Once again, cool green became dry brown, and dust clouded around them. In less than half an hour, Sonic, Rouge, and Pretzel were sliding into a circle of huts, round brown buildings with decorated thatch roofs. Unfortunately, they weren't the first ones there.
Light glared off sky blue metal. Pretzel hissed, squeezing her eyes shut and turning her head away. Sonic set Rouge down and she squinted, raising a hand to shade her eyes. "How did he get here so fast?"
The fire rose, roaring with heat, and Sonic felt the blood boiling in his veins. He didn't fight it; this was Eggman, and for once the fire was entirely in the right. This was something to destroy.
White fangs flashed in a delighted grin. He tensed, eyes darting over the metal monstrosity. Sunlight winked on the cockpit, guiding his gaze: the weak point. Easy.
Rouge was saying something, hand on her hip and head tilted back to study the robot. He wasn't sure if she was talking to him or to Eggman, and frankly he didn't care.
Sonic attacked.
The robot, or rather its pilot, hadn't anticipated the abrupt burst of speed mid-monologue, and metal legs scurried backwards. Sonic pushed off the ground and curled, hurtling towards the cockpit. He rebounded away from something bright green and definitely not glass, and hissed to himself. Of course Eggman would have a shield.
His foe regained his composure and started moving, racing backwards up a tree. Sonic would have laughed, but he was still miffed about the shield. Growling, he sprinted to the tree. What were such big trees doing here, anyway? Weren't baobabs exclusive to Madagascar?
He was calculating the fastest way to climb the tree when the fire pushed at his mind. Keep going, it urged. Just run. He considered it, studied the angle of the tree to the ground, his own speed and how much faster he could go.
Alright.
He ran up the tree.
He'd done riskier stunts before, but how dangerous something was had little to do with the rush, the adrenaline that he couldn't help but grin at. Bark fluttered to the ground, broken away by his blurring feet. The fire urged him on. He leaned forward, into the singing wind, and in one smooth bound somersaulted over the top of the tree and onto the… road?
It wasn't worth questioning. He raced towards the robot, dodging smoothly around the explosives it insisted on throwing at him. Who did Eggman think he was dealing with? Metallic jaws slammed shut inches from his face, and he snickered. Amateur.
The green shield flickered, and he took his chance, slamming into the cockpit in a ball of razor-sharp spines. Glass cracked.
Sonic stared at Eggman's face, and the light boiled in his blood at what he saw. Eggman wasn't afraid. Eggman was grinning. Eggman was enjoying this.
The robot skittered on, throwing explosives and futilely trying to bite its pursuer. Sonic kept on its heels, never wavering. Crack. Crack. Crack. The cockpit window was nearly shattered. Eggman furiously worked the controls, sweat beading on his brow, and Sonic smirked at him. The doctor scowled, reaching for a lever. The fire surged, a sudden rage twisting Sonic's expression. Even now, as he was losing, no fear crossed Eggman's face, and once again the light twisted and boiled and burned, furious at his lack of respect. Without a moment's hesitation, Eggman jammed his finger on a button.
Pain… the lights went out, it was dark… and there was the light, filling, surging, burning, so familiar and so alien… Control… the light was in control...
The cockpit flew free, the Egg Mobile blasting off once again. The metallic corpse of the robot tumbled down to the ground. Its pursuer leapt after it, wings spreading gracefully as it glided down.
"Nice work, Blue," Rouge called, nonchalant and smooth as always. Yet she didn't move toward him, keeping to the shadows. Wary. Guilty. Sonic shook his head vigorously, trying to get rid of the thought. Rouge was his friend. He didn't care if she was a criminal or if her light was dim, she was his—
Darkness. His eyes fastened on the creature crouched beside Rouge, watching him. Cold. Evil. It coiled, eyes fastened on its prey. Rouge tensed, but there was no time before it leapt across the clearing, the air hastily rushing out of its way. The bat and the creature dove in opposite directions. It was no issue; the hedgehog may have trouble controlling unfamiliar speed, but this was natural. It turned on a dime, claws seizing the spot of darkness. A blot, a mistake, a smudge to be erased. Sizzling greeted its ears as the creature hissed and writhed in its burning grip.
"Sonic! What are you doing?" Rouge demanded from a safe height, pulling something from her belt.
It opened its wings and took off, a bright blue arrow shooting towards Rouge. She flung her hand out, and something pink and silver met him midflight. A soundless explosion threw the light to the ground. Fine. The bat didn't matter. It landed on its feet and tightened its grip on the creature. All the dark would burn. The shadows could not face the sun—
It whipped around just as a blur of color slammed into it, something sharp and hard hitting it dangerously near the eye. Once again it caught itself on its feet, whirling to face its adversary. Gone. Where—
That sharp thing slammed into its head again, and this time it braced against the pain and grabbed the object, pulling it and its wielder over its head. Its eyes widened in surprise. This one… was bright. Brighter than any of the others it had seen so far. She glowed like a flame— wait, that was actual fire.
She stood, panting, before him, a violet cat crouched with the flames building in her hands. Her yellow eyes were narrowed, keen and with a fury to match its own. She yowled, raising her hands and with them, a wall of fire.
It lunged into the flames with a grin, delighted to finally face a challenge. This would be fun.
A blur of violet heat slammed into the-thing-that-wasn't-quite-Sonic. Pretzel froze as her captor spun to face its attacker. It opened its claws to fight back, and Pretzel took off, racing across the clearing as fast as her wings would take her. She pressed into the shadows, keeping her eyes on the fight.
Sky blue and dawn violet danced around each other. Light and fire flared and clashed, white against red. Pretzel pulled the shadows further over herself, looking around for an escape. Her eyes fastened on an inky grey blot, strangely familiar.
"...out of control," the smooth, cool voice of the black hedgehog, speaking to a silver device on his wrist. "I am not sure what he may do next. What are my orders?" He was crouched on one of the huts, red eyes following the fight but otherwise perfectly still.
Pretzel oozed over the edge of the hut and into the hedgehog's shadow. His glow was a different shade of grey than the bat, darker and more ruddy. His fur was black with red stripes, fitting his aura. Aside from the darkness, he seemed far more… contained than Sonic.
"This new menace is too big a threat. Incapacitate him, kill him if you must." A sharp voice ordered over the device.
"What?" The hedgehog's eyes widened. "What about the plan—"
The voice barely hesitated. "He is not necessary. You are as adept with the Chaos Emeralds as he is, if not more. If you cannot capture him, kill him."
The black hedgehog stared silently down at the battle.
"Agent Shadow? Do you understand your orders?"
The black hedgehog's mouth curled, revealing pointed fangs. The containment cracked, and out of it leaked the same wild, reckless energy that made up Sonic's being. "I understand." He ripped the device off his wrist and carelessly tossed it over his shoulder. Pretzel scurried back as the hedgehog leaped off the roof, his ear not even flicking at the shouts coming from the device.
Pretzel crept to the edge of the roof. Her eyes followed the black hedgehog as he raced across the clearing, skating on the air. Dark red fire burst from his shoes, driving him on through the flurrying dust. It matched his eyes.
There was no hesitation as he joined the fray, golden and white flames warping away from him. His movements were smooth and controlled, masking a wild, chaotic speed that showed only in his dancing eyes and the forceful lunge of his hand. Ice cut through the flames, and the black hedgehog pushed the two forces apart.
"Stop."