the way, and the fists strike the bleeding JASON on opposite sides of his face. The impact knocks him to do the ground. KNUCKLES dives down at the two of them. He gives one an uppercut that sends him staggering backwards. He lands on the ground and runs between the legs of another. The other JASONs wait for him behind. KNUCKLES charges forward, punching them right in the kneecaps. They all fall out of his way. In this way, he creates a path through the mob. He reaches the other side and charges over to EGGMAN, who still watches from the sidelines.

Before EGGMAN can react, KNUCKLES hops onto the fat man’s shoulders and wraps an arm around his throat. He raises his other fist and dangles it just above EGGMAN’s bald head. The two sharp knuckles on his right hand glisten with cranial blood. A drop of it falls and lands on EGGMAN’s head, where it runs down the side of his face before being absorbed by his huge moustache.

EGGMAN gulps nervously. KNUCKLES speaks to him without taking his eyes off the approaching JASON mob.

KNUCKLES
Call them off.

EGGMAN
(Scared)
I-I-I!

KNUCKLES
(Slowly, quietly)
Call them off.

EGGMAN
Alright! Jasons, stop! I command you to leave Knuckles alone!

KNUCKLES
Wise decision. Guess you are pretty smart after all.

EGGMAN
Now get off of me!

KNUCKLES
Alright.

He hops back to the ground and stands right next to the mad doctor.

KNUCKLES
Don’t try anything. I won’t be pleased if you order them to attack me again.

EGGMAN
Fine, fine! Besides, they wouldn’t attack you if you’re this close to me. They can’t hurt me. It’s the number one rule I programmed into their AI.

KNUCKLES examines the ten clones that stand motionless a few feet away.

KNUCKLES
It’s sad. You talk about them like they’re machines.

EGGMAN
They are! They’re machines of flesh and bone, with a mind that I myself created.

KNUCKLES
How would you like to have somebody control your mind with a piece of technology? How would you like to be unable to control your own actions? Just have to watch as some computer controls you with a radio wave?

EGGMAN
What, am I supposed to feel sorry for them? They are clones of Jason Voorhees! They feel nothing!

KNUCKLES
They feel loss. They feel pain. They feel anger. They feel the need for revenge. You’ve taken that from them.

EGGMAN
And that’s a bad thing? You saw first hand what Jason Voorhees could with no restrictions. Why defend him?

KNUCKLES
I’m not defending him. He sickens me, using his power to harm people who have done no wrong. But these copies you’ve created… they may be copies, but they have all of his memories. All of his feelings. They’re people, much as I hate to say it. They’re just as much Jason as the original Jason was. They aren’t mindless robots for you to control.

EGGMAN
Are you suggesting I give them their free will? To destroy at will? To exact a pointless revenge against a world that doesn’t know or care about his dead mother?

KNUCKLES
I’m saying that what you’ve done here is wrong.

EGGMAN
Don’t bore me with your ethics, Knuckles. I’m a selfish man, I’ll admit that. I want power, I want domination, and I WILL achieve it. At the moment there are only 50 or so Jasons, but soon there will be more, and with that power I will finally become the ruler of this pathetic planet.

KNUCKLES
You’re the one that’s pathetic.

EGGMAN
You won’t be saying that soon.

KNUCKLES
We’re going to stop this. I’ll make sure of it.

EGGMAN
More empty threats. You’re in no position.

KNUCKLES
And neither are you. Not while I’ll standing right next to you.

The two glare at each other, and then fall into silence.

INT. CORRIDOR “U” SECTION – NIGHT

SONIC stands impatiently outside room U68, looking back over his shoulder. After a few moments of foot-tapping, ROUGE comes running out of the darkness and joins him. SONIC smirks.

SONIC
Get lost on the way?

ROUGE ignores him, bends down on one knee, places a hand to her ear and speaks into her microphone.

ROUGE
Tsunaron, this is Rouge. We need the door code for U68.

TSUNARON (OS)
Got it right here. It’s 7-2-2-7-3-2-7-6-9.

ROUGE keys in the numbers as he speaks. Upon entering the “9”, the door slides open.

ROUGE
Thanks, sugar! Over and out.

She and SONIC exchange a glance. SONIC gestures towards the door politely.

SONIC
Ladies first.

ROUGE
Such a gentleman.

ROUGE struts into the open doorway. SONIC follows.

INT. LAB U68 – NIGHT

ROUGE and SONIC walk into the lab. The door slides to a close behind them. They both focus on a massive computer terminal that takes up a large portion of the lab. It’s at least ten feet tall and it covers an entire wall. It’s covered in flashing lights and monitors displaying complex data.

ROUGE
Guess this is Pamela.

SONIC
You can see the family resemblance.

ROUGE
Come on, let’s look for a way to turn it off.

They split up and head off in different directions. We follow ROUGE as she heads over a monitor and squints at it, trying to decipher the jargon displayed on it.

SONIC (OS)
Aha!

ROUGE looks around, impressed.

ROUGE
You found something already? What is it?

SONIC (OS)
Light switch.

SONIC flicks on a light switch, and the lab is illuminated from above by glowing white panels. ROUGE shields her eyes for a moment before her eyes get used to the sudden brightness.

ROUGE
(Annoyed)
What did you do that for?

SONIC
Not all of us have great night vision, Rouge.

ROUGE shakes her head.

ROUGE
(Under her breath)
Hedgehogs…

The pair continue to search the lab, SONIC rushing around quickly and ROUGE methodically studying monitors and terminals for information.

INT. VENTILATION SHAFT – NIGHT

ROWAN and TAILS sit in the cramped vent shaft. TAILS can just about fit, but ROWAN is lying on her stomach, the shaft being too small for her to sit comfortably in. They’re chatting amiably.

TAILS
So this huge missile flew up into the air and flew right into the middle of Station Square! It came crashing down right on top of a building!

ROWAN
(Enthralled)
No! Did anyone get hurt?

TAILS
Nope! Luckily, the missile didn’t detonate. But then Eggman flew after it in his Egg Mobile, saying he was going to detonate it manually! Sonic was nowhere to be seen, he was exploring Eggman’s hidden base in the Mystic Ruins.

ROWAN
So what did you do?

TAILS
Well, I was scared, but I knew that if I didn’t do something, the whole city would be blown up. So I chased after him.

ROWAN
In the Tornado?

TAILS
No, I’d crashed the Tornado into the Egg Carrier, it was totalled. Then, to make it worse, Big used it to get down to the Mystic Ruins, even though it couldn’t fly.

ROWAN
Big? He’s the one that-

TAILS
(Sadly)
Yeah.

ROWAN
Sorry. I didn’t mean to-

TAILS
It’s okay. So anyway, the Tornado was out of action. I had to use my feet and my tails to get to the missile. I managed to beat Eggman and I defused the missile.

ROWAN
(Pleased)
You saved the day!

TAILS smiles proudly but shakes his head.

TAILS
Well, it was nothing, really. Then Eggman got annoyed and he-

ROWAN
Hey, I’m sorry, but I just realised we’ve been sitting here for the last ten minutes. We should probably get moving again.

TAILS
Yeah, you’re right. You okay to carry on?

ROWAN
Yeah. I’m sorry, I needed a rest. This chute is a little cramped for a human.

TAILS
That’s okay. We should try and find the others. We need to tell them about all the Jasons.

ROWAN
If they haven’t bumped into them already, that is.

They begin crawling again, ROWAN in front, TAILS behind.

INT. LAB U68 – NIGHT

SONIC and ROUGE still search the lab. SONIC darts this way and that, and then skids to a halt and frowns. ROUGE is carefully examining a computer terminal.

SONIC
Why does everything that old guy make have to be so complicated?

ROUGE
Do you expect him to include a big self-destruct button for you to jump on?

SONIC
Well, he had some in that huge flying fortress of his. Remember?

ROUGE
Oh, yeah. Well, apparently he’s learned his lesson this time. Just keep looking.

She goes back to studying a screen of gibberish. SONIC rolls his eyes.

INT. CORRIDOR “R” SECTION – NIGHT

KNUCKLES and EGGMAN stand together in the corridor. A few feet away stand ten JASONs in a triangular formation, all of them completely motionless. A few moments of uncomfortable silence passes.

EGGMAN
We should do something to resolve this. I don’t plan on standing here all night.

KNUCKLES
Nor do I.

EGGMAN
So what do you suggest we do to end this stalemate?

KNUCKLES
How’s about you tell me where Rouge is and let me go get her. Then I’ll consider not cracking your egg-head wide open.

EGGMAN
Hahaha! I’m sure you’d love to see your little girlfriend again!

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
What?! Rouge isn’t my girlfriend! I don’t even like her!

EGGMAN
Whatever you say. Fine, I’ll let you go.

KNUCKLES
And how do I know you won’t tell your Jasons to attack me?

EGGMAN
I give you my word.

KNUCKLES
Your word means less to me than a dog’s.

EGGMAN
(Mock hurt)
Oh, that hurts! Have I ever lied to you before, Knuckles?

KNUCKLES
Several times.

EGGMAN
Alright, that’s true. It’s so easy! You’re such a gullible little fool!

KNUCKLES
May I remind you that I’m one moment away from knocking you into the next Zone?

EGGMAN raises his hands disarmingly.

EGGMAN
Fine, fine! So how do you suggest we solve this?

KNUCKLES
You tell me. You’re the one with the 300 IQ.

They fall silent again, glaring at one another. The ten JASONs stare over at them silently, not moving a muscle.

INT. LAB U68 – NIGHT

ROUGE finishes reading one screen and makes her way to the next one. She begins studying it closely. SONIC stands in the background, darting from place to place. He finally stops and frowns.

SONIC
That does it!

ROUGE
What’s wrong now?

SONIC
We’re going to be here all night at this rate! There’s only one way to solve this problem!

He turns to face the mother computer “Pamela”, which takes up an entire wall.

ROUGE
(Worried)
Sonic? What are you doing?

SONIC suddenly drops down and curls into a ball. He begins to spin over and over on the ground, remaining stationary, gaining speed until he’s a whirling buzzsaw that almost glows with a blue light. This is the SPIN DASH. He revs up, getting faster and faster. ROUGE’s mouth drops open.

ROUGE
Sonic! I don’t think that’s a good idea!

SONIC suddenly hurtles forward and flies into the air. He smashes right into the centre of the computer at high speed. It’s like a cannonball has been fired. The terminal is cracked right down the centre upon impact. Warning sirens begin to go off and lights flash. SONIC bounces off, uncurls into the air and lands on his feet next to ROUGE. SONIC smiles with satisfaction.

SONIC
You gotta know how to handle these things.

“Pamela” begins to spark wildly. A high-pitched whine comes from inside it. Then it EXPLODES violently, showering pieces of metal all over the lab. SONIC and ROUGE duck as pieces of debris rain down all around them. They look back up as the explosion subsides. What little is left of “Pamela” now sparks and sputters. It’s been destroyed. SONIC winks at ROUGE.

SONIC
What did I tell you?

ROUGE
I’ve got to admit, that was pretty cool.

SONIC
Come on, let’s go find the others and get out of here. That’s another one of Eggman’s lame plans ruined.

They head towards the door.

INT. CORRIDOR “R” SECTION – NIGHT

KNUCKLES and EGGMAN stand before the ten motionless JASONs.

KNUCKLES
Alright, how about this: you close your eyes for two minutes, and when you open them I’m gone.

EGGMAN
Bah! What kind of-

He is cut short as an explosion suddenly rocks the corridor. It sounds quite nearby. KNUCKLES and EGGMAN exchange a worried glance. The ten JASONs suddenly collapse in unison, hitting the ground like a sack of bricks and lying in a motionless heap.

EGGMAN
What… what happened?

KNUCKLES grins.

KNUCKLES
(Amused)
Looks like they needed a nap.

EGGMAN
(Angrily)
This is impossible! It’s that hedgehog! He must have done something!

KNUCKLES
Well, I think I’ll be going. It was nice seeing you again, Eggman.

EGGMAN
(Angrily)
You won’t get away with this!

KNUCKLES
Count yourself lucky I’m not making you eat your own moustache. Next time I won’t be so polite.

Smiling, KNUCKLES walks away. EGGMAN watches angrily as the echidna steps through the pile of stationary JASON bodies. He reaches the other side and begins to walk away.

With a sudden burst of movement, one of the JASONs hands jerks out and grabs him by the leg. KNUCKLES is surprised, and he falls forward, landing chest-first on the ground. He struggles to pull his leg out of the JASONs grip, and after a few tugs he manages to get it loose. He stands up and glares at EGGMAN.

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
Hey! What are you doing?

EGGMAN
(Confused)
I… I don’t know!

The two of them stare in horror as the pile of ten JASON bodies get to their feet. Something has changed. They no longer move with slow, robotic movements. They struggle up quickly, their limbs thrashing around, their heads darting from side to side quickly. Once they’re all up, they look around. They take in the area. Their chests begin to heave with anger. Their bodies are shaking with rage. They glare at one another, at EGGMAN, at KNUCKLES.

EGGMAN
(Terrified)
No! It can’t be!

KNUCKLES
What’s going on?

EGGMAN
(Terrified)
Sonic must have destroyed “Pamela”, the AI that controlled their minds! Without the AI, they will regain full control of their bodies!

KNUCKLES
You don’t mean…

EGGMAN
Yes! All of the anger and destruction inside Jason Voorhees is inside each and every one of them! And now there’s nothing to suppress it!

The ten JASONs suddenly burst into action. Two of them begin to stomp after KNUCKLES, their feet slamming on the ground, their eyes glaring ahead, their pupils a single pinpoint of undiluted anger. Two more begin to pursue DR. EGGMAN, who screams and runs away as fast as his spindly legs and enormous girth will allow. The other six JASONs begin to pound away at each other, punching and wrestling one another with extreme force.

KNUCKLES begins to back away as the two renewed psychopaths advance on him.

KNUCKLES
(Sarcastically)
Well, this is great! I’ll have to remember to thank Sonic personally when I see him.

He turns around and charges down the corridor.

INT. CORRIDOR “S” SECTION – NIGHT

SONIC and ROUGE charge down the corridor, SONIC in the lead but allowing ROUGE to keep up with him. ROUGE is far slower than he is, but she’s still moving at a speed far greater than the average human.

ROUGE
Would you slow down?

SONIC
Slow down? I’m going in slow motion as it is!

ROUGE turns her head to glare at him, and doesn’t notice the red echidna appear out of the darkness, charging in the opposite direction. The two of them slam into each other at high speed and fall to the ground in a heap. SONIC skids to a halt and walks back over to them, a grin on his face. Their arms and legs are all tangled up and their faces are so close that their noses are almost touching.

SONIC
You guys want some privacy?

ROUGE giggles. KNUCKLES scowls.

KNUCKLES
Get off me!

ROUGE gets up. KNUCKLES gets up too, dusting his fur down and glaring at the white bat. ROUGE returns his glare with a smile and a wink.

ROUGE
Nice to see you again, Knuckles.

KNUCKLES
I’ve been looking for you.

ROUGE
Well, here I am! Happy?

KNUCKLES
Far from it. Sonic, did you just happen to destroy a large computer?

SONIC
You mean “Pamela”? Yeah, I destroyed it. I was told it was controlling all of the Jason clones.

KNUCKLES
It was.

SONIC
You can thank me later.

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
Thank you?! You idiot! That computer was controlling their minds!

SONIC rolls his eyes.

SONIC
(Condescendingly)
I know that.

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
Well, what you don’t know is that now you’ve destroyed it, they’re no longer under Eggman’s control! They’re wild and uncontrollable!

ROUGE
Wait, what are you talking about?

KNUCKLES
(Sighs) Look, these clones were so perfect that they contained all of Jason’s emotions too. Eggman realised they’d be too dangerous so he programmed them to obey his orders. But now you’ve destroyed his computer, they won’t listen to anybody! They’ll be just like the real Jason, they’ll kill anything they see!

SONIC’s eyes widen. ROUGE goes as pale as a bat with white fur can.

SONIC
Uh-oh… you’re saying I made things worse?

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
You made them a lot worse!

ROUGE
(To SONIC)
I told you not to destroy the computer!

SONIC
No you didn’t!

KNUCKLES
There you go, rushing into something again without thinking of the consequences!

SONIC
Back off, Knucklebrain! I did what I thought was right.

KNUCKLES
Well, you were wrong!

ROUGE
Would you two stop fighting? We have to think of a way to get out of here.

SONIC
We still have to find the others. Tails, Rowan and Kay-Em are in here somewhere.

A ventilation duct on the ceiling opens and ROWAN drops into the corridor beside them, followed by TAILS.

SONIC
Well, two out of three ain’t bad.

TAILS
(Pleased)
Sonic! Knuckles! You found Rouge!

SONIC
What’s up, little buddy?

TAILS
(Excitedly)
We ran into a bunch of Jason clones, they were just about to get Rowan, but then I rescued her, and then we were crawling through a duct singing and-

ROWAN
(Amused)
Long story short, we’ve had quite the adventure.

ROUGE
Where’s Kay-Em?

ROWAN and TAILS exchange a glance and then cast their eyes downwards.

ROWAN
(Sadly)
She didn’t make it.

SONIC
I’m sorry.

TAILS
So what happened to you guys?

SONIC
It’s a long story.

KNUCKLES
It’s about to get longer!

They look over to where he’s standing to see two identical JASON clones storming down the corridor towards them.

SONIC
Shoot!

ROWAN
Shit!

ROUGE
Let’s get out of here!

ROWAN
The exit is that way, about a thousand doors down. We’ll have to get past them.

SONIC grins.

SONIC
No problem!

He charges towards the two lumbering brutes. He leaps into the air, curls into a spinning ball and slams into one of them, impacting him right in the chest. The JASON staggers backwards. SONIC ricochets off of him and slams into the other JASON’s stomach. The JASON staggers backwards a few feet. There is enough room between them to run by. SONIC charges by them and motions to the others.

SONIC
Come on!

The others take off running. TAILS is first, then ROUGE, then KNUCKLES, and finally ROWAN. TAILS and ROUGE charge past the JASONs before they regain their footing. As KNUCKLES runs by, one of them lunges out at him, but KNUCKLES punches him in the gut, sending him to the ground. KNUCKLES joins the others. ROWAN attempts to run by them, but the second JASON lunges out and grabs her. She screams and tries to fend him off, but he’s too strong. The group’s eyes widen simultaneously and SONIC steps forward, but before he can make a move TAILS charges forwards.

TAILS
Rowan!

He leaps into the air and sails towards the JASONs head. As he nears the masked face, he spins around in mid-air repeatedly like a spinning top. His twin tails smash into the mask repeatedly like whips. After several hits, the JASON releases her and stumbles backwards. The first JASON is back up and he makes a lunge at them. TAILS runs between his legs and stands under him, and flicks his tails outwards in either direction. They hit both of the big man’s legs and he trips, falling backwards to the ground. TAILS grabs ROWAN’s hand and the two run back to the others, who look distinctly impressed.

SONIC
(Impressed)
That was tight!

ROWAN
(Gratefully)
Miles, that’s the second time today you’ve saved my life!

KNUCKLES
(Urgently)
Guys! This isn’t the time for gratitude!

The two JASONs are heading back towards them, bad intentions in their eyes. The group take off, SONIC in the lead and the others close behind. TAILS and ROWAN still hold hands, and ROWAN runs her hardest to keep up with the little fox.

They run for a while, doors flying by them. They stop as they see six JASONs in the middle of the corridor, battling with one another. The JASONs are punching and grappling with each other, slamming each other into walls, trying to tear each other apart, but none of them seem to be having much luck. Their masks and outfits are battered and beaten, but they appear to be fine physically. SONIC and co. examine the scene.

TAILS
What should we do?

ROWAN
They don’t appear to have noticed us. They’re pretty focused on each other.

ROUGE
I know what I’m doing.

She leaps into the air and spreads her thin, dark wings. She sails right over the crowd of JASONs and disappears from sight.

KNUCKLES
Good idea if you can fly.

TAILS
I can fly!

ROWAN
But I can’t.

SONIC steps towards them, a smile on his face.

KNUCKLES
What are you doing now?

SONIC
Bowling.

Just as he did in U68, he curls into a SPIN DASH and revs up, getting faster and faster, and then shoots towards the crowd. He slams into them at great speed and crashes right through them. All six JASONs stumble backwards. Some fall against the walls, some to the ground, some of them are flipped into the air and crash head first onto the steel floor.

TAILS
Let’s go!

He and ROWAN are still holding hands from their narrow escape before. They run towards the crowd. TAILS leaps into the air and spins his tails into a propeller. ROWAN leaps too, as hard as she can, and the two of them are propelled through the air. They come to a landing on the other side of the group, next to SONIC and ROUGE. TAILS and ROWAN grin at each other and exchange a high five.

The group are now pretty much back on their feet, and they glare at SONIC and his friends angrily, the fight between themselves put on the back burner. They take a step forward, but suddenly the one at the back crashes to the ground. Then the one in front of him, and then the one in front of him. The entire pile collapse this way and that. The last one tumbles to the ground, and KNUCKLES is standing behind him, fists raised. He quickly joins the others as the JASONs regain their footing.

SONIC
So much for the subtle approach, eh Knuckles?

KNUCKLES
I couldn’t go above them or around them, so I went through them. That a problem?

SONIC
Not at all.

ROUGE
They’re coming!

The six JASONs are indeed stomping after them. SONIC dashes off down the corridor. The others give chase. Doors flies by on either side. Soon they reach the “L” section. Some of the doors here have been knocked down or destroyed. ROUGE stops and peeks into one of them. The others stop and look at her.

KNUCKLES
What are you doing?

ROUGE
I’m just taking a peek.

ROWAN
For what?

ROUGE
In this entire escapade I haven’t found a single jewel! I just want to see if there’s anything nice in here.

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
You’re even stupider than you look! Those freaks will be here any minute and you want to go jewellery shopping?!

ROUGE turns around to face him, her hands on her hips. Her back is turned to the dark, open doorway.

ROUGE
What’s your problem, echidna? I jus-

She shrieks as a pair of powerful arms loom out of the darkness and grab her. She is dragged in, kicking and screaming. KNUCKLES’ eyes widen and he charges into the room.

INT. LAB L43 – NIGHT

ROUGE struggles in JASON’s arms. He’s trying to keep her still, his arms grasping for her head, but he can’t get a good grip. KNUCKLES charges towards them and hops into the air. He swings his arm and smashes a powerful fist into the JASON’s hockey mask. It shatters on impact and JASON releases ROUGE. He stumbles backwards, hands clutched to his hideously deformed face. KNUCKLES runs towards him, his eyes narrowed, and fires another punch. His fist slams into JASON’s face, smashing the freak’s nose. Thick blood runs out of it.

KNUCKLES walks over to ROUGE and lowers his hand. ROUGE grabs it and gets to her feet. She gazes at him thankfully, smiling, and for a moment KNUCKLES returns it, his eyes wide. Then he scowls and pulls his hand away.

KNUCKLES
(Indignantly)
Don’t think I-

He stops as ROUGE leaps into the air. She sticks her foot out so she’s in a flying kick position. KNUCKLES ducks, surprised. ROUGE sails right over him and slams into JASON, who was standing right behind the echidna, his arms raised to attack. JASON is sent flying backwards. KNUCKLES stands up and looks at the white bat, who smiles at him.

ROUGE
Just returning the favour.

KNUCKLES
I knew he was behind me.

ROUGE winks at him knowingly and then charges out of the room. KNUCKLES looks over to see that JASON is heading back towards him, his face smashed and bloody. KNUCKLES follows her back out into the main corridor.

 INT. CORRIDOR “L” SECTION – NIGHT

KNUCKLES emerges from the doorway and rejoins the others.

ROWAN
You okay, Rouge?

ROUGE
I’m fine, thanks to Knuckles.

She winks at the echidna, who frowns and looks away.

KNUCKLES
No more treasure hunting. Deal?

ROUGE
Deal. I’ll just head up to your island and take that Master Emerald of yours instead.

KNUCKLES
Grrr…

SONIC
Time to fly, guys!

The six JASONs that pursued them earlier have almost caught up. The JASON with the smashed, bleeding nose walks out of the doorway nearby. The group turn around and continue running. More doors in this area have been smashed open, and as they near one of them a JASON steps out, his huge shape filling the corridor. Without slowing down, SONIC and KNUCKLES hop forward. SONIC curls into a spin attack and smashes into his head, and KNUCKLES punches him in the stomach. The JASON falls back into the room from where he came and the group passes unscathed. They continue running.

Hundreds of doors flit by them at speed. Two more JASONs appear in the darkness, fighting in the corridor. SONIC leaps right over them, as does ROUGE. TAILS and ROWAN jump into the air, and TAILS uses his twin tails for extra leverage to get them across. KNUCKLES runs between the legs of one and punches the other in the crotch. It has no effect, but it gives him time to get by. The fivesome charge off down the corridor. The two JASONs watch them go, and then continue fighting each other.

They’re now in the “F” section. Ahead of them, one of the door open and six JASONs pile into the corridor. One of them is dressed in the standard “Eggman Empire” regalia, the other five are naked. They are the JASONs from lab F13 that ROWAN accidentally released. They fill the corridor and glare at the approaching five.

The group skid to a halt to avoid running right into them. They all react with horror at the visage of five naked JASON’s.

ROUGE
(Disgusted)
Ugh! Human bodies are so disgusting!

ROWAN
Not all of them are! These aren’t an accurate representation of humankind in general!

SONIC
They’re not pretty, that’s for sure.

TAILS
Those are the ones we saw earlier!

ROWAN
They’ve only just emerged from their tanks.

KNUCKLES
Well, let’s take care of them!

He charges them, both his fists outstretched. He punches one, knocking it back, and then another. He battles away with the group, firing powerful punches at them.

KNUCKLES
Feel free to join in at any time!

SONIC and ROUGE head forward. SONIC leaps into the air and curls into a spin attack, and slams into a couple of them in turn, knocking them to the ground. ROUGE aims a powerful flying kick at one, sending it stumbling into another. Both of them stumble into the wall and fall to the ground, tangled up in a heap. KNUCKLES punches a couple more, knocking them down. With all six of them temporarily down, the group hop over their bodies and dash down the corridor.

ROUGE
Well, I’ll never eat again, that’s for sure!

KNUCKLES
At least things can’t get much worse!

They run in silence for a few moments. Then a loud siren goes off. A synthesised female voice speaks over it.

VOICE (OS)
Warning. All Jason containment units breached. “Pamela” AI not functioning. Commence base lockdown in two minutes and counting.

SONIC grins at KNUCKLES.

SONIC
I was waiting for that!

As the group continue running, large steel barricades begin to drop down from the ceiling, blocking the corridor. The group are just fast enough to stay ahead of them without being trapped. ROWAN and TAILS, at the back of the group, are dangerously close to either being separated from the others or being crushed by the heavy steel shutters. One of the shutters almost clips the back of ROWAN’s foot and she doubles her efforts, running as fast as her legs will allow.

They are now in the “D” section, and as they run, doors on either side of them either slide open or are smashed down. JASON clones emerge from them and lunge at the group as they pass. The five members dodge this way and that, narrowly avoiding their clutches. The JASONs begin to give chase slowly, but are cut off by steel shutters. One of them slams right into the top of a JASON’s head. He falls to the ground and the shutter begins to grind down into his back. The JASON tries to drag himself away but to no avail. Blood begins to pour from his back.

As they continue running, just managing to stay ahead of the closing shutters, the computer voice speaks again.

VOICE (OS)
Base lockdown in one minute and counting.

ROUGE
We aren’t going to make it!

SONIC
Yes we are!

They dash onward, faster than ever, the doors on either side fading into a blur. JASONs still litter the corridor, but by the time they even realise what’s happening the group have dashed by. The shutters continue to slam down, almost crushing them.

VOICE (OS)
30 seconds and counting.

They’re now in the “B” section. They still have almost around 150 doors to go before they reach the exit. ROWAN is beginning to lag behind. The shutters are almost crushing her. TAILS, who still holds her hand, pulls her onwards.

VOICE (OS)
20 seconds and counting.

They speed onwards, weaving from side to side to avoid JASON clones that block their way. The shutters slam down right behind them, some of them smashing into JASONs and pinning them to the ground.

VOICE (OS)
10 seconds and counting.

The voice begins to count down the numbers individually. SONIC reaches behind him and grabs the hands of KNUCKLES and TAILS. KNUCKLES and ROUGE also link hands. TAILS and ROWAN have had their hands linked for some time now. The five of them form a triangle. The exit is right ahead of them. SONIC accelerates, and the others are pulled right off their feet. They hurtle through the air like kites as SONIC moves faster and faster. The corridor around is nothing more than a blur of motion. SONIC’s legs are a spinning ball of red and blue. The voice counts down.

VOICE (OS)
5. 4. 3.

SONIC gives one last concentrated effort, one final push, and the fivesome rocket forward, so quickly they’re like a streak of multicoloured lightning. They scream right through the front door and out into the night sky as the final shutter door slams down behind them.

EXT. EGGMAN’S BASE – NIGHT

SONIC skids to a halt. His heels leave skidmarks for several meters before he finally comes to a halt. The other four collapse to the ground like burst balloons. They’re all completely exhausted – all of them, that is, except for SONIC. He grins at the others, not even out of breath.

SONIC
Now that’s what I call a good time!

His only reply is panting and groaning. KNUCKLES is down on one knee, his broad chest heaving up and down. ROUGE is doubled over, her hands on her knees. TAILS sits on the ground, his tongue hanging out, panting heavily. ROWAN is affected the worst – she lies on the ground in a foetal position, her face red, her chest heaving with exhaustion.

SONIC watches them for a moment, and then turns around, still smiling. He looks up into the night sky, at the full white moon. A small, dark shape suddenly rises up and is silhouetted against it. SONIC frowns as he sees what it is. It’s the EGG MOBILE. The small, egg-shaped craft suddenly sprouts a jet of flame from the back and rockets away into the night sky, quickly disappearing from sight. SONIC watches it until it’s gone.

SONIC
Eggman…

KNUCKLES steps up next to him. He’s still a little breathless.

KNUCKLES
He got away again.

SONIC
Doesn’t he always?

TAILS (OS)
Sonic?

SONIC and KNUCKLES turn around. TAILS is crouching by ROWAN, who is still breathing heavily. He looks concerned.

TAILS
(Concerned)
I think the escape took it out of her.

SONIC heads over to her.

SONIC
You okay?

ROWAN tries to speak but can’t. She nods instead, her chest still rising and falling rapidly.

SONIC
I think she’s just exhausted. Humans aren’t supposed to move that quickly.

TAILS
Can you stand?

ROWAN tries to get to her feet, but she stumbles and almost falls. SONIC and TAILS catch her. She regains her balance and begins to shuffle, very, very slowly and painfully, towards the trail that leads up to the G.U.N. truck. After several steps, SONIC has had enough. He leans ROWAN back so she’s laying in his arms, and then dashes off up the trail, carrying her. TAILS shoots after them.

KNUCKLES and ROUGE watch them leave. They turn to each other and make eye contact, and an uncomfortable silence ensues. A few moments pass, and then they both try to speak at once.

KNUCKLES / ROUGE
You know- / I was-

They both stop. Another few moments pass. KNUCKLES shuffles his feet.

KNUCKLES
So… I guess I’ll see you again next time Eggman tries to take over the world?

ROUGE
I guess.

KNUCKLES
Good. I mean, okay.

ROUGE
Yeah.

Another few moments of uncomfortable silence pass. KNUCKLES looks over at the path leading up the mountain.

KNUCKLES
I should head after them.

ROUGE
Yeah, you don’t want to get left behind.

KNUCKLES
So are you coming with us, or..?

ROUGE
I think I’ll head off on my own. Try and find some jewels. I’ve gone two whole days without acquiring anything shiny.

KNUCKLES
A-ha. Okay then.

More uncomfortable silence.

ROUGE
So… goodnight?

KNUCKLES
Yeah, goodnight.

The two stare into one another’s eyes. They lean forwards slightly, their heads moving forwards, their eyes locked, their mouths getting closer and closer. When their lips are only a few inches away from touching, they suddenly snap their heads away and fold their arms in unison.

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
Goodnight! And don’t come snooping around the Master Emerald!

ROUGE
(Angrily)
Ha! I wouldn’t come to that island of yours if you paid me! It stinks of echidna!

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
You ungrateful little bat! If it weren’t for me Jason would’ve torn you into pieces!

ROUGE
(Angrily)
I could say the same for you! You ever hear of the word “gratitude”?

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
You ever hear of the word “selfish”?

ROUGE
(Angrily)
That’s it! I’m outta here!

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
Good! Go steal something!

She unfolds her wings and takes off, turning left in the air and heading off. KNUCKLES watches, scowling.

KNUCKLES
Stupid bat…

He turns around and heads towards the trail, muttering irritably all the way.

In the night sky, ROUGE soars through the air. Her face wears an identical frown.

ROUGE
Echidnas!

She soars out of sight, leaving us with a shot of the beautiful, silver moon that hangs in the starry night sky.

INT. G.U.N. TRUCK – NIGHT

TSUNARON sits inside the truck, wearing his radio headset, examining a screen in front of him, a look of concern on his face. He looks up, startled, as the back of the truck opens. SONIC hops in, the exhausted ROWAN in his arms. TSUNARON’s eyes widen with fear.

TSUNARON
Rowan! What happened to you? Are you okay?

ROWAN
(Tiredly)
I’m fine… I’m just exhausted.

SONIC helps ROWAN sit down. She slumps backwards and closes her eyes. TAILS hops into the van.

TSUNARON
Tails, good to see you. Did everyone make it out?

TAILS
Knuckles and Rouge are still down at the entrance.

TSUNARON
Good. Where’s Kay-Em?

The faces of ROWAN, SONIC and TAILS fall simultaneously. A thick silence fills the air. TSUNARON looks at each of them in turn, confused. Slowly, realisation dawns in and his eyes fill with tears.

TSUNARON
(Tearfully)
Oh… God… no…

ROWAN
I’m so sorry, Tsunaron.

TSUNARON
(Tearfully)
Those bastards… they did this to her… she…

TAILS
(Sadly)
She did you proud. She sacrificed herself to save me.

TSUNARON begins to lose control. Tears begin to flow down his face. He hurriedly stands up and gets out of the back of the van, brushing past KNUCKLES, who has just arrived. KNUCKLES gets into the van.

KNUCKLES
Is he okay?

ROWAN
He just lost his best friend. He’ll need time.

KNUCKLES
I understand.

He sits down next to TAILS.

KNUCKLES
(Muttering to himself)
Intimidated by women…

TAILS
Knuckles, have you ever cried?

The question catches KNUCKLES off-guard. He looks up at TAILS’ innocent face.

KNUCKLES
Why do you ask?

TAILS
I just wanted to know.

KNUCKLES
Crying is for babies.

He turns away. TAILS looks over at SONIC, who smiles at him warmly. He looks at ROWAN, who also gives him a warm smile. TAILS smiles back at them.

TAILS
What do you think will happen to all those Jason’s?

SONIC
I don’t think they’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.
 
FADE TO:

INT. EGGMAN’S BASE – NIGHT

Inside the darkened base, isolated between two massive steel shutters, the five naked JASONs and the one uniformed one are trapped. They smash against the steel shutters angrily. Their fists leave dents but the shutters show no sign of giving. In frustration, the JASONs begin to hammer away at each other, slamming each other into the steel walls.

