Chapter 13: The Battle for the Key pt. 1

"CHAOS CONTROL!" Lunatic shouted as he thrust out his Life Aura. All D-Dude had to say was…

"Oh no. Not again…"

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Drake and his five Darkside bodyguards arrived at Shade's HQ. Upon entering, they found that they were at a six-way intersection. Drake growled and rubbed his temples. This had NOT been a good week.

"Typical of that jerk…" Drake muttered, "We've gotta split up."

The Darksides took off in different directions just as the Authors and Ex-IRA Agents arrived.

"Looks like Shade's made it difficult for intruders…" D-Dude stated.

Lunatic growled and began rubbing his temples as he said, "Typical of that jerk…we've gotta split up!"

"Am I the only one with déjà vu?" X asked.

"You're not." Airnaruto replied, patting the Hollow Devil's shoulder.

"Alright, if you go down the wrong way, just see if you can find the entrance easily…" Lunatic said as he ran straight ahead, but changed directions to the right.

"Typical Lunatic…" Airnaruto sighed as he took the hall right next to the one Loon chose.

"Oh well." Azubaz growled as he took the one straight ahead.

"Tally-ho." D-Dude said as he ran down the hallway on the far left.

"Let's go cause some destruction." X said as he took off into the hall on the close left.

"Adventure HO!" Hirabi shouted as she took off into the hallway between the ones chosen by D-Dude and X Prodigy.

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GS snuck through the base, trying his best not to make a sound. He didn't even know how he could get out. But he WOULD get out…without even making the slightest noise. As a trained terrorist, he was taught never to make a sound until the time came…

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Hirabi kept running down her path. She wouldn't give up…not when her friend was on the line.

"I had a feeling you'd be following us…" said a cold voice. A girl jumped out of the darkness and looked Hirabi, right in the eyes. She had light gray hair, though she only looked about as old as Hirabi herself, only with dark blue skin and yellow eyes.

"Who the heck are you?" Hirabi asked as she fingered the machine gun under her vest.

"My name is Kama, Eastern Warrior of the Darkside Corps." The Darkside, named Kama, replied with a sadistic voice.

"And mine is Hirabi of a Yakuza clan." Hirabi replied as she tightened her grip on the Sten, "Why're you here?"

"To help Master Darkstar find the Key." Replied Kama.

'GS!' she thought with a pang. She snarled as she stated, "You want GS? You'll have to deal with ME, first!"

"THIS should be fun." Kama sneered as she held up her hand.

Hirabi pulled out her Sten and fired at Kama, who blocked all the bullets faster than she could blink.

"H-how…?" Hirabi asked, but Kama reappeared behind her.

"There's a reason for my name." Kama stated as she held out her hand. The fingers were replaced with sickle blades. She brought her hand across Hirabi's stomach, making four slash marks to appear on it. The Yakuza girl was sent to the ground. She staggered up and held out her Sten again.

"Eat lead…" Hirabi growled as she fired. All the bullets were blocked again.

"Don't you learn?" Kama asked as she made to slash Hirabi's face…only to be blocked by a katana.

"Actually, I DO." Hirabi said with her playful grin back on her face.

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D-Dude growled as he ran through the dark fortress. He came to a halt as he came to a dead end. He sighed and let his clairvoyance take over. He was well over a mile away from GS. He cursed himself for being multiple forms of an idiot.

"Looks like we've come to a dead end." Said a voice. D-Dude looked over to see a Darkside with a bird-like face, talon-like nails, and a bald head.

"Looks like it, Darkside." D-Dude replied as he gave the Darkside a glare.

"Now, that's hardly polite." The Darkside snickered, "Aren't manners principle for a warrior? Introductions first. I'm Tash, Western Warrior of the Darkside Corps."

"I'm Dimensiondude, from Fictron of Fictor." D-Dude replied, "And…has Drake started another group of powerful Darksides?"

"Does it matter?" Tash asked.

"And you mocked ME for lack of manners." D-Dude stated.

"Unfortunately, Master Darkstar's given me specific orders to terminate all Author Fighters on sight." Tash said, "So…BE PREPARED!"

