This is one week before Dusk Claw grabbed the Ailcorn Amulet

Outside of the City Hall groups of protesters are clamoring over a controversial speaker. In response, Gary Quinn from ACME, Shadow Sage, Iron Mare, Knuckles, and Phoenix was talking down the hall.

“You seem a little tense, Gary,” Phoenix said.

“I don’t like this assignment,” Quinn replied. “And neither should you.”

“For once, I agree with Quinn,” Shadow Sage stepped in.

“And for once I agree Shadow Sage,” Iron Mare added. “Agreeing with Quinn.”

“I never said I liked the assignment. But every person has the right to speak up for his country.”

“Even him?”

“Even him.”

The door opens up seeing Doctor Zarzuela Cross on his throne.

“So, Phoenix,” Cross said to her while playing chess. “My bodyguard.”

“Playing chess alone? You can’t get anyone to play with you?”

“None that are my equal.”

“Let’s cut to the chase, Cross. You might be playing the part of Nottingham dignitary right now, but you never needed a bodyguard in your life. Why are we here?”

“An enemy, a very dangerous enemy, has placed a price on my head. Perhaps you head of them. The Legion of Chaos.”

“The Claw wants you destroyed? I would think he would have offered a seat on the table.”

“He did. I refused. He’s taken my rejection as an act of war. And declare me his number one threat.”

“Number one threat?” Iron Mare asked. “Claw's a dummy. You’re easily number three or four on our list.”

“Or two,” Shadow Sage added.

“Insults?” Cross asked then walked to her. “Don’t you the UN is a place for diplomacy, Velvet?”

“Don’t like his style of diplomacy?” Knuckles asked then grabs Cross and put him against a wall. “Try mine.”

“Knuckles stand down,” Phoenix said.

“Seriously?”

“Cross is protected under diplomatic immunity. In the event, he does something wrong we can’t touch him. Or we’re breaking the law.”

“Consider yourself lucky,” Knuckles let go of him.

“Does packing enough packing enough firepower, to level half the city count as doing something wrong?” Iron Mare asked while scanning him

“You know the rules, Cross,” Quinn armed his gun.

“Have it your way,” Cross disable his glove. “If my country is to thrive, the world must join me against this threat of The Legion of Chaos. As Quinn has so eloquently illustrated, rules state, no weapons on the floor. Therefore I am defenseless here, which allows my enemies to strike. That’s where you and the rest of the group come in, Pheonix. The question for you is, are you with me or against me?"

Later at the conference hall.

"Looks like a full house," Pheonix said looking at the room.

"Of course, they fear me, why wouldn't they," Cross replied.

"Back off!" Knuckles forcing the people to back off.

"You're supposed to be heroes! Why are you processing him?"

"It's fair to question, Pheonix. Why not you and Shadow Sage, and Sonic, step aside and let these people show Cross what his fan base really looks like," Hurricane suggested.

"Freedom of speech," Sonic came in. "If we don't protect his rights to talk today, who knows, tomorrow it could be you,"

"Who says they do?" Hurricane asked.

"Back off, you brutes!" Ice Breaker shields herself.

"Mortal laws confound me," Zapp admitted while she and Tornado were flying. "On, Harmonica..."

"You probably just pound each other with oversized weapons, right?" Tornado raised an eyebrow.

"You jest, but it works."

"Cyber Witch, anything on scans?"

"Scans are picking up squat," Cyber Witch spoke through her earpiece. "The most dangerous thing within a two-mile radius is the metal gargoyle next to Pheonix."

"Charmed," Cross said.

"It must really rust your shorts to need our help," Sonic told him.

"If the Rainboom Legaue was competent enough to put a stop to The Legion of Chaos in the first place, I wouldn't have to be here at all."

"If we are incompetent then why did you ask for us?"

"You will see the answer soon enough."

Then the meeting got underway.

"Greetings, honored delegates," Cross spoke through his microphone as he spoke multiple languages.

"How are you doing that?" Sonic asked.

"Universal Translator, I allow no interpreters to mangle my words,' He explained. "The world faces a great threat, and as ruler of Nottingham. the time has come for me to..."

The entire room started to rumble.

"What? Who dares?"

Then Iron Mare and Tornado came through the wall, and Pheonix and Shadow Sage escorted the people out there.

"Cross!" Nightmare Mechanic came down. "The Legion of Chaos has found you guilty of treason."

"Stop right there! He is under the protection of The Rainboom Legaue," Sonic declared.

"Then you, too face our wrath, meddlesome rodent!" Nightmare Mechanic declared and fire his Dark Matter Cannon at them.

"Get out here!" Shadow Sage created a black hole.

"Cross does not run," He told her.

Nightmare Mechanic came right at her a engage in a struggle with her.

"This is your last chance! Join us, or..." Nightmare Mechanic declared but drill kick by Shadow Sage, then got Spin Dash by Sonic only him threw them into a wall.

