Episode 5: "This Isn't Working!" - Sonic Forces: ARC Infinity

## "This Isn't Working!"

**"This Isn't Working!"** is the fifth episode of Sonic Forces: ARC Infinity. It aired on a date later to be determined and is produced and uploaded to YouTube by Jackuwarz.

## Summary

Nero awakes and finds himself in the outskirts of Metropolis in the Shadow Dimension where he resolves to accept his position of being a bad guy after causing the Silver Dimension's destruction, presuming the deaths of Voltar, June, Silver and Garris. Through the Phantom Ruby Nero is holding he senses that there is another Phantom Ruby nearby and draws to the conclusion that having its powers along with his own could grant him the ability to restore the Silver Dimension and his friends as well as Nero's own pride. Putting on his shaded goggles and face shield he heads towards the city of Metropolis where he is sensing the presence of the other Phantom Ruby.

With his new team, Mace is struggling in his races under Team Dark due to his unfamiliarity and discomfort with the Extreme Gear he is riding. He voices his displeasure about the Extreme Gear's performance to Rouge and Shadow who after being asked if Mace can tamper and modify with the boards deny him being able to. Overnight, Mace takes the Extreme Gear board and in his own personal garage tries to modify it.

Team Zeti chooses to withdraw from Extreme Gear competition, disbanding immediately after Zavok and Zazz sense the disappearance of Zor and Zomzom in the Silver Dimension. They then turn to more drastic measures to stealing the Phantom Ruby fragment from Mace in order to use it and warp to the Silver Dimension to reunite with their separated Zeti. Rio asks the duo of Zeti why they are choosing to quit abruptly, being Mace's biggest longtime competition, but Zavok tells her that they were quitting simply due to a lack of interest and funding. Noticing that Rio is holding the Phantom Ruby fragment, Zavok invites Rio to a dinner with Zazz and his team associates detailing to Rio their decision to quit competing. Little to Rio's dismay, Zavok's true intentions with this meetup is to steal the Phantom Ruby from her and use it to open a wormhole to the Silver Dimension.

As Zavok was about to take the Phantom Ruby fragment from Rio by force he spots Nero, still masked and cloaked, and instead approaches him. Nero notices Rio with a Phantom Ruby fragment with Zavok in front and approaches as well. On interception, Zavok grabs Nero by the wrist and manages to activate the Phantom Ruby fragment he has. With it he opens a wormhole not to the Silver Dimension but to the Sonic Dimension where Master Zik and Zeena emerge from. Confused but thrilled to be reunited with his fellow Zeti, Zavok asks Zik and Zeena their whereabouts of Zor and Zomzom only for them to wonder the same exact thing. Nero tells everyone that the Silver Dimension had been destroyed and that everyone in it at the time died, holding out on the details that he destroyed it. He then turns to Rio and demands over the Phantom Ruby fragment she is holding. Before Rio could even verbally decline, Zavok intervenes and questions Nero's qualification for taking Rio's Phantom Ruby fragment along with the one he already has.

Without any replies to Zavok's concerns, Nero attacks letting out a explosive burst of energy originating from his Phantom Ruby fragment, fleeing with Rio after tying her with the cords from his grapple hook. Rio notices Nero in pain after using the Phantom Ruby who on short breath tries to quickly explain to her why he needs her Phantom Ruby fragment. Just as he explains the truth behind the Silver Dimension's destruction, the four Zeti interrupt and ambush the two. Zik, Zazz and Zavok attack Nero while Zeena waits over by Rio with the Zeti drawing to conclusion that they will be taking not only Rio's Phantom Ruby fragment but Nero's as well. Zeena forcefully takes Rio's Phantom Ruby fragment from her to Nero's shock who then telepathically gets synchronized with Mace who witnesses the detail involving Zeena hurting Rio to take the ruby. The four Zeti corner Nero with Zeena using Rio's Phantom Ruby fragment to blast Nero with an explosive beam. In defense from Zeena with the Phantom Ruby and through Mace's enragement of seeing Rio getting hurt from her through Nero, Nero fires a deadly beam at Zeena, vaporizing her instantly with the other three Zeti looking on in horror.

