Chapter 13: Hedgehog in a box

Place: Egg Carrier 3

Time: 7:00pm

Knuckles appeared from behind a nearby egg craft. He slide left and hid next to some boxes about to be loaded. The nearby robots had yet to notice Knuckles and carried on in their tasks. The shuttle carrying had docked about ten minutes ago in the main bay and Knuckles had landed his pod near the shuttle but had found it empty. He was now trying to find Sonic and the rest.

Again Knuckles moved over to the next set of boxes and again dodged a sight scan by a Eggman robot. Knuckles stopped and listened to the robots talking.

"Eggman got the hedgehog then" said the first robot.

"Yep. And he has the grey emerald too which is a bonus" said the second.

Knuckles had to think about this. If Eggman had the grey emerald all along and Cheq had been working with him why didn't Cheq just take the emerald?

Knuckles didn't have long to think though as the boxes he was behind began to move. Knuckles looked around quickly and noticed an open air vent. He quickly ran and slid into the hole just as the boxes moved. He fell for a few feet before hitting the bottom of the shaft. There was only one direction to go in. Knuckles decided to take it instead of climbing back up.

Sonic awoke in an empty jail cell. Across from him Shadow was trying to break the bars but was failing. Sonic ran up to the bars and saw Rouge next to Shadow and Cream further on.

"Nice to see you Sonic" said Shadow.

"Sonic!"

Sonic knew Amys voice and took a wild guess that Tails was next to her. Then Sonic realised something.

"Where's Knuckles?" said Sonic.

"He left in the pod. We haven't seen him since he left to get the pod" said Tails.

"He might be here" said Rouge.

"He might have gone after Cheq" said Shadow.

"No. He'll be here. I know it" said Sonic.

"Then lets meet him" said Shadow, trying again to break the bars.

Sonic nodded and also began to pull on the bars.

Place: Bridge

Time: 7:10pm

Eggman stood laughing to himself. He had Sonic and the others, an emerald and Cheq to control. Things couldn't be better. The door behind him opened and he turned to talk.

"Welcome back Neo...."

Instead of Neo-M stood there with an emerald in his hand it was Cheq with something in his hand.

"I wasn't expecting you" said Eggman, trying to cover up his blunder.

"Expecting this" said Cheq.

He drew his hand into the light and threw the object he held next to Eggmans feet. It was Neo-Ms head. His right eye blinked at Eggman. Eggman stood back and looked up at Cheq who had grown a sadistic smile across his face.

"I..I.." muttered Eggman.

"Don't try to protect yourself" said Cheq, "I know you wanted that emerald. All I had to do was cover your transmissions. I killed this robot on ARK but sent back a signal saying he had retrieved the emerald"

"What are you going to do?" asked Eggman.

Cheq walked up to Eggman. He shook his head.

"Oh Eggman.."

Cheq launched forward with his hand and grabbed Eggmans neck. He lifted him up into the air with the greatest of ease and began to squeeze. Eggman tried to break free but to no avail. He could feel his energy going. Failing. A vent door then fell off the ceiling and hit Cheq, this made him drop Eggman who crawled as fast as he could to the nearby door and left quickly. Knuckles dropped down from the ceiling and looked around for a door. Before he could move Cheq floated up from the floor and faced him.

"Not captured?" asked Cheq.

"All I want to do is find my friends. They take precedence over you" said Knuckles.

"Fine. Let me do my business and I'll leave you to yours" offered Cheq.

Knuckles turned and walked towards one of the unlocked doors. He pressed a button and walked through. Cheq smiled. He turned and walked through the other open door and closed it. He faced the Grey emerald and his eyes glowed.

Knuckles walked into the jail and everyone saw him.

"Knuckles!" everyone shouted.

"Better late than never" added Sonic.

The jail bars parted as Knuckles opened them using the pad. They brushed themselves off and Knuckles filled them in.

"The emeralds here?!" said Shadow.

"And Cheq's going to get it" said Knuckles, "I saw him".

"Then lets go!" shouted Amy.

Everyone raced outside of the cell and climbed into the nearby elevator. They took it up to the deck of the Carrier.

Place: Deck

Time: 7:20pm

The gang reached the deck and ran on to see that Cheq and his minions were collected together. A storm was growing over the Earth now and lighting was striking in the distance with thunder following behind.

"Give us the emerald Cheq!" shouted Sonic.

"After I do one thing" shouted back Cheq as the wind had increased dramatically.

He cast a gaze back at his minions and they disappeared.

"Watch as I create the final minion and achieve the penultimate step to destroying the world!"

