Diablo was building his forces. "If I am to succeed, I must make sure there are no do-gooders to hinder me." He said as he went off to his crystal ball. "And definitely no minions with no brains. Crystal orb, find me the smartest man on the planet."
The orb swirled and spun until it found one Dr. Robotnik. Diablo focused on the image as it came into view. "I shall defeat those meddling hedgehogs once and for all! Wo ho ho!" The fat man monologued to his second in command, a demon called Colenzo the Annihilator. A trade from Baal for the secret to robot minions, Colenzo was one of Baal's best, though a bit off kilter.
"Hee hoo ha, Lord Robotnik, will I get to destroy them myself?" He ranted with a bit of insane laughter in his voice.
"In due time, my friend, in due time." the doctor said ominously.
"Hee he ye! I am going to have some fun!" Colenzo ranted.
Meanwhile, Sonic was trying to figure out where he was. "This is like no place I have ever seen, even in Arabian Nights. I at least have a Chaos Emerald, so I can track the others down and get out of here. Hey you, where am I?" Sonic asked Warriv.
"I am Warriv, and you are in the land of Sanctuary. I found this gem last night, and it seems similar to yours, so you should have it."
"Why that's a Chaos Emerald! Thank you. Now I just have to find Knuckles, Tails, Rouge, and Emerl.
In the Pandemonium Fortress, Emerl was sparring with some of Diablo's best. "This is the best fighting I have ever done! Bring it!" He roared as tougher and tougher demons started to attack.
Shadow made his way from the rock and over to Sonic. "Listen. The best way we'll get out of here is to work together. You have two Chaos emeralds, I have one, Emerl at least has two, and Knuckles is SOL. Eggman probably has one, and one is somewhere else. We need to find the others and get out of this black pit of a realm."
Sonic agreed and the two started clearing out the wilderness beyond the rogue camp. Knuckles, however was not taking the heat so well in Lut Gholein, and was in the inn while Atma served him some rations. "It is way too hot here!" Knuckles said.
Geglash went over and smacked him. "You idiot, of course it's hot! We're in a fucking desert!"
Meanwhile, back in Rogue Camp Zone, Shadow was starting to get annoyed. "Why are we here, damn it?"
"I think it is because the realm needs champions, and we were the best for the job, Shadow." Sonic said.
"Yes it is. I have been sending to the Eye for a champion, and it gave me two. Praise be to the Eye!" A woman's voice said.
"Yes, Akara! Praise be to the Eye!" Another voice, more harsh than the last.
"Amen!" The entire camp said.
"Whoa!" Sonic said. "You scared me. I am Sonic the Hedgehog!"
"And I am Shadow. Shadow the Hedgehog. As for your Eye, I think it wasn't the only deity that sent us."
"Much less that we were the only ones sent. My friends Knuckles the Echidna and Tails the Fox were also sent, but not to here."
Up north in Harrogath, Tails was ticked. "What do you mean we are out of metal! I had enough Titanium to last several siege engine constructions."
Larzuk, a bit of a kleptomaniac when it comes to metal, apologized. "We needed weapons. Sorry about that."
"I should be sorry. I have been frustrated since I arrived because of this Shenk the Overseer cretin."
"Deal with Shenk, and all the metal of Harrogath shall be yours." Qual-Kehk, senior man-at-arms of Harrogath said.
"Gladly." Tails said, as he went off to deal with Shenk and his creations.
Meanwhile, back in Rogue Camp Zone, Sonic and Shadow were decked out in ring mail. "All right! We can take them on!" Sonic shouted.
"I don't need armor. I am the Ultimate Life Form!" Shadow said.
"Anyway, there is a place of great evil out in the wilderness outside of the camp. I would like you to clear it out for a reward, one you each may find valuable." Akara said.
"You mean the last Chaos Emerald?" Shadow said.
"Chaos Emerald?" Akara replied, dumbfounded.
Meanwhile, Robotnik was busy plotting the downfall of Sonic and Shadow. "Wo ho ho! E-123 Ω, destroy those hedgehogs!"
The subversive Badnik, was oddly subdued. "Yes, High Lord Eggman."
"Wo ho ho! I kick ass!" He said to himself as E-123 left.
Meanwhile, Sonic and Shadow were clearing out the Den of Evil, when they happened on a horde of zombies. "Humph, they pose no threat."
