Guardian Angels
S1:E7: Traveling Around the World With You (pt. 13)
The tense atmosphere is as strong as ever as Shadow and Battra kept staring at each other in cold silence. Shadow is still looking grave as he glared hard at Battra while having his fists at his sides. Battra is still looking amused yet intrigued as he calmly stared at Shadow with a hand under his chin. Kathy is still looking shocked since she has no idea what's going on anymore. She even had her hands clasped together as she stared at Shadow with a shocked yet innocent look on her face. Knuckles fared a little bit better than Kathy in terms of surprise and confusion. He figured that this was something that Shadow would do, but he didn't think that he himself would encounter him at this moment. He also stared at Shadow with a shocked look on his face while having his hands next to his sides. No one was certain what would happen next, but it's very clear to everyone that a fight is about to happen soon.
"...So...you dare to face me, huh? Hmph. Very well. I suppose that I could spare a couple of minutes to 'entertain' you with my...Kaiju abilities. Don't be surprised if I use my stronger attacks against you, Ultimate Lifeform. I reserve them for my true threats. Not unleash them to some Mobian mind you," Battra spoke calmly yet menacingly with a devious smirk after the long, cold silence.
"Hmph. I see. But I'm not some ordinary Mobian, Battra. In fact, I'm stronger than any Mobian on this planet," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a frown and with a grunt as he glared at Battra while having his arms crossed again.
"'Stronger' you say? Hmm...Interesting. So, are you saying that you're even stronger than this piece of red meat here?" Battra replied calmly yet deviously with a smirk and with a raised eyebrow as he pointed towards Knuckles while staring at Shadow.
"...! Grrrrrrr!" Knuckles gasped in surprise before growling in annoyance as he quickly shot a cold glare at Battra while barring his teeth at him. Am I really nothing but meat to you?! Talk about insulting! Knuckles brooded in annoyance with a grimace and with furrowed eyebrows as he glared hard at Battra while clenching his fists.
Kathy coyly looked at Knuckles in curiosity after hearing Battra's question before looking back at Shadow while still looking confused and shocked. Is this hedgehog really stronger than Knuckles? I hardly believe it! ...But then again...I don't know much about this hedgehog to know for sure though...Kathy pondered calmly in curiosity as she stared innocently at Shadow with a little frown and with twinkling eyes.
Shadow glanced at Knuckles with a solemn frown before looking back at Battra and answering him calmly yet nonchalantly, "In theory, yes".
"Well, aren't we all full of surprises today? But if you want me to believe that..." Battra replied calmly yet coyly in amusement with a mischievous grin and with a lowered eyebrow as he stared at Shadow before he finished deviously with narrowed eyelids, "...then you'll have to take me down yourself".
"Not a problem," Shadow replied calmly yet coolly with a solemn frown and with determined eyes as he loosened up his shoulders before readying himself into a battle position.
Cold, uneasy silence filled the air after that. The two black creatures stared at each other once again as they anticipated the other to make the first attack. Kathy and Knuckles were at a loss at what to do here. They both knew how dangerous Battra was, and they both wanted to help Shadow here. But before either of them jumped in to help, Battra suddenly attacked first by firing his Prism Beams at Shadow.
"Ah! Look out!" Kathy exclaimed in shock and in concern with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as she still had her hands clasped together.
"Shadow!" Knuckles also exclaimed in shock and in concern with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as he reached out to Shadow in alarm.
("I Am [All of Me]" from Shadow The Hedgehog starts playing here)
But to their surprise, Shadow immediately yet silently used Chaos Control to evade the beams. The purple beams struck the ground instead, and sparks and explosions erupted from it.
KAAABOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOM!
Fire rose from the ground after the beams attacked it, and Battra looked surprised and confused after seeing that Shadow had disappeared.
"What the-?! Where did he-?!" Battra exclaimed in shock and in confusion as he looked surprised.
THWHACK!
"Grrruuuugggh!" Battra grunted loudly in pain as he felt Shadow kicking him hard in the face after reappearing to the side of him. Shadow had kicked Battra into some buildings ahead of himself and had made him crash through several of them.
CRAAAAAAASSSH! CRRAAAAAAAAAASSSHHH! CRRRAAAAAAAAAASSSHH!
GYYYYYYRRRRRROOOOOOOOO!
Battra roared in agony after landing against the wall of the fourth building before falling to the ground. Shadow quickly landed back down to the ground before speeding off towards Battra with a determined look on his face. Kathy and Knuckles gasped a lot in shock within these surprising moments and quickly looked at Shadow and Battra after seeing them attack each other. They turned their heads around and watched the ensuing battle waging on in the distance.
Battra cringed a bit after landing face-first into the ground, but he quickly stood back up while shaking his head a bit to get himself focused again. He gritted his teeth and furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance as he gripped tightly onto his Dark Sol Gems. He glared coldly at Shadow as he watched him dashing towards him.
"Grrrr...Lucky shot..." Battra muttered irritably with a growl and with a grimace before he flew quickly towards Shadow to attack him.
Shadow raised an eyebrow at this, but he remained unfazed as he's prepared to counter and dodge Battra's attacks. When Battra flew close to Shadow, he threw a hard punch at him, however, Shadow swiftly yet coolly dodged to the right and kicked Battra's left side very hard.
THWHACK!
"Argh!" Battra grunted in pain after being kicked. His body flew across the road before landing and scraping against it. After cringing briefly again in pain, Battra then lifted his head up and glared at Shadow with a grimace before firing his Prism Beams again. Shadow saw the beams coming towards him and jumped high instead of warping away. The beams missed and struck the ground instead.
KAAABOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOM! BOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOM!
Sparks and explosions erupted from the ground after the beams hit it. Shadow ignored the beams as he went into his own Spinball Form and spun towards Battra to attack him while he's down. However, Battra stopped firing his Prism Beams and saw Shadow spinning towards him. He smirked a little as he got onto one knee and prepared to counterattack Shadow's Spinball attack.
Finally, it's my move now...Battra thought deviously with a smirk as he focused onto Shadow. Once Shadow got close to Battra, Battra threw a hard punch at him to counterattack him.
POW!
Shadow cringed a lot as he flew backwards after receiving that hard punch. However, he gritted his teeth as he spun towards Battra again to try to hurt him. Battra stood back up just in time to defend himself from Shadow's ruthless attacks again. With a sly smile, Battra quickly yet smoothly punched Shadow multiple times as he counterattacked him out of self-defense.
POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW! POW!
Shadow relentlessly spun towards Battra at multiple angles and yet got punched away every time he got near him. Battra was a bit amused by this as he was smiling deviously at Shadow while punching him quickly.
"Well...This is getting rather fun now..." Battra commented casually with a devious smile as he punched Shadow a few more times before grabbing him with both hands. Shadow kept spinning while Battra held onto him thanks to the power of his Sol Gems.
Battra then smirked evilly as he added deviously, "...But I think that it's time to end it...".
