System diagnostic complete. Sensors calibrated and functioning at full capacity. All system repairs completed.

Chaos Emerald connections secure. Power output optimal.

Charge complete. Chaos Drive at 100%.

Resuming Program Abnormality analysis.

...

Analysis...inconclusive. Meaning uncertain.

...

Hostiles detected. Uploading combat protocols. Target acquired.

With an angry grunt, Amy smashed the Eggbot in front of her into the floor, leaving a pancake of flattened metal beneath her hammer. Wiping the sweat from her brow, she leaned on her hammer as she took a look around. "Is that it?"

A few feet away, Sonic chuckled as he watched the eye-lights on his own robot blink out. "I know, that wasn't hard at all. Eggman's losing his touch."

Rolling her eyes, Rouge examined the access panel on the door. "For now. Knowing Eggman, there's going to be more here soon." Frowning, she punched in commands on the touch screen. "Aaaaaaaand here we go. Eggman still can't secure a computer to save his life."

Nodding, Amy gazed at the door with a sense of foreboding. Behind that wall of steel was Shadow. She had to get to him, but for reasons she wasn't quite certain about, she was afraid.

Sonic stepped up beside her, laying a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Hey. You alright?"

Swallowing, she nodded. "Yeah. It's just...we're so close now. What if..."

Smiling, Sonic gently squeezed her shoulder. "Come on. Everything's gonna be fine. We'll get him out, kick Eggman to the curb, and go home. Easy as that."

Rouge nodded in sympathy, despite the nervous feeling that pervaded her. Mecha Shadow had yet to show itself, and that worried her more than anything. "Showtime, boys and girls. We haven't got a lot of time left, and frankly I don't want to spend anymore time here than I have to."

Taking a steadying breath, Amy steeled herself and nodded. "Right. Lets go."

A single press of a virtual button, and the door slid open with a quiet swoosh, revealing pitch darkness. Side by side, Amy and Sonic dashed into the room, their every sense heightened to the maximum. The second she crossed the threshold, Amy got a distinct sense that something was wrong. It was a similar feeling that she had gotten while training with Shadow, split-seconds before he attacked her from an unexpected direction. This particular feeling wasn't quite as urgent, but it was ominous enough that she wasn't going to dismiss it.

She gasped. "There he is!"

Set along one wall, illuminated by several overhead lights, was a massive bank of machinery. Various lights and screens blinked and flickered across its surface. And right in the middle, set on a raised platform, was Shadow. Just as in the broadcast, he was down on his knees with his head bowed, his arms held captive by a pair of cylinders connected to the machines on either side of him. His cargo pants were ripped to shreds, his jacket missing entirely, and a small puddle of dried maroon blood sat between his knees. For Amy, it was a heart-wrenching sight, and in a flash she hurried to his side.

"Shadow! Come on, wake up. Please be alright!" Laying her hammer down, she worriedly cradled his face in her hands, her expression fearful as her heart hammered in her chest. Behind her, Sonic grimaced, his arms crossed and brow furrowed in anger.

Rouge approached slowly, dropping down to one knee. "Here, let me see." Lowering her head, she pressed one large ear to his chest, and sighed with a relief. A steady heartbeat thumped inside, though it was painfully weak. "He's still alive, barely." Gently sliding her gloved hands across his body, inspecting him for injuries with her fingertips, Rouge's expression became increasingly grave. "And we need to get him out of here. Now." The tips of her gloves came away dark red as she touched her headset. "Tails, how's that shield coming? We're running out of time."

"Sorry. Eggman's robots found us, and I had to unplug Gemerl. He's holding them off for now, but Eggman's got so many redundancies built in to his system, that I'm having a hard time isolating the right command sequences."

Gritting his teeth, Sonic took a quick look around the room. "Come on, Tails. All we need is to turn the shield off."

"It's not that simple!" A mixture of worry and exasperation entered the fox's voice through the comm. "If I don't use the right commands, it won't work. The shield system is practically tied into everything. I can't just shut down half the ship in the blink of an eye. "

Glancing up at the ceiling, Amy clenched her eyes shut. "It's okay Tails. Just work as fast as you can." Sighing, she looked at Rouge. "How bad is he? Please, just tell me."

