(POV none, Sand Hill Zone)

(The next day)

After calling Rouge on her communicator, Shifter met up with Rouge over in the Sand Hill Zone, the desert area of Midesta. Eclipse suggested that he gives the two some overwatch so that none of the cultists would surprise them, and Shifter decided to go along with his suggestion. After Rouge had arrived, Shifter had explained what he had found out about the Cult of X: the trading, the manipulating, and Equestria. He even decided  to tell her that Eclipse had decided to help him, in case things got south during their bargain.

"I can't believe that you actually trust someone like him," Rouge said to Shifter.

"Once you get to know him, he's not so bad," Shifter told her.

"Tell that to the shoulder that he dislocated," Rouge said.

"Anyways, we need your help to get the Chaos Emeralds so that we can get some allies in this little fight against the Cult of X," Shifter told her.

"Okay, but what's in it for me?" Rouge asked.

"You get to witness the Super Emeralds," Shifter said, then asked, "What else could you possibly want?"

"I suppose that's a fair point," Rouge said.

After she had said that, the two heard shouting from the position that Eclipse was stationed at.

"Eclipse, why are you shouting?" Shifter asked to Eclipse over a Walkie-talkie.

"I'M SHOUTING BECAUSE THIS FUCKED UP DEMON MOTHERFUCKER WITH HIGH-TECH ARMOR ON HIS CHEST JUST FIRED A FUCKING ROCKET AT ME!" Eclipse shouted into the Walkie-talkie.

(Author's note: The image below shows the demon that Eclipse was talking about.)

"...Not a bad reason," Shifter said over the radio.

However, it didn't stop there because there were also demons from the other side of the small canyon that Shifter and Rouge were in were firing at the two.

(Author's note: The image below shows what the demons that are firing at Shifter and Rouge look like.)

"Don't these brutes know how to treat a lady?" Rouge asked out loud.

"Okay three things: One, of course they don't know. They're demons. Two, says the woman who always try to steal Chaos Emeralds. And three, RUN!" Shifter said.

After he said that, Shifter and Rouge began to regroup at Eclipse's position.

"What are demons doing up here, anyways?" Shifter said, dodging the demonic bullets that were being fired at him and Rouge.

"Um, Shifter, I think that they somehow managed to get our pictures," Eclipse told Shifter over the Walkie-talkie.

"What makes you say that?" Shifter asked Eclipse over the Walkie-talkie, trying to scale the canyon wall while Rouge just flew over it.

"Well, not only did they manage to get security footage of us breaking into that base we raided just yesterday," Eclipse started, then pulled Shifter up from the side of the wall, and then said, "but they also put quite the bounties on our heads because according to the wanted poster that I found off of the rocket demon, our bounties are 500,000 rings each."

"One, he's called a Revenant," Shifter told him, then asked, "and two, you mean to tell me that all of these demons are actually bounty hunters?"

"Not only that, but they also kill mortals for a living," Eclipse said.

"My ride is just up ahead. We should be in the clear once we get there," Rouge told them.

"Um, are there going to be any G.U.N. soldiers standing guard there?" Eclipse asked her.

"Just one: A rookie named Misty. However, it seems as though she has a lot of battle experience for a private," Rouge said.

Once they got to the car, all they saw were two things other than transportation and a dirt road. One was most likely Rouge's partner, who was a female Mobian hedgehog with the standard issue G.U.N. armor and weaponry on her, purple fur, and Sapphire blue eyes. The other was a big-ass demon that looked like it was ready to beat the shit out of her.

(Author's note: The image below shows what the demon that wants to hurt the girl looks like.)

What happened next was beyond both Shifter and Eclipse. One second, the demon was about to bring the pain to that girl, and the next, the girl actually one-shot the demon straight into a wall.

"Holy shit, that was amazing!" Shifter exclaimed.

Then the girl was about to shoot Eclipse before Rouge said, "Stand down, Misty."

"Do you not see that he is a Black Arm?" Misty said to her commanding officer.

"Yes, and for the time being, he is on our side," Rouge told her.

Misty then sighed and said, "I take it, you hate the Cult of X?"

"How did you know that?" Eclipse asked her.

"If you two idiots would actually bother to learn what you're enemies are, then you would've known that they have the authority to make bounties in hell," Misty informed the two.

Shifter took major offence to that and said, "I'll have you know that my IQ level is nearly at 300."

"Well, good for you, because I really need a strategist right about now," Misty told him.

"Oh, really?" Shifter tested.

"Do you want me to prove it to you?" Misty told him.

"MISTY!" Rouge shouted, then said, "Just get in the driver's seat and take these two to Dr. Eggman's jungle base."

"Yes, ma'am," Misty obeyed.

After Misty, Shifter, and Eclipse got in the car, Rouge walked up to Shifter's seat and said, "If you're looking for the Chaos Emeralds, then you're going to need these."

Rouge then gave Shifter 2 Chaos Emeralds and he said, "You sly bat. You took these from the G.U.N., didn't you?"

"At this point, they're just used to it, but this time around, it's for a good cause," Rouge told him.

"But the fact that G.U.N.'s used to you stealing their shit isn't going to stop the Cult of X from searching for you," Shifter said.

"They're going to have to catch me first," Rouge said, then added, "Later, boys.'

"Well, this is a nice way to meet someone," Misty said, then added, "Going straight into the fire instead of going into the frying pan."

"You're going to learn that we love to go straight into the fire," Shifter said to her.

"I'll bet," Misty said, then started to drive the two to the Rocky Jungle Zone.