Cheese was asleep in Shadow's lap.
"Hey, Tails. Why don't you try steerin' the ship on a different course now?" Shadow asked.
"I guess I can. But where exactly do you want me to go, Shadow?" Tails said.
"Wherever. It doesn't matter. It's just we've been going in this direction since the Metarex began chasing us twelve hours ago, and I've been wondering why they haven't fired a shot at us."
"Are you suggesting that the Metarex tricked us into going this way?" Cosmo asked.
"Is it a trap, Shadow?" Tails asked.
"Why don't we find out?" Shadow asked.
"Okay! And while we're at it, we can test out how accurate their tracking sensors are. Let's push our speed to the max! Chris, increase auxiliary engines to maximum power!" Tails said determined.
"Roger. Increasing power now." Chris said.
"Turn to Mark 3.1!"
"Are you sure this is a good idea? They're turning too!" Amy said.
"It's a laser blast. The Metarex are firing at us." Chris said.
"All shields up!" Cream said.
In space an energy beam struck the Typhoon, but its shields prevented any damage.
On the bridge.
"Guess they don't want us going this way." Knuckles said.
"Change course to Mark 0.8! Maintain speed!" Tails said and the Blue Typhoon turned ten degrees to the left.
"But there are three ships approaching at Mark 370, and they're coming at us full speed!" Amy said while three small round Metarex spaceships approached.
"Quick! Target those ships now!"
"You got it!" Chris said and typed on his keypad.
"Amy! Load six missiles and prepare to fire on my command!"
In space.
"Target set." Chris said on voice over.
"Missiles are loaded." Amy said on voice over.
"Fire!" Tails said on voice over.
Several missiles were launched, destroying all three ships in the distance.
"All three ships have been destroyed! Five more are on the way." Chris said voice over.
"Return to original coordinates!"
"Roger."
"Now it's their move!"
On the bridge.
"Cream! Keep all the shields up!" he said.
"Roger!" Cream said.
"If the Metarex back off now, it's because they want us to head this way." he said to himself.
In space the five Metarex Fighters flew away from the Typhoon.
"The Metarex ships turned around. They aren't chasing us anymore." Chris said on voice over.
On the bridge.
"The Metarex are up to something." Tails said.
Shadow nodded.
"Looks that way."
"Chris, are there any Metarex ahead of us?" Knuckles asked.
"I've been trying to search the area with our scanners, but so far I haven't detected anything at all. It's possible that somebody's jamming our scanners." Chris said with an image of the space in front of them being projected.
"Then it is a trap. We should turn around."
"No way. I'm really curious to know what the Metarex are scheming." Shadow said.
"You want us to stay on course? That doesn't make any sense, Shadow! We're bound to get attacked!"
Shadow smirked.
"That's what I'm hoping for."
Meanwhile Black Narcissus was sitting in his command chair, speaking to Dark Oak via radio.
"Send a fleet of battleships to destroy Shadow now!" Dark Oak said over the radio.
"No, I want to confront him face-to-face! It's much more challenging, and amusing!" Narcissus said.
"Do not underestimate that hedgehog and his friends. Remember what happened to your fellow commander Red Pine."
"Red Pine was a weak fool. He did not have the right skills to defeat Shadow. But I do. It's all a matter of brainpower. You see, it's impossible to vanquish a powerful opponent, unless you understand him." he said and stood up. "I have built two prototype robots to test the hedgehog's abilities. Perhaps they can defeat Shadow. If not, I'll use the data from their attack to construct another robot that will destroy him." He said and laughed.
Then he left as the lights died down.
On the Blue Typhoon bridge there was a crater-filled planet up ahead.
"The scanners picked up a planet dead ahead." Chris said.
"But I thought the Metarex were jamming our sensors." Amy said.
"Well, I guess they changed their mind and decided to stop jamming them for some reason, Amy." Tails said while Chris typed.
"Thanks for straightening that out for us." Knuckles said.
"I'll bring a magnified view up on the main screen." Chris said and the results on the screen came up.
