-Shadow-

I'm lying on the floor, on my side, my right leg a blaze of agony. Through pain-dulled vision, I can see the robot's metal bulk standing over me, levelling one of its guns at my head. I see Tails, on its back, trying to damage it, desperately trying to do something, anything that'll stop it, but it's taking as much notice of him as it might of a fly... there's nothing Tails can do to it. Is... is this the end...? It can't be... not now... not now, when for the first time in years we've had hope, a plan, a chance... I can't die now... it can't be over... All the times I've won... all the times I've lost... my successes, my failures... it can't end now...

My spikes keep my head facing left as I lie here, and to look up at the robot I have to look to my right. What's effectively a right hand is holding a gun only a little way away from my head... going to fire, going to end it. I can't let it, I can't just give up, not so easily, not now, but I can barely think past the pain and I don't know how I can stop this from happening... like when I lost my arm... but this time I'll die.

My arm... my metal lower arm, far stronger than my own natural one could ever have been. That strength's never been quite the asset it could be; I still can't pull on anything any harder than I could before, and if I were to try to, or to hold up anything too heavy, what's left of my own arm would break, or the metal part be torn off. The arm contains its own strength, can't extend it to the rest of me... but, maybe...

I brace the sharp tip of armour that protects my elbow against the floor, holding it there with all of my failing strength as I snap my hand up and slam it into the robot's gun, catching hold of the base of it and using all the strength my artificial wrist can provide to force it sideways. As long as the force keeps my elbow against the floor, the strength of the mechanical arm, not my own, will be able to hold the gun away – but only as long as the robot and I stay locked in this position. These ones are clever, and as soon as it works out that all it has to do is lift its gun and stop pushing against me and I'll be helpless again, it'll re-aim, fire, and end my life...

I can hear Tails almost sobbing as he struggles with it, trying with everything he can to make it stop, even make it attack him, anything to stop it from killing me, but it's paying no attention to him, trying to force my arm back so it can fire. I can feel the strain in the mechanism, and I'm afraid it'll fail altogether, that something will break. But then there's a shout, a familiar shout, in a familiar voice, and twisting blue lances of energy like a miniature whirlwind slam into the robot's back, narrowly missing Tails! He jumps away as the robot jerks around, finally reacting to something else – and I'm pulled along with it, unable to release the grip of my metal hand in time! The sudden movement and the jolt to my leg as I fall, letting go too late, nearly makes me pass out, and I hear myself scream with the pain.

I stay where I fell for a little, on my front this time, head turned to the right, my eyes shut, just trying to fight the pain and hang on to consciousness. I hear the sounds of fighting go on a little – then they stop. It's over... one way or another, it's over, and I slowly open my eyes, wanting to see what's happened, if the others are all right. Sonic's standing over me, Tails as well, concern on both their faces. I force a faint smile, try to tell them I'll be all right. Sonic says I'm right, I'll be fine... says he'll make sure of it... and, holding that Chaos Emerald we fought so hard to reach, he touches my shoulder, calls out two words – words I learned so long ago – and we vanish in a flash of power and light...