"Shadow, stop!" Sonic said as his call fell on deaf ears.
"I am the Ultimate Life Form! Prepare to die, undead scum!"
The lead zombie moaned and turned toward Shadow. The spirit inside of his being moaned, "I am Corpsefire, leader of the den! I do not care if you are the ultimate pizza maker. I will feast on your brains!"
"Chaos... Spear!" Shadow roared as a blast of chaos energy hit Corpsefire in the head.
"Your pathetic energy blast does not frighten me!" The spirit said as Corpsefire shuffled towards him.
"Shadow! Chaos grant me the strength to be victorious! Aura of Vigor!" Sonic said as a field of light started swirling around him. "Super... Peelout!" He rocketed off and hit the zombies with a high speed punch, knocking Corpsefire to the ground.
The zombie got back up and moaned. The spirit, flustered, yelled, "You managed to hit me, little blue rodent! I will break you in to 17,060,002 pieces!"
"Catch me if you can! Sonic the Hedgehog is the fastest thing alive!" Sonic jeered.
"Humph. I owe you. I am going to destroy you, Corpsefire!" Shadow roared. He made his way to the zombie and unleashed a flurry of blows ending in Shadow's most powerful attack. "Chaos... Blast!!!" He roared and the surrounding area was being destroyed.
"Shadow, you caused a cave-in. Now we have to move it or lose it!" Sonic said.
"Maybe for you. Chaos... Control!" Shadow roared as a blue portal opened. "Or maybe you could go in and not worry about it."
"Okay." Sonic said as he entered the gate.
Back at Rogue Camp Zone, they felt the earthquake. "By the Eye, Akara! What was that?" Charsi yelled.
"I have no idea, Charsi. I can only hope that our champions are safe." Akara replied.
"Speak of the hedgehogs, and the hedgehogs shall come." Sonic said.
"Are you okay? That earthquake was odd." Charsi said.
"I'm fine. And I brought the ashes of Corpsefire." Shadow said.
"Thank you. You all shall be rewarded with training in a skill." Akara said.
"I will train in Chaos Golem."
"And I shall improve my skill of choice, the Super Peelout." Sonic said.
Back in the depths of Hell, Diablo was frustrated. "Corpsefire, you incompetent pile of zombie brains. Those hedgehogs should have posed no threat!! Why were you defeated?" He roared.
Corpsefire, however, was angry himself. "I fought with a clouded soul. Give me another chance, High Lord Diablo of Terror."
"No." Diablo said, removing him from the Karmic Cycle of Rebirth.
Back on the Death Egg, things were getting boring. "Ω should have reported an hour ago! Where are you, Omega?" Dr. Robotnik thought to himself.
"High Lord Eggman, sorry about not reporting. There was an earthquake and it knocked my comm system out of whack."
" Ω, Next time change your technical difficulties screen then. I was treated to a lecture about butterfly migration paths."
"Sorry. I am trying to learn all that I can. Now then, let me continue my mission so I can be victorious!"
Meanwhile, back in Harrogath, Tails was getting his ass kicked. "Damn, these minions are tough! Not to mention covered in... Eggtanium? Hmm... Big Cyclone, it's show time!" Tails said as the ground rumbled and buckled, revealing a blue and orange walker. As Tails jumped in, the main screen said "Cast in the name of Chaos, ye not guilty."
As Big Cyclone had risen, Shenk had decided to personally deliver an ultimatum to Harrogath. "Surrender or I will blow Harrogath to 17,670,002 microcells!"
"Time to respond!" Tails said as the Chaos Buster fired.
"Ouch!" Shenk replied as he retreated. "I shall see what that town is up to on my super video detecto-sphere." The image came into view as Tails fired off Big Cyclone's Eyebeams. "Gah! It's time I used my Secret Weapon!" He said as he fired off an energy blast that once it reached it would hover over its target and release a number of explosive charges. Tails responded with the Chaos Blaster. Shenk was annihilated.
"Larzuk, ready up the Forest Fox."
"Yes, Mister Prower."
Meanwhile, Knuckles was being swarmed by Death Beetles in Lut Gholein Zone so he decided to bust out a trick. "Chaos Bug Spray!" He roared and an aerosol can appeared. He then set it down and ran for the hills. A large green cloud appeared and every insect in the 50 yard region was destroyed. "Maybe I can find this Horadric Cube thing easier now." Knuckles, unbeknownst to him, was being watched.