"That's magnified?"
"We can hardly see anything!" Amy said.
"I can make the image bigger. I'll just have to zoom in digitally." Chris said and greatly zoomed in on the planet, and saw that it was pockmarked with craters everywhere.
"Not exactly a prime piece of real estate is it?" Knuckles said.
"Huh? Hold on! Look at those readings! Computer analysis shows that all those craters were made recently!" Tails said and saw various glows destroying the planet. "The Metarex probably kept attacking this planet until it was totally lifeless."
Even Shadow was speechless.
"Tails is right..." Cosmo said.
Then heard the anguished cried of the deceased in her head calling her name, she turned away.
"I thought it was a bad idea to come here, but I've changed my mind. If these Metarex wanna challenge us, then I say bring 'em on! The scanners have located their base. Let's go there and make 'em pay for what they did to this planet!" Knuckles said.
A certain area was highlighted on the planet. It appeared to be a Metarex base.
"They think they've fooled us, which'll make it even sweeter when we beat those Metarex!" Amy said.
"Okay! Let's go for it!" Tails said.
"Turning off all shields to increase power! Now we're ready to go!" Cream said.
The Typhoon travels at full speed toward the Metarex outpost. Just then, Chris' scanner detects something.
"This can't be right... The ship's sensors have detected a bunch of Chaos Emeralds." he said.
"What's going on?" Cosmo asked.
"Didn't you adjust the sensors so you wouldn't pick up any more fake Emeralds?" Cream asked.
"What makes you think these Emeralds might be fake? They could be real." Shadow said.
"There is no way this many Chaos Emeralds exist!"
"How many of 'em are out there?"
"About five hundred!" Tails said.
Shadow covered his stomach.
"Whoa, that's a big rock collection."
"It looks like these fake Chaos Emeralds are a lot more advanced than the others we've seen." Chris said.
"Those Metarex are definitely clever." Knuckles said.
"But they're also devious and dangerous." Cosmo said.
"Speaking of the Metarex, you guys." Amy said while a message was being typed out on the holo-screen. "...it looks like they're sending us a message."
"This is the first time they've ever sent us a text message." Knuckles said.
"I'll turn on the translator." Tails said.
"You don't have to bother; I can read it." Cosmo said reading. "Greetings, space voyagers. It was I who sent the Metarex to attack your ship and chase you down. You were being tested, and you have passed with honor. I admire your great courage, and I invite you to visit my base. I am Black Narcissus, a commander of the Metarex."
"So he's inviting us to his base? Let's send him an RSVP on a missile!" Knuckles said.
"If we do go to that base, you should stay on the ship. You're much too hot-headed for this mission." Amy said.
"What?! I am not a hothead!"
"Oh, yeah?" she said on her deadpans and Chris laughed.
"She got ya." he said.
"There's more." Cosmo said.
"Uh... really? What else does it say, Cosmo?"
"I'm all mixed up! I meant to say there isn't anything more to the message!"
"Huh?"
"Okay! Let's go and say hello!" Shadow said.
"I doubt the Metarex will invite us back after we wreck the place." Tails said.
The crew laughed. Cosmo abruptly left the room and Chris took note of this. With a sad expression, Cosmo descended the elevator and entered the hangar. She turned the ignition of Amy's spaceship and opened the hatch. Then she climbed inside and buckled the seat belt before closing her eyes in depression.
"I hope they'll forgive me for deceiving them..." Cosmo said to herself.
Then several giant missiles were launched from the Metarex base.
On the Blue Typhoon bridge a warning siren went go off.
"The Metarex just fired missiles at us!" Tails said.
"That isn't a very warm welcome!" Amy said.
"Chao chao chao!" Cheese said.
"Sending more power to the front shields!" Cream said.
Amy ran back to her seat.
"These Metarex are playing games with us! I knew they were sneaky, but this is a new low!" Knuckles said.
But Shadow wasn't listening.
"Cosmo?" he said.
At least six missiles fly toward the Typhoon.
