ALTERED FATE
III
Teams Sonic, Dark (minus Omega), and Rose stared up at the mechanical monstrosity before them. The sky was far darker than it was just ten minutes ago; the clouds were pitch-black, and seemed to absorb all light that touched them. This light was then released as deadly bolts of lightning that forked across the sky in erratic patterns. Rain poured down from the clouds as though the heavens themselves were distraught by the birth of this metal god.
Cream turned away from the Metal Overlord, trying to avoid His gaze. Whenever His eyes met hers, she felt a chill sweep her, and an overwhelming fear that all good things in life would come to a bitter end.
"I'm scared, Mr. Big," Cream whimpered, burying herself in his fur.
"Chao chao," agreed Cheese and Chocola.
"Don't worry," replied Big. "I'm here to protect you."
"He changed a lot since the Little Planet," Amy said, a look of awe and terror on her face.
"Just because you have the Master Emerald again doesn't mean you're gonna beat us," Knuckles muttered, more to himself than Metal.
"Sonic, we gotta find a way to beat Metal Sonic!" Tails stated the obvious.
"I know, Tails! But how?" Sonic pondered, scratching his head.
"He'll pay for stealing the Master Emerald from me!" Rouge declared.
"Hmph... even a robot god can't stop me!" Shadow mumbled.
"Who dares to challenge me?" Metal Overlord roared. "I am the ultimate overlord, and you pathetic fools have no chance of defeating me! So amuse me, and rebel against my rule!"
Suddenly, Sonic had an epiphany. He turned to the others and whispered, "Okay, guys! I have an idea to whoop this guy, but we need the seven Chaos Emeralds and 50 rings!"
Amy's eyes widened, "Sonic, no! You'll get killed!"
"I'll be fine," Sonic smirked.
"I'm going with you, too!" Tails protested, and Sonic looked over in shock.
"You can count me in, too!" Knuckles agreed.
Sonic, eyes wide as well, said, "Okay, then! Now we need 150 rings and the seven Emeralds!"
Cream blinked, then held out the yellow Emerald. "Here you go, Mr. Sonic."
Big handed Sonic the purple Emerald. "Duh, here's the pretty Emerald, Sonic."
Shadow handed Sonic the green Emerald he found, and the cyan and red Emeralds that Espio and Charmy had collected. "I don't see what good it'll do; after all, you aren't the ultimate life form. Still, good luck; you're gonna need it."
Rouge held out the silver Emerald she found, albeit very reluctantly. "It's a pity to give away a perfectly good jewel. Still, if it's for a good cause..."
"Wait, Mr. Sonic!" Cream shouted. Sonic looked over, and asked, "What's wrong, Cream?"
"You only have six Emeralds," she said. "We don't have time to get the last one."
"I do," Sonic grinned, pulling out a blue Emerald. Everyone's hopes rose; they had the seven Chaos Emeralds.
Sonic turned to the Metal Overlord. "We can beat you, Metal! We challenge your new empire!"
Metal looked at Sonic disbelievingly, and growled, "You puny hedgehog! What makes you think you could defeat me if your friends couldn't?"
"We don't think we can beat you, Metal Sonic," Sonic retorted. "We know we can beat you! Right, Tails, Knuckles?"
"Right!" Tails and Knuckles agreed.
"The name 'Metal Sonic' no longer has any meaning for me," snarled the dragon. "My name is now and forever will be Metal Overlord!"
"Yeah, sure," Sonic said. "But, ya gotta give us about 10 minutes to get ready. Deal?"
A long silence fell on them. The lightning itself seemed muted now. The blue dragon before them had His left hand to His jaw in thought. After almost a minute of tension, the Overlord looked back at them.
"Very well," said the Overlord. "I have waited several months for my revenge. What's a few minutes? Go on. Ten minutes; no more, no less. If you are but one second late, your friends here will pay!"
