chapter 1
As a laser bolt thundered across the ground, two figures could be seen outlined in the luminescent destruction. Sonic and Shadow emerged from the rubble, victorious over the first wave of the Black Arms aliens. They both knew there would be more to come, and soon. But they couldn't predict the creature sluggishly slinking up behind them. Shadow spun around and pointed one of the aliens' own weapons at the massive blob behind them; it was shaped almost like an overgrown grub worm with disproportionately small wings. A small creature with one large eye and several tentacles fluttered out from behind the massive beast, and a dark, hoarse voice came from it: "You've deliberately disobeyed me, Shadow..." Shadow smirked and said, "Yeah, well, I don't hang with party crashers. So why don't you just call it a day and take a hike?" The voice chuckled and responded, "For your disobedience, now you shall know the sting of retribution. Say hello to the Black Bull!" The wormlike creature spread its pincer-lined mouth and sounded a grotesque roar. Sonic copied Shadow's amused look and mocked, "What, Balloon-Einstein back there? Looks like he got whacked upside the head with the Ugly Stick a few too many times!" The creature roared again and shot a fiery blast from its mouth, headed straight for Sonic. Shadow tackled him out of the way as the ball blew a hole in the ground. "You need to watch that mouth of yours," Shadow warned, "someday it'll get you killed." The eye had already left them all. Sonic leapt into the air and flew right at the creature's belly, curled into a ball. But he bounced harmlessly off its thickness. He rolled back to Shadow, unfurled and said, "I guess we can't get it from below..." Shadow looked up as the monster fired another blast that sent a shockwave across the ground. As the two hedgehog heroes hurdled over the blast, Shadow shot the beast's eye with his gun. It reared back in agony, and Sonic slapped himself lightly in the forehead. "Of course, it's always the eye! Why didn't I think of that?" Sonic and Shadow then proceeded bouncing off the walls trying to reach the eye, hitting it here and there, but the beast simply stepped up its attack and became unassailable. Shadow and Sonic retreated to a safe distance as the beast sputtered and howled. "Oh boy, now it's just pissed off," Sonic said bewilderedly. "How are we gunna beat it?"
"Heheh...
I have an idea," Shadow said with a smirk. He curled into a ball
and rolled up the side of the walls, shattering glass as he rolled,
then jumped off in front of the creature and shot right at the center
of its eye. The hit must've been effective, Shadow thought, as the
monster fell to the ground. But it began to stir once more, and
blasted Shadow's gun right out of his hand. Then its mouth started to
glow bright red. Shadow ran back towards Sonic, shouting, "Let's
get a move on! It's gunna blow this whole place to hell!" But
then, the sound of a razor-sharp blade cutting cleanly through thick
flesh rang in Shadow's ear, and he spun around to see that the
creature's glow had subsided. A dark figure was standing atop the
beast, holding a blade that was lodged in the monster's back. Sonic
stared in amazement. "Who's that?"
"I have no
idea... I guess he's on our side, though..."
"Don't
be too sure... He doesn't look friendly."