SuperSonicSpeed: WOO! Ralik knows how to throw a party!
Shadow: If you like that sort of thing, then sure.
Sonic: You two left me!
Shadow: You got a chilidog from Ralik... *Mumbles* Now I remember why I went...
Sonic: Well! Who needs you! OptimisticQueenRandom gave me a food machine and I get to- Are you listening?! *Gets hit by a tomato* SCOURGE!
SuperSonicSpeed: Did you get a chance to try the cake?
Shadow: As a matter of fact, I got the last piece.
SuperSonicSpeed: Oh really, cuz I also happened to have gotten the last piece. Only when I turned around it was gone.
Shadow: Hmph... She doesn't own us! Start!
SuperSonicSpeed: Don't you start ignoring me!
Sonic: Touch my chilidogs SuperSonicSpeed and I'll bite your hand off!
SuperSonicSpeed: Speacial thanks to Princess Flare the Fox for inspiring me with her ideas! :D Appreciate it!
"It's all gone..." Tails looked at what used to be his laboratory and his home.
Shadow kicked aside a few pieces of scrap that layed on the floor while Rouge observed and pieced together what had happened.
"It's like he used a small version of the Eclipse Canon..." Rouge looked at the burnt ground, "There's barely any melted metal."
Tails sighed, "I can always replace it... But it's sorta hard to see your lifes work utterly anihalated..." He looked around once more, "The Tornado didn't make it either." He looked down.
"Shadow, this only shows that we have no choice but to-" Rouge stopped when Shadow gave an icy glare.
"I said 'No' plenty of times already." He looked away.
"Will you stop being stubborn!" Tails snapped, "We've lost everyone and everything! Who knows what Eggman is doing to Dash right now! Don't you see! If we don't join forces with G.U.N. then it's only a matter of time until Eggman catches us!"
Shadow didn't say a word.
"Please," Tails calmed down, "Do it for Dash... and Maria! Don't you remember the promise you made to her? If we don't join forces, then your promise to protect this planet will be meaningless."
'Annoying fox...' Shadow grit his teeth. "Fine!" He reached into his quills for his chaos emerald to find out, it was gone. "Looks like we're tarveling by foot."
"WHAT!?" Rouge exclaimed, "I thought you had an emerald!"
"I must've lost it in the fight..." Shadow began heading towards G.U.N. headquarters.
"Why don't we use that?" Tails pointed to one direction.
"A helicopter? Here?" Rouge walked over with Tails.
"It looks a bit shaky, but it should get us to G.U.N. headquarters." Tails tinkered a bit, "It may take me a bit to fix it."
Shadow rolled his eyes and kicked the front side lightly, making the motor come to life. Then, ran around the helicopter at high speeds to get the perpelars going.
Shadow gave a smug look, "Get in."
Tails only huffed as he sat on the copilot seat, "Since when are you a mechanic?"
"He isn't." Tails looked at Rouge, "You should see all the dents I have on my car." She sweat dropped, "I should've just taken it to a mechanic."
Tails looked at Shadow who piloted the helicopter, "So is kicking your solution to all mechanics?"
Rouge laughed, "Not really. His motorcycle is dent free."
"And it'll stay dent free because if anyone aside from me touches it, I'll Chaos Control them to the moon."
Tails smiled for the first time since this entire incident started, "Did Dash try to touch it?"
"I caught him making motor noises and pretending to drive it." Shadow had a sad smile, "I have the pictures in my wallet." He took out the wallet from his quills and gave it to Tails. Sure enough, there were three pictures of a five year old blue hedgehog on a motorcycle. One had his lips puckered as he made the motor sounds. Eyes fully concentrated on the road. The second one showed his eyes completely wide as he realized he was caught 'riding' his fathers motorcycle. The last one showed a full blown smile as he waved at the camera with one hand still on one of the bars.
Tails and Rouge awed and when they turned around, noticed Shadow was looking away.
"We'll get him back." Tails said determined, "The good guys always win! Right?"
Shadow was about to say something when a beeping sound went off.
"The propellers stopped! We're going down!" Tails yelled.
"You don't think I know that!?" Shadow yelled back.
"We need to get off!" Rouge raised her voice.
"What!?" Tails looked wide eyed.
Shadow was struggling to keep the helicopter up right, "Use your Tails fox!"
Tails facepalmed as Rouge suggested, "You grab one of Shadow's arms and I'll grab the other."
Tails agreed and both grabbed Shadow and flew out. The helicopter spun out of control and crashed straight into G.U.N.s weapons department.