"Alright," Sonic gave a thumbs-up to the Overlord, then turned to Amy. She noticed that he seemed to be looking into her eyes more deeply than he ever did.
"Take care of yourself, Amy," he said. Then he did something that he never thought he would do: he kissed Amy on the lips! After he realized what he was doing, though, he pulled away quickly. The two hedgehogs had a slight blush on their faces, though Amy's was stronger.
After a tense silence, Sonic regained his composure. "Anyway, let's go, guys!"
"Okay!" Tails said.
"Alright!" Knuckles said.
And the three dashed off to collect the 150 rings necessary for them to go Super.
"And now we wait," Shadow muttered, crossing his arms and looking serious. The others got comfortable, hoping that Team Super Sonic would defeat the Metal Overlord swiftly. Amy just shuffled through her tarot cards, trying to predict the future. However, her ability to foresee events yet to be has been clouded recently. Cream and Big watched Cheese and Chocola scamper about with Froggy. Rouge just stood by Shadow, pondering on whether or not it would be wise to make off with the Master Emerald if they got out of this alive.
"Awwww, Cheese likes Chocola," Cream smiled. Cheese was skipping after Chocola not unlike a little girl who just saw a boy whom she fancied.
"Wow, you're right," Big said. "Look, Froggy!" But Froggy was nowhere to be seen. "Froggy? Not again." Then, Big's ears picked up a strange sound: a 'ribbit', but it sounded strained, frantic. It came from over Big's head. He looked up, and was horrified at the sight: Froggy was held up by an unnatural force. His yellow eyes nearly popped out of their sockets from the pain he was experiencing.
"FROGGY!" Big cried, reaching up for the frog. Whatever force held Froggy lifted him higher, out of Big's reach. Big prepared his fishing rod, then hesitated. He would hurt Froggy with the hook on the lure.
"What's wrong, Big?" sneered the Metal Overlord sadistically. "Too high for you?"
Big glared at Metal, "Let me have Froggy back!"
"Very well," gnarled the blue dragon, and Froggy lowered into Big's arms. But something seemed wrong with him. His whole demeanor seemed different, angrier. His eyes had a red gleam in them, one that made Big tilt his head confusedly. Then, Froggy pounced at Big's head.
Cream and Amy paid Big and Froggy no mind when the Overlord returned him, but the resounding thud told them something: Big fell over. They looked over; Froggy was latched onto Big's head, and seemed to be attacking him viciously.
"Big/Mr. Big!" Amy and Cream shouted. Froggy glared up at them. They saw that he had a yellow ball attached to a pinkish-red string hanging from his mouth. After a moment of incomprehension, they realized it was one of Big's eyes; somehow, Froggy had received the urge to rip it out.
Big sat up, blood running from his right eye-socket and staining his white muzzle red. Amy and Cream could see his brain through the hole where his eye was. He had a look of great pain and horror on his face. "Froggy, why'd you do that?"
Froggy answered with a bloody explosion. Big, Cream, and Amy shielded themselves from the shower of frog-gore.
"What's happening, Amy?" Cream asked through tears. Amy hugged the young rabbit to comfort her.
"I don't kn-- LOOK OUT!" Amy pulled Cream down to the ground as two small objects leapt toward Big. Once they were clear, Amy and Cream looked up as the two things ran towards Big. They realized that it was Cheese and Chocola; their eyes had a red gleam in them as well. Amy turned Cream away, not wanting Cream to see the carnage...or whatever the two possessed Chao could do.
Cheese leapt past Big, towards his discarded fishing rod. Big just stood there trying to come to terms with what was happening. Cheese spun the fishing rod in circles, then let the line shoot out. It circled around Big's neck, and Big let out a half-gasp, half-choke of shock. Chocola caught the other end of the hook by the lure.
Amy clenched her eyes shut.
The two Chao pulled as hard as possible.
Big's head flew straight up from his shoulders, spinning slowly through the air. His body sagged to the ground just moments before his head slumped onto the metal ground. His neck let out a few extra spurts of blood before his body collapsed and Big was reunited with Froggy.
