A/N: Well, everyone. Here it is. The final battle we've all been waiting for. Last chapter, G-merl made a stand against Imperator Ix, but he's not the only one. Who's the mysterious voice from behind? Could it be Sonic or a certain Gizoid that changed his motives? Find out in the epic final battle of Awakened! Let's do it to it! By the way, thank you all so much for 160 reviews!
Suggested Music:
(1) Super Sonic vs Perfect Dark Gaia - Sonic Unleashed OST
(2) Dear My Friend - Sonic Unleashed OST
(3) Things to Do Before I Die - Sonic the Hedgehog Movie (2020) OST
(4) No Reason - Sonic Unleashed OST
Without further ado, enjoy the show!
Dear My Friend
"Wrong, Ix! This battle isn't between you and the Resistance. It's between you…"
A hand placed itself on G-merl's shoulder.
"And us." A voice spoke.
G-merl turned around and saw the one figure that surprised him. "Synergy?"
The Chaos hybrid himself stood by his companion. Removing his hand from G-merl's shoulder, he clenched his fist, showing off the power of the Warp Topaz. "I don't deserve forgiveness for what I've done… but I wanted to come here and help you fight back. If you're cool with it, that is."
"Why would I mind?" G-merl inquired with a chuckle. "Good to have you back, Synergy."
"I'm not surprised my own creation would betray me," Imperator Ix shook his head, clenching the orange emerald. "It doesn't matter. Two Gizoids don't stand a chance against me."
"What about two Gizoids and a Resistance?" the voice of Sonic entered the conversation.
Both robots turned to their right, watching their teammates join the confrontation. Team Sonic, Team Dark, Team Rose, Team Chaotix, Team Hooligan, Team Justice, Mighty, Ray, and Honey. Everyone stood on top of a broken pillar, smiling down at the two Gizoids. They all jumped down and stood alongside them, staring deep at Imperator Ix.
The white-furred echidna was slightly concerned by the number of heroes ready to fight, but he brushed those feeling aside. "Is there no end to these annoying friends of yours, Emerl?"
"My name's not Emerl," G-merl replied. "He's a piece of me and I'll continue to honor his legacy… as G-merl."
"Whatever," Imperator Ix scoffed. "Your name won't matter in the long run. I will burn your Resistance to ashes… and you along with it!"
Using the power of the orange Chaos Emeralds, Imperator Ix clenched it in his hands and sparks of orange energy came out of the gem. Roaming around his body, Imperator Ix looked up into the sky and roared; his teeth were growing into fangs. His dreadlocks began longer, and they started to change their color to black. Speaking of black, every part of his body turned into that exact color. Then, an orange beam of energy came out of the emerald, forming a field around the warlord's body.
"What the?" Shade asked with shock.
"Tails, what's going on?" Sonic asked.
"I-I don't know!" Tails answered. "I've never seen an orange Chaos Emerald before!"
"It's a fake emerald he made using the energy of the other ones," Synergy replied. "He planned to use that for when things got rough!"
"Well, it would've been nice to know that earlier, Synergy!" Tangle grunted.
"I'm sorry! My head wasn't in the right place!"
Imperator Ix's body was completely black and his eyes were purple. The orange emerald was infused into his chest. But that wasn't all.
Around his body was an orange shell of energy that resembled his whole body. Every part of him was orange except for his eyes, which were white. In the middle of the shell was the overlord himself, who controlled the shell by moving his body. He sneered down at the Resistance and roared a loud as a lion. Every hero shielded themselves, as they were slightly blown back by the wind coming from his mouth.
"If you wish to fight as a family, then you will die as a family!" The imperator's voice echoed in a sinister tone. He raised his hefty hand into the air and slammed it down on the ground. But because of how slow it was, everyone got a chance to move out of the way. Chunks of rock and rubble flew into the air.
The heroes regrouped.
"That thing is huge!" Silver gasped.
"And a bit overkill if you ask me," Rouge moaned.
"How are we supposed to stop that thing!?" Vector asked.
"I have an idea," G-merl opened the case, showcasing all seven Chaos Emeralds inside. Everyone knew what he was thinking.
"Wait, how will we use Chaos Control to get rid of the city then?" Tails inquired.
"We'll have to figure that out later, little buddy," Sonic cracked his fingers. "Right now, we got ourselves a dictator to overthrow!"
"I'm done talking. Let's end this now," Shadow grew impatient.
"AFFIRMATIVE. CHARGING PARTICLE BEAM CANNONS AND MISSILES LAUNCHERS," Omega nodded in agreement.
"We've made it this far, let's not turn back now!" Mighty clapped his fists. Ray and Honey cheered alongside him.
"If we focus our spirits, we can win this!" Espio said.
"I'm gonna sting him where it hurts!" Charmy chanted.
Vector stretched his neck. "Yeah! This dude is gonna get worse than a beating from Team Chaotix!"
"The Sol Emeralds should be recharged by now," Blaze announced. "I'm ready to fight!"
"For the fate of the present and future, Imperator Ix shall fall!" Silver scowled.
"My past shall no longer haunt me, let's end this," Shade smiled.
