(I do not own Sonic, sonic X etc...)
S.O.N.I.C, GO!
S.O.N.I.C, GO!
GO! GO! GO! GO! LET'S GO!
Episode 3: A long overdue duel
Police vans marked with the letters, SWAT came charging across the now cleared inner city streets and the drivers had to violently force their vehicles to the side as Sonic the Hedgehog came charging down the road at high speed, closely followed by a swarm of Dreadnaughts, missiles and bullets filling the gaps in the air.
"Must go faster, must go faster!" Chris kept repeating, staring out the bar of the ThornDyke's open roofed car as Tanaka pushed the old antique to it's limit, the several Dreadnaughts that had broken of from the main group and was following them away from the empty city streets toward the exit to the desert roads.
Sonic, who was still dodging through the city streets had purposely chosen to stay here to keep the mass majority of these things away from his friends, although he was still left with the problem of the three already following them. He'd just have to worry about them later, right now he had other priorities. A Dreadnaught came swooping down, the large machine gun mounted to it's right hand already in full swung. Sliding to the left to avoid the stream of fire, Sonic twisted through a narrow alleyway at high speed and came out onto the in-complete inner city highway. A twisting junction of roads that interwoven the buildings.
"Ah nuts!" Sonic said to himself, seeing huge gaps in the roads and large construction equipment blocking his path. Forced onto the hard shoulder by a robot as it swooped down, bullets flying through the air, Sonic leapt over a gap, grabbed an overhanging hook from and used the momentum to swing completely around to another road, confusing several of them for their actions to lag in speed just long enough to crash into the side of a brick wall, one exploding on contact and the other receiving a serious injury to it's left hand side, rendering it incapable of flight.
"Hey Sonic, you look like you could use a little help." Stated a booming voice as several red planes swept past, blasting two Dreadnaughts with missile fire, sending them tumbling down to the streets below. Sonic looked up in mid run to see Sam's arrogant face sneering at him.
"Gee." The hedgehog began. "Ya think?!"
Fang dealt a kick to Espio mid section and the chameleon swung back, the passion of rage in his movements as he winded the weasel, before knocking him to the ground. Fang landed on his back, now to beaten, covered with cuts and bruises to fight back. He lay there as Espio smashed another punch into this face, pressing him to the ground. His hand shaking, the chameleon reached for his katana and drew the blade slowly, making sure Fang got a good view of his bloody reflection in it's surface.
"Enjoy your last breath." Espio snarled, sneered at him as drew his arm back, the katana blade ready to plunge directly into the weasel's chest. Fang looked up in horror, realizing that for the first time in his entire life, there was no escape. Before the chameleon could slash at him, a strong white gloved hand shot out and took hold of Espio's arm, keeping him stationery. Espio blinked and looked back, to be met by Vector's stern glare.
"Forget it Espio." The crocodile said slowly. Espio slapped his hand away, staring back at him defiantly.
"Don't…DON'T you dare try to stop me Vector." He said between clenched teeth, his eyes narrowed to silts. "This…piece of filth killed Mighty. He...HAS to die." Vector maintained his grip, casting one contempt glance toward the defeated weasel lying on the ground, struggling for breath.
"No Espio, he doesn't. Do this, and you'll be no better than he is." Espio snarled and turned back and tried to jab his sword forward but Vector's lash out again, taking out of his arm, the grip prevented the blade from going any where near it's target. "He resorted to murder, and Mighty paid the price." Espio tried again. "You're not like him Espio, I know you better than that." Tears began forming at the edge of the Chameleons eyes as he tried again and again, only to have Vector stop him. "Would Mighty want you to be like him?" A lump formed in Espio throat and finally he let himself go limp, his arms falling by his side. Fang stared up at him, blood trailing out of his left nostril, staining his white muzzle.
"Oh don't fall for that crap Espio. What happened to all that big talk you were doing a minute ago? I though you were going to kill me for offing that friend of yours?" He leaned up, spat a mixture of spittle and blood out of his mouth and sneered at them. "Come on, be a man, kill me!" It was almost like he was living it all again, he could hear, smell, taste and even feel everything that happened within that moment as the life faded from his friends eyes. Instead of rage, Espio was left hollow, without emotions at all, an empty shell.