Suddenly, Cheese and Chocola returned to normal. When they saw what the Metal Overlord made them do, they began shrieking, "CHAAAAOOOO!" over and over again.
"Thank you, my young Chao," hissed the Metal Overlord. "Because of your willingness to open your minds to me, and for the efficiency of the job you did, I shall give you your rewards!" He raised His claw, pointing it at them.
"NOOOOOO!" screamed Cream, running toward the two Chao. She knelt between Metal and the Chao as the Overlord fired a blast of green Chaos Fire at Cheese and Chocola.
"DON'T, CREAM!" Amy cried, running towards the young rabbit and the Chao. "YOU'LL BE--..."
A tremendous blast of green light blinded Amy. She shielded her eyes from the blast just a few yards in front of her. After a few seconds, the blast faded; yet, Amy lacked the courage to see the aftermath. After several seconds of arguing with herself, Amy looked up at what was there...or rather, what wasn't there.
The entire area where Cream and the Chao were was decimated. The two levels beneath were eradicated, and Amy could see the Egg Pawns within looking up in disbelief. Cream and the Chao were nowhere to be seen.
A tear rolled down Amy's face. Then, her eyebrows lowered in pure hatred as she leveled her gaze on the Metal Overlord. Rouge and Shadow had looks of unease on their faces; and this is saying something, since Shadow is hardly ever uneasy.
"YOU BASTARD!" Amy shrieked, tears rolling down her face. "SHE WAS ONLY SIX YEARS OLD! AND YOU WENT AGAINST YOUR DEAL!"
The Metal Overlord was unfazed by Amy's anger. "I did no such thing, hedgehog! Myself and Sonic agreed that you would not be harmed if he returned within 10 minutes, but he failed to specify that I couldn't harm you to entertain myself in the meantime!"
The two hedgehogs and Rouge looked up at the blue dragon. Shadow had to commend Metal for the loophole that He found. Shadow himself had found the loophole, but only hoped that Sonic had found it. His fears were amplified when Sonic didn't acknowledge the loophole, and Shadow knew at once that Sonic did not even notice it.
Amy turned to face Shadow and Rouge. They saw sadness in her puffy eyes and tears running down her face, but were stunned by the sheer hate burning in her green eyes.
"C'mon, guys!" Amy growled. "Help me teach this son of a bitch a lesson!"
The Metal Overlord cackled malevolently. "You fools! None of you can defeat me! Even the ultimate life form can't stop me!"
"Hmph! We'll see about that!" Amy snarled. She didn't wait for anything; she threw her Piko Piko Hammer straight at the Metal Overlord. He batted it away as if it were nothing. The hammer flew out into the great storm that surrounded them, where it was vaporized by the bolts of lightning.
The six pipes connecting the blue dragon to the tower snapped, and He sprouted a pair of great wings. With a great flap, He launched into the air. He circled overhead like a goliath bird of prey, then descended rapidly towards them. He landed before them with a crash that shook the entire vessel.
"You useless hunk of junk!" Shadow snorted, leaping at the Master Emerald lodged in the dragon's chest like a heart. The Metal Overlord didn't even resist as Shadow clung to the great jewel and shouted, "CHAOS CONTROL!"
Shadow entered Chaos Control in a flash of green light. He leapt back to the ground, facing the immobile Overlord. While in Chaos Control, Shadow could do anything to Metal, then observe his handiwork when he reverted to real-time.
"Chaos Spear!" Shadow launched several yellow spears of energy at the Metal Overlord. Then the Overlord moved! But how? Shadow was still in Chaos Control. Then he realized: Metal Sonic copied his ultimate life form data, so He could use Chaos Control too! The blue leviathan raised His hand, and the yellow spears changed direction, bolting towards Shadow.