He then flew into the air while holding Shadow in his hands. Once he reached a certain height, he looked to the left and downwards as he spotted another building. He smirked even wider as he turned around and threw Shadow hard into the building below. Shadow's Spinball quickly flew downwards and crashed into the building with a loud crash.
CRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSHHHHH!
Rubble fell onto the building itself after Shadow crashed through the ceiling. Smoke rose from the building as rubble kept falling. Shadow cringed a lot in pain after landing onto the ground floor of the building. Battra smiled deviously in victory as he saw that he had caught his opponent at the right possible moment. Without giving it a second thought, he fired his Prism Beams towards the building below.
KAAABOOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOM!
Sparks and explosions erupted from the building when it was struck by the beams, and fire engulfed the building after it was blown up. Kathy and Knuckles both looked alarmed and concerned after seeing Battra destroy the building that Shadow was in.
"No!" Kathy and Knuckles yelled in unison with shocked yet concerned looks on their faces as they fully turned around to stare at the burning building in the distance. Battra smirked evilly as he watched the destroyed building go up in flames.
"Hahahahahahahahah! I guess this is all that the Ultimate Lifeform could do. What a pity. Hahahahahahaha-Ack!" Battra commented calmly yet casually with a devious smirk as he laughed evilly before yelping in pain when his back was stomped.
"Ah! He's still alive!" Kathy and Knuckles exclaimed in shock and in unison while looking surprised when they saw Shadow appear above Battra and attack him from the sky.
Shadow had stomped Battra's back after clearly warping away from the building just to avoid getting burned in it. Battra immediately fell to the ground with Shadow still stomping down hard onto his back.
THUD!
"Grruuugggh..." Battra groaned again in pain after landing hard onto the ground on his stomach. He grimaced as he cringed a lot in pain while having his arms outstretched onto the pavement. Shadow frowned in displeasure while stepping onto Battra's back with one foot.
"Hmph...Even moths are an annoyance to me. For a regular moth, you really are hard to kill," Shadow commented casually in annoyance with a deep frown and with narrowed eyelids as he stared coldly at Battra.
"...Heh...Correction..." Battra muttered calmly in amusement with a devious smirk as he slowly moved his head towards Shadow. He then finished cockily while quickly punching Shadow at his right side, "Kaijus are hard to kill".
POW!
Shadow flew across the street before skidding onto it on his left side. Battra slowly got back up after dealing a good blow onto Shadow. He smirked even wider in deviousness while watching Shadow writhe a bit in pain before he slowly got back up to his feet. Shadow gritted his teeth in annoyance as he glared at Battra with clenched fists. Battra calmly stared back at Shadow in cockiness with a mischievous smirk and with clenched fists. It certainly seems that this fight is going to be a real doozy, and Shadow is learning this the hard way as he continued to fight Battra.
Without giving any sort of warning, Battra then flew towards Shadow to attempt to punch him again, however, when he got close to Shadow, Shadow then bent backwards to dodge the attack. Battra's attack missed and struck the building behind Shadow instead.
CRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHH!
The building had a large hole in the wall after Battra rammed through it with his hard punch. Lots of smoke rose around Battra as he flew in place while grimacing at Shadow. Shadow gave Battra a cold glare before speeding off into the alleyways. Battra growled a bit in annoyance after seeing Shadow run off before flying after him. The building collapsed after Battra punched through it again to exit out of it.
CRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSHHH!
Rubble fell into a large heap as smoke rose from the crumbled building. Shadow sped through the city's alleyways while Battra was trailing behind him as he looked frustrated. Kathy and Knuckles were just stunned after seeing what just happened. They saw and heard more explosions and buildings coming down as Battra tried to attack Shadow but kept missing him.
BOOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOOM! CRRRRAAAAAAAAAAASSSSHHH! CRRAAAAAAAAAAASSSSHHH! KAAABOOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOOM! CRAAAAAAAASSSSHHH!
("I Am [All of Me]" song ends here)
CRRRAAAAAAASSSHHH! BOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOM! CRAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSHHHH!
"...Should...Should we go help him?" Kathy asked softly yet tentatively with a surprised yet concerned look on her face as she stared at the destroyed buildings while having her hands clasped together. Knuckles slightly jolted when he heard Kathy ask that question and looked at her with a shocked look on his face.
"What? You mean Shadow?" Knuckles asked curiously in concern with a surprised look on his face as he stared at Kathy.
"Yeah...I mean...He's really going up against Battra here. Shadow does seem to be strong and lucky, but there's no telling what Battra will do during this fight. He could kill Shadow at any time, and he almost did just a few minutes ago! I think that Shadow needs our help!" Kathy replied calmly yet softly in concern before exclaiming in determination as she looked at Knuckles with a worried expression on her face while having her hands clasped together before having her fists up.
"Ah...Hmm..." Knuckles muttered calmly with a slightly surprised expression on his face before it changed into a more solemn one as he looked back at the destroyed buildings while continuing seriously, "...I wouldn't be worried about Shadow if I were you, Kathy. As much it may surprise you, he got this under control. I can tell just by how he's handling the fight".
"...! R-Really?! How could you say that?! I've known Battra for most of my life, and I know that he's no pushover when it comes to fighting! Do you really think that Shadow stands a chance against Battra?!" Kathy exclaimed in surprise with a gasp and with a gaped mouth as she stared at Knuckles with wide eyes.
"Of course, Shadow stands a chance because he had fought tough foes before along with Sonic. I've seen Shadow fight before, and I know whether he's holding back or not. Because of that, I know that he has the situation under control because if he hasn't..." Knuckles replied calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with determined eyes as his clenched fists are next to his sides. He then looked back at Kathy with a solemn look on his face as he finished gravely with a fist up, "...then I would've jumped into the fight myself!".
Kathy gasped again after hearing that and blushed a little after seeing the serious expression on Knuckles' face. Oh, Knuckles...You're so brave...if not a little reckless...Kathy pondered calmly in slight fondness with a light blush and with a gaped mouth as she stared at Knuckles with twinkling eyes.
"W-Well...O-Okay then...If you say that Shadow is fine, then I guess we should leave the fight to him. But still...I think that we should be there for him just in case he needs our help," Kathy replied calmly yet softly in concern with a nod while still looking worried as she stared at Knuckles.
"You really do worry about him, don't you?" Knuckles asked calmly while looking slightly surprised as he stared back at Kathy.
"It's not specifically him that I'm worried about...It's just that..." Kathy muttered softly in concern with a sad frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared at Knuckles before looking downwards and clasping her hands together again. She then covered her mouth with her clasped hands as she continued calmly yet softly in concern, "...I'm worried about anyone Battra encounters with...I don't want him to kill any more lives...He had already killed hundreds if not thousands of lives over the years that I've known him...I...I just...I just don't want another innocent life to be lost thanks to him...".
