Outside the Iron Fortress, Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, Sally Acorn and Monkey Khan are shocked to find Espio the Chameleon. Khan is enraged to see the chameleon, but Sonic quickly intervenes. Khan protests, saying that Espio is a traitor to both them and the Chaotix, but Sonic insists he's been a friend longer than that. Growing more incredulous, Khan snaps that Espio physically attacked them, but Sonic retorts that Khan himself has attacked him on multiple occasions and adds, "By that logic, I should be stomping you into the dirt." Khan icily tells Sonic to have it his way, muttering that he was soft on Robotnik as well.