Chapter 2:Mighy showdown! ..Which way to go?

As Sonic proceeded deeper into the cave followed by the gang the chaos emeralds in his hands began to glow brighter and brighter. Just then the blue hedgehog came to a halt.

"Whoa!" Sonic shouted.

"What's wrong Sonic?" asked Shadow running up from behind.

There right in front of the gang was a huge deep pit, so deep that the end could not be seen. The pit itself was too large to even jump over!

"Just great now were stuck!" sighed Sonic as he sat down for a well deserved break. As the rest of the gang placed themselves near Sonic Tails started to come up with a solution to try and tackle the pit.

"Well guys it is extremely big to jump over. But one way we can get across is if we fly. Cream and Rouge and I can fly which means that all we have to do is lift the rest of you lot up and over the pit." Smiled Tails looking at Cream and Rouge.

"Oh yep great foxy the thing is I am so tired, and besides how can I lift people like Knuckles who is like so heavy," sighed Rouge. As everyone giggled a little they all decided to take a break. Rouge was already leaning herself against Knuckles peacefully daydreaming whilst Tails and Cream were just talking. Shadow was just lazing around as well as Knuckles. Meanwhile Amy sat down next to Sonic. She looked at the over pressured hedgehog and slowly stroked his cheeks. Sonic looked back at her smiled.

"Some trip this turned out to be for you Amy," sighed Sonic disappointedly. Amy just shrugged and placed her head on Sonic's shoulder.

"As long as I'm with you your all that matters," whispered Amy to Sonic who locked his arm around her.

Meanwhile further down the cave was Eggman in his pod. The robust professor had sneakily followed Sonic and the gang using his ultra sound proof stealth mode. Eggman himself was getting bored of all this following.

After a well deserved rest Tails, Cream and Rouge went ahead with helping the rest of the gang across the pit. First up it was Amy followed by Knuckles, Sonic and then Shadow who Rouge just could not hold onto!

After finally crossing the pit the gang paced themselves forward deep into the cave. The cave was getting darker and darker. The spikes which descended above the gang were getting sharper whilst the darkness embedding around the gang stronger. Sonic could feel an unwanted presence about him but decided not to say anything. After about 10 minutes of strolling the gang heard a huge thud from behind them.

"What was that!" squealed Amy who was right at the back with Shadow.

Everyone turned around. Something was behind them, something big.

"Amy get behind me," ordered Shadow to the pink hedgehog. Amy did exactly what he said and stood right behind Shadow. Shadow could feel the very presence of the thing behind him.

"Who are you!" shouted Shadow.

"You ignoramus Shadow what are you doing trying to get us killed!" protested Rouge.

Just then the ground beneath the gang's feet began to shudder. Something was approaching the gang and it was approaching fast. Knuckles clenched his fists together whilst Tails got hold of Creams hand. Sonic meanwhile just looked on ahead. The ground began to shake even harder. Amy started to panic and screamed, which scared the living daylights out of poor Cream.

"Sonic what are we waiting here for lets go already!" shouted the bewildered pink hedgehog.

Sonic looked at her and smiled a little grin. "That's exactly what it intends for us to do and were not going to satisfy it by running," smiled Sonic. Amy, Rouge, Tails and Cream looked dumbfounded at what Sonic had just said.

"You need a brain transplant idiot!" shouted Rouge. Just then there was a sudden sharp noise. Two green fungus eyes were embedded against the dark background only five feet away from the gang. Everyone froze in their positions. The figure approached the gang. The chaos emeralds which Sonic held with him paved way for its appearance. Its spikes were interlocked with its ferocious scaled skin. Its nostrils flared as it breathed. The darkened facial expression explained everything to the gang. They were in trouble. As the creature moved forward it stopped in its tracks only to give a slight hiss.

"What are you all doing in the forbidden cave of Muktoom!" Bellowed the creature.