"Nightmare Mechanic, the cybernetic warrior with many attributes, one of them involves super hearing, run back to your boss tell him my answer is nooo!"

Nightmare Mechanic felt the vocal cords of Cross's answer.

"Impreesve," Sonic exclimaed.

"Words can make excellent tools of battle."

"You'll pay for that!" Nightmare shouted.

"All right rust bucket, stand down,"

"What!?"

"I said stand down,"

"I don't what you did to me but I'll destroy you for it!"

Shadow came out of nowhere and kicked him.

"Don't just stand there, get him out here," Shadow said as fired Chaos Spheres as Nightmare Mechanic.

"This way," Sonic said as he Cross go first then he and Pheonix then reach for his earpiece. "Sonic to Quinn, the doc is secure."

"What your 20? Will send pick up?" Quinn asked.

"Negative, Starline and Cozy may have hacked the comms, me and Phoenix will bring him to you... are you coming?"

"You do not order me, like a dog. I'm a sovereign ruler..."

"Sovereign ruler my ass, right now the most dangerous villains of all time have come to destroy you either you follow us, or wanna go a few rounds."

Before anyone did anything, Cozy Glow came with her Mayhem Blaster.

"Dusk Claw! I have found them! Eat this, bitches!" She exclaimed and then fired at them.

"Behind me!" Pheonix brought forth Flame Sheild.

"Cross does cower behind lesser men to hide from clowns!"

Cross grabs an exposed wire and thrust Cozy to shock her.

"Tell him, it takes more than a psychopathic brat to destroy me!" As Cozy got back on her feet and aim the blaster.

"Tell him yourself when I throw your body at his feet!" She fired a direct hit not before Sonic kicks her through a wall. "You goddamn asshole, you should be trying to Cross as well!"

"Takes one to know one!" Aria flew in and tackled right into her.

"And besides. I don't destroy, I save," Sonic exclaimed then Metal came right him, and the two of them trades punches and kicks until Torando came through and punch him.

"Getting going," Tornado urged them to move it. "After I kicked Metal's ass, I might kick his."

"You heard her, " Pheonix picked him up. "She doesn't like the fact that you drawn them out with your speech."

Then Zavok and Nightmare Mechanic came crashing down.

"It's the end of the line for you!" Nightmare said then charge his cannon and Zavok prepare his Zeti Aura Blast. "Prepare to burn!"

"Nowhere to run, Cross. I will see you begged for mercy!" Zavok exclaimed.

Matterhorn popped out of Shadow Sage's hole and created a mirror wall and bounced back both attacks.

"In here, now!" Matterhorn as jumped in the hole and landed far from the battle. "How is he?"

"Injured," Shadow Sage said looking at his injuries. "The closet is the tower from 15 blocks up here."

"How wonderfully," Cross said with a deadpan. "I'd rather be destroyed."

"Not what I had in mine, Cross." Hearing Golden's voice. "How about golden servent would suit me better."

"Who adresss Cross?"

"Trust me, you really don't want to know," Sonic simply said as Golden Touch appeared right in front of them and blasted Cross. "You and rest bothersome brats have gotten in our once many, time eliminate the equation."

Sonic and Shadow Sage came behind and try to punch him but Golden slam them to the ground and prepare to do his Midas touch.

"Be glad, knowing that your pitiful lives are to end in a flash," Golden said then got electrocuted then vanished.

"You save us? " Matterhorn holded him up.

"Don't flatter yourself. I still need assistance in getting out of here.:

"There's no escape for you, fools," Golden said as he and Crimson Sparrow was in there. "I will see that you will suffer for years to come. Welcome to he..."

Both of them an electric blast to the wall.

"Was that you?"

"Not me?"

"I have a good feeling," Sonic looks the other way and sees something. "Out of the way!"

Zapp came right and zaps Crimson solid, the Amy Rose bonked Golden on the head.

"Sonic, your honor is most impressive, at sometimes confounds me, let us handle these two," Zapp exclaimed. "Take your charge and go!"

"Ready for round two?" Zapp asked the villains.

...
...

"The Hamrouis fool has a point," Cross addresses. "Why don't you just leave me?"

"YOu know me, I always keep my word, besides your no shape to fight them alone," Sonic replied. "Given the situation, that makes equals."

"Debatable."

The ground rumbled.

"Oh great, what now," Shadow Sage asked.

"The Claw was a fool to fear you," Danger Dame exclaimed as she cause the water to come in. "Hold your breath!"

She managed to submerge part of the subway that they were in.

"Did I mention I hate water?" Sonic exclaimed

Then Danger Dame was about the attack but Hurricane came in to kick her before she had the chance to recover, Vine called forth multiple vines to restrain her.

"Uh, Phoenix, isn't the extraction point three blocks backs?" Shadow Sage asked her.

"We're taking him back to the tower," Phoenix said.