"Fools! Enough of this silly banter! I'll make sure to tear you all limb from limb, starting with you five! Knuckles, Shade, Sonic, G-merl, Synergy! Time to meet your maker!"
"I'd like to see you try!" Knuckles got down in a battle pose.
"Your plan's gonna end like Egghead's plans," Sonic mocked the overlord. "With you sitting in a pile of debris wondering how you failed so badly. Ready, guys?"
"Let's do it to it!" G-merl nodded.
Sonic, Shadow, Synergy, G-merl, Silver, and Blaze stood together and closed their eyes. Each of them held out their arms and stretched their fingers. In a few seconds, the Chaos Emeralds and Sol Emeralds gathered around them. But they soon widened their circle until everyone was surrounded by fourteen magic emeralds. Soon, everyone levitated into the air. Sonic, Shadow, G-merl, Synergy, Silver, and Blaze felt an urge of power running through their veins; everyone did.
The fourteen emeralds rotated faster and faster until they all stopped. They donated their power to their masters and a flash of white light blinded Imperator Ix.
Standing in front of him was a mixture of gold light and fiery flames.
Super Sonic, Super Shadow, Super Silver, and Burning Blaze were side by side.
"Whoa!" Super Silver gasped, looking at his bright yellow fur. "Is this what going super looks like? This is so cool!"
"You've never gone super before?" Super Shadow folded his arms.
"I feel like I have, but I can't remember."
The four Mobians weren't the only ones who transformed. G-merl was in his ultimate state aka Ultimate G-merl. In this state, the Gizoid went through a drastic change. His former humanoid body became a large black robotic disk exceeding a meter in diameter, with four extendable grey claw-like hands on his sides. He still has the same color scheme and he had a large red eye. Synergy also went through an ultimate state. But unlike G-merl, his humanoid body remained. But it was much bulkier than before, and his colors were changed to purple and black. His eyes were dark blue, and his fins were green. His hands were larger, and he had gauntlets that doubled as rocket blasters. He had two green and blue wings on his back and his hands were replaced by Chaos Claws.
Ultimate Synergy took a look at his fellow Gizoid, astounded by his look.
"Uh… what the?"
"Yeah, this is my Super State," Ultimate G-merl chuckled. "It's funny looking, but it's cool."
Ultimate Synergy shrugged. "A giant disk is your ultimate form?... I like it."
Everyone else had golden shields around them.
Tangle admired her new source of protection. "Awesome! This is so awesome! Wait until I tell Ron about this!"
Whisper cocked her weapon. "Focus, Tangle. None of us have gone super before, so let's use this new power wisely."
"Shiny, shiny, shiny!" Bean gushed over his new power, trying to touch his force field.
Nack loaded his popgun. "Heh, I guess those Chaos Emeralds work on anyone. I may need to start collecting them someday. But for now, I guess we gotta do one more round of this hero thing. Can we just get this over with?"
"Yes, Nack," Super Sonic nodded. "Yes, we can." (1)
Without any interruptions, the party of Super Forms charged into battle. Imperator Ix roared into the sky and waited for the heroes to come. As he waited, he charged up a ball of Chaos Energy and chucked it forward.
Super Sonic, Super Shadow, and Super Silver fought back by boosting into the ball. Ultimate G-merl flew in front of them and extended his claws, landing scratches and punches across Imperator Ix's face. The three hedgehogs curled into a three-sided Spin Dash and boosted into Imperator Ix's chest. Screaming in agony, the echidna smacked the three hedgehogs away from the battlefield. He grabbed Ultimate G-merl by his sides.
"You will be the first to die!"
"Leave him alone!" Cream shouted. She, Big, and Ultimate Synergy team up together. The rabbit and the cat curled into golden balls and landed in Ultimate Synergy's palms. The Super Gizoid chucked them forward and blasted a laser rocket at his former master's eye.
Cream and Big whacked Imperator Ix's hand, releasing their friend.
And Ultimate Synergy's rockets hit him in the eye.
"Argggh! I'll kill you for this!"
"Yip!" Ultimate Synergy swerved underneath a slow-moving punch. He regrouped with the three hedgehogs.
Burning Blaze was with the Chaotix, Mighty, Ray, and Honey. Next to them was Team Justice. Whisper and Jewel flew causally whereas Tangle was enjoying her new abilities. Enjoying them a little too much. In other words, she was front flipping, back flipping, and mimicking all sorts of superhero poses.
"This is so awesome!" the lemur laughed.
"Focus, Tangle," Whisper cocked her weapon and fired a rocket followed by a ball of pink spikes. Imperator Ix snarled at them and swatted heavily. Everyone dodged and Burning Blaze slammed Imperator Ix's chest with a ball of fire. "Even though we have new abilities, we have to use them wisely. Last time I checked; we have a certain amount of time before we turn back to normal."
"It would be helpful if we had golden rings flying around," Ray said. "They could assist us."
"Ray, look out!" Mighty called out. He saw Imperator Ix firing a blast of energy at the Chaotix, himself, and the others. The armadillo curled into a ball and homing attacked the echidna's hand. Soon, Team Chaotix curled into balls of golden energy and blasted Imperator Ix's face in all directions.