"Dr Eggman sir, did you hear that?" whispered e-35 to Eggman.

"Why I most certainly did e-35 and whatever it was I most certainly want to see!" sniggered Eggman as he passed over the pit in his pod.

Sonic looked at the creature. He could feel himself being drawn close towards it.

"We are here in this cave to seek out the 7 super chaos emeralds," shouted Sonic to the creature.

The creature moved forward past Shadow and positioned itself upright so that it was facing Sonic.

"What business do you have in retrieving the sacred emeralds?" bellowed the creature. Sonic stared at the gang not really knowing what to say.

"I'm here to take the emeralds for the Dark Avenger," said Sonic to the creature. The creature looked at Sonic and sneered.

"I cannot allow you to do that as I know you are going to give them to a being which will only use the emeralds for their dark powers. I know that you Sonic are merely carrying out this task to save your own life as well as your friends. However as the guardian of this cave I cannot let you pass."

Sonic clenched his fists. He started to feel himself burn up inside.

"You don't understand I need those emeralds or else he'll kill me and my friends! Don't you understand!" shouted Sonic. The creature turned around to set his eyes on everyone else. He saw how impatient Shadow was getting and how worried the rest of the group was getting.

"I'm afraid I cannot let you pass you will leave this cave at once or else…." Threatened the creature. Just then Shadow walked up to the creature, his eyes burning bright red.

"You don't scare me whatever you are. Were going to get those emeralds even if it means we have to fight you!" declared Shadow in front of the whole dumfounded gang.

"Shadow are you crazy!" shouted Rouge "why are you making things worse!"

"It is not always a very wise decision to put oneself up against a dark Demonov" cackled the creature to Shadow. "But if it is a fight you want then that is what you shall get! But let me warn you, you cannot win,"

Shadow clenched his fists. "I can handle this guys you carry on"

"No Shadow I'm here to help" called out Sonic.

"And so am I," said Knuckles

Sonic urged the rest of the gang to make haste to the other end of the cave. Just as Rouge, Tails, Amy and Cream were making there way towards the other end a burst of lighting hit one of them! Amy fell to the ground like a lifeless doll. The Demonov blasted another shot at Rouge only Rouge saw it and quickly moved away.

"Amy!" screamed Sonic as he saw Amy lie lifeless on the floor. Sonic could feel his rage building up inside of him. "You'll pay for that Demonov. Sonic leapt into the air and spin dashed right onto the Demonov only to fall back. Shadow tried the same attack only he to fell to the ground. Knuckles made haste and tried an all out uppercut on the Demonov only to fall back as well.

"Fools! Is that all you've got," laughed the Demonov. Shadow, Knuckles and Sonic looked in horror as they saw that none of their moves had even left a scratch on the Demonov.

"Now it's my turn" declared the Demonov. With a huge gust of wind the Demonov removed itself from the ground and all of a sudden it let of a huge gust of energy right at Knuckles. It was so fast that not even Knuckles could avoid it. Knuckles fell to the ground drawing blood from where he had been hit. Sonic stared at his friend, his rage increasing immensely.

"Knuckles, bud are you okay," said Shadow as he lifted the echinda of the ground.

"I'll be fine you just sort that that guy out," laughed Knuckles. Just then however the Demonov sent of another cheap blast only this time it missed Shadow. With quick thinking Shadow used chaos control to take Knuckles to Rouge who was nursing Amy. He then took the remaining 5 chaos emeralds of Tails and told the gang to go ahead and that him and Sonic would meet them up later. Shadow then teleported himself back to the fight scene where the Demonov had already got Sonic on the run.

"Hey Sonic why don't we show him what were like in our super forms," shouted Shadow. With that Sonic jumped into the air over the Demonov throwing the two chaos emeralds in his hand to Shadow. He then speed dashed to Shadow and both hedgehogs harnessed the 7 chaos emeralds together. With a blinding light which left the Demonov dazed Shadow and Sonic transformed into their super forms. Sonic and shadow's radiant golden color left the Demonov bewildered.

