34. Bearding the Alien

Doom's Eye led Shadow around a corner to a strange-looking device that stood on a low pedestal. "That is the shield switch that controls the comet's defenses. Hit the switch to activate the defenses; that will open the left-hand path, which is easier to navigate."

Shadow looked to the left and saw a sort of bridge leading over a low canyon to a red-tinted forcefield. Looking along the canyon, he saw Sonic and Knuckles still running towards the hologram of Black Doom, although the image seemed farther away now. Turning back to the shield switch, he realized with a shock that the 'lights' flanking it were actually pods, each containing a Black Arms curled in fetal position, like some sort of chrysalis. The lower part of the pods appeared to be secreted, like much of the rest of the comet's interior, but the transparent upper membrane with its greenish glow was eerily reminiscent of the pod Dr. Eggman had stored Shadow and the Shadow androids in. Shivering at the memory, he raised his rifle and fired a shot at the switch.

The mechanism swung around from red to blue, and a new forcefield - this one blue-tinted - appeared in the canyon, cutting him off from the path Sonic and Knuckles had taken. But at the same time the red barricade vanished, as Doom's Eye had intimated, revealing a gold-armored Black Volt feeding in a niche behind it. It chittered warningly at Shadow and the Eye as they approached, lit by swirling bits of blue light in two pillar lamps on its ledge.

For it was a ledge, Shadow realized. He stood high above the crenellated lake of thin liquid or thick gas, looking across to a central structure that rose to the roof of the cave, lit by dozens of white lights, like the windows of a human skyscraper. And somewhere in that mass was the seventh Chaos Emerald.

"Tame the Black Volt," instructed the Eye, "and use it to get to the next shield control."

The black hedgehog looked at the Black Volt. He reached for the tendril-like ears and it tried to bite him. Taking a guess at the alien's definition of 'taming' he clobbered it across its flat snout, and it subsided. Then he caught hold of the long ears and vaulted onto its back. Unbidden, the creature left the ledge and set out purposefully into the darkness. In short order, Shadow spotted the next trigger mechanism, and dropped off his unwilling steed. As before, flipping the switch replaced a red forcefield blocking one path with a blue one sealing off another. He skated rapidly along the newly-opened hallway.

There were five shield switches in all, it turned out, requiring two more Volt-back rides and the dodging or defeating of innumerable Black Arms. There were a few of the normal ones that had been plaguing him since the invasion started, and large numbers of worms (which could erupt from the floor as well as the lake surface) and giants. He also encountered a new type of elite soldier, marked by golden armor and the ability to teleport out of danger. Usually they reappeared directly behind him, which made fighting them a rather dizzying prospect. However, the fact that they were using a low-level of Chaos power to perform this maneuver made it simplicity itself for Shadow to predict where they were going to appear, so he always had a strike ready before they could readjust. Hmmm, these are the first ones other than Black Doom that seem to be actually using Chaos powers. Most of them seem to possess a minimum level of the power, but I don't think they can do anything with it. Unless that's how the worms manage to tunnel through everything, they're using Chaos control to remove the rock or whatever and put it behind them as they travel. Musing on the problem, while keeping a sharp eye out for attackers, he arrived at the last shield and swatted the final switch. And there was Black Doom in front of him - guarded by one of the blue shields he'd activated along the way.

"You've done well, Shadow," rumbled the floating alien leader. "I'm very impressed you've made it this far..."

I've had enough of this! The sound of running footsteps made Shadow glance back over his shoulder, although he quickly returned his gaze to the red-eyed alien. He eyed the forcefield - and spotted the weakness as Sonic and Knuckles ran up to flank him. Black Doom hovered on an island in another lake of mists, accessed normally by a pathway that the forcefield was now blocking. But the shield was only blocking the path. Shadow darted forward and jumped off the path, catching hold of a torch that was set into the side of the pathway next to the shield. Using the torch as a pivot, he swung himself back onto the pathway on Doom's side of the shield. "Black Doom!" he declared as he marched towards the floating figure, "Your rule ends here and it ends NOW!"

"So you're behind all this," called Sonic from behind Shadow. "Like it or not... the game's over!"