Knuckles looked even more surprised after hearing Kathy say that. He can see where Kathy is coming from due to how fast Battra destroys cities. So, seeing him kill Shadow isn't that too far off from becoming a reality soon. Knuckles kept staring at Kathy with a surprised look on his face before it morphed into a fond yet sympathetic one.
"Kathy..." Knuckles muttered softly in a fond yet sympathetic tone of voice with a gentle smile while staring longingly at Kathy with half-lidded eyes.
KAAABOOOOOOOOOOM! CRRRAAAAAAAAAAASSSSHHH! BOOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM! CRRAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSHHH! CRRRAAAAAAAAAAASSSSHHH! KAABOOOOOOM! CRRAAAAAASSSSHHH! BOOOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOM!
Kathy and Knuckles flinched when they heard more loud explosions and buildings collapsing in the distance. Kathy looked back up and stared at the explosions erupting from the buildings while Knuckles briefly looked back at the buildings before looking back at Kathy.
He then smiled gently again as he asked calmly yet softly, "Hey, Kathy?".
"Yes?" Kathy asked back in curiosity as she looked back at Knuckles with a little frown and with twinkling eyes. She then saw Knuckles gently grabbing and holding onto her left hand while smiling warmly to her.
"...Why don't we go catch up to Shadow and see if he needs our help or not?" Knuckles asked calmly yet gently with a warm smile and with upward eyebrows as he stared back at Kathy while holding her hand.
"O-Oh! Uhhh...Ummm...Y-Yes...Yes, please. Let's go and see," Kathy muttered calmly yet softly in awkwardness with little, shy smile and with a pink blush as she stared back at Knuckles.
"Yes, let's," Knuckles replied calmly yet softly with a gentle smile and with a nod before looking back at the buildings and running towards them while holding onto Kathy's hand. Kathy ran behind Knuckles as she and him followed Shadow's path through the city. She could feel Knuckles tightly squeezing her hand while they ran together, and she couldn't help but smile a lot in fondness of that. Knuckles smiled a lot in fondness too since he's happy that he's doing this again. If he could say that it was a subconscious act, then he would've declared that straight away. But at this point, he knows that he's doing this on purpose. He's doing this just because he wants to, and there's nothing that he can say otherwise to disprove it.
Sigh...Even in serious moments like these, my mind traces back to Kathy and just...what I want to do with her...Hmmm...Geez, get it together, Knuckles. This is not the time to think about that. Battra is still fighting Shadow, and we need to get to where they are right now to help Shadow out! Alright then, it's time to hustle! Pronto! Knuckles pondered calmly yet fondly with a warm look on his face before it changed into a solemn one as he shook his head a little to help himself focus again. He and Kathy ran through some alleyways to get to where Shadow and Battra are located now.
("Radical Highway/ 2P Vs. Battle" from Sonic Adventure 2/ Shadow the Hedgehog starts playing here)
Meanwhile, Shadow kept dodging Battra's laser and punching attacks by either skating from side to side through the alleyways or from jumping over them. Battra punched one building and then another after missing Shadow both times.
BOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! CRRAAAAAAAAASSSSHH! CRAAAAAAAAASSSHHH!
The two buildings crumbled to the ground after Battra punched through them. While feeling more irritated, Battra fired more Prism Beams at Shadow. But like before, Shadow dodged them coolly by skating left to right, by ducking, and by jumping over them.
KAAABOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOOM! BOOOOOM!
Multiple explosions erupted in the alleyway as the beams hit the adjacent buildings and pavements. Battra gritted his teeth as he hated that he keeps missing Shadow. So, he held both of his fists in front of himself and flew faster to try to ram hard into Shadow as his next attack. Battra's Dark Sol Gems glowed neon green as he does this attack.
Shadow looked behind himself with a deep frown and saw Battra approaching him at lightning speeds. As if time had slowed down, Shadow jumped backwards in a cool way to allow Battra to fly past him before he got into his Spinball Form and started bouncing onto him like a basketball.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Then as if time had sped up back to normal again, Battra was knocked forward out of the alleyway and into the huge, circular district of the city while being pummeled relentlessly by Shadow. Battra struck the pavement hard and skidded across it while Shadow kept bouncing onto him.
BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!
Battra cringed a lot in pain as he felt Shadow hitting his back, wings, sides, and head repeatedly. While grimacing in pain, Battra then whispered sharply to himself while gripping onto his Dark Sol Gems, "Sh-Shield...".
Suddenly, just as he had commanded, a dark shield had formed around Battra to protect him from Shadow's attacks. Shadow kept bouncing on top of Battra's shield for a little while before he spun forward and landed a few feet away from him.
"Tch...Using a shield as a crutch...You really can't go down in dignity, can you?" Shadow muttered calmly in annoyance with a solemn frown and with a slight eyeroll as he stared at Battra while being in a battle pose.
"Grrrrr...Mock me why don't ya?" Battra muttered bitterly in annoyance with a low growl and with gritted teeth as he glared hard at Shadow. He then slowly got back up to his feet and made the dark shield disappear with his Dark Sol Gems. He continued deviously with a deep frown and with narrowed eyelids, "You may act cocky and think that you're stronger than me, but let me remind you of who I am".
Battra then fired his Prism Beams at Shadow once again after saying that. Shadow quickly dodged the attack by dashing to the left. The beams missed Shadow and struck the ground and the building instead. Sparks and explosions erupted from the ground and the building as the beams hit them.
BOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOM!
Fire engulfed the building and the ground after they were blown up by the beams. Battra gritted his teeth as he moved his head towards the right to try to hit Shadow with his beams. But of course, Shadow dodged these attacks by leaping towards a building...then another building...and another...and another...and so forth...
BOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOOOOM!
As Battra kept following Shadow, his beams kept missing him and kept blowing up the ground and the buildings instead. More sparks and explosions erupted from the ground and the buildings as the beams hit them. When Shadow leapt towards the leftmost building, he waited for Battra to reach him before warping away at the last moment.
KAAABOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM!
The last few buildings that Shadow had leapt towards exploded when the beams hit them. While Battra was busy destroying the final building, Shadow had reappeared at his right side and had kicked it while also karate chopping his right cheek.
THWHACK!
CHOP!
"Argh!" Battra yelped and cringed in pain as he staggered a bit from Shadow while holding onto his right cheek for a bit. But after Battra quickly recovered from that surprise attack, he swiftly dodged side to side to avoid Shadow's quick punches. After dodging a little, Battra started to block Shadow's punches with his own fists and arms while also throwing punches at him. Shadow gritted his teeth as he also swiftly dodged Battra's punches by leaning to the left or to the right. Shadow managed to land two hard blows onto Battra's face and chest, however, Battra was able to overtake Shadow by first landing a strong blow to his left cheek, then to his stomach, and finally to his head and back after stepping to the side.
POW! POW!
POW! POW! POW!