Super Shadow joined the fight with Rouge and Omega.
"Chaos Blast!" The cream-colored hedgehog snarled, shooting a wave of orange energy at Imperator Ix's eye. But the echidna copied the same move and shooed everyone near him away.
Omega took full advantage of his artillery and unleashed it upon the orange creature. "POWER STATUS HAS BEEN UPGRADED! CHAOS ENERGY ADDED INTO ADVANCED ARTILIARY. IMPERATOR IX SHALL BE OBLITERATED!"
"Nobody except for Sonic, Silver, G-merl, Synergy, and I have Chaos Energy," Super Shadow said, shooting Chaos Spears at the monster. "The Chaos Emeralds just created shields around you. Yes, your abilities have been upgraded; however, it doesn't count as going into a super state."
"You just don't like the way Super Rouge rolls off the tongue, don't you?" Rouge smirked.
"I'll admit. It doesn't sound as cool as Super Shadow," the Ultimate Life Form smiled softly.
Team Dark joined with Team Sonic and helped them fight.
Team Chaotix, Team Justice, and Team Hooligan fired a golden-colored uppercut against Imperator Ix's chin.
Team Rose joined Ultimate G-merl and Ultimate Synergy, blasting rays of energy at Imperator Ix.
Shade flew around faster than the speed of sound and activated her Leech Blades.
Swerving underneath Imperator Ix's attacks, she slashed his arm, chest, and right cheek. She regrouped with Team Sonic before all four of them were blasted by orange Chaos Energy.
"I've always wanted to fire a super punch," Mighty snickered, as he charged up his fist and slammed Imperator Ix's right foot. The giant monster moaned and rubbed his injured toe as if he was a cartoon villain getting hurt. He smacked the armadillo to the right, blocking Team Justice's shots.
"Impotent runts!" The monstrous warlord huffed. "Your power means nothing to me!"
"What about this power, Mate?" Nack smirked. He shot a cork from his popgun and hit Imperator Ix in the head…
…it did nothing.
The weasel was nervous. "Welp, I guess Chaos Energy doesn't do squat for me."
Like an insect, Nack was thwacked across the face and she skyrocketed into a pillar. Thanks to his golden shield, he wasn't as hurt as he should be.
Thankfully, Bark and Bean avenged him by landing powerful punches across Imperator Ix's face.
The party of heroes banded together and continued fighting.
Aboard the main G.U.N. Airship, a soldier ran past the Eggman Empire's cell and rushed towards Commander Tower, tapping him on the shoulder.
"Commander, we just received word from Gadget of the Resistance," he said worryingly. "The Resistance isn't aboard the Restoration Shuttle."
"Oh! Did they die?" Dr. Eggman asked excitingly
"What are they doing?" Commander Tower asked.
A group of computer experts accessed the security cameras from below and showcased a video of all of the heroes fighting against the creature known as Imperator Ix. Every soldier and Eggman Empire lackey was stunned by the amount of Chaos Energy flying around the battlefield. Dr. Starline was amazed by the fight, as he stroked his bill and adjusted his glasses.
"Imperator Ix created a fake Chaos Emerald using the other seven as a power source!" one scientist reported.
Dr. Eggman snapped his fingers. "Why didn't I think of that?"
"Sir, what should we do?" a soldier asked. "Should we fire an airstrike on Nocturne? I think it will help get rid of Imperator Ix?"
"No!" Commander Tower replied. "We're not launching an airstrike on Nocturne."
"But sir-"
"I'm not going to endanger the Resistance as I did before! Keep an eye on them and let me know if they need backup! That's an order!"
"Yes, sir!"
As the soldiers watched the video, Commander Tower folded his arms, smiling. As he observed the fight, he noticed something in the middle of the orange shell. A black-furred Imperator Ix was moving towards the head of the shell. As he moved, he controlled the shell's movement.
"Wait a minute," Commander Tower pressed the communicator on the console. "Resistance, can you hear me? Come in, Resistance!"
Unfortunately, the Resistance was too distracted by the orange-shelled monster to focus on the commander's words, as they all evaded Imperator Ix's blasts. Team Justice and Team Chaotix moved to the left and curled into golden balls, homing attacking the echidna's left foot and his knees. Team Sonic and Team Dark flew around with Shade leading both teams. She guided Team Sonic to the right while Team Dark took the left. They both swung around Imperator Ix's stomach, homing attacking him and blasting waves of golden energy. Imperator Ix swatted at the heroes, missing them by a split second.
Ray grabbed Mighty, swung him around, and chucked him forward.
The armadillo slammed his fist against the orange shell's nose, causing the monster to lose his balance for a split moment. But Imperator Ix suddenly got up and clapped his hands, forcing everyone to be pushed back by orange and purple energy fields.
Team Hooligan stuck with Super Silver and Burning Blaze. But just as they were about to make, Imperator Ix blasted them with waves of energy. With his psychokinetic powers, Super Silver grabbed the fireballs and shot them back, hitting Imperator Ix in the stomach.