Glancing at the pink hedgehog, Rouge shook her head. "It's not good. His shoulder is dislocated, and he's got at least three broken ribs. I'm pretty sure that he's not bleeding internally, otherwise he'd probably be dead already. And from the looks of all these cuts, he's lost quite a bit of blood. We're lucky that he's still alive, but if we don't get him out of here and to a hospital soon, he won't be for much longer." Her voice was steady and calm, but her expression betrayed her worry and anger.

Tapping his foot impatiently, Sonic gritted his teeth. "Why don't we just break those connector thingies? It'd be a lot faster than

A shiver ran down Amy's neck, and her instincts jumped in. Spinning around as she stood, she shoved Sonic aside and swung her hammer with all her might.

Ker-Pang!

Something impacted against the face of the hammer, throwing up sparks as it skidded against the floor. Rows of lights flicked on along the ceiling, illuminating the now evidently large room. At first, it appeared to be empty save for the three hedgehogs and bat.

A few feet away from them, the air rippled like water, shimmering to reveal Mecha Shadow. Crouching in a tripod stance with its hand to the floor, the machine gazed ambivalently at the trio with its menacing red eyes as it rose to its feet.

"Ho ho ho ho ho ho ho!" At the far end of the room, a circular section of the ceiling separated from the rest, slowly descending down to reveal Dr. Eggman sitting in a command module. "Very interesting. It seems that tapping into the Master Emerald has triggered a very unusual reaction in your little girlfriend, Sonic. I'm rather curious." Stroking his mustache, Eggman peered at Amy quizzically.

Taking a step forward, Sonic chuckled. "Heh, wouldn't you like to know. You've crossed a line with what you've done to Shadow, Eggman, and now I'm taking you down!"

"Ha!" Clapping his hands, Eggman shook his head in disbelief. "Oh, please, Sonic. This is hardly the worst thing I have ever done. Besides, you couldn't possibly stop me." Sweeping his arm out in a broad gesture, Eggman grinned. "Not even Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform, the one person in the world that you have failed to defeat, could overcome Mecha Shadow. What chance do you have?"

Sonic merely smirked. "You know what? You're right. I've never beaten Shadow. Never had the chance to." Crossing his arms, Sonic chuckled. "But Shadow's never beaten me either. And you think this guy can do it? He's a copy of a copy, a Fake Faker! You can't get much lamer than that, Eggman."

Gritting his teeth, Eggman snarled. "I'll show you which of us is lame! Mecha Shadow, get him!"

Crouching in preparation, Sonic smiled. "Alright, buddy. Show me what you got!"

As hedgehog and robot shot towards each other, Rouge's face twisted in anger. "Oh no you don't! I've got a bone to pick with that metal loser myself! Amy, stay with Shadow." Turning, the bat lofted herself into the air, bombs in hand.

Gripping her hammer, Amy shook her head. "No. I'm not going to stay out of this fight. I'm going to

"Uuuuuhhh."

Through the pain and weakness that fogged his mind, the sounds of battle echoed in the darkness. Blinking his eyes open, Shadow slowly raised his head, groaning with the effort.

Im...impossible. Staring in wonder, Shadow could hardly believe his eyes. I must be hallucinating. This cannot be. "Ro...Rose?"

Crouching in front of him, Amy Rose smiled with tears in her eyes, explosions and blurs flashing behind her. Reaching up, she took his face in her hands. "Shadow! You're awake! It's okay, we'll get you out of here as soon as we can."

Unable to take his eyes off her, Shadow swallowed. "What...are you doing here? How?"

Giggling slightly, Amy pressed her forehead to Shadow's. "We're here to rescue you. When I saw what Eggman was doing to you, I..." sniffing back her tears, she brushed the back of her hand across her eyes,"I had to do something. I couldn't just let him hurt you."

An explosion made Shadow look over her shoulder, his eyes widening as he saw Rouge fly across the room and crash into the wall. "Is that...Sonic? And Rouge? Fighting Mecha Shadow?" he asked incredulously.

Nodding, Amy glared across the room at Eggman, who was merely sitting in his command module. "Mhmm. I knew that I needed help, so I brought everyone. Tails, Gemerl, Knuckles, Omega, they're all here on the Egg Carrier."