"Don't Espio. He's not worth it." Vector began as the chameleons fingers began tensing around the hilt of his katana. "Let's take him in. Show everyone what a murdering piece of scum he is and let him rot in jail for the rest of his natural life." He put the other hand on the chameleons shoulder. "I know your angry Espio, so am I. But we must never resort to murder, the moment we do we're no different from the scum we bring in." There was a pause, Espio desperately trying to keep his composure, trying to suck back in his tears. Vector watched him carefully as his finger loosened around. There was a loud clank as the chameleons' weapon hit the floor.
Fang started laughing as the strength gave way in his arms and he collapsed to his back.
"And I thought you were smarter than that." Espio glared down at him, his eyes now seemingly cleared of rage and left as calm as they had been before all this happened.
"You're the stupid one Nack, we're taking you in." There was a sudden crackling, like a bolt of lightning passing through the warehouse before without any warning what so ever the shadows around them seemingly came to life. Fang looked up in terror as the darkness swept into the likeness of some hooded figure, before it swarmed on him, wrapping itself around him. Vector and Espio watched in a mixture of horror and utter amazement as the shadows swallowed their traitor. He screamed out load, desperately grasping for anything to pull himself away but his efforts were futile. Within moments, the shadows had him completely and with one last terrified expression he disappeared into darkness.
Outside the city, speeding down a desert road as fast as the car would go, Tanaka was trying desperately to shake the three robots flying after them. Evidentially, Eggman wanted Tails dead almost as much as Sonic. The fox was still un-conscious, lying in the back between Chris and Amy, both of whom were watching over the back with extremely worried expressions on their faces as the robots drew nearer and nearer, within targeting distance.
"Young master, Mr. ThornDyke's car was not built for high speed chases, we can not exceed the current speed." Tanaka exclaimed, trying to keep his voice to an appropriate Bulter-eqse type level, but failed miserably. Flying in a V type formation, almost over the top of them, their current leader swinging his right arm out, the large machine gun mounted to it ready to fire. Tanaka swerved, trying to avoid the stream of bullets and he managed to do it extremely well, until that is their lead came directly in front of their vehicle, landing with a loud thud, gun already at the ready. Tanaka was frozen, staring in horror, knowing full well there would be no way on Earth he could avoid this next on.
Before the robot could fire, it's head exploded in a fire storm. the robot swayed in mid air for as moment, before another exposition just below it's neck forced it down towards the ground. As it hit the ground with a defending crunch, it sank into the sands, smoke and flames rising from it's metal carcass are giant pillars reaching for the sky. Before the final two could retaliate to whatever had happened, a spinning golden object tore through both their chests in one shot, throwing them down from their safe hover landing beside their fallen comrade in similar fashion. Tanaka slammed on the brake and the car swerved to a noisy stop. Amy and Chris stared out of the back in surprise and utter confusion at the remains just a few hundred feet away.
"What just happened?" Chris began after a brief silence, the crackling from the fires in the background. There was a groaning sound and the car shock gently.
"I did." Replied a voice and as the two of them turned around, they could see exactly what Tanaka was staring at in amazement. Sitting on the hood of their car with his legs crossed was the black hedgehog with red stripped quills they all knew so well. "Didn't think to find you guys out here." He added, turning to give them a glare with his blood red eyes.
"Shadow?" Chris began quietly, stunned into silence.
"What are you doing here?" Amy continued for him as the black hedgehog flipped himself up onto his feet.
"I could very well ask you the same question." Shadow replied, narrowing an eye at them before looking past them toward the city limits and the towers of smoke beginning to drift upward. "I take it Sonic's the middle of this chaos?"
"That goes without saying." Amy stated, putting her hands on her hips while the rest of them simply sat thee dumbfounded. Shadow sighed angrily through his nose, growling deeply in his throat.
"I'd best help the poor idiot out then." He added, although sounding almost reluctant, before somersaulting over them with acrobatic skill. Before his feet even touched the ground, the jets on his soul flared up and skating on pure light, he became a blinking dot on the horizon, souring toward the city.