Wings sprung from Tash's back as his face shifted into one resembling a vulture and an extra pair of arms sprung from his chest. A scimitar appeared in his fist as he took up an attack pose.

"I guess THAT'S why they called you Tash." D-Dude simply said (A/N: If you've read The Last Battle, you'll know what I'm talking about…).

Tash let out a screech and flew at the Dragonsaur, who moved out of the way of the frontal assault…but the scimitar came slashing across his side. He let out a screech of pain as blood burst from the wound. A green aura surrounded D-Dude as his healing factor took over and stitched the wound back together.

"Ah. Master Darkstar told me one of you Fictorians had a healing factor." Tash said as he held out his scimitar, "Not a very honorable ability, if you asked me."

"Y'know, for someone named after a devil figure, you sure are concerned with honor." D-Dude pointed out as he simply said, "Think fast!"

A burst of fire came from D-Dude's mouth and Tash began to spin his scimitar with incredible speed.

"Clever." Tash stated, "But not clever ENOUGH."

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"Now, answer me." Azubaz growled to a Darkside whose face had a Native American look to it, "Who are you?"

"Shidden." He said, curtly, "Northern Warrior of the Darkside Corps."

"I don't know what the heck the Darkside Corps is." Azubaz stated as he pulled out his sword, "But I know you'll fall HERE!"

"Debatable." Shidden simply stated.

"Not much of a talker, eh?" Azubaz asked as he flew forward and swung his sword down, meaning to cut Shidden in half.

The blow never hit.

Azubaz saw that his blow had, instead, collided with two curved objects that were white as…

"Can create weapons from my own body." Shidden simply stated as he deflected the blow and put his ribs back into his chest (A/N: Ever thought you'd hear THAT?). He then reached into his body and pulled out a long, slimy something that resembled a rope.

"PLEASE tell me that isn't your large intestine." Azubaz groaned before saying, "Who am I kidding? You won't tell me anyway."

Shidden's response was to swing the organ around his body and bring it down. Azubaz barely dodged as the intestine smashed the stone he had been standing on a few seconds ago.

"Guess I was just fast enough." He stated as he bolted over with his sword in hand and brought it down.

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"Crap! How do I end up in these positions?!" X growled under his mask as he shot a ceramic disk flying at him with Dawn and Dusk. He then pulled out Sparda and sliced another one in half.

"Forget about me?" asked the Darkside he was fighting, who was named Discus. He wore a top hat, had gloves, and black hair that touched his shoulders. He thrust out his hand to get X in the back of the head and sent the Hollow Demon tumbling.

"YOU LOUSY SON OF A…" X then crashed into the wall. He reached behind his mask and pulled something out, "A tooth. HAPPY?!"

"Very." Replied Discus.

"Don't friggin' believe this…" X growled, "Here I am, one of the toughest Author Fighters getting beaten senseless by a bunch of COASTERS!"

"Coasters THIS." Discus grinned as he thrust out his hand and sent another five ceramic disks flying at X. The Hollow Devil pulled out Cerberus and spun them around to destroy the disks.

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"So, what did ya say your name was again?" Airnaruto asked as he dodged a burst of electricity.

This Darkside was thin, but muscular. He had wild, blonde hair and violet eyes. He had a large grin on his face as electricity pulsed through his body.

"My name is Darkshock, yo." He replied with a cliché rapper accent, "Southern Warrior of the Darkside Corps."

"Oh really?" Airnaruto asked, "Airnaruto45, God of Storms, Airbending ninja, etc., etc."

"Don't see ya usin' those 'God of Storms' powers." Darkshock stated.

"It'd be more interesting this way." Airnaruto replied as he pulled out a lightsaber and activated it, releasing the bar of plasma.

"Dang right." Darkshock said as a small beam of electricity came out. He charged forward and brought his blade down on Airnaruto's.

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Lunatic was running through the hall, but immediately saw Drake.

"OH NO, YOU DON'T!" Lunatic barked as he jumped to tackle the Darkside leader.

However, Drake noticed this and dodged the nutty ninja's assault.

"What in the name of Rasets…?" he simply asked. Lunatic stood up and Drake got a full view, "Oh. It's just you. The annoying shrimp."

"In person." Lunatic replied, "But unfortunately, I'll have to try and kill you."

