1Chapter Ten: Chaos Control
"Everyone! Come to the teleport room!" Otacon shouted over the PA.
Sonic was of course the first one to show up, but the others followed.
"What's up Otacon?" Sonic asked.
"I've managed to find the enemies location!" Otacon smiled in self-satisfaction.
"Well then what are we waiting for!" Megaman shouted.
Otacon pushed his glasses up. "Are you sure you're ready? You'll be going straight to the enemy."
The team looked at each other.
Snake smiled. "Yeah, we're ready."
The team assembled in the teleporter.
Otacon pushed some buttons. "I can't get you directly into the base, so I'm sending you to a point close outside of it."
Megaman sighed. "Story of my life."
The team was then sent out.
The team appeared a few inches above a body of water far beyond the view of any land save that which held the enemy base ahead of them. They immediately splashed into the water.
"You're kidding?" Sonic said struggling to keep his head above the water. "We have to swim the entire way there?"
Megaman smiled. "Don't worry, I've got a plan." Megaman looked up to the sky. "Rush!" A red beam fell from the sky revealing the red robot dog, which proceeded to paddle water to stay afloat. "Rush, I need you to form Rush Marine." The dog barked and laid in the same position as when it became Rush Jet, but this time grew seats, a capsule on top of it's body of which to carry passengers, and a propeller extended from the back of the dog.. Megaman climbed into the driver seat. "Come on." We waved his hand to gesture everyone onboard.
The team looked at each other and shrugged. They each climbed aboard and rushed towards the base.
"Megaman." Snake said from a back seat.
"What's up?" Megaman asked piloting the robot dog.
"How does this dog have the ability to become something several times bigger than itself?"
Megaman thought for a moment. "I guess I never really wondered. We'll be coming up on the base soon."
The small island base soon became much larger as the team approached. To Megamans dismay, the front part was the shape of a large skull.
Explosions began to occur around the ship.
"They've noticed us." Samus said.
Megaman pushed a few buttons. "I'm taking him down!" He then pushed the steering wheel up forcing the nose of the dog into the water.
A large black object rushed at the Rush Marine.
"This dog has weapons right?" Sonic asked nervously.
Megaman smiled as he pushed a button. Rush barked shooting a blast of energy forward at the object. The blast collided, but seemed to do no damage.
Megaman thought for a moment. "Evasive action!" Megaman gripped the wheel of the Rush Marine and took a hard turn to the right, careful to avoid the looming creature.
Upon approaching the side of the behemoth, a perfect view was available. It had large bird-like legs, a reptilian tail, two wings, and a long beak-like head. The beak opened, and water began to be sucked in by it.
Snakes eyes widened. "Megaman!" He shouted. "Go now!"
Megaman took Snakes advice and sent the Rush Marine full power forward. A beam then fired from the mouth of the creature that cut through the water just as Rush had plowed forward.
"Don't try and fight that." Snake warned. "You can't beat it in this."
Samus looked back at Snake. "What is that?"
Snake sighed. "Metal Gear Ray."
Sonic turned over at Snake. "You mean like that thing we fought before?"
"I highly doubt that Ray has Chaos Emeralds in it." Snake turned back to the team. "But that doesn't mean we can fight it."
"We're coming up on the island." Megaman shouted. "And I see a cave that, according to Rush, leads straight into the base."
"Well," Sonic stood up and pointed towards the mass of land. "Let's go!"
The submarine shot forward and into the cave. It navigated through a system of tunnels before coming up in an air pocket that led to more caves. Rush shot back to wherever he came from. The team looked into the caves and walked forward.
About ten minutes later Snake stopped and put his hand up to his ear.
"Who's he talking to?" Sonic asked.
"I think he's using that CODEC thing of his." Megaman explained.
A few moments later Snake pulled his hand away from his ear. "According to Otacon there's foreign life source coming from ahead of us that doesn't resemble any of our enemies."
"How do we know it's not just another recruit?" Samus asked.
Snake looked over at Samus. "He says the source is in suspended animation."
"Did he say how much farther it was ahead?" Sonic asked.
Snake looked ahead. "It's not much farther."
So with that, the team was off again. After about fifteen minutes they arrived at the end of the tunnel where a large door stood.
Megaman walked up to the door. "Let's see what we can't see." He pulled the door open and revealed a boiler like room. Large light brown colored pipes surrounded the walls, and a single one stood in the middle of the room.
The team walked around it until they found a glass front on it, which revealed their suspended animation life source.
It was a woman, plainly dressed with blue jeans, a white shirt and a leather jacket. She had short blonde hair.
"Well," Sonic said walking up to the tube. "Let's find a way to get her outta there."
Samus walked up to the glass in an attempt to find a release mechanism of some kind, when a blast flew across the room. Samus pulled his hand back to avoid the energy bullet and looked across the room at what had supplied it.
It was the same robotic hedgehog as had impersonated Shadow the Hedgehog back on Mobius.