Despite the S-Team's help, Sonic still had at least ten robots on his tail and by now Sam and his boys had their hands full. He was on his own now, well not that it mattered. Only ten now? He shouldn't have any problem dealing with only ten of Eggman's clunkers. Turning about on one foot, Sonic shot back forward his pursuers, flipping his body over itself to forma tight ball. Caught by surprise, the first two robots were powerless to stop Sonic tearing through their metallic armour, leaving them lifeless husks that toppled over the side of the highway toward the empty streets below. Sensing Sonic's change in tactics, the other robots soured to a higher attitude and began opening fire with targeting missiles. Sonic, who had long since anticipated this, dodged them all with acrobatic ease, before shooting up the side of a building and back flipping, standing firmly on the lat head of one of their number.
"Come on, you've got your orders, Fire!" He yelled over to the others, waving his arms. The other robots twisted their upper bodies around and fired several missiles toward. Sonic shook his head. "So predictable." Leaping off at the last moment, the missiles collided with the robot he had been standing on, sending it plummeting toward the ground.
Back on the road, Sonic started running again, now with only seven following him. Now, he was actually having fun. Unfortunately he knew he wouldn't have time to drag this out, not inside a populated area. People might get hurt. He was about to back flip to attempt another spin attack when one of the robots activated some sort of power boast and soured right up to him, smashing a steal fist into the hedgehogs back. Sonic collided with the assault, grit flying into his mouth from the collision.
"Next time, watch your back rookie." Stated an arrogant voice. As Sonic opened his eyes, he could see he was lying at the feet of someone who was wearing strange black and white trainers with a thick, red plastic rim around the outside. He smiled, pulling himself to a crouching position as Shadow fired a chaos spear attack directly into the robots face, knocking it up into the air were it was a perfect target for one of the black hedgehog's flying kicks.
"Six left, three for you, three for me." Sonic stated, wiping the wise of his mouth with the back of his glove. "Let's see who can destroy his the fastest?" Shadow gave him a glare, before a short smile appeared on the ultimate life-forms face.
"I'll destroy all six before you can warm up." He said confidently as the remaining robots got into a circle formation in the air.
"Well Mr. Immortal, let's see if you can back that statement up."
Eggman screamed out in rage and in pure frustration he banged his head against the metal support pillar that stood in the centre of the dark chamber. Decoe and become looked up from their monitors as their creator began cursing into the air, his mad hoping and enraged jumping looking like some form of river dance. The monitors all around them watched the fight below, how Sonic and Shadow tore through the robots within three minutes, Shadow winning their little bet by destroying four with a Chaos Spear attack a second before Sonic could finish it.
"Fang failed! I should have know it would happen!" Eggman managed to blurt out in the midst of violent curses.
"Sir, perhaps you should sit down and take a deep…?" Decoe began to suggest, Eggman simply shot him glare so piercing he trailed off. "Breath…" Eggman finally managed to control his raving, took a deep breath and stood to attention, his eyes glaring at the monitor in front of him. His fists clenching and unclenching. His logical mind taking control once again, he found himself once again his old self. He shouldn't have been surprised really. Sonic always came out on top somehow, whether it was skill or just dumb luck was irrelevant.
Why couldn't he just die? Why did he have to keep going on? Now Eggman was in a no choice situation, he was out of time. If he put off his invasion any longer, the world's combined military force would be enough to repel his forces. Sonic would, beyond any doubt, pose a problem but that was a risk Eggman would have to take.
"Alright, then it comes down to this then." Fang's failure now completely erased from his mind, he turned his attention to the matter at hand. "Computer, display all files classified as enemies, cross-references; rodents, interfering furies and do-gooders."
"Processing." The computer replied in a monotone flat voice and before Eggman could blink his request was completed. On the main screen, a list of name came up, with information on height, age, sex and special abilities next to them.
shadowhedgehogultimatelifeform
Amyrose
Milestailsprower
Knucklesechidna
rouge bat
OmegaE123
And directly at the top of the list was the file name: sonichedgehog1
"These pests will have to be dealt with later." Eggman snarled. "Unfortunate, no we have run out of time. Begin preparations for the invasion immediately. We leave as soon as possible." Decoe and Becoe saluted their creator as he sat back down in his chair, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses at Sonic on the monitor. "What is is about you rodent?" He asked himself, staring a little harder. "Why do you survive one trail after another, why do you defy me and win so effortlessly?" He leaned backing the chair. "I would love to know the answer."
