Hello, everyone! This is Umbra the Hedgehog signing back in! Sorry for taking so freakin' long to update, guys. School kept me inhumanly busy, and I was in a bit of a writing slump. But don't worry, I'm back now, and I give you... CHAPTER 10!
NOTE:
-All of the characters or universes featured in this fic belong to their respective owners. Umbra the Hedgehog belongs to me. Flame Torpedo Burn belongs to Flame Burn96 (still Starlight Burn97, just a different name).
Multi-Dimensional Melee!
Chapter 10: From bad to worse...
"And I thought our landing spot was bad."
Yes, their first destination was bad, but entering the teleporter sent them to a place that looked even worse.
Zero commented soon after. "What are the components of this place?"
"The realm of Convexity...the Dark Margin...and Zebes." Sonic recognized every single piece of the landscape.
"You seem to know a lot about these worlds."
"If you ever lived through all the stuff I have, you would, too."
Umbra followed. "OK, Sonic. You know these places. You lead."
"Gotcha." Sonic moved forward, with everyone following closely behind.
After a short period of time, Yin pointed something out. "The floor looks kinda fragile."
"It is. We're walking on a world of floating platforms, mixed with the most dangerous section of another planet, with a dark beach-like place thrown in."
Yang was confused. "Uh...what was that, Sonic?"
"This floor is easy to break, and it's dark here. Don't run, don't fall, and watch your step."
"Oh. Why didn't you just say so?"
"I think Tails is rubbin' off on me."
With that clear, the group carefully walked across the platforms, being careful not to step on fragile platforms, until they made it to the center of the realm.
The power source stood there, high up in the air, unguarded. However, Sonic and his companions remained suspicious.
The Guyver readied his wrist blades. "This seems too easy."
"It's almost like they wanted us to get here." Zero and Yang prepared their swords.
As soon as they realized this, an ominous presence filled the place.
"Ahh...the survivors of my work. You're too smart for me...or is that the other way around?"
Everyone reacted to this. "Huh? Who's there?"
"Wouldn't you like to find out..."
"That voice...seems familiar..." Sonic and Umbra were particularly shaken.
"However, I can't afford to let you live. Say your last prayers, because you won't survive this fight."
After the threat, the team felt someone appearing behind them. As they turned around, they were faced by...
"Mickey Mouse?"
Yes, it was the King of Disney Castle, but he wasn't his usual self. Instead of his regular clothes, he was clad in a tattered black coat, with the hood ripped off. His face was also different, with torn ears and a savage look on his eyes.
"What have you done to him?" Sonic couldn't believe his eyes.
"Let me introduce you to... Soldier 28." The voice let out a distorted evil laugh. "Look, fresh meat."
Upon hearing these words, a Keyblade appeared in the beast's hand, and it prepared for battle.
"I expect your safe return, my servant...and their heads on a stick." As soon as these words were spoken, the ominous presence wasn't felt anymore.
Let's skip to the evil hideout...
Scourge the Hedgehog just stood in place, as if waiting for someone. After inexplicably meeting the guy he knew he had eliminated, he lost his chance to kill him again, due to the egomaniacal Enerjak.
Oddly, however, he didn't seem irritated in the least, but rather...pleased.
"It's all going according to plan. Enerjak couldn't control himself when fighting Dumb and Dumber." He quietly laughed to himself, holding a strange mechanism in his left hand. "I knew learning to control the Master Emerald's energy would prove useful."
Soon after, he felt the same presence that invaded the soon-to-be battlezone.
"OK, here comes Big Shot." The hedgehog then proceeded to introduce the mechanism in his head, as if he was made out of energy.
The same voice rumbled the place. "Scourge! Come here now!"
Scourge ran to the origin of the command, and stood in front of a throne. There was someone seated on the throne, but he was completely shrouded in darkness, making it impossible to tell who it was.
"Where is Enerjak?"