Zavok runs to the remaining ashes of Zeena where he picks up the Phantom Ruby fragment she held. Putting two and two together Zavok along with Zik and Zazz figure out Nero was the one who destroyed the Silver Dimension, killing Zor and Zomzom along with it. Nero breaks from his synchronization with Mace, who suspiciously feels content about the death of the Zeti after coming to himself. Mace then sets down Team Dark's Extreme Gear and decides to go and look for Rio. Nero then notices the ashes of what was Zeena and becomes crestfallen and despondent from the misintention behind Zeena's demise, falling to the ground on his knees with his hands covering the forehead region of his mask.

Zavok with Rio's Phantom Ruby fragment in hand sympathizes for Nero at first with the tragedy before grabbing Nero by the head, dragging his masked face through the ground and throwing him into a nearby construction site, demolishing it with Nero cobbled underneath. Zavok uses the ruby to dismiss the wreckage from reality to reveal a beaten Nero before standing over him and delivering an entourage of punches to Nero's face, cracking his mask. Finally Nero attempts to fight back by a series of faint kicks to Zavok's shin which he catches Nero's leg and breaks it with Nero screaming in pain. Zavok swings Nero by his legs and throws him towards Zazz who then instructs him to spin Nero in similar fashion to that. Rio quickly figures out what Zavok is up to and insists to him that he has made his point but Zavok expresses how his next attack dealt to Nero is in dedication to the deaths of Zeena, Zor and Zomzom. With Zazz swinging an injured Nero around, Zavok runs towards the two and throws himself into a drop kick landing directly onto Nero's head and upper chest. The result of the impact sent Nero spinning violently into the air, immediately out of Zazz' grip; before tumbling to the ground landing on his torso right side up, half of his mask crumbling off and then collapsing to the ground.

Rio rushes to the lifeless Nero's aid and checks his neck for any vital signs revealing none which she then closes his eyelids. She notices Nero's continued grasp on his own Phantom Ruby fragment before Zavok sees it as well. Zavok shoves Rio aside as Zazz then jumps on top of Nero and goes to pull Nero's Phantom Ruby fragment away from his grasp. While running to find Rio, Mace synchronizes with Nero once again to sense that Rio has been harmed again. Being influenced by the dark energies of his Phantom Ruby fragment, Nero awakens with his eyes glowing furiously red as he looks over to Zazz still trying to pry free the ruby. Nero, while still resting on the ground unable to move his upper body or one of his legs, summons a black hole from the hand he holding his Phantom Ruby fragment with. The black hole swallows Zazz whole instantly and consumes nearby shrapnel and debris before subsiding. Master Zik then instructs a devastated Zavok into a retreat as the two remaining Zeti as they use the Phantom Ruby fragment stolen from Rio to open a portal to the Sonic Dimension and escape.

Still under the Phantom Ruby's influence, Nero uses it to levitate right-side up and gruesomely relocates his neck and upper chest recovering from his injuries from the Zeti. Rio looks on in horror before she narrowly misses a stray beam shot by Nero who utters out a chilling remark to "merge back into one and become whole just like before". As Nero limps towards Rio with half his mask broken off and his eyes glowing furiously red he collapses and fazes through the ground landing unconscious in the Metropolis sewers with rushing water carrying him away. Team Chaotix then find Rio who then comfort her as she explained what happened before they walked her back home. There she is greeted by an overly concerned Mace who then oddly apologizes to Rio for almost hitting her with a beam. To Rio's confusion she tells Mace it wasn't him and asked him why he would apologize for something he wasn't even directly involved with where Mace himself gets confused about it and can't explain where the additional concern came from.