INT. LAB F26 – NIGHT

The interior of this lab is identical to F13. Several rows of glass tubes line the walls. The JASONs inside them, naked and unmasked, are alive and they’re hammering on the tubes angrily. One by one they smash. Green water floods the lab, shorting out electrical equipment, and then the hideous figures take their first steps of life. They immediately begin attacking angrily – fighting with each other, smashing computer terminals, tearing panels and monitors from the walls and hurling them to their destruction.

INT. LAB G29 – NIGHT

The frenzied combat continues in another room. All the JASONs in here are uniformed, and they all hold machetes. They’re busy stabbing and slicing at each other. All of them are bleeding from several deep wounds but none of them seem to be affected.

INT. VARIOUS LABS – NIGHT

We see a quick successful of different rooms, different labs, all of them containing clones of JASON VOORHEES that either battle with each other or hungrily destroy the room around them. It’s an orgy of aggression – fighting, struggling, stabbing, beating, breaking, exploding.

INT. LAB H12 – NIGHT

This particular room contains two JASONs. One of them has a machete, the other does not. As we watch, the unarmed JASON is struck in the head with the blade. His hockey mask is knocked clean off and it clatters to the ground. The hideously deformed face of the JASON is exposed, but we barely get a glimpse before the machete blade whistles back and slams right into the side of the malformed head. The blade is driven halfway into his skull, piercing the freak’s brain. The wounded JASON falls forward, and the hilt of the machete hits the ground before he does. His head slides down the blade, slowly, agonisingly, his head opening up and blood pouring out as it does.

He would appear to be very much dead, but we see that the fingers of his right hand still twitch. The attacking JASON picks up the machete and begins to slam it into the fallen JASONs back over and over. We see the eyes of the attacking JASON through the hockey mask. One is dead and useless, but the other burns with a furious rage and satisfaction.

FADE TO WHITE

EXT. TAILS’ HOUSE – DAY

We see TAILS’ little cottage-come-workshop atop a hill in the Mystic Ruins. It’s a beautiful summer’s day. The sun sparkles off the ocean all around the lush, self-contained paradise. A couple of soft white clouds drift lazily across the horizon. SONIC is asleep on the slanted roof of the cottage, his hands behind his head.

We hear TAILS speaking in voiceover.

TAILS (VO)
The next few days passed peacefully. We didn’t hear anything from Eggman, and there was no sign of any of the Jasons. G.U.N. were keeping tabs on the mountain base to make sure none escaped. Even so, I was worried. Sonic wasn’t.

Close on SONIC’s sleeping face. He smiles.

TAILS (VO)
Sonic’s never worried. He was sure all the Jason’s would wipe each other out, wear each other down until there was nothing left. And even if they couldn’t finish each other off, they were trapped inside a mountain with no way of getting out. I wasn’t so sure. I’d seen what one Jason could do, and I was sure a whole bunch of them wouldn’t just disappear so easily.

INT. TAILS’ WORKSHOP – DAY

Inside the workshop, we see that the room is littered with machine parts. It’s a mess. The sound of welding can be heard. We move across the room, to see that TAILS is working with a blowtorch. Sparks fly from it. He’s wearing a pair of protective goggles over his eyes. We can’t see what he’s working on, the sparks obscure it. His voiceover continues.

TAILS (VO)
But I told myself I was being silly. If Sonic wasn’t worried, then why should I be? And Rowan was heading up the surveillance of the mountain, and I knew she wouldn’t let anything bad happen. So I put my fears out of mind and concentrated on my projects.

TAILS stops using the blowtorch. He puts it down and removes his goggles, and smiles.

TAILS (VO)
The first of these was E-123 “Omega”.

We see what TAILS sees. It’s a large robot, around five feet in height. It’s humanoid in structure, with a domed head out of which glare two red eyes. It’s bulky steel arms are tipped with hands comprised of four metallic claws. This is E-123  , usually referred to as simply “OMEGA”. Most of the robot is coloured either red or black.. The paint is littered with scratches and several parts are rubbed off, showing a dull grey underneath. His head and a few other parts are yellow. Several weld-lines and other signs of repair can be seen on his metallic frame.

TAILS (VO)
“Omega” was a robot created by Eggman. He was originally loyal to the Eggman Empire, but after he was betrayed and abandoned by his creator he turned on him and vowed revenge. He’d helped us battle Eggman a few times, but while battling with the original Jason Voorhees he had been destroyed. I had spent a few months rebuilding him and I was almost done. He just needed a new coat of paint and he would be as good as new.

TAILS reaches around to the back of OMEGA’s head and flips a small panel closed. As it clicks back into place OMEGA’s eyes light up and he looks around, his head whirring as it moves from side to side. He speaks with a deep, synthetic voice that is both menacing and yet oddly comforting.

OMEGA
(Slowly)
Where am I?

TAILS
(Brightly)
You’re in my workshop!

His head turns to face TAILS.

OMEGA
Life form identified as Miles “Tails” Prower.

TAILS
(Pleased)
You remember me! That’s great! Your memory chips must have survived intact.

OMEGA
My systems have been repaired.

TAILS
Yes! I repaired you all by myself! All you need now is a coat of paint!

OMEGA
Incorrect. Paint is not necessary. Colour does not improve my combat efficiency.

TAILS
Maybe not, but it makes you look nicer!
 
TAILS and OMEGA continue conversing, but their dialogue is lowered in volume so as to be inaudible. Instead, we again hear TAILS providing a voiceover at a later date.

TAILS (VO)
Somehow, in the back of my mind, some foresight told me that we hadn’t seen the last of Jason in one form of another. But I told myself not to worry and I busied myself with whatever I could.

EXT. TAILS’ HOUSE – DAY

SONIC still sleeps soundly on the roof, smiling, the sun beaming down at him.

TAILS (VO)
After all, Sonic wasn’t afraid.

FADE TO:

INT. TAILS’ WORKSHOP – DAY

It’s another day, and TAILS is holding a paintbrush. He’s busily painting OMEGA, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, his eyes narrowed in concentration. He’s humming a familiar sounding tune, and after a few notes we recognise it as “The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be”. After a moment he’s satisfied, and he leans back. He smiles.

TAILS
Perfect!

We see that OMEGA has been given a shiny coat of paint. He’s coloured the same as before, a mixture of red and black with some yellow here and there, but all the scratches and scars from his repairs have been sealed over. A small   symbol is painted on his shoulder in black. He looks good as new. The only addition is a logo on his chest, which shows a pair of bushy orange tails.

TAILS
You’re good as new! How do you feel?

OMEGA
I am operating within acceptable parameters.

TAILS
Good to hear! What do you say we go for a run or something? You must be full of energy after being cooped up in here for so long!

OMEGA
I have no energy requirements.

TAILS
Well, you can tag along anyway.

EXT. TAILS’ HOUSE – DAY

TAILS and OMEGA step out of the workshop. OMEGA looks around, scanning the environment. TAILS calls up to the roof, where SONIC sleeps in the early afternoon sun.

TAILS
Hey, Sonic!

SONIC’s eyes flicker open. He looks down at his orange friend.

TAILS
Omega’s up and running!

SONIC
That’s great, Tails!

TAILS
We’re going for a run, you wanna come!

Before TAILS has closed his mouth from speaking the sentence, SONIC has zoomed off of the roof and stands next to him.

SONIC
You bet!

He heads over to OMEGA and looks him up and down. OMEGA scans him in return.

OMEGA
Life form identified as Sonic the Hedgehog.

SONIC
Nice to see you too, Omega! Tails did a great job with you.

OMEGA
I am functioning correctly.

SONIC
Let’s see if he made any improvements to your speed! I challenge you to a race!

OMEGA
Challenge accepted. I am Omega, the ultimate E-series robot! I have no weakness!

TAILS
(Hopefully)
Can I race too?

SONIC
It wouldn’t be a race without ya, buddy.

TAILS
(Giggles)

SONIC crouches down, one hand on the ground, his head facing forward. TAILS gets into position next to him. OMEGA stands beside them.

SONIC
First one to the waterfall and back wins.

We see that he’s looking at a large waterfall that runs down a rock face and into a large pond. It’s some distance away. The three prepare themselves.

SONIC
After three. Ready?

TAILS nods once, his eyes locked on the waterfall.

OMEGA
Affirmative.

SONIC
Three. Two. One. Go!

The second he finishes saying “Go”, he blasts away at incredible speed, rapidly accelerating. TAILS takes off a second later, his tails spinning into a rotor and his little legs pumping as hard as they can. OMEGA jets off a split second after him, hovering above the ground slightly for better leverage.

The three charge down the small staircase next to the house that leads to a large, circular, flat area. They speed through this, SONIC in the lead, his feet sending up sprays of dirt behind him. He rockets down another stone staircase that leads down to ground level. The grass here is long and a deep, dark green in colour. SONIC shoots across it, winding this way and that through scattered, tropical trees, heading for the waterfall. TAILS is a short distance behind him, trying his hardest to keep up. OMEGA hovers alongside the small fox.

SONIC reaches the waterfall first. He heads in a wide half-circle, turning around, his feet parting the shallow water that flows from the rock wall above. He begins to head back towards the house, passing TAILS and OMEGA on the way, who are still heading forward.

A jet of flame suddenly bursts from OMEGA’s back and he accelerates ahead of the young fox. TAILS’ eyes widen, and then narrow. His lips tighten. He gives a concentrated effort and manages to keep up with the robot.

They reach the waterfall at the same time. OMEGA comes to an instant halt, pivots around 180 degrees, and then begins the journey back. TAILS, on the other hand, leaps at the rock wall, lands on it horizontally with both feet, and then springs off. He begins to rocket back towards the house, his twin tails spinning with a helicopter, his arms and legs pumping as hard as they can.

SONIC races up the second set of stone steps and screeches to a halt outside TAILS’ house. He watches the other two with a smile on his face.

TAILS heads up the first set of stone steps, OMEGA a half-second behind him. They reach the circular hill at the same time and rush across it, heading for the second set of steps that lead back to the house. OMEGA begins to pull ahead slightly. TAILS frowns and gives one final effort. He streaks up the steps and charges past SONIC less than a second before OMEGA does. OMEGA halts instantly, his air brakes applied.

TAILS skids across the grass and stops right next to his front door. He leans against it with one arm, panting. After a moment, he collects his breath and heads over to SONIC and OMEGA. SONIC is grinning.

SONIC
(Pleased)
You’re getting faster, Tails!

TAILS
(Proud)
Thanks!

SONIC
That was a great effort too, Omega.

OMEGA
I failed.

SONIC
Well, you didn’t win, but you gave it your best shot. That’s what matters.

OMEGA
Trying is irrelevant.

SONIC
So what do you say we go again? That was just a warm-up!

OMEGA
Affirmative. This time I shall not hold back.

SONIC
Please don’t. You up for it, Tails?

TAILS
I sure am!

He’s obviously tired from the first run, but he smiles at SONIC and stands on his mark. SONIC smiles proudly, and then he too gets into position. OMEGA hovers beside them, his eyes locked on the waterfall.

SONIC
Ready? Three. Two. One. GO!

The three of them blast off once more. This time we don’t follow them. The camera remains stationary as they quickly rush away from us. Over the distant view of their race, TAILS speaks again in voiceover.

TAILS (VO)
So that’s how we spent the next few days. Racing, playing, exploring, building. Things were back to normal. But that little spark of worry just wouldn’t fade away.

EXT. MOUNTAIN BASE – NIGHT

DR. EGGMAN’s mountain base at night. Dark trucks bearing the logo “G.U.N.” can be seen all around. Armed guards patrol the perimeter. There’s no sign of trouble.

INT. G.U.N. TRUCK – NIGHT

Inside one of trucks sit ROWAN and TSUNARON, dressed in their G.U.N. uniforms. They’re studying various forms of electronic surveillance intently.

ROWAN
Still no sign of them.

TSUNARON
I wish we could see inside!  See what was happening in there!

ROWAN
Robotnik’s got some kind of shield up over the base, we can’t get any readings from inside. You know that.

TSUNARON
I know, but…

ROWAN
It doesn’t matter. As long as they’re in there and they aren’t out here.

TSUNARON
I don’t know why we don’t just blow the place up from the outside.

ROWAN
It’s inside a mountain! We can’t just nuke a mountain!

TSUNARON
(Bitterly)
I don’t see why not.

A few moments of uncomfortable silence pass. TSUNARON stares at the screen ahead of him, his eyes blank. He has other things on his mind. ROWAN looks at him with concern.

ROWAN
Tsunaron… I’m sorry about her. About Kay-Em.

TSUNARON’s eyes narrow at the mention of her name.

ROWAN
She was a great droid, and-

TSUNARON suddenly interrupts her angrily. ROWAN’s eyes widen.

TSUNARON
(Angrily)
She wasn’t just a droid! She was…

He calms himself.

TSUNARON
(Calmly)
She was a person.

ROWAN
Tsunaron-

TSUNARON
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to get angry. I just…

He trails off, sadly.

ROWAN
It’s okay. I understand.

She puts her hand on top of his and smiles comfortingly. He looks up with eyes filled with tears.

TSUNARON
(Sadly)
I know.

EXT. MOUNTAIN BASE – NIGHT

We see various shots of surveillance being carried out, of armed guards patrolling, of the heavy steel door that provides the only means of entry – and exit – from the base. Over these images, TAILS speaks again.

TAILS (VO)
It was on the fourth night after our narrow escape from Eggman’s base that it happened.

INT. EGGMAN’S BASE LAB E99 – NIGHT

We’re inside one of the thousands of rooms that line the base. It’s your standard lab, full of complex-looking machinery. The lab is silent and empty. Suddenly, the door begins to bang violently. After several blows, it collapses to the ground and a masked figure hurtles through. He lands on the floor hard. It’s JASON VOORHEES. Two more JASONs stand in the now-open doorway. All three of them are beaten and bloody. Their masks are battered and broken, their clothes torn and stained with blood, their bodies covered in half-healed wounds.

The other two step into the room, and three of them begin to fight viciously, hurling each other into computers that explode with a shower of sparks and using the pieces of smoking metal as crude weapons. A short time into the battle, several more JASONs enter the room and join the fracas. More follow. There’s soon a mighty battle royale going on in the decimated lab.

Two JASONs grab another and hurl him into the far wall. The flying JASON sails right through it as if nothing is there. The other two JASONs look at the wall, confused, and then walk towards it. They walk right through it. It’s a hologram. The other JASONs watch.

INT. ESCAPE ROUTE – NIGHT

The three JASONs stand in a small tunnel, carved right through the rock of the mountain. Several hanging bulbs light it dimly. They begin to walk down it, soon disappearing around a corner. The sound of stomping feet is heard, and then more JASONs follow them down the shaft. Followed by more. At least a dozen JASONs all making their way down the hidden tunnel, and more are following.

EXT. MOUNTAIN – SUNRISE

We’re on the other side of the mountain, several miles away from the entrance of EGGMAN’s base. There is no G.U.N. surveillance here. The sun is just beginning to rise above the horizon, and the mountain is bathed in orange light. We move in closer, until we focus on one particular part of it, on the ground. There’s nothing special about it. It’s just a wall.

TAILS (VO)
We don’t know how they did it, but on the fourth night, they escaped.

A white masked head suddenly appears through the wall, followed by a huge body. JASON VOORHEES stomps out of the mountain wall and looks up at the rising sun. He begins to walk away, heading in no particular direction. More JASONs emerge from the camouflaged wall. Dozens of them, in single-file, flocking out of the mountainside like ants.

We pan up to the rising sun. Light spreads across the land.

TAILS (VO)
The fifth day began with a sunrise like any other.

We see the group of JASONs, walking in a large mob, quickly and silently. The light of the dawn spreads across them, illuminating their battered hockey masks and bloodstained clothes. They aren't focused on each other, they're focused on something else, beyond our sight.

Back on the rising sun as it soars higher and higher above the horizon.

TAILS (VO)
That was just a few hours. Seems like a lifetime.

FADE TO:

EXT. TAILS’ HOUSE – DAY

TAILS’ house in the Mystic Ruins. The sun has fully risen and it’s another beautiful sunny day.

INT. TAILS’ LIVING ROOM – DAY

TAILS is sat in a comfy chair, watching television. He’s watching a bizarre cartoon about small, white, childishly-drawn mice. They’re being chased around by monstrous orange cats. The mice charge into a large rocket, which blasts off into the sky.

The doorbell rings, and TAILS looks over in the direction of the sound.

TAILS
Aw, I was watching that. Who could that be?

He gets up and heads open to the door. He opens it and looks up at his guest. His eyes light up and he grins.

TAILS
(Pleased)
Rowan! Hi!

We see ROWAN standing in the doorway. She’s looking down at TAILS. She isn’t smiling. Her eyes are wide and bloodshot, her pretty face pale. TAILS sees her expression and frowns, confused. A moment passes, and his eyes suddenly widen.

TAILS
They…

ROWAN
(Quietly)
Yes.

TAILS’ face falls. ROWAN begins to speak, but we don’t hear what she’s saying. All sound is drowned out, save for TAILS, who again speaks to us in voiceover.

TAILS (VO)
This afternoon, Rowan came to me and told me that what I had feared for the past few days had happened. Somehow, the army of Jasons had escaped Eggman’s base undetected. I listened in horror as she explained that the army had made their way into a heavily populated area. Central City.

EXT. CENTRAL CITY – DAY

Central City is a large, bustling metropolis. Huge buildings line the paved streets. People hurriedly make their way to their appointments. Cars fill the wide highway. It’s a hive of activity. We move in closer to focus on one man among the throng of people, a middle-aged man wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. He’s speedily walking down the street, checking his watch every five seconds.

UNPUNCTUAL MAN
(Impatiently)
I’m gonna be late, I’m gonna be late!

He looks to his left, where there is a gap between two massive buildings forming a small alleyway. He stops. The people behind him roll their eyes impatiently and make their way past him.

UNPUNCTUAL MAN
It’ll be quicker this way.
 
He quickly heads down the alley, half-running and half-walking, breaking away from the flow of people that rush down the street like leaves in a stream. He turns the corner and suddenly stops. His facial expression changes to one of fear.

UNPUNCTUAL MAN
What the…

We see that the massive gang of JASONs fill the alleyway, staring at him, only a short distance away. The beaten, dead body of a young woman is in front of them. The UNPUNCTUAL MAN sees this and recoils with horror.

UNPUNCTUAL MAN
(Terrified)
Oh my God! Who are you people?!

The group walk towards him. The UNPUNCTUAL MAN watches, motionless, his eyes wide, his mouth hanging open, his entire body trembling. The JASONs quickly surround him. His hand shaking, he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet.

UNPUNCTUAL MAN
(Terrified)
You… you want my wallet? Take it! You can have it all!

Dozens of pairs of identical, hate-filled eyes glare out from behind a row of hockey masks.

UNPUNCTUAL MAN
(Terrified)
Please, don’t hurt me!

In response, the JASONs lunge at him. The UNPUNCTUAL MAN is swamped by massive, hulking monsters. They murder him savagely, beating him with their fists, kicking him, tearing at his clothes and his skin. His agonised screams are muffled by the wave of attackers, and after a few moments they stop. He’s dead. The gang beat his corpse for a while, and then finally stop. They look at one another. Some sort of silent understanding has been reached. Then they turn and head around the corner, towards where we first saw the UNPUNCTUAL MAN.

They reach the end of the alleyway and step onto the crowded street. People recoil from them, at their number, their size, their monstrous appearance, their battle-damaged clothes and masks. A deathly silence falls as the crowd wait to see what happens next. They don’t have to wait long.

Within five seconds, the street is a scene of carnage and violence. The group of JASONs fan out, attacking anybody that comes into their sight. People run, screaming, banging into each other and knocking each other down, tripping over each other, charging right into one of the many attacking monsters. Some of the JASONs carry machetes, which are used to stab, slice, impale or decapitate anyone in range.

Blood is shed, limbs are snapped, gurgling screams from blood-filled throats fill the air and are silenced with a single, savage blow. On the nearby highway, cars swerve and crash as people blindly run in front of them. Some of the JASONs head towards them and tear the doors off, hauling the injured people inside to their deaths.

As the carnage plays out, TAILS narrates, his voice calm and unemotional.

TAILS (VO)
Within minutes, the place was a war zone. Dozens of people were murdered in the blink of an eye.

The pavements have been stained red. Blood runs down into the gutters. Dead bodies, mutilated, missing limbs, twisted together in a hellish jigsaw puzzle, line the streets. Several police cars rocket onto the scene and skid to a halt. Armed officers spill out and begin firing on the masked squad. Bullets slam into their bodies, but this serves only to anger them. We watch as the JASONs tear the police force to pieces.

TAILS (VO)
The police were powerless to stop them. They sent all the reinforcements they had but every single one was slaughtered without hesitation. When the Jasons had finished, when there was nobody left to kill, they continued to make their way east, killing anybody in their way.

INT. G.U.N. HEADQUARTERS – DAY

A large room full of surveillance and tactical equipment. A massive monitor takes up the bulk of one wall, displaying a large, grid-lined map of the country. Dozens of people rush around, doing their jobs. We move across the room, taking in the activity, and come to rest to rest on a man who stands with a phone to his ear, listening, his eyes wide. He’s a tall, powerful-looking man in his 40’s. He wears a commander’s uniform. The nametag on it identifies him as COMMANDER SKINNER.

As SKINNER listens to the phone, aghast, TAILS continues.

TAILS (VO)
G.U.N. found out and immediately sent launched an offence.

SKINNER barks an order into the phone and then slams it down.

EXT. G.U.N. HEADQUARTERS – DAY

A swarm of GUN BEETLES – small, round robots with a single laser cannon on the front – soar into the sky, rapidly heading for their target.

EXT. CENTRAL CITY – DAY

The GUN BEETLES fly over a tall building and begin to descend on the mob of JASONs. They stop five feet from the ground and charge at the masked maniacs, firing their laser cannons. The JASONs barely seem to register the blasts, although the point of impact leaves a large, round burn mark. As the BEETLES charge, the JASONs begin to attack, punching at the swarm ahead of them. Small explosions go off like firecrackers as the machines are destroyed and fall to the floor, smashed and broken. Some of the JASONs catch the incoming BEETLES and smash them to the ground, cracking them open like eggs. In only a few moments, the entire squadron of GUN BEETLES is a pile of smoking scrap metal on the ground. The group of JASONs continue on their way.

TAILS (VO)
The offence was unsuccessful. As G.U.N. prepared a second wave, Rowan went to the commander and proposed a plan.

INT. COMMANDER SKINNER’S OFFICE – DAY

COMMANDER SKINNER sits at his desk, glaring at the person seated opposite him. We see that it’s ROWAN, her face polluted by fear and concern. She pleads with the stern man behind the desk.

ROWAN
Sir, please, you have to listen to me. We only have one chance and they-

SKINNER
Enough, Rowan! I am not entrusting the safety of this nation to a hedgehog! A hedgehog that has, in the past, destroyed thousands of rings worth of our property and blatantly broken the law!

ROWAN
Sir, with all due respect, you aren’t thinking clearly. Sonic has defeated Jason twice before. He and his friends are the only ones that can save us.

SKINNER
I seem to recall we listened to your advice and sent that hedgehog and his friends in to Robotnik’s base to find Rouge!

ROWAN
He did find Rouge!

SKINNER
Yes, and right after that an army of murderous clones appeared!

ROWAN
You’re not suggesting Sonic was responsible for that? Sir, I-

SKINNER
All I know is, Sonic the Hedgehog is a troublemaker! All of those damn animals are!

ROWAN
Sir, those “damn” animals are our best bet!

SKINNER
We’re planning another assault! The clones won’t survive this one!

ROWAN loses her temper.

ROWAN
(Angrily)
Sir, a bunch of robots are going to do nothing! NOTHING! If you want to waste time with a-

SKINNER
(Interrupting)
Waste time?! People’s lives are on the line here!

ROWAN
You think I don’t know that?! If you don’t listen to me, people are going to die! And that’s-

SKINNER
Rowan, you listen to me! Sonic the Hedgehog and his troublemaking friends will not be involved.

ROWAN
(Protesting)
Sir!

SKINNER
(Ignoring her)
The Guardian Unit of Nations is perfectly capable of dealing with this threat.

ROWAN
(Angrily)
Oh, like you dealt with the Death Egg? Like you dealt with the ARK? Like you dealt with the Egg Fleet? Face it, we’re just a figurehead, a corrupt military-

SKINNER
I’m warning you not to continue!

ROWAN
(Not pausing)
-unit that exists only to ease peoples minds and launch the odd missile! Without Sonic this country would be a hole in the ground. Hell, this entire planet wouldn’t even exist any more!

SKINNER
I’m giving you one last chance, Rowan. You will shut your mouth, walk out of my office and you will co-ordinate the attack. Supposing you succeed, I’ll consider letting you keep your job.

ROWAN
Sir, I can’t do that.

She stands up and goes to walk out.

SKINNER
(Sincerely)
You walk out of that door, you aren’t coming back.

ROWAN turns around to face him.

ROWAN
(Matter-of-factly)
If I don’t find Sonic, none of us are coming back from this one.

SKINNER opens his mouth to say something else, but before he can she’s gone, the door slamming behind her. He frowns.

FADE TO:

INT. TAILS’ HOUSE – DAY

TAILS and ROWAN sit in chairs, ROWAN speaking, TAILS listening, his eyes wide.

ROWAN
So that’s it. If we don’t stop them, hundreds, if not thousands of people, are going to die. The death toll from their rampage is already approaching a hundred, as far as we can tell.

TAILS
Why are they working as a group?

ROWAN
We don’t know why. They should be tearing each other to pieces, but they aren’t. Perhaps they realised they couldn’t kill each other, or perhaps they feel some kind of bond with one another. Or perhaps they just want to murder as many people as they can.

TAILS
And where are they going?

ROWAN
They’re heading directly east.

TAILS
East? What’s east of Central City?

ROWAN hesitates for a moment. She answers slowly.

ROWAN
We are.

TAILS
You mean…

ROWAN
Directly east of Central City is Station Square.

TAILS
(Dismayed)
Oh, no… they’re coming back to finish what the first Jason started!

ROWAN
Maybe they remember that this is the place that the real Jason died. Or maybe they think they can find Sonic there. Whatever the case, they’ll reach the city borders in an hour at the most. They’re moving at quite a pace.

TAILS
Why don’t they evacuate the city?

ROWAN
The public doesn’t even know about it yet.

TAILS
(Shocked)
What? How can they not know?

ROWAN
G.U.N. have refused to let it out. They think that media coverage will start a panic.

TAILS
People need to be scared! They need to get away!

ROWAN
I know that, you know that. G.U.N. don’t. They think they can stop 50 invincible men with a squadron of robots. They don’t know what the hell they’re doing, and that’s why we need to do something.

TAILS
One hour doesn’t give us much time. I’ll get the Tornado and go find Sonic. Do you have a helicopter?

ROWAN
Yes. I’ll probably get in trouble for that too but right now, I can’t say I care.

TAILS
Get to Angel Island and find Knuckles. We’ll need him too.

ROWAN
Got it. We’ll meet you on the outskirts of the city.

The two of them stand up. ROWAN heads for the front door, TAILS for a side door that leads to his workshop. He goes to open the door, when ROWAN speaks from behind him.

ROWAN (OS)
Miles.

TAILS turns around. She smiles at him.

ROWAN
You’re a hero. Don’t forget that.

TAILS smiles back.

TAILS
I’ll see you soon.

He heads into his workshop. ROWAN heads out of the front door.

EXT. TAILS’ HOUSE – DAY

The TORNADO roars out of the workshop and heads down the “runway” – a long dirt path that ends abruptly with a drop to the sea below. The path is lined by palm trees, which lean to one side simultaneously as the small, blue biplane approaches. The TORNADO reaches the end of the runway and takes off, soaring over the sea and gaining altitude.

We see that on the side of the plane, the words “TORNADO III” are painted in white lettering. We move up, looking at the inside, to see that TAILS sits at the front, piloting the craft, while “OMEGA” sits in the back, his red eyes glowing brightly.

TAILS
Ready, Omega? We have to find Sonic, and fast!

OMEGA
Affirmative. Commencing scan for hedgehogs in immediate vicinity.

As OMEGA begins his scan, TAILS steers the TORNADO III in a wide circle, turning it back towards the Mystic Ruins. It soars over them and begins to head for the mainland, towards the nearby city of STATION SQUARE. In the cockpit, TAILS’ blue eyes are narrowed.

TAILS
(To himself)
Sonic… we need you…

EXT. STATION SQUARE – DAY

Station Square is an enormous city, but is the opposite of Central City in its attitude. The people of Station Square are relaxed and laid-back. Traffic steadily makes its way down the street, in no particular hurry. Neither are the citizens, who chat amiably to one another as they pass by.

We see that on one street, an ice cream stall is open. Children happily stand nearby, working away on the tall, white cones. A blue streak that we immediately recognise as SONIC THE HEDGEHOG streaks down the sidewalk and screeches to a halt. The children all recognise him, and smile and wave excitedly.

VARIOUS CHILDREN
Hey, it’s Sonic! / Hi, Sonic! / Sonic, you’re my hero! / etc.

SONIC raises a hand to them and grins.

SONIC
Hey, guys!

He heads up to the stall. The ICE CREAM VENDOR, a kindly elderly man, beams at him.

ICE CREAM VENDOR
Why, if it isn’t Sonic the Hedgehog! What an honour to have you at my little stall! What could I do for you?

SONIC
What else? One ice cream cone, please!

ICE CREAM VENDOR
Of course! Coming right up!

The vendor turns around and prepares it. SONIC waits, looking around at the pleasant city and its populace. He is suddenly startled by a shrill cry, a short distance away.

GIRL (OS)
SONIIIC!

SONIC puts a hand to his eyes and shakes his head.

SONIC
(Quietly)
Oh, boy…

The sound of rapidly running feet is heard, and then a pink figure bursts onto the scene. It’s AMY ROSE. Her emerald green eyes sparkle as she smiles lovingly at SONIC.

AMY
(Pleased)
Hi, Sonic!

SONIC
(Nervously)
Uh, hi, Amy. What a pleasant surprise!

AMY
I know! What are you doing here? Did you come to see me?

SONIC
Actually, I came to get some ice cream.

AMY
Oh, what a great idea! I bet Cream and Cheese would like some!

SONIC
Cream and Cheese? Are they here?

AMY
They were a minute ago.

CREAM THE RABBIT comes running up, followed closely by her floating Chao companion, CHEESE.

CREAM
We thought we’d lost you!

CHEESE
Chao chao!

AMY
Sorry!

CREAM
Good evening, Mr. Sonic!

CHEESE
Cha cha!

SONIC
Hi, Cream. Hi, Cheese. Would you like some ice cream!

CREAM
Sure!

CHEESE
Chao!

The ICE CREAM VENDOR hands out four ice creams, one for each of them. They accept them with thanks and begin eating them.

SONIC
So, what are you guys up to?

AMY
Oh, we were just coming back from the gym. Had quite a workout, didn’t we, Cream?

CREAM
Um, yeah. It was exhausting!

CHEESE
Cham…

AMY
Boxercise really takes it out of you! But it keeps you nice and fit!

SONIC
I’ll take running any day!

AMY
Yeah. It’s good to stay fit.

SONIC
Yup. Good for your health.

AMY
Yeah. And it makes you more attractive, don’t you think?

She smiles at SONIC sweetly. SONIC takes a step backwards.

SONIC
(Nervously)
Uh… huh. Hey, look, isn’t that Tails?

AMY
I’ve heard that one before! You’re going to wait for me to turn around and run away!

CREAM
Hey, it is Tails!

AMY
Huh?

She turns around. The TORNADO is flying towards them, descending towards the street. It stops a few feet above the ground, hovering in place. The children dotted around the ice cream stand chatter amongst themselves excitedly.

VARIOUS CHILDREN
It’s Tails! / Wow, look at that plane! / I heard it could transform into a race car! / etc.

SONIC smiles and waves up at TAILS, who sits in the cockpit.

SONIC
Hey there, Tails! You want some ice cream!

AMY / CREAM
Hi, Tails!

CHEESE
Cha chai!

TAILS leans out of the cockpit, his face serious beyond his years.

TAILS
Sonic, we need to go.

SONIC
What do you mean?

TAILS
It’s Jason.

SONIC, AMY, CREAM and CHEESE drop their ice cream cones simultaneously. They splatter on the ground.

TAILS
He’s escaped. They’ve all escaped, and in less than an hour they’ll be arriving at this city.

Without hesitation, SONIC hops into the air, landing on the twin wings that sit on the front of the biplane.

SONIC
Let’s go!

TAILS
Alright!

AMY (OS)
Wait!

SONIC and TAILS look down to where AMY and CREAM stand, and CHEESE floats.

AMY
I’m coming with you!

SONIC
Amy?

AMY hops up into the back of the plane, landing in the seat behind OMEGA.

SONIC
Amy, this is going to be dangerous! You could get hurt again!

AMY
I can handle myself, Sonic. You’re going to need all the help you can get. And I’ve got a score to settle with Jason.

SONIC
Are you sure about this?

AMY
I’m sure.

SONIC
Alright. Tails, let’s go.

TAILS
Alright!

TAILS begins to take the plane up. As it ascends, the ice-cream eating children watch.

VARIOUS CHILDREN
Go, Sonic! / Come back soon! / Have fun! / etc.

The ICE CREAM VENDOR shakes his head.

ICE CREAM VENDOR
That hedgehog and his friends, always on some crazy adventure.

CREAM and CHEESE watch the plane rise, looks of concern on their innocent faces.

CREAM
(Worried)
Be careful, everyone! Don’t get hurt!

CHEESE
(Worried)
Cha cha! Chaa!

The TORNADO III rises up above the city and blasts off towards the outskirts. In the cockpit, TAILS is piloting the plane. His hands shake as they manoeuvre the joystick. He frowns, his soft face steeling with determination.

TAILS
(To himself)
I’m a hero… I’m a hero… I’m a hero…

In front of him, SONIC stands on the wings, the wind shaking his spines. His eyes are focused, his fists clenched. He looks down at the city. The people far below walk slowly through the streets, in no particular rush.

SONIC
(Under his breath)
I won’t let you do it again. Not this time.

The TORNADO soars away from us, heading into the distance.

EXT. OUTSKIRTS OF STATION SQUARE – EVENING

The sky is beginning to darken as the sun begins its daily descent beneath the clouds. We’re looking down at a large stretch of land, covered in soft grass and spotted with hills of various sizes. In the distance, we see a large, thick forest. A mile or so away is the city of Station Square. The huge, hilly field separates the two.

Over one of these hills, a large group appears. From our distance we can make out no detail. We move closer, and our fears our confirmed. It’s the group of JASONs, marching steadily, heading ever closer to the borders of the city where the original JASON conducted two separate, violent massacres. Their number appears to be at least 40, maybe 50. Their dark eyes burn with an intense purpose in the diminishing daylight.

From the other side, heading away from Station Square, the TORNADO III appears in the sky.

EXT. TORNADO III – EVENING

The four that ride in the TORNADO look down at the large mob.

OMEGA
Life-forms detected. All register as target “Jason Voorhees”.

AMY
(Scared)
Oh my gosh… there’s so many of them!

TAILS
They’ll be arriving at Station Square soon.

SONIC, standing on the front wings, smiles. He’s the only one.

SONIC
I don’t think so! They wanna get to Station Square, they gotta get through the welcome committee first!

OMEGA
Affirmative. All targets will be destroyed.

SONIC
Take us down, Tails.

TAILS
Taking us down.

AMY
I’m scared…

The TORNADO III rapidly descends until it hovers a few feet above the ground. SONIC, OMEGA and AMY hop out and land atop a steep, grassy hill. TAILS remains in the cockpit. The group look to the JASON mob, who are still some distance away but are moving steadily towards them.