The robotic Sonic walked forward carefully studying the team.
Megaman leaned over to Sonic. "Is this thing tough?"
Sonic thought for a moment. "Yeah, he's pretty hard."
Megaman sighed. "Great."
Mecha Sonic prepared for a dash, and the rest of the team prepared for battle, when a black blur went in-between them.
When the blur passed, the body of Mecha Sonic laid on the ground, and its head close near it. A black and white sneaker was placed on top of the robot's head.
"Copy me will you?" The robot's eyes widened as the foot came down crushing it.
"Shadow?" Sonic asked nervously.
The black hedgehog laughed. "Nothing gets passed you does it Sonic."
"What are you doing here?"
Shadow chuckled. "What else? Eve has promised me what I want in return for my services."
A door burst open and Eggman ran in. He clutched the body of his destroyed robot in his arms. "Shadow, what are you doing here?"
Shadow looked back at Eggman. "Seems Eve has left you out of the loop."
Eggman squinted. "What are you talking about?"
"You are obsolete." Shadow held his hand out at Eggman.
"Shadow!" Eggman shouted. "You owe me everything! I found you, I brought you to life!"
Shadow smiled. "Thanks." Yellow energy formed in his hand. "Chaos Control!" A beam of energy flew at Eggman exploding on contact, leaving only dust.
"Eggman!" Sonic shouted. "Shadow…"
"Please Sonic," Shadow said wiping his hands. "Eggman was a plague upon the planet, and you knew it just as I did."
Sonic clenched his fist. "I thought you gave up your ways."
Shadow sighed. "No, I have not but been trying to find the reason for my being. Until I found that it was only in destruction, that I could find my purpose."
"But what about Maria? She didn't want you to fight!" Sonic shouted.
Shadow lowered his head. "Maria…never the less, I will find my purpose through fighting. It is all I could ever do, and I'll start by destroying you." Shadow clenched his fists, he began to flex his entire body, he let out a yell of power, and he began to be surrounded by energy.
"Sonic!" Snake shouted. "What's going on?"
Sonic looked back. "He's using the Chaos Emeralds! He's going to go Super!"
"What?" Megaman shouted.
Shadow exploded in energy causing a shock wave throughout the room. When the dust cleared, Shadow stood surrounded by an aura of energy, his spines stuck up and out, and he was of a bright white color that stung you eyes to look at. He extended out his hand he held a Chaos Emerald. "What will you do know Sonic? I hold all seven Chaos Emeralds, you can't fight me when I'm like this."
Sonic stood still. "Yes I can." Sonic held his hands in the air. "Floating Isle, hear my call! Give to me the power beyond the Chaos Emeralds!"
This struck Shadow. "Power beyond Chaos Emeralds?"
A ray of light shone on Sonic. "I summon the power, of the Hyper Emeralds!"
The room turned dark, seven beams of light surrounded Sonic, and they began to spin in a clockwise fashion. Sonic leapt up into the air, the columns of light collapsed into each other, and light filled the room. Sonic curled into a ball, and exploded in a fierce show of power. He floated in the air, his spines stood up, his eyes were red, he was a bright yellow color, and bright lights, almost like stars, spun around him.
"Everyone," He turned his head at the rest of the team. "Take the woman and leave, I'll handle things here." His voice sounded full of power. Sonic held his hand towards the capsule and it opened. The woman inside came tumbling out, Snake managed to catch her.
The rest of the team ran for the door Eggman came though. "Sonic!" Snake shouted.
"I said I would handle things here."
Snake sighed and ran through the door, closing it behind him.
Super Shadow smiled. "Are you sure you don't want to leave now also. I won't think any less of you."
Hyper Sonic also smiled. "Of course, I'm already at rock bottom on your list aren't I?"
The two super powered hedgehogs laughed, and then dashed towards each other. Their fist collided sending a sonic boom throughout the room, the two grinded their fists together, sending electricity flying through the room. They each pulled up their other hands, formed a charge of energy and fired at each other. The two blasts struck, sending them flying. They both managed to stop themselves in air and lunged forward and went into an array of punches and kicks. Sonic threw a kick at Shadow, Shadow vanished and reappeared behind Sonic. Shadow folded his fists together and struck Sonic on the back of the head. Sonic crashed to the ground
Shadow floated down and stood in front of his fallen rival. "Pathetic, Knuckles put up a better fight than this."
Sonic's eyes opened, he vanished from the ground and repapered behind Shadow. He gripped Shadow in a tight body hold.
"What do you mean Knuckles put up a better fight?"
Shadow laughed. "You think you're the first one I've fought? I dealt with the echidna first."
Sonic tightened his grip, Shadow grunted under the strength of the hold. "What happened to Knuckles?"
Shadow smiled. "He fell."
Sonic gritted his teeth, his body shone bright, he tightened his hold on Shadow. Shadow vanished from the hold causing Sonic to lose balance and fall.