"Think they'll be mad?" Tails asked as the fire made some the weapons fire. A huge crowd of soilders ran with water buckets and tried to put out the fire. Each one held and angry look on their face.
Shadow smirked, "Nope."
"Always the kidder..." Rouge spoke sarcastically as they flew past the smoke and towards the G.U.N. Commanders whereabouts.
With The Commander
"A helicopter does NOT appear out of thin air! Find out where it came from!" The Commander was already stressed with Eggman's world domination, he didn't need to know that they now had no back ups for their weapons.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Experiments can me such failures."
"Hmph... If we're such failures, then why did G.U.N. come after me all those years ago?"
The Commander turned to see Shadow, Rouge, and Tails standing at the doorway, "What are you doing here!?"
"I'm only here to observe." Shadow leaned against the door frame and closed his eyes with his arms crossed.
Rouge and Tails gave him a light glare but Shadow didn't even notice.
'Such a drama king...' Rouge sighed, "We came to offer our assisstance in taking down Eggman."
"We don't need your help!" The Commander spat. An explosion was heard echoed.
"Are you sure?" Tails asked.
"My word is absolute!" The Commander heard more yells outside.
Shadow smirked, "Let's go. It's obvious that the Commander's ego has surpassed the size of his brain." He was about to walk out when he began hearing the yelling turning into sudden screams of terror.
The alarms began to blare and a soldier limped in with a broken leg, "Sir! Project: Speed. He-" The soldier passed out infront of Shadow. The name Project: Speed made his eye twitch.
"Still don't need our help?" He glared at the Commander.
"Fine!"
"Hm... I don't really like that tone." Shadow began walking out.
"We don't have time for this!" Both Rouge and Tails yelled.
Shadow ignored them and continued walking.
"Please help us Shadow." The Commander finally spoke.
"And?"
"AND WHAT!?"
Shadow started walking away again.
"WAIT!" The Commander growled, "And we were wrong for taking Dash."
"And?"
"Shadow! Stop milking it and go!" Rouge yelled.
He rolled his eyes and took off towards the screaming.
As he arrived to the scene, he was met by soldiers clinging to their lives on the floor. Some had deep wounds while others had broken bones, 'This is a lot more severe than before. Dash never went this far even though he was under Eggman's control. Did Eggman already-' His thoughts were interupted when he dodged a sudden barrrage of Chaos Spears.
"You are opposed to my masters perfect Eutopia." Dash's arm morphed into a cannon, "Prepare to be exterminated."
Though it didn't look like it, Shadow was horrified at the sight of Dash, 'He's almost a full blown robot! Even his voice is starting to sound like Omega's! Eggman went too far with this!' He noticed the metal slowly creaping up to Dash's neck and how the metal on his head made a metalic blue widows peak.
"Dash! Look at yourself!" Dash didn't respond, instead, the mini cannon began to glow.
Shadow barely dodged the blast, 'How is he making the blast so fast?' Dash upper cut the Ultimate Lifeform and as he got ready for a second hit, Shadow dissapeared. Dash looked around and suddenly kicked making Shadow hit a nearby building. The smoke eventually cleared and the ebony hedgehog got ready.
"Your Chaos Control is obsolete." Dash's eyes began to glow, but Shadow thought nothing of it, until a small laser came towards him, hitting his arm. He hissed, "I see someone got an upgrade."
Dash said nothing and the two began to clash over and over. Each punch Shadow gave made his knuckles feel like they were going to tear. Eventually, Dash overpowered him and he pinned him against a wall by the neck. Slowly he lifted Shadow higher and higher, "Goodbye, Shadow the Hedgehog." The neck snapped like a twig at the sudden force and he collapsed on the floor.
Dash never heard the voice in his head, "SHADS! GET UP! You ALWAYS brag about being the strongest! GET! UP!" Sonic was crushed at seeing what his new ego had done, 'Not Dash," he reminded himself, "It's what Eggman is making him do. Or rather... us.'
Dash began to walk away but stopped when he heard,
"Never send an android to do your job."
Dash turned to see that the Shadow he had eliminated had metal pieces sticking out of his neck.
Shadow smirked and stood proudly infront of the android, "You really don't think the Ultimate Lifeform would die so easily."
Sonic ears perked up and was relieved at hearing Shadow's voice, "You overcocky, overconfident jerk!" He waited to see how things played out, "I'm almost done with my plan Shadow! Keep it up!"
"New target aquired. The real Shadow." Dash took a stance.
