EPISODE 35 "Escape from Prison Island!" The Episode starts off with a recap of last Episodes events. Shadow has beaten Sonic with his Chaos Control ability, then disappears just as the police arrive to apprehend the fugitive hedgehog. Placed in a helicopter in chains, Sonic is transported to Prison Island, where he cools his heels in a special underwater cell. Sonic is relaxing, enjoying the peace and quiet. The voice of a Prison Boss echoes, as the braggart gloats about the airtight security of this high-tech prison. Guard towers, laser alarms, an remote cameras galore cover every inch of the jail, making escape unnoticed extremely unlikely. With a nasty chuckle, the Prison Boss thinks it's a "Mission Impossible" to get away. The hedgehog is going nowhere. The other security guards only shake their heads in exasperation. In the prison cell, Sonic waits dozily for rescue. Out at sea, the Thorndyke yacht surges ever closer to the island. Coming to a stop, Mr. Tanaka and Chris deliberate on how to approach the atoll. Leaving the bridge, Tanaka plops a small swan-like paddle boat into the waves. The pair peddle, then decide to make the trip a tad shorter by accelerating. The duo push faster, lifting the crafts bow, moving on to save their friend. In a guard tower, a pair of guards spot the strange boat through some binoculars. The pair agree to apprehend the amateurs as soon as they land. In the air above, Dr. Eggman zooms up in the Egg Mobile. Activating a scrambler, the Doc blasts the video signals, cutting off the visuals in the Prison Control Room. Alarms blare from the prison, as Eggman skims the waves before disappearing into the island's woods. From a pyramid in a desert, Decoe and Bocoe congratulate their master on his infiltration. Eggman kicks back in his hovercraft, awaiting the arrival of Rouge and Shadow. As his lackeys babble on, the mad scientist grins insanely at the thought of using the awesome power of the Eclipse Cannon. Rouge and Shadow drop from the forest branches, as the Doctor opens the planning session by rebriefing his co-conspirators. Eggman reminds them that the Emeralds are under heavy guard deep in the GUN prison facility. Decoe and Bocoe butt in again, until Eggman cuts the feed from Hidden Base. Turning to Shadow, he tells him his mission is to plant one Eggman BomBom explosive on the generator and set the timer for fifteen minutes. Tossing the bomb, Shadow catches it and gives the Doc a silent nod. Rouge's job will be to infiltrate the storage safes, grab the Chaos Emeralds, and escape before the island goes sky-high. The animals nod, they are ready. Eggman, Shadow, and Rouge make tracks through the woods. From out of the forest spills a flurry of missiles. The explosives impact the Prison building, throwing flame high. As Eggman buzzes the grounds, a number of GUN Beatles, Hawks, and Laser Hunters scramble outside. As lasers whiz by the Egg Mobile, the evil genius goes into action. Firing his laser cannon, he blows away three Beatles, then fires a round of missiles into a pair of Hunters. Dodging laser fire, Eggman slips off into the woods, ditching the pursuing robots. Sneaking around the building, Eggman catches two more Hunters unaware with his missiles. Juking wildly, the Doc smokes three more Beatles, as GUN Hawks take up the chase. Flying past the Control Tower, Eggman ducks and climbs to avoid the constant barrage from the Hawks. Out on the Southern Sea, Tails and Amy have almost reached Prison Island in the X Tornado. The friends stare in wonder as the grounds below bloom in fireballs. Amy thinks Sonic might have escaped on his own. At the entrance to the prison, Shadow and Rouge meet up. As Tails lands the X Cyclone, Amy leaps out, glomping onto Shadow crying "Sonic!" She feels something is wrong when he doesn't respond to her, and knows something is up when she spots Rouge smirking at her. Backing away from the dark hedgehog, she points at him, realizing that he is not Sonic. At that moment, Eggman floats down in the Egg Mobile. Telling his team to get inside, he blasts open the doorway with a missile. Eggman will see to these interlopers personally. As Eggman advances on Amy Rose, Tails restarts the Cyclone, transforming it back into the X Tornado. Eggman putters away from the entrance, as Tails closely follows. Eggman slips behind the plane, blasting a few shots with his laser cannon. As Tails whirls around the beams, the Doctor launches four missiles at him. Passing between the