"No." Turning back, she gaped as Shadow slowly shook his head. "No, you shouldn't have come. Sonic doesn't stand a chance, Mecha Shadow is too powerful!" As if to prove his point, Sonic and Mecha Shadow spin-dashed into each other, the robot backflipping out of the attack to grab Rouge by the ankle and throwing her into the hedgehog. As the two of them crashed together, a rocket engine rose out of Mecha Shadow's back and fired a quick burst, sending the machine hurtling towards the pair.

Yawning as Sonic barely managed to dodge out of the way with Rouge in tow, Eggman rose from his chair and braced himself against the edge of his command module. "Well, Sonic, you've put up a good fight. But now I've had enough of this pathetic charade. Mecha Shadow, take them down!"

Standing from the small crater in the floor it had created, the black and red robot nodded. "Understood. Activating Chaos Drive." A soft hum came from within the machine's chest, and though it was hidden from the others sight, the five Chaos Emeralds contained within began glowing.

Sonic gritted his teeth as he rose to one knee. "Rrrg. This thing is tough. Heck, even Metal Sonic isn't usually this tough."

Beside him, Rouge nodded, rubbing her shoulder in pain. "We've gotta take this thing down, otherwise we haven't got a shot at getting Shadow out of here or taking down Eggman. Knuckles, it would be really nice if you could disable the Chaos Emeralds right about now."

"I'm a little busy at the moment, Rouge. Eggman had a welcoming party waiting for us in the hanger."

Rolling his eyes, Sonic stood up. "Yeah, he had one waiting for us too. And ours is a little more chaotic, if you get my drift Knucks."

"...Crud. Alright, I'm on it. Omega, cover me!"

Wincing, Rouge rolled her arm in a slow, wide circle, and pulled her last bomb from her belt. "Alright. One more shot." Beside her, Sonic nodded. "Lets do it." Together, they charged at Mecha Shadow, Rouge lofting herself into the air, Sonic revving into a Spin Dash.

Silently gazing at the pair, Mecha Shadow waited. As the pair drew closer, the android's eyes briefly flickered silver, then back to red. "Understood." Energy surged through its circuits, and a red orb of energy surrounded it, surging outwards in a shockwave. The blast smashed into Sonic and Rouge, throwing them backwards and detonating Rouge's bomb as it flew out of her hand. A heartbeat later, Mecha Shadow appeared in a flash of blue light above her, striking her back in a powerful axe kick directly between her wings. Teleporting again, the robot blitzed Sonic with a barrage of attacks from all directions, either repeatedly slamming him with physical blows or bombarding him with Chaos Spears from a pair of cannons that replaced its hands. As a final blow, Mecha Shadow delivered a powerful heel kick into Sonic's chest, launching him into the wall, then teleported forward and swung the azure hedgehog into the floor.

Watching in horror, Amy clamped her hand over her mouth as both Sonic and Rouge lay unmoving on the ground. At the opposite end of the room, Eggman burst out laughing. "Ho ho ho ho! Yes! I can't believe it! I've won! I've actually won! Sonic is down and beaten! Sweet victory at long last! Mecha Shadow, finish them off."

Gritting her teeth, Amy glared at the doctor and took a breath, picking up her hammer. "No."

Looking at her, Shadow shook his head. "Rose, don't. You can't defeat this thing. Get out of here, now!"

"No." Shaking her head, Amy's grip on her hammer tightened. "No, I'm not leaving. I'm not letting him win, and I sure as hell am not leaving you here."

Groaning, Shadow tried to rise, then slumped down. "Rose, get out now! You can't win!"

"I don't care!" Whirling around, Amy fell to one and hugged him. "I said I'm not leaving you! I don't care how strong Mecha Shadow is, I'm not leaving! I'm not leaving because I love you!" Pulling back, Amy leveled a gaze filled with love and iron determination at the dumbfounded hedgehog. "I love you, Shadow. I don't care about everything else. I love you, and I am not going to let you go." Taking a breath, she gave him a powerful, passionate kiss, trying to convey in that moment every ounce of desperate emotion in her heart. As she pulled away, she wiped the tears out of her eyes and stood. "I just had to make sure you knew." she said, as she turned away.

