Chapter Four: Chaos Reborn
(A/N: Sorry to up and disappear for a few months, but I've been busy going to college and working at my job. Don't worry; I'll still continue the story, hopefully with way shorter waiting periods. I'll have more access to a computer. E-mail me if you think I should continue the 'Chaos Karaoke Bar Special' before/after the story or have it as its own story. I want to hear from you! Let me know I'm still wanted!)
Chaos Karaoke Bar Special #5:Closed. Be back in minutes.
(Loud banging is heard from behind the now barricaded front door.)
Author: (hammer in hand) Sarco! Get me some more wood!
Fans: Let us in! We want to party and read the next chapter!
Author: You can't! I'm almost finished! Not unless everybody donates to help me pay for the electric bill!
Sarco: Here, use this!
Author: Sarco, that's the counter top. Use wood from the stage floor.
Sarco: Okay. (drops it and opens a channel on his headset) Sarco to Tails, how's the security going?
(On the roof, Tails and shadow are lookouts)
Tails: So far, so good. We've managed to seal off the building. Nobody can get in.
(Shadow runs over to the side and kicks a ladder off the building)
Fan: Noooooo! (thud) I was this close. Blarg!
Shadow: Hah! That's what you get when you don't have permission.
Tails: Shadow, can you get in touch with Sonic and Knuckles?
Shadow: I'll try. (into the walkie-talkie) Sonic, Knuckles, can you hear me?
(only static is heard. Then Sonic's voice comes through.)
Sonic: Yeah, we're here. We are coming in now. Can you see us?
Shadow: (squinting, he sees Knux come into view from the sky holding sonic and groceries.) Yes. I can see you. (objects can also be seen thrown into the sky.) And so do the fans.
Knux: (strained) S-sonic? Why did we have to get twenty pounds of chili sauce?
Sonic: Because! I can't stand living without my chili dogs! I'd go mad!
Knux: Incoming! (doges a flying orange)
Sonic: Whoa! Hey, watch it! You nearly dropped me!
Knux: Will you shut up? We're almost there.
(They glide in just three meters from the roof when a lasso catches Sonic's ankle)
Knux: Mayday! Mayday! We're caught and being pulled down!
Tails: (over the radio) Okay. I'm coming!
(Tails flies over and tries to help, but can't because too much stuff was being thrown by the fans)
Tails: Author! I need backup!
Author: Roger. Sarco, give Tails some cover fire.
Sarco: Right. (sticks his head out of the second story window and breathes fire just above the heads of the crowd)
Fans: Oooooooh. (puts on shades and sunscreen.)
Sarco: Author, it's not working!
Knux: Sonic, take off your shoe. The rope will slide off.
Sonic: (shocked) What? I can't! These shoes are my life!
Tails: It's either the shoe or yourself!
Sonic: I'd rather go down with both shoes than live with one shoe.
Knux: Suit yourself then. (lets go)
Sonic: (falling) Aaaarrgghh! I didn't mean it for real!
Knux: Good thing I was carrying the groceries around my neck.
Tails: Yea. Come on, let's go eat.
(Tails and Knuckles fly back to the bar while Sonic gets swarmed by fans like ants.)
Fan #1: I got his shoe. (swoons)
Fan #2: I got one of his quills. Eek!
Fan #9,835: All I got was his glove. I wanted both.
Sonic: HEELLLPP!
(Inside, the group was eating chili-cheese burgers in candlelight)
Author: Hey, where's Sonic?
Knux: Oh, he forgot to get buns for his chili dogs. He'll be right back.
Author: I thought I just heard him.
Shadow: (trying not to laugh) You're hearing things.
Author: Whatever. On with chap 4! (munch)
An explosion shredded the wall as the laser fire continued to fly from all directions. Bots and beetles alike were turned into fireworks and/or swiss cheese. The rest were taking cover behind the more impervious shield hunters. Even with its upgraded features, the Cyclone still couldn't penetrate them. So they were left for Sonic to take care of. He would run right up to them, wait for them to lower their shields to fire at Sonic, he'd wave and jump out of the way before getting hit with one of Tails' missiles. All of them went up in a blast from a chain reaction with the other shield hunters because of their decision to stay close together. Sonic ran over to Tails and looked around. "I think that most of them." Tails nodded in agreement, "I can't pick up any -- wait! Two Hornet-9s down the hall." Sonic sped off and Tails followed. Sure enough, the Hornets were lazily roaming the lower hall. One of them turned around to see Sonic buzz thru it like a bullet through an apple. The other fired its homing missiles at Sonic, only none hit him. In fact, no missiles flew at him at all. The puzzled robot thought about it for a second before bursting into flaming confetti. Sonic walked up to the Cyclone with a smile on his face. "All right. Now let's find Rouge and the emeralds before Eggman sends more of his bots." They took off down a hall to an elevator. Tails hacked into the controls and it opened, only to have someone step out of the elevator. Sonic and Tails' eyes went wide in surprise.
