Chapter 117: Heroes Unite - Part 4

Last time on Sonic the Hedgehog, Sally, Blaze, Agatha, Silver, and Gold all traveled to Soleanna in order to meet with the local princess. But powers working against them had brought all those plans to a halt. Now with the help of Team Rose and Team Dark, the Freedom Fighters ready themselves to save Elise from the clutches of the Eggman Empire, unaware of the darkness that awaited them...

Starring:

Sally Acorn - Princess of Acorn
Team Dark - Mercenaries Under GUN
Team Rose - Cutesy Amazons
Princess Elise - Currently Captured
Metallix - Evil Enforcer
Mephiles the Dark - Darkness Incarnate
Jenni Robotnik - Perfectionist Evil

Soleanna - The Night Before

*Shadow was sitting on top of a building, arms crossed as he stares at the moon. He hears footsteps and readies a Chaos Spear as he turns to the intruder. But calms down once he sees it was only Blaze.*

Shadow: "What do you want? Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"

Blaze: "I could not sleep. After everything that happened, I couldn't find much reason to... I'm guessing you are the same."

Shadow: "..."

*Blaze sits down next to Shadow, staring at the moon with him.*

Blaze: "Shadow. What is the matter? While Amelia describes you as someone who broods a lot, she seems very worried about this level of brooding..."

Shadow: "...Is she that worried?"

Blaze: "She is."

Shadow: "Sigh... It's Rouge... She got hurt because I wasn't fast enough. Me, who can use Chaos Control...wasn't fast enough to help her... She is in the hospital because of me..."

Blaze: "Is she though?"

*Shadow turns to Blaze, curious by what she meant.*

Blaze: "I know someone in my world who is quite adventurous. That adventurous side leads to her often getting caught up in all sorts of dangers that I have to save her from. One time, I wasn't quick enough to help her, leaving her hurt... But she told me to never blame myself over it. After all, 'every adventure's gonna have its shortcomin's, mate'."

Shadow: "...Sounds like your friend is quite nuisance."

Blaze: "...Maybe so. But she's still my best friend and I would never replace her. Just as you wouldn't replace Rouge, would you?"

*Shadow pauses at that before taking in this lecture. He then stood up and nodded.*

Shadow: "First thing tomorrow, I'll talk to Amelia and apologize for my attitude the last twenty four hours. Then... I'll listen to whatever plan you have in mind."

Blaze: "...Good to hear. And Shadow? ...Don't worry about Rouge. From what I hear, she's pretty tough."

*Shadow smirks at this and walks off, going to get rested up.*

White Acropolis Base - Lab

*Jenni was confronted by Mephiles the Dark during her time torturing Elise. A bit shocked to see anyone bypass her security, though none the less impressed.*

Mephiles: "It has been some time since I was last here, in this very base... Some many years ago..."

Jenni: "...You don't say... So Mephiles, was it? ...What do you want?"

Mephiles: "To assist you... To deliver unto you your desire..."

Jenni: "My desire, huh? Quite a bold statement. I believe the last time someone promised my family anything of the sort, they got betrayed in one way or another. So tell me..."

*Jenni pushes a button on her glove, pulling out a couple of turrets from the walls, both aiming at Mephiles.*

"...What makes you so different?"

*Mephiles isn't too shocked by the security so he continues.*

Mephiles: "Unlike those you are supposedly thinking of, I am far more genuine and willing to work with you. I see nothing but gain working with someone of your calibur."

*Jenni thinks on this before smirking. She then presses a button, opening a trap door under Elise's table and pulls the princess to the lower floors.*

Jenni: "I'll deal with her later, but for now... If you can answer me a few questions... Then I might be willing to work with you... Or maybe even better..."

*Mephiles glares at Jenni, though remains curious by what she needed.*

White Acropolis - Base Outskirts

*Gamma, Sally, and Amelia were scouting using their own binocular or optics to scan the Eggman base. Lots of Egg Pawns and Shadowbots were patrolling the area.*

Sally: "Swatbots? I thought Eggman discontinued those after his Robotropolis Base fell..."