"How the heck am I supposed to know? You sent him to do my job, remember?"
"Yes, I ordered him to replace you, but the hedgehog and his companions are still alive."
"Yeah, yeah, he failed. You should have let me kill those clowns, y'know. Round-ears isn't going to kill them, either. You ought to just..."
Scourge was cut off by the untimely appearance of Enerjak, who managed to replenish his energy.
"Master, you sent Soldier 28 to battle?"
"Yes. Why do you care, Enerjak?"
"But he is an untested experiment!"
"The mind swap was successful, he survived the gene splicing, responded well to the combat training, and he obliterated the most powerful of our prisoners. That is all we need."
"But, Master...!"
"That is not important right now. I have more pressing concerns." He then pointed at Enerjak. "Why did you not kill the hedgehog and his partner?"
"I tried, but they had backup. A purple creature appeared and attacked my army. A strange destructive urge invaded my mind and I wasted my energy on an attempt to eliminate it."
The unknown being rose from his throne. "You know the price of failure, Enerjak."
"But, Master! It wasn't me!"
"You warned Scourge, and yet it seems you didn't understand. I should eliminate you..."
For the first time in any of his lives, Enerjak felt...terrified.
"...But I need more of your genetic soldiers." The being then pointed to the exit. "Get out of here before I change my mind."
The echidna calmed down, but was still notably shaken. He was, however, still quick to oblige and left the room.
Scourge didn't let the uncomfortable atmosphere last long. "OK, now that we took care of that, can I have my fun now? Blue and I have some unfinished business."
"Only if they manage to defeat Soldier 28." The leader gave a mocking laugh. "Enjoy as the last rebels are skewered, hedgehog."
Now, back to the heroes...
The heroes were still standing on the spot, in front of the mutilated King. Since the monster was strangely calm, not attacking them, they decided to huddle up and discuss their strategy.
Sonic spoke up first. "OK. We're facing a seriously skilled swordsman, wielding a one-of-a-kind weapon. Plus, he looks like he had some experiments performed on him. What do you suggest we do?"
Yang was the first one to give a suggestion. "Well, he looks slobbery, mangy and stupid. He probably can't fight like the real deal. How about we just attack him?"
As soon as he said this, he headed towards the mouse, shocking his teammates.
"No, wait!"
As he ran forward, striking Soldier 28, he was shocked to see that, in a fraction of a second, his attack was stopped by the King's Keyblade.
"Wait, how can you...?" The only response he got was a beastial growl.
In his shock, Yang reacted with more strikes, which were all blocked with no effort. Soon after, he was hit in the chest by his opponent's sword, being thrown back and landing in front of his teammates.
"Yang! You okay?" Being his sister, Yin was the most concerned out of the group.
"Well, I ain't dead yet." He soon got up, although not without effort. "OK, seems like he can still fight. We're gonna need another plan."
The Guyver gave his own idea. "Zero. Do you have a scanner?"
"Yes." Zero ran a scan on their enemy. "His DNA has been combined with another type of DNA."
"What type?"
"For some reason, my scanner can't identify it. His mind has also been swapped with that of a creature that calls itself Kardas."
"Wait a sec...I know Kardas!" Umbra, being an avid comic book reader, recognized the name. "But he's a giant Rahi, not a swordsman! How'd he beat Yang up?"
"There's signs of someone tampering with his mind. He has been educated in every style of swordplay known across the multiverse."
The Guyver spoke again. "If that's the case, how are we gonna fight him?"
"I have a plan. I don't know if it'll work, but this is a desperate moment." Yin gave her own suggestion soon after. "If you guys distract him, me and Umbra can fire at him. While he's busy fighting you, he won't be able to stop the shots."
Sonic seemed to agree with the plan. "Might just be crazy enough to work, Yin. You guys ready?"
"Ready." The heroes all responded at the same time.
"OK. Let's do this then."