"Didn't think I'd meet you here of all places, faker."
"What are you?" Rouge said as she felt her body stiffen. Inside the water sloshed around but then it took a more solid shape. A pair of hands formed, making the water that formed them a few shades darker. The dark water traveled from the hands to arms, a torso, legs, and then feet. The head formed a circle, which grew to the size of a bowling ball with two thick blades from the back and angling downward. To Rouge, it had the shape of an averaged-sized human, until it opened its eyes. They were reptilian in shape, but there was a distant look that Rouge caught for a moment. Its form grew thicker as it tested its movements; all the while, the water was absorbed into itself. A translucent finger touched the side and recoiled from the energy that ran through the glass. Its eyes tracked the room until they rested on Rouge, who was still immobilized. 'Dang it! Why can't I move?' Rouge thought frantically. BECAUSE I WILL NOT ALLOW IT, it said though its thoughts. "Release me!" Rouge tried in vain to move. The creature folded its arms. WHY ARE YOU HERE? "I want the copy emeralds. I can't let Eggman have them." The creature let out an ear-splitting screech and slammed its fists on the floor. DO NOT SPEAK HIS NAME! A surge of pure energy raced though Rouge and she cried out. She would've collapsed if not her being frozen in place. "Ugh. Now let me ask you a question. Why are you kept here with all of these emeralds?" Its anger seemed to leave when it sat down cross-legged. IF I RELEASE YOU, WILL YOU LISTEN TO MY STORY? She considered this and agreed. "Sure, but why are the original chaos emeralds around you?" The water creature looked with deep green eyes. IT IS BECAUSE THEY ARE A PART OF ME.
"Shadow!"
Sonic could not believe his eyes. There standing in front of him was the one person who he thought was dead and long gone. "It looks like you're surprised to see me. What gives?" the red and black hedgehog asked. Sonic responded with a huff, "well, for starters, how did you survive the fall and where were you all this time?" Shadow chuckled, "I am the ultimate life form after all. It'll take more than a simple fall to do me in."
"Simple? You fell from space! You would've been burned to a crisp." Shadow just smiled, "Now that's where you're wrong. I realized I had some chaos energy left and Chaos Controlled to the surface, but I ran out and reappeared in midair. I only fell a few miles into the ocean. It was there that I've been, drifting along like wood." Shadow clenched his hands. "I never felt so weak in my life. I eventually came to land in the Mystic Ruins where I stayed until I was fully healed." He turned to Tails. "This is where you come in. I overheard your transmission about Eggman's genetic experiments, so I went to his base in the desert, but the fat lard won't let me in! He says I'm Sonic in disguise. So I've been trying to get in the hard way when I ran into you guys, and like they say, the rest is history." Shadow waited and let his words have effect. When he saw no response, he frowned. "So what's been up with you guys? It seems to me that you've living the high life." Sonic twitched, "You think that we've just been grieving over your death for the past three months?"
"Shadow, why didn't you come to me when you were in the Mystic Ruins?" Tails asked, "I could've helped you, or at least, gotten you some help." Shadow snorted, "I don't need any charity from the likes of you." Sonic stepped in front of him. "Hey! You don't say that to my best friend!" "And just what are you going to do about it?" Sonic turned. "THIS!" He swung his right fist and it connected with Shadow's cheek. Shadow staggered back a few steps. Sonic rubbed his hand, "Now how 'bout we talk this over like civilized people without the trash?" Shadow charged him, "How 'bout not!" Sonic sidestepped him, but Shadow was prepared, and clotheslined him. His arm grabbed the rest of him and slammed Sonic to the ground in the same instant. Sonic threw his foot into Shadow's stomach, knocking the wind out of him. Shadow got in a couple more punches to Sonic's face before he was thrown backward. Shadow landed, ran over to Sonic and drove a fist downward, which connected through the floor when Sonic jumped out of the way at the last second. He grabbed Shadow's arm, swung him around, and then launched him into the wall, making it collapse on him. The hedgehog turned to Tails, "Alright, lets get out of here before Shad gets up to party some more."