Watching her walk away, for the first time in his life Shadow was at a complete loss for words. She...loves me? Her words played over and over in his head, forming and endless mantra as a familiar warm feeling filled his heart, alleviating the pain that ravaged his body. She...loves me. Fear, anger, desperation and love merged together in an unstoppable torrent, and Shadow's expression hardened. Gritting his teeth, he slowly began rotating his arms inside their restraints, ignoring the flare of pain that erupted in his dislocated shoulder.

Frowning, Eggman gazed at Mecha Shadow. For some reason, the machine appeared to be hesitating in following its orders. "Well? What are you waiting for, finish them off!"

"Pardon me, Doctor, but you may want to see this."

"Mmh?" Turning his gaze, Eggman blinked in surprise. "What is she doing?"

Walking towards Mecha Shadow, her hammer in hand, liquid fire surged in Amy's veins. Her entire body radiated quiet determination and purpose, a razor sharp emerald gaze locked on the robot before her. "Hey, Mecha!" she called out, her voice steel-hard. "Over here!"

Turning, Mecha Shadow regarded her, its eyes flicking silver. "What?"

Taking up a fighting stance, Amy clenched her hammer in both hands. "My turn."

Bursting out laughing, Eggman fell back into his chair. "Ho ho ho ho ho ho! Do you actually believe you can fight Mecha Shadow? He's defeated Shadow, Rouge, even Sonic now! You are nothing! You might have gotten a boost of some sort from the Master Emerald, but even with that you are useless compared to Sonic or Shadow. You haven't got a chance!"

Watching her, Eggman was slightly miffed when Amy remained silent, choosing instead to keep her gaze on Mecha Shadow. "Very well. If you have a death wish, I will be happy to fulfill it." Raising his hand, the corpulent doctor pointed at her. "Mecha Shadow, destroy her."

Taking a quick glance at the doctor, Mecha Shadow leveled it menacing gaze at the coral hedgehog. "You wish to fight? Even knowing that you cannot win?"

Amy simply nodded silently. Her purpose was clear, there was no longer any use for words right now.

Its eyes turning red, Mecha Shadow nodded. "Understood." Crouching, the black and red robot launched itself at her, fire blazing from the rocket booster in its back, clawed hands outstretched.

Tensing, Amy waited, then jumped, curling into a spin dash with her hammer outstretched, catching the android in the back of the head. Pulling out and twisting in the air, she landed on her feet as Mecha Shadow spun against the floor, coming up in a crouch. She ran forward, unleashing a flurry of strikes, smoothly flowing from hammer swings to kicks and back as each one missed.

Launching itself into the air with a burst from its rocket, Mecha Shadow unleashed a barrage of Chaos Spears from its hand cannons, watching as Amy zigzagged through the storm. Chaos Energy surged around it, and the android blasted downwards in a red missile, smashing into the floor just inches from her as Amy jumped out of the way. Spinning around, Amy swung, but missed as the android rolled aside, revving into a spin dash of its own.

Back and forth they fought, neither giving an inch. Amy found that Mecha Shadow's fighting style was nearly identical to Shadow's own, combining fast, powerful strikes with an array of Chaos Spears and Chaos Control jumps. Her training with Shadow at the lake kicked in, her instincts taking over her body as she acted and reacted at a moment's notice. Even so, she was fighting at a clear disadvantage. Already tired from fighting through ranks of Eggbots, as the fight dragged on her movements became more sluggish, though still purposeful. In comparison, Mecha Shadow's attacks came blindingly fast and precious, even more so than Shadow when they had been training. Gradually, a collection of bruises, burns, and cuts formed across Amy's body, and her dress became torn and ragged.

Panting, she hefted her hammer and charged, a look of grim determination upon her face. Watching her, Mecha Shadow curled in on itself slightly, an orb of red Chaos Energy forming around it and expanding in a powerful Chaos Blast. The shockwave slammed into her, throwing Amy backwards as searing pain burned across her front. Bouncing along the floor, she groaned as she came to rest.

Bursting out laughing, Eggman stood and leaned against the edge of his command module. "Ha! That's the way to give it to her!"

Gazing impassively, Mecha Shadow approached her. "You are beaten."

For a moment, Amy lay still. Then, a quiet groan came from her, and she slowly rose to all fours. Raising her head, she glared stubbornly at the robot. "I'm...not finished..."

Jerking his head in surprise, Eggman blinked behind his glasses. "Hmm?!"