"They're coming in fast!" Cream said.
"There's too many of them to shoot down!" Knuckles said.
"Hey Sonic!" Amy said and studied the makeup of the missiles. "According to the sensors, those missiles are packed with potassium nitrate and aluminum! That's weird."
"I don't get it." Shadow said.
"Well, those chemicals are used in fireworks." Tails said.
Then the missiles burst around them, bathing them in an intensely bright light.
"I had a feeling this trip was gonna blow up in our faces!" Knuckles said.
In space Cosmo flew Amy's spaceship toward the Metarex base. A hatch opened, Cosmo passed through it. Now under the planet's surface, landed her craft and climbed out
"You may proceed through the tunnel. I am waiting for you." someone said and entered another, much larger, room. "So you came alone. You are braver than I thought. I rather suspected that you would lose your nerve."
"Where are you? Is there some reason why you're hiding from me?" she asked.
"Calm yourself. You have nothing to fear... so far." they said and Black Narcissus' chair rose out of the floor in the center of the room and he laughed. "Welcome to my base!" he said.
"You promised to tell me everything. I want to know the truth about my ancestors and the Metarex. You tell me now, or I'm leaving!"
"Foolish girl. You aren't going anywhere. You're incredibly naive. Don't you realize you've been tricked?" he said and Cosmo realized her mistake. "The only reason I brought you here was to make you my prisoner."
"Prisoner?"
On the Blue Typhoon bridge Tails translated the rest of Narcissus' message.
"Answers I have about your clan that you seek... To my base you will come in five minutes when I launch the missiles at your ship." he said.
"That message doesn't make any sense. Are you sure the translator is working?" Amy said.
"I think so." Tails said.
"Cosmo is the only one who understands the Metarex's writing. Has Shadow figured out where she went?" Cream said.
"Not yet, but I'm sure he'll find her soon and send her to the bridge."
"I wouldn't count on that if I were you." Shadow said over the radio.
On the Hanger.
"Amy's ship is missing." he said.
Back on the bridge.
"Huh?" Tails said typing. "How could she leave the Blue Typhoon without the sensors spotting her?"
Back on the hanger Shadow removed a chip from the sensor.
"She must have had help... from a hacker." he said.
"But the only one who could hack into the system other than me is Chris!" Tails said over the radio.
"He's gone too."
The Typhoon heads toward the planet.
On the Metarex base Chris was standing next to Cosmo, having removed his helmet.
"Listen to me. There must be a way to work this out peacefully. Can we just try-" Chris said nut was cut off.
"Silence! I have no intention of negotiating with you. You were not invited here. Return to your ship at once, or you will be destroyed." Black Narcissus said.
Cosmo looks at Chris.
"I'm sorry I got you involved in this mess, Chris." Cosmo said.
"Forget it, okay? It's not like you forced me to come along. I wanted to help you. I don't understand exactly why you wanted to come here, but I'm sure you had a good reason." Chris said.
"I did! Please understand! I had to come! I had to! Really!" she said teary.
"I'm sorry to laugh, Cosmo." he said laughing and bent down to her level. "It's just that you remind me of myself when I was younger."
"When you were younger?"
"Well, when we make it back to the Blue Typhoon, I'll try to explain." he said and they stood up. "Let's get going." he said and they started to leave, but Narcissus' voice stopped them.
"Hold it. Your friend Cosmo stays here." Narcissus said.
"Sorry... but I don't think so!" Chris said and threw a flash bomb in front of Narcissus and grabbed Cosmo's arm. "Come on, Cosmo!"
Narcissus didn't react right away.
"This is the most dismal escape attempt that I've ever seen. I'll give them a head start to try and add some excitement."
Chris and Cosmo ran toward Amy's spaceship, but the hangar door closed right in front of them.
"Don't worry; I've got everything under control." Chris said and fished out a device and pressed a button.
A laser fired out of the spaceship and destroyed the door. Chris protected Cosmo from the blast and put his helmet on.
"Now let's go!"