"Yes!" Super Silver cheered. "I could get used to this Super State."
Unfortunately, Burning Blaze couldn't say the same. She felt the power of the Sol Emeralds leave her, and she started flying towards the ground. Her golden friend noticed this and became concerned for her safety.
"Blaze!" Super Silver called out.
As soon as she approached the ground, the cat transformed into her normal self. She got down on her knees, exhausted. Super Silver landed on the ground and transformed back himself. But he wasn't paying attention to that, all he wanted to know was if Blaze was all right.
"Blaze, are you okay?" he asked, helping the lavender cat on her feet.
Blaze coughed. "I'm fine. I'm sorry, Silver. Since I used the power of the Sol Emeralds earlier, they haven't been fully charged… and I see I caused you to change back."
Silver looked at his white fur. "Ah, shoot."
"I'm terribly sorry, Silver," Blaze closed her eyes, feeling bad for what she's done.
"No, no, it's not your fault, Blaze," Silver held her hand. "Your safety matters more to me than anything."
The cat princess smiled.
Silver spoke through his communicator. "Guys, Blaze and I are down."
Team Hooligan, after they fiercely attacked the superpowered echidna, transformed back as well. They free fell to the ground until they were caught by Silver's psychokinesis.
"Team Hooligan is down too," Blaze added.
"Aw, nertz!" Nack slammed his hat on the ground.
"Come on!" Bean whined. "I wanted to be shiny!"
Team Justice flew alongside Team Rose and Team Sonic. They listened to Silver and Blaze's comments before they exchanged nods. Watching Ultimate G-merl and Ultimate Synergy go for the head, they swarmed the chest and began lashing out at the overlord, throwing punches, heavy kicks, quick jabs, and powerful overhand punches. They were more than determined to save the day, but the power of the Chaos Emeralds wasn't helping them damage the shields.
Sadly, Team Justice's golden shields disappeared.
"Oh, no!" Tangle called.
Before she could become a lemur pancake, Whisper grabbed her by the tail and used the Hover Wispon to carry them down. Jewel followed behind and they regrouped with Silver, Blaze, and the Hooligans.
"Guess it's just us, guys and gals," Rouge commented.
Omega turned back to normal and fell down to the ground. "WHY MEEEEEEEEE!?"
Rouge observed him levitating to the ground. She rolled her eyes. "Never mind."
Super Shadow and Rouge banded with Team Sonic and Shade. Together, they saw that Team Chaotix turned back to normal along with Honey, Mighty, and Ray. All six of them reunited with the rest of the Resistance. Just as Team Rose went towards the others, Big transformed back to normal and fell towards the ground.
"Big!?" Cream and Amy hollered with concern.
SWOOP! SNATCH!
In a split second, Ultimate Synergy caught Big and kindly set him down.
"Thank you, Synergy," Big smiled. "Thanks for coming back."
"It's good to be back," Ultimate Synergy nodded, getting a good look at the thankful Resistance. "I'll be back soon."
Ultimate Synergy flew up. The only super forms that were left were Super Sonic, Super Shadow, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, Cream, Ultimate G-merl, and Shade. But even then, Shade transformed back to normal and fell down. But she was grabbed by Knuckles, who set her down with everyone else. Minus one member, the nine heroes had no idea what to do. They looked over at Imperator Ix, watching him slowly walk towards them.
"Half of your puny Resistance has fallen!" The warlord laughed obnoxiously. "It's over! Your time has ended! I will destroy everything you love and make you watch! I will rebuild this reality into my own perfect image!"
"Is he done?" Super Sonic yawned.
"He's right, half of our team is gone," Amy said in a worried tone. "What are we going to do?"
"None of our attacks seem to have a huge effect," Tails stroked his chin. "It's because he keeps channeling energy from that fake emerald. There has to be a way to drain its power."
Suddenly, Super Shadow received word from Commander Tower. "Resistance, this is Commander Tower! Come in, Resistance!"
The cream-colored hedgehog answered the call. "What is it, Commander?"
"Look inside the shell of that monster. Tell me what you see."
Everyone looked at the monstrous imperator and saw a black-furred version of him with purple eyes. He was in the heart of the monster and he was moving place to place, controlling every part of the shell. Squinting their eyes, they noticed what the commander was talking about.
"Yeah, we see it," Knuckles chimed in.
"If you can hit Imperator Ix himself, you should be able to shut down the shell. But you gotta be fast, he's moving around faster than you can think."
"Hi, Commander. I'm Sonic," Super Sonic joked. "I'm made of goes fast. Have you met me?"
Commander Tower rolled his eyes. "Find a way to strike Imperator Ix quick enough to shut his shield down. That way, you can drain the power of that emerald with one quick strike."
"Sounds like a good plan to me," Rouge smirked.
"All right, Team, listen up!" Ultimate G-merl announced. "Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, you guys get the arms. Amy, Shadow, Rouge, you go for the legs and abdomen. Synergy and Cream, you guys are with me."
"You read my mind," Ultimate Synergy cracked his fingers.