Black Doom, far from being intimidated, seemed amused by the challenges. "Fools!" he chuckled derisively. "The Black Arms are more than superior," - he seemed to grow as he drifted slowly towards Shadow - "we are perfect! Do you really think you have any real chance of defeating us?" His laughter rolled over the three dokan.

"It's you who should be scared, Black Doom," replied Shadow. "I made a promise to Maria to save the planet she loved so much, and I will!" He had faltered with Doctor Eggman perhaps, but the Doctor had never actually wanted to destroy the Earth and eliminate its people, he'd intended to rule them. What Black Doom was truly after was still unclear, but he definitely intended harm to the planet and those living on it. The thought of Maria's dream-Earth overrun by giant worms and deadly, glowing plants was intolerable. Black Doom must be stopped.

The alien seemed to swell a bit more, his deep voice rippling with fury. "Then get ready to die! Let me show you the ultimate power in the universe!"

Shadow tensed, mentally checking on the Chaos Emeralds. He still had his six; Black Doom was in possession of the other. But it wasn't the Emerald's power that Doom used - at least, not directly. With a gesture, a swarm of purplish blobs appeared in front of him and launched themselves at Shadow. As he dodged he had a glimpse of Sonic and Knuckles fending off an attack by elite Black Arms on the far side of the shield.

Shadow tried to get around the purple things - they looked like meteorites but appeared to be made of the same material as the comet - but the source-point moved to stay directly in front of him. Then, suddenly they stopped... but Doom was nowhere to be seen. Shadow straightened up, and opened his mouth to call out– and with a flare of Chaos energy Doom appeared beside him and unleashed a scything blade of raw power.

Shadow jumped as much from surprise as through planning, and that was all that saved him. The force blade whipped across the surface of the island, spinning like a boomerang and scything through the legs of an unfortunate Black Arms giant that had somehow ended up inside the shield. When it hit the shield it reflected back, and Shadow jumped over it again, spinning to see Black Doom dematerialize as the blade neared him. Instantly the thing vanished. Shadow dashed across to a boulder and jumped on top, looking for Doom. He's not going to run away now. He wants to show me who's boss, so, he twisted quickly, trying to watch the ground in back and in front at the same time, he'll try to appear where I least expect it. Like there! Shadow dove flat on the boulder as Doom appeared not at ground level, but level with the top of the rock, and the force blade passed over his head. Then the hedgehog had to flip off of the boulder entirely as another swarm of purple meteors buzzed towards him. This time, though, Black Doom moved away but the meteors' point of origin remained stationary. Shadow timed his run carefully, and darted out to target Black Doom with a homing attack.

He managed to land two hits on the alien overlord before Doom vanished again. Expecting a third hit, Shadow landed badly and toppled forward to his knees. As he stood up he caught a glimpse of Knuckles, on the far side of the forcefield, hurling another of the giant aliens not only into the air but over the shield. Whoa. I guess he's stronger than I thought. He shook his head slightly. Better stay focused. There! He felt the energy shift and managed to hit Doom as the alien materialized. This time the creature did something... strange. The outline of the floating humanoid fuzzed and multiplied.

"Give it up, Shadow," rumbled the alien as Shadow's next homing attack passed harmlessly through the blurred images. "You cannot defeat me." And the mirages vanished completely.

The black-and-red hedgehog didn't waste his breath sparring verbally. He managed to pinpoint Doom's location as his enemy warped back into existence, and whacked him hard. This time he got in three good hits before his opponent vanished, and landed much more adroitly on his feet.

Another swarm of meteors buzzed him, swirling around like a cloud of angry bees. Sonic's urgent voice reached him - "Shadow! JUMP!" - and he leapt into the air, just as something slammed hard into one ankle. He fell to the ground, looking out under the meteors to see the force blade sweeping back towards his face. Shadow snatched frantically at the Emeralds' power and teleported himself away - right into the path of a second blade. He scrambled gracelessly to the top of a boulder, and another flurry of meteors zoomed up. He managed to leap over the newest lot and score one more hit on Black Doom - and felt something... shift as the alien suddenly collapsed to the floor, all his Chaos-fueled attacks vanishing.