In one deft move, Narcissus slashed his stomach, causing blood to appear and his helmet to crack and he fell to the ground unconscious.
"Chris! Are you all right?!" Cosmo asked.
"Your friend is not hurt... for now. I must say, I'm rather pleased he tried to flee. It's been too long since I've felt the thrill of taking down a foe with my own hands. I must try it more often." Narcissus said.
In space the Blue Typhoon aimed the Shadow Driver at the Metarex base and Shadow stood ready.
"Okay, this is it. Target coordinates for base are set. Prepare to load the Shadow Power Cannon!" Tails said over the intercom.
"I hope Shadow brings Chris and Cosmo back here safely, so I can pound some sense into 'em!" Amy said over the intercom.
"I can't believe Chris was so reckless. Who does he think he is?! Knuckles?" someone said over the intercom.
In the engine room.
"Cut the chatter and let's get on with the attack!" Knuckles said.
"Take it easy! We're ready!" Amy said over the radio.
"Then let's go! Tails, let's fire up the cannon to full power!"
On the bridge.
"Yeah. If we can get Shadow in there fast, we may catch Black Narcissus by surprise." Tails said.
In space Shadow leapt around a bit before landing on the spin platform.
"All set, Shadow?" Tails asked.
"Sure am! That Metarex won't know what hit 'im!" Shadow said.
In the engine room.
"Okay! Then I'll get the cannon ready to fire!" Knuckles said.
On the bridge.
"Increase the power level to maximum energy now!" Tails said.
In space.
"Shadow, prepare for launch!" he said and Shadow leapt around a bit before landing on the spin platform. "I'm locking on target!"
On the bridge.
"Get ready... We're blasting you at that base full speed!" he said.
In space.
"Shadow Power Cannon, fire!" he said and Shadow Driver fired Shadow at the Metarex base.
On Metarex base Shadow crashed through the base, crashing through floor after floor, until he landed in a room full of Chaos Emeralds. When the smoke cleared, he looked around.
"The scanner was right." he said and all the Chaos Emeralds. "There are a lot of fake Emeralds here." he said and almost choked. "Suddenly I don't feel so great." he said then thought of something.
"Shadow the Hedgehog, how kind of you to drop in." someone said and didn't see them. "I've been looking forward to meeting you. Won't you join me in my command center?"
Shadow leapt up through the floor and saw Black Narcissus seated in his throne.
"You're not at all what I expected. I didn't think you'd be so scrawny. It's hard to believe that you're a great fighter." Narcissus said.
"Well, maybe later I can prove to you how tough I am. But right now, I wanna see my friends. No, are you gonna show me where they are?" Shadow said smug.
"Of course I will. Your friends have not been harmed. In fact, the only reason I took them prisoner was to lure you here. You see, I've heard so many stories about your powers that I decided to bring you here for an experiment."
"Sorry, pal, but I'm a hedgehog, not a guinea pig. Now where are my friends?"
"You will cooperate with my experiment. We will start by collecting data on your strength and speed."
"I already told you there's no way I'm gonna help ya. Now show me where my friends are!"
Narcissus pressed a button, and a glass bubble containing Cosmo and Chris rose out of the floor.
"Since you refuse, then I will have to experiment on your friends." he said.
"This is a trap, Shadow!" Cosmo said shocking Shadow.
Narcissus laughed.
"Your friends certainly make a pathetic pair."
"Shadow!" she said teary. "save yourself!" she said unintelligible.
"Chris! Cosmo!" Shadow said and rushed over.
The prisoners sunk back into the ground.
"The fate of your friends rests entirely in your hands. If you choose to oppose me, then I assure you they will pay a painful price." Narcissus said.
Sonic felt his anger rising.
"It should be quite entertaining!" he continued and laughed. "Well, Sonic? What is your decision? Are you ready to proceed with the experiment?"
Shadow didn't look up.
"I've never seen Cosmo look so scared..." he said.
"She should be."
Shadow's fur darkened in his intense anger, and a black aura surrounds him. He was now Dark Shadow.