"This man is being mean," Cream pressed her hands together. "Let's take him down!"
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Cream," Knuckles nodded with a smile. "Resistance, Charge!"
All nine heroes boosted forward until they split into their assigned teams. Team Sonic was the first to attack. They saw Imperator Ix moving for the right arm, but he was moving quick. Both Knuckles and Tails curled into balls and homed in on the arms. As soon as Imperator Ix reached the right elbow, Knuckles and Tails bashed said body part, making the black-furred controller lose his focus. Super Sonic came in and finished the blow, destroying the right arm of the monster. Imperator Ix gasped with fear, as he made his way to the left arm.
But the team of golden heroes traveled faster than he did and performed the same procedure, destroying the left arm of the monster.
"Arms down!" Super Sonic smiled. "Ames, Shadz, Rouge, you're up!"
"What? I don't get a nickname?" Rouge chuckled.
"No worries, Batgirl. I got you,"
"All right, don't push it."
"Sorry."
Amy went for the left leg whereas Super Shadow and Rouge charged for the right. Rouge placed a couple of heart-shaped grenades going from the thigh to the foot. Imperator Ix, desperately, floated towards the right leg, making it move forward. The grenades suddenly exploded, blinding Imperator Ix's sight. Super Shadow clapped his hands together.
"Chaos Control!" he called.
Suddenly, time froze, and Super Shadow curled into a ball. He teleported by the right leg and rapidly attacked Imperator Ix. Unleashing his fury, Super Shadow caused time to restore back to normal. Imperator Ix felt every attack landed onto him, as the right shell's leg suddenly exploded.
"No! What are you doing!?"
Imperator Ix moved to the left leg and watched as Amy twirled her hammer.
"You're just a weakling with a toy hammer! What can you do-"
WHAM!
"W-WHAT THE!?"
The left leg was destroyed in an instant. Imperator Ix glared at Amy.
"Oops," Amy chuckled, touching her cheek. "Did I do that?"
Imperator Ix roamed towards the head and used his power to slowly respawn the arms and legs of his creation.
Super Sonic spoke through the communicator. "G-merl, Synergy, Shade, anytime now!"
"Ready for this, guys?" Ultimate G-merl asked.
"You bet I am!" Ultimate Synergy nodded.
"I'll do anything to help you, G-merl!" Cream mirrored Ultimate Synergy's motion.
Curling into spin balls and rolling faster than ever before, Ultimate Synergy and Cream landed safely into Ultimate G-merl's claws. The black/yellow Gizoid kept them in place, as they revved up their spin dashes and charged up their Chaos Energy. It was almost difficult to keep them in place without them flying off to the middle of nowhere, but Ultimate G-merl made sure to hold on tight. He waited for Imperator Ix to get closer.
The shell of the right arm was nearly back to normal.
"Hurry up, guys!" Knuckles called out.
Suddenly, he, Tails, Amy, and Rouge transformed back to normal. So did Sonic and Shadow. Everyone fell onto a nearby tower and slid down the walls, landing near the rest of the Resistance.
Everyone looked at the trio that was left.
"Focus your spirits," Espio nodded.
"You can do it, guys!" Charmy called.
"Show em' what you're made of!" Vector cheered.
Ultimate G-merl heard the cheers from his friends and squinted his giant eye.
Imperator Ix was drawing closer and closer. "End of the line, heroes!"
"Yeah, it's the end of the line," Ultimate G-merl snarled. "FOR YOU!" (1s) (2)
Throwing Ultimate Synergy and Cream forward, Ultimate G-merl raced forward, following the two streaks of golden light.
Ultimate Synergy swerved left and attacked the left side of the shell's chest.
Cream shifted to the right and attacked that side.
The real Imperator Ix felt pain on both of his sides and rushed up to the head, where Ultimate G-merl was ready to finish the final blow. But before he could do it, Imperator Ix moved the shell's tiny arms towards the Gizoid, hoping to stop him.
"N-No! Stay back!"
But as Ultimate G-merl boosted towards the echidna, he closed his eye and took one last look at his friends down below. He zoomed in on everyone and analyzed their smiling faces. They looked like one happy family. One that he was glad to be part of… and one that he sadly had to leave.
"Synergy, catch!" Ultimate G-merl said, as he pressed a button on his console and dropped a green object from above.
Ultimate Synergy raced forward and caught the object in the palm of his hands. He opened up his fingers and saw that it was Emerl's biodata chip.
"What are you doing!?" Ultimate Synergy called.
"It's yours now. When you get out of jail, put it inside you… that will be the key to having a family."
"W-what!?"
Everyone overheard the conversation through the radio. They all exchanged murmurs about what was happening. Cream was the one that was worried the most.
"G-merl, no!" Cream called.
"G, are you crazy!?" Sonic snarled. "You're not gonna do what I think you're gonna do!"
"G-merl, stop!" Tails shouted.
"What's he doing?" Knuckles inquired.
"He's going to use Chaos Control and get rid of the city!" Amy replied.
"What!?" Knuckles gasped.
"G-merl, don't do this!" Tails shouted.
