Heh heh...here's the next chapter of this fic, posted today and not some other day next week by popular demand!
...That, and I was bored and it was fun. The same reason you get up in the morning during vacation.
Disclaimer: Authoress does not own Sonic, but claims ownership of Raven, the protagonist, and the Fount of Light.
If the Fount of Light had been confusing originally, annoying after a while, and a serious pain in the neck before this newest turn of events, Sonic decided, then now it had reached a whole new level of incredibility with this Shadow-Biolizard rematch.
Basically ignoring the others present - except for the occasional swat aimed their way - the huge lizard was busily trying to exterminate Shadow the Hedgehog once and for all. Shadow wasn't making it easy for it, but he wasn't making much progress against the Biolizard either.
Eh, Biolizard, evil mind-controlling space-creature located inside scenic Biolizard Brains…same dif. As far as Sonic was concerned, either prospect was just like this place - totally insane.
And speaking of insanity…
A Chaos Blade bounced off the Biolizard's neck and took out a good chunk of ARK, right above their heads. Tails and Knuckles coughed as they were showered with dust - all that remained of the metal bulkhead up there - and Sonic glared at Raven, who was totally ignoring how much collateral damage he was causing.
"This is getting mighty pathetic," Sonic grumbled to himself as he leapt into the fray.
Shadow and his Chaos Spears were having just about as much effect on the thick-skinned Biolizard as Raven and his Chaos Blades, but Sonic was going to try something a little different. He aimed for the big lizard's back, where the life-support unit had been during their last encounter.
Destroying the mechanism that kept it alive would slow this overgrown salamander down, he figured.
Much to Sonic's disappointment and dismay, this version of the Biolizard was completely iron-lung-free. All that there was up on the beast's back was an area of soft, unarmored skin.
…Yes, that's right: soft, unarmored skin.
"Mmm, I think I can live with this," Sonic said to himself.
Then he let loose with a series of quick spindashes. When the Biolizard screamed and thrashed in the unexpected pain of it all, Sonic finished his fun off with a nice Sonic Wind, before leaping for safety and running like hell.
Which meant that most of the black energy balls sent his way missed. The last two sent him head-over-heels and down into one of the many holes that currently made up most of the floor. But Sonic wasn't worried - especially since Tails was right there to give him a hand and a lift.
"You're heavier then you were last time," Tails grunted as he brought the blue hedgehog to safety.
"No I'm not," Sonic replied.
Meanwhile, the Biolizard was lashing out with renewed viciousness, trying to keep its opponents at bay while it tried to deal with such a large chink in its armor. It couldn't do a thing, though, and a few Chaos Spears - plus one Chaos Blade - managed to hit home.
"INSECTS!" It roared, "You are NOTHING! NOTHING!"
"If we're 'nothing'," Shadow called right back in a tone of voice to make Sonic proud, "Then why can't you keep up, you big nematode!"
"Oh no," Tails and Knuckles groaned, "Sonic's bad influence is spreading…"
"All right!" Sonic cheered, "I have no idea what a nematode is, but you tell 'em, Faker!"
Shadow shot a sour look at the blue hedgehog. That millisecond was all the Biolizard needed to strike: Shadow was slapped into the air with violent force as the Biolizard's body rippled and changed.
The change was slow, like the formally smooth smokiness of the monster's flesh had turned to thick and gooey syrup. Yet it managed, trading in the Biolizard-look for something similar, but less bulky.
"Is this that monster's true form?" Knuckles wondered.
"True form?" sneered the monster, "Do not admit to your stupidity like that, Emerald Watcher. I was created without form, and exist only to destroy. I do not need something as pathetic as a body for that."
Just as Sonic was about to pipe up, pointing out how it had been the Biolizard until a little while ago, it lashed out with a heavily clawed limb. Much to everyone's shock - especially Shadow's, who was the target for this move - the leg-hand grew and grew, stretching like taffy.
"If I squeeze you hard enough, will your head pop off?" it wondered, flashing a full set of pointy teeth at the hedgehog in its now-tightening grasp, "Or should I bite you in two? Eat you whole, perhaps…"
"What is WITH you!" Tails yelled, unable to keep it back, "Why are you only out to kill Shadow!"
Amazingly, the smoke-lizard-monster looked very pleased to be asked this question. It even stopped increasing the pressure it was squeezing Shadow with as it turned towards the others to answer Tails.
"Little two-tail," it said in an almost amicable purr, "Would you not be very upset if an intricate plan of yours was ruined, despite any effort to prevent failure? And then you are all but destroyed when you attempt to take matters into your own hands to see your plan go through?"
"…And what plan are we discussing, exactly?" Tails ventured to ask, hoping to distract the monster long enough for someone to do something.
"Why, the plan of the Eclipse Cannon, naturally," purred the monster, "Originally an instrument to break up incoming planet-breaker meteors so that your world could remain safe…it even had such a pathetic name. 'Savior Gun', I believe it was. Nevertheless, when I managed to drive that Gerald human from grief into madness, it was easy to make the needed changes."
Here, the monster took a moment to glare at Shadow, who was vainly trying to squirm free.
"But then certain people took far too long and messed up far too much. Gerald's grandson and that Bat-girl were a pair of greedy fools, with no stomach for real entertainment. And then who moves against me but this little escapee…Gerald's so-called 'Fool-proof Dupe'. The Good Professor was so certain that his memory-wipe would never wear off…"
You could hear a pin drop after the last remark. Shadow was so shocked he even forgot about how he was trying to free himself.
Luckily for his continued life and its existence, Raven was not paying nearly enough attention to be shocked stiff. Wielding a longer-than-average Chaos Blade like a big yellow sword, he jumped from the ceiling and sliced into the arm holding Shadow.
Whatever stretchy material the monster was made of now wasn't even half as armored as the Biolizard was. With a loud growl, the monster pulled the half of its arm still attached to its body closer for protection, while the part still gripping Shadow fell a few dozen feet to hit the floor.
Well, it was the floor of a room below the gym, but a floor was a floor, in Sonic's opinion.