"Chris... was passed out... What did you do to him?" Dark Shadow asked.
"He attempted to escape, and was taught a painful lesson." Narcissus said and two Metarex named Gold and Silver entered the name. "It is time for the experiment. These two Metarex were designed by me especially for this occasion. Gold will test your strength, and Silver your speed. I've based my Metarex designs on data that was collected during previous battles against you. I'm eager to see if they're powerful enough to defeat you."
Dark Shadow finally turned to him, a malicious grin on his face. He chuckled darkly.
"All right then... Let's test 'em out!" he said and immediately destroyed Silver, and several of his finish off Gold.
In the smoke, his fur was completely black, and his eyes were a solid white. He's now completely Dark Shadow.
"Looks like you'll have to go back to the drawing board!"
"Settle down, Shadow!" someone said and Dark Shadow turned to see Eggman standing there. "I don't think I've ever seen you this worked up before." he said with Decoe he said with Decoe and Bocoe with him as usual.
"You are not the only one having a bad day, you know." Decoe said.
"Our trip was a real space odyssey." Bocoe said.
The Crimson Egg had crashed into the base.
"We had some mechanical difficulties. For some reason, the Egg Drive got scrambled up." Eggman said.
Shadow had an almost evil look to him as his dark form wore off.
"Space travel is tricky. I've warped past so many planets I'm starting to see stars. Listen, Shadow. I'm really disappointed in you. From now on, be careful not to let your temper get out of control, or once of these days, you'll find that you're always angry, just like another hedgehog we know. You should get out of here. And don't worry about your crewmates; Sonic already rescued them." he continued.
Shadow looked over to see Cosmo and the still-unconscious Chris in Amy's spaceship. Shadow was standing nearby.
"The kid will be all right. I hope you learned your lesson. Next time I may not be around to save you." Sonic said and turned to leave, but Rouge showed up.
She screw kicked the machine powering the fake Chaos Emeralds, destroying it.
"Rouge wrenched the machine that makes the fake Chaos Emeralds!" Decoe said.
"She seemed to get a real kick out of it." Bocoe said while she flew back into the room and spit on the ground.
"That felt great. If there's one thing I hate, it's imitation jewelry. You Metarex have bad taste. From now on, stick to genuine gems." she said to Narcissus and left.
"You did a great job, Rouge." Eggman said.
Decoe and Bocoe bowed.
"That was awesome!" they said and waved.
"Yes, I know. They don't call be a knockout for nothing." she said.
"I don't like the way you attacked Chris and Cosmo. It's one thing to take them prisoner and threaten them, but when you actually hurt somebody, that's going too far." Eggman said to Narcissus.
"You said it, Doctor!" Decoe said.
"Even we have some principles." Bocoe said.
"And I also don't like you making counterfeit Chaos Emeralds." Eggman said.
"Yeah, that's phony-baloney."
"And another thing..."
Narcissus leaned forward in his seat.
"Silence!" he said.
Decoe and Bocoe took on the Metarex general.
"Back off, buster!" Decoe said.
"What the-" Narcissus said.
Bokkun also flew in and kicked Narcissus back into his seat.
"Are you ready for round two?"
Narcissus sparked from the damage he had received.
Narcissus sparked from the damage he has received.
"Because I want to sent you and your Meta-pals a warning." Eggman said.
"What warning? Are you teaming up with Shadow and his friends against us?" Narcissus asked.
Eggman laughed.
"Well now, that all depends... on whether you want me to be your most dangerous foe or most valuable friend. It's clear that your battle against Shadow has just begun." he said.
Later, the Typhoon flew onward.
"Black Narcissus, you'd better tell your fellow commanders not to underestimate me again." Eggman narrated.
On board, the group celebrated the return of Chris and Cosmo.
"Today I came to that hedgehog's defense, but that doesn't mean we're on the same side." he continued.
Shadow stood outside the Typhoon, concerned over what all has happened - and what the future will bring.
"I could still be persuaded to join your team... for the right price!" he narrated and laughed.