"Mr. Tails is right, G-merl, please…" the rabbit's eyes began to water. "I… I don't want to lose you."
Ultimate G-merl listened to his little sister sob. Part of him felt bad for doing this, but the other half of him knew this was the right thing to do. "Cream, I know you're sad… but I owe everyone for what I did in the Mystic Ruins. I know you all forgave me, but this is my gift to you… my gift for accepting me into your family. You've all been so kind to me since Tails rebuilt me. Even though I haven't been close to some of you, you're still some of the greatest friends a Gizoid can ask for."
Cream continued crying.
Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy were worried.
Ultimate G-merl continued his message. "Cream, Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, Amy… don't be sad. This is the only way. I owe you all for taking Emerl in and making him the robot he was back then. Thanks to you, Emerl lives within me… it's because of you, I'm the robot I am today… even though this is the end of me, I'll always be in your hearts. Don't think of Synergy as a replacement for me, think of him as a chance of making new memories."
Tails and Amy's eyes grew teary. Sonic and Knuckles were frightened.
Cream wiped her nose and smiled. Her tears grew watery.
"I love you, G-merl."
As soon as Ultimate G-merl penetrated through the head of the shell, his four claws gripped the orange Chaos Emerald. He tugged on it as hard as he can, trying to pull it from the black-furred echidna. But of course, Imperator Ix retorted by tugging on the emerald too. As the two fought over the emerald, everyone watched from below. Tails and Amy were still crying, and Sonic and Knuckles had butterflies in their stomachs. Cream watched beside Ultimate Synergy. Both of them shared the same feelings as Sonic and Knuckles.
Piece by piece, orange fragments of glass rained from the shell. Imperator Ix watched his super form collapse right in front of him. He struggled to get a word out because all he wanted was to get that emerald back into his body. But Ultimate G-merl wouldn't let him. The black/yellow Gizoid shot a wink at the evil echidna before he let out one last message.
"I love you two, Kiddo. Chaos… Control!"
"No, no… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
The last thing everyone saw was a flash of white light. (2s)
On the grassland of Angel Island, the Resistance sat unconscious near the shrine of the Master Emerald. Every single one of them was out cold, exhausted from the battle on Nocturne. The Chaos Emeralds' power left them, so they all reverted back to normal. Cream, Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, and Amy were the first ones to wake up. They all rubbed their heads and let out tiring yawns. All five of them were glad that the final battle was over, but they were also scared. Scared at the fact that G-merl was gone. He said that he was going to sacrifice himself, but they also thought he'd be like Sonic where he would cheat death and come back from a deadly explosion.
Vector, Espio, and Charmy woke up alongside Mighty, Ray, and Honey. They watched the five friends rush towards the front of the island.
Shade noticed this and ran after them as well.
The three detectives followed the armadillo, cat, and flying squirrel to the shrine as well.
Nack's eyes spun around in circles, as Bean and Bark woke up from their slumber. The three of them stayed where they were as the others ran towards the Master Emerald. Big ran behind them and rushed up the stairs. Much like the Hooligans, Team Dark stayed behind on the grass. Tangle, Whisper, Blaze, and Silver joined their other friends.
Synergy woke up as well, noticing that he transformed back to his old self. He still had the Warp Topaz in on his glove and he gazed at the Master Emerald, seeing that his friends were scouting the island. Joining them, he stood beside the magic gemstone and walked forward, looking into the horizon…
…Nocturne was gone.
But G-merl was nowhere to be seen. (3)
Cream huffed and puffed, as she pulled out her Miles Electric, hoping to contact her robotic brother. Tapping his name on the screen, she waited for a response.
No answer.
She tried it again, waiting patiently for a reply.
No answer.
Third time's the charm was what she said to herself, as she mashed the call button numerous times. She prayed to the Mobian Gods that G-merl was out there. She was aware that Sonic pulled a stunt like this numerous times and he would always come back. Since G-merl and Sonic shared similarities, she thought the former would magically come back and make a snarky remark.
But there was no answer.
The rabbit set the Miles Electric down, facing the facts. Collapsing on her knees, her eyes watered and tears poured down her cheeks like waterfalls. She closed her eyes and sobbed loudly, burying her face into Amy's chest. The pink hedgehog was upset as well. She got down on her knees and hugged the young rabbit. Tails felt the same way Amy did and did the same thing to Cream. Sonic and Knuckles closed their eyes and lowered their heads in shame, remembering the hero that G-merl once was.
Shade felt the same way they did. She folded her arms and closed her eyes.
Charmy's eyes spawned tears, as he dug his face into Espio and Vector. The three detectives comforted him. Mighty, Ray, and Honey did the same.
Tangle, Whisper, and Jewel wrapped their arms around each other, wiping away tears.
Shadow and Rouge, who were not close to G-merl, but they did remember Emerl, closed their eyes and paid their respects.
Even Nack, Bean, and Bark felt sorrow for this turn of events. Nack and Bark took off their headgear and Bean wiped his eyes, using his scarf as a tissue.
Silver and Blaze mirrored Shadow and Rouge's emotions.