By the time Sonic and the others arrived back the ThornDyke Estate, the sun had already set and night had cast itself over the sky. Shadow was following from a distance and by the time he arrived at the door, Sonic was already carrying Tails inside Chuck's garage.
"He looks pretty bad." Chris stated, giving the bruises a single glance. "I'll call a doctor." Sonic nodded in approval and the boy disappeared toward the main house. Shadow stepped past to let Chris past, staring after him for a moment, noting the presence of the Gardener, who was just putting away the lawn mower, who he also noticed was watching the black hedgehog intently. Sneering at him, Shadow turned back and entered the garage, but not before noticing a large truck with G.U.N written in big white letters on it's side pull away from in front of the house and start off down the street. Standing shoulder to shoulder with Sonic, he gave the small fox and glance.
"A door of two of rest and he'll be fine." He stated. Sonic glared up at him.
"And since when were you a qualified doctor?" He asked and Shadow chuckled to himself, the private joke being that Prof. Gerald had programmed into his creation all necessary medical knowledge in case of severe injury or injection. "Just what are you doing back here anyway?" The blue hedgehog added, suddenly looking curious as Amy began to carry Tails up toward Chuck's laboratory.
"I was attacked if you must know." That peaked Sonics interest.
"Attacked?" He asked back.
"Yeah, don't know who by exactly but I was hoping you guys could help me with that.
Chuck was sitting in a chair beside the empty table, balancing his head on his hands, looking defeated. He looked up briefly as Sonic and the others ascended into the small laboratory. The first thing that became obvious was the mess, the chairs had been completely overturned, all Chuck's papers and disagrams scattered across the floor. One thing stuck out above all others, Metal Sonic was gone.
"Chuck, what's going on, where's Metal?" The blue hedgehog asked, looking around for his steal rival. Chuck heaved himself out of the chair and walked over to him, his arms falling by his sides in defeat.
"Somehow, I'm not sure how exactly, the Government managed to find out I was repairing him. G.U.N robots were here a few minutes ago, they confiscated his body, it's being taken away for disposal right now." The grey haired scientist stated sadly before thumping the table in anger. Sonic stared at him, it actually took a few moments for his statement to actually sink in.
"What…" He managed to say almost silently, but loud enough for Chuck to hear it. Amy laid Tails down on one of the pillows as Shadow poked his head through the trap door.
"You mean that truck I saw leaving a minute ago?" Chuck nodded, looking miserable. Sonic growled deep in his throat, pressing his lips together hard.
"Be right back!"
Stuart watched as Sonic, closely followed by Shadow raced out the garage doors. He hated having to report them, but it WAS his duty and what they were doing was insane beyond all measure. Why re-activate this killing machine, it didn't make any sense. Well, whatever their reasons it didn't matter any more. Once the transport truck rondavued with the escorting force it would be taken to Area 99, where once it's technology wad copied it's metal shell would be destroyed.
"Sorry Chris." He muttered himself.
Finding the truck again was a breeze. It was the only one on the streets, after what had happened in the city centre people were too timid to venture outside. Racing alongside the truck, Sonic turned to give the driver a glare.
"PULL OVER!!" He shouted, but then hesitated, seeing the driver was a G.U.N robot, incapable of understanding, let alone obeying his orders. The truck kept speeding on, and Sonic alongside it, Shadow quickly coming up the other side as they made their way onto the freeway out of the city. Shadow threw his weight forward, leaping up onto the roof of the vehicle, landing in a crouching position. Noticing it, the robot sitting in the drivers seat leant out the window and fired a laser beam from the rifle on it's right hand, Shadow bent his entire body to the side, narrowly avoiding it before spinning completely around and firing a Chaos spear at his aggressor. The robot took a direct hit and humbled out of the window, rolling along the road as it began to disappear. "I've got to learn how to do that!" Sonic muttered to himself before racing in front of the truck, switching himself around so he was running backwards. As he'd expected, the truck's back doors opened just long enough for it was eject four G.U.N
Beetle units, primarily recon robots but armed with a nasty laser rifle on it's fronts anyway. Shadow looked back to see them fly up, preparing to blast him. He was forced to move off of the truck, somersaulting back to the road, but not without first landing a solid blow to one of them, leaving it a smouldering pile of metal on the road.