Shadow nearly fell over again as he landed, his ankle suddenly hurting fiercely and unable to support his weight. He glanced down and was appalled at the damage - and the spurting blood told him that an artery was severed, as well as flesh. Dropping down he clamped one hand over the mess. I need a tourniquet, fast. He quickly realized that he didn't have anything that would serve. Suddenly something clunked down nearby. Looking up sharply, he realized it was the heal cannon that Sonic had been carrying. He caught a glimpse of the blue hedgehog jogging away from the shield with Knuckles as he reached for the gun with a blood-soaked glove. One puff of blue Chaos energy later, the pain and injury were gone, although the blood remained. Shadow stood up again and approached Black Doom.

Something still felt odd about the being; something Shadow hadn't detected in any of the other aliens. He ignored the puzzle for the moment as the final Chaos Emerald drifted towards him, and joined the six he'd already collected in a ring around him. "Finally, I've got all the Chaos Emeralds!" he announced to the Comet at large. After that much work he was going to announce it whether there was anyone to hear or not.

One person heard, although Black Doom didn't seem impressed. "Shadow! This isn't over yet!" The deep voice was clearly weaker than before, and again Shadow noted the odd 'feel' of the creature at his feet. "The Black Arms will rise again..."

"I am Shadow the Hedgehog, and I made a promise that I intend to keep! With the power of these Emeralds, Black Doom, you and your army are finished! This is who I am!" Suddenly Shadow realized what it was. It was the same feeling he'd gotten from Doom's Eye when he'd first seen it, when it had been projecting the figure of Doom in front of him. But, this wasn't a hologram... was it? He prodded the now-immobile figure with the toe of his bloody hover shoe.

It's real enough. He frowned. I wonder who the leader is now. Surely they have some way of replacing a fallen leader in a hurry. None of the other aliens seemed to have any real intelligence though, except for Doom's Eye. A stray memory wisped through his brain, Maria studying royalty and governing systems. The King is dead; long live the King! The king is dead, so... where is the king?

Well, at least I have memories again. He looked up at the circling Emeralds again. "Finally," he repeated softly, "I have all the Chaos Emeralds! Now I can uncover the truth about my past... All of it..."

"Well done, Shadow," said Black Doom behind him. As Shadow spun, shocked, to face the being rising through the floor, the deep voice continued, 'Our ritual can now commence as planned. Give me the Chaos Emeralds."

It was Black Doom. It was Black Doom, as the thing on the floor had been Black Doom while they fought - and now Shadow realized that the alien had had this second body - clone, or twin, or whatever - and had transferred his consciousness when the shift had occurred at the end of the fight. Thereafter this Doom had been using the first as a puppet, as he had used the Eye in Westopolis. That's what the feeling was, Doom's will controlling them. But now–

"SHADOW!" A chorus of voices made both Ultimate Life-form and alien life-form turn. Sonic and Knuckles were back, with Tails and Amy and Rouge and even Dr. Eggman.

"Shadow," cried Sonic, "give me the Chaos Emeralds!"

"Do not give the Emeralds to Black Doom, Shadow!" seconded the Doctor.

"They're planning to destroy the planet!" Rouge contributed, drowning out Tails' comment, and Amy's.

Black Doom's deep, rolling laughter drowned out any other comments. The entire contingent of dokan and doctor turned to the alien in confusion. "Ignorant fools," said Doom finally. "We're here to save the humans from their own demise. We offer... salvation."

Shadow blinked. "What?" Surely that contradicted everything Doom and the Eye had said up to this point?

"Their greed, thirst for power, and affinity for betrayal has them on a path of self-destruction," the alien explained. Somehow each point cast images into Shadow's mind, culminating with yet another memory of GUN's attack on the Ark. He shook his head, trying to determine what the alien was up to. "Their actions will lead to the extinction of their species. We're here to save them from themselves," Doom paused grandly, "with our perfect order," another pause, "allowing them to live through their desperate lives in peace." He is up to something; he's delaying us, thought Shadow. But for what? Then the alien dropped the other shoe. "Humans are a great energy source for us. They will be well kept."

The statement was met with a chorus of gasps and murmurs of "What?" Humans kept as cattle, to be drained of energy, or slaughtered for food? And what of the dokan, if the aliens took over?

"Let us begin our ritual of prosperity," commanded Doom. Suddenly the Chaos Emeralds were jerked from Shadow's mental grasp and now ranged around Black Doom. "Chaos... CONTROL!" he thundered.

And the entire comet shuddered.