And lastly, Synergy felt guilty. He made the mistake of bringing Nocturne back in the first place, so he thought that he should be the one to make the sacrifice. After all, he showed a lot of respect for the Nocturnus Clan before he found out the truth, so he thought that if he risked his life for his family, it would make sense. But that's not what happened, G-merl was the one who saved the day. He's the reason the world was safe again, he's the reason everyone's still alive, he's the reason Synergy can live to have family…
…but not for long. (3s)
Angry at everything that's happened, Knuckles glared at the Chaos hybrid and clapped his fists. "You!"
Synergy startled and looked at the echidna.
"You killed G-merl!" Knuckles stomped towards the Gizoid. "It's your fault he's gone! And you have the nerve to keep that biodata for yourself!? When I get my hands on you, I swear to-"
"Stop!" Cream jumped in front of the echidna. "Please stop, Mr. Knuckles."
"But Cream… he killed G-merl. He deserves to be punished."
"No," Cream looked over her shoulder, staring at the robot. She let out a low sigh before she and Cheese approached him.
"Cream," Knuckles took a step forward, but Sonic stopped him.
"Hold on, Knux," the blue hedgehog said gently. "Let's let this play out."
The rabbit stopped once she got close enough to the Gizoid. Synergy slowly turned to her, staring at her brown eyes. The rest of the Resistance watched them look at one another, curious as to what's going to happen. As they sat and observed, Cream sucked up the courage to speak.
"I know G-merl wanted to do this," she said. "It wasn't your fault. He did this so all of us can live our lives, he did this so we can celebrate his life… he did this for you. He believed in you the moment he met you. I will admit, I was scared that you were going to hurt me at first, but G-merl told me not to worry, he and Big are going to do everything in their power to change you… and they did. G-merl wanted you to have a family, that's why he gave you that."
Synergy glanced at the chip.
"I know you made a lot of mistakes, and I know you want to make up for them," Cream continued. "G-merl believes in you… I believe in you."
Everyone shared the same neutral expression.
Synergy looked down at the rabbit.
"With that being said," Cream finished, as she suddenly wrapped her arms around Synergy, embracing him with a hug. "I forgive you."
Everyone was shocked at that last sentence.
Synergy was stunned too. He shared a glance with everyone in front of him before he slowly hugged the rabbit back. Closing his eyes, the two of them hugged for a few minutes before they finally let go.
"Thank you, Cream," Synergy spoke softly. "I know I don't deserve forgiveness, but I promise… I will honor G-merl's legacy."
Shadow and Rouge walked up the shrine, approaching the Gizoid.
"That's sweet of you to say, Kid," Rouge spoke to the robot. "But you still need to held accountable for your actions."
"In other words," Shadow finished, as Synergy looked down, seeing metal restraints around both of his wrists. Rouge pulled the Warp Topaz off of his hand. "You're under arrest."
Closing his eyes, Synergy nodded.
The moment of silence was interrupted by the sound of an airship arriving close to the island. Everyone aboard the shrine walked down and saw the main G.U.N. airship land on the grass. Opening its doors, G.U.N. soldiers stepped out with their weapons in hand.
Nack gulped. "Uh, oh. Are they here to arrest us again?"
"Wait," Commander Tower called, halting the soldiers. He walked down the platform and approached the two commanders of the Resistance: Knuckles and Amy. With his hands placed behind his back, he said, "I want an explanation… now."
Moments later, different members of the Resistance (Team Sonic, Team Rose, Team Chaotix, Team Justice, Team Hooligan, Shade, Mighty, Ray, Silver, and Blaze) explained every portion of their world adventure with Synergy as well as Big's plan to change him back. Everyone made sure to be specific and not leave out a single detail. As they explained, Abraham Tower felt guilty for his past actions. Finally, Amy was the one who finished the story.
"We couldn't stop Dr. Eggman from kidnapping Synergy," Amy concluded. "That's why he went rogue and brought Nocturne back."
Registering everything he just heard, Commander Tower turned around and saw Team Dark bring Synergy into the airship. They locked him in a cell near the Eggman Empire. The white-haired commander took a deep breath and held out his hand.
"I apologize for my actions, Resistance. I should have thought twice about you being criminals."
"It's what happens when Brenda runs the news media," Sonic quipped.
"Affirmative. Next time, I will think twice before all of you are accused of a crime. Can you forgive me?"
Knuckles and Amy turned to their friends before they held out their hands.
"Apology accepted, Commander," Knuckles shook the human's hand. "Thanks for helping us out. We couldn't have done it without you."
"You guys did most of the work, we just provided some backup. If you ever need anything again, you know who to call." (4)
Commander Tower ended it at that and approached his airship. Boarding inside, the vehicle took off to the air and boosted into the brink of dawn: the sun was starting to rise.
The Resistance gathered together.
"Good job, everyone," Amy smiled. "We won… we won."
Everyone nodded.
Nack yawned. "Welp, this has been fun, Mates. But me and the boys better get going. See ya later."
"Aww, we're leaving already?" Bean moaned in annoyance. "C'mon! We should stay here and celebrate! After all, we did help save the day! Hey! Maybe we can make a Heroes for Hire business! Everyone's gonna get a kick out of that!"