Amelia: "No doubt, whoever took his place decided to not only take the design but also upgrade them..."

Gamma: "Detecting blast shield doors. Heavy protection on the outside. Probability of entering the facility is...minimal through a direct attack."

Sally: "Which is why we won't be launching a direct attack. At least not all of us."

*Sally contacts the other parties to see if they were ready.*

Sally: "Team A is in position. Everyone else ready?"

Amy: "Team C is ready and willing. Cream, Agatha, and I just need to keep the robots busy, right?"

Amelia: "Yes. Meanwhile, Team B - Shadow, Blaze, Gold, and Silver - will keep Metallix at bay. Think you can play nice, Shadow?"

Shadow: "Hmph. As long as I get the last hit in."

Gamma: "That leaves us to shut down the interior defenses and rescue the target. Affirmative?"

Sally: "That's right. Amelia has Tails Doll's hacking and you might have some clearance, assuming Eggman never erased your file when you turned traitor. That gives us the best chance to get to Elise. And if we have to fight, you and I are the best fighters in Team A."

Amelia: "Solid enough. Whoever is working the facility won't know what hit them. Gamma, time to unleash our signal."

Gamma: "Understood."

*Gamma charges up a shot from his blaster before aiming it at one of the alarms. He fires, setting the whole base off and allowing Teams B and C to charge directly into the fray. Team B was flying high and launching attacks from above while Team C were taking the ground.*

Silver: "Be careful, Amy! We'll cover you until Metallix shows up."

Amy: "Thanks! Try not to get too distracted though!"

*Agatha was helping to cover Team C's approach, getting a majority of the robots' attention as they started coming for them. The shutters on the roof opened as Metallix flew out, right on schedule, and kicked Shadow in the gut.*

Metallix: "You again? I guess tasting the dirt didn't satisfy you the first time. Well... I don't mind breaking you down again, so-called Ultimate Lifeform..."

Shadow: "Gh...! I'm not alone this time..."

*Blaze comes in and slams a flaming kick on the metal hedgehog's face, allowing Shadow to launch a Chaos Spear at Metallix's chest, sending him back a bit.*

Metallix: "Urgh... The escaped prisoner as well? That hardly evens the playing field..."

Silver: "Yeah!? Try us then!"

*Metallix is grabbed the psychic pull of Silver and Gold's telekinetic powers before being tossed at the nearest snow mountain, causing an explosion that leads to an avalanche to bury the robots at the front. This gave Team A the opportunity to do their part. The snow mountain explodes in a pillar of Chaos energy as an angered Metallix rushes at Silver, punching him in the jaw before teleporting behind Gold and slamming his elbow onto the back of her head.*

Shadow: "Chaos Control!"

*Shadow attempts to warp at Metallix, but he gets a face full of fist as Metallix predicted the attempted attack. Blaze then launches a fire ball at Metallix, allowing Silver to recover and manipulate the snow to slam and grab Metallix. This only further annoyed the robot though as he explodes his energy on the snow to melt it.*

Metallix: "I'LL CRUSH YOU!"

*Metallix warps as Blaze launches another fireball and is almost hit from above by a slam from the robot; Shadow intercepts the attack with a kick though, the force of the attack knocking Blaze out of the sky and onto the snow.*

*Meanwhile, Amy's team was dealing with a number of the Eggman robots who were blasting at her and her team. Cream sent Cheese out to tackle the robots with Agatha providing ranged support with her magic.*

Agatha: "We might have attracted too much of the swarm. They'll be encroaching us soon!"

Amy: "Hold your ground, Agatha! We've got to give Sally's team time to do their part! This is all for Elise!"