SONIC
Let’s get ready.

He pauses for a moment, and then grins.

SONIC
I’m ready.

OMEGA
All systems running at full capacity.

AMY reaches behind her back and pulls a massive yellow hammer out of nowhere. It’s as tall as she is, and judging from the huge size of the hammerhead it would appear to weigh a ton, but AMY wields it with ease, gripping it lightly with one hand. The hammer is yellow with a red stripe on the head, and is known as the PIKO PIKO HAMMER.

AMY
I’m good to go.

SONIC
Tails?

TAILS, in the cockpit of the TORNADO III, shoots him a wink.

TAILS
Just let me change into something more comfortable!

He presses a few switches on the cockpit. The cockpit itself suddenly slides forward with a whir, and the plane begins to transform. The fuselage rotates downwards and the wings slide backwards. The entire craft is alive, parts separating, moving, interlocking, connecting. The finished result is an entirely different machine. TAILS sits in the cockpit, which is now at the top. At the front of the cockpit is a laser cannon. There is another atop the craft, behind and above the pilots seat. Below the cockpit are a pair of thick steel legs. It’s no longer a biplane, it’s a bipedal mech. This is the CYCLONE. In the cockpit, TAILS grins.

TAILS
(Proudly)
Cyclone engage!

The CYCLONE lowers downwards until it’s metal feet touch the ground. It takes a couple of steps forward, the legs whirring and clanking, to stand next to SONIC and the others. SONIC grins up at his proud friend.

SONIC
Lookin’ good, Tails!

TAILS
(Proudly)
Thanks, Sonic!

AMY
They won’t stand a chance against us now!

The four of them look ahead. The JASONs march inexorably forward. SONIC and the others stare for a moment, taking their enemies in. They break their gaze as the sound of a helicopter is heard in the distance. They look up, to see a small helicopter with the words “G.U.N.” on it descending towards them.

TAILS
It’s Rowan! I sent her to find Knuckles!

SONIC
About time those guys showed up!

The chopper lands a short distance away. The rotor slows and then stops, and the doors open. ROWAN steps out first, carrying a large gun of some sort. TSUNARON follows her, holding an ever bigger gun. KNUCKLES hops out behind them, followed by ROUGE THE BAT. The four of them quickly make their way to SONIC and the others. They exchange quick greetings.

ROWAN
Sonic, good, you made it.

SONIC
Heh, I wouldn’t mess this party for the world! I have a score to settle with ol’ hockey-puss and his band of brothers there.

ROWAN
Don’t we all?

She looks over at the approaching army and winces.

ROWAN
Sure are a lot of them…

OMEGA
Number is irrelevant. I’ll eliminate them all.

SONIC
That’s the attitude we’re looking for, Omega! Tsunaron, glad you made it.

TSUNARON
I won’t have a job to go back to, same as Rowan, but this is personal.

He glares at the distant JASON army.

TSUNARON
(Intently)
Those bastards killed Kay-Em…

SONIC
Knuckles, good to see you again.

KNUCKLES
It’s a little sooner than I’d like, but needs must. This army needs to be stopped.

SONIC
And the lovely Miss Rouge.

AMY
Hey!

ROUGE
Sonic, a pleasure as always. Amy, you’re looking very… well-fed.

AMY
(Restrained anger)
Thanks. I like your eyeshadow, I hear trashy is in this season.

SONIC
What are you doing here, anyway? Couldn’t find any jewellery stores?

ROUGE
Actually, I was-

KNUCKLES
Trying to steal the Master Emerald again!

ROUGE
Well, yeah.

KNUCKLES and ROUGE glare at each other. SONIC laughs and puts a hand on each of their shoulders.

SONIC
Haha! Some things never change!

TSUNARON heads over to the CYCLONE and gazes at it with admiration.

TSUNARON
(Impressed)
This is a most impressive machine.

TAILS
Thanks! I made it myself!

TSUNARON looks up at the young fox in the cockpit, eyes wide.

TSUNARON
(Surprised)
You… made this?

TAILS
Yup.

TSUNARON
Wow. I wouldn’t have thought you had this kind of… expertise.

TAILS
(Modestly)
It’s nothing, really!

ROWAN
Miles can do a lot of things you wouldn’t expect.

She smiles up at TAILS, who grins back.

SONIC
You got that right!

KNUCKLES
Guys, I hate to interrupt the flow of conversation but we do have a reason for being here other than exchanging pleasantries.

The eight of them look over at the approaching JASON army. They’re getting closer, but they’re still quite some distance away, maybe a half-mile. As they watch, a dark shape appears in the sky above the mob. As they watch, it lowers and we see what it is: it’s an egg-shaped hovercraft. The EGG MOBILE.

TAILS
Hey, isn’t that-

SONIC
Eggman!

ROWAN
Dr. Robotnik? What’s he doing here?

KNUCKLES
Maybe he came to correct his mistakes.

The EGG MOBILE descends towards the mob of JASONs. DR. EGGMAN sits in the cockpit, looking down at them. When he is low enough for his voice to be heard, he leans over the front of the craft and speaks to the mob. The JASONs stop their approach and look up at the floating egg.

EGGMAN
Remember me, Jasons? In case you’ve forgotten already, I am Dr. Eggman, the scientific genius who created all of you! I gave you all life, and the chance to serve me in my quest for world domination! And how do you repay this kindness? You destroy my base, smash my inventions, disobey my commands! For these actions, you must be punished! There is no place for you in the Eggman Empire now!

He presses a button on the control panel before him. The black egg-shaped underside of the EGG MOBILE slides open and a massive cannon slides out. EGGMAN presses a few more switches, and the weapon begins to power up, a whine coming from within it, getting higher in pitch and louder in volume. The tip of the cannon begins to glow white. In the cockpit, EGGMAN cackles maniacally.

EGGMAN
My Egg Blaster will turn all of you into mere piles of ash! Hahaha!

The JASONs look up, motionless, silent, watching as the cannon charges up more and more.

EGGMAN
Farewell, my little pet projects! Your species is about to become EXTINCT! Ahahaha-

EGGMAN’s laugh trails off as a loud, insistent beeping noise fills the air. He looks down at the screen before him, frowning.

EGGMAN
What is it?

The words “EGG BLASTER OVERLOAD” are displayed in large, bold, red letters.

EGGMAN
Overload?! No! I made it TOO powerful!

Beneath him, the cannon continues to charge up, the huge barrel glowing brighter and brighter, the screech from within it now a high-pitched whine, the beeping now an ear-ringing siren. Finally, the cannon ruptures. It explodes outwards and bright white light spills out. The group of JASONs – and the assembled heroes who stand some on a hilltop some distance away – watch as the entire EGG MOBILE is engulfed in light. EGGMAN screams with anguish as the craft explodes fiercely. It is launched far into the sky, curving in the air like a baseball, streaking into the darkening sky, leaving a trail of dark smoke and bright flame behind it. EGGMAN’s scream fades as the craft soars further and further away.

EGGMAN
(Getting more distant)
NOOOOoooooo…

Finally, it is lost against the sky, leaving only a scorch mark on the sky that rapidly begins to fade. The JASONs look up at it, and then look back down, the temporary distraction over with. They resume their powerful stride towards the distant Station Square.

SONIC and the others watch from the hilltop. SONIC shakes his head.

SONIC
Well, Eggman’s once again showed he’s far better at creating problems than solving them.

KNUCKLES
We’ll just have to stop them ourselves.

TSUNARON
They’ll be here in a few minutes.

SONIC
A few minutes? That’s too long for me!

ROWAN
Sonic, wai-

Before she can finish, SONIC starts to walk down the hill, heading towards the distant JASON mob.

AMY
First as always… he’s so brave!

AMY runs off after him, PIKO PIKO HAMMER held tightly.

KNUCKLES
And I’m not?

He marches quickly after SONIC and AMY.

ROUGE
I’m not letting that smelly echidna outshine me!

She heads after him.

OMEGA
Weapons systems activated. Multiple targets acquired. Objective: destroy Jason Voorhees!

He sets off down the hill, after the others.

TAILS
You ready, Rowan?

ROWAN cocks the massive assault rifle she holds in her hands.

ROWAN
I am now. Tsun?

TSUNARON does the same with his rifle.

TSUNARON
Try and stop me.

The CYCLONE begins to walk forward, clanking and whirring. ROWAN and TSUNARON head after it, side by side, weapons gripped and ready to fire.

In the middle of the large field, SONIC halts. The others catch up to him. The eight of them stand, in a horizontal line, looking over at the hoard of JASONs. The distance between them has diminished, they’re maybe a quarter of a mile away now. Every one of their identical heads is focused on the eight team-mates. In the middle of the line, SONIC steps forward. He turns his back to the approaching crowd and balls one hand into a fist. He speaks to the other seven.

SONIC
This is the big one, guys. We’ve never faced anything quite like this before, and it’s not going to be easy. But I know that we’re going to win. This army may be strong, may be resilient, but they are driven by anger, by revenge, by evil. Compared to the eight of us, they don’t stand a chance.

The others listen to him carefully, their eyes fixed on him. It’s clear that every one of them respects and admires him. KNUCKLES remains stony-faced, hiding it as best he can, and OMEGA’s face does not and cannot show any emotion, but they all look up to him.

SONIC
Is everyone ready?

On TAILS piloting the CYCLONE, his ears pricked up, his hands tight on the twin joysticks that control the craft, his eyes steeled with determination.

TAILS
Ready.

On AMY, her eyes wide, her emerald-green pupils shimmering, both hands gripping the handle of the massive mallet.

AMY
I’m ready.

On KNUCKLES, his huge fists clenched, his face blank, his eyes focused.

KNUCKLES
Ready.

On OMEGA, his metallic fists replaced with dual machineguns, his red eyes glowing a fierce red inside his steel head.

OMEGA
Prepared for combat.

On ROUGE, her wings tensed, her narrowed eyes showing no sign of trepidation. Her professionalism and training is readily apparent.

ROUGE
I’m ready.

On ROWAN, her pretty face darkened by a scowl, one finger hovering on the trigger of her rifle, her eyes fixed on the approaching army.

ROWAN
I’m ready.

On TSUNARON, his usual face of kindness and intelligence replaced by one of vengeance.

TSUNARON
I’m ready.

SONIC smiles, and turns around to face the army of JASON clones that draw ever closer.

SONIC
Last one there has to clean up the mess.

He dashes away at high speed, heading towards the army. The others all take off after him, running as quickly as they can, their faces hard, their eyes burning fiercely.

On TAILS, as the CYCLONE stomps across the grass. His face is stony, his baby blue eyes glaring straight ahead. He’s repeating something quietly, under his breath, over and over again.

TAILS
(Quietly)
I’m a hero… I’m a hero… I’m a hero…

On SONIC, some distance ahead of the others. He wears a look of determination on his face, but his mouth is curled into a grin.

SONIC
Time to party!

The group isn’t far away now. They have stopped their advance and stand motionlessly, staring ahead. SONIC leaps into the air and curls into a spinning ball, and streaks towards them. The bolt of blue thunder slams into the group and rushes through it, smashing into JASONs left and right, knocking them off-balance. The entire group topple and fall like dominoes. Every single one crashes to the ground and begins to get up angrily. SONIC stands on the far side of the group, smiling.

SONIC
Strike!

The JASONs are up, and those nearest to him lunge for the attack. SONIC begins to hop this way and that, avoiding their punches and kicks with relative ease.

On the opposite side, KNUCKLES and ROUGE reach the group simultaneously. KNUCKLES greets one JASON with a massive punch to the face, sending him tumbling backwards. ROUGE leaps into the air and kicks one in the face, and he too crashes down. KNUCKLES and ROUGE exchange a glance, and then head in separate directions, attacking everything in their path, KNUCKLES with his furious fists, ROUGE with her fast feet. Some of the JASONs are unarmed, some carry machetes, others carry various other sharp objects or makeshift weapons.

OMEGA jets into the battle and begins to fire with both arms, sending sprays of machinegun fire hurtling into the bodies of several JASON clones. They stagger backwards, the shots blowing holes in their clothes and chunks of flesh from their bodies, albeit with little effect.

The CYCLONE stomps into the proximity of the battle. Several JASONs break away from the pack and head towards it, determined to take down the contraption. TAILS watches them approach, his face one of abject determination.

TAILS
(Quietly)
Closer… closer…

The JASONs draw nearer. We see TAILS’ POV. He’s looking at a targeting reticle on a small screen in front of him. As the JASONs get closer, the crosshairs get a lock on them. They turn red and a loud beeping sound is heard.

Close-up on TAILS’ thumbs as he presses two switches on the twin joysticks. The laser cannons on the CYCLONE – one on the front of the cockpit, one on the back, power up and bolts of energy are released. The laser beams blast forward and slam into the JASON clones, burning them and knocking them backwards a step or two but otherwise having little effect. TAILS continues to fire.

AMY arrives and wastes no time getting stuck in. She wades into the battle, her eyes burning with fire, swinging the PIKO PIKO HAMMER from side to side furiously, knocking JASONs away from her.

Finally, ROWAN and TSUNARON arrive. They stop short of the melee and exchange a glance.

ROWAN
You ready?

TSUNARON
I can do this.

They both raise their weapons.

ROWAN / TSUNARON
Let’s go.

The two of them stride into battle, firing streams of powerful bullets at any JASON clone that gets into their way.

We see an overhead view of the battle as it rages on. SONIC dodging every attack and occasionally returning with a flying kick or punch of his own, KNUCKLES punching anything in his path, ROUGE leaping around administering sharp kicks, AMY knocking a path through the army with her hammer like an explorer clearing a path through a thick jungle, TAILS, OMEGA, ROWAN and TSUNARON blasting away at anything that wears a hockey mask. It’s chaos, a din of flying bullets, grunts and groans, swiping arms and legs, clanking machinery.

We move back down, focusing on SONIC as he leaps high into the air. At the apex of his jump he curls into a spin attack. He gathers speed for a moment and then streaks downwards. He slams into one JASON’s head, knocking him away, and bounces back into the air. He lands on another’s head, and then bounces to another, and then another. He bounces across the crowd like a beach ball at a concert, sending JASONs scattering upon impact.

On the ground, AMY is surrounded by JASONs. They advance on her. AMY raises the PIKO PIKO HAMMER, her eyes burning fiercely.

AMY
(Angrily)
BRING IT ON, SCUMBAGS!

One of the JASONs holds a machete, and he swings it at her. AMY swings the PIKO PIKO HAMMER and the two weapons clash in mid-air. The hammer proves the mightiest, and the machete is knocked from JASON’s grip. It sails into the crowd and spears another JASON in the back. The JASON, seemingly annoyed, reaches around to his back and plucks the sharp object out.

AMY clubs the disarmed JASON in the stomach with the hammer. As it connects, a shower of small, pink love hearts sprinkle from the point of impact and fade into the air. The JASON doubles over and staggers back. AMY spins around. Another JASON stands behind her, arms raised to strike, fists clenched. AMY swings the hammer, slamming it into his groin, sending him reeling away and another smattering of love hearts sprinkling into the air.

Elsewhere in the crowd, KNUCKLES battles away with several JASONs. He blocks their punches with his fists, his arms moving with incredible speed, almost seeming to sense the movements before they are made. When possible, he returns with a punch of his own, sending the JASONs staggering away for a moment. After exchanging a flurry of blows with multiple opponents, he ducks several swinging fists at once and leaps into the air, striking one JASON with an uppercut. The freak is launched into the air. As he hurtles, a spinning blue ball slams into him, knocking him back down to the ground, taking down several JASONs. SONIC bounces away as KNUCKLES continues to fight with everything he has.

ROUGE, close nearby, is also surrounded by opponents. One of them swings a punch at her, and she catches his arm and uses the punching momentum to her advantage. She wraps her legs around his arm and flips backwards, sending him flying over her head and into the crowd, knocking down JASONs in his path. ROUGE hops over another punch and extends her wings. She hovers into the air, rising above the melee to a height of around ten feet, and then begins to spin around like a top, her feet together and pointed downwards.

ROUGE
Drill kick!

She corkscrews down, slamming into a JASON. He staggers backwards, being struck repeatedly with lightning-fast kicks. His arms flail wildly, and he strikes other JASONs as he stumbles, knocking them in all directions.

On the edge of the mob stands the CYCLONE, its twin laser cannons firing at high speed. Several JASONs approach it from every direction. The cannons swivel from side to side at high speed, firing at each one in turn. The JASONs are burned horribly, their masks black and their skin crisp, their clothes charred, but they keep on coming. Each blast knocks them back a few feet. In the cockpit, TAILS’ works the controls like a madman, his tongue sticking out with concentration, his ears and tails standing up, his fingers performing manoeuvres usually confined to expert pianists.

ROWAN and TSUNARON stand in the crowd of JASONs, their backs pressed together, their faces grim, their weapons discharging bullets on the throng of madman in front of them. We see that some of the JASONs they fire on are naked and maskless, and it is these that TSUNARON focuses the brunt of his fire on. His eyes are cold.

OMEGA also stands in the crowd, his red eyes swivelling from side to side to acquire new targets, his twin machineguns firing mercilessly, peppering any JASON in range with bullets. The bullets don’t seem to be having much effect. After a few moments of firing, he stops. The machineguns slide back into his arms.

OMEGA
Activate flamethrowers.

As JASONs approach him from every side, two large flamethrowers appear on the end of his large metallic arms. They burst into life, and two large jets of flame engulf the crowd, setting anything it touches on fire. OMEGA swivels around 360 degrees, flaming everything. We see an overhead shot – he stands in the middle of a rapidly expanding flaming circle. The JASONs continue to advance, despite the fact they are being swallowed by thick flames.

The chaos continues. AMY smacks one JASON in the head with her hammer. His hockey mask fractures and chunks of it fall away. He staggers backwards and turns around. KNUCKLES stands before him. He hops up and punches him in the face with all of his might. The JASONs exposed nose is smashed and thick, dark blood sprays out of it, staining the masks of those nearby.

ROUGE leaps over a flurry of attacks from multiple attackers and unfolds her wings. She heads upwards, and hooks her feet into the armpits of one JASON. She continues to rise, and the JASON goes with her. She flies higher, until she’s a good 20 feet in the air. She pulls her feet backwards, and the JASON plummets back towards the madness.

AMY looks up from her combat as the shadow of the falling man appears above her. She screams and swings the PIKO PIKO HAMMER in defence. It strikes him just at the right time, and the JASON is sent hurtling back into the air, flying across the crowd. He heads right for KNUCKLES, who sees him coming. KNUCKLES catches him in mid-flight and uses his momentum against him, hurling him into the air. The JASON sails right out of the crowd, heading for the CYCLONE. The crafts targeting systems pick him up and a burst of laser fire erupts from the upper cannon. The blasts slam into him in mid-air, stopping his forward trajectory. The JASON begins to fall downward, but before he hits the ground SONIC – still curled into a spin attack – smashes into him.

The JASON sails horizontally through the air, finally slamming into a group of his brethren. All of them hit the deck hard. They get up angrily. The JASON that had been juggled has a smashed face and is covered in blood and burn marks, but otherwise appears unharmed. They head back into the thick of combat.

SONIC bounces across the crowd, hitting one random head followed by another, and then finally uncurls and lands on the ground next to ROWAN and TSUNARON, who continue to fire on the crowd.

SONIC
Doing okay?

ROWAN
No problems so far!

TSUNARON
Anything comes near me, it can eat lead!

SONIC
Keep it up!

He crouches slightly, and then hops off into the air, landing elsewhere in the crowd.

Meanwhile, ROUGE continues to battle, both her fast kicks and her expert training serving as her weapons. She hits one JASON with a roundhouse kick, ducks to avoid another’s punch, cartwheels over one JASON, wings open, and then commando rolls through another’s legs. She rolls to her feet in one swift motion and resumes her stance, kicking and dodging.

One of the JASONs nears her, and she hops into the air, hitting him with a flurry of kicks to the midsection. She’s so focused on this one, she doesn’t notice another one behind her. This JASON reaches and grabs both of her wings, one in each hand. He begins to pull them in opposite directions. ROUGE screams and struggles to get free. Her wings stretch to their full capacity, and ROUGE begins to wail in agony. Suddenly, the JASON lets go. ROUGE lands on the ground in a crouch, pained. A shadow looms over her, and she narrowly moves out of the way as the attacking JASON falls face-forward and crashes to the grass. She turns around to see KNUCKLES standing there, fists raised. He holds out a hand and helps her up.

KNUCKLES
Be more careful, would you?

ROUGE
I had the situation under control, thank you!

KNUCKLES goes to respond, but JASONs attack. KNUCKLES punches them away, ROUGE knocks them back with a few well-placed kicks. Without looking at each other, still focused on combat, they continue their conversation.

ROUGE
You put any of them down for good yet?

KNUCKLES
Not yet, but I’ve dealt some pretty heavy blows. Eggman was right about these freaks – they’re just as tough as the original Jason.

ROUGE
Keep it up, echidna.

KNUCKLES
You too, bat girl.

They wade off into battle, punching and kicking their way through the crowd.

In the CYCLONE, TAILS continues to deal out laser blasts on the persistent crowd. More and more of them are coming for him, their number thickening rapidly, approaching from every direction. The two laser cannons flick this way and that, firing rapidly. TAILS sits in the cockpit, sweat darkening the orange fur on his brow and dampening his fringe, causing it to hang down over his eyes, eyes that are frantic. He’s trying to keep up with the influx of targets, but he can’t. The CYCLONE can’t aim fast enough. Several JASONs are hit by laser blasts and are knocked back, but others manage to slip through undetected and get nearer and nearer to the blue mech.

In the crowd, SONIC stands amidst a crowd of JASONs, dodging their attacks with incredible speed and reflexes. He wears a smile on his face as he dodges punch after punch without receiving so much as a scratch.

SONIC
That the best you got? Come on!

He starts to return with attacks of his own, quick flying kicks and punches that have no effect on the JASONs other than annoying them.

Elsewhere, OMEGA is being besieged by JASONs, some of them still smouldering and smoking. One of the JASONs manages to get in a shot from behind, smashing him in the back. There is the sound of crunching metal, and OMEGA stumbles forward and falls to the ground. The JASONs stand over him, but OMEGA raises an arm. Machinegun fire erupts from the end of it. His wrist rotates around 360 degrees, and every JASON around him is struck with bullets. The momentary distraction is enough time for him to get to his steel feet.

He stomps over to one of the JASONs and rears back his arm. He shoves it forward, and his metallic fist bursts right through the JASON’s chest. The JASON looks down at the wound, seemingly bewildered, as OMEGA’s arm rummages around inside and then tears free. In his clawed hand he holds a black, malformed lump that we identify as JASON’s heart. OMEGA holds it up. Thick, dark liquid trickles from JASON’s gaping chest wound.

OMEGA
Vital organ removed.

Close-up on his metal hand as it closes into a fist. The black lump is crushed. It holds for a moment, and then bursts like a black balloon. Sickly black liquid runs out from between OMEGA’s fingers.

OMEGA
Revenge has been served.

The JASON looks at OMEGA, down at this chest wound, and then back up at OMEGA. He suddenly bursts into a rage and attacks angrily. OMEGA back-pedals, avoiding his angry attacks, but walks right into another JASON. This JASON holds a machete, and he swings it downwards with significant force. The long, sharpened blade smashes into the top of OMEGA’s yellow, domed head. The machete is buried right into it. OMEGA stops dead for a moment, his skull crackling with electricity, and then he quickly reaches up and pulls the blade out. He drops it to the ground. His head spins around 180 degrees to face the attacker, followed by the rest of his body. His eyes flash red. There is a large, jagged crack atop his head.

OMEGA
FOOLISH BAG OF MEAT! I WILL ELIMINATE YOU!

Two massive pincers emerge from his wrists. He thrusts them forwards and grabs a hold of the JASON, the pincers locking tight. The JASON looks down, confused. Before he can do anything, the pincers suddenly spark with electricity. A massively powerful surge of blue lightning jolts out of them and streaks over JASON’s body. The JASON’s body shakes and judders violently. His skin turns black and his body begins to smoke. OMEGA releases him, and he falls backwards like a tree, landing with a hard thud on the grass below.

OMEGA spins around to the other JASONs who watch him curiously. His head jerks from side to side rapidly, his eyes flickering red dangerously, his voice raising and lowering in pitch.

OMEGA
AnnIHIlatE! ANNihilATe! anniHILATe!

The pincers disappear, being replaced with machineguns. He begins to fire on anything in range, hundreds of bullets pumping into their bodies. Their clothes are torn, their blood splatters, some are knocked down from the impact, but they keep getting to their feet and advancing on him. The charred JASON also gets to his feet and joins in the assault, smoke still rising from his burnt body.

On KNUCKLES in the crowd, making his way gradually towards the centre, punching everything in his path.

On ROUGE, the opposite side of the crowd, also heading for the centre, dodging the JASON’s attacks and returning with swift kicks of her own.

An overhead shot of the of the two. They make their way towards each other, knocking JASONs out of the way, clearing a path towards one another like they’re fighting through a field of corn.

They near each other, until one JASON remains between them. He’s facing KNUCKLES. KNUCKLES punches him in the chest, and he staggers back – right into a stiff kick to the spine from ROUGE. He stumbles forward again, where KNUCKLES is waiting with an uppercut. JASON spins around from the impact, just in time to see ROUGE’s foot connecting with his hockey mask. KNUCKLES and ROUGE stand on opposite sides of him, ROUGE in front, KNUCKLES behind, laying into him with feet and fists. Finally, the JASON is knocked over and he tumbles away from them. KNUCKLES and ROUGE are left facing each other.

ROUGE
Quite a show you’re putting on, echidna!

KNUCKLES
It’s all about discipline.

ROUGE
Really? Well-AAAH!

She screams as a strong hand grabs her behind. JASON lifts her into the air, holding her long, needle-like tail in one hand. JASON raises his arm, lifting her into the air. ROUGE struggles back and forth, kicking and flapping her wings, trying to get away, but JASON’s grip is iron. KNUCKLES steps forward, fists raised, his face stone-cold.

KNUCKLES
Put her down.

JASON looks down at him.

KNUCKLES
I’ll ask you once more. Put her down.

JASON looks up at ROUGE, struggling in his vice grip. He doesn’t release her.

KNUCKLES
Have it your way.

With astonishing speed, KNUCKLES lurches forward and punches him in the kneecap. JASON goes down on one knee. KNUCKLES aims upwards and slams a powerful punch into the freak’s elbow. His arm spasms and his hand opens. ROUGE drops out of his grasp and lands on her feet. She rubs her butt, wincing at the discomfort. The crouching JASON’s masked face is at her eye level. ROUGE glares at him.

ROUGE
(Angrily)
You CREEP!

She kicks him with all of her might, right in the face. His hockey mask shatters into a dozen pieces and he falls backwards, his face smashed and broken. ROUGE glares down at him.

KNUCKLES
You alright?

ROUGE
(Irritably)
Fine.

KNUCKLES’ eyes narrow with annoyance.

KNUCKLES
(Annoyed)
A thank-you would be nice!

ROUGE
(Annoyed)
Oh, I’m sorry, but my tail just about got ripped off! Politeness isn’t top of my list of priorities right now!

KNUCKLES
(Annoyed)
It never is!

As the two of them argue, several JASONs converge on them. Some of them hold machetes. The bat and the echidna are too engrossed in their feud to take any notice.

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
If you don’t watch yourself, you’re going to get yourself killed!

ROUGE
(Angrily)
Oh, and I’m sure you’d spend all night crying about that, wouldn’t you? Mr. Loner? Mr. I Have No Emotion! Mr. I’m Too Proud For Friendships!

KNUCKLES
(Angrily)
What are you talking about? I just saved your life, you ungrateful little-

ROUGE
(Angrily)
Yeah, so you’d have something else to have over me! So you could brag about it!

KNUCKLES
I don’t see you saving my life!

ROUGE
(Coldly)
Hah! I wouldn’t save your life if I had the chance!

KNUCKLES
Of course you wouldn’t! Only thing that matters to you are your makeup and your jewels, right?

ROUGE
(Coldly)
I wouldn’t shed a darn tear at your funeral! Not one! That’s a promise, Mr. Master Emerald!

KNUCKLES
(Furiously)
You know what, Rouge? I’m really starting to HATE YOU!

ROUGE
(Furiously)
Hate me?! News flash, partner, I HATE YOU!

Her hand flashes out and strikes him in the cheek. The sound of her gloved hand slapping across his fur is somehow deafening, even in the din of combat all around them. KNUCKLES’ eyes widen. He raises a fist to his cheek. ROUGE’s eyes widen and their surfaces begin to shimmer. The two stare at each other. Several seconds pass. ROUGE opens her mouth to speak.

Before she can say a word, KNUCKLES suddenly groans. The long, curved blade of a machete bursts out of his chest, coloured a deep red with internal blood. KNUCKLES looks down at the blade, his eyes wide, his mouth open. ROUGE looks down at it, shock spreading over her face like a tidal wave. The stained tip of the blade is only a few inches from her own chest.

We see that behind him stands JASON VOORHEES, one of many, the hilt of the machete gripped in his gloved hand. The blade disappears into KNUCKLES’ back and reappears in front of him. He’s been impaled through the chest. A few moments of silence pass, and then JASON jerks his arm backwards. The machete is pulled backwards and finally exits the echidna’s body. Two geysers of thick blood spray out of his chest and back simultaneously. KNUCKLES stands for a moment, looking down at the wound with a look of confusion, and then his feet give up and he collapses to the ground in a heap. ROUGE looks down at him, speechless, unbelieving.

KNUCKLES looks up at her. His eyes are dull. Blood dribbles out of his mouth. He speaks slowly, gruffly, his voice barely audible.

KNUCKLES
(Quietly)
Take… care… of… of…

He falls silent. His head lolls to the ground. His eyes stare out of his skull blindly, seeing nothing. His pupils dilate. A pool of blood begins to spread out from his motionless body. His hands, clenched into fists, loosen.

KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA is dead.

ROUGE looks down at his body, her face blank, her eyes wide, her mouth open. The crowd of JASONs surround her, getting closer, looking for another kill. ROUGE’s eyes linger on KNUCKLES’ body for another moment, and then flick to the side to watch her predators. She looks back at KNUCKLES, and then picks him up with an effort. As the JASONs advance, her wings begin to flap. She lifts up into the air, KNUCKLES in her arms, and rises out of harm’s way just as the probing arms of the madmen reach out to grab her. She flies away from the battle, gaining altitude.

On the outskirts of the battle, TAILS sits in the CYCLONE. The lasers are struggling to keep up. Several JASONs are inching closer and closer to the machine. There are too many of them. As he fires at a group in front of him, three JASONs manage to sneak up on the back of the craft. They begin to pound on the machine, rocking it from side to side. TAILS looks back fearfully, to see that one of the JASONs has smashed a hole in the back. He reaches in with a large, gloved hand and begins to tear out circuitry and sparking wires. TAILS’ eyes widen.

TAILS
(Fearfully)
NO! DON’T!

Warning lights begin to flash in the cockpit and frantic beeping is heard from several different places. The craft suddenly lunges into life, and begins to stomp forward, the thick steel legs moving spasmodically. Several JASONs are trampled by the large steel feet. The CYCLONE jerks right toward the battling crowd. TAILS, eyes wide with fright, frantically tries to take control again. He wrestles with the controls but it’s futile.

TAILS
I can’t control it!

The CYCLONE stumbles drunkenly into the crowd, trampling mask-wearing freaks beneath it. TAILS frantically hammers at the controls, still with no effect. He looks up, to see AMY a short distance away. She’s facing away from him and is fending off several attackers with the PIKO PIKO HAMMER. TAILS’ mouth drops open.

TAILS
(Desperately)
AMY! AMY! GET OUT OF THE WAY!

Close-up on AMY as she battles away with several JASONs. She’s focused on what she’s doing and TAILS desperate shouts fall on deaf ears. The CYCLONE lunges closer and closer, parting the crowd as it advances.

In the CYCLONE’s cockpit as it nears AMY. TAILS waves his arms and shouts as loud as he can.

TAILS
(Desperately)
AMY! AAAAMY! MOVE! MOOOOVE!

On AMY, fighting. She stops swinging the hammer.

AMY
Huh?

She turns around, to see the CYCLONE lunging towards her, only a few seconds away. She screams loudly and watches with wide eyes, rooted to the spot in terror, as it bears down on her, it’s shadow darkening her pink fur.

The CYCLONE reaches her. It’s one step away from crushing her. AMY still stands, rooted to the spot. AMY stands stock still, her face one of horror. In the cockpit, TAILS’ face wears a matching expression. The CYCLONE’s leg raises up, but a second before it comes crashing down, a blue blur charges by, whisking AMY out of the way. The steel foot slams down, leaving a huge dent in the grass right where AMY stood, and then continues its path of destruction.

AMY lies on the ground, SONIC’s arms wrapped around her. He releases her and stands up. He holds down a hand, and AMY takes it and stands up. She smiles at him, equal parts relief and adoration.

AMY
Sonic… you saved me! Again!

SONIC
Don’t mention it.

JASONs approach them all directions.

SONIC
We’ll count up who saved who after all this is over. Right now, we have work to do. You gonna be okay?

AMY holds up the PIKO PIKO HAMMER.

AMY
I’ll be fine!

SONIC curls into a ball and spins off. AMY brandishes her hammer at the nearest JASON. Her eyes narrow.

AMY
Alright, dirtbags! You wanna piece of me?!

Behind her, the CYCLONE continues to crash forward. It’s barely maintaining it’s balance. The control panels have begun to spark with electricity, as has the “wound” on the back of the mech. In the cockpit, TAILS clings to his seat for dear life.

Nearby, ROWAN and TSUNARON stand back-to-back, circling around slowly, firing their weapons, riddling every JASON nearby with heavy bullets. The JASONs are completely covered in holes, their clothes are shredded and they’re streaming blood from hundreds of wounds, but they’re still coming back for more. The bullets suddenly stop firing, and there is a series of clicking sounds as both weapons run out of ammunition.

ROWAN
Reload!

TSUNARON
Reloading!

The two of them pull out another clip, slam it into the assault rifle, and continue their assault. ROWAN suddenly stops. We see her POV as she watches the CYCLONE lunge towards them, rapidly getting closer, carving a path through the sea of twisted meat. TAILS spots them and calls to ROWAN, his voice barely audible above the whirring hydraulics and sparking panels.

TAILS
(Desperately)
ROWAN! I CAN’T CONTROL IT!

Without turning her head, ROWAN speaks urgently to her partner, who continues to fire.

ROWAN
Tsun! Get the hell out of the way! NOW!

TSUNARON
What do you-

He looks around and catches sight of the CYCLONE. His eyes widen.

TSUNARON
Shit!

He and ROWAN dive in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the damaged mech as it stomps by. The CYCLONE stomps away crazily. ROWAN gets to her feet, clutching her assault rifle. She looks across to TSUNARON. He’s also getting up.

ROWAN turns her back to him and begins to pump rounds into the ever-advancing crowd of JASONs again. TSUNARON goes to do the same, but he suddenly screams as a nearby JASON grabs his arm. He drops his rifle, which clatters to the grass. JASON pulls him backwards, pulling him onto his back and dragging him across the ground.
 
TSUNARON
(Desperately)
Rowan! Help!

TSUNARON’S POV as he is dragged backwards by his arm. ROWAN has her back to him, and she can’t hear him over the racket her rifle makes. TSUNARON struggles to escape JASON’s powerful grasp, but he can’t. His eyes widen with horror as more JASONs converge on him. A couple of them are the naked newborns. They surround him, grabbing every part of him – his arms, his legs, his head. He screams as they begin to pull on his limbs. His scream rises in pitch, gaining octave after octave of agony, as we see his bones shatter and his muscles rip.