"Knock it off, Bean," Nack yawned again. He and the others walked to the Marvelous Queen.
Before they left, Team Chaotix walked beside them.
"I'm probably gonna throw up when I say this," Vector said, rubbing his head. "But you guys weren't that bad."
"Agreed," Espio nodded. "But if you commit another crime, Team Chaotix will be there to stop you."
"Yeah, yeah, don't get your ninja panties in a bunch," Bean chuckled.
"I really hope the three of you never become good guys," Charmy folded his arms. "That's gonna make this whole thing worse!"
Team Hooligan jumped on their bike and revved the engine. Nack turned his head to Sonic and lowered his hat. "Let me tell ya something, Sonic the Hedgehog. The next time you need help… call the Babylon Rogues."
With that, the Marvelous Queen took off in the blink of an eye.
"Do you think we'll see them again, Sonic?" Tails asked.
"Probably," Sonic shrugged his shoulders. "The Hooligans are a trio of idiots. I wouldn't be surprised if we do run into them again."
"I should head back to the Mineral Museum," Jewel smiled. "Just to let you know, I probably won't do this again. I hope I'm not being rude when I say this, it's not that I don't want to, it's because-"
"Hey, we understand," Tangle wrapped her arm around the beetle. "You're not combat experienced. No need to apologize."
"You were actually a big help, Jewel," Mighty winked with a thumbs up. "Thank you."
"Oh, you're welcome," Jewel nervously waved. She extended her wings and took to the sky. "Goodbye, everyone. See you soon!"
Everyone waved the beetle goodbye as she took off into the sky.
"So, what's our next move, Commander?" Sonic asked the echidna.
Knuckles only had one answer. "Rest. Lots and lots of rest." (4s)
END OF CHAPTER 38
The battle has finally concluded. Angel Island is safe and Nocturne has been destroyed... but the Resistance had to suffer the lost of their dear friend, G-merl. Surprisingly, Cream allowed Synergy to keep Emerl's biodata chip instead of asking for it back. It's obvious she knows G-merl did what he had to do and she's thankful that Synergy will live on, honoring the legacy G-merl left behind. Not everyone in the Resistance sees it that way, but what can they do? Team Hooligan has marched off on their own, swearing that they'll never do anything like this again. The Resistance is going to need some rest after the final battle, but despite the climax ending, we still have two more chapters to cover. What will happen to the Resistance in the aftermath of Nocturne's fall? Find out in...
"Chapter 39: Celebration".
POST-A/N:
Originally, the climax was just going to be G-merl and Synergy taking on Imperator Ix by himself, but I decided to do something else. Since the theme of this story is family, I decided to have the Resistance band together to take down Imperator Ix. For anyone curious, No, that is not Imperator Ix's true super form, I just did that for the sake of being original. I was going to do his Super State from Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood, but as I said, I wanted to do something different.
Killing off G-merl is a callback to how Emerl chose to sacrifice himself in Sonic Battle. I figured that since Emerl is a piece of G-merl, the latter would give his life away to save his family and give Synergy a family when he gets out of jail. But hey, we have to chapter left. Could G-merl be alive? Who knows?
Ultimate G-merl is an actual Super State of G-merl and he was the final boss of Sonic Advance 3. Since G-merl has a Super State, I gave one to Synergy as well.
Team Hooligan was also supposed to be part of the ending in the next chapter, but I didn't think it would make sense for them to stick around and celebrate. They're the Hooligans. They don't live for this good guy crap. So, I decided to have them take off.
Response to Guest #1: I know, it was just a little joke in case someone DID think this chapter was called Part 5.
Response to Guest #2: Thank you so much for looking at the Sonic/Tails scene. I wanted to make it different to I Would Never Abandon You (another Sonic story I have) but also have topics that were discussed in that story.
Response to TheLostEternity: Poor Synergy went through the motions last chapter. Not only was he feeling guilty for what he did, but he learned that Imperator Ix cares about no one but himself. I'm glad you liked some of the references that were in Chapter 37. Sometimes, I forget which ones I make, lol! Knuckles and Shade kicked Ix to the curb, sometimes I forget Bean is a woodpecker in the canon games and is a duck in the comics, and the trio's conflict with Synergy made him think twice about his actions. Metal Sonic is a cool character to me. Originally, he wasn't supposed to be part of that fight, but I figured I'd send him on one last mission before Espio shot him down. Sometimes, Shadow can be unintentionally funny like he was in the Archie series. Something I've always liked about him. Who knows if G.U.N. will backstab the Resistance again? Change is a great song! I just had to use it! You're always welcome for your comments and everything else :). Take care of yourself.
That's all I have to say, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you all so much for reading the final battle. I had a lot of fun writing it because it made me think of IDW Sonic Issue 9-11 (Three of my favorite IDW Sonic Issues), and the final boss of Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood. Don't forget to R&R! I'm The Sensational SpiderDom321 and I'll see you all for the final two chapters. :)
~SD321 (SpiderDom321)
