Chapter 14

Battle It Out

The next day Shadow and Sonic headed out running as fast as they could to get to Eggman's base. On the way Sonic told Shadow everything about the situation.

"What about this "chip" that fell out of her ear, did you examine it?" Shadow questioned.

"I was going to, but when I went to pick it it zapped me so I threw it."

"That could have been a tiny communication devise he used to contact, track and perhaps even control her."

Sonic began to slow down, then they stopped together, "She's not being controlled, she a trader! I should have never trusted her in the first place. I hate her!"

"If you hate her so much, then why are we doing this?"

Sonic looked away.

"I know your hurting Sonic, but you can't let that hurt blind you. Everything that has happened may not be what it seems."

"What am I suppost to think?" Sonic argued,

"Once we take Aurora away from the base you can find out what's really going on."

Sonic rolled his eyes, "I'm probably right."

Shadow sighed.

"Why are you helping me anyway?"

Shadow smirked, "I can't have fakers like you getting anymore pathetic than they already are. Besides, if you stay like this, beating you will be even simpiler than it was before."

Sonic grinned, "After this you and me are having a re-match."

"Fine, as long as you're prepared to lose."

Sonic let out a proud "Ha!" as Shadow laughed lightly.

When the two hedgehogs arrived at Chaos Control they had a surprisingly easy time sneaking in. And once they were in the search began.

While roaming the halls they heard foot steps and quickly hid behind the corner.

They waited but nothing came down the hall, but they could still see shadows and hear voices.

"Did you seclude Aurora in the cloning chambers?" asked Dr. Eggman.

"Yes, but I still don't understand why she should be in there anyway, it's not like you're cloning her." said Rouge.

"Just do what your told and don't question my orders!"

"Whatever, I'm leaving."

"Make sure you get rid of her before you leave."

"Fine, fine, but there better be more than one Chaos Emerald at the door or you haven't heard the last of me!"

The conversation ended and Rouge came down the hallway.

"Let's get her!" Sonic whispered.

"No! Let's wait and see where she goes."

They waited and Rouge went into a door down the hall where they were spying.

The two hedgehogs quickly followed her in. The room was filled with large tubes streaming across the ceiling, there was also a switch board and many empty cloning capsules all lined up. When the two burst into the room they found Rouge pulling a leaver on the wall. Neither of them knew what to expect from it, but they quickly noticed what it did. A capsule in the middle of the room had a barely dressed, beaten, Aurora inside of it. She was standing but her eyes were closed. Her capsule started to fill with green smoke until you couldn't see her anymore.

Shadow rushed to turn off the lever pushing a shocked Rouge aside as Sonic ran to the capsule and punched a whole in the front of it tearing a rip in his glove and making blood spray everywhere.

Aurora fell forward out of the capsule limply. Sonic's caught her before she hit the floor and held her close, keeping her head up. She was very cold, but she still had a faint pulse.

Suddenly a feeling overwhelmed him and he desperetly tried to hold back the tears. His heart sped up faster than he could ever run and when he took her hand he couldn't help but let loose and cry. What is this? he thought, Is this love?

Shadow unfortunatly missed the Kodiac moment and was busy trying to get some information out of Rouge.

"What's going on!" he demanded.

"Don't ask me! I'm innocent! I just want my Emeralds!"

"I not going to play games, Rouge." he informed her sternly.

"Why don't you ask Eggman then?" she said pointing.

Shadow looked but no one was there when he looked back Rouge was gone.

"Bye bye sugar. Maybe we can play some other time." she said before she flew out the door.

There was no use following her now, she was gone.

Shadow now noticed Sonic and hurried over to help. But the moment he got close lasers zaped through his body. Shadow cried out in ageny. Sonic looked up just in time to see him fall over.

"SHADOW!" the blue hedehog screamed.

Sonic ran to help him but got the same surprise. Sonic also fell when the lasers let up.

Unlike Shadow, Sonic was still vagely concious. He used his arms to try and lift himself up, but only succeeded in coming to his knees.

"Sonic the hedghog."

Sonic knew that voice. The hedgehog lifted his head to see Dr. Eggman standing not too far away from him.

"I've been expecting you." he said before pressing a button on the remote in his hand.

Aurora's limp body rose from the floor her head lifted like it was on a string until it met his gaze. Her eye lids drooped heavily as if she was waking from a long nap and her eye's reflected no light as if she was dead.

Without warning Dr. Eggman slid a revolver across the floor, Sonic dived for it but missed and slid into Aurora's feet. Aurora quickly snatched the gun before Sonic could.

Aurora put the gun under Sonic's chin, "Stand up." she said her voice dark and cold with no emotion.

Sonic hastily stood.

"You see Sonic? You cannot win. I was bound to win are game of cat and mouse sooner or later." here Eggman laughed,"but being the generious man I am I'm giving you a choice. Join me or die along with your heroic intensions and obnoxious attitude."
Sonic seethed, "I'd rather die than join you."

Disipointment and anger emerged on Dr. Eggman's face,"Fine, I have given you chance, after chance, after chance, and you just won't yeild. If this is what you wan't so be it."
Sonic closed his eyes and listened as the shot echoed throughout the room. Aurora had shot it all right but he wasn't dead. When Sonic opened his eyes Shadow was in front of him holding Aurora by the wrist. Aurora's finger had pulled trigger but her shot was abscured when Shadow hit the gun.

"Think again, Doctor."

"NO!"

In fury Eggman accidently hit the button again. Aurora's eyes rolled back then closed as she fell into Shadows arms.

"ATTACK!" Dr. Eggman roared, "

In the blink of an eye millions of robots fell from the ceiling or ran into the room. Bullets of every kind were shot out as Sonic and Shadow tried to dodge them.

One hit Sonic in the arm. He cried in pain as he fell to his knees.

Shadow was having a hard time dodging the bullets and trying to make sure they didn't hit Aurora.

One robot shot a missle and hit the ceiling making a huge steel pipe fell. Shadow saw his chance and took it.

"Come on!" Shadow grabbed Sonic's arm and hid behind the pipe ducking in cover.

"Are you okay?" he asked, checking out Sonic's arm.

Sonic pulled away, "I'm fine! Give me Aurora!"

Shadow handed her over.

Sonic lifted up her head.

Sonic wasn't real mushy but he admitted it to Shadow, "My heart hurts..."

"Well if I don't get a gun in a few seconds that won't be the only thing hurting."

"Thanks your so understanding..." Sonic said sarcaticly.

"Yeah I know." Shadow smirked, "Just give me a second and then we can talk about your commitment issues."

Shadow housted himself up, charged at the robots, picked off one of the littler ones and took it's tommy gun. Then he ran back.

"Well then," Shadow smiling at Sonic as he made the gun click,"Let's get this show on the road.

Shadow leaned out and held in the trigger picking off the robots best he could. He even got Eggman's foot!

One of the robots got a lucky strike and hit his hand but Shadow didn't drop the gun it just made him angry.

"TAKE THIS!" he roared firing again.

"I'm out of bullets!" Shadow said when leaned back behind the pipe

Sonic and Shadow could hear the robots marching toward them.

The black hedehog looked at Aurora then Sonic, "What do we do now?"

Sonic grinned, "Got ring?"

Shadow grimaced, "Nooo!"

The blue hedgehog frowned, "Oh."