Return of the Elders

Chapter 3 - Eggman Attack!

"...Name! Huh?" I looked around. I was sitting straight up on one of the beds in my hotel room. Someone must've lifted me onto it. Probably Knuckles, I thought, he's the only one strong enough.

I felt a weight in my hands and looked down. Lying in my hands was a black leather belt with a silver lion's head clasp. It was the same one Kyo had given me. "How did this get here?" I wondered. "Why does a hedgehog who doesn't wear clothes need a belt anyway?" I shrugged, and hopped off the bed. "No sense in wasting a boon." I slipped it around my waist and tightened it to fit.

I looked at the window just in time, as there was an explosion in the museum, accompanied by an all too familiar laugh. "Eggman... This is a perfect chance to test out my latest creations." I reached into my satchel and pulled out several items; including a pistol in its holster, a pair of spare ammunition clips, and various round objects. I stuck the spheres onto my belt and wedged the clips between my quills. I drew the pistol and took off the safety. "Show time."

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"Mwa ha ha ha! Give up, Sonic! You can't escape!"

"Never!"

"You're doomed!" Eggman had somehow trapped Sonic, Knuckles, Amy, and Tails in a force field, and Sonic was pounding on it as hard as he could. I was standing behind a door waiting for that inevitable line...

"No one can save you now!"

That's my cue!

I kicked open the door, took aim, and fired. A bolt of lightning streaked from my gun and impacted with the robot creating the shield, which immediately started sparking and shaking.

"You were saying?" I said, smirking.

"Ashura!"

"That's my name." Or at least it is now... I added mentally. The robot holding Sonic and the others chose that moment to explode, dropping them to the floor.

"Why are you here, Eggman?"

"I'm here for the Chaos Emerald! Give it to me, or I'll have to take it by force!" Sonic smirked. "You and what army, Doc?"

"Sonic..." I warned. Eggman cackled evilly as he pressed a button on pod's control panel. "This one." he said, as a horde of robots swarmed into view. I smacked Sonic on the side of his head. "You just HAD to say that, didn't you." Sonic rubbed the spot where I'd hit him, and grinned sheepishly. "Oops?"

"Hand over the Emerald and I'll spare your lives." Eggman said, almost casually. Amy stepped forward. "For your information, we don't have a Chaos Emerald. And even if we did, we'd never give it to you!"

Eggman slammed his fists down on his control panel. "Liar! My readings show that there is one right behind you!" The panel beeped, and he scratched his chin. "Odd, this says that there's an energy signature identical to the Emerald coming from... that?" He pointed at me, or more specifically, my belt. I lightly touched the clasp of my belt.

Same as a Chaos Emerald huh? That gives me an idea...

"Enough talk!" Knuckles cried. "Let's kick his butt and get out of here!" He leapt high up into the air, only to come back down a moment later, fist first, into a group of 'bots. His spiked fist smashed through an eggpawn and into the linoleum. I sensed a flare of Chaos energy, as several large fireballs erupted from around him. The fireballs exploded, sending fiery streaks into the crowd. I had to shield my eyes from the attack, but when I looked back, Knuckles was surrounded by a large pool of liquid metal.

"Way to go Knux!" Sonic cheered. I merely grinned and fired at an eggpawn that was getting a little too close to Amy. She shrieked and pulled out her Piko Piko hammer as the robot exploded.

Where does she keep that thing?

I didn't have time to ponder this, as a particularly stupid eggpawn chose that moment to charge. I saw the attack coming, and turned my pistol on it. One shot disabled its left leg and another went through its head, putting it out of commission. I grabbed one of the spheres off my belt and lobbed it into the middle of a group of robots, who were busy mobbing Sonic. The sphere detonated with a small bang when it hit the ground. There was no visible effect, and Sonic was visibly surprised when the robot he had been grappling with released its hold and collapsed. Seeing his expression, I explained, "EMP grenade. It knocks out all electronics in a small area."