Shadow had no time to do anything. The bolts of energy ripped into his body, tearing his flesh, boiling his blood, rending his organs, snapping his bones. When it was over, Shadow (or what was left of him) lay in a bloody heap before the Metal Overlord. His last thought in the mortal realm was: Maria...
To Rouge and Amy, Shadow vanished in a flash of green light, and reappeared lying before them. It took all of Amy and Rouge's willpower not to retch. Shadow was ripped to pieces while in Chaos Control; the edges of his skin had cauterized in places. A pool of fresh blood oozed from his wounds, nearly reaching their feet. They knew he was in a better place now, with Maria.
"What a fool," growled the Metal Overlord. "His arrogance born of the fact that he was the ultimate life form led to his death. He is nothing but a speck of dust compared to my power. I am the true ultimate life form!
"You young fools haved served your purpose, whatever it was. Now, you shall perish." The Overlord raised His hand, firing great bolts of green lightning from His fingertips. Rouge flew into the air; Amy jumped up and grabbed her feet when she reached a good altitude. But that good altitude wasn't good enough. Metal Overlord raised His hand, the lightning flying straight for Rouge. The green bolts scorched her fur and skin; her clothes were set aflame.
Rouge's back arched as she let out a scream of agony. Amy let go of Rouge's flailing feet without thinking. Amy knew that she might break something from this fall; still, it was better than dying. Amy landed with a soft thud on the ground. Amy was surprised that she didn't break anything. She did fall nearly 30 feet.
Amy looked up at Rouge, and immediately wished that she didn't. The bolts of green lightning held Rouge suspended in midair, so strong was the electrical current ravaging her body. Amy could see Rouge's bones glowing through her skin. The onslaught intensified, and Rouge's screams ceased. Amy could see her skin stretched taut, her clothes hanging over her violently spasming form in burnt shreds. Amy found herself transfixed with the horror unfolding before her. Suddenly, a flash of green light surrounded Rouge, and the lightning blinked out of existence like a switch was thrown. All that was left of Rouge was a cloud of ash that even now was being blown away on the wind.
"NO!" Amy screamed.
"Heh heh heh!" the Metal Overlord chuckled. "Four down, one to go!"
Amy whispered under her breath, "C'mon, Sonic! If you don't get here in time, there won't be anyone to save."
"Now, young Rose," hissed the blue dragon in front of her, pointing His claw at Amy. "You will die."
It all happened so fast; a blast of Chaos Fire launched from the Metal Overlord's claw. Just before it eradicated Amy, a bolt of yellow lightning, a blue tornado, and a ball of blood-red fire redirected its course. The Chaos Fire smashed into one of the large missile turrets nearby, disintegrating it.
Then, a familiar voice spoke:
"Yo, big, blue, and ugly! Lookin' for us?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
(Notes: Whew! That took some time gettin' to. I apologize for the wait, but a number of circumstances kept me reading on but not writing for it. I was so wrapped up in reading that I nearly lost interest in writing altogether. Besides, I got a screenname at as ZaphodKenobi, where I posted my first Star Wars fanfic, Ultimate Revenge of the Sith. Look for that here on in the not-so-near future.
As a note to all my faithful readers, this will be the last update you see in a while. I signed up for both Advanced Placement classes at my high school (US History and Literature), and I got a TON of summer work, which includes reading four books! I deeply regret my lack of updates here, but I must keep up with my work at school. You wouldn't want me to repeat my junior year, would you?
And ProblemChild, if you're reading this, don't worry. I'll get back to Mao-Chan: Volume I soon. I'm just having difficulties concentrating on Chapter 12. I'll get it finished eventually! I am also preoccupied with the second installment in the Story of Kusanagi-sama: The War of the Gods. I have the first four chapters written, though in need of revision. The other six chapters are in the planning stages. Keep your eyes peeled!
I had the misfortune of seeing Seed of Chucky recently. It was interesting though, as I saw Billy Boyd and Brad Dourif in a certain blockbuster trilogy. If you noticed my homage to Seed of Chucky, congratulations!)