Metal regarded the golden hedgehog with suspicion, "Who are you?"

Sperk smirked, "I am Sperk, The Lord of Thunder!"

Metal chuckled, "It will take much more to defeat me than fancy titles." He snapped his fingers and three hedgebots walked to him, "Kill him!" The three bots launched themselves at Sperk.

"Scrap!" Sperk swung his halberd hard and lightning arched around the blade of the weapon. He hit all three of the bots and they fell back with large slashes in their respective chests. The bots slowly stood up and Sperk shot forward. He threw his halberd into the middle bot and it impaled it in the chest. He summoned two spheres of golden energy in his hands and tossed them at the other two. The spheres impacted and the bots exploded. Sperk grabbed his weapon and ran forward. The bot sparked as it dangled on the weapon. The hedgehog suddenly stopped and the bot flew off the halberd and into the crowed of the ten remaining bots. It exploded, taking three of its companions with it. Sperk spun his halberd around and stood ready in front of Metal, "Anything else?"

Metal stepped back a little as he weighed his options, 'Where did he get that kind of power? My sensors are going haywire just trying to measure his energy level.' Metal waved his arm, "Attack!" The seven hedgebots curled into balls and blasted at Sperk. Sperk held out his halberd as all seven struck at once. He dug his feet in as the seven bots continued to spin and push him back. As he tried to summon the energy to blast them back, Metal ran around him and shot him in the back with his eye lasers. Sperk quickly formed a force field of energy around his back and he weathered most of the attack. Metal laughed as he kept firing, "You have a lot of energy and power, but you can't withstand this onslaught for long."

Sperk fell to one knee, but kept up the defense, "Damn!" He glanced at Lara who was pulling herself up, "Lara!"

Metal laughed, "She can't help you!"

"LARA! I know you hate me, but I need your help. Robotnik is both our enemy. Only you can help me."

Lara looked at the sight of Sperk being attacked and looked toward the sky, "Forgive me!" She stood up and ran at him, "Do it!"

Sperk nodded and pulled one of his hands from his weapon and held it up at Lara. Metal wanted to stop her, but her dared not stop the assault. Sperk's hand started to glow red, "With this key, I unlock the demon with in!" Lara transformed into a red emerald and was absorbed by Sperk. His eyes flashed crimson and he exploded in crimson light, "Thank you!" His fur and quills turned crimson and with a surge of power he blasted free. The hedgebots were blasted into the air and Sperk sliced them in half with his halberd. He spun around and stood facing Metal.

"What is this? Only Speed has a berserker system."

Sperk chuckled, "You fool! I am his son! But there is a major difference. My emotions and feelings are firmly in place. So I can use this power as I wish!" Sperk spun his halberd around and slammed in into the ground. Lightning blasted from the sky and blasted through the ground. Metal jumped to the side as the lightning exploded under him. He rolled across the ground, his metal skin burnt and bent.

Metal pressed a button on his waist and a small hoverpad flew by. He jumped on, "This isn't over!"

"It is now!" Lara separated from Sperk. He managed a small smile, "Thanks!"

"Forget it!" Lara started to run away, but she vanished in a burst of black light.

Sperk cursed and looked at his watch, "Crap! If I don't intercept those guys, I'm dead!" He pulled a small black orb from his belt and pointed it forward. Small arcs of black energy shot from it and a black vortex opened. He jumped through and it closed.

Julie looked around, "What happened?"

Shadow led the others through the grassland. He hated being so much in the open, but there was little he could do about it. Either stay in the cave, or go to the palace. They were about half way there when he decided to stop for a spell, "Lets rest for a few minutes. No sense on wearing ourselves out before we get there." Knuckles and Rouge agreed and all three sat in the grass. Shadow sighed, "I don't like this at all. I can't help but to feel like we are walking into a trap."

Rouge looked around, "Well at least it will be hard for us to be snuck up on."

"True!"

Knuckles tapped his fist on the ground, "I could dig us a tunnel to the palace, but it will take much longer."