"Chaos Control!" Shadow once again dissappeared. The robot hedgehog once again looked around and aimed at one point. This time, he missed. Shadow kicked the side of his head and sent him flying into a different building, "I figured out a way to get passed your trick. Now why don't you show me what else you can do." Shadow began charging up a Chaos Spear.
Dash seemed unfazed. No emotion within those ruby eyes. Shadow began to feel sympathy, 'NO! If I let my emotions get the better of me I won't win and I'll be stuck in the same circumstance as last time.'
Dash charged and jumped high above Shadow. Shadow threw his spears but noticed that even though it was a direct hit on Dash's arm, they were being sucked into the metal. His arm began to liquify and cover Shadow. When Shadow realized what was going on, the metal had hardened.
Shadow struggled as the metal creeped over his face. He got an idea on how to get out but, 'Will it obliterate Dash? No, not if I'm in full control.' He began to glow red, "Chaos Blast!" The blast blew away the liquid metal that covered him. When he turned around, Dash was missing a robotic arm.
'If I'm correct,' As if on cue, Dash's arm reformed from the liquid metal that wasn't destroyed. What he wasn't counting on was that the metal began to cover his muzzle, 'Only the outside of his eyes are left...' Shadow didn't know what he could do for his son. 'Is there even a cure for robotization to this extent?'
"PUT HIM OUT OF HIS MISERY SHADOW!" The G.U.N. Commander yelled.
"Easy for you to say!" Shadow sneered, "I refuse to kill my own son!"
Dash looked up and saw his real target. He quickly dissapeared leaving Shadow completely lost when he looked back down from his distraction, 'Where did he go?'
With the Commander, Rouge, and Tails
"He dissapeared!" Tails panicked.
"But where did he dissapear to?" Rouge looked around.
"Behind us!" The Commander yelled.
Dash walked up to them slowly, his hand morphing into a, projector? He pointed it to a wall and a dim light appeared. Eggman appeared as he laughed meniachally, "Hello Commander," Eggman fiddled with his overgrown mustache, "How do you like my ultimate weapon?"
"Get to the point and tell us what you want!" The Commander yelled.
"I see the destruction has put you in a bad mood." Eggman leaned back on his chair, "What I want is you to surrender to me."
"You should know my answer to that." The Commander said agressively.
"Too bad." Eggman frowned, "I was feeling so merciful." He looked at Dash, "Activate them all." The image dissapeared and Dash's blue streaks began to glow.
"Activating Sequence: Spring Cleaning." A countdown started.
Shadow ran in, "Time to go!"
"Dash is-" Tails began.
"I heard everything. Now hold on." Shadow began to get ready for a Chaos Control.
"What about my men?" The Commander yelled.
"3, 2, 1..."
"They're safe!"
"0" Dash vanished as explosions echoed throughout the base.
"CHAOS CONTROL!" He spoke quickly.
When the explosions finished, the base was nothing but fire and rubble.
About a mile away from the base, everyone who was saved watched as the smoke rised.
"Shadow? How did you Chaos Control? You don't have an emerald." Tails inquired.
"I found this in the base while I activated an android version of myself." He took out a red Chaos Emerald.
"No way! I thought Eggman had that one!" Rouge snatched the gem and looked at it. She then made a disgusted face, "UGH! It's a fake!" She threw it back to Shadow, "You know how I feel about fake jewelery!"
"Commander, why were you developing these in the lab?" Shadow asked.
He sighed, "It was an accident. We were trying to develop something that would weaken Project: Sp-"
"Dash. His name is Dash." Shadow glared.
"Fine, We were trying to find a weakness in Dash and we figured we'd try to develop a hollow emerald to absorb the chaos energy he uses. But instead, we created one that almost matched the power of an original emerald."
"Why didn't I think of that!?" Everyone looked at Tails, "How do you think the metal can liquify and solidify by at will?"
"You mean..."
"Yes, he has the Chaos Emeralds! All of them!" Tails yelled.
"Wouldn't he have gone super by now?" Asked Rouge.
"Not if he wants to keep them hidden."
"Then we need to find a way to get them back." Shadow turned around when he heard a humming sound, "I'll be back."
Shadow ran towards a boulder structure out of view from the rest, there he saw Dash sitting down and looking up at the sky.
'Odd, why would he?'
"Come in Dash..."
Dash stood up and looked at his communicator, "What is my directive master?"
Shadow flinched at the word 'master'.
"Why are you wasting time?"
"I was waiting for any survivors."