Shadow looked surprised when he felt his stomach being punched hard, however, he had no time to react when he felt his back and head being punched hard simultaneously. Shadow landed hard onto ground after that last attack and groaned a bit in pain while cringing a lot. Battra smirked again in victory as he stared at the limp Shadow. He then stepped onto Shadow's back with one foot and held onto his shoulders. Shadow flinched in pain when he felt Battra's hands gripping hard onto his shoulders. He slowly looked at Battra with a grimace as he felt irritated that he had him pinned down.
"Surely by now you realize your mistake. You should never underestimate a Kaiju under any circumstances...Such as this for example..." Battra muttered calmly yet tauntingly with a haughty smirk and with mischievous eyes as he stared down at Shadow. Soon after Battra said that last part, he quickly commanded his Dark Sol Gems to electrocute Shadow.
"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrgggghhh!" Shadow yelled in pain when he felt electricity coursing through his body. He cringed even more in pain as he tried to withstand the strong attack. Battra smiled deviously in victory as he had Shadow right where he wanted him yet again. However, he is more confident this time that victory is his now.
"Heh. Now if I were you, I'd be begging for mercy. Come on now. Beg to me. You know that you want this agonizing pain to end," Battra taunted calmly yet haughtily with a devious smile and with mischievous eyes as he kept electrocuting Shadow.
"Grrrrrrrrr...Urrrrrggggh...Gaaaaaaagggh..." Shadow growled and grunted loudly as he tried to crawl away from Battra but failing to do so since he was pinned down. So, instead, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as he concentrated on unleashing his next attack.
"Oh? Getting quiet now? Perhaps you have finally realized that surrendering is the best option at this point," Battra commented calmly yet tauntingly with a smirk and with a raised eyebrow as he noticed that Shadow is being silent now.
Oh, shut up...Shadow brooded irritably with a grimace and with closed eyes while cringing in pain as his body started to glow red. Battra then looked confused when he noticed that Shadow is glowing bright red amongst the neon green electricity.
"What the-? What are you-?" Battra asked in confusion with a frown and with a raised eyebrow as he stared at Shadow with suspicion before he heard him shout.
"CHAOS..." Shadow shouted fiercely in determination while still cringing in pain as his body is prepared to do a Chaos Blast.
"Huh?!" Battra exclaimed in confusion as he looked surprised.
"...BLAST!" Shadow finished shouting while looking determined as he opened his eyes.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A huge, fiery explosion erupted from Shadow's body, and the blast had flung Battra away from him. Battra roared in agony as he cringed a lot from that powerful attack.
GGYYYYYYRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOO!
Meanwhile, Knuckles and Kathy were still running through the alleyways. They both gasped in shock when they heard that loud explosion and Battra's roar. They temporarily stopped in their tracks in surprise of hearing those loud sounds before shaking that off and continued running to where Shadow and Battra are fighting now.
While Knuckles and Kathy are busy doing that, Shadow and Battra are still busy fighting each other. Now Battra was the one lying limp on the ground while Shadow was the one standing tall and strong. The circular district is now on fire as buildings and pavements are burning thanks to that huge explosion. Shadow glared hard at Battra as he watched him struggle to get up. Battra grunted and cringed in pain as he slowly yet weakly stood back up on his feet. Small flames lit up the tips of Battra's wings, legs, and arms as a result of the blast, but after he finally stood back up, he flapped his wings to put out the flames. He grimaced deeply while glaring coldly at Shadow as he does this.
"So...Even after all of that, you're still standing, huh? Hmph..." Shadow muttered calmly yet coolly with a little frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he had his fists clenched next to his sides before he moved his right arm towards his left shoulder while finishing solemnly, "...Guess it's time to take this seriously then. Chaos Spear!".
After yelling that out, Shadow threw Chaos Spears at Battra as his next attack. Battra flinched in surprise before quickly flying to the right to dodge the Chaos Spears.
BOOOOOOM!
The attack missed and struck a lamp post instead. Sparks flew off from the lamp post after the spears hit it. Shadow continued to throw Chaos Spears at Battra to try to hit him, however, Battra dodged the attacks by flying left or right. None of the attacks hit anything this time since Battra was flying high into the air.
Battra looked annoyed as he kept dodging the spears, but soon, he attacked back by firing his Prism Beams at Shadow. Shadow swiftly dodged in multiple directions as he avoided the beams. More sparks and explosions erupted from the ground as the beams missed Shadow and hit the ground instead.
BOOOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOM! BOOOOOM! BOOOOOM! KAABOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOOM! KAAABOOOOOOM! BOOOOOOOOM!
At the same time that Shadow and Battra are dueling like this, Knuckles and Kathy finally caught up to them after taking an alternate alleyway since the one that Shadow and Battra went through was still blocked by the rubble and fire. Knuckles and Kathy stood at the end of the alleyway and were stunned by how the battle was going. They could see multiple buildings on fire and pavements being charred by the fire. They saw Shadow and Battra duking it out by one throwing Chaos Spears and by the other firing Prism Beams.
Shadow eventually struck Battra with his Chaos Spears, and sparks and explosions flew off from Battra's body as a result. Battra cringed in pain after feeling those strong attacks. He briefly covered his face with his right arm to block the attack before firing more Prism Beams at Shadow. Shadow easily dodged the attack by speeding over towards the center of the district while he kept firing Chaos Spears at Battra with both hands this time. Battra cringed even more in pain as his wings and body were struck by the spears. Even more sparks and explosions flew off from his body after being hit by the spears.
"Grrrrrr! That's it! I've had it up to here with these charades! It's time to truly end this farce!" Battra yelled in frustration with a loud growl and with a deep grimace as he glared hard at Shadow while throwing his right arm for emphasis. He then flew much farther away from Shadow as he prepared to dive down hard onto him.
Shadow watched Battra fly backwards and away from him as he prepared his next attack. Shadow frowned deeply at this, but he can see where this is going next. He muttered calmly to himself with a solemn frown and with a cold glare, "Hmph...I couldn't agree more...Let's end this stupidity once and for all".
Shadow then slowly took off his Inhibitor Rings and dropped them down to the ground below. After that, he charged his body up again to do another Chaos Blast. But this time, however, the blast is going to be much stronger and bigger than before since his Inhibitor Rings won't hold him back. So, in other words, he's giving his all in this one attack.
Kathy looked shocked as she watched Shadow glow bright red as he prepared to initiate his attack. She was then slightly surprised when she felt Knuckles gently squeeze her hand. She looked at him and saw him looking grave as he knows what's about to happen next.
"There's no doubt it. He's going all out on this attack whether his life is dependent or not," Knuckles commented calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with determined eyes as he stared at Shadow while holding onto Kathy's hand.
"Wait...What?! 'Whether his life is dependent or not'?! What do you mean by that?! Are...Are you saying that Shadow is going to die if he does this attack?!" Kathy yelled in shock and in concern as he looked very surprised by this.