explosives, Tails dives for the trees. The missiles about-face, smacking into the forest as the Tornado sails into the clear. Eggman flees, trying to avoid being rammed numerous times by Tails's aircraft. At the ruined entrance, Amy ponders on that mysterious hedgehog who looks so much like her Sonic. Calling her lovers name, Amy jumps into the prison building. Inside, alarms are whooping as Shadow juices the hallways toward the generator. In another area of the base, Rouge sneaks by a patrolling GUN Beatle, making her way closer to the storage block via some catwalks. In one hallway, she barely slows to flip and duck past some laser tripwires. In the silent storage area, she finds the Red Chaos Emerald's safe. Giggling to herself, she punches in the passcode, as the pneumatic doors hiss open. On the islands cliff face, Tanaka and Chris are scaling it's sheer rocks. On the land above them, an explosion rocks the bluff as Eggman hounds the Tornado. Tails makes a quick turn, his vulcan cannon hammering rounds at the Egg Mobile. Dodging the lead, Eggman takes a few more shots at the meddling fox, as his lackeys encourage their master from the console monitor. Eggman gets a brainstorm, flipping the Egg Mobile fully around and forcing Tails to hit the airbrakes. Stopping a scant foot from the hovercraft, Eggman berates the young fox and retreats, disappearing into the clouds. Tails is downright flabbergasted. He won a fight against Doctor Eggman, making him run off! Tails returns to the prison entrance, landing the craft in it's walker mode. Calling for Amy, he finds no trace of the headstrong female. Offshore, Eggman shimmies back to the island, floating quickly into the forestland. On the cliff, Chris is hanging tight, all alone. Tanaka must have gone without him. The boy thinks about Sonic's words to him from the previous night. Still, it's a long ways up that cliff. In the water cell, Sonic is napping without a care in the world. In the storage block, Rouge has acquired the Light Blue Emerald, bringing her total to two of the legendary gems. Pressing on, her giggles some more to herself. At the generator, Shadow is applying the BomBom explosive to it's side. What Shadow and the others do not realize is that the island is powered by a nuclear reactor! Shadow radios that he is in position, as Rouge monitors her Walkie-Talkie. Rouge speaks out that she is almost done on her end. Telling the two that he had an unexpected delay on his end, Eggman tells Shadow to activate the timer. Pressing the button, the dark hedgehog arms the powerful bomb. Countdown - 10:00 At the cell, Amy extends the airlock over to the bubble prison. Leaping from the lock, she greets Sonic happily. More alarms sound off, the Prison Boss locking down the hallway doors, as he dispatches a squad of gold GUN Beatles, special models with the ability to cloak. A GUN R-1/a Flying Dog sentry is also sent out. The boss exclaims that the machine will take out any intruders in his prison, belting out a wicked chortle. At Sonic's cage, Amy prepares to smash the bars with her Piko Piko Hammer. Behind the girl, a gold Beatle decloaks. Sonic warns Amy, as she quickly turns and smashes it into spare parts with that destructive mallet of hers. Sonic thanks her for the fine job, as she wonders if she should smack it some more. Pleading with her to stop, Sonic asks her what is happening on the surface. Amy reports that Dr. Eggman is present on the island, causing trouble. Sonic backs to the scribbled-on wall, jumps and kicks through the restraining bars. Free at last, they pound their way from the cellblock. The Prison Boss again activates the alarms, as Chris hopes that it's Sonic getting away. He knows that he shouldn't leave the boat, as Mr. Tanaka told him that he'd return soon. Chris's emotions get in the way of his judgment. He ascends up the cliff face. Sonic is dragging Amy behind him, zooming through the hallway as doors slam close behind them. Making it to sunlight, they are greeted by Tails and Tanaka by the Cyclone. Tanaka bows to Sonic, as Amy brags and asks about Chris. Telling Tails and Amy to accompany Tanaka to the boat, Sonic leaps to the buildings roof. In the storage block, Rouge has obtained the Purple Chaos Emerald. In the doorway behind her, the R-1/a Flying Dog floats up, ready to do battle. The Prison Boss orders it to attack, as Rouge runs deeper into the vault. The Flying Dog fires, Rouge dodging it's laser beams. She bounces on the wall, delivering