Sonic, the Guyver, Zero and Yang headed towards the monster, while Yin and Umbra stayed behind, charging up their fire.
Zero attacked Soldier 28 first, striking him with his sword, but, like Yang, he was blocked with ease. Zero held him down while the Guyver ran towards him, prepared to hit him with his wrist blade. As his arm reached him, he was blocked by...Zero's saber.
The King had moved his Keyblade so that the wrist blade met the Z-Saber. Once that happened, he quickly took away his Kingdom Key and swung at the two, just narrowly missing them. Sonic then came in, carrying Yang and running around their opponent. While Sonic started to create a Blue Tornado, Yang kept slashing at the beast rapidly, having all of his attacks blocked with the same ease he faced a moment ago.
Meanwhile, Yin and Umbra were standing still, with their eyes closed, gathering as much energy as they could.
"We gotta hurry up, Yin. Otherwise, Sonic and the others are hosed."
Once the Blue Tornado was ready, the mouse was sent flying, and Sonic proceeded to jump at him, preparing to execute a Homing Attack. Despite being flung into the air, Soldier 28 kept his ground, slashing at the hedgehog and sending him back. Zero shot his Chain Rod at the monster, but he avoided it and sliced the chain. Immediately after, all four of them jumped up at him, preparing to attack, but they were knocked back before they could even react.
While he managed to fend off every attack thrown at him, the beast falied to notice one thing: the maneuver he used to stop his attackers left him off-balance. Despite his aerial combat prowess, he fell to the ground on his face. This gave the Guyver, who was the one closest to the enemy, a chance to grab him, leaving him completely open for the impending attack. This, however, was not without resistance, as the mouse struggled to get free.
"Yin! Umbra! I got him! Fire, before he escapes!"
Meanwhile, the aforementioned pair had finally gotten enough energy for a blast capable of eliminating their enemy, and they raised their arms, pointing at the King.
"You ready? We only got one shot."
"I'm ready when you are."
Let's skip to the evil hideout again...
Scourge was looking at the battle with the leader, and he seemed pleased again.
"Hah, looks like I get to kick some blue tail after all. I told you he'd lose."
The shadowed figure, unexpectedly, just laughed again.
"Hey! What the heck is so funny?"
"It seems like the time to awaken his other DNA has finally come."
"Wait, what?"
Without another word, the leader pressed a button in his throne.
Back to the heroes...
"Yin-Ferno!"
"Solar Flare!"
The fire blasts came out, huge and burning, but focused on the enemy, without harming the heroes. It seemed as though victory was at hand...
...until Soldier 28 dissipated.
The heroes stood in shock as their adversary disintegrated into small, glowing, violet spheres, saving himself from the blast that was now headed towards the Guyver.
"Get out of the way, now!" Sonic was panicking, not wanting to lose another friend.
This seemed to snap him back into reality just in time, as he jumped to the side, avoiding the fire storm.
Yang was really confused. "Is he gone then?"
"No. He split himself into several...primordial substance particles." Zero knew what happened, but couldn't identify the fragments properly.
However, Sonic instantly recognized them. "Shadow Bugs."
"You know them?" Umbra was confused as well.
"Remember the Smash Bros. Tournament? The bombs, ROBs, and all that stuff?" Umbra nodded. "Well, this is the stuff these guys, the Primids, are made out of."
"So his DNA was fused with Shadow Bugs?"
The spheres then came together, forming the figure of Soldier 28 again.
"Yeah, and it seems like he can disintegrate and pull himself back without problems, too."
Yin became worried. "OK...we're gonna need another plan."
Yeah, this chapter was pretty long, but I figured it was a good way to make up for my long absence. Besides, I did promise more action, and there it is. But don't take it the wrong way; that doesn't mean it stays here. There'll be more in the next chapter.
Stay tuned for Chapter 11. I'll try not to last so darn long with that one, since vacation is nearly here.
This is Umbra the Hedgehog signing off.