"Just leave them and continue on to the next base. We have little time to destroy all their bases. I already sent my 3 Eggmorphers to pick up the slack. Now go!"
Dash nodded ending the transmission and was about to take off when he stopped, "I know you're there."
Shadow appeared from behind the boulder, "Then why didn't you try to attack me?"
"That is not my current mission." Dash looked at him dead on and that's when Shadow saw his eyes succumb to the metal. His thoughts were interupted, "But I will destroy you when the time is right."
Dash raced off in a blur, but the sight of his cold eyes remained in Shadow's mind.
Over the course of a few days, G.U.N. bases were being destroyed worldwide. Nothing would be left except for rubble and smoke. There would be survivors because Shadow would confront Dash long enough to get everyone to safety. Tails continued incrypting the Eggmorphers, but each time always seemed to get harder and harder. Eggman built statues, empires, parks, cities, everything that could be both possible and impossible with his signature image. Even food brands were forced to put Eggman the image.
Shadow was running through the city when an announcement began to air to the public,
Eggman sat on his throne and next to him, was a fully robotisized Dash.
"The day I've waited for, for so long has finally arrived. Welcome everyone, to my Eggman empire." The robots in his base cheered as he stood and bowed, "Now then, my rules are very simple, if anyone tries to rebel against my perfect eutopia, they will be severely punished." He looked at Dash and back to the camera, "But, i do have a bit of good news for you, my citizens" Everyone looked up anciously, "Dash will be shut down." Shadow felt hurt as everyone cheered at what would seem, the end of his son.
'Why would anyone cheer at someones stolen freedom?' He just couldn't understand how cold people were. Then again, did anyone know about Dash's situation?
Eggman cleared his throat to get everyones attention, "You didn't let me finish," A smile crawled up on his face, "He will only be reactivated to carry out your punishments." Everyone went silent as they imagined Dash's wrath, "Not so happy now are we? HOHOHO! And even better news, Eggbots! Secure the city! Make sure no one disobeys my rules!"
Everyone began to run away as robots charged into the vity, but Shadow only looked at the screen as Dash jumped above the thrown.
"I CAN"T BE SHUT DOWN!" Sonic was panicking, "I don't wanna be a lifeless form! Dash! Snap out of it! DASH!"
Dash never heard him, instead he stood like a statue saluting his master and was shut down. The screen of his eyes went completely black. Through Shadow's eyes, this was Eggman's way of mocking him, like if he were saying, 'Your son helped me do this.' or, 'He'll never come back to you again' or worse, 'He is mine to command, my eternal puppet and slave'.
The screen in the city turned to static and rules of the empire began to roll on the screen.
He clenched his fists, 'He never deserved this.' Shadow looked at the chaos around him as robots chased the humans around. "Mark my words Eggman! I'll make sure your empire falls! And Dash will be standing by my side when I do it!"
Everyone stopped and looked at him as if he were insane, but Shadow paid no attention to them, instead he began to race towards their hideout to report what he had just seen.
SuperSonicSpeed: Time for bed!
Sonic: You've stayed up later than this.
SuperSonicSpeed: Yeah, but I learned that I actually need my sanity to keep writing. Besides, this is probably the one chapter I kept adding, taking out, correcting, and rewriting cuz I just wasn't satisfied.
Shadow: *Walking by* Don't think about Sonic EXE *Chuckles*
Sonic: Wha?
SuperSonicSpeed: Don't remind me! There goes my sleep. ANYWAYS! Please review! Hopefully you enjoyed this Chapter. I'd like to thank EVERYONE who's read this story, reviewed, favorited, followed, helped me, THANK YOU! So so much! I truly appreciate it. Without ya'll, I wouldn't be writing, from the deepest part of my heart, thank you! So, what do you think of Eggman finally building his empire? Is it hard to believe he got this far? Or how about the fact that he just shut down Dash? And some of you must be wondering, why did I name this story Child's Play? I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be but I know I'm going to have to pull out all the stops for the finale. I suck at writing major battle scenes (or any as a matter of fact), so if you have any ideas, feel free to tomato I MEAN pm me or leave your creative ideas in the reviews. I will give you credit! Hm, I'm already talking finale... Let's see how many chapters I post after this. Start counting!
Sonic: How about, "And Dash fell from the top of the thrown and knocked out Eggman in one hit thus saving the world."
SuperSonicSpeed: O.O The readers deserve better.
Shadow: *Facepalm* Leave the creative writing to SSS faker.
SuperSonicSpeed: Til next time!