With the New Robotnik Empire attempting to gain a hold of the Internet, Vector the Crocodile sent Espio the Chameleon to the Mad Matrix Zone to clear out some of the Zone's enemy forces. Whilst here, he was forced to fight a digital copy of Shadow the Hedgehog, created by Doctor Kintobor to protect the area. After some interrogation, Espio discovered that Shadow was merely an avatar of a real person, known only as "Ichneumon".