Both Sonic and Tails crammed into the elevator. Tails typed some commands and the doors closed. It was when the elevator was descending that Sonic let out a sigh of relief. "Sonic, do you think that really was Shadow?" Sonic threw up his hands. "Most likely; I mean, I didn't think it was him at first, but after we fought, I was convinced that it was him." A part of the elevator box roof was ripped off and Shadow peeked inside. "Aww, I didn't know you cared." He said with malice. Sonic ran up the wall and onto the roof of the elevator. Shadow seized Sonic's leg and forced him to the floor. "Forget something?" Sonic turned to look at Shadow. "Yeah, like the reason you're so hostile!" Sonic answered, "What'd I ever do to you?" Shadow hurled a right cross at Sonic's ribs. "A fair question, I sense you are an enemy, but I know not why." Sonic dodged him and put Shadow into a headlock. "Sounds more like a lapse to the synapse in that noggin of yours. Maybe if you tried meditation; or maybe found yourself a girlfriend, you might get a handle on all that pent-up aggression!" Shadow roared and jabbed Sonic with his elbow, releasing him. "Maybe I just don't like your attitude!" Shadow yelled. Sonic took a breath. "What's not to like?" Shadow jumped to the other side of the roof. "It's time to finish this." He took a step forward and a missile blew up the spot where he was standing on. Shadow went flying into Sonic and through the side of the shaft. Sonic pushed the pieces of metal off him when he heard his wrist watch beep. "Tails! Why'd ya do that?" Tails seemed frantic over the comm. "Sorry. I thought I could help . . . and Sonic?"
"What?" Sonic said. "I think I severed the cables with that shot too." Shadow whacked Sonic over the head with a bar. Sonic jumped back. "OW! Enough Shadow! Why all the hassle in the first place?" Shadow just stood there, no emotion in his face. "Some secrets were never meant to be discovered." Just as he finished, the room shuddered when the box hit the bottom. Sonic rushed over to the hole. "TAILS!"
"Unfortunately for you, hedgehog, you've stumbled onto the most fatal secret of all." And Shadow was enveloped in a bright green light and vanished.
Chaos Karaoke Bar Special #6:Nightclub
(A/N:Because lawyers would beat me down, I have to put in this disclosure for one little thing, so here we go. I do not own the machine that Magneto used in the first X-Men movie. There! Happy?)
(rave music plays)
Author: woo! (twirls glow sticks in the dark)
Tails: (works the turntable while doing his best DJ impersonation)
Sarco: (comes in carrying a large box) I'm here!
Author: Oh, good. Just put it in the center of the floor.
Sarco: Alright. (puts the create down) Hey, where's Shadow?
Shadow: (yells from the ceiling) Up here. Whoa! AAAHH! (looses his grip and falls)
(Sarco looks up and gets bashed by Shadow)
Author: HAW!
Sarco: Shut up Author. Shadow, what were you doing up there?
Shadow: I was re-adjusting the lights. (zap) Oww! So, did you bring 'it'?
Author: Yep, it's in that box. (Shadow sees the box)
Shadow: Yes! Now I'll get the 'other' item that we need. (uses Chaos Control and disappears)
Author: And I'll start with this part. Tails!
Tails: . . . (not listening, still playing on the turntable)
Author: (irritated) TAILS!
Tails: What? (Author points to the box) Ya mean, it's here already? (runs over and dives into the box)
(mechanical sounds emit from the box)
Author: Sarco, you get the smoke machine ready, and then you're done.
Sarco: Whew! I thought I'd never get a moment's peace.
Author: And then you can make dinner for me.
(Sarco walks off grumbling and Shadow reappears with something heavy on his back)
Shadow: Hey, w-where do y-y-you w-want t-this? (collapses underneath the weight)
Author: Tails, are you ready?
Tails: (inside the box) Yeah. Put it in gently.
Author: You heard the man Shadow. Hop to it.
Shadow: (groans and Chaos Controlled the item inside the box)
(in comes Knuckles)
Knux: Author, help! The Master Emerald's been stolen! You have to help me find it!
Author: Sure. One thing though.
Knux: What's that?
Author: Look down.
Knux: (looks down and sees that he is standing on a struggling Shadow) Whoops.
Shadow: (gets up) Jeez. What's the matter with you? I'm outta here. (leaves)
Knux: Now can you help me?
Author: Okay. (puts his hand on his chin and starts thinking)
Knux: (after a few minutes) Anything?
(a small 'beep' came from the box)
Author: (brightens up) I know where it is!
Knux: Really? Where?
Author: Right here. Hit it Tails!
(all of the box's sides fell to reveal a snow-globe like machine with the Master Emerald in the center)
Knux: 00
Author: So, you like? Turn it on Tails!
Tails: Righty-o
(the machine hums to life and two half-circle bars began spinning around the emerald)
Knux: What kind of machine is THAT?
Author: Well, I got the idea from a movie and had it custom made. Except this one won't give off radiation, it just gives off psychedelic white light and give this building power until I've paid the electricity bill.
Knux: You can't use the Master Emerald as a generator! What about my island?
Author: It'll be alright. It's not like I'm keeping it. Just for a few weeks.
Knux: How are you gonna get enough money for three months of not paying the bills?
Author: Simple. I'm turning the bar into a night club.
(the machine starts buzzing)
Tails: Okay. It's all charged up.
Author: Were good to go Tails. Go get the suits. (Tails goes into the backroom)
Knux: I thought you said it doesn't give off radiation.
Author: (in a biohazard suit) Well, you can't take any chances. See ya in chapter 5