"Now it's on" shouted Sonic. Just then Sonic spin dashed right into the Demonov's face, which sent it crashing to the floor. Shadow then leaped into the air and sent a surge of energy which hit the Demonov right in his stomach. The Demonov quickly got up and shrouded his tail to get hold of Sonic. Sonic tried to break free from the Demonov but he kept a hold on tight.

"I shall suck the very life out of you" sniggered the Demonov as he clenched Sonic by the neck.

"Not if I can help it," shouted Shadow who came as fight as lighting only to strike the Demonov in the stomach leaving him limbless on the floor. Sonic broke free and gave a mighty last spin dash to finish the Demonov off. As the Demonov lay lifeless on the floor Sonic quickly transported himself to Knuckles and Amy. As Sonic placed his hands on both Knuckles and Amy he felt a sudden surge of energy oozing through his body. As Sonic let of a huge shimmerng glow of gentle energy both Knuckles and Amy regained full strength. Sonic in the mean time transported himself back to where Shadow and the Demonov were. As both hedgehogs returned to their former selves Sonic looked at the Demonov. The Demonov's eyes wide open yet he slept lifelessly on the floor.

"Shadow do you think we should have just done that" asked Sonic to a puzzled Shadow. Shadow looked at Sonic trying to work out what he had just said.

"Urh! I so think we should have. I mean the creep nearly killed Amy and knucklhead in the process and besides if we didn't do anything how would we get the 7 super chaos emeralds Sonic witht his guy behind us!" replied Shadow who was still quite compelled at what Sonic had just said. Sonic just looked on at the Demonov and then looked at Shadow sternly.

"He may have done all those things yet he was only trying to protect the emeralds so that they wouldn't fall into the wrong hands. So in a way he was also doing a good thing too."

As Sonic stared at Shadow who was still quite confused by Sonic's analogy of the whole situation, both the hedgehogs smiled at each other and made their way back to the gang who were waiting further down.

"Wait…" said a shallow voice. Sonic and Shadow turned around. "Please make sure the emeralds do not fall in to the wrong hands, please! It will only cause demise and destruction in this world so please don't….. I know you Sonic you will not allow such a thing to happen… Please make sure.." And without finishing his sentence the Demonov with a gust of light disappeared. Both Sonic and Shadow just looked on quite dazed and dumbfounded.

"Where did he go!" said Shadow frantically.

"I have no idea! Probably to rest in peace your darkness, but one thing we do know is that he was telling the truth if the Avenger gets the emeralds who knows what will happen, and yet none of us are powerful enough to stop him Shadow not if we are even in our super forms. His appearance made me chill all over," replied Sonic. Sonic then turned around and made his way back to the gang followed by a confused Shadow. As Amy saw Sonic coming she ran towards him and started to weep. Sonic got hold of her and held her tight.

"I told you I wouldn't loose you!" smiled Sonic. Sonic and Shadow were then greeted by a reluctantly happy Knuckles, Rouge Tails and Cream. As Shadow boastfully talked about his and Sonic's epic battle with the Demonov to an excited Cream Sonic told everyone that they best start pushing ahead as things were starting to drag.

As the gang finally made haste they came across two tunnels. One leading to the right whilst the other leading to the left.

"Uh oh guys," sighed Sonic. "This looks bad what way do we go?"

"Well I say we go left," snapped Shadow.

"Who put you in charge of telling us where we go! I say we go right Sonic," shouted Rouge.

"No I say we go left like Shadow said" replied Tails. Sonic looked at both tunnels. Each sinister as the other. One did lead to the deep chamber of the cave which would then lead the gang to the emeralds. However the other tunnel held onto a darker secret. What tunnel would the gang choose? Where's Robotnik gone too all of a sudden? And is patience running out for the Avenger who has been secretly watching the gang all this time…..