"Hee hee ye! If I destroy this red thingajigger, High Lord Eggman will make me his top lieutenant! Hoo hoo ya! Illusion gate!" Colenzo ranted.
"Whoa. I am at the Halls of the... Sandopolis Zone?" Knuckles said as he entered the door. "My map said Halls of the Dead. Hmm... Must be out of date. I shall explore it anyway." He said as he went forward and went on a wallspring into a sandfall. He quickly climbed up and looted the rat cellar. He then knocked the skull off of the Burning Dead and beat the snot out of it. He then happened upon a rock and pushed it into the hole. He encountered another BD and readied an attack. "Spindash... Attack!" He then charged into it and killed, then jumped just as the rock nearly reached the path end. He went across a treacherous platform, onto two sand slides, and up a sandfall for 10 gold. "Geez, they are cheap here." He then went back down, picked up some gold, and rappelled across a gorge and went across another treacherous platform. "They are guarding this cube way too well." He thought. He went twice around a loop, and glided to a floating column, which brought him to a chest of 20 gold. "Still cheap as ever." It pretty much continued like that until he reached a sandstone pyramid. It rose up and out came a Horadric mummy.
"I am Radament! Surrender your corpus to me." The mummy said
"Never, Radish-head!" Knuckles replied.
"Radament!!! Not Radish-head!" Radament yelled.
"Okay, Radiation! Leap!" Knuckles roared as he jumped towards the mummy.
"Undeath Breath!" Radament replied as he unleashed a wave of poison gas at Knuckles.
Knuckles dodged out of the way, and glided into him knocking him back into a pit of quicksand. Radament quickly drowned in it.
Eggman called Colenzo after Knuckles took out Radament. "Colenzo, you have served well enough to use the Eggmobile!"
"Ooh! I can upgrade it with robot forms and stuff, hee hee yo?" Colenzo begged.
"I have planted a base shell for it in the second level of the Halls of the Dead. It has a stock laser in the eye and fist spikes. It didn't stop them the first time, so it is now an Eggtanium Sphinx tank with an ion cannon in the eyes, fire breath, and a special toy."
"Thank you, High Lord Robotnik, whose middle name is Victory."
"You're welcome Colenzo, and fly safe."
Meanwhile, Knuckles had gone down the stairs to reach the next floor. "Flying Battery Zone? Weird." He continued anyway with his quest and went on a catapult up a roto-grate, and around a loop. He went down on a hang bar and hit the shrine of Lightning Resistance. "Shockpot!" He went on the nearby catapult, through a downward roto-grate, and down a gearshaft. He then went down to another 'shaft, and went to an outdoors area. He glided across, catapulted back in to the ship and defeated a Preserved Dead. He kept going, running across a minefield, past a spike ball raising trap, and landed on a magnetic platform. He jumped off of the platform, and landed in an arena. "Finally! Halls of the Dead."
"Yes! Hee hee ya, Halls of the Dead, Red Thingajigger who calls himself Knuckles!"
"I am Knuckles the Echidna! Don't forget it!"
"Meet, hee hoo ha, the Egg Sphinx! Hoo hoo hoo, with it, I can breathe fire," at which unleashed a gout of flames, "Shoot ion beams," at which a classic Egglaser Mk. II fired, "and squish thingajiggers with spiked fisticuffs!" At which he slammed the fists down, and some rubble came down from the ceiling.
"You don't frighten me! Leap Attack!" Knuckles jumped at the machine and bounced off. "I could be in trouble." He mused to himself.
"It is also covered in Eggtanium so your attacks do not frighten me! Loo hoo hee!" Colenzo raved as several Egglasers were fired.
"Hmm... then fine. I'll just have to beat the Eggtanium off then!" Knuckles said as he dodged the lasers and started mauling the surface of the machine, getting nowhere quicker than lightning.
"Time to SMASH! Hoo hoo har!" Colenzo roared as he smashed his fist down. The machine then recoiled as a piece of rubble hit it.
"Maybe it isn't so invulnerable after all!" Knuckles said as he jumped on the machine's fist. He then jumped and landed on the other fist where he struck Colenzo directly. "Hell yeah!" Knuckles the quickly pounded the ground around the machine until it was destroyed. In the remains of the machine however, he found the Master Emerald! "I am going to kick Robotnik's ass for this ignominious indignation! He took my Emerald!!"