There is a hideous tearing sound, and both of his legs are ripped clean of his body. Blood sprays wildly out of the two jagged stumps. TSUNARON looks down at the sight, at the two JASONs that each hold one of his legs.

TSUNARON
(Wildly)
NO! KAY-EM! NO! KAY-EM!

He screeches loudly as first one of his arms, then the other, is torn off. Blood begins to bubble from TSUNARON’s mouth and nose, running in every direction. His eyes are glazed and lifeless. Blood oozes from between his teeth.

The flesh of his neck begins to tear. JASON gives one final tug, and his head is torn clean off. His spinal cord comes with it. Blood gushes out of the neck stump of his dismembered corpse, staining the grass a hideous maroon colour. The JASONs stand up, clutching his limbs and his head like trophies.

A short distance away, ROWAN is still firing on the squad before her. She quickly turns her head.

ROWAN
Hey, Tsun, how are-

She stops abruptly and her face contorts with horror as she sees his mangled torso chest-down on the ground, covered with gore. Several JASONs stand around it, clutching his body parts. 

ROWAN
TSUNARON! NO!

She turns around and runs towards the body of her former colleague. She stops some distance from it. She looks from his corpse, and then at each of the JASONs that hold his body parts in turn. Her eyes fill with tears, but her sorrow is quickly replaced with an expression of utter hatred.

ROWAN
You PIECES OF SHIT!

She opens fire on them, swinging the rifle from side to side wildly. Bullets slam into them, piercing their flesh. Stray bullets slam into TSUNARON’s limbs and head, destroying them even further. Some of the JASONs fall from the impact, but immediately begin to get back up. ROWAN keeps firing, tears streaming down her face, her composure rapidly disintegrating.

Some distance away, the CYCLONE continues to stomp wildly across the plain. The crowd of battling JASONs is behind it now. In the cockpit, TAILS still hammers at the sparking controls, to no avail. A loud, alarming beeping noise cuts through the air. TAILS’ eyes widen.

TAILS
It’s gonna blow!

He tries to leap out, but realises his seat belt is still on. He frantically reaches down and fumbles with the buckle, trying to unfasten it. The beeping gets louder and more insistent, the CYCLONE’s movements become even more erratic, and a shrill whine begins to sound inside it.

On TAILS’ eyes, wide and frantic.
On his gloved hands as they fumble with the seatbelt.
On the cockpit, the controls sparking and sizzling with electricity.

After a few agonising moments, the seatbelt clicks open. TAILS leaps high into the air. His TAILS begin to twirl around, and he hovers in mid-air, looking down at the craft as it lurches forward a few more steps, and then stops. It crashes forward onto the grass. The legs continue jerking back and forth, flailing in mid-air like a downed horse. The shrill whine from within gets higher and higher in pitch, until it’s almost inaudible. Finally, the machine explodes. A ball of flame bursts from inside it, shattering the mech. Pieces of steel and machinery fly out in every direction. TAILS yelps as several pieces of sharp metal slam into him, cutting into him. Several cuts appear on his body, on the white fur of his stomach, and begin to bleed shallowly. TAILS hovers down to the ground and slumps onto the grass. He lays face-down for a few moments, and then looks up at the body of the CYCLONE, burning fiercely. He stands up, a little pained, and then turns around and looks back at the fiercely raging battle.

The light has all but faded now, and the sky has taken on an orange glow as the sun begins to descend. TAILS casts a long shadow on the grass. He watches the battle for a few moments, and then takes off running back towards it.

Close-up on his face. His lips are moving. He’s saying something to himself, silently. We can’t make out the words, but we know what they are.

TAILS
(Silently)
I’m a hero… I’m a hero… I’m a hero…

Back in the thick of things, OMEGA is still firing on every JASON in sight. His head darts around, never focusing on one target for more than a second. His voice is badly distorted now.

OMEGA
(Distorted)
kiLL… aNnIhIlAtE…

He quickly steps backwards, firing, and walks right into a JASON. As he continues firing forwards, the JASON behind him raises the machete he's holding, gripping the hilt with both hands. He brings it down with unnatural force, and it stabs right into OMEGA’s back. It slides right in, accompanied by the sound of twisting and breaking metal. The JASON begins to force the machete in, pushing down on the hilt, pushing it further and further until the tip of the blade bursts out of OMEGA’s steel chest, carving right through the painted image of two orange tails.

OMEGA’s body goes into a seizure, every part of him shaking and spasming. The JASON behind him suddenly clutches the back of his head and slumps to the ground, dazed. AMY ROSE stands behind him, holding the PIKO PIKO HAMMER. She walks over to OMEGA, concerned.

AMY
(Concerned)
Omega? Are you okay?

OMEGA spins around. The machete has impaled him. His body shakes and judders uncontrollably. His eyes flash on and off. His voice is low-pitched and slow.

OMEGA
critical… damage… sustained… recovery…. mode… inactive…

AMY
Omega?

OMEGA
self… destruct… in… ten… seconds…

AMY
(Horrified)
What? No! Omega!

OMEGA
get… away… from… me…

AMY
Omega! Stop! You don’t have to!

OMEGA
3… 2… 1…

AMY’s eyes squeeze shut, waiting for the blast, but it doesn’t come. She opens her eyes.

AMY
Omega? What-

She yelps as a JASON steps up behind her. She spins around and smashes him in the stomach with the PIKO PIKO HAMMER, sending a shower of hearts sprinkling to the grass and sending JASON tumbling backwards. She turns back to OMEGA, who lays on the ground, his body sparking and spasming.

OMEGA
i… can’t… even… terminate… myself…

AMY
Please, stop! You’re scaring me!

OMEGA
you… must… terminate… me…

AMY
(Horrified)
What are you saying?!

OMEGA
terminate… me…

AMY
NO! I won’t! We’ll get you out of here, get you fixed!

OMEGA
i… can’t… take… the… pain…

AMY
Pain? You’re a robot! You don’t feel pain!

OMEGA
i… do… so did… my brothers… eggman… made us… feel pain…

AMY
Oh… I…

OMEGA
term… in… ate… me…

AMY gazes down at him, her eyes wet with compassion. Two JASONs approach her, and she angrily picks up the PIKO PIKO HAMMER.

AMY
(Angrily)
NOT NOW!

She smashes them in turn, knocking them away. AMY looks back down at OMEGA, the massive hammer still in her hand.

OMEGA
do it…

AMY, gazing down at him, falls silent for a moment.

AMY
(Sadly)
Alright. I’ll do it.

With tears in her eyes, she slowly raises the PIKO PIKO HAMMER above her head. As she does, OMEGA speaks quietly, his voice a barely audible drone.

OMEGA
mission… … … … failed…

AMY
(Sadly)
I’m sorry.

The PIKO PIKO HAMMER slams down, impacting with his domed head. His steel skull is completely crushed under the huge hammerhead. It shatters into hundreds of pieces. Several tiny love hearts sprinkle out of the hammer and melt into the mess of broken circuits and microchips. OMEGA’s body jerks for a moment, sparking with electricity. The machete, still shoved through his frame, is electrified to. After a moment, the voltage stops and he stops moving altogether. Smoke begins to plume out of his neck.

AMY looks down at him sadly, and then turns around. Several JASONs stand there, some holding machetes, glaring at her. AMY’s face twists into one of fury, and she raises the hammer high above her head. Without saying a word, she screams and charges at them, and begins smashing anyone in sight with the huge weapon.

Elsewhere, SONIC is battling away with several JASONs, doing his best to avoid their attacks. More and more of them are surrounding him, swinging machetes and other weapons at him, or simply swinging punches or reaching out to grab him. SONIC rapidly dodges every shot, bending and stretching this way and that, ducking and dodging. One of the JASONs swings a punch from behind, and SONIC doesn’t see it coming. He’s busy dodging a machete swipe from another JASON. The large fist slams into the top of SONIC’s head. SONIC stumbles backwards, dazed, and walks right into another JASON. The JASON dives on top of him, crushing him to the ground, and more JASONs follow. Within seconds there is a huge pile-up of masked maniacs. The blue hedgehog is buried under a pile of psychotic freaks.

After several moments without movement, the pile of madmen suddenly explodes outwards. SONIC streaks up into the air, a spinning ball of blue. JASONs crash to the ground. SONIC, still curled up, shoots through the air, aiming at one of them. He slams into the JASONs head, and ricochets off into another. The two JASONs fall to the ground as SONIC uncurls and lands on his feet. He looks to the left, looks to the right. JASONs surround him on every side: armed and angry. SONIC frowns.

SONIC
(Annoyed)
There’s a limit to my patience!

He charges at one JASON. The JASON sees him coming and swings his machete, but SONIC has already reached him by the time he even raises his arm. SONIC charges through his legs, and then somersaults backwards, hitting him in the back of the head with a spin attack. The JASON stumbles forwards and hits the ground.

SONIC leaps onto the downed man’s back and curls up into a ball. He begins to spin on the spot – the SPIN DASH. The effect is like a buzzsaw drilling into him. JASON’s back is torn open. Tiny chunks of bloodied flesh hurtle through the air in every direction. Thick blood begins to stream out of the large, SONIC-shaped hole in his back. SONIC stops spinning and stands up, his blue fur streaked with blood. He doesn’t notice another JASON approach from behind, machete raised for the kill. As SONIC looks ahead to his next target, the JASON behind him raises his arm, machete gripped tightly, preparing for the death blow.

The sound of gunfire shatters the air, and the JASON jerks and falls to the ground. SONIC spins around in time to see the JASON collapse in front of him. ROWAN stands behind him, rifle aimed forwards, her face and clothes streaked with blood and her eyes wet with tears.

SONIC
Rowan!

ROWAN
You okay?

SONIC
Thanks to you, I’m fine. What about you? You look terrible!

ROWAN
(Sadly)
It’s Tsunaron… they got him.

SONIC’s face falls. He opens his mouth, and then closes it, speechless. He finally finds his voice.

SONIC
Rowan… I’m so sorry.

ROWAN looks down at the JASON that SONIC stands on, his back a bloody hole.

ROWAN
How are you doing? Taken any out yet?

SONIC
Well, the one I’m standing on hasn’t moved in-

As if wishing to prove him wrong, the JASON beneath his feet suddenly begins to move.

SONIC
Aw, geesh!

He hops off of the man’s back to stand next to ROWAN. The two of them watch as the JASON gets back up, slowly, his back a bloody crater.

SONIC
I haven’t had much luck. You?

ROWAN
Nothing. Doesn’t matter how many bullets you put in them, they just keep coming. It’s hopeless.

SONIC
Hey, don’t say that!

Several JASONs approach them. ROWAN opens fire on many of them, knocking them away. SONIC charges at them, curling up and hitting them in the stomach like a cannonball, sending them rolling head over heels away from him. He and ROWAN rendezvous again.

SONIC
There’s always a way. It’s never as hard as it seems.

TAILS (OS)
Sonic! Rowan!

SONIC and ROWAN look up to see TAILS hovering above them.

ROWAN
Miles! Thank God!

SONIC
Tails! Are you alright?

TAILS
I’d give both my tails for a box of rings, but I’m okay! But the Cyclone is totalled!

More JASONs near them. SONIC again spins them away, ROWAN blasts them.

TAILS
Need a lift?

ROWAN
Please!

TAILS quickly descends. He grabs both of ROWAN’s hands and begins to ascend again. ROWAN’s feet lift off the ground rapidly, and soon she is a good six feet off the ground. SONIC hops up and grabs onto her ankles, and the two of them are airlifted away. TAILS flies over the pack of JASONs. SONIC and ROWAN look down on them. They spot AMY, surrounded by JASONs, furiously hammering away at them.

ROWAN
Amy!

SONIC
I’ll help her out!

He lets go of ROWAN’s legs and drops a good 15 feet to the ground. He lands on both feet, next to AMY. AMY’s face brightens considerably.

AMY
Sonic!

SONIC
Amy! Come on, we’re going to regroup! Hold my hand!

She does so without hesitation.

SONIC
On three, jump! I’ll do the rest!

AMY
Okay!

SONIC
Three!

The two of them leap into the air. SONIC’s leap is much higher, and in a single bound he clears a large group of JASONs. He lands in a small clearing among the crowd, and immediately leaps again. He lands clear of the army, and rushes forward towards TAILS and ROWAN, who stand some distance away, their backs to him.

SONIC and AMY charge up to them and skid to a halt. They still face away from SONIC and AMY.

SONIC
Hey, guys! I got Amy! I’m gonna go back for-

TAILS turns around, and SONIC is surprised to see an expression of grief on his face. His eyes are wide and glisten with moisture, although he is not yet crying.

TAILS
(Quietly)
Sonic… they…

He cannot finish the sentence. SONIC and AMY, mouths open with confusion, brush past him and gaze down at the ground before them.  Their faces simultaneously form expressions of horror. We see that on the ground, a few feet away, lies KNUCKLES, the blood from his chest wound glistening in the light of the slowly setting sun. ROUGE crouches over him.

SONIC steps forward, over to ROUGE and KNUCKLES, his face stiff with shock.

SONIC
Rouge… is he…

ROUGE looks up from KNUCKLES’ body and makes eye contact with him. Her eyes are cold and distant. Not a single tear can be seen on their surfaces.

ROUGE
Yes.

SONIC
(Unbelieving)
He… he can’t be!

SONIC leans down and prods the echidna in the shoulder.

SONIC
(Urgently)
Hey, Knuckles! Wake up! Come on, stop kidding around!

KNUCKLES, unsurprisingly, does not move. SONIC kicks him softly in the arm.

SONIC
(Desperately)
Knuckles! Knuckles! Quit it! Come on!

ROUGE
Sonic.

SONIC looks back up, and their eyes meet again. SONIC stammers, not knowing what to say.

SONIC
(Distantly)
They… killed… Knuckles?

He turns around to face the others. TAILS has tears in his eyes. His lip is trembling. AMY has both of her hands clasped over her mouth, her eyes also wide and tearful. ROWAN looks like she’s going to be sick. SONIC’s eyes move from one to the other, his face one of utter shock.

SONIC
They killed Knuckles…

It hasn’t quite sunk in yet. He shakes his head.

SONIC
They… they…

He trails off. His eyes are fixed on the grass at his feet.

TAILS
(Tearfully)
I… I…

AMY
(Tearfully)
I can’t believe it… Knuckles…

ROWAN
That’s two down.

TAILS
Two? What do you mean?

ROWAN
Tsunaron.

TAILS
No!

AMY
Oh my… Rowan, I…

ROWAN
I know.

TAILS
Knuckles and Tsunaron…

AMY
(With difficulty)
Actually… Omega… Omega is gone too.

TAILS
Omega?! But… how? What happened to him!

AMY
I…

She looks down, uncomfortably, not wanting to say. She finally says something.

AMY
(Sadly)
He’s just gone.

ROWAN
We’re dropping like flies here!

SONIC looks back at KNUCKLES’ body. ROUGE still crouches beside it. SONIC looks back at the others. His fists clench, and for the first time we see an expression of real anger form on his carefree face.

SONIC
(Angrily)
They aren’t going to get away with this!

He looks back the way they came. The army of JASONs is heading towards them slowly.

He takes a few steps toward them, eyes narrowed. TAILS, AMY and ROWAN pull him back.

ROWAN
Sonic!

SONIC
What are you doing?

AMY
Sonic… we’re losing out there.

TAILS
Maybe we should back down before any more of us-

SONIC
(Angrily)
No! We’re not giving up!

ROWAN
It’s suicide!

AMY
They’ll kill us too!

SONIC
They won’t!

ROWAN
Sonic, there must be another way!

AMY
If we could just find the Chaos Emeralds, maybe we’d have a chance?

TAILS
Or we could stock up on rings, protect ourselves from their attacks! I have a stash at home!

SONIC
We don’t have time! Amy, you know that the Chaos Emeralds were scattered after the last time I used them! They could be anywhere in the world, or maybe out of it! And Tails, your house is in the Mystic Ruins, at least half an hour away!

TAILS
But…

AMY
We can’t…

SONIC
Listen to me! If we leave, if we give up, every one of these freaks is going to storm into that city, right there!

He points to the nearby border of Station Square.

SONIC
Twice before, I’ve let that happen! I’ve let him walk into that city and innocent people have died! Rowan, you said the same thing when we first met! You said you weren’t there in time to do anything! Well, this time we ARE! The only thing standing between them and the population of Station Square is us! And I’m not going to let them just walk by!

TAILS / AMY / ROWAN
I… / Sonic… / We…

SONIC
I’m going back. I’m going to go back and I’m going to take out each and every one of them. I’ll do it alone if I have to. You know, everyone calls me a hero. The great Sonic the Hedgehog, saviour of the planet! I try and live up to that name, I try every day of my life, but I haven’t! People have died because I wasn’t fast enough. Because I wasn’t strong enough. That isn’t going to happen again!

He glares at the approaching JASON army.

SONIC
You can leave if you want. I won’t try and stop you.

He steps forward, walking by his friends, stopping a short distance beyond them, looking ahead to the JASON army. TAILS, AMY and ROWAN exchange glances, and then break eye contact, the three of them deep in thought. Finally, TAILS walks over to SONIC and stands beside him, staring ahead at the ever-approaching death squad.

TAILS
I’m coming with you.

AMY steps up on the other side of SONIC, she too staring ahead at the army. The PIKO PIKO HAMMER is in her hand.

AMY
You know I’ll follow you anywhere.

ROWAN steps up behind them, rifle in her hands. She slams a fresh clip into it.

ROWAN
I’ve lost two of my friends to those fuckers. Let’s send them back to hell.

SONIC hasn’t moved or said a word, he has simply stared ahead, eyes fixed on the army of JASONs. He finally turns his head, first meeting TAILS’ eyes, then AMY’s, then looking up over his shoulder to meet ROWAN’s. He smiles warmly at each of them.

SONIC
Thank-you.

ROWAN turns her head to look back at ROUGE, who still crouches with the body of KNUCKLES. She hasn’t moved.

ROWAN
Rouge! Are you coming with us?

ROUGE looks up at her with cold green eyes. She shakes her head slowly.

ROUGE
I have to be somewhere.

ROWAN
What do you mean?

ROUGE
I need to leave.

TAILS and AMY look back at her. SONIC remains focused on the army.

TAILS
Where do you have to be?

AMY
(Angrily)
Why won’t you help us?

ROUGE
It’s… the President. I just remembered, I have a meeting with the President.

TAILS
The President?

AMY
(Angrily)
How dare you! You selfish bat! You-

SONIC
Let her go, Amy. She’s made up her mind.

He turns his head and makes eye contact with ROUGE. She gives him a nod. He returns it with a slight bow of his head. SONIC looks back at the army. They’re still some distance away, moving slowly. The others turn their heads too.

SONIC
Everybody ready?

TAILS
I’m ready if you are!

AMY
You can count on my hammer!

ROWAN
I’m loaded!

SONIC
Then this is it. I need everybody to give it their all. The lives of Station Square depend on us.

TAILS / AMY / ROWAN
Got it!

They fall silent for a moment, looking ahead. SONIC breaks the silence, speaking quietly.

SONIC
(Quietly)
For Knuckles.

TAILS / AMY
For Knuckles.

ROWAN
For everyone lost to us.

They fall silent again, their eyes reflective, memories of their lost friends dancing in their minds. Several moments of silence pass. They look ahead at the JASON army. The JASON army glare back, marching clumsily toward the foursome, fists clutching weapons, masks battered and bloody, clothes and flesh torn.

On SONIC, his eyes narrow, their green pupils hard and determined, his deep blue spines standing stiff and sharp on his back.

On TAILS, his eyes slick with tears, his body trembling, his tails flicking from side to side nervously.

On the masked faces of the JASON army as they march inexorably forwards. Their eyes burn with an unquenchable anger.

On AMY, the handle of the PIKO PIKO HAMMER clutched in her right hand, her pretty young face hard and vengeful.

On ROWAN, rifle held in her hands, her mouth turned downwards, her dark hair clotted with blood, her chest heaving up and down with anticipation.

On the JASON army. Dozens of boots stomp forward. Dozens of machetes, some slicked with blood, shine in the orange light of the failing sun. Dozens of white masks, each bearing the symbol of the Eggman Empire on their foreheads, many cracked and damaged.

On SONIC once more, as his eyes narrow further and his mouth opens to speak.

SONIC
LET’S BLAST THROUGH WITH SONIC SPEED!

TAILS
Okay!

AMY
Alright!

ROWAN
These sons of bitches owe me!

SONIC charges off towards the army, closely followed by TAILS, then AMY, then ROWAN. Their faces are grim, their eyes narrowed, their fists clenched.

Behind, ROUGE THE BAT watches them for a moment, and then she picks up the body of KNUCKLES, laying it carefully over her shoulder. Her dark, leathery wings begin to flap and she quickly takes off and heads into the sky, ascending rapidly, flying away from the setting sun into the darkening sky.

SONIC nears the approaching JASON army and leaps high into the air, at least 15 feet, before curling into a ball and firing towards them. He slams into one JASON, then another, then another. He ricochets through the group like a pinball, blasting randomly through the maze of bodies, sending JASONs flying in every direction. TAILS and AMY arrive a few seconds later. AMY fearlessly charges into their midst, a snarl on her face, swinging the massive PIKO PIKO HAMMER from side to side, smashing man-monsters out of the way. She begins to cut a path right through the centre of the army.

At the same time, TAILS hops onto the head of the nearest JASON and begins to hop across the crowd. As he touches down on a JASON’s bald head, his tails whip downwards like a pair of whips, striking them in their masks and often knocking them over. He heads randomly across the group, hopping this way and that across a sea of pink, malformed skulls.

ROWAN reaches the army last, and with a vengeful scream she opens fire on the crowd, concentrating on their heads. Several JASONs are struck with a flurry of bullets and hit the deck hard, their masks full of holes, their heads bleeding and wounded.

The foursome continue their attacks, getting faster and faster, striking with more power each time. The JASONs are overwhelmed by the sheer ferocity of their onslaught. If they aren’t being knocked down by a massive hammer, they’re being whipped in the face, or blasted by a blue cannonball, or simply shot in the head with a really, really big gun.

EXT. SKY – SUNSET

We see a distant, indistinct shape in the dark sky. It’s heading further and further upwards, moving against the wind, moving away from the light of the sunset, moving up into the clouds.

We pan across to see that the shape is heading for another dark mass – this one much, much larger. The shape is a massive, rocky island that appears to float just above the dark, backlit clouds. The smaller shape accelerates and begins to head towards it, breaking through the lining of dark clouds and moving out of our sight.

EXT. BATTLEFIELD – SUNSET

On the field bordering Station Square, under the dying daylight, the four survivors battle relentlessly against the army of JASONs. SONIC spinning, TAILS whipping, AMY smashing, ROWAN shooting. The four of them are on opposite corners of the group, but begin to make their way towards the centre, heading towards each other, knocking JASONs out of their way through whatever means necessary.

They reach the centre, knocking their enemies away, until only a single JASON stands between them. All four of them advance on him. ROWAN blasts him with heavy rifle fire, peppering his body with holes. The JASON staggers backwards, and is struck full force in the face by SONIC’s spin attack. He crashes to the ground. TAILS dives onto his chest, turns his back, and begins whipping his face repeatedly with his tails. The brute’s hockey mask is shattered within a few blows. The JASON shakes his head to clear it, and looks up.

JASON’S POV as he looks up into the cold, hard eyes of AMY ROSE. She’s sneering. The PIKO PIKO HAMMER is raised above her head, ready to slam down.

AMY
Say goodnight, freak show.

Still in JASON’S POV as the massive hammerhead smashes down, hitting us in the face with full force. Our vision becomes red and distorted as blood streams out of our shattered face. The hammer crashes down again and again, harder and harder, until finally there is a sickening crunch and we see nothing but black.

On AMY, breathing heavily, the PIKO PIKO HAMMER still raised above her head. She and the other three look down at the corpse before her. JASONs head has been smashed into a bloody pulp. The body isn’t moving. It’s lifeless.

ROWAN
It’s dead!

AMY
It just takes a woman’s touch, right Rowan?

TAILS
So they can be beaten after all!

SONIC
Of course they can! Everybody has a weak spot!

ROWAN
Jason’s appears to be having his head smashed to pieces.

AMY
Works for me!

The group look around at the dozens of JASONs that surround them.

ROWAN
One down, about fifty more to go.

SONIC
What are we waiting for?

The four of them launch attacks in different directions.

EXT. ANGEL ISLAND HOLY SUMMIT – SUNSET

A high aerial view. We’re looking down on a tall altar that extends up from the ground. Four stone staircases surround it, one on each side, leading down to the grassy, rocky ground. At the top of the tall shrine is the MASTER EMERALD – an enormous precious stone that glows a beautiful, radiant green, illuminating the darkened sky around it. A short distance from the shrine, the ground abruptly ends and there is nothing below but clouds. The small piece of land containing the shrine connects to the mainland of Angel Island via a long wooden bridge. We can’t be sure, but from our vantage point high above, there appears to be a small figure standing at the foot of the steps that lead up to the MASTER EMERALD.

The dark shape descends towards the MASTER EMERALD, and as it passes into the green light we see what it is: it’s ROUGE THE BAT, the lifeless body of KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA still clutched over her shoulder. ROUGE descends to land on the grass before the tall shrine.

She lays KNUCKLES down at the foot of the stairs leading up to the MASTER EMERALD, and looks down at his body. His eyes are closed. He looks peaceful. Her clothes are stained with his blood. She makes a half-hearted attempt to wipe it away, and then forgets it. She looks back down at him, her eyes hard and dry. Her expression is impossible to read.

Unseen by her, at the top of the staircase, the beautiful green glow of the MASTER EMERALD suddenly intensifies. Two balls of light emerge from deep within the massive jewel. They hover in the air for a moment, and then grow larger. They begin to take roughly humanoid shapes, but who or what they are we cannot tell.

EXT. BATTLEFIELD – SUNSET

The battle continues. We focus on SONIC and TAILS as they work together. TAILS leaps at one JASON, his arms outstretched, and tears his hockey mask off, exposing the man’s hideously deformed face. SONIC jumps at him, curls into a ball and slams into JASON’s exposed face at high speed. He spins over and over like a buzzsaw. Blood begins to fly from JASONs head as his face is torn to pieces. The freak collapses, his head a ruined mess. SONIC and TAILS high five one another.

To their surprise, the JASON begins to get to his feet. The hedgehog and the fox exchange a glance.

TAILS
He’s still ticking!

SONIC
Guess hell had no vacancies.

SONIC leaps back to the attack. TAILS goes to follow, but yelps as a pair of arms grab both of his tails from behind. He is forcibly dragged into the air. His eyes widen with fear, but then he frowns. His fists clench. With a great degree of effort, his tails begin to spin around and around. The JASON holding them like reins struggles to keep hold of them. He begins to lose his footing. TAILS gives one more concerted effort, and JASON is flipped head over heels. He does a cartwheel through the air and lands on his head. TAILS lands on the ground, unharmed.

TAILS
Phew!

Several JASONs surround him. TAILS looks around at them.

TAILS
Aw, jeez.

EXT. HOLY SUMMIT – SUNSET

ROUGE still crouches over the body of KNUCKLES, looking down at him thoughtfully, her back to the MASTER EMERALD shrine.

A figure’s POV as they walk down the steps of the shrine, heading towards the unsuspecting bat.

ROUGE continues to sit with KNUCKLES. She gasps, startled, as the voice of a young woman is heard right behind her.

YOUNG WOMAN (OS)
Rouge.

ROUGE instantly stands up and spins around, assuming a fighting stance – her eyes narrowed, her sharp teeth bared, her wings extended. As she sees who is behind her, her frown turns to a look of confusion. Her fighting stance wavers, her arms fall back to her side. 

ROUGE
Who… who are you? And how do you know my name?

We see that two figures stand at the bottom of the steps of the shrine, side by side, both looking at the body of KNUCKLES that lays on the ground.

The first figure is a young woman with pink fur, a kind face and compassionate blue eyes. She’s shorter than ROUGE is, standing a little under four feet tall. The spines on her head hang down like hair, ending just below her shoulders, the same as KNUCKLES. Unlike KNUCKLES, her spines have white bands wrapped around the ends. She appears to be an echidna, like him.

On her upper body she wears a small white garment that leaves her shoulders and stomach bare. She also wears a skirt that comes down to below her knees, decorated prettily with diamonds of various colours. There is a slit in the back of the skirt to allow her lower long, tail-like spine to stick out. Her hands wear white gloves with thick blue bracelets, and her feet wear a pair of loose sandals. She has no toes, her pink feet are rounded.

The echidna girl also wears a garland that appears to be solid gold, with a tiny blue gem in the centre.  Angular patterns are carved upon its surface. She wears a similarly grand ring around her neck and across her chest, also of engraved gold with a blue gem in the centre.

The other figure is the exact opposite of the young woman. It appears to be constructed entirely of clear blue water. Its surface ripples and shimmers. Its body is transparent. The figure is tall, maybe seven feet. Its head is arrow shaped, with one long horn-like protuberance atop its head and two more curling down from the back of it.

Its long arms end in trident-like hands with three large claws. Its feet have two clawed toes. A long, fish-like tail is on its lower back. The creatures body has no features at all, it’s simply made of blue water. The only other features are two large, piercing eyes made entirely from green light identical to the glow of the MASTER EMERALD, and a grey brain that floats in the centre of its head.

The young echidna steps forward, giving ROUGE a warm, disarming smile. She holds her hands forward in greeting.

ECHIDNA
My name is Tikal.

ROUGE
(Suspiciously)
Uh-huh. And who’s your friend here?

TIKAL
This is Chaos.

The watery being known as “CHAOS” makes no attempt at greeting.

ROUGE
Tikal and Chaos. Okay. What are you doing here? If you’ve come to take the Master Emerald, then you can leave right now.

TIKAL
Quite the opposite. We exist within the Master Emerald. We are one with its power.

ROUGE
You’re… an echidna? Like Knuckles?

TIKAL
Yes, I am.

ROUGE
I don’t understand.

TIKAL
There will be time for explanations later. Where is Knuckles?

ROUGE moves aside, her expression grim. TIKAL and CHAOS catch sight of KNUCKLES’ body. TIKAL’s face falls with sadness. CHAOS, who has no real face to speak of, remains unchanged.

TIKAL
(Sadly)
Oh my… my fears are founded after all.

ROUGE
Your fears?

TIKAL
I felt a great chill go through the Master Emerald. I hoped it was nothing, but now I see that the Master Emerald knew that it’s guardian had passed away. With his death, the last member of the great echidna race has perished from this Earth. The line of guardians has been broken.

ROUGE
(Uncertainly)
I… I’m sorry.

TIKAL
Who is responsible for this atrocity?

ROUGE
Jason Voorhees. All 50 of him. Knuckles was fighting alongside myself and Sonic and his friends, in the field bordering Station Square. We were holding our own, and then…

We get a sudden flashback to an earlier moment. KNUCKLES and ROUGE arguing, their faces contorted with anger. ROUGE’s hand flashing out to slap him across the cheek. The bloodied tip of a machete bursting through KNUCKLES’ chest.

As ROUGE recalls this, she winces. It hurts her. She continues speaking, slowly.

ROUGE
(Sadly)
… one of them snuck up on him. Stabbed him through the back. He died almost instantly.

ROUGE looks at CHAOS, startled, as its “skin” begins to ripple and bubble. She backs away a couple of steps, nervously. CHAOS begins to seemingly melt. Its body liquefies rapidly, losing shape and solidity, until the being is nothing more than a puddle on the ground. The puddle begins to shrink, being quickly absorbed into the grass, getting smaller and smaller, and after only a few seconds there is nothing left of it. TIKAL watches, her pretty blue eyes heavy with sadness.

TIKAL
I feared this would happen.

ROUGE
You feared what would happen? Where did that thing go?

TIKAL does not reply.

EXT. BATTLEFIELD – SUNSET

The battle rages on. ROWAN is firing on a group of JASONs. One of them sneaks up behind her and reaches out to grab her, but ROWAN senses it. She spins around and places the barrel of the rifle square in the psycho’s forehead, right in the centre of the Eggman logo painted on his hockey mask.

ROWAN
I don’t think so.

She fires. JASON flies backwards and hits the deck, blood streaming from multiple bullet holes in his mask. He begins to get up as ROWAN keeps attacking.

Elsewhere, TAILS is approached by another JASON. This one is carrying what appears to be a robotic arm as a weapon. TAILS’ eyes widen as he realises what it is.

TAILS
Omega’s arm!

JASON raises it into the air like a club and then swings it down towards the fox. TAILS hops backwards just in time, and the arm smashes down inches in front of him. JASON raises it again and swings it. TAILS ducks just in time. JASON swings again, this time aiming low, and TAILS leaps over it gracefully.

EXT. HOLY SUMMIT – SUNSET

ROUGE and TIKAL stand over KNUCKLES’ body.

ROUGE
Just who are you anyway? You didn’t tell me how you know my name.

As TIKAL tells her story, we see brief images of the scenes she is describing, taken right from Sonic Adventure.

TIKAL
I was the daughter of the chieftain of a tribe of echidna. My father, like the heads of every echidna tribe, sought power. He wanted domination. To my horror, he planned to violate the sacred shrine of the Master Emerald, planned to take it, along with the Chaos Emeralds, and use their power to destroy his enemies. One fateful night, he and his army stormed the shrine, killing many of the peaceful, innocent Chao that dwelled there. In doing so, they incited the wrath of Chaos, the guardian of the Chao. A great terror erupted across the land. When I awoke, Chaos was gone and my father and his men were dead. Driven by anger, increased by the power of the Chaos Emeralds, Chaos rampaged across the land, killing every member of our race that it came into contact with. I managed to trap him within the Master Emerald, its neutralising power able to contain him. I was trapped along with him. We lay dormant, imprisoned, for thousands of years.

ROUGE
So you’re a prisoner of the Emerald? Even now? But if that’s true, how can you speak to me now?

TIKAL
We are no longer imprisoned here. Chaos was freed from the anger chaining its heart by a brave hero.

ROUGE
Let me guess… Sonic the Hedgehog?

TIKAL
Yes. Do you know him?

ROUGE
I sure do. Sonic’s saved everyone a few dozen times.

TIKAL
I don’t doubt it. Once freed, myself and Chaos became one with the Master Emerald. We exist as beings of pure light. Knuckles watched over us, as the guardian of the Master Emerald and of this entire island. He spoke frequently of you.

ROUGE
He did?

TIKAL
He was very fond of you, although he didn’t put it in those exact words.

ROUGE looks down at the peaceful body of the last echidna.

ROUGE
(Sadly)
I was fond of him too. I never told him.

TIKAL
I’m sure he knew. I’m certain of it.

ROUGE
I hope he does. Our last moments together were…

The memory again, faster and more violent this time. Raised voices. A slap to the face. A spattering of blood as the blade tears through his body. ROUGE winces again, her eyes closed.

ROUGE
If it hadn’t been for me, maybe he’d still be alive now.

TIKAL
Please, don’t blame yourself for what happened. No good can come of such thought.

They are silent for a few moments. ROUGE changes the subject.

ROUGE
So where did that thing go? Chaos? What are you afraid of?

TIKAL says nothing.

INT. LUCKY DAGGER CLUB – EVENING

The room we are in is dark, almost pitch black. A door suddenly opens, allowing a stream of yellow light in. A shadowy figure steps into the room, and closes the door behind him. A second later, a lightswitch is clicked and a small bulb illuminates the room with shadowy light.