*Sally and her team make it to the front shutters with Amelia plugging herself in to access the security system for the shutters.*

Gamma: "Estimating several robots awaiting us to enter. Readying cannon to fire. Princess Sally, ready a shield."

Sally: "One hard-light shield, coming up."

*Sally forms a shield using her bracelets as the shutters open. Like Gamma predicted, the Egg Knights inside began firing upon the shutters opening, leading Sally to block the shots while Gamma began shooting, destroying the robots.*

White Acropolis Base - Lab

*The alarms blaring did not go unnoticed by Jenni as visuals of the attackers appeared on her various monitors. She glared at them before sighing.*

Jenni: "Looks like I have rats to deal with. But I at least have the information I needed."

Mephiles: "Then... Do we have a deal then?"

Jenni: "You may do as you please. I have much bigger plans than you can possibly imagine. But first things first..."

*Jenni walked by Mephiles and exited her lab, preparing herself for a confrontation with the intruders.*

White Acropolis Base - Interior

*Sally, Gamma, and Amelia ran through the corridors of the base, Tails Doll leading the charge to the security room.*

Amelia: "Not far now. Once we shut down security here, Team C will have an easier time entering and giving us some back up!"

*As they raced, Sally falls down a trap hole, causing her to separate from Gamma and Amelia...and leave them to get ambushed by E-10000 units. Sally slides down the chute before landing in a nicely decorated throne room.*

Sally: "Ugh... Long drop... Just what I needed too..."

Jenni: "Oh trust me, rodent... That drop will be the least of your troubles..."

*Sally looks around, spooked by the sudden voice before a throne chair rises with Jenni herself sitting upon it. Sally was a bit stunned to see the one in charge, but none the less ignited her blades.*

Jenni: "My, you actually did survive the missiles and being tossed into the ocean... I'm a little shocked. Rodents like you are pretty resilient, huh?"

Sally: "Comes with being the Princess of the Kingdom of Acorn... So who are you?"

Jenni: "Hmph. My name is Jenni Robotnik, the elder sister to Ivo Robotnik... Or as you know him, Eggman. Ugh..."

Sally: "Eggman has a sister!?"

Jenni: "I know. Shocking revelation, huh? I guess Shadow saw that as irrelevant information to deliver? I'm actually a little heartbroken... Since he was my grandfather's creation and all. Oh well..."

Sally: "Why take over Eggman's opposition while he's away though? Are all of his family a bunch of sickos?"

Jenni: "Depends on who you ask. I simply joined because I find his losses to the bunch of you to be quite an embarrassment to the Robotnik name. So I've come to remedy that...by being the one to destroy you myself."

Sally: "...Right... A bunch of sickos indeed... Well regardless, you'll lose all the same. There's no way you can beat us Freedom Fighters!"

Jenni: "You say that...as if I hadn't thought ahead..."

*Sally is suddenly grabbed from behind and slammed forward by a claw. Looking back, she sees a robot... A duplicate of her, but everything from the neck down being blue armor.*

Jenni: "You think Metallix would be my only Metal copy that I'd build? Oh no... Sally, was it? Meet... Mecha Sally."

Sally: "You've got to be kidding me..."

Back Outside...

*Shadow and Metallix continue their back and forth before Shadow is punched back by the robot. Blaze comes in with the save, but gets blocked by an arm.*

Metallix: "You fools think you can win. Think again! I am the Ultimate Lifeform! I am the most powerful on all of Mobius! No one can compare!"

Shadow: "Keep dreaming, you tin can!"

*Shadow kicks Metallix away before standing beside Blaze, glaring at the robot.*

Shadow: "...Although, he's starting to turn that dream into a reality..."

Blaze: "Stand tall, Shadow... We can win... I hope..."

As those words hang over our heroes' heads, the battle continues into a fever pitch. Metallix still retains a lot of power over Shadow, Blaze, and Silver and Sally is brought into a fight against herself. Can the heroes manage a victory despite the odds?

To be continued...