"...Well...I haven't seen Shadow do a Chaos Blast without wearing his Inhibitor Rings, so, I don't know how this scenario is going to go. Either he lives while still being vulnerable to Battra's attacks or die trying to kill Battra with this move. In other words..." Knuckles answered calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with closed eyes after being silent for a bit. He then opened his eyes and looked at Kathy with a little frown on his face as he finished solemnly, "...he's screwed no matter what".
"...! ...O-Oh...Oh no..." Kathy muttered softly yet sadly with a gasp and with a deep frown as she stared at Knuckles with twinkling eyes and with upward eyebrows.
"..." Knuckles was silent as he stared back at Kathy with a solemn frown and with determined eyes. He held onto Kathy's hand much tighter to comfort her. Kathy slowly nodded to Knuckles in understanding before looking back at Shadow. Knuckles looked back at Shadow too while still having a grave look on his face.
Battra and Shadow are still preparing their attacks. Battra held onto his Dark Sol Gems very tightly as they glowed neon green. He gritted his teeth and narrowed his eyelids at Shadow as he watched him glow bright red. Shadow was also gritting his teeth and narrowing his eyelids at Battra while having his fists up as his body kept glowing bright red. As if a bomb was about to detonate, the two of them were silent before they both screamed loudly in unison.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Battra screamed boldly as he quickly flew down towards Shadow while having his glowing fists out.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" Shadow screamed boldly as he quickly boosted upwards towards Battra while having one fist out. Kathy and Knuckles stared at them colliding towards each other while having both grave yet concerned looks on their faces. Battra and Shadow kept flying towards each other while screaming in determination before they finally collided with Battra ramming into Shadow's chest with both hands and with Shadow punching Battra's left cheek.
POW!
POW!
While cringing a bit in pain of that hard punch, Battra kept flying downwards with Shadow in front of him as he wanted to pummel him into the ground. Shadow held onto Battra's wrists after he punched him and after getting punched himself in order to bring Battra down with him as he does his true attack.
"CHAOS!" Shadow shouted boldly in determination with a fierce look on his face as he glared hard at Battra.
"Ah! Oh, crud!" Battra exclaimed in surprise with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as he realized his mistake. It was a trap! Battra thought in shock as he looked alarmed.
"BLAST!" Shadow finished shouting boldly in determination as he closed eyes while unleashing his attack.
("Radical Highway/ 2P Vs. Battle" song ends here)
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A gigantic, fiery explosion engulfed the entire district once Battra and Shadow were close to the ground. Kathy and Knuckles immediately covered their faces with their arms when the explosion took place. They were certainly startled when they heard that loud explosion. But soon after the explosion was finished, they slowly lowered their arms and looked back towards the distract. They gasped in surprise when they saw the huge crater in the middle of the distract while fire was around the place. They also saw Battra and Shadow lying inside the crater. Shadow was lying limp on his back while Battra lying beside him on his stomach. Shadow and Battra were both cringing in pain due to the attacks they both given to each other. By the looks of things, it feels as if the battle had ended in a draw since neither of them wanted to stand up.
"Oh my...Just look at all the destruction this battle had created..." Kathy muttered softly in concern with a little frown and with twinkling eyes as she had her right fist up.
"Yeah, I know...Shadow has no qualms about destroying property if it gets him to defeat his target...and sadly...I think that Battra has the same mindset too," Knuckles added solemnly in agreement with a nod and with a grimace as he stared at Shadow before at Battra.
"You can say that again...They have the same mindset but have different goals altogether...They really are dangerous, aren't they, Knuckles?" Kathy agreed softly with a little frown and with a nod as she stared at Shadow and Battra before staring at Knuckles.
Knuckles looked at Kathy with a solemn frown and nodded to her again as he replied calmly yet gravely, "Yeah...Anyone could see that just from this battle alone".
"Hmmm..." Kathy mused quietly with a concerned frown and with twinkling eyes as she kept staring at Knuckles. Soon enough, she and Knuckles both heard groaning noises from both Shadow and Battra. They both looked back at the limp pair with concern and surprise etched on their faces.
Battra was the first to move as he slowly yet weakly pushed himself up from the ground. While on his knees, he felt the flames burning on his wings and body again, so, he flapped his wings to blow the flames away. He kept cringing in pain as he slowly stood back up, and once he got up, he looked at Shadow to see how he's faring. To his surprise, Shadow seems to be in a much worse shape than he is. He can see how much Shadow is struggling to get up by how he's groaning and cringing in pain. Battra smirked mischievously at this before he laughed evilly in victory.
"Mwahahahahahahahahahahahah! Is this ALL that the Ultimate Lifeform could do?! Make one huge explosion and hope that it would solve everything?! Hahaha! What a joke! Ahahahahahahahahahahahahah!" Battra exclaimed confidently in amusement with a huge, devious smile and with clenched fists as he laughed evilly. He then walked in front of Shadow and leant forward towards him before he continued confidently with a mischievous grin while laughing some more, "I suppose that this battle wasn't a complete farce after all. For you see...I get to see your battle strategy blow up in your face. Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha! It was certainly priceless! Ahahahahahahahahahahah!".
Shadow slowly opened his eyes and grimaced deeply at Battra for mocking him. Hmph...If you think that I'm going to let that slide, then you better think again, Battra. You are so going down. Shadow brooded in annoyance with a deep grimace and with narrowed eyelids.
"So then...are you going to just lie there and let me kill you or-?" Battra asked confidently yet deviously with an evil smile as he had his fists up while charging up his Dark Sol Gems again for another electrocution attack.
"No..." Shadow muttered defiantly with a grimace and with narrowed eyelids while glaring hard at Battra.
"Huh?" Battra asked in confusion with a frown and with a raised eyebrow after hearing that answer. But before Battra could add anything to that, Shadow immediately threw Chaos Spears into Battra's face without yelling out "Chaos Spear" this time. Sparks and explosions flew off from Battra's face immediately after it was hit by the spears.
"Gah!" Battra yelped in pain as he jerked back from Shadow while covering his face with his arms. A second after Shadow assaulted Battra with Chaos Spears, he quickly went into his Spinball Form and rammed hard into Battra's stomach.
BAM!
"Arrrrrrggghh!" Battra yelled in pain after feeling that strong attack as he crashed into a building behind him.
CRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSHHHH!
GYYYYYYRRRRRRROOOOOOOOO!
Battra roared again in pain as the building crumbled and collapsed on top of him. Huge chunks of rubble were all that was left of that destroyed building. Kathy gasped in shock of this surprising twist, and Knuckles was genuinely surprised of this turnabout. If he had any doubts about Shadow before, then they were dispelled immediately after seeing that.
I...I stand corrected. It seems that Shadow won't be dying from either scenario then...Knuckles thought in surprise and in slight exhaustion with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes before he looked sheepish as a sweat drop fell from his head.
