Chapter 6: To the rescue
The first chance he got, Shadow Chaos controlled up to the balcony Eggman was on. The Evil Doctor had already made his escape and Shadow was worried for his friends, but they had already told him to go save Sonic. So now here he was running down a corridor where Eggman had so recently been in hope that it would lead him to his blue counterpart.
"Don't Worry Sonic, I'm coming." He whispered
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Back at the battle, things where not going so well. So far the hero group of 19 had already used their sword, bombs, bazooka, magnums, shotgun, wrist shooters, chao, ninja stars, spiral missiles, fists, spins and thunder shoots. Nothing seemed to work on the robot.
"DAMAGE INDEX… 1 PERCENT" boomed the robot. It shot its cannon at the Chaotix crew who all went flying in different direction
"YARGH!" Yelled Vector in pain.
"Only 1 percent! Mate this is INSANE!" Said Nack Desperately
"How do we beat this thing?" asked Metal
"It used to be very weak in the head… but that's what I've been shooting and I can't seem to damage it!" Said Miles
"Head? Why didn't you say that earlier?" Said Nite. He took aim and shot at the robot's cranium.
"DAMAGE INDEX… STILL READING 1 PERCENT" it boomed
"Wha?"
"I told you it wasn't doing anything, Eggman must have increased the armour all around the robot." Sighed Miles "this looks impossible, if this thing is this hard to dent, we may as will pack it in now"
"Don't say that!" Said Tails
"Tails?"
"If Sonic where here, he wouldn't give up, and nether would Shadow, so nether can we!" Said the brave little fox.
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Shadow had just managed to get to a room at the end of a corridor. A Dangerous sight greeted him. It was an old machine with two chambers in each end… in the centre was a console, which Eggman was working at, and in the left chamber, surrounded by water, was Sonic.
"Eggman!" Shadow Yelled "What is this?"
"Ah Shadow…" Said Eggman turning around "To tell you the truth I don't know… all I know is that it is a machine designed by my grandfather before he was executed. I found it on the same disk that led me to you. On it read "If a good blue hedgehog is around, then place him in this machine to gain the ultimate power". I don't know how he knew about Sonic, but… he did steer me in the right direction to find "Ultimate destruction". That was you after all."
During Eggman's little explanation Shadow's eyes filled with horror, a machine left behind by Gerald to do with Sonic… "EGGMAN YOU FOOL!" He Yelled
"What?"
"If that machine does what I think it does… THEN YOU HAVE JUST DOOMED US ALL!"
"I don't think so." Said Eggman, he jumped into an Eggmobile with Arms, enforced armour and a Spiked Helmet "And besides you have other things to worry about Shadow, This is the Eggcrusher, it was one of my best creations, it certainly gave Sonic a run for his money, and I heard from my one conscious Eggrobo that it also gave Knuckles a hard time." With that he lunged his robotic head with arms at Shadow, another fight beginning.
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Back at the Pluto room, the 19 heroes where faring a little better than before, Pluto had revealed it only had two main attacks, the cannon and the machine gun. It probably was very fast but the room hindered its progress being too small for it to move.
"DAMAGE INDEX… 10 PERCENT" It Boomed, it turned out that it was tough, but as long as they kept one step ahead, and had enough rings to heal them, they would eventually beat it
"Keep at it guys!" Yelled Knuckles, smashing it in the chest "We can beat this thing!"
"Stupid Machine, once I beat you I'm going to help my Sonic!" yelled Amy, hitting it in the shin with her hammer
"DAMAGE INDEX… 11 PERCENT" It called out
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The Eggcrusher flew at Shadow, trying to pick it up. Shadow dodged he had already been grabbed and slammed already. It hurt, he didn't want hit again, especially if that machine was doing what he thought it did.
"It's no use Shadow!" yelled Eggman "Give up! You haven't even tried to hit me yet!"
Realising that Eggman was right he tried kicking the glass of the cockpit, however no damage was sustained "What the?"
"Ha! This modification is much stronger than the others, that's why it took Sonic and Knuckles so long to beat it! You may eventually defeat it, but by then it will be too late, the machine will have finished it's possess, what ever it is!"
"You talk to much Eggman, and I have no time to play this stupid waiting game with you" Shadow started running for the machine to turn it off, only to find Eggman in his way "What?"
"I also increased its speed, I will block you if need be! And guess what? This room has special partials that prevent Chaos Control through it!"
Shadow tried to find that Eggman was right, while here, he couldn't use his Chaos manipulation techniques. "Eggman, I ask, stop this madness!"
"Why Should I?"
"Because, if that machine is what I think it is, it will undo what Miles had spent 45 years of his life to accomplish!"
"And what might that be?"
"To turn the ultimate weapon of destruction… the final Ultimate lifeform… into the ultimate hero."
"Bah! Stop it with these lies Shadow. If that's true what has Sonic got to do with it?"
"Guess…"
Eggman looked confused through his window, then comprehension flashed across his face, then he burst out laughing "Are you trying to tell me that Sonic is my grandfather's ultimate weapon? That is so ridicules its funny!"
"Always the fool"
"What is that supposed to mean?"
"Think about it Eggman. Why do Sonic and I look so much alike? Why can we use the same skills? Why can we both so much alike?"
"Mere coincidence"
"Then why does your grandfather have a machine that has to do with Sonic in a base over 45 years old?"
Eggman took a moment to think, and then laughed again. "Very well Shadow, if you are right, then this machine will change him back to the way he was, and if I'm right…" he chuckled "Then he will obey every one of my commands willingly, as I am Gerald's air"
Shadow saw that there was no way to get through to Eggman and sighed. "If that's what you think, then all hope is lost"
Just then a beep came from the machine behind Eggman, the left pod drained and opened
"Shadow…" Said Sonic as he fell out. Shadow rushed over to his Counterpart
"Sonic? Are you alright?" he asked
"I… I dunno… I hurt all over"
Shadow was relived to see the green was still in Sonic's eyes "You're still your heroic self… for a moment I thought…"
A voice behind him interrupted from the right side pod. "That he became evil again brother? I'm afraid to tell you that you aren't far off."
Shadow instantly recognised the voice… and turned with a shocked and horrified look on his face. Sonic too saw the new figure, and was just as shocked.
"I… I don't believe it…" he managed to say
What stood before them was a blue hedgehog with spikes pointing downwards… his shoes where red with a single white striped, and both his cuffs on his gloves and shoes where black. What stood before them… was another Sonic the Hedgehog…
"Free at last…" He said opening his eyes to reveal their blood red colour