The figure is a four-foot tall creature that looks like a cross between a wolf and a weasel. It has purple fur and wears a battered brown fedora hat, brown leather gloves, brown boots, and a brown belt with a gold buckle. The wolf-weasel has a long, crooked tail that ends in a sharp point, but his most noticeable feature is a large fang protruding from his mouth. It for this reason he is named FANG.

FANG quickly heads over to the corner of the room, where a massive steel safe sits. He quickly begins to enter the combination. From outside the room, we hear a gruff, deep voice speak.

DEEP VOICE (OS)
That’d better be a real Chaos Emerald you got there, weasel, or I’ll rip that fang out of your mouth and shove it up your-

FANG
Hey, hey, relax, buddy! It’s a real Chaos Emerald, don’t worry! I stole… er, found it myself!

There is a click as the lock releases, and he pulls open the door. There’s another, smaller safe inside. FANG reaches in and fiddles with the lock, quickly twisting it left and right to enter the combination. In a few seconds there is another click, and the door opens. Inside is a third safe, this one even smaller. FANG reaches in and pulls it out, and begins to open it.

DEEP VOICE (OS)
What are you doing in there? You’d better not be ripping me off!

FANG
I’m just getting the Chaos Emerald for you!

He mutters under his breath as he fiddles with the lock. Finally, it clicks. FANG pulls open the safe. His eyes widen as water splashes out, soaking his fur. He peers into the small safe. There is nothing inside. The interior is coated with water. FANG’s eyes widen with surprise.

FANG
(Shocked)
What the… where did it go?

He shakes the safe back and forth and then holds it upside down, hoping against hope for a shiny CHAOS EMERALD to fall out. It doesn’t. Only droplets of water.

DEEP VOICE (OS)
If you don’t come out here in 10 seconds, I’m coming in! And I’d better see a Chaos Emerald!

FANG’s eyes widen and he shakes the safe violently.

FANG
(Desperately)
I don’t understand! It was here!

He turns around, eyes wide, as he hears the door open and then close. The shadow of an extremely large man falls over him. We don’t see the man. FANG looks up at him, grinning sheepishly. He chuckles nervously.

FANG
The funniest thing just happened…

EXT. BATTLEFIELD – SUNSET

Back on the battlefield, AMY is swinging away with the PIKO PIKO HAMMER, smashing JASONs away. She knocks one down with a shot to the gut, and then hops into the air and brings the hammer crashing down on the top of another’s head. Each blow sends a sprinkling of pink hearts into the air. AMY lands and swings at another JASON, but the brute catches the hammerhead with both hands. AMY tries to pull the hammer free, but it won’t budge. She frowns angrily at the masked man.

AMY
Hey! Let go of my hammer!

JASON suddenly jerks the hammer upwards. AMY, still holding the handle with both hands, goes with it. JASON begins to spin around, the hammer and AMY spinning with it, like a mask-wearing, bloodstained Olympian. AMY squeals with terror as she spins faster and faster. After building up a great degree of momentum, JASON lets go of the hammer. The hammer – and AMY – hurtle into the air and soar across the crowd. She finally comes to a hard landing head-first on the ground some distance away. She sits up, dazed, and puts a hand to her head. Her white glove comes away stained with blood.

AMY shakes her head, a little woozy, and stands up slowly. She stumbles slightly, and then heads back towards the battle, PIKO PIKO HAMMER in hand.

Elsewhere, SONIC is fighting several JASONs at once. One of them aims a machete swing at him. SONIC somersaults backwards, avoiding the shot, and slams into a JASON that stands behind him. He bounces forward and collides with the machete-holding JASON, who drops his weapon and stumbles backwards. SONIC bounces into the air, spinning all the while, and then heads toward another JASON, this one carrying a large steel pipe. This one sees him coming, and as SONIC races towards him, he swings the pipe with devastating power. The pipe smashes into the spinning hedgehog with a painful crack, and the result is like a bat hitting a baseball. SONIC soars up into he air, to a height of 30 feet or more. As he reaches this height, he uncurls and flattens out. He looks dazed. He hurtles downwards, gaining speed, and hits the ground hard. He gets up, hurt. JASONs approach him from every side. SONIC frowns, and goes right back to the attack.

INT. OFFICE OF CHAOTIX DETECTIVE AGENCY – EVENING

The office of TEAM CHAOTIX – a single, cluttered, untidy room – is populated by four figures. All four of them are animals. The first and tallest is a large green crocodile, maybe six feet tall. He wears a gold chain around his neck. He is VECTOR THE CROCODILE.

The second figure is just above four feet in height and has purple skin, a horny, crowned head like a Triceratops, a yellow horn in place of a nose and a long, thin tail that is curled into a spiral. He is ESPIO THE CHAMELEON.

The third figure is a small bee that floats a few feet off the floor. His fur is yellow and black striped. He wears a red helmet on his head and an orange jacket. A large, venomous stinger is on his backside. He is CHARMY BEE.

The fourth figure is a female fox with lime green fur. She has blue eyes. She wears a blue shirt that reveals her stomach and red trousers. She smiles warmly at the other three. She is CHELSEA THE FOX.

CHELSEA
(Sweetly)
Vector, Charmy, Espio, thank you so much for helping me.

CHARMY grins excitedly. ESPIO, grim-faced as usual, does not change his expression. VECTOR shrugs, a smile on his long snout.

VECTOR
It’s all in a day’s work for Team Chaotix, ma’am.

CHARMY
Where’s our reward?!

VECTOR glares at the bee angrily.

VECTOR
Charmy!

The croc grins at CHELSEA apologetically.

VECTOR
I’m sorry about him. He’s a little…

ESPIO
Brain-damaged.

CHARMY
Speak for yourself, Horny!

CHELSEA
That’s quite alright. In fact, I do have a reward for you. A very special one.

All three members of the team lean closer to her.

VECTOR
Really?

CHARMY
I knew it! Pay up, lady!

CHELSEA reaches into a pocket and pulls out a magnificent jewel. It’s green, and it glows beautifully with an internal light. All three members of TEAM CHAOTIX stare at it, mouths open.

ESPIO
(Exclaiming)
Spirits unite!

CHARMY
Holy moly, that’s a-

VECTOR
Chaos Emerald!

CHELSEA
I found it during my travels. I’d be happy to give it to you in payment of your help.

ESPIO
You would be foolish to relinquish such a treasure.

VECTOR
Quiet, Espio! We’ll take it!

CHARMY
Yay! We got a Chaos Emerald! We got a Chaos Emerald!

CHARMY snatches it from CHELSEA’s hand and flies around the room with it, circling them a few times. The pretty young fox giggles.

CHARMY
Look at me! I’m Shadow!

He assumes a moody frown and holds the gem aloft with both hands. His hands are too small to fit it in one.

CHARMY
Chaos… Control!

Nothing happens. CHARMY’s face is one of disappointment.

CHARMY
Aw, tulips!

VECTOR and CHELSEA laugh. ESPIO doesn’t. They are interrupted as the window of their office suddenly explodes inwards with a deafening crash. Water rushes in, quickly flooding the room. VECTOR is up to his waist in it, CHELSEA and ESPIO up to their necks. CHARMY buzzes to the top of the room. In doing so, he drops the CHAOS EMERALD. It falls into the water and sinks beneath the surface, disappearing from sight.

VECTOR / CHARMY / ESPIO / CHELSEA
The Chaos Emerald!

As quickly as it rose, the water level begins to lower. Water seeps out of every exit. In only a few moments, the water is gone. The four look around the drenched room, confused. VECTOR shrugs at CHELSEA, who is dripping wet and looks thoroughly miserable about it.

VECTOR
Well, you don’t see that every day.

ESPIO
The Chaos Emerald. It’s gone!

VECTOR
WHAT?!

The four of them scan the floor. The CHAOS EMERALD is indeed gone.

VECTOR
Where did it go?

CHARMY
The water stole it!

ESPIO
Don’t be ridiculous, Charmy.

CHELSEA suddenly explodes into a violent rage, to the surprise of TEAM CHAOTIX.

CHELSEA
(Angrily)
WHAT THE HECK IS GOING ON HERE?! FIRST I GET SOAKED AND NOW THE CHAOS EMERALD IS GONE?! YOU’D BETTER FIND IT, YOU IDIOTS! JUST WHAT KIND OF PLUMBING DO YOU HAVE IN THIS PLACE ANYWAY?!

VECTOR, ESPIO and CHARMY exchange worried glances as the fox seethes with rage.

EXT. BATTLEFIELD – SUNSET

The seemingly endless struggle continues. We focus on ROWAN as she dodges attacks athletically, firing bursts of assault rifle fire when she has the chance. She blasts one in the chest, knocking him down. She quickly shoves the rifle right in his face and pulls the trigger. Click. Out of ammo. ROWAN’s eyes widen, and she back-pedals as the JASON begins to get up. She fumbles in her jacket pocket for another clip, and slams it into the rifle. She takes aim again, but is suddenly grabbed from behind. She struggles to get away. A JASON has got his hands on her jacket. He jerks his arm backwards, and a loud ripping sound is heard. The jacket is torn right off. ROWAN spins around and shoves the rifle into her attacker’s face.

ROWAN
Luckily for me, G.U.N. cut corners with their uniforms!

She pulls the trigger, and a barrage of bullets tear the JASON’s mask and face to pieces.

ROWAN
Not quite so lucky for you, though.

She continues firing on the JASONs around her.

Elsewhere, SONIC, TAILS and AMY are all fighting various JASONs. AMY leaps up and smashes one in the face with the PIKO PIKO HAMMER. He staggers back but doesn’t fall over. AMY hits him in the stomach, and he doubles over, lowering his head. AMY swings at it again, cracking the hammer right across his skull. JASON falls backwards with a crash. AMY stands over him and raises the hammer above her head.

AMY
Night night!

She gasps as JASON’s arm rockets up and clutches her around the throat. She drops the handle of the hammer. JASON begins to get up, his hand gripping her throat. AMY is choking. She batters her hands at JASON’s arm, but her blows have no effect.

A short distance away, SONIC is battling with another JASON. He turns around and happens to catch sight of AMY, being choked. His eyes widen.

SONIC
Amy!

Ignoring his current opponent, he dashes towards AMY. He dives into the air and curls into a spinning ball. He sails over AMY, narrowly missing her, and slams right into the JASONs face. The JASON stumbles backwards, releasing his grip. He teeters back and forth, rapidly losing his balance. He takes a step backwards, and trips over the PIKO PIKO HAMMER. He crashes to the ground hard.

SONIC turns to AMY and puts a hand on her shoulder. She’s coughing and choking, both hands clutched to her throat.

SONIC
(Concerned)
Amy, are you alright?

AMY responds by throwing her arms around him and hugging him with all of her might. Both of her eyes are closed. She still wheezes slightly, but she’s got her breath back. SONIC looks decidedly uncomfortable. He looks around, the movement of his neck restricted by AMY’s bearhug. Several JASONs are heading towards them.

SONIC
(Being squeezed)
Amy… this isn’t the best time!

AMY opens her eyes and looks to either side. She sees the JASONs. She turns her head back towards SONIC. Their noses are almost touching, they’re so close. AMY suddenly leans forward and plants a soft kiss on his lips. SONIC’s eyes widen with surprise.

SONIC
(Stammering)
Wh-wh-what was that for?!

AMY smiles tenderly, her arms still looped around his neck.

AMY
(Sweetly)
For luck, silly.

She releases him and turns away to face a bunch of JASONs. SONIC watches her, smiling.

SONIC
(To himself)
She can be really sweet sometimes.

Facing away from him, AMY raises the PIKO PIKO HAMMER and waves it threateningly at the JASONs.

AMY
(Angrily)
All right, you primitive screwheads, listen up! See this? This is my PANCAKE MAKER!

She gives a primal scream and charges towards them, and begins clobbering them with the hammer. A “bik” noise and a sprinkling of hearts accompany each blow. SONIC watches for a moment, and then turns away. Several JASONs stand watching him, their hands clenching and unclenching, their chests heaving up and down, their eyes narrowed and glaring right at him. SONIC grins in spite of the odds.

SONIC
Well, what are we waiting for?

He leaps into action, smashing into the JASONs with a spin attack, sending them scattering. SONIC lands on his feet behind them. TAILS is several meters away, fighting with a bunch of JASONs, dodging their attacks nimbly and attacking with the odd tail whip or kick. SONIC shouts over to him.

SONIC
You doing okay, buddy?

TAILS whips out his tails in both directions, sending the JASONs in front of him falling to the ground. He turns to SONIC and shoots him a quick thumbs up. He yells back.

TAILS
Doing great!

SONIC returns the thumbs up.

SONIC
Keep it up!

The two of them are attacked by a JASON on either side. Both carry machetes. As SONIC battles with his, TAILS leaps straight up into the air. His tails spin into a propeller and he begins to fly up into the air like a furry helicopter. He ascends a short distance, and then suddenly moves his spinning tails so they are below him. He descends rapidly, heading right for JASON. He slams into JASON’s head propeller-first. The result is like a buzzsaw – a harsh drilling sound is heard and chunks of fibreglass so flying. The hockey mask is shattered, and the face is next. Blood begins to pour as JASON’s face is smashed and splintered. TAILS stops whirring and lands on the ground. The JASON falls to the ground, his face a bloody mess. He isn’t moving.

TAILS turns around and calls over to SONIC.

TAILS
(Excitedly)
Hey, Sonic! I got one!

SONIC doesn’t hear him. He hits his JASON with a spin attack to the stomach, sending him rolling away.

TAILS (OS)
Sonic! Sonic! Look! I got one!

SONIC smiles and turns around to look over at his friend. His eyes suddenly open wide with fear. We see what he sees: TAILS standing several meters away, a triumphant look on his face, his tails wagging from side to side, his arms waving and gesturing for SONIC’s attention. Behind him, unnoticed by the fox, the JASON with a bloody face is standing up. He still grips a sharp, steel machete in his right hand.

SONIC
Tails! Behind you!

TAILS grins.

TAILS
I know! I got him!

SONIC watches with horror as the JASON regains his footing. He towers over the unaware fox. His bloody face slowly leans forward, and he looks down at the small creature in front of him. We see a close-up of his bloodshot, bulging eye, coated in thick blood, as it narrows with anger. He slowly raises his right arm, machete in hand. SONIC’s mouth drops open. He’s still several meters away.

The next sequence is entirely in slow-motion:

SONIC breaks into a run and begins heading for TAILS, eyes wide with fear.

JASON’s arm raises to its highest. The machete is held above his head.

JASON’s leering face glares down at the fox. A single droplet of blood dislodges from his broken face. We follow it as it travels downwards. It comes to a landing on the top of TAILS’ orange head.

TAILS’ face as he frowns, confused, and turns his head. He sees JASON right behind him, and his face contorts into a mask of fear. His eyes travel upwards to the machete, still raised above JASON’s head, ready to strike.

SONIC running, his feet pounding the ground rhythmically, moving rapidly, his face wearing a similar expression of terror.

JASON’s arm as it begins to move downwards, in a swinging motion.

The tip of the razor-sharp machete as it gleams in the orange light of the sunset.

SONIC running, his eyes screaming with desperation.

TAILS’ face, his eyes wide and damp, his mouth open slightly, powerless to do anything other than watch.

The gleaming machete cutting through the air, heading right for the young fox’s head.

SONIC leaping into the air, arms outstretched, sailing right for them.

We blast back into full motion as SONIC smashes into TAILS less than a second before the machete impacts with the fox’s skull. The two of them hit the ground hard and roll for a few feet before coming to a stop. TAILS quickly stands up and looks at SONIC. SONIC stands up a moment later, a little slower. He’s winded.

TAILS
(Near speechless)
Sonic…

SONIC
(Breathlessly)
You… okay?

TAILS looks down at himself. Aside from a few patches of dried blood from the CYCLONE explosion, he’s unharmed. He looks back up at SONIC, his face still bearing an expression of shock.

TAILS
(Shocked)
I… I’m fine.

SONIC
(Breathlessly)
Good… good…

He suddenly drops to one knee and steadies himself with one hand. He begins to breathe heavily, his eyes closed. TAILS looks concerned.

TAILS
(Worried)
Sonic? Are you alright?

SONIC
(Breathlessly)
I’m fine… just a little… out of breath…

TAILS stands next to him and puts an arm around him to steady him. He suddenly jerks his arm away and stares at his hand. It’s covered with fresh, warm blood. He stares at his stained white glove for a moment, and then his baffled gaze moves over to SONIC.

TAILS
Sonic… you… you’re…

SONIC suddenly tumbles forward, landing face-first on the grass. TAILS looks down at him. We see what he sees. A large, deep stab wound right in the centre of SONIC’s back, between two of his large blue spines. Fresh blood is seeping out of it. The fur on his back is stained a deep, vital purple.

TAILS
(Horrified)
Sonic? Sonic?!

SONIC doesn’t respond. He doesn’t move. TAILS grabs him by the shoulders and shakes him violently.

TAILS
(Desperately)
SONIC!

SONIC doesn’t move.

TAILS looks down at him for a moment, eyes wide and wet. He looks around. Several JASONs are approaching slowly. One of them has a bloodied face and carries a bloodstained machete. TAILS looks around at them, face blank, and then looks back at SONIC. The JASONs get closer, but TAILS doesn’t even appear to register them.

TAILS
(Almost silently)
Sonic?

SONIC doesn’t move. The purple stain on his back is spreading steadily outwards. TAILS stares at it silently, transfixed. The JASONs get steadily closer. TAILS doesn’t notice.

One of then suddenly falls over, and we see that ROWAN stands behind him. She sees TAILS, and sees the mass of JASONs only a few feet away from him. Her eyes widen.

ROWAN
Miles! Look out!

TAILS doesn’t hear her. ROWAN opens fire on the JASONs, aiming at their heads. One by one the JASONs are knocked away, riddled with bullet holes. ROWAN charges over to TAILS and crouches down beside him.

ROWAN
Miles? What-

She notices SONIC lying face-down on the ground next to him, not moving. Her breath catches in her throat.

ROWAN
(Stunned)
Oh… my God… … …is… he…

TAILS looks into her eyes. His own eyes are the size of saucers, their baby blue pupils tiny islands amid a tide of tears that threatens to burst any second. His lip trembles like a bass line. His voice is quiet and weak.

TAILS
(Quietly)
I… I… I…

A few moments of silence pass. It is broken by a shrill female scream, off-screen.

AMY (OS)
(Terrified)
SONIIIIIIC!

AMY charges over and falls to her knees beside SONIC, her face sparking with fear.

AMY
SONIC! SONIC!

She rolls him over so he lays on his back. His eyes are closed. A small trickle of blood runs out of his mouth. He’s still. AMY screams into his expressionless face.

AMY
(Desperately)
SONIC! WAKE UP! SONIC! PLEASE!

SONIC doesn’t move.

ROWAN looks around her. Dozens of JASONs, maybe more, are converging on their position, their eyes aflame with hatred, their minds burning with a lust for violence, their hands gripping machetes and other sharp, lethal objects tightly. They’re coming from every direction and are rapidly getting closer. ROWAN looks around at them, eyes wide, and then looks to TAILS and AMY, who stare with wide, tearful eyes at their unmoving companion.

ROWAN
Guys! They’re coming!

TAILS and AMY turn around and survey the approaching ripple of death with numb faces and dead eyes. ROWAN looks around at the JASONs, her face afraid, but her fear is quickly vanquished as a monstrous scowl consumes her beautiful features. She raises the assault rifle in her hands and snarls.

ROWAN
FUCK YOU ALL!!!

She opens fire on them with full force, swinging the rifle all around her. Bullets slam into dozens of JASONs, knocking them back, making them bleed, making them fall. More and more keep coming. Some are uniformed, many with smashed or broken masks and bloodied, torn clothing. Some are naked and their putrid flesh is covered with warts and growths and the occasional bullet hole. Some of the JASONs have large, square indents in their chests or on their backs, the result of being stomped by the CYCLONE. Some JASONs are burned or blasted, others have round wounds or puncture marks or large bruises from a hammer impact. Despite their hundreds of injuries, the litres of blood lost, the JASONs are all just as strong as they were when they emerged from their glass tubes. Every one of them is JASON VOORHEES, and like their originator, they will not die.

ROWAN turns around and around, keeping the advancing crowd at bay with bullets. The air is alive with the deafening sound of rifle fire. Empty shell casings flee the weapon like lemmings and tinkle to the grass beside her feet.

TAILS and AMY watch, silent and stunned, as JASON after JASON falls to the ground, riddled with bullets, and then slowly gets back up. Every one knocked down is replaced by another. Every JASON in the field is advancing on them, with no other targets to draw their attention and spread them out.

On ROWAN’s face, snarling, eyes sparkling with fury.
On TAILS and AMY, watching dumbly.
On SONIC, as he lays motionless and silent on his back nearby, his eyes closed.
On the advancing JASONs as they are riddled with bullets but keep coming regardless.
On the barrel of the assault rifle in ROWAN’s hands as it discharges round after round.

Click.

ROWAN looks down at the rifle, dumbstruck, as it stops firing with a clicking sound. She pulls on the trigger. Click. She pulls the trigger again. Click. Again. Click. Again. Click. Again, again, again. Click, click, click.

She suddenly snaps back to reality and one of her hands reaches around to her side. It comes into contact with nothing. ROWAN thinks for a moment, and then her eyes widen with horror.

ROWAN
(Quietly, to herself)
My jacket…

A quick flash of an earlier scene, as ROWAN struggles to get free of a JASON’s grasp, tearing her jacket off in the process.

ROWAN
(Quietly, to herself, with dawning horror)
The extra clips were in my jacket…

She looks around at the advancing army, bloodstained and bullet-ridden and a little slow but otherwise none the worse for wear.

ROWAN
(Dully)
Oh… shit…

She drops the assault rifle. It clatters to the ground among the empty shell casings. ROWAN backs away slowly, to stand next to TAILS and AMY, who still haven’t moved an inch. ROWAN looks around. The JASONs are approaching from every angle, their circle getting tighter as they stumble forwards. Behind every JASON is another JASON, and behind that JASON is yet another JASON. There is no break in the circle.

ROWAN
(Numbly)
There’s… there’s no way out…

ROWAN turns her head to look down at TAILS, who is frozen in place.

ROWAN
Miles! You have to get us out of here!

TAILS slowly tilts his head to look at her. His eyes are hard and unseeing. He doesn’t move or say a word. ROWAN’s face assumes a pleading expression.

ROWAN
(Desperately)
Miles, please! You have to do something! Miles!

TAILS stares at her dumbly. He doesn’t say a word.

The JASONs advance. They’re only a few meters away now, and the flaming hose down they received from ROWAN has done nothing to cool them down.

On ROWAN and TAILS as they stare at each other, TAILS’ eyes blank, ROWAN’s begging.

Behind them, out of focus, a blue shape rises slowly from the grass.

On the JASON army as they advance ever closer.

On ROWAN and TAILS, locked in a stalemate of gazes. ROWAN speaks, quietly, pleadingly.

ROWAN
Miles… please…

She suddenly falls silent and her gaze falls to the ground. Her mouth drops open.

On TAILS and AMY, also open-mouthed, as their eyes follow something in front of them. It moves past them.

A shot from behind as SONIC THE HEDGEHOG walks slowly forward and stops a few feet short of the approaching JASON’s.

On his face, weary and pained, the peach-coloured fur of his muzzle dyed red with blood. His mouth slowly curves into a smile. The smile widens into a grin. He looks up at the approaching JASONs. Their vengeful eyes are fixed on him.

SONIC
(Sarcastically)
Ouch!

TAILS, AMY and ROWAN watch, dumbfounded, their jaws practically at their feet, as SONIC begins to SPIN DASH on the spot, revving up, getting faster and faster. In moments he is a spinning buzzsaw of purest blue. He holds it for a second longer, and then blasts off. He smashes into one JASON, another, another, another, sending them flying into the air and crashing backwards through hoards of their own brethren. The falling bodies are like dominoes. As the others watch with open mouths, the entire army is knocked to the ground.

SONIC lands on the ground, breathing heavily, and looks over at the others, who stare back.

SONIC
Move!

On his command, they seem to snap back to reality. ROWAN, TAILS and AMY begin to run after him, dodging through the maze of fallen JASONs. Many of them are getting back up. SONIC spins on ahead, smashing them out of the way, clearing a path for his friends. Several JASONs close in on them from the side as they run, threatening to crush them like a trash compactor. SONIC spins towards them, striking one, and quickly moves in a complete circle, smashing each and every JASON in turn, sending them hurtling into the air. The group continue running. Only one JASON stands in front of them now, clutching a machete, ready to strike. SONIC charges at him with everything he has and dives, curling into a ball and streaking towards him. He smashes into the JASONs chest and goes right through it, tearing through his body and emerging from the other side. The other JASON looks down at the massive circular hole in his chest, and then falls to the ground. TAILS, AMY and ROWAN hop over his body and continue running. SONIC has ran on ahead, some distance away, and has now stopped.

The others charge towards him as quickly as they can. The JASONs behind them begin to pursue, slowly. It will take them some time to catch up. TAILS, AMY and ROWAN finally catch up with SONIC, who is standing facing away from them. The purple stain on his back is even larger now. He’s still bleeding from the deep stab wound. TAILS and AMY step towards him, concerned.

AMY
(Concerned)
Sonic?

SONIC suddenly collapses. His legs buckle under him and he crumples to the ground to lie in a heap. TAILS and AMY quickly bend down to help him. They roll him onto his back and straighten him out.

AMY
Sonic…

TAILS
Are you okay?

SONIC
(Quietly)
I don’t think I am, buddy…

TAILS and AMY sit down beside him, one on either side. They look at him with utter devotion, tears in their eyes. TAILS breaks eye contact with his best friend and stares downwards.

TAILS
Sonic… that wound… it was meant for me.

SONIC
Hey, don’t worry about that, Tails.

TAILS
I was stupid. I turned my back. I…

SONIC
Of all the words I could think to describe you, little buddy, “stupid” isn’t one of them.

TAILS
I…

He can’t think of anything to say. ROWAN, standing nearby, is looking over at the approaching JASON army. They’re still some distance away, but they’re getting steadily closer.

ROWAN
Guys, they’re still coming.

SONIC chuckles weakly.

SONIC
Wouldn’t expect anything less of Jason Voorhees.

As ROWAN watches, a swarm of small, round objects suddenly appear on the horizon. From this distance, silhouetted against the dark sky, they look like a swarm of bees. ROWAN watches as they get closer and begin to descend on the army of JASONs.

ROWAN
It’s G.U.N… their second attack. More tiny robots. Pathetic.

The swarm of GUN BEETLES hits the JASONs and the two groups begin battling, the JASONs swiping at the small flying robots with their fists or machetes, the GUN BEETLES firing weak hovering this way and that, firing weak laser blasts or bursts of machinegun fire at the killing machines. ROWAN watches, shaking her head.

ROWAN
Useless.

SONIC
Hey, it gives us a bit of time alone, doesn’t it?

SONIC rests his head back on the ground and closes his eyes. TAILS and AMY’s eyes widen to bursting point.

AMY
(Terrified)
Sonic?!

SONIC opens his eyes again and smiles up at them with a bloody mouth.

SONIC
I’m here, Amy.

TAILS
Sonic, we need to get you out of here. Get you to a hospital.

AMY
Tails is right! Come on!

SONIC looks them in the eyes, first AMY, then TAILS. He doesn’t say a word. TAILS and AMY’s eyes fill with tears as they come to understand him. SONIC smiles, his eyes half-closed. His voice is getting weaker and quieter.

SONIC
Guys… I’m not going anywhere.

TAILS
(Tearfully)
But… you… you’ve been…

AMY
(Tearfully)
Hurt! You’ve been hurt! We… we…

SONIC
That’s right. I have been hurt. Badly hurt. That poker of his went through a couple of organs before I got loose.

TAILS
Sonic… what…

AMY
What are you saying…

SONIC
Tails… Amy…I don’t think I’m coming back from this adventure…

Tears begin to trickle down TAILS and AMY’s faces, leaving a wet trail down their furry cheeks.

SONIC
Aw, don’t do that. Please.

AMY attempts to speak, but the words won’t come out. She finally gives a loud sob. She turns her head and covers her face with her hands. Her shoulders shake up and down. She’s crying, hard. SONIC reaches out and takes one of her hands in his. She turns back towards him, tears streaming from her eyes. With his other hand, SONIC takes hold of TAILS’ hand. He holds them both tight and looks up at them. TAILS is struggling to maintain his composure. Tears trickle from his blue eyes.

SONIC
Don’t cry, guys.

TAILS
(Tearfully)
Sonic… we can get you out of here… get some help…

SONIC
It’s too late, Tails. I don’t have much time. I can feel it.

TAILS
(Crying)
But… but…

He bursts into tears, as does AMY, and the two of them collapse onto him, their arms locked around him, their heads resting on his chest. SONIC reaches around with both of his arms and wraps them around them. The three of them are locked together. SONIC’s eyes are glistening with tears, but he doesn’t cry. TAILS and AMY sob quietly.

SONIC
(Quietly)
Tails… Amy… listen to me. Please, stop crying.

TAILS and AMY manage to get themselves under control. Their breath hitches in their throats, their chests rise and fall rapidly. They continue to cling to him.

SONIC
I have things I need to say. Come on, sit up.

TAILS and AMY slowly, reluctantly release their grip on him and sit up. SONIC takes their hands in his again. He looks up at TAILS and smiles. His emerald-green eyes shimmer. TAILS eyes stare back. The two gazes are locked together intently, a look between two eternal friends. Their unbreakable bond can be felt in the short space between them.

SONIC
You know… when I first met you, back on Westside Island… I let you tag along with me. I didn’t figure you’d be of much help to me… I just thought you’d be safer off with me than by yourself. You were just a little kid back then, a scared little fox. But I was wrong about you… you were more than a kid. You showed so much courage… you helped me so many times… and by the time that adventure was over, I considered you my best friend.

TAILS listens, silently, the bond between the two stronger than ever.

SONIC
In the time we’ve spent together, I’ve come to respect you as a friend, as an equal, not as a kid brother, a pest who chases on my heels all day. You do things that I could never dream of, and if it weren’t for you I would have failed where together we succeeded.

TAILS
(Tearfully)
Sonic…

SONIC
Please… let me finish. Tails… in your heart… you’ve always wanted to be the hero. You’ve always wanted to be just like me, to be respected and admired. You’ve made it your mission, right from the first day we met, to try and be my equal, to be worthy of being my friend. I just want to say that you don’t have to try. You’re already there. You are a hero. You are my equal, and I’m so proud of you.

TAILS smiles, a smile of pure gratitude. Tears spill out of his eyes and he raises an arm to wipe them away.

TAILS
(Crying)
Thank you…

He trails off, unable to find words. SONIC turns his head to look up at AMY, whose eyes are swimming with warm tears. Their green eyes meet, and SONIC smiles. AMY smiles back, sadly.

SONIC
Amy…

AMY
(Tearfully)
Sonic… please… you can’t…

She breaks eye contact and looks down, beginning to cry again. SONIC gently strokes the back of her hand with his thumb. He looks up at her.

SONIC
Amy, please, look at me.

AMY wipes her eyes and looks back at him, her breathing ragged, her eyes shining.

SONIC
One day… you’re going to make someone very, very happy.

AMY
(Crying)
Sonic… don’t… please…

SONIC
Listen to me. You’re going to find someone, someone who loves you, and you’re going to be very happy. It may not seem that way now, but I promise you, it will happen.
 
AMY’s crying intensifies. She’s sobbing now, her breaking heart finding a voice through her mouth.

AMY
(Sobbing)
Please… no…

SONIC
Whoever the lucky guy is, you’re going to make him very, very happy.

AMY
(Sobbing)
Son… I… love…

SONIC
Shhhh. Shh. You’re so young now. You have your whole life ahead of you.

AMY
(Sobbing)
No… stop…

SONIC
I need to apologise to you. You’ve been chasing me all this time, and every time you’ve caught me I’ve run away again. I don’t know how that made you feel, and if I ever made you feel unwanted, then I’m sorry. I… I do love you, Amy.

At hearing those words, AMY’s sobs gain even more strength. She buries her head on his shoulder and begins to cry her eyes out. SONIC puts a hand on the back of her head and gently strokes her pink hair.

SONIC
But the things you wanted… marriage… babies… they aren’t the things I want from life. And I’m not sure they’re the things you want from life, either. You’re twelve years old. You’re not a child, and please don’t think that’s what I’m saying. But you’re too young to understand what these things mean. I am too, and that’s why I ran from you.

AMY
(Sobbing)
Sonic… I… I…

SONIC
Just promise me one thing, Amy… when you’re all grown up, and you’re married to some great guy, and you’re living in a little cottage in the countryside and you’ve got tiny little baby Amy’s running around… when you put them to bed at night… and they ask for a story… tell them about me. Maybe about the time I had to race Metal Sonic to rescue you. Or when you rescued me from prison, you remember that?

AMY nods wordlessly, her face still buried in his shoulder, her body shaking with sobs.

SONIC
You know, I hear Shadow is single…

AMY continues to sob on his shoulder. SONIC looks up at TAILS, who watches the two of them, his eyes streaked with tears. They meet eyes for a moment, and then TAILS nods. He leans down and puts a comforting hand on AMY’s shoulder.

SONIC
It’s okay, Amy. Don’t cry. Sit up.

AMY slowly gets off of him, her sobs quieting to sniffles, and sits back beside him. A few moments of silence pass. TAILS and AMY sniffle loudly. SONIC breaks the silence.

SONIC
I need you to give a message to Eggman. Tell him… tell him I don’t hate him. I never hated him. I pity him. These plans… these attempts at world domination… he’s just… lonely. He’s never had a friend, never had somebody care for him. The Eggman Empire… it’s just his way of being noticed, his way of feeling important. Tell him I hope he finds something else… someone to care about, someone who cares for him, something else to believe in. He went too far this time… and it’s all gone wrong. In a perfect world, none of this would have happened. Jason Voorhees… he doesn’t belong here. He doesn’t belong anywhere. I stopped him, stopped his rage, put him to rest… it should have ended there. Maybe this disaster… maybe this is what he needs to wake up. Will you tell him what I said?

TAILS and AMY nod wordlessly. A few moments of silence pass, and TAILS summons up the will to speak, his voice scratched and weak.

TAILS
Sonic… what are we going to do? About… about Jason? He… they…

SONIC
How are they doing, Rowan?

We see ROWAN, standing a short distance away, facing away from them. She’s crying. She’s heard every word spoken. She takes a deep breath and attempts a normal tone of voice, but her sorrow is audible. She doesn’t turn to face him. She looks out at the battlefield, a sea of masked faces and metallic blobs that occasionally flashes with a laser blast or a small explosion.

ROWAN
Those peashooters haven’t made a dent.

Back on SONIC, TAILS and AMY.

SONIC
Trust G.U.N. to do a good job as always. Guess it’s up to the real heroes now.

He looks at TAILS and AMY in turn, smiling. Their teary eyes widen.

TAILS
I… I… how are we…

SONIC
You’ll find a way to put this right, Tails. I know you will.

TAILS
But I… I can’t! You… you’re the…

SONIC
Little buddy, if you believed in yourself half as much as I believe in you, I’d be your sidekick.

TAILS laughs in spite of himself, a sound equal parts joy and misery. SONIC’s eyes suddenly flutter to a close. He falls still. TAILS and AMY’s face contort with horror. They lean over him, tears pouring out of them like waterfalls. TAILS shakes him by the shoulders. SONIC’s eyes flutter halfway open. He looks up at them and smiles sleepily.