"Have lost your mind?" Hurricane asked. "It's already bad enough that he brings the entire Legion on us. Now, you want to invite him into our home?"

"Hurricane, just look at him."

Hurricane saw the Cross was weakened and injured.

"Don't go down that way. Metal, Tornado, Zavok, and Knuckles are having a brawl fest. We'll meet you as soon as we deal with Miss Patrick."

As they climbed the ladder. Cross chuckled a bit.

"What's so funny?"

"There was more than meets the eye. then I imagine Pheonix. You convinced them to act against their own self-interests, impressive."

Moments they were on the topside of Canterlot City.

"Of course, they did, they trusted me, but I had to trust them for that to work, trust and respect are very similar.

"Are you saying that I'm untrustworthy? What I have ever done to make you believe that?"

"Don't know, I'll get back once I do."

Trickster buzzed shock her, Sonic, and Shadow Sage."

"Hello, Doctor," Dusk Claw and Mane-iac looked down on him. "It is good to finally see you face to face."

"You are a greater fool than I thought, "Mane-iac said to him. "So. you're not as injured as you would have ever believed. Inserting."

"You're sadly mistaken, "Cross told her then turn to Dusk Claw. "Look around, you grim little troll. In your desperate attempt to slay, you have exposed yourself. Now the world will watch as I crush you and your Legion of Chaos."

Then Metal Sonic, Zavok, Tornado, and Knuckles came topside as well.

"Good," Knuckles said seeing Dusk Claw and the others. "Two birds, one stone."

"Yield, losers," Crimson Sparrow said as she, Golden Touch, Hurricane, and Vine were topside as well.

"Back off!" Nightmare Mechanic pushed off Iron Mare and Cyber Witch then fired his Dark Matter Cannon at Cross, which got Dusk Claw, Trickster, and Mane-iac almost off-guard.

"Nightmare Mechanic, stop!" Danger Dame exclaimed.

"What!?" Nightmare asked then Knuckles punches Metal and sends him through the sky.

"Goodbye, Cross," Trickster exclaimed as he aim his blaster at him and the others. "And your bodyguards."

Cross took Trickster's blaster and fell down.

"Why did you that?" Pheonix asked him.

"Never presume to lecture Cross...on how to earn respect," Cross said before fainting, and everyone look to him.

Before Dusk Claw had the chance to attack, Cyber Witch did a magic blast and then looked at Cross.

"Cyber Witch is Cross..."

"He's not dead, but his armor's battery cells are depleted," Cyber Witch explained. "His support systems are seizing up. he's got about two minutes."

Pheonix picks him.

"Get going," Adagio told her then kicked Cozy. "We hold them off!"

"Legion of Chaos!" Dusk Claw grabs his followers' attention. "Stop her!"

Then Arctic Ace got behind her then created a wall of ice.

"Run fast, I can only hold for so long," He said.

Trickster caught up but rammed by Shadow's Jet Boost Kick, then Metal Sonic prepared his Maximum Overdrive.

"Not today, robot!" Zapp said kicked him then Dusk Claw got her way.

"Does tiger boy need a hug?" Tornado says as she stomped on him and then charges his core.

"Merlok! Coming in hot" Phoenix told the A.I.

"Welcome back, ma'am. How many for the party?" Merlok asked her as It engage the defense systems.

"Where were we?" Nightmare Mechanic asked as the towers blasters took aim and fired at him, while he was distracted, Pheonix ducked under the shield.

"Only two this time." She said.

Nightmare Mechanic saw them run in as the rest of The Legion of Chaos caught up and suddenly Dusk Claw and Nightmare Mechanic fired their lasers at the tower.

"Claw," Starline spoke through the comms. "We have the tower defense systems in front of us, and the league to the rear!"

Both stopped upon hearing this.

"He is right," Zavok reminded him. "We'll deal with him another day."

"Very well, Crimson, get us out of here."

"As you wish,' Crimson nodded to the smoke bomb as soon as the rest caught only them to vanish.

"Yeah, you better run!" Hurricane said.

Hours later...

"He did what!?" Rainbow and Applejack asked Sunset and Twilight.

"You can't be serious?" Adagio followed.

"It's true, he only pretended to be injured only to get access to the tower and steal any valuable information on us, so he wouldn't have to deal with the Legion," Sunset explained. "Which I contacted Twilight ahead of time when I didn't have the proof."

"Then I created a trojan horse which zeroes in on his and Sunset's comms," Twilght added. "And now that he has stolen Nexus property, his diplomatic immunity is now erased."

"Which means?" Sonata asked.

"Meaning, the next time he stepped out of Nottingham, you, he's going to jail."

"And I'll be there to see it to the end."

"Sunset, you got me going there," Pinkie said while eating a tub of ice cream.

"Yeah, remind me never to get your bad side," Sonic said.

"Who said that I had a bad side, Sonic, I put the past behind me."