Looking off to the side, Amy caught sight of her hammer. It lay several feet away, well behind reach. Pushing herself up to one knee, she shakily stood, taking several steadying breaths. Without warning, she charged forward, her hands balling into fists, and unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks, each one almost effortlessly dodged by Mecha Shadow. The android retaliated with a pair of quick punches, causing Amy to stagger backwards.

Orbot raised his head. "Excuse me, Doctor, but I'm detecting something odd..."

Waving his hand at the spherical robot, Eggman watched the organic and mechanical hedgehogs with keen interest. "Shut up, I'm busy."

Panting, Amy gritted her teeth and lunged again, swinging at the android's head. Mecha Shadow easily blocked, and a sharp, pain-filled cry tore from Amy's lips as it broke her arm with a snap!

Orbot's optical receptors widened. "Doctor, I really think you should see this..."

Growling with irritation, Eggman swatted the robot over the head. "Can't you see I'm busy?"

Clutching her arm to her chest, Amy winced in pain, then attacked again. Once again, Mecha Shadow easily blocked, this time seizing her by the neck and lifting her into the air. Hedgehog gazed at hedgehog, and Amy made useless kicks at the android's torso as she clutched at the metal hand around her windpipe.

"Why?"

Gulping, Amy stared at the harsh red eyes before her. "Whu...what?" she gasped.

Mecha Shadow regarded her unblinkingly. "Why do you continue? You are injured, and you cannot hope to win. Why do you not just give up?" The android's voice was puzzled, almost curious even.

Swallowing, Amy pulled herself up slightly in an effort to alleviate the pressure at her throat, her broken arm hanging uselessly at her side. "Because...I can't give up. I...won't...abandon him."

The machine before her remained silent for a moment. "You would die, for him?" Its eyes turned silver. "Why? Why would you come here, with no chance for success?"

Gritting her teeth, Amy pulled at the metal fingers around her neck. "Because I love him."

Again, Mecha Shadow tilted its head. "Analyzing." Falling silent, the android gazed at her for a long moment. Gazing back, Amy found its new silver eyes very much different from the menacing red of before. These eyes almost seemed sad, if it were possible for simple lights to demonstrate emotions like that. "Analysis...in...conclusive..."

Gritting his teeth, Eggman growled in irritation. "Enough of this babbling. Mecha Shadow, as your creator and Master, I order you to kill her!"

Again, the android seemed to hesitate at the order, its silver eyes blinking. It gazed at her for a long moment, as though internally torn. Flashing back, Amy recalled Shadow's words. It hasn't killed anyone. It's always acted non-lethally. Swallowing, she pulled herself up again. "You don't want to, do you." Again, the machine blinked at her, but said nothing. "You don't want to kill me." Its been using the Chaos Emeralds for power. Chaos is the energy of life. Everything it touches, it changes. "You don't have to. I know that you can be more than just Eggman's tool. Gemerl, Gamma, Omega. They all became something more."

For a moment, Mecha Shadow's eyes turned red again. "Those were faulty robots. Flawed."

Amy shook her head as best she could. "No! They weren't flawed, or faulty. They just grew. Became more than just their programming. Became something different. You can too. I know you're different, like them, because if you weren't, I would already be dead."

Again, Mecha Shadow's eyes changed silver. Silently regarding her, it blinked. "Analyzing." Gulping as the android's eyes went dark, she hung there helplessly, desperately hoping.

Finally, Mecha Shadow's silver eyes turned on again, and he slowly lowered her to the ground. "No." The single word rang out clear and loud, echoing slightly around the room.

Growling furiously, Eggman clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. "Why do I even bother with AI's like this? Completely unreliable! Fine then, you want to see what happens when a machine betrays its Master?! Get a load of THIS!" Angrily slamming a button on his control module, he grinned maliciously.

A large section of the floor opened up beneath Eggman's command module, and a massive machine rose out of the floor. It was built almost identically to the Eggbots on a massive scale, save for a large cavity in the top. The command module dropped down into the cavity, fitting snugly as two hemispherical plates slid out and over top, locking it into place. Each plate was decorated so that, when fit together, they formed a stylized image of Eggman's face. "Ho ho ho ho ho! Allow me to present the Egg Crusher! Do you think I'm an idiot? This isn't the first time that a creation of mine has turned against me, so I made sure that I had a back-up plan." Eggman's voice boomed from the colossal mech, echoing around the room. A whirring sound revved up as the Egg Crusher's thick arms and legs shifted their positions, the spiked fists opening and closing. Each cylindrical forearm was covered by a large ovoid shield, and mounted in the front edge of each shield was a laser cannon.