Shadow looked at the palace in the distance, "I would feel better, but we don't have that kind of time." He stood up, "Break over!"

Luxor chuckled to himself as he watched the trio make their way toward his palace, "My son is a natural leader. It is a pity he didn't grow up in my care." He heard footsteps behind him and he smiled, "Welcome back! So how is my messenger from the future?"

"Fine! I had to enlist the help of an enemy to defeat Robotnik's machines."

"Robotnik is an annoyance of mine, so any chance to annoy him is fine by me. And I couldn't let you die."

"So how will you deal with Shadow, my lord?"

Luxor turned away from his crystal orb and walked to the two candles. The light red one was half melted, "Soon my slave will be free from my control. But soon both will serve me for as long as I wish. I just need to have both of them grasp their lighted candles and their souls will be mine. Sadly they must both touch them at the same time. Damn curses and their restrictions." He pulled two small black skulls off of his wall and tossed them onto the floor. They exploded and two large lizard-like creatures appeared, "Go and stop Shadow and his friends. Do what you must to stop them, but do not kill them." The creatures nodded and vanished in a burst of fire. Luxor smiled, "Prepare two candle carriers! I will go personally."

Two fires roared to life in front of Shadow and the others and the two creatures leapt out of the flames. Each stood at eight feet tall, with black-green scales, sharp red claws, and burning red eyes. They licked their large green fangs and their drool burned the ground like acid. Rouge gulped and stepped back, "What are those things?"

"Hell-Lizards!" Shadow prepared to fight, "Luxor uses them as guard dogs."

Knuckles looked at his gauntlet, "Lets use the armor!"

"No! There is something wrong about that armor."

Rouge sighed, "Your just paranoid." Both her and Knuckles activated their armor. Rouge chuckled, "Now lets get them!" As the pair started to attack, their armor glowed with black light and the knelt down. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't move.

Shadow sighed, "Told you!"

A loud laugh filled the area as Luxor appeared, "So you figured it out. I created the armor long ago. My brother was foolish to tell you about them." Luxor snapped his fingers and two figures in black robes appeared with the two candles, "My son! I give you one last chance to join me willingly."

"Shove it!" Shadow dashed forward and tried to hit Luxor with his fist. One of the lizards jumped toward him and slammed him down. Shadow hit the ground hard and rolled to his feet, "To afraid to fight me?"

Luxor chuckled as he summoned a small flame on his finger tip, "I am far to powerful to dirty my hands with physical fighting." He lit the candle, "That is why I have you."

Shadow's eyes flashed black and he grabbed his head and yelled out, "What are you doing to me?"

"Don't worry! It will all be over soon." He snapped his fingers again and Leda appeared in a burst of black light, "Now, grasp the candles!" Shadow walked over and both he and Leda reached for the candles. As both of them touched them, Shadow slapped Leda down and kicked over the stands. The robed figures caught on fire and exploded in a burst of black light. The candles hit the ground and shattered. Luxor roared, "HOW!"

Shadow laughed, "I am the world's ultimate life form! No pathetic spell can control me." He glanced down toward Leda, but she was out cold, 'Hit her a little to hard!' Shadow ran at Luxor, "Now to deal with you!"

Luxor snapped his fingers and both lizards shot forward and knocked him down, "Kill him!" The lizards did what could only be figured as a laugh and slowly crawled around Shadow.

"Damn it!" Shadow stood up, "Where is back-up when I need it?"

As if on cue, several bolts of energy shot out and blasted the lizards back. Lara ran up behind Shadow, "Sorry I'm late!"

"No problem!" Shadow spit some blood from his mouth, "You fight these things before?"

"Yeah! They are pretty tough. But they can't defend from a full frontal assault. They are strong, but very stupid."

Shadow cracked his knuckles, "Then lets get them!"

As the pair moved to attack, a large bolt of lighting shot in front of them and Sperk walked forward, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Those things are smarter than you think." Sperk summoned his halberd, "It is time to decide, Shadow. One of us if her to help you and the other to kill you. Pick!"

Shadow looked at Lara then to Sperk, "Great!"