Shadow stood above Sonic, he pulled his foot back and kicked Sonic sending him flying across the room.
Sonic picked himself up from the rubble. "You scoundrel." Sonic panted. "Don't you remember, Maria's final wish?"
Shadow sighed.
Sonic stood up. "She didn't want you to fight, she wanted you to protect the planet."
"I know what she wanted!" Shadow shouted, energy flew off of him.
"You were ready to sacrifice yourself to save us all, what happened?"
"I thought for a long time about my life, my purpose. I realized, that I did have only one reason to be, and that was to destroy." Shadow looked up at Sonic. "And I will if it means I find my destiny!"
Shadow began to power up, electricity crackled around him, he shouted as the aura of energy around him grew. He threw out his horizontally to the sides as the energy increased.
Sonic sighed. "Shadow, if I can't convince you, I'll have to defeat you."
Sonic began to gather energy, he thrust his arms out in front of him, wrists touching on top of each other, he then pulled his hands down to his side, still gathering energy. An orb of blue energy formed in his hands.
Shadow then thrust his hands outward, wrists touching side by side, an orb of yellow energy formed inside his hands.
The two continued to power up, each one staring into the others eyes.
"Chaos Control!" They both shouted.
Sonic thrust his hands forward as they were when he first began to gather energy. A beam of blue energy shot from him.
Shadow fired a beam of yellow energy at Sonic the two blasts collided.
A struggle of energy began, the two beams raging at each other, pushing each other forwards and backwards. The force of the energy began to collapse the room, the tube where the woman was held crumbled, pipes burst, and a crater formed beneath the point of the collision.
"One of us will give in sooner or later Sonic!" Shadow shouted.
Sonic smiled. "Then I guess it's a good thing I'm not trying yet!"
"What?"
Sonic shouted as a burst of energy shot from his hands and raced down his beam towards Shadow's. When it reached the struggle point, it totally dissipated Shadow's blast. Shadow's arms were flung aside by the force of his beam's destruction. Sonic's blast flew across the room, and struck Shadow.
Sonic pulled his hands apart destroying his blast. He flew over to Shadow and disabled the power of the Chaos Emeralds on himself.
Shadow lay flat on the ground, smoke rising off of him.
"I'm sorry Shadow, but you had to learn." Sonic kneeled down by Shadow's side. Shadow looked up at him, then over his shoulder as his eyes widened. Sonic slowly turned around and gasped as Sephiroth stood behind him.
Sonic gaped at him, he found himself stunned with fear.
Sephiroth looked down at Shadow, he took a few steps and kneeled down beside him.
"Where are they?" He asked Shadow in a soft voice. Shadow panted, he was still badly damaged from his fight with Sonic.
Sephiroth frowned. He then brought his long sword out, and held the tip of the blade above Shadow's head. "Give them to me."
Shadow held up his hand, and held out a green Chaos Emerald. The other six lifted off of him and floated in air. Sephiroth smiled as he saw his prize. Shadow's eyes slowly closed and his hand fell to the ground. Sephiroth reached out for the Emeralds, as they lifted into the air, and shot through the walls, scattering.
Sephiroth stared into the sky, a look of disdain on his face. He looked over at Sonic, who was still too afraid to move. Sephiroth picked up Shadow and began to walk away.
Sonic finally managed to gather courage he stood and swallowed hard. "H-hey!" He shouted at Sephiroth.
Sephiroth stopped and slowly turned.
"Where are you taking him?" Sonic felt he should do something to make his appearance more threatening but nothing came to mind.
Sephiroth looked down at Shadow. Sephiroth looked back up at Sonic. Sonic felt this was a good time to clench his fists and scowl, so he did. Sephiroth turned and began to walk away again. Sonic wasn't sure why, but he began to follow him. There was then a large explosion of light around Sephiroth, leaving nothing but four feathers that slowly floated to the ground. Sonic knelt down and picked up one of the feathers.
"What does he want with Shadow?" Sonic asked himself looking over the feather. Sonic stood up and ran to catch up with his teammates.
The rest of the team wasn't very far away and had heard a lot of the fight, Sonic came rushing up to them in a bolt.
"Where's the woman?" He asked looking around.
"We sent her back to Black Mesa where it would be safer." Snake explained.
Sonic crossed his arms. "Makes sense."
Samus turned to the rest of the hallway. "We should keep going, Sonic are you still in good health?"
Sonic began to stretch his legs. "Yeah, I'm fine."
"Then let's go." Megaman suggested, and with that they went onward.
"Anyone notice how hot it is?" Sonic asked after they had walked for a while.
"Yes, which is strange." Samus said. "My suit should nullify the effects of extreme temperatures. So I shouldn't be feeling this heat."
Snake stopped and put his hand to his ear. After a few moments he lowered it again. "Otacon said he's getting no readings of the enemies from the base, they must have all left. He says to come back."
Samus sighed. "All right, then we can get some answers from that woman." Samus created a teleport and they all went back to Black Mesa.