Mecha Shadow turned to face the bulky machine, then staggered as small explosions erupted out of his arms and legs. From within the holes four Chaos Emeralds flew out, held in rocket propelled cradles. Falling to his knees, he glanced down as another explosion blew his chest apart, and the final Chaos Emerald flew out. As the broken android fell, the five Chaos Emeralds flew across the room, and a small panel opened in the towering machine.

Amy gasped, for set within the opening were seven small containment chambers arranged in a circle, two of which were occupied by glowing Chaos Emeralds. The remaining five slid into the empty chambers, their cradles locking into place as the armored cover panel closed. Within the sealed cockpit of the Egg Crusher, Eggman rubbed his hands together, relishing the moment. "Hah! Now you can have a taste of real power!" he chortled, as he pressed a button on his console with much aplomb.

Within the hanger, inside a large transport ship, Knuckles stood with his arms outstretched and his eyes closed, appearing almost serene were it not for the determined expression on his face. In front of him, the Master Emerald glowed beneath his gloved hands. Gunfire and explosions raged outside the ship, but nothing disturbed the muscular echidna.

Finally, Knuckles released a slow breath and relaxed, the Master Emerald's light dimming slightly. Smiling, he raised his comm-unit to his mouth. "Sonic, Amy, this is Knuckles. The Chaos Emeralds are locked down, and Omega and I have secured a ride out of this dump. We're ready to go when you are." He glanced at the Master Emerald, and for a moment he thought he could see the smiling image of his ancestor Tikal within its glowing depths. "Thank you." he whispered.

Silence came through the comm-unit, and he frowned. "Sonic? Amy? Rouge? Is everything alright?" Stepping outside the ship, he glanced at Omega as it blew apart the last Eggbot in the hanger. "Tails, can you get through to the others? They're not responding to me."

"Sorry Knuckles, but Gemerl and I are a little busy. I've almost got this shield down."

Gritting his teeth, Knuckles turned and looked back at the transport, torn between his duty to protect the Master Emerald and the growing feeling that something was wrong. "Damn it, guys. What's going on up there?" he wondered aloud.

Eggman blinked. Nothing was happening. Pushing the button again, he frowned, then slammed it with his fist. "Oooooooh, what's wrong now, you stupid machine!" he muttered angrily as he turned to look at a screen. "Why isn't the...NO POWER DETECTED?! WHAT DO YOU MEAN, NO POWER DETECTED?!" His fingers flying across the keyboard on his control console, Eggman grimaced. "The Chaos Emeralds have nearly limitless power, how can they..."

He stopped, a thought occurring to him. Slowly, his face twisted with rage. "...rrrrrrrrrrrggggggg that blasted BONEHEADED ECHIDNA!" Slamming his fist down on top of his console, he raged incoherently for several seconds, during which both Orbot and Cubot retracted into their inactive states, knowing full well that the infuriated doctor could take out his rage on them in an instance.

Slowly, taking several deep breaths, Eggman calmed himself down. "...Annoying, as this is, it's irrelevant. The important thing is that Sonic has been defeated. I might not be able to use the Chaos Emeralds, but I still have them all in my possession, and I don't need them to crush one single unconscious hedgehog. No one can stand in my way! Ho ho ho ho!"

Rising up to his own console, Cubot glanced over his screen. "Actually, boss, there is someone standing in your way. Take a look."

Eggman looked down at his console screen. "Hrm?"

Kneeling beside the broken Mecha Shadow, Amy wiped a tear from her eye. "Thank you." she whispered, and slowly stood. Staring defiantly up at the towering Egg Crusher, the bottom piece of her ripped dress wrapped tightly around her broken arm, she clenched her hammer. She was exhausted, and her arm throbbed something fierce, but she couldn't stop now. "I'm giving you one last chance, Eggman. Let Shadow go."