"Tee hee. I could protect it for you." A girlish voice said from the shadows.
"Rouge, go away. You are the most..." Knuckles trailed off.
"The most WHAT?!?" She yelled back.
"The most useless person in this pyramid, dammit!" He responded.
"I am still smarter than you, so bug off." She responded and then raspberried him.
"You wanna go? Because I can kick your ass again!"
"No, we need to get out of here."
"You're right. Master Emerald, I call upon thine powers: Chaos Control!" Knuckles roared as a blue gate to Lut Gholein opened up.
Meanwhile back in Rogue Camp Zone, Sonic and Shadow had emptied out the two tombs, and had found their enemy. "I am Metal Sonic of Robotnik. Resistance is futile."
"Oh god, Robotnik needs to stop watching Star Trek." Sonic said.
"I could care less about Egghead's viewing preferences because I'll kick his ass!!!"
"You shall be assimilated into the Eggman armies and there will be plenty of fighting."
Sonic and Shadow jumped into Metal and started beating on him. He was not even recoiling, so the two withdrew to plan an attack. Metal ripped into them and took the Chaos Emeralds. "NO!" They both roared, because Metal now had four Chaos Emeralds.
"Thank you for the Emeralds, you pitiful fools." Metal said. He then channeled the energies and became Semi-Super Metal Sonic! "I'LL CRUSH YOU! CHAOS BLITZKRIEG!!"
"Chaos grant me strength! Aura of Defiance!" Sonic yelled as a blue light surrounded the two hedgehogs.
"Chaos Defense!" Shadow roared as a yellow light surrounded them.
Metal, however knocked down the defenses. He then ripped into them and tore them to shreds. "Ha ha ha!"
"Shadow, are you alright?"
Shadow was in trouble all right. No emeralds, and he was near-dead. "I am fine. Healing Potion!" Shadow roared as he recovered easily.
"What's so funny, tin tacks for facts?"
"I nearly killed both of you, and I still have 15 attacks left." He said while cackling.
"How in the name of Chaos will we take him down?" Sonic said.
"Hmm... Who is weaker? I will kill him first." Metal said as he scanned them both. "Hmm... Sonic is weaker. Goodbye, fake."
"No!" Sonic yelled after being hit again and again with no recovery.
"Chaos... Zantetsuken!" Metal roared. Sonic was hit, and there was no doubt about it. Sonic hit the ground with a thud like that of a corpse. "Ha ha ha ha! Barely 10 hits and he fell. Pitiful."
"Sonic will need his corpse cleared. That is it! Chaos Magnet!" Shadow roared as the Emeralds came flying into him.
"Give me the Chaos Emeralds!"
"If you want them, here they are, Chaos Spear!" Shadow roared.
"Gah. You knocked an arm off. Nothing to worry about, yet." Metal said as his arm was replaced with a demon arm.
"What the hell? I can still kick your ass!"
"Ha ha ha! You think you can win?' Diablo spoke through Metal Sonic.
"Who the hell are you?" Shadow said.
"I am Diablo, Lord of Terror. Join me, hedgehog, and your life will be spared. Defy me, and Metal will crush you."
"No. Chaos Control." Shadow said. Sonic stepped through and got all his stuff back.
"Whoa, Metal, you should see a doctor about that arm." Sonic said.
"Hmm... Join me, blue hedgehog, and you shall have the ultimate power." Diablo said.
"Shadow, who does Metal think he is?" Sonic said.
"Sonic, that is Diablo, Lord of Dance." Shadow replied, insulting Diablo.
"Cool, I am Sonic the Hedgehog, fastest thing alive!"
"I am Diablo, Lord of Terror, Patriarch of Night Terrors, and all around Bad Ass." Diablo said as Metal started getting more and more demonic.
"I am Shadow the Hedgehog, the Ultimate Life Form." Shadow said. "Oh, and Total Bad Ass."
"I will crush you all then. Metal, your orders are to obliterate them." Diablo said. Metal's eyes flashed in affirmation and he came back to conscious reality.
"I channel the Chaos Emeralds, the Demonic Powers, and an overall bad ass theme song." Metal yelled as he changed. "I am now Demonic Super Metal Sonic, and you are roadkill!"
"Come on, we have to fight, Shadow. Aura of Might!"