Shadow stood in the middle of the crater after finishing his Spinball attack. He was slouching while heaving a lot since he's still exhausted from battle. As he took a deep sigh, he looked down and spotted his Inhibitor Rings. He slowly yet carefully knelt to grab his rings before placing them back into his wrists. Once he got his Inhibitor Rings back on, he felt slightly rejuvenated but still tired and sore from battle. As he stood back up and wiped the sweat from his forehead, he was surprised to hear a jovial cheer and applause in the background.
"Yay! Shadow's still alive!" Kathy cheered jovially with a sweet smile and with closed eyes as she lets go of Knuckles' hand and started clapping happily. Knuckles looked at Kathy in confusion as his eyebrows were raised. Shadow also looked at Kathy in confusion, however, he looked more annoyed than confused as he turned his body halfway towards her. Kathy soon opened her eyes and was startled by how cold yet fierce Shadow looks. She could feel his icy glare burying deep into her soul. It's like he's silently warning her "Don't get onto my bad side or else you're next".
Because of that chilling response, Kathy coyly stepped behind Knuckles and hid behind his back as she sought out protection. As Kathy gently held onto Knuckles' shoulders while tentatively staring at Shadow, Knuckles stared at Kathy with a solemn frown as he felt and looked protective towards her.
"It's okay, Kathy. Shadow isn't going to harm you. Not when I have something to say about it," Knuckles consoled gently yet softly with a solemn frown and with determined eyes as he stared at Kathy.
"Mm..." Kathy mused softly with a worried frown and with upward eyebrows as she stared at Shadow before staring at Knuckles. She then wrapped her arms underneath Knuckles' arms and hugged him tightly while nuzzling her head against his right cheek and shoulder. Knuckles covered Kathy's hands with his own and closed his eyes while smiling a lot in amusement as he felt the gentle nuzzles that Kathy is giving him.
"Heheheheh...There, there, Kathy. You're going to be okay. Heheheheheh...Easy there. Easy," Knuckles consoled calmly yet gently with a huge, warm smile and with closed eyes as he chuckled a little in amusement.
"Hmph..." Shadow grunted in slight annoyance with a solemn frown as he rolled his eyes before looking back at the pile of rubble. He soon saw the rubble moving as Battra slowly pushed them away to get out of it. Shadow frowned even deeper as he got into another battle pose as he waited for Battra to crawl out and attack him again. Kathy and Knuckles soon focused back onto the pile of rubble after hearing some crumbling sounds from it. They all saw Battra pushing off another piece of rubble before gripping onto his left arm and staring at Shadow with one eye closed.
"Grrrr...You...cheeky...little..." Battra muttered irritably in frustration with a low growl and with a deep grimace as he glared coldly at Shadow. However, Shadow said nothing to that as he was prepared for any attacks that Battra may throw at him. But to his surprise, Battra didn't make any move to attack since he was still cringing in pain while barely standing as his legs wobbled.
"...You...really do have a lot of power inside of you...I'll admit that...But..." Battra continued bitterly yet tiredly as he stared at Shadow before slowly walking out of the rubble and standing a few feet across from him. Shadow had his fists up since he's still prepared to continue the fight.
Battra ignored this as he continued calmly yet tiredly with a grimace and with a closed eyelid, "...There is no way that I'm admitting defeat here...Not when you're still alive...".
"Then why don't you try to kill me now? Our battle is still not over yet, you know," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with a cold glare as he had his knees bent.
"Heheheh...You're right...It's not...But it shall be soon..." Battra replied calmly yet slowly with a devious chuckle and with an evil grin as he stared back at Shadow with one eye open.
"...! Oh no..." Kathy whispered softly with a gasp and with a gaped mouth as her eyes were widened by Battra's dark remark. Without giving Knuckles any sort of warning, she quickly released him and ran off towards Shadow and Battra.
No! No more! No more killings! Please! Kathy thought in concern with a worried look on her face as she ran towards Shadow and Battra.
"Ah! Kathy!" Knuckles exclaimed in surprise as he was shocked by Kathy's bold actions. He quickly ran after her to stay by her side in case she does something dangerous.
SCREEEEEE! (Hold it!)
Kathy screeched determinedly in her native tongue as she ran towards Shadow and stood behind him. Shadow glanced behind himself to see Kathy staring at Battra with a determined look on her face.
"What's it to ya, you greenhorn? You rather want to be beaten instead?" Battra asked calmly in annoyance with a grimace and with a closed eyelid.
"The only person who's going to be beaten here is you, Battra! You leave Shadow alone! I won't let you kill him!" Kathy yelled back in determination with a solemn frown and with furrowed eyebrows as she had her fists up.
"Really? You? Heh. That's a laugh," Battra replied calmly yet bitterly in amusement with a devious smirk and with a closed eyelid as he stared at Kathy.
"Want a bet?" Kathy asked calmly in a warning tone of voice as she looked serious.
"I can bet a thousand that I could beat you and this so-called 'Ultimate Lifeform' at the same time. The future King of the Monsters will have no problems dealing with the likes of you two," Battra replied calmly yet confidently with a devious smirk and with a closed eyelid as he stared at Kathy and Shadow.
"Grrrr..." Kathy growled in frustration with a grimace and with furrowed eyebrows as she saw that Battra isn't backing off from this.
"Hmph...Cocky..." Shadow commented calmly in annoyance with a grunt and with a deeper frown as he glared hard at Battra.
"Then what about dealing with three people instead of two? Don't forget about me, Battra. You ain't getting off scot free. Not when I'm around," Knuckles added calmly yet solemnly with a determined look on his face as he stood behind Shadow and beside Kathy respectively. Shadow glanced at Knuckles before casually shrugging his shoulders and staring back at Battra.
"Ack! You-!" Battra exclaimed in shock as he stared at Knuckles with an alarmed look on his face.
"Yeah, that's right. All three of us here will beat you up. How much are ya willing to bet now that you will beat us all? I'm curious to know," Knuckles replied calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he had his arms crossed.
"Grrrrrr...Why you little...piece of red meat...If you weren't so cocky, I'd...I'd..." Battra muttered irritably in frustration with a growl and with a deep grimace as he glared hard at Knuckles.
"You'd what?" Knuckles asked calmly in a warning tone with a grimace and with deeply furrowed eyebrows as he's not having any of Battra's shenanigans.
"..." Battra was then speechless as he glared hard at Knuckles, Shadow, and Kathy respectively. He hates being cornered especially now when he's sorely injured. His battle with Shadow definitely took a toll onto him, and he's certainly not interested into fighting all three of them at once. Even if he does heal himself by using his own Healing Technique, he knows that it won't be enough for a full-on fight. He's aware of his own Sol Pendant's limits after all.
So, despite his pride screaming at him to continue, Battra sighed deeply before putting his head down as he replied bitterly yet tiredly with a deep frown and with closed eyes, "(Sigh)...Never mind. You guys...temporarily win for now...But don't let this victory get into your heads! Because you see...".
He then looked back up and glared coldly at them with a grimace as he finished darkly, "...You fools have only seen a fraction of what I can really do. Until we meet next time...greenhorn and red meat...".