TAILS
Sonic… please… not yet. Please, don’t leave us. Please.

SONIC
(Weakly)
My time on this world is up, guys.

TAILS and AMY begin to cry again, the tears never more than a second away from their eyes. SONIC regards them sadly, his own eyes glistening too.

SONIC
Don’t be so sad.

TAILS
(Crying)
Sonic… aren’t you afraid?

SONIC smiles and shakes his head slowly.

SONIC
Have I ever been afraid? Besides, we’ll see each other again someday. I know we will.

TAILS begins to sob loudly. This sets AMY off again. The two of them bawl loudly.

TAILS
(Sobbing)
Promise… me…

SONIC
I promise. I’ll be seeing both of you again. Probably a lot sooner than you think.

AMY
(Sobbing)
You… you don’t… know that…

SONIC
I know it. Besides… I can’t let Knuckles have all the fun. Bet he thinks he got rid of me, getting killed like that! Guys, please, don’t cry. I don’t want my last sight of you to be sad. Smile at me.

TAILS and AMY stop crying, their sobs dying down. They dig down deep and weak, sad smiles spread across their faces. Their eyes are red from crying, and fresh tears continue to force their way out. SONIC smiles up at them.

SONIC
That’s better. That’s quite enough mushy stuff for one night.

He suddenly begins to get to his feet. It causes him a great deal of pain. The ground where he has been laying is covered with thick blood. TAILS and AMY, surprised, take his arms and help him stand. SONIC turns his head from side to side to smile at them.

SONIC
Thank-you. For everything.

They let go of him, and he stands by himself. He looks over his shoulder, and his eyes meet with ROWAN’s. SONIC gives her a nod, his eyes full of respect. ROWAN nods back. SONIC begins to walk forward, slowly. TAILS and AMY watch.

TAILS
Sonic… where are you going?

SONIC
I have one more friend I need to say goodbye to.

AMY
So… is this… goodbye?

SONIC
Nah. Let’s just leave it at “see you soon”.

He continues walking, moving quicker now, his legs more sturdy. TAILS and AMY watch, crying softly. After several steps, SONIC looks back at them, a smile on his face.

SONIC
Remember what I said. Both of you.

With that, he begins to walk away. His pace gets quicker, and soon he is jogging. His legs begin to move faster and faster, his red-sneakered feet padding against the ground quicker and quicker. Now he’s running, accelerating faster and faster, heading across the field, away from Station Square, away from the ongoing clamour of battle, away from his friends.

Faster and faster, his arms pumping from side to side, his legs a blur beneath him. He rushes into a forest and darts through the trees, all the while accelerating. In seconds he has cleared the forest. A wide, clear lake is beyond, a shimmering orange in the light of the gradually setting sun, and he rushes right into it. He streaks across the surface, his feet pounding on the water, sending up a great white spray behind him that washes away the blood on his back, on his spines. He reaches the other side of the lake without sinking an inch and moves onwards, still accelerating.

The world around him is fading away, being left behind, becoming indistinct. Buildings, trees, the sky, the sun, mountains, lakes… they disappear in the wind. SONIC speeds onwards. He reaches a mountain range and speeds up one of the massive rocks, following the winding trail upwards. He reaches the top in mere moments, and as his feet touch the summit he leaps into the air. He sails up, up, higher and higher, until the tall mountain is far below him, until he threatens to impact the dying sun itself.

The world below him is a distinct mess of colours, of green and blue and red, splashed across the world like a messy painting. SONIC soars through the sky like a bird, his arms outstretched, his feet behind him, his eyes looking down at the world. He begins to descend, his forward momentum still far greater than the force of gravity. The world beneath him rushes closer and closer, coming into sharp focus, gaining clarity until it is again the living, breathing world we know as our own.

SONIC’s feet slam into the ground and immediately continue pounding. He hasn’t lost a bit of speed. Rather, he is continuing to move faster. A beautiful, white beach stretches out beyond him, tall palm trees waving in the evening breeze, the sea beyond twinkling beautifully. SONIC streaks across the sand and begins to turn in a wide circle, leaving a trail behind him. The trail glistens in the light of the sunset, the sky being reflected from it. It’s no longer sand – it’s glass. SONIC speeds away from the beach, heading back the way he came.

He moves into an area of countryside, all the while going faster and faster. His face is set and determined, his arms trail out behind him, his spines billow backwards in the wind, his ears are pinned back. A wide grin is on his mouth.

He charges over the surface of a river and begins to head down it, his feet splashing across the surface as if it’s solid ground. The ground suddenly gives way and the river becomes a waterfall, plummeting downwards for what seems like miles. SONIC shoots off the end and runs horizontally through the air for a few moments before gravity wrestles him back under her control. He heads downwards and lands on top of a forest, and speeds across the green treetops. He reaches the end and keeps going, landing on the ground, still moving faster with every step.

There’s nothing but countryside around him for miles now. His eyes narrow, and he gives one more concentrated effort. His speed increases even further. The world is nothing more than a blur now, a distorted haze of bright lights and shifting colours. SONIC speeds onwards, onwards…

And freezes.

He stops in mid-step. The world around him halts. The wind holds its breath. The clouds stop their lazy swim across the sky and hang like balls of cotton in an orange void.

On SONIC’s face, his eyes more alive than we’ve ever seen them, a wide grin threatening to swallow his head whole. We hold this image for a few moments – moments of utter silence and stillness. Time has stopped.

Suddenly, there is a deafening crash and a boom that makes the most frightening crack of thunder sound like a whimper, and the world explodes into life again. SONIC is barely visible now, he’s just a blue wave, one with the wind.

EXT. BATTLEFIELD – SUNSET

TAILS and AMY stand, motionless, still staring in the direction that SONIC went.

TAILS’ ears suddenly prick up.

TAILS
Amy.

AMY looks at him with stricken eyes.

TAILS
Listen.

She does. We hear the crack of thunder approaching, a deep roar that can be felt in every part of their bodies. They watch as something comes towards them. It has no shape, no form, no colour, it’s just a force of motion. It streaks by them, sending sprays of green grass into the air behind it. TAILS and AMY’s head turn to follow it. ROWAN watches it too.

The ripple in the wind streaks away, and then suddenly stops some distance away. TAILS and AMY exchange a glance, eyes wide, and without speaking begin to run in its direction.

Some distance away, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG lies on the ground, a grin on his face. He looks up at the deep, red sky. His breathing is slow and easy. His eyes begin to fade, his eyelids begin to close. Before they close completely, his grin intensifies and he speaks, his voice quiet. There’s not a hint of pain, or sadness, or fear to be heard.

SONIC
(Sleepily)
I wonder… what the next… stage is like?

His eyes flutter to a close.

SONIC
(Sleepily)
Only… one way… to… …

He silences. His body stops moving. His arms rest by his side. The world around him is silent and still. We linger on his face – peaceful, smiling, beautiful – for a few moments. The silence is broken by a voice nearby.

TAILS (OS)
It’s him!

A moment later, TAILS charges into view, closely followed by AMY. The two of them rush over to SONIC and crouch beside him. They look into his face for a moment, and then look at each other with tearful eyes. They don’t cry. Instead, TAILS smiles softly.

TAILS
He’s gone.

AMY
Can I… can I be alone with him for a moment?

TAILS
Sure.

TAILS turns and begins to walk away. AMY watches him go.

AMY
Tails.

TAILS look back at her.

TAILS
Mm?

She opens her arms and stretches her hands towards him. TAILS steps towards her, and the two embrace tightly. They squeeze each other for a few moments, swaying back and forth like trees in the wind, and then break apart. TAILS smiles at her sadly.

TAILS
I’ll be with Rowan.

AMY nods, and turns back towards SONIC. She walks over to him and crouches down. TAILS walks away, heading back towards ROWAN. AMY takes SONIC’s gloved hand in hers and looks into his peaceful face. She begins to speak, but we don’t hear what’s being said. We move away.

TAILS walks over to ROWAN, who stands watching the battle between the JASON army and the GUN BEETLES. She looks over at the sound of his footsteps and smiles tenderly, her eyes filled with sadness. TAILS smiles back weakly.

TAILS
How are they doing?

The two of them look over. More of G.U.N.’s robots have appeared. Sirens blare as the legion of machines battle with the unstoppable army of JASONs.

ROWAN
They’re still sending reinforcements. But so far it hasn’t done much.

ROWAN
Are you okay?

TAILS says nothing.

ROWAN
I’m sorry, that was a stupid question. I… I don’t know what to say.

TAILS
That’s okay. I just… I need a few moments.

ROWAN
Of course.

He looks towards a nearby hill that rises up out of the ground to overlook the battlefield where the lives of their friends have been lost.

TAILS
I’ll just be up here.

ROWAN nods. TAILS slowly walks up to the top of the hill. When he reaches the top, he sits down and wraps his arms around his knees. He begins to rock back and forth slightly, his puffy, bloodshot eyes wide open and staring out at the battle that rages some distance away. As he watches, a couple of GUN BEETLES hurtle up into the sky and explode, leaving a trail of black smoke behind them. The air is stained with it. The sun is now on its last embers as it begins to sink beneath the dark clouds.

TAILS stares out silently, not blinking, not crying, barely breathing. He watches as a trio of BEETLES pepper a JASON with laser blasts. The JASON staggers back, but quickly recovers. He reaches out, grabs one of the BEETLES, and hurls it at another. It smashes into one, and the two of them explode.

The only sound is of fire, of explosions, of sirens. Their distance from us makes them sound weak and insignificant. Atop the grassy hill on which TAILS sits, it’s like another world. A still, peaceful world, a world where time has stopped.

TAILS opens his mouth, and like birdsong at dawn, his young voice begins to sing softly, his gaze never shifting from the battlefield. It’s a beautiful sound, clear and high and pure. He sings slowly, feeling every word as it leaves his lips.

TAILS
(Singing slowly)
I never knew so many bad times… could follow me so mercilessly…

A GUN BEETLE is smashed into pieces and showers pieces of sharp metal over a crowd of JASONs. They don’t notice.

TAILS
(Singing slowly)
It’s almost surreal… all the pain that I feel… the future ain’t what it used to be…

On AMY, as he speaks to the still body of SONIC, her hands clutching his, her eyes streaming with tears. We don’t hear her words, all we hear is TAILS’ voice as he sings.

TAILS
(Singing slowly)
It doesn’t matter what they’re thinking… it doesn’t matter what they’re thinking of me…

Back on TAILS, his wide, blue eyes as they stare ahead.

TAILS
(Singing slowly)
It’s always so cold… I’m too young to be old… the future ain’t what it used to be.

He looks up at the sky, at the black clouds that frown down on the world with disdain, at the shimmering red orb that is the sun, at the swirling black smoke that hangs above the battle.

TAILS
(Singing slowly)
Were there ever any stars in the sky… did the sun ever shine so bright?

His eyes fall downwards to rest on his knees.

TAILS
(Singing slowly)
Do you have any dreams I can borrow just to get me through the lonely night?

He looks back up at the raging battle, and now his voice is becoming more forceful, louder, stronger, his words weighted with pain.

TAILS
(Singing loudly)
Is there anything to left to hold on to when the rivers wash it all away? Is there anyone left to hold on to? Is there anything left I can say?

EXT. MASTER EMERALD SHRINE – SUNSET

On the still body of KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA, lying before the steps of the MASTER EMERALD altar. The unseen figures of TIKAL and ROUGE cast long shadows that stretch out to reach him. TAILS’ song continues, gaining more strength with each word.

TAILS
(Singing loudly)
Say a prayer for the fallen angels! Stem the tide of the rising waters!

EXT. BATTLEFIELD – SUNSET

On AMY as she sobs, broken-hearted, over the body of her beloved.

TAILS
(Singing loudly)
Toll a bell for the broken-hearted! Burn a torch for your sons and daughters!

Back on TAILS as he glares out at the battlefield. He’s practically spitting the words out now, the youthful innocence that the song began with lost amid his sorrow and rage.

TAILS
(Singing loudly)
The endless night has got a hold of me! Dark days are pulling me forward!

As he sings, tears begin to spill out of his eyes. He reaches up and swipes a hand across them roughly. His voice cracks and wavers, but he wrestles himself back under control and continues.

TAILS
(Singing loudly)
And all these tears are washing over me! And I’m crying, I’m lost forever, in a future that ain’t what it used to be!

On SONIC’s face, his mouth smiling, his eyes closed.

TAILS
(Singing loudly)
No more! No more!

On AMY, sitting above him, sobbing wildly, her tears splashing down onto his blue fur.

TAILS
(Singing loudly)
No more! No more!

On TAILS, eyes wide and streaked with tears, fists clenched.

TAILS
(Singing loudly)
No more!

He finally succumbs to his grief. His head bows. Tears force themselves down his cheeks. His voice becomes quiet and weak.

TAILS
(Crying)
No… more…

He stops and wipes his eyes angrily, trying to stop the tears. He gets himself back under control, willing himself to stop crying, and stares upwards again, out at the raging battle that continues regardless. Quietly at first, and then getting louder, we hear music playing, to the tune of “The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be”. No words are heard, only the instruments. We linger on TAILS’ face for a few moments, and then we slowly fade to another scene.

EXT. CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE – DAY

As the music plays, we see a beautiful, wide blue lake that shines under the brilliant sun. Beyond it stretches a thick forest, a rich, vital green in colour. We move back, to see that a lone figure stands at the end of a wooden jetty that stretches across the water.

The figure is a woman in her early thirties, with short, blonde, curly hair. She wears a light blue sweater. Her face is full of grief, much as TAILS’ was. Her compassionate brown eyes swim with tears. She stares out across the surface of the lake. Her hands shake, her entire body shakes. She is the portrait of loss.

As the soft music plays on, we fade to another scene.

EXT. CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE – NIGHT

A tall figure, hidden in darkness, watches from the thick cover of the forest as two small figures fight some distance away, lit only by moonlight. We call this figure the PROWLER. Their battle is taking place beside the deep lake, which under the cover of darkness doesn’t appear so wholesome anymore.

We watch from the POV of the mysterious PROWLER as the distant figures roll about on a small patch of sand that borders the lake. After a brief struggle they roll apart and get to their feet. One of them grabs an object from the ground – at this distance, we don’t know what it is, and charges at the other. There’s a flurry of motion, and then the second figure collapses to the ground. Their head has been separated from their shoulders.

The victor of the fight pushes a nearby canoe out onto the surface of the lake and climbs inside. The craft slowly begins to drift out onto the black surface of the lake, heading towards its centre.

We remain seeing the POV of the PROWLER as they emerge from the forest and quickly heads towards the site of the battle. As he nears, we see three things – the dead body of a woman wearing a light blue sweater, her head severed. Several feet away is her decapitated head, the eyes and mouth wide open in a frozen expression of shock. The third object is a blood-slicked machete, the weapon of execution.

The PROWLER reaches down and picks up the severed head in his hands. The head has curly blonde hair and looks to around 50 years old. The PROWLER’s breathing intensifies, ragged breaths struggling out of his throat. His head slowly turns to look out at the canoe that floats away, the occupant hidden from sight.

As the music continues, we fade again to another scene.

EXT. FOREST – NIGHT

A thick, tangled forest in the dead of night. Everything is still. We pan across the tall trees, their leaves wet with a recent rainfall. We move across the thick undergrowth, to rest on the body of a young woman, lying on her back near a large oak tree, amid a pile of scattered leaves and twisted roots. She’s unconscious. She’s a teenager, her pretty young face partially covered by her chestnut-brown hair. She wears a white sweater decorated with various patterns of red and blue, dark trousers, and long brown boots.

The sound of footsteps cracking through the undergrowth is heard nearby, and then two figures rush out of the trees and charge towards the unconscious teenager. One is a man, the other a woman, both in their late thirties. Their eyes are wide with fear. They crouch beside the young girl.

MAN
(Panicking)
Christine! Christine!

WOMAN
(Panicking)
Oh my God, please, no…

The man picks her up in his arms and goes back the way he came. The woman follows anxiously. In a moment, they are lost to the trees. After they have left, another figure slowly steps out of the woods. We only see his legs, wearing dirty, scuffed trousers, his feet wearing thick black boots that are stained with mud. The figure’s coarse breathing can be heard loudly in the quiet forest.

As “Future” plays in the background, we shift again.

INT. LIVING ROOM – DAY

A neat, ordinary looking living room. A television set, a dining table, a couch. Sunlight streams in through the window. The door suddenly slams open, and a large man storms in. He is tall and imposing, a powerful figure. He wears a white uniform, and a patch on his shoulder identifies him as a paramedic. He looks to be in his forties. His dark brown hair is unkempt.

The PARAMEDIC sits down on the couch, his breathing heavy and erratic. His grey eyes are wide and dull. The PARAMEDIC begins to rock back and forth, his mouth opening and closing wordlessly, his breath escaping in ragged gasps. His cloudy eyes begin to stream with tears.

They move down to the table, where a newspaper rests. The paper is titled the “PINEHURST COUNTY CRIER”. The headline, in large, bold letters, proclaims: “CITIZENS OF CRYSTAL LAKE PAY TRIBUTE TO LOST FAMILY”. The article is written below. Beside it is a large pencil-drawing of a tall, burly man, dressed in a mechanic’s overalls and wearing a hockey mask with blue arrows etched on the cheeks. The drawing is labelled “ARTIST’S IMPRESSION OF JASON VOORHEES, THE CRYSTAL LAKE KILLER”.

The PARAMEDIC gazes at the drawing with steel eyes. His tears stop. He continues to rock back and forth slowly, breathing hard, his lifeless eyes transfixed by the drawing.

After several moments, we fade to another scene. “Future” continues to play in the background.

INT. BEDROOM – NIGHT

A bedroom, almost pitch black, with only the faintest of light shining through the window. From what we can see, the room is furnished as you would expect: a wardrobe, a dresser, a desk, and a large double-bed. In it sleep two figures – one male, in his twenties, with short brown hair and a handsome face. He tosses and turns, low moans escaping from his throat. He’s having a nightmare. Beside him sleeps a beautiful young woman with blonde hair.

The man suddenly jerks awake, sitting bolt upright in bed, his face and chest slick with sweat, his eyes wide with fear. His hands fumble across to the dresser, where a small bottle of pills rests beside a glass of water. With shaking hands he unscrews the bottle, takes out a couple of pills, swallows them, and drinks half the glass. The commotion wakes up the woman, who sits up and wraps her arms around his shoulders, her soft eyes full of concern. She kisses him tenderly on the cheek, as his panic begins to subside. He looks into her eyes, and wraps his arms around her tightly.

As the two of them embrace, and as the song continues to play in the background, we fade once again.

INT. STUDY – NIGHT

A neat study, walls lined by bookcases and shelves of dark brown wood. The room is lit by a single gooseneck lamp that sits on a large desk. The desk is littered with stationary and paper. Sitting at the desk is a woman in her twenties, pretty, and with curly brown hair that rests on her shoulders. She’s wearing small reading glasses, concentrating hard on writing something with a black fountain pen.

After a few moments, she frowns and stops writing. She rests her eyes on the pen for a moment, studying it with a sad smile, and then places it back on the desk. She closes the notebook that she’s writing in. On the front is written the word “LAZARUS”.

The woman removes her glasses and places them on the desk, massages her temples with her thumbs for a moment, and then looks across the room. A large dog, a collie with black and white fur, stands at the edge of the room, tongue hanging out, tail wagging. The woman smiles at the sight of it and swivels around in her chair to face the animal. She pats her knees, and the dog eagerly trots over to her. She strokes its head tenderly, a sad smile still on her face.

As the song continues, we fade to another scene.

EXT. LAKE – SUNSET

A small, green frog with yellow eyes sits at the edge of a lake, not moving, staring out at the water, which reflects the dark, orange sky. A fishing rod rests beside it. The frog’s eyes flick over to the rod, and then back to the water. It opens its mouth, and a slow, quiet croak comes from within.

We fade to another scene.

EXT. FIELD – SUNSET

To ROWAN, who looks out across a distant sea of masked figures and flashing lights, her face hard. We move down to see that AMY ROSE stands beside her, her eyes shimmering with tears. The two of them hold hands tightly.

We move to the top of a nearby hill, where TAILS sits with his knees against his chest, his tails swinging slowly from side to side, his eyes staring blankly ahead at the battle between monster and machine. He blinks, and when he opens his eyes they are slick with fresh tears. They trickle down his cheeks.

Above the battlefield, a group of large, humanoid machines suddenly appear. They are mechs, maybe ten feet in height. They rapidly descend towards the battle, and once in range they begin to fire. Machinegun bullets pepper the crowd.

ROWAN and AMY watch.

The instrumental “The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be” can still be heard in the background.

ROWAN
Looks like they’re finally bringing out the big guns.

AMY
Will they be able to stop them?

ROWAN
I don’t know.

Amidst the carnage, several JASONs grab a hold of one of the mechs and wrestle it to the ground. It smashes to the grassy floor with a crash. A man in G.U.N. uniform sits in the cockpit, protected by a glass bubble. The man screams silently, eyes wide with terror, as the JASONs begin to pound on the glass. Several cracks appear with each blow, and in moments the glass shatters inwards. The G.U.N. PILOT, screaming fearfully, pounds on the buttons on the control panel beside him. A missile is loosed from the mechs arm, and it rockets through the air, slamming into another mech, which explodes. It collapses to the ground, burning fiercely, igniting several JASONs, who continue to fight as if nothing is wrong.

The PILOT of the mech that fired the missile cowers in the cockpit, screaming hoarsely, as several masked figures approach him. His mortified cries are quickly silenced as he is dragged out of the mech and violently beaten.

Another mech stomps through the crowd, knocking JASONs out of the way. It’s arm opens up, revealing a row of missiles. It takes aim at the crowd of JASONs, but before it can fire it crashes forward. Several JASONs stand behind it, their hands gripping the legs. A few moments too late, the missiles are launched. The arm-mounted launcher is facing the ground, and the missiles explode instantly, destroying the mech and sending JASONs flying in every direction. The wounded JASONs begin to get back up, some of them badly burned, some of them missing chunks of their bodies or even limbs. Regardless, they head back into battle.

ROWAN and AMY watch, wide-eyed.

ROWAN
They’re too strong…

She looks up at the hill that TAILS ascended and calls to him.

ROWAN
Miles! We don’t have much time! We need to go!

She turns to look at the battle once more.

AMY
Rowan… I’m scared…

ROWAN
So am I. If we stay here we’re going to get caught in the crossfire.

TAILS slowly walks up to them. He smiles weakly through a mask of pain.

TAILS
They’re losing.

ROWAN
I know. We’re going to get out of here.

AMY
We can’t leave… Sonic said… if we leave, they’ll get to Station Square…

ROWAN
We’ll warn the people, get them out of there. We’ll have to have start now.

She looks down at TAILS, who nods slowly.

TAILS
What about… what about Sonic?

AMY
I hid him. They won’t find him. When this is done… when they’re all dead… we’ll come back for him.

TAILS nods again.

“The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be” still plays.

On the battlefield, another mech is being assailed by several JASONs. The machine twists from side to side, trying to throw them off. One of the JASONs climbs up the back of it to stand on top. The monster raises his machete high into the air and plunges it downwards, where it crashes through the glass window of the cockpit and stabs deeply into the head of the pilot. The man’s body judders with shock and his hands skip across the control panel.

Several missiles are fired from the mechs arm. They spiral up into the air, heading in every direction, and then corkscrew back down to the ground, leaving black scorch marks in the grass. One of them lands close to the area where ROWAN, TAILS and AMY stand. Another one follows it shortly, landing even closer.

ROWAN, TAILS and AMY’s eyes widen with fear.

ROWAN
Come on!

She links hands with the other two and the three of them begin to run away from the spreading spiral of battle. “The Future Just Ain’t What It Used To Be”, which has been playing in the background for several minutes, suddenly crashes to a halt at the same time that a loud roll of thunder rumbles across the sky.

The three survivors stop and turn around, and look up at the sky. As they watch, thick black clouds converge, coming quickly from every direction, until they all but block out what little light remains from the sunset. Another roar of thunder is heard, and then the clouds part and it begins to rain, hard. In moments, the grass is soaked. The air is thick with falling droplets of water. The flames from the destroyed mechs are extinguished. Rain spatters down the hockey masks and deformed faces of the JASON army.

TAILS, AMY and ROWAN are soaked. The dried blood in TAILS’ fur is rinsed away. AMY’s dress and ROWAN’s shirt cling to them, heavy with moisture.

ROWAN
(Miserably)
Just when things couldn’t get any worse…

AMY
Ugh, let’s get out of here!

TAILS (OS)
Guys, look!

TAILS is pointing over at the continuing battle, his eyes wide. ROWAN and AMY follow his gaze, as do we. We see that the rain that streams down from the black sky is forming some kind of shape, a shape that stretches up into the sky. The shape has no consistency, no form, it’s just a shifting, pulsating mass of water. More rain plummets down, and the shape begins to solidify, becoming larger and more defined.

The bottom of the creature is a massive hump that emerges from the flooded field. The water level is rising rapidly. The base of the monster is enormous, perhaps 100 feet long. Out of this mass stretches a long, thick neck that resembles a snake, reaching up towards the sky.

As we watch, several long tendrils and tentacles emerge from the water snake and begin to thrash about wildly. Finally, the top of the neck begins to contort, and quickly a head is formed. A massive mouth opens, to reveal seemingly hundreds of large, sharp teeth. Spiny scales erupt along the back of the monster. A clear bubble, inside of which floats a grey brain, appears on the top of the head. And finally, two large, green, shining eyes open on either side, huge cat-like pupils flicking from side to side. It now resembles a massive blue dragon. The being is PERFECT CHAOS, the destructive final form of the ancient god when it is combined with the seven CHAOS EMERALDS.

TAILS, ROWAN and AMY stare up at the monster with horror in their eyes.

ROWAN
What the fuck is that thing?!

TAILS
It can’t be…

The towering beast, constructed entirely of solid, shimmering water, opens its jaws wide and a hideous screech bellows from within. ROWAN, TAILS and AMY, who stare up at the creature with horror in their eyes, quickly put their hands to their ears to block out the hideous wail. The sound finally stops, and the torrential rain suddenly comes to a halt.

On the battlefield below, the army of JASONs stare up at the liquid nightmare, all of them knee-deep in water. The field is completely flooded. The eyes of PERFECT CHAOS flick down to rest on the army. The JASONs stare up, their fists tightened around their machetes, their eyes hard and aggressive. What remains of G.U.N.’s offence – a few mechs spotted here and there – quickly retreats, heading off into the sky and disappearing.

TAILS, ROWAN and AMY watch with open mouths.

ROWAN
Is this thing on our side or what?!

AMY
I hope so!

TAILS
I don’t think it’s on anybody’s side…

With another deafening roar, several tendrils flick out from PERFECT CHAOS’ body and crash down to the ground. The JASON army is battered by the tentacles. They sink beneath the water, struggling to stay afloat, as the tentacles smash into them again and again. Many JASONs are pulled forward by the strong current in the water, and are sucked right towards the base of the monster. They struggle to fight, but they can’t resist. As they are sucked inside the beast, they begin to shake violently, and then they are torn apart. Their limbs scatter in every direction, being dragged by the violent forces that fill the creature. The bottom of PERFECT CHAOS is temporarily stained red with their blood. Their limbs are tossed out into the sky, where they land with a thud in the water and float away harmlessly.

Several dozens JASONs still remain, struggling against the flood. PERFECT CHAOS’ head stretches down to gaze at them, and then its mouth opens and several bolts of golden fire hurtle out. They impact the JASONs repeatedly. One of them is struck in the head, which explodes in a shower of meaty chunks. Another has both arms blown off. Another is hit in the midsection, and his body collapses into two separate pieces.

As PERFECT CHAOS fires more bolts of pure energy, its tendrils whip out, wrapping themselves around the bodies of several JASONs and lifting them into the air. The JASONs struggle violently, beating their hands against the thick tentacles that bind them, but their hands pass through them harmlessly. The tendrils squeeze tighter and tighter. A couple of the JASONs’ heads explode violently. Another one, naked and maskless, vomits his insides out of his mouth. Others are completely crushed, and are hurled back to the churning water below as mangled piles of flesh and broken bone.

More JASONs still remain. Now tornadoes appear from the inside of PERFECT CHAOS, rushing into the water to become whirlpools. The whirlpools spread outwards, and as they come into contact with a JASON, the murderer is sucked inside. They spin around and around, getting faster and faster, until they are torn apart by the velocity. They explode messily. The heaving water is littered with body parts.

TAILS, ROWAN and AMY watch, TAILS and AMY up to their waists in water, ROWAN up to her knees. Their mouths are wide open as they watch the carnage unfold. Some distance away, PERFECT CHAOS violently attacks anything it sees.

There are few JASONs left now, and those that are left are being tossed this way and that by the churning water. PERFECT CHAOS continues to attack – hurling bolts of light at them, sending forth tornadoes to tear them apart, lashing at them with its tentacles. One by one the JASONs are destroyed, their heads being torn loose, their bodies exploding or being crushed into pulp, their remains washing away.

Soon, we can see only one JASON remaining, struggling to stay afloat amid a sea of tangled severed limbs and mangled carcasses. His arms thrash wildly as he struggles to keep his head above water. His hockey mask is loose, and it comes free of his head and floats away.

As we watch him, we get a quick flash of another scene.

EXT. CAMP CRYSTAL LAKE - NIGHT

A young boy thrashing wildly in the water, his high voice calling out for help. He’s too far away for us to make out any details.

BOY
(Frightened)
HELP ME, MOMMY! DON’T LET ME DROWN! MOMMY!

He struggles for a few moments more, and then sinks under the water.

EXT. BATTLEFIELD - SUNSET

Back to JASON, struggling amongst the remains of his brethren. PERFECT CHAOS’ green, reptilian eyes fall upon him, and the head slowly begins to descend. The jaws stretch open, further and further, until the head is nothing but sharp teeth that resemble icicles. The head crashes down over the JASON, and the jaws slam to a close. The head lifts up again, stretching inexorably up to the black, shifting sky. Through its clear, liquid skin we can see the JASON inside, clinging desperately to a long, blue tongue that flicks this way and that.

As we watch, PERFECT CHAOS begins to chew. The sole remaining JASONs body is ravaged by sharp teeth. He is torn to pieces, a cloud of thick red blood spreading in every direction, staining the inside of PERFECT CHAOS’ mouth. The JASONs body, in several dozen pieces, flows down the snake-like “neck” and swirls around inside the bottom of the creature, before being ejected into the flow of water.

PERFECT CHAOS rears back its head, opens its mouth, and issues forth another hollow, bellowing cry.

AMY, ROWAN and TAILS watch, faces fixed with shock.

ROWAN
Holy shit… it destroyed every last one of them!

TAILS
Now let’s just hope it doesn’t destroy us!

As they watch, a ball of bright white light suddenly floats down from the dark sky. It dances towards PERFECT CHAOS and hovers around its head a few times, before stopping. PERFECT CHAOS’ eyes lock onto the glowing orb. The orb flashes brightly, and then begins to take shape. Two arms, two legs, a head with short, spiny hair. Colours begin to appear. The figure is pink. A pair of pretty blue eyes open.

The young face of TIKAL THE ECHIDNA looks at PERFECT CHAOS. Her compassionate eyes meet the eyes of it. She floats, hands outstretched, in the air a few feet from its head, glowing with a holy light. She opens her mouth and speaks softly, kindly.

TIKAL
It’s over, Chaos. Your job is finished. There’s no need to continue now.

PERFECT CHAOS stares at her silently.

TIKAL
You sought revenge for the death of the guardian. His death has been avenged.

PERFECT CHAOS stares. TIKAL reaches out her hands towards him. She smiles warmly.

TIKAL
Let’s go home.

On the ground, some distance away, ROWAN, TAILS and AMY watch silently, staring up at the tiny pink figure that floats before the destructive beast. A few moments pass, and then suddenly PERFECT CHAOS begins to shrink. The head folds in on itself, the neck contracts, the massive hulk that forms the base of the beast gets smaller. The water level begins to sink quickly, the flood that engulfed it rapidly dispersing.

There is a bright flash, and seven coloured lights emerge from the creature. They glow radiantly. The beautiful orbs rise up into the air, spinning around and around, and then they shoot in different directions, each one leaving a glowing coloured trail behind it like a shooting star.

Standing in the field, surrounded by soaking wet severed limbs, stand two figures. One is TIKAL. The other is CHAOS as we first saw it – a tall humanoid figure with a crested head and intense green eyes. The grass is soaked with water but it is no longer flooded. The black clouds that spawned the flood dissipate and drift away like smoke in the wind. The sun has finally descended, and the first few twinkling stars shine down upon the field.

ROWAN, TAILS and AMY come charging over to the two figures, breathless. TIKAL turns around to see them arrive. She smiles.

TIKAL
Our role here has ended now.

ROWAN
That thing destroyed every one of them!

AMY
You saved us all!

TIKAL
One of our own was lost to this conflict. Chaos was justified in its actions.

TIKAL looks back at CHAOS. CHAOS stares back, silently.

TIKAL
Come, Chaos. The Master Emerald awaits us.

Her feet slowly lift off the ground, as do CHAOS’. The two figures rise up into the air, moving quicker, and in a few moments they are lost against the night sky. TAILS, AMY and ROWAN watch.

ROWAN
It’s over…

They look about at the field of destroyed bodies.

TAILS
I don’t think they’re coming back from that one.

AMY
(Coldly)
You can never be too sure.

She pulls the PIKO PIKO HAMMER out of thin air.

AMY
(Coldly)
I’ll be right back.

She strides away, hammer in hand. ROWAN turns to TAILS, who is looking up at the sky again. The round, white moon fills the sky, shining down upon them, glinting off the wet grass.

ROWAN
Miles… are you okay?

TAILS
I don’t think I’ll ever be okay again. Not ever.

He turns to look at ROWAN, the silver moonlight reflected in his shimmering eyes. ROWAN smiles sadly at him, and bends down with open arms. TAILS wraps his arms around her neck and she picks him up like a child, his head on her shoulder. Her hand strokes his back tenderly. TAILS clings to her tightly.

TAILS
(Tearfully)
I miss him already…

ROWAN
(Softly)
I know… I know…

We leave them embracing and move upwards, our view heading up towards the sky, finally coming to rest on the moon, a glowing beacon amid a black sea of white jewels.

FADE TO:

EXT. STATION SQUARE – DAY

The image of the white moon becomes that of the glowing orange sun.

We pan down to look upon the city of STATION SQUARE. Tall buildings line the road, which leads into a large clearing, ending in a roundabout and loops back the way it came. Beyond this is the blue sea, that dances beautifully in the golden sun. To one side of the large area is an extravagant luxury hotel, and beyond this we can see the Emerald Beach, stretching out of sight. A train station also looks out on the clearing, the large glass double doors closed. On the other side is an elevator that leads up into a glass tube, that stretches out in either direction and curves out of sight. A sign beside the elevator identifies the building as “TWINKLE PARK”. Another, smaller sign reads “CUTE COUPLES WELCOME.”

No cars drive on the road. However, the most striking view we are presented with is the sheer mass of people. Every inch of the area is packed, both the road and the street. They are all stood in a dense circle, facing a small clearing in the centre of the area. We move down to see what they are doing.

The majority of the figures are human, but there are also animals of every kind, both anthropoid (humanoid) and small. There are hundreds in number. Birds are perched atop every building, of every type, from bluebirds to eagles, all looking down at the crowd. There is no birdsong. They are silent. Other tiny animals: squirrels, rabbits, deer, turtles, walruses, penguins, elephants, and more, all of them barely a foot in height, fill every inch of space not taken by a pair of feet. Chao of every shape, size and colour can also be seen, their innocent little faces clouded with grief.