Cheq held the emerald high and the energy inside it drained away into his body. He then lowered his hand and pointed towards the ground. Lightning struck the deck and a huge, towering figure appeared. It was completely grey and made of stone.

"What's that?" shouted Amy.

"It's the golem" said Shadow, "The protector of the Earth and the final minion".

"Well, let's smash it up!" shouted Sonic.

Everybody readied themselves but Cheq held back the golem. He stepped forward.

"Before you fight I have something to tell you" said Cheq, "I have just set a course for Angel Island and will reach that destination in about 5 minutes".

"So?" said Knuckles.

"I have also set the self-destruct for 5 minutes. When the ship blows it will fall towards the island and block the entrance to the Master Emerald. I will be in there and you won't be. You won't be able to stop me".

Cheq floated off the ground. He then held out a trigger. He pressed the button and alarms sounded.

"Enjoy!" shouted Cheq as he flew off into the distance.

5 MINUTES TILL DESTRUCTION! EVACUATE!

The golem began to move forward towards the group and everyone again prepared but Sonic stepped forward and faced the gang.

"You should all go" he said.

"We want to fight with you!" shouted Amy.

"No. You've gotta get out of here and get to Cheq. If none of us can get to Cheq before the chamber is blocked that's it".

"He's right. The shuttle is in the bay. We can use it" said Knuckles.

"Then take this" said Tails holding out something.

Sonic took the fake yellow emerald from Tails.

FOUR MINUTES!

"We better go! NOW!" shouted Shadow.

Everyone turned and ran for the exit. Amy cast one look at Sonic and he winked back. Amy used a weak smile before the door to the elevator closed. Sonic faced the golem.

"Alright Rocky, bring it on!"

Sonic ran forward and the golem threw a downward punch. The deck fell apart below the fist and Sonic leapt onto his arm and ran up it to his head. Sonic began to hurl punches but to no avail as the punches did little but itch the giant. The golem then launched his hand to his head and tried to pull Sonic off but Sonic ran round the head quickly and dodged the attacks.

THREE MINUTES!

Sonic jumped off the golems head and ran round him. The golem used his fists to try and hit Sonic but kept hitting the deck and damaging it. The deck got so weak that the golem jumped off the broken deck and watched it fall into the ocean below. Sonic charged at the golem again and ran up the arm and began to attack the head this time with Chaos techniques. Chaos slash seemed to work well and the golem was now annoyed beyond belief.

TWO MINUTES!

The golem, now angry, threw his fist up towards his head to smash in Sonic but he dodged to the left and watched the golem smack himself in the head. The golem wobbled backwards and fell through the hole he had created. He wailed as he fell but before he hit the water he disappeared into grey energy and warped away. Sonic looked around frantically for a door. He saw one and took it immediately.

ONE MINUTE!!!

Sonic charged down the corridors. He knew the basic layout as Eggman had copied it exactly from the other two. Sonic reached the control room and began to tap on the pad. He managed to disable the course and stop the Carrier but the self-destruct had been locked and wouldn't work.

THIRTY SECONDS!

Sonic pulled out the emerald. He had to use Chaos Warp and go to the shuttle bay. He knew Chaos control wouldn't cut it because he had tried it in the ruins of the first Egg Carrier and it didn't last long enough to reach.

TWENTY SECONDS!

He had to focus on the emerald. He began to look into the emerald.

TEN!

Just focus.

NINE!

Focus!

EIGHT!!

Time began to warp past.

SEVEN!

He felt the happy times.

SIX!!

He began to feel the bad times.

FIVE!!

All the pain and suffering was beginning to ache.

FOUR!

Just focus.

THREE!

All he had to do was....

TWO!!

FOCUS!!!!!!!!!!!

ONE!!!!

Sonic screamed out in pain.

ZERO!!!!

Shadow looked left out of the window of the shuttle and saw the Carrier explode before him. Amy began to cry and Cream held her. Tails lowered his head as did Knuckles. A beep sounded on the panel. Tails looked at it.

"It says there is something in the back" said Tails.

The thing in the back began to bang on the door before the panel flashed green. In fell Sonic.

"Sonic!!!" Amy screamed, she then leapt forward and helped him up.

Sonic was sweating heavily. He threw the fake emerald at tails who caught it.

"It came in handy" said Sonic.

"You learnt Chaos Warp then?" asked Shadow.

Sonic nodded. Shadow returned back to the view from the window.

"We have no time for hellos we have to get the island!" said Knuckles.

"Then lets go!" shouted Sonic.

Tails nodded and began to push buttons. He rested his hand on the lever marked GO.

"To the final battle! Angel Island!"

The shuttle flew off to face the great evil they needed to defeat.

End of Chapter 13