Sonic was forced to the side of the truck as the vehicle sped on, flying down the highway toward the desert, and Area 99 that lay somewhere out there in the wasteland. Shadow sped on, trying to get within distance to target one of the trucks tyres but found the beetles were doing whatever was necessary to keep him from it. Sonic tried to pull the door the now empty passengers seat open but was quickly beaten back by the one driver, diverting its attention from the steering wheel just one enough to fire a shot at him.
Inside the truck, placed inside a containment crate with metal bars strapping his limbs down, Metal Sonic lay silent, two Large Laser Hunter units on either side, their weapons kept at the ready. Their captor didn't move a muscle, he simply lay there as lifeless as he'd always been. As the truck hit a pot hole in the road, it's interior jumped upward violently and the metallic corpse received a heavy smashed to the side to the head. The robot guard's were only programmed for guard duty and so didn't notice that the androids systems had been restarted.
System re-start incited. Running system diagnostic…
Weapons: 100%
Engines: 100%
Electronics: Power output: 100%
Preparing system reboot, commencing….
Accessing memory data banks, replaying last recorded file….
"I…don't understand." Metal Sonic stated, managing to push himself onto his back, showing that his legs were no longer capable of supporting his weight. "I had the Master Emerald, the most powerful source of Chaos Energy in existence. I am the ultimate machine, perfect in nearly every detail. How could I loose to you?" Sonic hesitated only for a moment, before approaching. He knelt down beside the robotic hedgehog, staring down toward its broken face with a stern glare.
"Perfect? I don't think so Metal." He said simply. "No ones perfect, not even a machine." Metal Sonic looked up, puzzlement in his eyes. "Think about it Metal, you've been telling us that you've risen past the requirements Eggman had for you. Yet, all you've done to prove it is try to destroy everything, the very job Eggman built you for." Metal actually understood now. He'd wanted so badly to be more than he was, to improve himself. Sonic was right, although he was loathed to admit it, the blue hedgehog had shown him that he was still little more than a Eggman Empire robot. Hardly the being of greatest he kept telling himself he was. Shame burned in him, how could be have been so stupid? The answer to his desire for evolution had been there in front of him all along, and he'd been foolish enough to fall back into the old style way of thinking that evolution came only with the increase of power. "Well, ta for now Metal." Sonic added, standing up. "Perhaps I'll see you later huh? It'd been fun to fight you again, just for kicks if nothing else."
"It'd been fun to fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
"To fight you again."
Reboot complete…
With a sudden red flare, Metal Sonic's visor lit up, the two disc like eyes once again staring out at the world.
Sonic came to a screeching halt as an explosion tore through the back end of the truck and the vehicle spun across the road at a dangerous speed, crashing head first into a streetlamp. The blue hedgehog watch, open mouthed as a dark shape moving as super fast speed tore it's way out from the back doors before a fireball claimed the vehicle in it's entirety. Shadow had the duck as a pierce of flaming wreckage narrowly missed him. Sonic was forced to shield his eyes against the bright flare. When he looked back, a tall bellowing cloud of smoke rising into the night sky. The fires consuming the truck completely. Shadow came up beside the blue hedgehog and as the two of them stared, Sonic could make out a streamlined shape amongst the flames, it was a figure and it was walking towards him, a pair of red eyes glowing amongst the fire. With it's right arm, it tossed the smouldering remains of a G.U.N laser hunter toward him, parts of it's scolded metallic frame falling loose as it rolled. Sonic stared down at the mss now at his feet, before looking up again. Stepping out of the flames now was his robotic double, the android created by Dr. Eggman to be his destroyer. The machine that nearly wiped out Station Square. Large, curved talons on each finger, several large quills with a serrated edge lancing out from it's head. Apart from the metallic differences, this robot was an exact copy of himself. A single metallic spike for a nose and a black visor with red disc topped optics for eyes. Each synthetic limb covered with broad sheets of armour.
This was Metal Sonic.
Flip Card 1:
Name: Metal Sonic
Sex: n/a
Species: Robot
Age: 1
Job description: Sonic's metallic copy, designed by Doctor Eggman to be the perfect Hedgehog hunter.