While the majority of the crowd are human, all of them dressed smartly in dark colours, the innermost circle is made up of familiar faces, every one of them cast downwards, their eyes full of sadness. We see ROWAN, dressed in a black suit, her hands clasped together. AMY ROSE, her standard colourful red dress replaced by a black one. Beside her stands TAILS, wearing a black tie. Beside him stands CREAM, and beside her is her mother VANILLA, both of them wearing matching black dresses. CHEESE floats in between them, his red bowtie replaced with a black one.

We continue around the circle of faces. VECTOR THE CROCODILE, ESPIO THE CHAMELEON and CHARMY BEE stand together. Even their faces, which normally wear expressions of humour, intensity and mania respectively, now show masks of grief.

ROUGE THE BAT is next, wearing a black dress, looser and more concealing than her average outfit. She wears a pair of diamond ear rings in her large white ears. Her eyes are concealed by dark eyeshadow.

Every figure stares ahead. We see what they are all looking at. In the centre of the great circle of people is a small coffin, a deep, rich blue in colour, with golden trim. Beside it stands a tall, middle-aged man with a stern face. He is the MAYOR of STATION SQUARE. His weary face is grim. He holds a microphone, which he begins to speak into slowly, addressing the entire populace.

MAYOR
We gather here today to mourn the passing of a great hero. Sonic the Hedgehog.

We pan across the faces of SONIC’s friends, allies and acquaintances as the MAYOR speaks. They all stare down at the small, square coffin with glistening eyes.

MAYOR
No words I could ever speak could come close to describing what Sonic did for us, and how much he means to every one of us. He fought bravely and selflessly for our freedom and for the freedom of all those present here today, and all those who are not. He fought not only for us, but for himself, such was his love of freedom and peace.

CREAM begins to sniffle. VANILLA takes out a handkerchief and dabs her daughter’s eyes, her own eyes beginning to water. CHEESE stretches out his small, blue arm and CREAM closes her hand around it.

MAYOR
It’s no exaggeration to say that he enriched the lives of all those that he met. Every person here today could tell a story about how he had helped them in some way, large or small.

We pan across the faces of the hundreds of humans in the crowd, their eyes cast downward, the words ringing true in their ears.

MAYOR
With his death, the world has lost a true hero. But even in death, he brings us life. If it weren’t for the brave actions of Sonic, and of his friends, the murderous army would have reached our city, and none of us would be standing here today. He gave his life for this city, not the city where he was born, or even the city where he lived, but a city he had vowed to protect.

His closest friends, TAILS and AMY, listen, their grief evident in their faces. They do not cry.

MAYOR
If anybody would like to say a few words before we say goodbye to our friend forever, then they may.

TEAM CHAOTIX step forward. The MAYOR hands the microphone to VECTOR, who clears his throat loudly.

VECTOR
I didn’t spend a lot of time with Sonic, and I’m not even sure you could call us friends. My name is Vector the Crocodile, and I head the Chaotix Detective Agency. We do our best to track down crime, but… I don’t know, every time we set off to tackle a case, I sort of asked myself “How would Sonic handle this?” He was the benchmark, he was the best. No matter how hard we tried, our actions always seemed insignificant compared to his. You could always rely on him to save the day, you know? With him gone… we’ll all have to try extra hard. Maybe if we all try our hardest, we can do half the things he did for this world. I…

He’s beginning to choke up. He turns his head away, hiding his face.

VECTOR
(Tearfully)
Guys, help me out here…

ESPIO takes the microphone as VECTOR gets himself back under control. The chameleon speaks in a deep, sincere voice.

ESPIO
I don’t know what to say, except… Sonic the Hedgehog possessed skill like nothing I’ve ever seen. His death is a loss to us all.

He hands the microphone to CHARMY, who thinks for a moment before replying in a quiet voice.

CHARMY
(Quietly)
He was awesome.

CHARMY hands the microphone back to the MAYOR. The three members of TEAM CHAOTIX slowly approach the blue coffin. They lay their hands upon it. ESPIO’s purple skin darkens and changes colour until it is the same shade of rich blue as the hard wood of the casket.

VECTOR
Thanks for everything, kid.

ESPIO
You have truly earned this rest. Goodbye.

CHARMY
I hope Heaven is nice. Bye-bye…

They step back to join the rest of the group, their heads cast downwards.

CREAM steps forward, hand-in-hand with CHEESE. VANILLA’s mouth opens and her eyes darken with worry, but she allows her daughter to continue. The tiny rabbit takes the microphone from the MAYOR and holds it with both hands. She speaks into it quietly, her voice high and wavering.

CREAM
(Tearfully)
I… I first met Mr. Sonic when he saved me from Dr. Eggman… I was so afraid… but then he appeared, and he rescued me, and he smiled… and I wasn’t afraid any more. That wasn’t so long ago, and I haven’t known him as long as most of you. But every time I was near him, I felt safe. I love him. And… I want him to come back. I…

She begins to cry softly, quietly. CHEESE pats her head comfortingly, and speaks into the microphone.

CHEESE
(Sadly)
Chao… cha… chao chao.

As CREAM continues to cry, VANILLA hurries over and leads her away by the shoulders, whispering into her tall, floppy ears comfortingly. The MAYOR takes back the microphone, his eyes full of tears. He wipes them away and clears his throat.

MAYOR
E-excuse me… does anyone else want to say something?

TAILS and AMY exchange a glance, and with a great deal of courage they step forward simultaneously. Standing together, they take the microphone.

TAILS
Sonic was… he was my best friend. I’d be nothing without him. He taught me so much, about myself and about the world. I miss him so much, and I’ll miss him every day for the rest of my life. I hope he’s happy now, wherever he is. I… I don’t know what else to say. Words seem so pointless at a time like this.

His head drops downwards. AMY squeezes his hand comfortingly and takes the microphone from him.

AMY
Just before he died, Sonic told me that I would find somebody else. He thought my love for him was a passing thing, a childish crush that I would eventually grow out of. But that’s not true. I loved him, I still love him, and my heart will yearn for him from now until the day I die, until the day we can be together again. I don’t want anybody else. I want… I want my Sonic.

She hands the microphone back to the MAYOR. She and TAILS tearfully approach the coffin.
 
TAILS
Goodbye, Sonic. Don’t forget me. I’ll never forget you.

AMY
Goodbye, my love.

She kisses the tips of her fingers and places her hand atop the coffin. She rubs it back and forth gently, smiling sadly. After a few moments, she and TAILS turn away and stand back beside ROWAN, who looks deeply moved by their words.

MAYOR
Would anybody else like to speak?

Nobody steps forward. Moments of silence pass.

The silence is broken by the sound of an engine, distant but growing louder. The crowd look up to the sky to see a small, round shape approaching. There’s no mistaking it. It’s the EGG MOBILE. The grieving faces of the mourners become horrified.

CREAM
No…

TAILS
(Tearfully)
Please… not now…

AMY
(Tearfully)
Just leave us alone…

The EGG MOBILE stops its approach and hangs in the air, far above them. The assembled mass stares up at it, shocked. A small, black shape suddenly dislodges from the craft and begins to fly towards them. As it nears, we see that it is a small black robot, with a jetpack on its back, small yellow eyes and a round, horned head. This robot is BOKKUN, the messenger robot.

BOKKUN hovers down until he is next to the MAYOR. He takes the microphone out of the man’s hands. His high-pitched voice is quiet and sullen, his yellow eyes swim with tears, as he speaks.

BOKKUN
I have a message from Dr. Eggman.

The eyes of everybody – TAILS, AMY, ROWAN, CREAM, CHEESE, VANILLA, ROUGE, CHAOTIX, hundreds of humans, small animals of every type, Chao of various sizes and colours – focus on the tiny robot, their breath caught in their throat. After a few moments silence, BOKKUN speaks.

BOKKUN
I’m sorry.

He pauses again as the eyes of hundreds of people widen with surprise.

BOKKUN
That is all.

He hands back the microphone and jets away into the air, heading back towards the distant EGG MOBILE. We can hear him sobbing hysterically as he flies. His cries quieten as he gets further away, and then die out completely. He reaches the EGG MOBILE, and the craft turns around and quickly rockets off into the distance.

Everybody watches it leave, dumbfounded. The MAYOR finally finds his voice and speaks into the microphone.

MAYOR
(Astonished)
A… anybody else?

Nobody steps forward.

MAYOR
Then it’s time. Bearers?

TAILS, AMY, CREAM and ROUGE step forward. They surround the small blue coffin. Each places their hands on a golden handle that adorns the bottom, and in one motion they lift it into the air. They begin to walk with it slowly, their feet shuffling simultaneously. CHEESE floats in the air beside CREAM, her companion as always. The crowd parts to let them through. They head towards the clear blue sea that stretches out beyond the street until it meets the horizon.

Birds circle in the air above them as they move. Chao hover behind them. Small animals walk after them, all keeping a respectful distance. Humans watch sadly, talking quietly amongst themselves as the fox, the hedgehog, the rabbit and the bat pass.

MAN
(Hushed)
He saved me from a burning house once…

WOMAN
(Hushed)
He rescued my little girl when she fell into a river…

CHILD
(Hushed)
He got my ball out of a tree that one time…

As they continue, we move up to the top of a tall building a short distance away. A solitary figure stands upon it, looking down. The figure is a black hedgehog with red stripes adorning his spines, spines that curl upwards at the ends. His chest is white. He wears white gloves with golden ring bracelets, and angular shoes of several colours. His pupils are a deep red. He is SHADOW THE HEDGEHOG.

He frowns, his eyes fixed on the coffin as it is carried by the foursome. His expression is impossible to read. He speaks quietly.

SHADOW
Sayonora, Sonic the Hedgehog.

He turns and walks away, out of our sight.

We go back down to the street. Finally, the bearers reach the end of the path. Beyond is the sea. Slowly, carefully, they lower the coffin and place it in the water. It floats gently. They stare down at it for a few moments, and then all four of them place a hand on it. They push it gently, and it begins to float away from them. They watch sadly as it drifts out into the ocean. It begins to gain speed, getting faster and faster, moving further and further away. We watch until it is merely a dot on the horizon. Dolphins, their skin a startling blue, dive in and out of the water in its wake. Finally, it is gone, lost to the sea.

TAILS, AMY, CREAM, CHEESE and ROUGE stare out at the horizon sadly for some time. Finally, ROUGE turns away. The others follow suit.

ROUGE
I’d better get back to Angel Island.

TAILS
Angel Island? Why?

ROUGE
It’s my new home.

AMY
Your new home?

ROUGE
It was his last request.

She spreads her thin, dark wings and takes off into the air, heading off into the distance. The others watch her go, and then turn to look at each other.

TAILS
I’ll see you guys later.

AMY
Where are you going?

TAILS
I just need to be alone for a while.

He turns away and begins walking.

AMY
Tails… you’re going to be okay, aren’t you?

TAILS looks back at her with a smile.

TAILS
I’ll just be a little while.

His twin tails begin to spin around and around, forming a propeller, and the small fox lifts off into the air, hovering away and out of sight. AMY, CREAM and CHEESE are left. ROWAN steps up beside them and places a hand on the girls’ shoulders.

ROWAN
Come on, let’s go get some ice cream.

AMY, CREAM and CHEESE nod sadly, and the four of them walk away from the thick crowd of people, people that owe their lives to SONIC, people who are busy sharing tales of his good deeds with one another.

FADE TO:

EXT. NEVER LAKE – DAY

A massive, clear lake shines in the midday sun. Light sparkles on its surface. The blue, cloudless sky is reflected in it perfectly, a shimmering mirror image. Beyond the lake stretches a tall range of dusty mountains.

On the shore of the lake sits a small figure. It’s TAILS. He stares at the still surface of the azure lake silently. His tails flick idly from side to side. His hands fiddle with the black tie that is tied around his neck. His face is deep in thought.

We see from the POV of a PROWLER, standing some distance away, watching the young fox.

Back on TAILS. He sighs deeply. His eyes don’t move from the deep water.

The PROWLER’S POV approaches him, striding quickly.

On TAILS. A few moments of silence pass, and then the fox’s eyes widen as a dark, wide shadow falls over him. TAILS jerks his head around to look up into the face of the figure. His face is distorted with fear.

TAILS
(Pleading)
No, please…

We follow his gaze upwards to see the tall figure. It isn’t JASON. It’s the bulbous form of DR. EGGMAN. His signature grin is not on his face.

TAILS
What do you want now?!

EGGMAN
Could I sit down for a moment?

TAILS stares up at him, still shrinking back, cowering.

EGGMAN
I’m not going to hurt you. Could I sit?

TAILS eyes him suspiciously.

TAILS
(Cautiously)
Okay.

EGGMAN’s spindly legs fold under him and he sits his egg-shaped body down at the shore of the lake. TAILS scoots away a couple of feet, keeping his distance nervously. EGGMAN stares out onto the surface of the lake. A few moments of silence pass before somebody speaks.

EGGMAN
It’s quiet here.

TAILS
It’s quiet everywhere. The birds don’t sing any more.

EGGMAN nods. Silence passes. TAILS looks nervously over at his unwelcome companion.

TAILS
What do you want?

EGGMAN
I just wanted to…

He trails off. TAILS frowns at him angrily, temporarily forgetting their size difference.

TAILS
(Angrily)
If you’re going to say you’re sorry about Sonic and Knuckles, then you can forget it! If it weren’t for you, they’d still be here! And I wouldn’t be…

It’s his turn to trail off. More silence passes. The two of them stare out over NEVER LAKE.

EGGMAN
This is where it all started, you know. Never Lake. Just a few months ago. This is where Jason landed after he fell from orbit.

TAILS
I know. We came here the day after to look for clues.

TAILS smiles slightly, remembering.

TAILS
Sonic didn’t want to go in the water, so he and Amy stayed here… Amy kept holding his hand and Sonic was giving me this look like “Help me”… everything was…

Silence. EGGMAN takes up the slack a few moments later.

EGGMAN
I was here, just moments after he landed. I saw him murder two young people and I thought “Finally, somebody who has the power to destroy Sonic.”

TAILS glares at him.

TAILS
(Coldly)
Well, you got your wish. I bet you’re laughing on the inside. I bet you’d love to see me cry… I bet that would really make you happy, wouldn’t it? Well… I’m not going… I won’t… let…

His words are lost in sniffles that threaten to become full-on sobs. He turns his face away, his hands over his eyes, trying to control himself. EGGMAN looks down at him, and then places a large, gloved hand on the fox’s shoulder. TAILS jerks his body away.

TAILS
(Tearfully)
DON’T TOUCH ME!

EGGMAN
Stop crying. It won’t do any good now.

TAILS
(Tearfully)
I hate you… I hate you so… much…

EGGMAN
That’s understandable. I’ll make no excuses for my actions.

He waits patiently until TAILS wrestles his emotions back under his own control. TAILS wipes the tears from his eyes.

TAILS
What do you want from me?

EGGMAN
You know, I’ve visualised this moment for so long… the day that Sonic the Hedgehog would be no more and I would have no opposition in my plans for building the Eggman Empire. I looked forward to the day that I could watch his funeral and laugh. But when I heard that he had been struck down by one of… them… it suddenly didn’t seem that funny. I wanted him out of my life for so long… I obsessed over it, I dreamed about it… I spent every minute of my time building bigger and more elaborate machines with which to destroy him… and it never occurred to me that I would actually feel…

He trails off.

TAILS
There’s something Sonic wanted me to tell you. He wanted me to say that he never hated you.

EGGMAN
(Surprised)
He… he didn’t?

TAILS
He said that he pitied you. And he wanted me to tell you that he hoped you found happiness someday so you wouldn’t have to waste your life building these silly machines.

EGGMAN
I see.

A long silence.

TAILS
It’s weird. I still can’t quite believe he’s actually gone. I keep expecting him to run up, and when I ask him where he’d been he’d just laugh and challenge me to a race.

EGGMAN
I know what you mean. When I failed to destroy the army, I just figured I’d let Sonic take care of it, like he took care of Perfect Chaos or the ARK, or Metal Sonic. He always found a way to fix things when I’d taken them too far, when they’d got out of my control.

TAILS
He always found a way and he always came out the other side with a smile.

EGGMAN
Every time.

Another long silence. It’s broken by TAILS.

TAILS
(Slowly)
Eggman… do you… hate me?

EGGMAN
What?

TAILS
I… I’ve never given any reason for you to hate me.

EGGMAN
Tails…

TAILS
Why do you want to hurt me? What did I ever do? What did Amy ever do? What did Sonic ever do?

EGGMAN
You stood in my way.

TAILS
Because it is the right thing to do!

EGGMAN
That’s what you believe. I fight for what I believe.

TAILS
(Appalled)
You can’t honestly think that hurting people, destroying their homes, taking over their lives, is fair? Is right?!

EGGMAN
And suppose I do?

TAILS
I don’t understand you.

EGGMAN lowers his head and speaks in a softer tone.

EGGMAN
You know that… when I was young… I idolised my grandfather, Gerald. My grandfather was a good man, Tails… he wanted to make things that would benefit humanity. It was the military… G.U.N…. they were the ones that forced him to use his great intellect to aid in the creation of weapons. They trained the Gizoid to fight, they used his Chaos Drives to power their weapons, they modified his research into the “Artificial Chaos” so it would guard their facilities…

TAILS looks up at him, listening intently. EGGMAN does not return his look.

EGGMAN
I used to go up to the ARK, the space station where he lived and worked… he used to show me the things he had created. Wonderful things, Tails, things that inspired me, that made me laugh… I was just a boy, but even then I wanted to be a great scientist, just like him. He was a man who quested for the mysteries of life, and I wanted to help him unlock those secrets. He developed the ultimate form of life, the so-called “Project Shadow”, in an effort to cure his granddaughter, my cousin Maria, of the neural disease that was slowly wearing her away. But they – G.U.N. - feared the project might be a danger to them. They took over the station, murdered everybody inside, destroyed his research… they even murdered little Maria. She was wonderful… so beautiful… and she never caused harm to anything. She was… she was a little older than me. I remember we used to play hide and seek in the corridors…

He smiles with the memory, and then frowns as he continues.

EGGMAN
They discredited him. He became a hated figure in the media, thanks to their lies. They said he was an evil man, who was developing weapons of mass destruction. And in a way, that was true, but only because they had forced him to in the first place! I recall going to school, and I was in mathematics class, and the teacher announced to the other students that I had better drop out, or I’d soon be making weapons and monsters like my grandfather… everybody laughed… after school one time, some of the boys from my class surrounded me… they were older than me, I had skipped a few years due to my intellect… I couldn’t run, even then I was large. They were pushing me, and tearing up my books, and saying that I was a freak and a butcher, just like my grandfather...

Silence. He continues.

EGGMAN
When Gerald found out about the death of his granddaughter, he… he lost his mind. He began to scrawl on the walls of his cell, he began to rant and rave like a lunatic… I remember visiting him just before the end. He barely recognised me, and every time I said something he would laugh, and then the laughing would turn into crying, and he would start banging on the walls and screaming… and they had to take me away until he calmed down. That was the last time I saw him.

EGGMAN continues slowly, having difficulty reliving the experience.

EGGMAN
When they finally deciphered the scrawlings on the cell walls, they realised they were plans to get revenge on the world, to destroy everything… to make them feel the pain and injustice he had suffered. This was the excuse they were looking for. They rushed him through a trial that was little more than a formality, and then they executed him by firing squad.

TAILS
Why are you telling me this?

EGGMAN
In the eyes of the public, Tails… my grandfather was an evil man. His death was celebrated across the world. All he ever wanted to do was cure Maria and make the world a better place.

TAILS
I’m sorry about what happened to him. I really am. But that still gives you no right to hurt people! A lot of people go through hard times, but that doesn’t make them evil!

EGGMAN
Perhaps I am an evil man. But why shouldn’t I be? I saw my grandfather die for no reason at all. I saw regular, “good” people cheer as they heard of his death. I was loathed by my peers, shunned by my colleagues. Why should I try and help these people? Why shouldn’t I rule over them, instead of they over me?

TAILS
You can’t blame the whole world for the actions of a few people, 50 years ago!

EGGMAN
Oh, but I can. Humanity doesn’t change, Tails. It never will. They are selfish, greedy, they fear what they don’t understand. They are blissful in their ignorance. They don’t want to know what lies beyond their sight. They don’t care for pursuits of the mind. They disgust me, revelling in their “freedom”. What have they done to deserve it?

TAILS
But that doesn’t give you the right to rule them! To fill the world with machines!

EGGMAN
Machines don’t lie. Machines don’t judge. Machines do what they are programmed to do. Machines have been my only friends since my grandfather passed away all those years ago. It is machines that will rule this world. Better them than the ungrateful scum that populate it now.

They both fall silent. A long, long period of silence passes. Both of them stare out at the lake.

TAILS
It’s nearly time for the Little Planet to appear. They say it appears once a month in the sky above Never Lake, and it causes miracles to happen.

He sighs deeply.

EGGMAN
I remember… taking over that whole planet once. You see, located on that planet are the seven Time Stones. It took a long time, but I located them all, and I used them to go back in time, hundreds of years, and I placed robot generators there. When I arrived back in the future, the entire planet was a paradise of machinery. Of course, that hedgehog was right behind me, and he used the Time Stones to go back in time and put everything right again.

TAILS
Sonic had a way of doing that, huh?

EGGMAN
Yes, he did.

The two of them laugh humourlessly.

EGGMAN
For what it’s worth… I meant what I said today. At the funeral. He deserved better than that.

TAILS
He was worth a million of those monsters.

Another long stretch of silence.

Simultaneously, TAILS and EGGMAN’s eyes widen, realisation spreading across their faces like wildfire. Their eyes meet.

TAILS
Eggman!

EGGMAN
Tails!

EGGMAN / TAILS
(Simultaneously)
The Time Stones!

Some distance away, ROWAN, AMY, CREAM and CHEESE approach the lake. The three non-humans carry half-eaten ice cream cones. ROWAN’s eyes widen with fear as she spots the bulbous figure of DR. EGGMAN sitting next to him.

ROWAN
Miles! Get away from him!

She charges off towards them. The others follow, their ice cream clones hitting the ground with a splat.

TAILS and EGGMAN chatter excitedly, sitting bolt upright, their eyes shining.

EGGMAN
It would be incredibly difficult!

TAILS
But possible!

EGGMAN
Potentially, yes!

AMY (OS)
Eggman! Get away from him!

EGGMAN turns his head to see the PIKO PIKO HAMMER aimed at him. He throws up his hands in defence.

EGGMAN
Wait! Wait! Don’t!

AMY
(Angrily)
I should bash your brains in right now!

TAILS
Amy, stop!

AMY
(Confused)
Uh?

She lowers the hammer, confused. ROWAN, CREAM and CHEESE wear similar expressions.

ROWAN
Miles, what’s going on?

TAILS
(Excitedly)
I think we’ve found a way to do it!

CREAM
A way to do what, Tails?

TAILS
(Excitedly)
A way to bring Sonic back!

Everybody’s jaw drops.

ROWAN
W-what?!

AMY
What are you talking about?!

TAILS
The Time Stones! The Little Planet will be appearing soon… if we can find the seven Time Stones, we might be able to use them to go back in time and stop Sonic from being killed!

The others look at EGGMAN, their faces dull with shock.

AMY
Is… is that possible?

EGGMAN
Potentially, yes.

A moment of shocked silence passes, and then ROWAN, AMY, CREAM and CHEESE burst into celebration. They hop up and down, holding hands, hugging each other, laughing hysterically. EGGMAN stands up, towering above them, and clears his throat loudly. They stop in mid-bounce and look up at him.

EGGMAN
Don’t get your hopes up! I said it might be possible. Time travel isn’t the simplest of concepts. You’re messing with the very fabric of the universe.

AMY
But we have to try!

EGGMAN
First, we’ll need to wait for the planet to appear, which should be some time in the next few days. Then we’ll need to locate the Time Stones. It won’t be easy, they could be spread across the entire planet.

ROWAN
But it’s called the Little Planet, right? How hard could it be?

EGGMAN
A small planet is still a planet. When… if… we find them, then we’ll need to use them to go back. By themselves, they are far too unstable and random. We’ll either end up several centuries in the past or the future. I’ll need to build a machine that can harness their power so we can make more accurate leaps through time. It will take every bit of my scientific genius.

TAILS
I’ll help!

EGGMAN
We’ll also need the seven Chaos Emeralds, if we’re going to power this machine. It will require massive amounts of energy. Finding them won’t be easy either.

AMY
It never is.

TAILS
They were scattered after Chaos used them, they could be anywhere in the world.

CREAM
(Hopefully)
But then that’s it? We can bring Mr. Sonic and Mr. Knuckles back?

EGGMAN
Even if we accomplish all of that, there is still no guarantee. Both the Chaos Emeralds and the Time Stones are incredibly powerful and uncontrollable. One glitch in the machine and we’ll all be blown to kingdom come, or transported to a time before life even existed on this planet. And just supposing we manage to get back into the past, before all this happened, there’s no guarantee we’ll put things right. The ramifications of messing with time like this could be disastrous. If we aren’t careful, we could create a time paradox that would crush the universe like a paper cup.

Everybody considers this for a few moments.

AMY
Well, what are we waiting for?

CREAM
Let’s get started!

CHEESE
Chao chao!

TAILS
Yeah, let’s do it!

The four of them walk away, chatting excitedly. ROWAN remains, standing beside DR. EGGMAN. She turns to him.

ROWAN
I just have one more question.

EGGMAN
Yes?

ROWAN
Why are you doing this? Why help us? Why bring him back after you spent so long trying to kill him?

EGGMAN
I… I may not have liked him… in fact, I openly despised him. But none of this is right. I didn’t understand at first, but I do now. Jason Voorhees… he should never have existed. He should have drowned in that lake five centuries ago. I should have learned my lesson after the first couple of times. Creating that army was a mistake. They caused so much death and pain… it troubles me. I wish to wash my hands clean of the whole thing.

ROWAN
How awfully big of you.

EGGMAN
Spare me your lectures, woman. Think what you want of me. I don’t regret many things. I don’t regret my attempts to take over the world. I don’t even regret my attempts to destroy that hedgehog and his friends. But I do regret bringing Jason back, and I do regret creating that army, and I regret seeing the damage they have done.

ROWAN
You’d better be telling the truth. If this is all some ploy to get the rest of them, to finish what Jason started, then I’ll kill you myself. There won’t be any spin attacks, no snappy quips, no crazy animal-shaped robots. I’m going to walk up to you, and I’m going to stick a gun in your face, and I’m going to blow your fucking brains out. I’ll turn that 300 IQ of yours into dog food. Do you understand me? Am I clear?

EGGMAN
Crystal.

ROWAN
Good.

She walks away, leaving EGGMAN alone by the edge of the lake. He turns to face it. He smoothes his long, thick moustache with both hands.

EGGMAN
I can’t believe I actually miss him…

FADE TO:

INT. LABORATORY – DAY

TAILS and EGGMAN are seated at opposite sides of a table, inside a large laboratory full of computers and mechanical equipment. They’re both poring over a large blueprint of what appears to be an airship. Both have pencils, and they’re rapidly scribbling diagrams, formulae and notes on the design.

EGGMAN
I still say it needs bombs!

TAILS
No bombs! We aren’t going to blow anything up!

EGGMAN
Still… we could have bombs just in case?

TAILS
No bombs!

EGGMAN
Fine, fine.

TAILS
I need to ask you something that’s been bothering me. If time travel is so delicate and has the potential to destroy the universe, why did you use the Time Stones so recklessly when you tried to take over the Little Planet?

EGGMAN
Well, the Little Planet is completely uninhabited. No-one has ever lived on the planet and no-one ever will. Since it has no contact with anybody, changing time wasn’t so monumental.

TAILS
Oh, okay. Anyway, we need to find a way to harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds. We’re going to have all seven Emeralds in there. That level of power is very difficult to contain. We’ll need to find ways to expend it, otherwise it’ll build up and the end results could be disastrous.

EGGMAN
Well, we could always channel the energy into a massive laser beam!

TAILS stares at him blankly.

TAILS
Or… we could channel the energy into several different engines, thereby increasing our speed! We’ll need all the speed we can get!

EGGMAN
Fine. But you’ll regret not having the laser!

TAILS
Look, why don’t you concentrate on developing the time travel aspect? Something that can tap into the power of the Time Stones and give us an accurate method of time travel? I’ll work on the body of the craft.

EGGMAN
Fine, fine! Only a genius like myself could possibly contemplate the vastness of time travel formula!

TAILS
Uh-huh.

EGGMAN
By the way, the name of this marvellous creation is the Egg Traveller!

TAILS
What? No way! We’re calling it the Time Twister!

EGGMAN
Time Twister? What kind of name is that?
 
TAILS
It’s a cool name!
 
EGGMAN
How about… the Egg Timer! Hahaha!

TAILS stares at him blankly.

TAILS
How about no?

EGGMAN
Hmph!

TAILS
How about… the Hurricane?

EGGMAN
Egg Stalker!

TAILS
Whirlwind!

EGGMAN
Egg Vortex!

TAILS
Tempest!

EGGMAN
We’re wasting time!

TAILS
You started it!

EGGMAN
Look, you get to work on your part, I’ll work on mine. We’ll decide on the name afterwards.

TAILS
Alright. Let’s just hope the others are doing well.

EXT. MARBLE ZONE – DAY

The Marble Zone, located on South Island, is a massive land of crumbling marble ruins. The ground is cracked and broken, and pools of boiling magma have risen to the surface. Balls of lava are spat this way and that. The odd bit of scorched grass still remains from place to place.

The three members of TEAM CHAOTIX – VECTOR, ESPIO and CHARMY, make their way across the turbulent land cautiously.

CHARMY
This place sucks!

ESPIO
It is indeed a dangerous place.

VECTOR
Never mind that! There’s a Chaos Emerald here somewhere!

They come to a river of fire that twists and winds through the land. VECTOR hurls himself through the air like a javelin and lands on the other side, rolling to come back to his feet. ESPIO leaps nimbly over the pit to join him. CHARMY floats toward them. He shrieks as a ball of fire leaps up from the pit, missing him by mere inches. He buzzes higher into the air and zooms right towards his companions. He slams into VECTOR head first and the two of them tumble to the ground. They roll over and over, coming to a stop right next to the boiling river. VECTOR grabs CHARMY in one hand and stands up hurriedly, getting away from the edge. He holds the bee in front of him and yells in his face.

VECTOR
CHARMY! You could have killed us both!

CHARMY
Er… sorry?

ESPIO
You must learn to be more careful, Charmy. A clear mind gives way to fluent action.

CHARMY
Yeah, sure. Can’t we go somewhere else? Somewhere that doesn’t have the threat of burning alive around every corner?

VECTOR
How many times do I have to tell you? There’s a Chaos Emerald here! We need to find them all, so Tails and Eggman can use them to build their time machine and get Sonic and Knuckles back!

CHARMY
Oh, right. I remember.

VECTOR
I worry about you sometimes.

ESPIO
It’s the other one we should worry about.

VECTOR
Yeah. I don’t know why we agreed to take him along.

ESPIO
He is skilled at finding jewels.

VECTOR
Yeah, for his own gain. Where is he anyway?

VOICE (OS)
You guys coming or you wanna back out now?

They turn their heads to see FANG THE SNIPER, the purple wolf-weasel, standing some distance away. He’s grinning at them smugly. In his hand he holds a small device.

FANG
Hurry up, would ya? According to the Jewel Radar, the Emerald is just ahead!

VECTOR
We’re coming already!

TEAM CHAOTIX head after him quickly, hopping pools of lava as they go. They finally rejoin the fourth member of their party, who checks his watch.

FANG
(Mock annoyance)
Wow, at that speed no wonder it takes you so long to solve a case!

VECTOR
May I remind you that we caught you once before?

FANG
Ah, I needed the rest. A bit of jail time did me good. Put me back on the straight and narrow, it did!

ESPIO
You are lying.

FANG slaps ESPIO on the back with a laugh. ESPIO glares at him.

FANG
You’re a funny guy, Chameleon!

ESPIO
Humour was not my intent.

FANG
Come on, the Emerald is just ahead.

He holds up the JEWEL RADAR, which shows a strong energy signal just ahead.

CHARMY
I wanna hold the Jewel Radar! Can I hold it next?

VECTOR
Charmy, if we gave it you, it would either be destroyed or lost within moments.

CHARMY
You have too little faith in me!

VECTOR
Ha! Remember the time I told you to hold the fire hose while I rescued a cat from a burning treehouse?

ESPIO
The nightmares still plague me to this day…

They stop and look around. FANG is gone. VECTOR grabs CHARMY out of the air and glares at him.

VECTOR
Now look what ya did! You let him get away!

ESPIO
We’ll never find him now…

FANG (OS)
I’m here!

They turn their heads slightly to see that FANG stands by the crumbling entrance of what appears to be a temple constructed of solid marble. It’s surrounded by a moat of lava. All three of TEAM CHAOTIX open their mouths to say something, and then decide against it. They head silently after FANG into the temple.

EXT. NEVER LAKE – DAY

An establishing shot of the LITTLE PLANET. It floats in the sky high above NEVER LAKE. The surface of the water reflects the planet, which is barely the size of a small moon, back up into the blue sky. The planet is made up of several different regions. We can see grasslands, lakes, volcanoes, mountains, clouds, all of them spread out over the surface of the orb.

EXT. PALMTREE PANIC ZONE – DAY

The Palmtree Panic Zone, one of the many varied regions that make up the Little Planet, is a beautiful region covered with rivers, waterfalls, caves, and of course palm trees. Several small figures make their way through the area. We move in closer to see who they are.

The party is made up of ROWAN, AMY ROSE, ROUGE THE BAT, CREAM THE RABBIT and CHEESE THE CHAO. They chat amongst themselves as they walk.

ROWAN
So the Time Stones are located somewhere on this planet?

AMY
That’s right.

CREAM
Where do we start looking?

ROUGE
From what I’ve heard, the presence of the Time Stones on this planet means that it constantly shifts through time and space. That’s why it appears in our time once every month. It’s the shifting time that causes the so-called “miracles” the planet is famed for.

CREAM
That didn’t answer my question.

CHEESE
Cha chao cha!

ROUGE
I don’t know, okay?

ROWAN
Great. The master jewel hunter lives up to her name.

AMY
Look, maybe we should split up? We’ll find the Emeralds faster that way. Rowan, you and Rouge go together.

ROUGE
(Sighs) Great. Give me the human.

AMY
Cream and Cheese, you come with me.

CHEESE
(Happily)
Chao! Chao!

CREAM
Yay! Team Jubilee unite!

AMY and CREAM high five, and then all three link hands and run away. ROWAN and ROUGE watch them. ROWAN shakes her head.

ROWAN
(Sadly)
They’re so sure this is going to work.

ROUGE
Don’t you think it will?

ROWAN
I don’t know.

ROUGE
It will work. But we need to find those Time Stones first.

ROWAN
After you.

ROUGE shakes her head with mock politeness and gestures for ROWAN to go first.

ROUGE
Age before beauty.

ROWAN scowls, but begins to walk. The two of them head in the opposite direction to the other three.

INT. MARBLE TEMPLE – DAY

The inside of the temple is just as bad as the outside. The floor is cracked and crumbled, and lava flows beneath. Lava even flows out of outlets in the walls like a flaming waterfall. TEAM CHAOTIX and FANG make their way through the winding corridors cautiously. FANG holds the JEWEL RADAR up in front of him.