After saying that, Battra held onto his Dark Sol Gems and commanded them mentally to teleport himself back into his secret hideout.
PING!
Shadow frowned even deeper in annoyance as he stood much straighter after seeing that Battra had escaped.
"Tch. Stupid moth," Shadow muttered calmly in annoyance with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as he moved his fists back down to his sides.
"Ugh. Tell me about it. He really can be so prideful at times that it's almost laughable when he refuses to give up. Also, did you notice that he mentioned Knuckles and I at the end there? Why didn't he say anything about you, Shadow?" Kathy added calmly in agreement and in annoyance with a sheepish frown and with lowered eyelids while her shoulders slouched forward and while she sweated a bit as she stared at Knuckles before at Shadow.
"Because he knows that he's up against real opposition here. Not some third-rate opponents like you two for example," Shadow answered calmly yet bluntly with a deep frown as he turned halfway around again to stare at Kathy and Knuckles.
"Ah! Hey! Okay, I understand how that remark may apply to me here but with Knuckles on the other hand?! He's like one of the strongest people on Mobius for crying out loud! He can't be third-rate! He's first-rate!" Kathy exclaimed in surprise and in annoyance with a shocked look on her face as she flinched a bit before looking determined while pointing at Shadow.
"K-Kathy...Not...now. Now's not the time nor the place for this," Knuckles muttered calmly in slight annoyance and in embarrassment through gritted teeth and with upward eyebrows as he stared at Kathy while blushing a bit.
"But you said 'one of the strongest' though. That doesn't necessarily mean that he's stronger than m-" Shadow replied calmly in a monotone voice with a solemn frown and with lowered eyelids as he put a hand onto his hip.
"Knuckles could beat you in a fight!" Kathy proudly proclaimed with a determined look on her face as she kept pointing at Shadow after cutting him off. Shadow raised an eyebrow at that response in confusion.
"Kathy! Don't drag me into this! I don't even want to fight Shadow!" Knuckles exclaimed in surprise with a freaked-out expression on his face as he turned fully around towards Kathy while jerking back in response to that bold proclamation.
"But Knuckles! You said that you are the toughest warrior in Mobius! So therefore, you are stronger than Shadow! You can show him right here and now that you are stronger by fighting him!" Kathy exclaimed back in determination and in slight annoyance with a deep frown and with furrowed eyebrows as she stared at Knuckles while having her fists up.
"Woah! Woah! Woah! Wait a minute here! Just because I had said that, that doesn't mean it's an excuse to fight anybody who might be stronger than me! Besides, Shadow clearly worn out from fighting Battra already! So, it wouldn't even be a fair fight!" Knuckles yelled back in surprise while still looking freaked-out as he waved his hands quickly at Kathy.
"I agree with the guardian here. It wouldn't even be fair at all," Shadow added calmly in agreement with a solemn frown and with lowered eyelids as he stared at Knuckles before at Kathy.
"Awwww...Really? You too? That's lame!" Kathy whined in disappointment with a little frown and with upward eyebrows as she looked back at Shadow and slumped her shoulders while her antennas lowered.
"If it's lame, then deal with it. I don't care," Shadow replied calmly yet bluntly with a solemn frown and with lowered eyelids as he casually shrugged his shoulders.
"Ooooh..." Kathy whined again in disappointment with a grimace and with a sweat drop on her head as her eyelids lowered halfway in annoyance. Knuckles quietly took a deep breath and sighed as he wiped his forehead in relief after hearing Shadow say that.
Whew! Thank goodness that Shadow is on my side today. I wouldn't want to think about what would happen if I'm provoking him into a fi-Ah! Knuckles pondered calmly in relief while looking slightly relaxed before surprised when he felt Kathy pulling his wrist towards herself and going behind him to grab his other wrist.
"Okay, how about this?! Let's go for either a boxing match or an arm-wrestling match! Take your pick, Shadow! At least, those matches won't nearly be as intense as your fight with Battra!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet confidently with a determined look on her face as she stood behind Knuckles and held his wrists while making him jab for emphasis. Knuckles looked both horrified and flabbergasted at what Kathy is doing here. Even when he's not trying to pick a fight with someone, it seems that he might get into one thanks to Kathy here.
"Ahh...Uhhh...Aaaah! K-K-Kathy! Cut it out! Just...Just what are you doing?! I said that I don't want to fight Shadow! So why are you trying to initiate me into a fight?!" Knuckles yelled in exasperation while looking flabbergasted as he stared at Kathy while feeling his arms being yanked forward.
"Because I think that you can prove your strength in other venues such as boxing matches and arm-wrestling matches! Technically, they're not 'fights' if they're just competitions, right?!" Kathy exclaimed cheerfully with an enthusiastic smile and with innocent eyes as she looked at Knuckles while holding onto his wrists.
"Well...Uhh...Yeah...But...But I still don't want to confront Shadow over something that's unnecessary! I don't go out and pick fights whenever I please! I have more common sense than that!" Knuckles muttered awkwardly in confusion before yelling back in alarm while still looking flabbergasted as he kept staring at Kathy. Shadow kept staring at the pair in silence with the most unamused look on his face.
How ridiculous...Shadow brooded in annoyance with a deep frown and with half-lidded eyes as he silently stared at Kathy and Knuckles.
"...Man, for someone who claims that they love fighting, you really don't go out of your way to show it very often," Kathy commented calmly with a little, innocent frown and with twinkling eyes as she tilted her head in a cute way again while staring at Knuckles.
"Kathy! Come on! Don't say it like that! You're making it sound like I'm a coward or something!" Knuckles yelled back in exasperation and in embarrassment with a sheepish frown and with upward eyebrows as he stared at Kathy with wide, pitiful eyes while blushing a lot.
"Well, why don't you challenge Shadow to a boxing match or an arm-wrestling match then? That will at least prove that you're not a coward," Kathy replied calmly yet coyly with a sly smirk and with a raised eyebrow as she stared at Knuckles.
"Yeah, but that will at least prove on how STUPID I am! I'm not going to act reckless by challenging Shadow to an arm-wrestling match or a boxing match!" Knuckles yelled back in exasperation while looking freaked-out again as he kept staring at Kathy.
"Aww, come on, Knuckles! ...I want to see you give one good punch to this scary hedgehog! Go on! Give it to him!" Kathy exclaimed brightly yet encouragingly with an excited smile and with amused eyes as she stared at Knuckles before staring at Shadow and making Knuckles jab again by yanking his arms.
"Ah! Uh! H-Hey! C-C-Cut it out! Quit it already! I'm-! I'm not-! I'm not doing it! You hear me?! I'm not doing this!" Knuckles protested in alarm with a worried look on his face as he quickly looked at Kathy and at Shadow while feeling his arms being yanked again.
"Aww, don't be such a baby, Knuckles! You can do it!" Kathy exclaimed back in an encouraging tone as she stared at Knuckles with a sweet smile on her innocent face.