I loosed another round at a 'bot that looked like a small tank that was preparing to fire. Its barrel spun, and the shot hit another tank-bot, destroying it. Five shots... I need to reload. I ejected the empty clip and pulled one of my spares from my quills. I slammed the clip into my pistol and proceeded to empty it into the mass of robots.

The weapon I was using was a specially made gun designed to be lethal only to machines. When used on a live target, it can only stun. It used the same principle of magnetism as a rail gun, using a series of powerful electromagnets and plasma to fire a projectile at very high speeds. I was using a special compound that I had developed for ammo. At first glance it looked just like regular water, but it was really a mixture of many different chemicals that, when combined, were capable of storing immense amounts of electricity. I had patented the mixture as an alternative for battery acid, but then it was discovered that it would release the stored energy too quickly, and usually into the one installing the battery. I came up with the idea to use it in small amounts in the same manner as a taser.

The charged chemicals were stored in small plastic capsules and then loaded into the clips. The capsules were very fragile, and would easily break under pressure. As a result, I could only fit five into a clip without the risk of them breaking and shocking me. The electricity delivered by the rounds were more than enough to take out a robot, but barely enough to do more than knock out someone of my size.

I finally ran out of ammo and had to resort to using my EMP grenades, my supply of which was quickly running out. There were piles of destroyed and disabled robots lying everywhere, but far more were up and fighting. Eggman was hovering above the battle in his pod, laughing as he watched us exhaust ourselves. "Hehehe! I should've brought some popcorn!"

"Shut up!" I yelled, throwing my last grenade at his vehicle. He increased his altitude, effortlessly avoiding it. "You missed." He taunted. I held out my right hand, the one holding the pistol, and starting to charge my attack. "But this won't! HEAVEN'S LIGHT!" A beam of widespread destruction lanced from the barrel of my gun, vaporizing many of Eggman's robots, before fading away. The pistol sparked and started smoking, completely fried by the amount of power run through it. "Awww, man! It took me a month to make this! Hmm? HOT! HOT! HOT!" I dropped it and started rubbing my hand on my fur to ease the pain.

"Hehehe... Not bad. But let's see how you deal with THIS!" Eggman pressed another button on his control panel. There was a loud rumbling noise as another of his robots crashed through the wall. Sonic raised an eyebrow. "Haven't you used that one before?"

Eggman cackled as he docked his pod in the robot's head. "Close, but not quite. This is my Eggbreaker Mark Two!" I sweeatdropped. "Gee... How original..." I replied sarcastically.

Eggman scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Perhaps, but what it lacks in originality, it more than makes up for in innovation. Observe." The Eggbreaker Mk. 2's right hand slid back into its arm, being replaced by a spiked mace. There was a loud clank as the mace fell to the floor along with at least three feet of chain. It started whirling the mace over its head, before sending the spiked ball through the wall behind us. The Eggbreaker retracted the chain, the mace head slotting into its wrist with a soft clink. I looked back at the rubble that used to be a wall. I'd better get us out of here before Eggman causes any more damage. I thought. If there's a Chaos Emerald nearby, I should be able to warp us away. I just hope it works...

Over the last year, I had been practicing my Chaos powers. I'd nearly mastered Chaos Magnet, but full usage of Chaos Control has eluded me. Oh sure, I could move small distances with no problem, but anything over half a mile was nearly impossible to do right. One time I somehow wound up fifty feet above the ground, another time I ended up buried to my neck in solid cement. But the worst one happened a few weeks after I got trapped in cement; I was running low on flour for my cake. (Yes, I really do like to cook.) I decided to Chaos Control myself to the store, but I overshot it, and ended up on the other side of the planet! I managed to get some help from Shadow, who happened to be vacationing in the area, but it still took the better part of the day to get back.

I closed my eyes and focused as hard as I could on my friends, and Eggman of course, and mentally 'tied' them to myself. I drew on the power of the Emerald and tried to think of the furthest place from the Chaos Emeralds as possible. I opened my eyes and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing...

"CHAOS CONTROL!"

Another chapter down, and many more to go.

I'm still looking for names of the Elders, so please leave your suggestions in a review.

Thanks in advance!

Shin-Ashura