FANG
Getting closer…

VECTOR
About time!

VECTOR’s foot touches a section of the ground, and with a crack it crumbles away. Bright red lava flows beneath. The crack spreads outwards, and the rest of the floor around them begins to crumble. Only ESPIO notices.

ESPIO
The ground is crumbling!

FANG
Huh?

VECTOR
Mm?

CHARMY
Say what?

A loud crack is their answer. They all look down. Lava is beginning to rise up through the cracks in the ground. Their eyes widen with shock simultaneously. VECTOR looks up at ESPIO.

VECTOR
The ground is crumbling!

ESPIO
I’m aware.

With a crunch, the floor collapses and bubbling, boiling lava consumes the corridor. We pan up to see that ESPIO stands upside-down on the ceiling. VECTOR clutches one of his hands, FANG the other. CHARMY buzzes below them, looking down at the river of lava that used to be the ground.

CHARMY
That was a close one!

ESPIO
Come on, let’s go.

He begins to walk along the ceiling, defying gravity. VECTOR and FANG swing below him, looking down nervously. FANG glances at the JEWEL RADAR in his hand. It’s flashing brightly.

FANG
We’re right on top of the Emerald!

VECTOR
Good! Espio, get us back on solid ground!

ESPIO continues walking until the ground beneath them is solid again. He walks down the wall and then finally steps back onto the ground, the right side up. CHARMY floats behind them. The four of them continue on. After a few moments, the corridor opens out into a larger room.

In the centre of the room is a large stone pillar. A glowing blue light is coming from atop it. The four of them gaze up at it.

ESPIO
The Chaos Emerald!

VECTOR
Good job, boys! We found it!

FANG
You mean, I found it?

VECTOR
Whatever.

CHARMY
I’ll get it, I’ll get it!

He buzzes off towards the CHAOS EMERALD.

VECTOR
Charmy, wait! The place could be-

He falls silent, aghast, as CHARMY sets off several booby traps. Flaming arrows blast out of hidden recesses in the walls. Crushing weights descend from the dark ceiling. The ground folds away to reveal burning lava beneath. Balls of fire are hurled from every direction. CHARMY, oblivious to all this, quickly buzzes towards the EMERALD, humming loudly to himself. Arrows narrowly miss him. Crushers slam down behind him and to either side.

VECTOR, ESPIO and FANG watch with open mouths as CHARMY grabs the glowing blue CHAOS EMERALD and buzzes back towards them. He reaches them and drops the EMERALD into VECTOR’s hand with a smile. VECTOR stares at him, open-mouthed.

CHARMY
No trouble at all, boss!

VECTOR, ESPIO and FANG exchange a glance.

FADE TO:

A rapid montage of scenes in quick succession:

INT. LABORATORY – DAY

TAILS and EGGMAN perform various tasks, building their machine. Welding, sawing, programming, drawing, painting, hammering, sanding, cutting…

EXT. QUARTZ QUADRANT ZONE – DAY

AMY, CREAM and CHEESE explore a valley constructed entirely of shining diamonds. CHEESE suddenly exclaims loudly, and holds up a rock. This rock is glowing with a yellow light. CREAM and AMY rush over and examines it. AMY nods, and then places the rock on the ground. She gestures for CREAM and CHEESE to stand back, and then pulls out the PIKO PIKO HAMMER. She raises it up and brings it crashing down on the rocket. It shatters everywhere, and we now see that inside was a large round, glowing crystal, yellow in colour. This is a TIME STONE. CREAM picks it up and grins happily. AMY gives her a thumbs up.

INT. LABORATORY – DAY

TAILS and EGGMAN continue to build their masterpiece.

EXT. MYSTIC CAVE ZONE – DAY

The inside of a deep, dark cave. Vines hang from the ceiling. Moss grows over the damp rock walls. TEAM CHAOTIX and FANG climb up a craggy hill, and grin as they see a purple CHAOS EMERALD a small distance away. CHARMY rushes ahead and grabs it, much to their horror. They watch as the bee grabs the EMERALD. He turns to the others and gives them a thumbs up, before the ground opens up and he drops out of sight. VECTOR, ESPIO and FANG charge over to the pit and look inside. The pit stretches down for what appears to be miles before being lost in darkness.

The threesome exchange worried glances, before a glowing purple light appears in the darkness below them. The light grows, getting closer. CHARMY buzzes up out of the bottomless pit, holding the CHAOS EMERALD in both of his hands. He tosses it to VECTOR, who fumbles with it before managing to catch it properly. He glares up at CHARMY, who grins widely and gives him a double thumbs-up. VECTOR, ESPIO and FANG lower their heads and shake them slowly.

INT. WACKY WORKBENCH ZONE – DAY

ROWAN and ROUGE stand on the far edge of a massive factory. The floor beyond them is multicoloured. It stretches on for miles. They look up, to see that platforms and walkways stretch off into the sky for miles. It’s a lot of ground to cover. ROWAN and ROUGE exchange a glance and shrug. ROUGE gestures for ROWAN to take the first step. ROWAN does, and as her foot touches the multicoloured ground she is suddenly catapulted into the air at incredible speed. Her scream rapidly fades out as she rockets into the air and out of sight. ROUGE watches her go with a smile, and then leaps forward. She touches the ground with both feet and springs off into the sky, wings spread, arms outstretched.

INT. LABORATORY – DAY

TAILS enters the laboratory carrying two trays of food: one small and full of healthy, natural foodstuffs and the other piled high with fatty foods of every kind, in addition to a LOT of eggs – boiled, scrambled, poached, you name it. He stops as he sees that EGGMAN is painting the words “EGG TIMER” on the side of their craft. He frowns.

INT. TIDAL TEMPEST ZONE – DAY

The inside of a huge, ancient-looking temple. The majority of it is flooded with clear, blue water. AMY, CREAM and CHEESE swim through a waterlogged passageway. CREAM uses her long ears in addition to her hands and feet to swim faster. The hedgehog and the rabbit hold their breath. CHEESE doesn’t. He moves with absolute naturalness through the clear water. AMY and CREAM stop beside a crack in the floor, through which large air bubbles emerge. Both of them nudge a large bubble head-first. Their heads poke through, and they each take a breath of oxygen before the bubble bursts. They swim on, turning a corner. At the end of the next corridor is a glowing green light. The three of them quickly swim to the end. AMY grabs the glowing object, and they make their way upwards, following a rising passageway to the top.

They reach the top, where the water finally ends. Their heads emerge from the liquid and AMY and CREAM take a deep breath of air. CHEESE floats out of the water, smiling. AMY and CREAM climb out of the water and admire the round, green jewel in AMY’s hands. It’s another TIME STONE.

INT. LABORATORY – DAY

EGGMAN is examining a computer monitor full of complex scientific formulae and algebraic equations. TAILS is nearby, poking around with a screwdriver inside the machinery of the craft itself. We still haven’t seen the craft in its entirety, just small sections that are being worked on. We do see that the words “EGG TIMER” have been crossed out with a streak of blue paint.

INT. PUMPKIN HILL ZONE – NIGHT

TEAM CHAOTIX and FANG nervously tread through a dark, rocky region. Large, round rock formations jut out of the ground, with evil-looking faces carved on them. They come to a train track that stretches out across the region. They look both ways. Nothing is coming. CHARMY floats forwards, and as he does a large, ancient-looking train suddenly materialises out of nowhere and speeds towards them. ESPIO hops forwards, grabbing CHARMY out of the air a second before he is crushed by the speeding locomotive.

A glowing blue light suddenly appears a short distance away. It’s the light of a CHAOS EMERALD. The foursome watch as it hovers towards them and stops a short distance away, bobbing up and down in the air gently. FANG steps forward and reaches out for it. As he does, a massive white ghost, round with red, manic eyes, suddenly materialises out of thin air. The EMERALD is clutched in its hands. FANG’s eyes widen with fear and he stumbles backwards. The ghost advances on FANG menacingly. It nears him, eyes wide, mouth wide open to reveal razor sharp rows of teeth. The ghost suddenly pops like a balloon and disappears. The CHAOS EMERALD falls from its grasp. ESPIO catches it with both hands. We see that where the ghost was floats CHARMY, the sharp stinger on his underside facing forwards. He grins at the others. They exchange incredulous glances.

INT. WACKY WORKBENCH ZONE – DAY

ROWAN and walks nervously across a steel platform, about 100 feet above the extremely bouncy ground. ROUGE follows her, far less nervously. She suddenly points. ROWAN follows her finger to see that a glowing light comes from a nearby platform, adjacent to them. ROWAN grins, and in her excitement she stumbles forwards, teetering on the edge of the platform. She tumbles forward, but ROUGE reaches out and grabs the back of her shirt, and yanks her back to her feet. ROWAN smiles graciously at ROUGE, who regards her with disdain and then spreads her wings and glides over to the platform. She holds up the glowing orange TIME STONE with one hand and forms the two-fingered “V” sign with the other one, smiling triumphantly. She steps forward, and stumbles slightly. The TIME STONE slips free of her grasp and plummets off the platform, heading down to the ground a hundred feet below. ROWAN frowns at her, and ROUGE shrugs with an embarrassed smile.

The TIME STONE heads downwards until it connects with the floor. It hits it and rockets back up into the air, heading back towards the two ladies. It soars up, passing them, and then finally runs out of upward momentum and begins to head back down. ROWAN holds out both hands, and the round crystal lands in her grasp. ROWAN smiles and sticks her tongue out playfully. ROUGE smiles.

INT. LABORATORY – DAY

TAILS work feverishly on finishing their craft – tightening bolts, painting, tweaking… EGGMAN sits in the cockpit, pressing buttons on the control panel in front of him, watching the small monitor in the centre of the cockpit.

FADE TO BLACK

LEGEND: “TWO WEEKS LATER”

FADE TO BLACK

LEGEND: “1209,600 SECONDS LATER”

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

Beside the lake, which glows under the light of the silver moon, there is a wide, dark shape, covered over with a large sheet of tarpaulin. The LITTLE PLANET can still be seen suspended in the sky above the lake. Next to it stand a small crowd. Moving closer, we see that they are ROWAN, AMY, CREAM, CHEESE, ROUGE, FANG, VECTOR, CHARMY and ESPIO. They all stare at the concealed mass before them. TAILS and DR. EGGMAN stand before them, in front of the object. EGGMAN is mid-way through a speech.

EGGMAN
… and so it came to be that the greatest scientific genius in all of the universe and an irritating – albeit inventive – young fox had to join forces, against all odds, to put back the wrongs of history and set free-

ROWAN
Hey, we don’t have all night, you know!

TAILS
What Eggman is trying to say is… it’s time for the grand unveiling!

He and EGGMAN take hold of two pieces of rope. As the circle watches with anticipation, they yank the rope. The sheet that covers their craft is pulled away, and their creation is seen for the first time. A collective gasp goes up from the small crowd.

Their craft resembles a large fighter jet. The body is sleek and ergonomic. There is a glass-domed egg-shaped cockpit at the front. Two large wings stretch out of either side of the craft, shaped like a birds. The fuselage at the back resembles the back of the TORNADO. The craft is painted blue with red trim. The grinning logo of the Eggman Empire is painted on the side. Next to it is the orange two-tailed logo. Besides this is painted the name of the craft: the EGG WHIRLWIND. Below this, in smaller letters, are the words “PROWER / ROBOTNIK”.

TAILS and EGGMAN look up at their invention proudly.

TAILS
So, what do you think?

ROUGE
Not bad at all!

FANG
Marvellous!

ROWAN
It’s amazing!

CREAM
It’s pretty!

CHEESE
Chao chi chi!

ESPIO
It is most impressive.

CHARMY
It’s totally awesome!

VECTOR
Nice work, guys!

AMY
Can it really travel through time and space?

EGGMAN
Of course it can! The Time Stones and the Chaos Emeralds have been installed, and we’ve taken significant measures to ensure that their energy is channelled thoroughly.

TAILS
Thanks for all your hard work with finding the Emeralds and the Time Stones, guys!

AMY
Aw, that’s okay!

CREAM
We did our best, right Cheese?

CHEESE
Chao! Chao!

ROWAN
No problem!

ROUGE
Child’s play!

ESPIO
We are honoured to assist you.

CHARMY
We rule!

VECTOR
It’s all in a days work for Team Chaotix!

FANG
Well, I did all the work really… you’re welcome!

As the chatter continues, somebody’s POV watches silently from the cover of the trees a short distance away.

Back on the gang as they continue talking.

ROWAN
You guys really did a good job on this.

TAILS
Well, Eggman did all the hard work. I just built the ship, he handled the time travel aspect.

EGGMAN
Nonsense! Without your methods of diluting the Chaos Emerald energy we’d never even get off the ground!

CREAM
I think you both did well!

CHEESE
Cha cha!

The POV watches from the trees.

Back on the gang.

TAILS
Well, we should get going. The sooner the better!

EGGMAN
Yes, no time like the present! Or the past, as it were! Hahaha!

Nobody laughs.

EGGMAN
Anyway, let’s depart.

He walks off towards the craft, chuckling to himself about the joke. TAILS remains with the others.

ROWAN
Good luck, Miles.

AMY
We’ll be rooting for you.

CREAM
We know you can do it!

CHEESE
Chao!

TAILS
I’ll be seeing you real soon.

He turns to walk away, and then turns back. His face is troubled.

TAILS
Guys… just in case… we fail…

ROWAN
Miles-

TAILS
Just in case we don’t make it back… I want to thank you. The last couple of weeks have been the hardest days of my entire life. If this is my last day of my life, then I’ve been privileged to know all of you.

Smiling sadly, he hugs AMY. She cuddles him back tenderly.

AMY
You can do this, Tails. You’ve always been the smart one. Not even Sonic could do this one, but you can.

She kisses him on the cheek. They share a warm smile, before TAILS steps over to CREAM. They too share a hug.

CREAM
Good luck, Tails. Please tell Mr. Sonic we’ve all been very sad without him.

TAILS
I will, Cream.

Their hug tightens, and then they part. TAILS nods at CHEESE.

TAILS
Cheese.

CHEESE nods back, his tiny blue face uncharacteristically serious.

CHEESE
Chais.

They shake hands. TAILS steps over to ROWAN. They smile warmly at one another.

TAILS
Rowan… I’ve only known you a few weeks, but I consider you one of my best friends.

ROWAN
I feel the same about you, Miles.

TAILS hops up into her arms and they hug tightly.

TAILS
Guess all that hero stuff turned out to be true, huh? It’s all up to me now.

ROWAN
I guess you’re right.

TAILS
Rowan? Can I tell you something?

ROWAN
Anything.

TAILS
I’m so scared right now.

ROWAN
Oh, Miles…

TAILS
What if I fail? What if my ship isn’t good enough? What if I can’t save Sonic?

ROWAN
When I first heard about this idea, I didn’t think it would work. It sounded so dangerous, so impossible. But I don’t feel that way any more. You won’t fail. Your ship is perfect. Even Eggman thinks so. And you will save Sonic. I know you will. Those things he said to you before he died, they weren’t empty niceties. He really believed in you, Miles. As I do, as all of us do. You just need to believe in yourself.

TAILS
I do. Thanks to you, and thanks to Sonic, I do. But I’m still afraid.

ROWAN
That’s to be expected. But don’t give in to it.

She kisses him on the forehead, and then places him back down on the ground. TAILS gives TEAM CHAOTIX, FANG and ROUGE a wave.

TAILS
Bye, guys! Thanks for all your help!

ROUGE
Any time, kid!

VECTOR
Good luck!

ESPIO
May your journey be a safe one.

FANG
Seeya!

CHARMY
Bye-bye!

TAILS turns away from all of them and walks over to the ship.

The mysterious POV watches from the trees.

Back on TAILS as he gives everyone a final wave, and then hops into the side of the craft.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS steps into the egg-shaped cockpit of the craft. EGGMAN sits in one of the two seats at the front, preparing for their launch busily. TAILS takes a seat beside him and buckles his seatbelt. His face is sad. EGGMAN looks over at him.

EGGMAN
What’s wrong?

TAILS
I… I just…

He pauses, and then smiles up at EGGMAN.

TAILS
(Confidently)
Never mind. Are we all set?

EGGMAN
Take-off preparations are complete. All systems check out.

TAILS
Then let’s go save the world!

The two of them begin pressing buttons. The craft begins to power up, the engine noise growing louder and louder.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT

A large, wall-mounted panel houses the seven CHAOS EMERALDS, connected to a large machine from which several wires and pipes emerge, leading in every direction. The EMERALDS glow brightly, supplying power to every part of the ship.

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

The small crowd watch as the EGG WHIRLWIND begins to rise off the ground vertically.

The POV that watches from the forest sees the craft rising up and begins to quickly walk towards the group. They are all facing away.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN flick away at various switches as they rise higher and higher into the night sky.

TAILS
Okay, we’re clear.

EGGMAN
Engaging time travel…

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT

Opposite the machine that houses the CHAOS EMERALDS is a similar machine that houses the seven round, glowing TIME STONES. They begin to glow brightly, their power being tapped into.

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

The craft rises higher and higher. The crowd watch, craning their necks upwards to watch the ascent.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN exchange a glance.

EGGMAN
Time drive initiated.

TAILS
ETA?

EGGMAN
Seven months ago. The night all this started.

TAILS
Engage.

EGGMAN keys in one final command.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND ENGINE ROOM – NIGHT

The seven CHAOS EMERALDS and the seven TIME STONES surge with energy, their powerful glow illuminating the room with multiple colours.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN sit at the controls.

TAILS
Here we go!

EGGMAN
Engaging now!

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

The EGG WHIRLWIND suddenly rockets across the sky at high speed before disappearing in an explosion of multi-coloured light. Twinkling orbs of energy drift away on the wind like dandelion petals. The group gaze at it, awed.

AMY, CREAM, CHEESE, ROUGE and ROWAN all stand in a line, watching the residual energy disperse. They are speechless.

Some distance behind them stands TEAM CHAOTIX and FANG.

FANG
Well, that sure was neat.

VECTOR
I’ll say!

CHARMY
That was awesome!

ESPIO
Truly impressive.

The eyes of TEAM CHAOTIX suddenly widen, their mouths gape open. They stand in silence, frozen, for a moment. Then their heads suddenly pop from their bodies like champagne corks. Three geysers of blood spray from their severed necks. Then VECTOR’s body slumps to the ground, ESPIO’s crumples, and CHARMY’s falls out of the air and hits the ground with a splat. Their neck stumps continue to spit blood.

FANG looks down at their dead bodies with an expression of utter shock, and then looks up to where they stood. The tall, imposing figure of a man stands there. He wears a white hockey mask on his face. One of his eyes is unfocused and dead, the other cold and hard and inflamed with rage. The man carries a long, sharp machete in his gloved hand. It’s slick with the blood of the crocodile, the bee and the chameleon. The man is JASON VOORHEES.

FANG’s eyes widen with fear.

FANG
(Shocked)
It’s you!
 
We see a flashback, shown entirely in black and white.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE – DAWN

An army of 50 identical JASONs moves quickly through the wilderness. They come to a river. A thin rope bridge is the only way across. They begin to move across in single file. Two of the JASONs step forward at the same time and bump into each other. A brief scuffle ensues, and one JASON lands a punch that sends the other one toppling over the edge and into the river. Struggling and thrashing, he is washed away by the current, heading out of sight. The other JASONs continue to cross the bridge in single file.

The lone JASON hurtles down the river for some distance, following the river as it twists this way and that. Finally he manages to grab onto a rock and stop his forward motion. He pulls himself up onto the bank, soaking wet. Before him is a dark forest. JASON reaches to his side and pulls a long, sharp machete from a sheath attached to his belt. Machete in hand, he heads towards the forest.

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

JASON towers above FANG, bloody machete in hand. FANG cowers in fear.

FANG
You can’t be alive!

The only response from JASON is the quick jerk of an arm. The machete shoots forward and impales the wolf-weasel right in the gut. It goes in deep. JASON twists it around savagely before jerking it back out. Blood pours out, spreading like wildfire across the white fur of his belly. FANG moans with pain and then collapses, dead.

Some distance away, out of hearing range, the others still stand in a line, looking up at the place where the EGG WHIRLWIND vanished. A bright glow of many colours still floats in the air. From left to right stand ROUGE, ROWAN, AMY, CREAM and CHEESE.

The tall figure of JASON VOORHEES approaches stealthily from behind. He stops behind them. Nobody hears him. JASON raises the machete up above his head, both hands clutching the hilt. The blade is aimed right at the centre of AMY’s head. The machete comes crashing down, aiming right for the crown of the unsuspecting hedgehog. A split second before it impacts, splitting her head into two, we

CUT TO:

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

An almost identical night at NEVER LAKE. The moon is still bright, the sky still encrusted with glowing stars, the lake itself still a shining mirror that reflects back the night sky. The Little Planet is no longer visible.

In the forest that nestles beside the edge of the lake, we see that two figures sit around a small campfire. The first is a pretty teenage girl, wearing a pink shirt and small green hot pants. She is WENDY CLARIS. Opposite her sits her boyfriend, a handsome teenager by the name of SAM ELLIOT. The two are roasting marshmallows over the small campfire and chatting amiably.

WENDY
It’s such a nice night.

SAM
It sure is.

WENDY
Just look at the stars… they’re beautiful.

SAM
I’m looking at the most beautiful one right now.

WENDY looks over at him. SAM is looking right at her, smiling warmly. WENDY grins back.

WENDY
Oh, Sam…

She walks over to him and sits on his lap, and the two begin kissing.

In the sky above them, above the forest, the air suddenly begins to distort and ripple like water in a pond. From the rift comes a dark shape. It’s the EGG WHIRLWIND. The ship soars out of the future, parting the sky behind it, finally slowing and coming to a complete stop, hovering in the air above NEVER LAKE. SAM and WENDY are too consumed in one another’s mouths to pay any attention to the craft.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN sit in the cockpit, examining various monitors and readouts.

TAILS
Did it work?

EGGMAN
According to this, it did. We’re above Never Lake, seven months ago.

TAILS
Perfect! Good work, Doctor!

EGGMAN
The hard part’s over, but let’s not congratulate ourselves yet. We still have the small matter of stopping this entire chain of events from ever taking place. Are we on schedule?

TAILS
If you’re correct, then Jason will be entering the Earth’s atmosphere in… one minute and 37 seconds.

EGGMAN
Just enough time to get into position.

He begins to type in commands and press buttons rapidly.

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

The sleek form of the EGG WHIRLWIND hovers across the surface of the lake.

Below, SAM and WENDY continue to make out, enjoying every second.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN continue to tap away at the controls before them.

TAILS
We’re in position.

EGGMAN
Activating the JV-Striker!

He enters a series of commands.

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

The top of the EGG WHIRLWIND opens and a large, metal hand emerges, connected to the craft by a long, extending steel rod. The hand is holding what appears to be a massive, metallic baseball bat. The “arm” extends out to its fullest.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN continue to work side-by-side.

EGGMAN
JV-Striker activated! Time?

TAILS
36 seconds.

EGGMAN
Prepare for impact!

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

The hand-bat combination known as the JV-STRIKER tilts backwards slightly.

In the forest, SAM and WENDY are still making out. They finally pull apart, and sit side by side, hand-in-hand, looking out at the still surface of the lake, smiling dreamily. They don’t notice the EGG WHIRLWIND floating high above it.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN await the final phase of their plan.

TAILS
23 seconds! This is it!

EGGMAN
I’m ready!

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

In the sky, far above the EGG WHIRLWIND, far above the lake, a glowing point of light suddenly appears. It begins to rapidly scorch across the sky, heading right towards them, a tiny comet with a burning yellow trail of flame. It’s JASON VOORHEES, fresh from his massacre aboard the GRENDEL.

Below, unawares, SAM and WENDY sit hand-in-hand, looking out at the lake.

WENDY
Sam, do you love me?

SAM
You know I do, Wendy. With all my heart.

WENDY
Oh, Sam…

She leans over to him and they resume their kissing. WENDY suddenly breaks it and looks up at the sky. The streaking comet of light that we know to be JASON VOORHEES streaks through the sky.

WENDY
Look at that.

SAM
A shooting star.

WENDY’s eyes widen further as she catches sight of the EGG WHIRLWIND, the massive baseball bat reared back above it.

WENDY
Look at THAT!

SAM
I don’t know what the hell that is!

We focus on the burning form of JASON VOORHEES as he streaks through the sky, heading right for the EGG WHIRLWIND. All we can make out is a metal-encrusted humanoid form, glowing with heat. Another shape, also roughly humanoid, is attached to the back of it, a deep red in colour. It streaks down towards the EGG WHIRLWIND, getting faster and faster.

It reaches the craft, and with astonishing speed and force the JV-STRIKER springs forwards, colliding with the man-comet. There is the deafening sound of clashing metal, and then JASON rockets away, heading back up into the starry sky from whence he came. He spins over and over, getting faster and faster, moving further and further away, until finally he is lost to our sight, nothing more than a glowing star in a sky of thousands.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN watch as JASON passes out of sight, and then a great cheer comes from the two of them. They turn to each other excitedly, grinning from ear-to-ear.

TAILS
WE DID IT! WE DID IT!

EGGMAN
We certainly did! Ahahaha!

They go to hug, and then realise what they are doing. They go for a high-five, but their hands miss each other. They finally settle on a dignified handshake.

EGGMAN
Is he showing up on sensors?

TAILS
Nope, he’s gone!

EGGMAN
Hahaha!

EXT. NIGHT SKY – NIGHT

JASON VOORHEES streaks further and further up into the night sky, soaring like a bat out of hell through the thick blanket of clouds and beyond, his speed increasing further and further. With a final roar of flame he finally bursts free of the planet’s atmosphere, and rockets away into the vast, silent blackness that is space. Almost instantly he begins to freeze over, and quickly he becomes a block of ice that drifts ever onward, heading rapidly away from the planet as cool and blue as our late hero, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG.

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

SAM and WENDY watch the spectacle with wide, astonished eyes and gaping mouths. They turn to each other slowly.

SAM
Well, that was weird.

WENDY
Yeah.

They shrug, and then continue to make out.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND COCKPIT – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN are still grinning. After a moment, EGGMAN assumes a more serious face.

EGGMAN
We’d better get out of here. I’ll be here soon.

TAILS
What do you mean?

EGGMAN
I arrived only a couple of minutes after Jason landed. If I get here and see this ship, I will come to investigate and I run the risk of meeting myself.

TAILS
Would that be a bad thing?

EGGMAN
That’s one of those “universe-crushing” paradoxes I was telling you about.

TAILS
Ah. Engaging engines now.

He begins to engage the ships systems.

EXT. NEVER LAKE – NIGHT

The EGG WHIRLWIND powers up and quickly zips away into the night sky.

A few moments after it vanishes, a much smaller shape approaches NEVER LAKE from the other side. We see that it’s the EGG MOBILE. DR. EGGMAN sits inside it, examining a small monitor on the cockpit in front of him.

EGGMAN
Hmm… that’s odd. The object should have impacted right around here, but my sensors show nothing but residual energy traces. How very strange.

He shrugs to himself.

EGGMAN
Ah well, I doubt it was anything worthwhile anyway.

The EGG MOBILE turns around and zips off into the night.

INT. EGG WHIRLWIND – NIGHT

TAILS and EGGMAN pilot the craft through the night sky.

TAILS
Mission complete! Should we head back to the present now?

EGGMAN doesn’t respond.

TAILS
Eggman?

EGGMAN
(Slowly)
Tails… we won’t be going back to the present.

A spark of fear creeps into TAILS eyes and voice.

TAILS
What… what do you mean? We stopped Jason from landing, now you’ll never create the Jason army and Sonic and Knuckles will never die. Why can’t we go back now?

EGGMAN
As you said, I’ll never create the Jason army, and Sonic and Knuckles won’t die. But if Sonic and Knuckles don’t die, we won’t build a time machine to go back and rescue them. We won’t need to, there will be nobody to save.

TAILS
What are you saying?

EGGMAN
Now that we’ve changed history, the little wrinkle in time we’ve created will unravel itself. The timeline will quickly sort itself out. We are no longer part of this timeline, we’re from a future that no longer exists. It won’t be long now before we fade out of existence altogether and cease to exist.

TAILS
(Horrified)
Why didn’t you mention this before?

EGGMAN
I didn’t want to upset you.

TAILS
(Upset)
I’m not upset.

EGGMAN
There’s nothing to fear. We won’t remember any of this. We’ll continue to live our lives as if none of it ever happened. That was the plan all along, right?

TAILS
Yeah. I guess you’re right.

TAILS falls silent.

EGGMAN
You’ll see him again soon.

TAILS looks up at him with a smile, his eyes glistening with tears.

TAILS
Thank-you. I truly mean that.

EGGMAN doesn’t know what to say. He eventually nods and turns away.

The ship around suddenly begins to fade, the colour draining out of it, the walls becoming transparent. TAILS looks around, his eyes wide with fear.

EGGMAN
It’s happening.

TAILS
Eggman, I’m scared!

As the ship around them wavers and distorts, EGGMAN’s hand reaches out and wraps around the hand of TAILS. TAILS looks up at him, baffled, and then smiles. Their hands grip together tightly. Their hands, their entire bodies begin to slowly fade away too.

EGGMAN
We only have a few seconds now. Close your eyes and think of something nice.

TAILS closes his eyes tightly. His hand continues to clutch EGGMAN’s. The young fox begins to hum. It might as well be the only sound in the world. Everything else around them is warping and fading. The bodies of the scientist and the fox waver back and forth. The only thing that remains is the hum. We recognise the tune. It’s “The Future Ain’t What It Used To Be”. EGGMAN quickly catches on and he too begins to hum the melody.

The ship, the man, the fox fade rapidly, until finally they are gone. All that is left is the night sky. The sound of two voices humming lingers on the night air for a minute before being blown away on the gentle night breeze.

We’re left with nothing. The sky, the moon, the stars, and the breeze.

FADE TO BLACK

LEGEND: SIX MONTHS LATER

EXT. GREEN HILL ZONE – DAY

In a small corner of the idyllic Green Hill Zone, four small figures sit on a blanket spread out across the chequered green grass, under the beautiful blue sky. One is TAILS, his young face beaming, his hand holding a half-eaten sandwich. He’s chatting excitedly to AMY, who sits opposite him, holding an unbitten sandwich. CREAM and CHEESE sit together beside her, each eating an ice cream cone. We join their conversation halfway through.

AMY
Anyway, where is Sonic?

TAILS
I guess he’s still fighting Eggman.

CREAM
Do you think he’ll be okay by himself?

TAILS
He said he would be. He always is.

AMY
Typical of Eggman to interrupt our day out. Sonic might have been proposing to me on bended knee right about now!

CHEESE
Cha cha chao! Chao!

AMY glares at CHEESE, eyes burning. CHEESE hides behind CREAM. AMY’s narrows flick to the young rabbit, whose own eyes widen with fear.

AMY
(Angrily)
What did he say?

CREAM
(Nervously)
Erm, he just said that… erm…

TAILS
Hey, look! It’s Sonic!

TAILS points and they all look. A blue blur appears on the horizon, zooming through the angular trees and moving across the rising and falling hills. With a final burst of speed, the figure of SONIC THE HEDGEHOG streaks into view and screeches to a halt beside them, looking better than we’ve ever seen him, more alive with energy and vitality than ever before. SONIC smiles warmly at the group. They grin back.

SONIC
I’m back!

TAILS
(Delighted)
Sonic!

SONIC
Hey there, little buddy!

AMY
(Dreamily)
Sonic!

SONIC
Hey, guys!

He notices them eating and frowns good-naturedly.

SONIC
Nice of you to wait for me!

CREAM
I’m sorry, Mr. Sonic.

CHEESE
Cha chao cha…

SONIC
That’s alright, guys.

SONIC sits down beside them.

SONIC
Hope you saved some for me, I built up quite an appetite taking care of ol’ Eggman.

He leans forward and takes a sandwich from the large picnic basket that sits in the centre of the blanket. He eats it with gusto.

TAILS
So what’s Eggman up to this time?

SONIC
(Between mouthfuls)
Oh, the usual. Destroy me, attain world domination, blah blah blah.

TAILS
That old guy never learns.

AMY
Hi, Sonic!

SONIC looks at AMY, still eating. AMY gives him a little wave. SONIC smiles back.

SONIC
Hi, Amy.

He goes back to eating his sandwich. AMY sighs.

Their banter continues, but we don’t hear it. The sound fades out, and we move around the circle of friends. Their faces glow, their eyes shine with youth and innocence, their mouths smile with the sheer joy of just being alive and in such good company. TAILS says something, and all the others laugh. TAILS himself beams. He looks over at SONIC, and SONIC looks back. Their eyes meet, and they both grin. Their unbreakable bond is stronger than ever.

We move away from them, moving upwards. The grass is two beautiful shades of green. The flowers are rich and bright. In a palm tree nearby sits a pretty little bluebird with a red stripe on her head.

The sparkling blue ocean stretches out beyond them, glistening like the surface of an azure diamond. The sky, cloudless and bright. The sun, shining down upon them, as bright and happy as their smiling faces.

It’s a perfect world.

FADE TO:

EXT. ANGEL ISLAND, MASTER EMERALD SHRINE – DAY

The immense glowing form of the MASTER EMERALD glints in the bright sun. Beside it, stretched out in the sun, lies KNUCKLES THE ECHIDNA, sound asleep, a single green leaf sticking out of his mouth. A beautiful butterfly of every colour floats lazily through the air, heading towards him. It lands on the surface of the MASTER EMERALD, and KNUCKLES’ eyes open quickly. He looks up at the butterfly and smiles sleepily, and then his eyes close again and he drifts back into sleep.

FADE TO:

INT. G.U.N. WORKSHOP – DAY

The smiling faces of ROWAN and TSUNARON beam ahead at the android KAY-EM, who stands before them, topless. They’re admiring her firm, perky breasts. KAY-EM appears to be doing the same thing. She hops up and down excitedly, grinning. One of her small, pink nipples detaches from her breast and flies through the air, hitting TSUNARON in the face. ROWAN covers her mouth with both hands, laughing hard. TSUNARON extracts the nipple from his face and grins at KAY-EM, who grins back. The three of them are the picture of happiness.

FADE TO:

INT. TAILS’ BEDROOM – NIGHT

TAILS sits at a small desk in his small cottage in the Mystic Ruins. The window is open, and the clear night sky can be seen beyond it. The bedroom is bright and colourful, with a small bed with blue sheets. A combination of toys such as toy soldiers, race cars and model rocket ships decorate the room, mixed in with machine parts and tools. TAILS is writing in his diary. The page is blank at the moment.

TAILS thinks for a moment, and then writes, simply:

“Nothing important happened today.”

Satisfied, he closes the diary and puts down his pen. He looks out of the window, his gaze fixing on the white orb that is the moon. His eyes linger there for a moment, and then he stands up. We stay focused on the moon as TAILS flicks off the light, plunging the room into darkness, and climbs into bed. The only light now is that of the moon that streams through the window. We move out of the window and through the night sky, moving quickly towards the moon, until the massive silver circle is all that we can see.

We hold this image for several moments. Then we

FADE TO:

EXT. OUTER SPACE – NIGHT

The melted, half-metallic lump of flesh that is JASON VOORHEES floats through the empty nothingness, encased in a block of ice. We move in closer to him, to his face. On his eyes, until they fill the screen. Suddenly, his blood-red eyes narrow. He’s still alive in there. His piercing gaze spears us, holding us for several moments, until we finally

FADE TO BLACK

A single sound echoes through the blackness.

“Ki ki ki… ma ma ma…”

Then, nothing but silence.

THE END