Chapter 11: Mind over Matter

"Guys," I said, just happy to them again.

Shadow came forward, his red eyes bright with anger. "This is too far Ryan!"

Ryan stiffened, his eyes now a bright yellow. He and Shadow glared at each other angrily, but I think Shadow's glare was worse.

"Let. Them. Go." Shadow growl.

"I'm afraid I can't do that Shadow." Ryan said, managing to keep his voice calm. "I need them to power my new creation. And unlike you, he's perfection."

"The only one who can achieve perfection is the Lord Almighty." Sonic said, stepping forward with his ears back.

"There you are wrong Sonic." Ryan said. "SHADOW Hyper Unit? Would you show them the door please?"

Suddenly they saw the robotic Shadow standing off to the side with my sword in hand and wearing Silver's helmet.

The robot that stood with Sonic soon stepped forward, it's golden eyes angling into an angered look. "Unit's Sonic and Knuckles," It said, it's voice sounding a lot like Metal's. "I will take care of this unit while you free Operative Emily and Unit Silver."

Knuckles nodded.

"That leaves Ryan to me." Shadow said, taking a fighting position.

Ryan smiled. "You honestly think that you can defeat me Shadow? If you have forgotten, you no longer have your abilities."

Shadow scowled back at him, not replying. He suddenly leaps forward, easily dodging the chaos wave that Ryan threw at him.

Meanwhile, Sonic and Knuckles fought through the COLD Stream robots and had made it to where Silver and I were being held. Sonic took a look over the tubes, recognizing the design from a meterex base that once held Chris and Cosmo. The Meterex said that it was pressurized, and it looked like these were as well. "Knux, we need to find the controls for these things."

Knuckles looked around and soon found the Control panel. "Be right back." He said as he ran up to the controls.

"Do you even know how to operate these things?" Sonic asked.

"Not to worry," Knuckles said, smiling as he sat at the controls. "Tails has been working with me on these things."

I bite my lower lip, hoping he knew what he was doing.

To our right, the new robot was facing off with SHADOW Hyper Unit, or SHU. The Robots glared at each other, the new robot showing more emotion that SHU.

SHU scanned the new comer and his glare deepened. "Why," He said, speaking in the robotic language. "If it isn't Metal Sonic. Impressive upgrades. But I do believe I left you disabled and deactivated."

Metal smiled. "I take enjoyment out of surprising enemies." He replied, also speaking in Robot. "But you have brought harm to my Operative. I will not allow you to remain active for such a crime."

"So you think." SHU replied and rushed at Metal.

Metal dodged the attack and Spin-Dashed into SHU's back, knocking him through a wall, grabbing a metal disk to act as a shield. SHU soon stood up again and used my sword to fire a wave of chaos energy. Metal used the 'shield' to block the attack and counter attacked.

Shadow was dodging Ryan's attack best he could, but I could see that without his powers he might not hold on for long. I look up at Knuckles, who was looking over the controls.

"Okay," Knuckles said. "Maybe… this one?"

He flipped the switch and immediately Silver and I felt the draining pain.

"KNUCKLES!" I shouted as Knuckles quickly turned off the machine again.

"Sorry!" Knuckles shouted back, picking another switch and pulled it.

This time the tubes lifted, releasing Silver and Me. I felt my ears pop from the pressure change and was deaf for a moment, but my mind cleared as Sonic gently got me upright.

"Em!" He said, seeing my daze, but his voice was muffled because of my popped ears. "Em! You okay?"

I shake my head in hopes to clear it and can soon look around clearly. "I'm okay. Silv?"

Knuckles was already supporting Silver as Silv gave me a thumbs up. "Good here." He said rather quietly, and I guessed his ears had popped as well.

A sudden crash gets our attention. I look up and see Ryan has Shadow pinned.

Shadow growled and squirmed under the chaos power holding him down. Ryan stood over him with eyes bright yellow. "You probably wish your other co-developer was here to help, don't you, Shadow!" He mocked. "Well, Johnathan is busy with other matters! I made sure of that!"

Shadow's eyes narrowed and bared his teeth. "Don't you dare hurt him!"

Ryan laughed and drew his sword but something knocked him away. Shadow had always been there to save me if I needed help, like when I was lost in the blizzard back when I first entered Mobius, he watched over me until I recovered after Omega brought me to GUN HQ. I was not about to let a mad man hurt him. I had told Sonic and Knuckles to help the new robot and told Silver to get Shadow out of harms way for a moment while I distracted him.

Ryan looked at me, yellow eyes blazing. Though I didn't show it, I was scared to death as I took a fighting position for hand-to-hand combat.

Ryan chuckled. "You remind me of my brother, Ms. Bridgestone... Too naïve to see the harshness of the world... And too unable to accept it. Luckily, unlike Seymour, I can end your misery much quicker..."

"You'd have to catch me first!" I reply, sounding almost like Sonic.

I dodge as Ryan suddenly attacked, sending a wave of Energy toward me. I dodge it as he attacks with his sword. I dodge again and kick, kicking the sword out of his hand and sending it clattering to the floor.

In this time, SHU had finally worked Metal into a corner. The two glared at each other for a long while before SHU smiled. "Perhaps I can finally end you." He said in the robotic language.

"Perhaps." Metal replied in English. "But are you fast enough? SONIC!"

Before SHU had time to process what was going on, Sonic curled into a ball and made a homing attack on him, tearing through the dark hull with a shower of sparks. Sonic landed in front of Metal and smiled.

"I am thankful that we are on the same team, Unit Sonic." Metal said.

Sonic smile turned into a grin. "Same here."

Metal then quickly went to the destroyed SHU and pulled Shadow's rings off. "Sonic, you get Emily and Silver their weapons, I will see to Shadow."