"Ha! Or what? You'll whack me with your hammer?" the Egg Crusher boomed. "You always were one of the weakest fighters I've ever seen. Compared to Sonic or Shadow, you are nothing, and now I've defeated both of them! You may have turned Mecha Shadow against me, but that means nothing! I will crush you like an insect!"

Wincing, Amy tensed as she bowed her head. "Things change." she muttered. Her ears perked up at the sound of whirring machinery, her instincts taking over. Jumping into the air, she watched as the Egg Crusher's spiked fist smashed into the floor beneath her. Landing on the smooth metal surface, she grimly boosted up the mech's arm, drawing her hammer back as she jumped at the armored cockpit...

And twisted to smash her hammer into the Crusher's incoming hand, but was swatted out of the air like a fly. Bouncing along the metal floor, crumpled and broken from Mecha Shadow's powerful Chaos Blasts, she cried out as pain exploded in her broken arm. Gritting her teeth, she pushed herself up and staggered to her feet.

Within the Egg Crusher's cockpit, Eggman scowled. "Persistent little thing, aren't you. Fine then." He pressed a button on his console, and rows of missile launchers opened up in the Egg Crusher's rectangular shoulders.

Grimacing, Amy took a breath and boosted forward, her boots drumming against the floor as she bobbed and weaved over the uneven surface. Unable to maintain a secure lock on the speeding hedgehog, the missiles exploded against the floor, throwing up fire and glowing shards of metal in Amy's path. A short growl passed through her clenched teeth, and she swung with all her strength, her hammer tearing out a section of the Egg Crusher's leg.

"Why you little?! Take this!" Swiveling around, the Egg Crusher extended its arm and fired a blast from its laser cannon. Smashing into the ground just behind Amy, the explosion hurled her forward, again sending her bouncing along the floor. The cut along her forehead opened up, blood soaking into her fur and blinding her in one eye. Pushing herself up as the Egg Crusher took several booming steps towards her, she wiped the back of her glove across her face in an effort to clear her vision, staining the white leather red.

Drawing its large fist back, the Egg Crusher lunged forward, barely missing Amy as she threw herself to the side. Throwing up sparks as it swept along the floor, the blocky fist smacked into the pink hedgehog, hurling her into wall. Already heavily damaged from the fighting, a large section of crumpled metal broke away and fell on Amy's leg, making her scream.

Cackling, Eggman pumped his fist. "Oh ho! I've got you now!" Reaching up with the Egg Crusher's hand, he flicked aside the piece of metal and picked up the injured girl, drawing her close to the cockpit. Struggling, injured, and exhausted to her limited, Amy strained against the metal fist to no affect. Thankfully, her hammer and unbroken arm were free, the she now barely had the energy to lift the weapon.

Grinning maliciously, Eggman rubbed his hands together as the cockpit opened, allowing him to see the defeated hedgegirl with his own eyes. "Well, you're not quite Sonic, but I guess you'll have to do. I'm going to enjoy crushing you."

Orbot waved his hands. "Doctor, I really must insist that you look at this. We may have a problem."

Growling in irritation, Eggman turned to the spherical lackey. "Oh, what is it?! Can't you see that I'm busy gloating?"

Clasping his small hands, Orbot tilted his head. "Yes sir, but I've detected a rather large energy spike in the Egg Shield's systems. There is a massive build-up of Chaos Energy in Shadow's body, causing feedback throughout the system."

Raising his eyebrows, Eggman turned and peered at his own screen. "Eh?" He grimaced distastefully. On the screen was an image of Shadow, his face contorted in pain. Curiously, he had managed to bring himself to a kneeling position. "Oh. It seems that Shadow is recovering. No matter, just knock him out again."

Gesturing at his console, Orbot shook his head. "That's just it, sir. I've got the electric current running at full strength. It's not working. The Chaos Energy build-up seems to be acting as a buffer against it, bringing everything to a delicate stalemate."

The Egg Crusher turned to face the nearby Egg Shield Generator, and for once, Eggman's expression was one of surprise and slight concern. "Oh."

Amy ears perked up at their words, and a core of resolve formed in her stomach. Now! Exerting all her strength, she twisted in the Egg Crusher's grip and threw her hammer at the Generator, shouting "Thanks for the tip!"

His eyes widening in fear, Eggman lunged forward, his hand outstretched. "No!" he cried as the hammer whirled through the air, embedding itself in a computer panel.