"Chaos Zantetsuken!" Metal roared. Sonic and Shadow started to move away when Sonic was hit. Sonic was hit once, and Shadow twice. Shadow and Sonic were both killed.
"Our Champions are in trouble." Akara said.
"Whoa, what hit me?" Sonic said.
"I am wondering the same thing Sonic. The only way we will be able to stand a chance is if we get the Chaos Emeralds." Shadow replied.
"I pray to you, Lord Chaos, please send us some help." Sonic said.
Wish granted, paladin.> Sonic heard Chaos speak in his soul.
"Whoa!" Knuckles and Rouge yelled.
"All right. Knuckles, where is Emerl?"
"I am coming in a moment!" Emerl yelled as he fell on top of Gheed.
"All right. Now I will crush all of you!" Metal roared as the team entered the graveyard.
"No you won't! I summon Spirit Grizzly! Attack!" Emerl said.
"Whirlwind Attack!" Knuckles roared.
"Phoenix Strike!" Rouge yelled as she hit Metal thrice. "Dragon Tail!" Rouge roared as thunder struck Metal.
"You do not frighten me. I channel the demon energies! Red Lightning Hose!"
"Resist Lightning!" Sonic roared. The attack was negated and Shadow was ready to kill.
"Maybe it's time I tried something. Chaos... Zantetsuken!" Shadow roared. Metal's limbs were removed, and he became more demonic. He now possessed five legs, two demonic arms, and his torso was covered in flesh.
"Oh, dear Chaos! I am going to need cover while I attempt to bring Chaos to deal with him."
"Gladly." The team said at once. They attacked Demonic Metal repeatedly, only to get knocked back as Metal started walking towards Sonic. Tails then came down, still in Big Cyclone, and landed on Metal.
"WHAT the fuzz happened to me?"
"Okay. Tails, we need to destroy him now." Knuckles said.
"Fine. Big Cyclone, final stage."
Metal turned to the Megadeus, and started walking to it, but Sonic's prayer finally came through, because Chaos just appeared on the plane, and started doing battle with Metal. Blows flew this way and that as Big Cyclone finished charging. Chaos noticed it and withdrew as the Megadeus' Ion Cannon fired. Metal was vaporized and the team leveled up. Chaos left the remaining Chaos Emerald with them and ordered protection on it. Sonic and crew went back to town and discussed plans.
"If Robotnik's capable of that, we are screwed." Knuckles said.
"We can stop him with ease." Emerl said, having earned Cyclone Cannon skill.
"I don't think Metal works with Eggman anymore." Shadow said.
"You are right, wo ho ho!" Robotnik said.
"WHAT?!" The team said.
"Wo ho ho. Yes, Diablo is controlling him."
"Good glory. We could be in trouble." Sonic said.
"I need the Chaos Emeralds." Shadow said.
Everyone handed over the Emeralds and Shadow started to channel the energy. However there was a flash of lightning and Shadow was thrown into a wall.
"Hmmph... I should have expected that. The emeralds have no wish of being channeled." Knuckles said.
"Well, then, looks like we have to figure out why the Emeralds won't channel then." Tails said.
So the team continued on with their quest going through Act 1 slaying demons and undead. When the team made it to the Tree of Inifuss, Treehead Woodfist challenged them to battle. "Rawr, eeba-geeba, phbbt! Me hungry!" Treehead said as he tore through the landscape.
"What is that thing? A Taz-clone or something?" Rouge said.
"Ooga, unga! Treehead will crush you and eat your innards, phbbt!"
"Bring it," Knuckles said, "because you will be defeated! Berserker Rage!" He roared, as he turned Super
"Unga, ooga, eeba, phbbt! Shiny!" Treehead said as Knuckles readied one of his famous uppercuts.
"Eruption!" Knuckles roared as Treehead was clocked on the jaw and knocked to the ground. "Maximum Heat... Knuckles Attack!" Knuckles roared as he glided in to Treehead and knocked out some teeth.
"TREEHEAD MAD! EEBA, OOGA, PHBBT! TREEHEAD TORNADO ATTACK!" Treehead roared as he slammed Knuckles into a tree.
"Ouch, man. You will be defeated!" Knuckles retorted.
"Yes he will! Chaos, grant me strength! Aura of Prayer!"
"Thanks, Sonic. Dashing Fist!" Knuckles replied and knocked Treehead to the ground. "Hammer Fist!" Knuckles smacked Treehead into a tree and knocked down the tree.