"Got it." Sonic said. He grabbed my sword and Silver's helmet and looked up to find us.

I was still locked in a hand-to-hand fight with Ryan. He was stronger than I thought, and more agile than I remembered. Finally knocked me down where I lay breathing heavy, a pain in my side starting. Ryan towered over me with his eyes still yellow.

"Are you prepared to meet your maker Miss Bridgestone?" He asked.

I stared as fearlessly as I could back at him. "I am…" I said. "But are you?"

"Chaos SPEAR!" I heard Shadow yell as he threw three golden bolt of energy at Ryan, sending him backwards and away from me.

Ryan landed on his back but was quickly getting up again, sending a wave of chaos energy, hitting Shadow full force, knocking him hard into a wall. I watched in horror as Shadow falls with his eyes closed.

"SHADOW! NO!" I almost scream.

"Shads!" Sonic shouted, running over to our fallen friend.

I tare my eyes away from Shadow and look at Ryan. A victorious smile was on his face, but his eyes were still bright yellow. I felt my fist clench as I looked down again. It's then I notice my sword, lying where Sonic had dropped it to help Shadow. I grasp the hilt and glare at Ryan. Shadow, other than Sonic, Silver and Knuckles, was one of my closer friends. He was always there to protect me, he even joined us as we went to fight Mephilis when he didn't need to.

I get to my feet and settle into a fighting position. "Ryan!"

The scientist looked at me. "Coming for more?" He asked, a mix of mockery and surprise in his voice.

"You've gone too far." I said. "Give me you're best shot!"

Ryan smiled and our fight continued. He had gotten his sword when Shadow knocked him away, so I had to be on my toes. The fight was moving so fast I couldn't keep up with what my hands and feet where doing most of the time.

Finally, I had backed Ryan up to a wall and managed knock his sword away. We stop, my blade resting under his jaw line and both of us breathing heavy. But I had tears standing in my eyes. On his cheek was thin but quite deep cut where my sword had just grazed him.

"You really are quite a fighter Miss Bridgestone." He commented.

I didn't reply, the knot in my throat wouldn't allow it.

Ryan looked at the demolished SHADOW unit not far off and sighed. "And that was my best creation yet." He looked back at me with a scowl. "You may have wont this battle Miss Bridgestone, but not the war. And don't forget, shadows of the past always have a tendency to come up again. Silver hasn't told you the whole truth of how Eggman captured him." With that, a cloud of black smoke enveloped him and he vanished.

I stood there for a moment more before turning to look toward Shadow. Silver was checking him over for real damage. I let my sword clatter to the floor. I had never seen Shadow, Shadow the Hedgehog, look so vulnerable. I come over and sit next to him.

Silver looked up and half grinned at me, but I didn't notice. I just looked at the fallen Shadow. A moment later, Sonic had me in a warm embrace. I don't fight it but hug him back, letting more tears fall.

Soon the new robot came over and touched my shoulder, the way Metal would when I was upset. This brought more tears. That is until I heard a quiet voice.

"Em?... What are you crying for?..."

Sonic and I look down to see Shadow's eyes are opening! They were still squinted, but he was awake!

"Shads!" I shout, quickly embracing him.

Shadow embraced me back. "Easy Em… I was thrown into a wall after all."

"But… I thought you…" That was all I could manage to say before weeping tears of joy.

Sonic was laughing in spite of his own surprise. "Shads, you sure know how to scare a hedgehog."

Shadow smiled, but said nothing.

Finally, we broke and I got to see the new robot. He was black with yellow markings, and though he looked similar to Metal, he looked newer, as if fresh from the shop or had been freshly painted. And to my surprise, he had a mouth that moved very much like an organic mouth.

It knelt and looked right at me, and I noticed that it's fingers weren't sharpened into claws, but had smooth ends, again like organic hands.

"Operative Emily." It said.

I noticed that the way he said it sounded a lot like Metal, only more realistic and not as robotic.

He was looking at me intently. "It is good to see you are operating admirably."

I look at him a little more closely. "Metal?"

To my shock, the robot smiled. "That is correct. My last hull was badly damaged, but Unit Tails was able to save my core memory. He let me have this new hull. What are your thoughts on-"

I didn't let him finish because I hugged him, glad he was alright. "You took a blow for me. I saw you deactivate!"

Metal embraced me back. "I did not wish to see you in pain. Besides, you did the same for me."

Sonic smiled at the scene, hardly believing that perhaps a year ago Metal was considered a killer. Now seeing him embracing Emily was almost surreal. "Well, lets get out of this place. We have to see how the villagers are doing."

"Not Yet!" Knuckles said, who was a distance off and messing with a machine.

"Knuckles, you almost fried Emily and Silver a moment ago with that thing, I don't think you should playing with that." Sonic said.

Knuckles ignored him. He pressed a button that opened a large compartment in the machine, revealing that Master Emerald and the Chaos Emeralds.

Knuckles looked over at Silver. "Silv, remember the command to shrink the Emerald?"

Silver nodded and ran over. He placed a hand on the Emerald and mumbles something. I knew why, all the commands for the emerald where supposed to be an absolute secret to all but the Guardians and their apprentices.

On cue, the Master Emerald shrank until it was no bigger than the green emerald. Silver handed it to Knuckles while he took the other emeralds.

Sonic smiled and rolled his eyes. "Silv, I hope you can keep a better eye on those than Knux can."

We all laugh as Knuckles gives Sonic a nasty look. Even Shadow chuckled.

"Lets get out of this place." He said, taking Maria by the hand and leading the way out.

"Right behind you." I said, quickly following him with the others.