a hard kick, as the machine opens up with it's missiles. Jumping upon the walls again, the bat knocks off one of the rocket launchers. Countdown - 05:57 On the roof, Sonic scans the island for his nemesis, catching a glimpse of him juicing into the woods. Sonic pursues, intercepting Shadow in a clearing. The pair attack, blurs of speed hitting and recoiling, only to leap and grapple again. Shadow gets in a hit, as Sonic twirls on a tree branch. Re-entering the fray, Sonic belts Shadow in the face, knocking him to the dirt. In the vault, Rouge has ripped away the final missile launcher from the Flying Dog. Pounding up and down several times, she leaps to the floor and boots the machine against the bulkhead, as it's ruptured fuel cells take it apart. As the explosion dies off, Rouge comes to realize that the fire-safety doors have locked the vault. She's trapped! Countdown - 02:58 GUN Command is ordering the evacuation of all personnel from the island, as Mr. Tanaka finds his charge has disappeared. Clamoring to the top of the bluff, Tanaka heads into the woods calling Chris's name, as Tails and Amy follow. At the dock, four GUN Chinook helicopters are filling up with men. The choppers proceed off to the mainland, leaving the combatants alone on the doomed island. Sonic and Shadow are knocked to the forest floor. Both regain their feet and viciously kick at the other, before blasting off on another speed contest. On his wrist-radio, Rouge begs for Shadow to answer her call for assistance. She is trapped in the vault with the three Chaos Emeralds, and she knows the timer is almost up. Shadow's reply is broken up, as the rivals duel harder. Rouge decides she had better open a way for the hedgehog to rescue her, so she kicks and slices at the metal blast-door. Deep in the woods, Chris continues his search for Sonic. Meanwhile, Rouge has given up. She can't escape now, not on her own. Countdown - 01:57 Eggman hollers for Shadow over his com-system, demanding to know what the delay is. Sonic and Shadow's brawl heats up, Sonic finally landing a terrific uppercut on his black doppelganger. Dr. Eggman reiterates the fact that the island is set to blow up at any moment. Sonic catches the Doc's warning, quickly abandoning the fight to save friends. Dr. Eggman makes his getaway, flying high over the clearing, as Shadow stares at nothing. Chris chances on the hedgehog, and thinking him to be Sonic, runs quickly towards him. The boy then notices that it's not his friend, crouching quietly behind a shrub. Shadow's thoughts are on Maria, his conscience turning to Rouge stuck in the vault of the base. Rouge is despairing, until Shadow calls over the communicator. Asking her if she holds the Emeralds, Rouge replies a most happy affirmative. Shadow beeps the Doctor, telling him that he is going to retrieve the Chaos Emeralds. Chris gets a quick glance at the hedgehog's watch. Countdown - 01:00 Shadow remembers his promise to his beloved Maria, preparing to Chaos Control over to Rouge. Shadow pulls out the Green Chaos Emerald, holding it high. As the Green flares, Chris sprints toward Shadow, grasping him just as Mr. Tanaka shows up. The two wink out of sight, Tanaka sinking to his knees in anguish. Sonic juices by, grabbing the wailing butler. In the vault, a flash of white blooms, as Shadow and Chris appear. Shoving away the bothersome boy, Shadow snatches the Chaos Emeralds from Rouge's arms. Countdown - 00:10 Shadow begins to leave the pair behind, but Rouge appeals to his sympathy, telling him that he would be killing an innocent boy for this plan. Chris begs him to reconsider, as Shadow's mind again goes back to Maria Robotnik. Countdown - 00:03 Shadow activates the Chaos Control, beaming them from the island. Countdown - 00:01 Time runs out. Countdown - 00:00 The prison facility is disintegrated instantly, as secondary explosions spread around the island. The nuclear reactor goes critical, as an atomic blast tears the atoll to it's bedrock, the shock wave raising a massive tidal surge. Later, as the smoke rises into the atmosphere, Dr. Eggman sits in the Egg Mobile offshore, taking a final look at the destruction before flying away. The X Tornado circles the smoking island, Sonic, Tails, and Amy sitting silent, as poor Mr. Tanaka cries out for Christopher. To Be Continued! ----------------------------------------------------------------------- This review was written by Eli Sheldon aka 'SHADOWBOT' - used with her general permission.