Electricity sparked around the weapon, but otherwise nothing happened. Orbot sighed in relief. "No change."

Abruptly, the lights went out.

Tails pumped his fist in triumph. "Yes! Sonic, Amy, I did it! The shield is down, I've managed to cut power to the entire section, and I've locked Eggman out of the system. You're free to get Shadow out." Pausing, he frowned as nothing but silence came through the comm-unit. "Uh, guys? Hello?" Turning, he gazed up at the ceiling. "Oh no." he whispered.

Shaking in rage, Eggman slammed his fist on the console. "That little...two-tailed...mutant...FREAK!"

Hesitantly, Orbot peered over the edge of the cockpit. "Um, pardon me Doctor, but I think we have larger concerns at the moment."

Looking up, Eggman suddenly went pale with fear. "Oh dear."

Chaos energy rippled and flickered around Shadow, illuminating the darkened room with golden light. Slowly, Shadow raised his head, his teeth bared in unbridled fury. With a grunt, he tore his left hand out of its restraint, the gleaming Inhibitor Ring falling to the floor with a soft ting. Reaching across, ignoring the pain, he twisted and popped his dislocated shoulder back into place and yanked his hand free, the second Inhibitor Ring falling to the floor. Slowly rising to his feet, Chaos energy surging through his body, he turned and glared up at Eggman with such hatred, that if looks could kill, the entire Egg Carrier would have been vaporized.

Eggman gulped. It just wasn't fair. He had finally defeated Sonic, and then that little pink rat made Mecha Shadow go rogue. He had had the seven Chaos Emeralds in his grasp, and then that stubborn Echidna rendered them useless. He had had the last thorn in his side beaten and defeated, and then that two-tailed mutant had to go and ruin everything. And now he was facing Shadow, an opponent who had once tried to destroy all life on the planet, and would have succeeded if it weren't for a change of heart. An opponent who, in the defense of that same planet, had rendered an entire species extinct in a single moment. An opponent, possessed of unimaginable power, who was now really ticked off.

Holding out his hands defensively, the worried doctor swallowed as he thought quickly. "Now now, Shadow, lets not do anything rash. You wouldn't want to hurt my little hostage now, would you?"

Slowly, Shadow turned his gaze on Amy, who was limply slumped in the Egg Crusher's grasp and on the verge of passing out. Raw fury surged through him, and the Chaos energy that burned around him grew more intense in response. Baring his teeth in anger, Shadow glared up at Eggman. "Put. Her. Down. Now."

His fingering hovering over a button, Eggman sweated nervously, but tried to project an air of confidence. "And if I don't? Even you aren't fast enough to stop me from crushing her like a tin can. So why don't you just be a good little hedgehog, and

Clenching his fists, power surged through Shadow as he seethed. "WRONG ANSWER! CHAOS PUNISHMENT!" he roared. Energy radiated out of the obsidian hedgehog, bringing time to a halt. Teleporting into the air, Shadow spin-dashed through the Egg Crusher's wrist like a glowing buzz-saw, slicing through the metal like a hot knife through warm butter. Jumping around the frozen mech in flashes of bright yellow light, the infuriated hedgehog tore the construct apart, either carving through the metal with Chaos enhanced Spin Dashes or showering it in a hail storm of Chaos Lances. Finally, a bright shockwave of red Chaos energy tore the broken Egg Crusher apart from the inside, a scream of rage lost within the blast.

...krtch...krschtem rebsrch...sysrtchooting...system rebooting. Reboot complete. Initiating system diagnostic.

Core programming: uncorrupted.

System damage: 85%. Mobility: confirmed.

Chaos Battery: damaged and venting Chaos energy. Current energy level: 40% and declining. Battery stable, in need of repair.

Chaos Drive: Damaged and unstable, currently inactive and in urgent need of repairs. Usage not recommended.

Targets located. Identities verified: Shadow the Hedgehog and Amy Rose. Status: alive. Barely. Severely damaged and in need of critical repairs.

Accessing Eggnet. Calculating current position...nearest hospital: 200 miles.

...warning: activating Chaos Drive risks igniting unstable reaction. Possibility of accidental overload: very high.

...accepted. Initiating Chaos Control. Power insufficient. Activating Chaos Overdrive.