"Why?" Drake asked, "Because of a Darkside who only resembles your brother…who abandoned you in an oh-so-brotherly way."

"TL…did NOT…abandon me!" Lunatic growled as he summoned his chakram.

"He left you without allowing you to go with him OR even knowing where he was going." Drake pointed out, "Pretty much falls into the category of 'abandoning' to me."

"SHUT UP!" Lunatic shouted as he flew forward and hurled his chakram.

When it came to projectiles, Lunatic had an unusually good aim. He hit nine times out of ten. Unfortunately, this was that rare tenth time. Drake pulled out his Dark Saber and blocked the two wheels before they could do so much as scratch him. He then looked over to Lunatic, who held his hands out, fingers clenched slightly. Drake knew that this was the traditional pose of Fictorian Wolverine-Style combat. He only knew it was the simplest of the Fictorian Martial Arts. He pointed his sword at Lunatic.

"Come and get me, if you can." Drake said.

Lunatic flew forward and actually jumped and landed on the sword before bringing his foot into Drake's face. Drake actually staggered back a few feet as Loony landed on his hands and feet in a traditional ninja pose. Drake lowered his hand to show a bloody patch on his chin. He smirked. This might be fun after all…

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GS slunk through the fortress like a shadow. He was careful not even to leave a single shred of evidence that he was there. Not even a small piece of gray fur. He then opened a door and walked, silently, into the next room.

"I thought you'd be here." Said a familiar voice.

GS looked around and saw Shade Blood.

"You knew I was still in here, the whole time, didn't you?" the hedgehog asked as he reached for his Glock.

"Precisely." Shade replied, flying behind GS and grabbed the hand he was holding the gun with. He removed it and crushed the pistol, "Now, I don't think your alchemic powers can work on that…"

"How do you know about those?" GS asked.

"Because I saw them, myself." Shade replied.

GS thought but then clutched his head as he felt a painful twinge in it.

Enter flashback…

In the Anti-TL's Wrath fortress…

"If you can't fix this blade, you'll pay." Shade warned as GS held his hand out to the Soul Eater, which was broken in half.

"Guess I lucked out, then." GS said as a dark blue energy flowed from his fingertips. The blade's shards then melded themselves together, making it as good as new.

"Be happy that you can use that alchemy." Shade stated as he took the blade back and retreated.

"And I used to wonder why you didn't get along with him." GS said as Drake appeared.

"I know. He's an unbelievable jerk." Drake replied.

"Incidentally, there's something I've wanted to know for a while." GS continued as he turned around to face Drake, "Why'd I end up as the key?"

"You lucked out." Drake answered, "It could've been Killer Rose, but, by sheer chance, you ended up as the person who'd bring us to victory."

Drake patted GS on the back.

"You'll help our kind." He said.

"Glad to do what I can." GS replied as the two walked by…passing Anti-TL.

(End flashback…)

"I just…lucked out." GS said as the pain subsided.

"Somehow, you got out of Drake's surrogate fortress and you fell off radar." Shade continued, "When we found you, you were like this. Oldkid was looking suspicious, though…"

"THE NOTE!" GS said as he remembered the thing Johan had when he had his thrashing.

(Flashback again…)

"GS, to make the game a little more interesting, I'm afraid this must happen." Oldkid said as he, GS, and Johan were on a plane.

"Do what?" GS asked.

"THIS." Oldkid replied as he punched GS in the face. The hedgehog was sent tumbling through the plane. He staggered up and coughed up blood.

"WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?!" GS demanded as he stood up.

"A good many things." Oldkid replied with a smirk. He then delivered a kick to GS' chest. The Darkside Hedgehog flew back as the foot made contact.

"WHY?!" GS snarled as he stood up.

"Because I'm a maniac." Oldkid replied as he delivered two fast blows to GS' temples and threw him off the plane.

CRASH!

GS landed in the ocean and everything went black.

(End flashback…)

"And, as you can see…" Shade said as he pointed up, "I chose the best place for your arrival."

GS looked up and shielded his eyes as…the eclipse was happening!

Uh…CLIFFIES! YAY!

Sorry I haven't updated. I've been lazy.