"I'm not being a baby! I swear it to you that I'm not!" Knuckles yelled back in exasperation and in embarrassment with a freaked-out look on his face while blushing a little as he stared back at Kathy with wide eyes.
"Are too!" Kathy argued with a little frown and with upward eyebrows.
"Are not!" Knuckles argued back with a grimace and with wide eyes while a sweat drop fell from his head.
"Are too!" Kathy argued back much louder as she looked determined.
"Are not!" Knuckles argued back much louder as he still looked worried.
"Are too!" Kathy argued back in confidence as she kept yanking Knuckles' arms for emphasis.
"Are no-!" Knuckles argued back in alarm while feeling his arms being yanked again.
"Ugh. I don't have time for this nonsense. You two are on your own. I'm leaving," Shadow curtly interrupted in annoyance with a solemn frown and with an eyeroll as he turned around and walked away.
"Ah! Wait! Wait a moment, Shadow! Don't go!" Kathy exclaimed in surprise as she immediately released Knuckles' wrists and stepped a bit forward towards Shadow. She heard Shadow take a deep sigh as he clearly regrets asking the question.
"(Sigh)…...What is it?" Shadow asked slowly yet tiredly with a deep sigh and with a deep frown as he stopped walking and turned his head around.
"Ahh...Uhhh...Ummm..." Kathy stammered a bit in awkwardness as she stared at Shadow since she briefly forgot what she was going to say before remembering and exclaiming brightly with a concerned look on her face while having her hands clasped together again, "...Th-Thank you so much for stopping Battra, Shadow! I admit that I was really worried about you while you were fighting him! I just didn't want Battra to kill another civilian! But...But you were really amazing out there! You've really exceeded my expectations! And...I just wanted to thank you for your help! You did well, Shadow! Good job!".
"..." Shadow was silent while looking unamused as he stared at Kathy. Kathy then started to look sheepish as she noticed that Shadow was silent. However, he soon spoke up as he asked calmly in a bored tone, "...Is that all that you wanted to say?".
"W-Well...Ummm...Mostly...Yeah..." Kathy answered awkwardly with a sheepish frown and with lowered eyelids as she slumped her shoulders forward and stared at Shadow with a sweat drop on her head.
"Very well then. Now, I believe that I should get-" Shadow replied calmly yet coolly with a headshake and with a shrug as he looked ahead again.
"Wait!" Kathy exclaimed again with a gaped mouth and with wide eyes as she reached out towards Shadow.
"What...now?" Shadow asked impatiently through gritted teeth and with a vein bulging in his head as he shot a cold glare towards Kathy. This other moth is getting on my nerves. Shadow brooded in annoyance with a grimace and with furrowed eyebrows as he glared at Kathy.
Kathy flinched a bit after seeing Shadow glare at her like that before muttering quietly yet sheepishly with concern in her voice, "...Uhh...Please be more careful next time you fight Battra, Shadow. He's very dangerous, you know. I would know due to how much my mother and I had fought him over the years".
So, this girl knows Battra very well, huh? ...Sigh...It can't be helped...I need every bit of information that I can get...Shadow pondered calmly with a solemn frown and with raised eyebrows after hearing Kathy say that.
"You know him, huh? Hmm...Then in that case, tell me where he is right now," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with determined eyes as he turned half-way again to stare at Kathy fully.
"Uhhh...Ummm...A-Actually...I...I don't know where Battra is hiding at right now. It's a mystery to me," Kathy answered calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish frown and with wide eyes as she leant a bit backwards while staring back at Shadow.
"(Sigh)...Figures," Shadow commented tiredly with a sigh and with a solemn frown as he face-palmed himself while shaking his head. Of course, it can't be that easy. Shadow thought calmly in annoyance as he looked disappointed.
"But! ...But I do know that Battra lives in a base of some kind...At least...that's what my mom always told me. So, he might have created a hidden base for himself somewhere in this dimension, but I can't tell you where it is since...well...I don't know where it is," Kathy replied calmly yet awkwardly with a slightly alarmed look on her face before looking solemn yet thoughtful as she put a finger up for emphasis before putting it under her chin.
"'A hidden base', huh? Hmm...Well, let's just hope that it's as 'hidden' as Dr. Eggman's 'hidden' bases because if not..." Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a determined look on his face as he stared at Kathy with a hand on his hip before he looked away as he finished grimly, "...then the destruction done here won't even come close to the rest of the world".
"Mm...I agree," Kathy agreed calmly yet solemnly with a nod and with a little frown as she clasped her hands together again.
"..." Shadow was silent again as he stared at the beautiful sunset in the distance. Knuckles stared at Shadow and Kathy for a while in silence as they were talking to each other for a bit. But when they stopped, he felt a little awkward staring at them. So, he walked over to Kathy and stood beside her on her right side as he spoke up next.
"Listen, Shadow, defending this world from Battra isn't going to be easy. I mean. This guy had been fighting Kathy's mother and her for at least 15 years, and it doesn't seem that this war between them isn't going to stop any time soon. If we want this world to be saved, then we need to protect Kathy here. She's the only one that we can depend on to save it," Knuckles muttered calmly yet solemnly with a grave look on his face as he stared at Shadow.
"Why her? I could simply use the Chaos Emeralds to turn into Super Shadow and defeat Battra that way. Either that or we could use your huge emerald as a last resort. We can fight Battra on our own means without her help," Shadow replied calmly in a monotone voice with a solemn frown and with crossed arms as he looked back at Kathy and Knuckles.
"It can't work that way, Shadow. Not this time I'm afraid. Tikal informed me that neither the Chaos Emeralds nor the Master Emerald is strong enough to defeat Battra. Apparently, being a Kaiju means that you're resilient to Chaos energy," Knuckles replied calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with a headshake as he clenched his fists.
"That seems...rather far-fetched. There's no way that monsters of that caliber are stronger than the Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald combined," Shadow replied calmly in annoyance and in disbelief with a headshake and with a deeper frown as he slightly glared at Kathy and Knuckles.
"Umm...Well...Technically...It is possible. I mean. Kaijus such as us were born through radioactivity. The very same power that the sun is made from. So, we were naturally strong at the start, but once you combine that with the Sol Emeralds' power, then we're practically almost invincible. It's because of that resilience that Battra is so hard to beat! He's like a walking boulder!" Kathy replied calmly yet solemnly with a thoughtful look on her face as she put a finger under her chin again before exclaiming in concern while putting her finger up for emphasis and while looking alarmed.
"Then it's a boulder that I'm willing to smash once I get a hold of him. I'm not going to let Battra rampage throughout the world. Not on my watch. Once I find him, he's dead," Shadow replied calmly yet gravely in determination with a solemn look on his face as he looked away again while putting a hand onto his hip again.
"Errr...Ummm...That's a...harsh way to handle things. I...I don't think that my mom had intended for Battra to be dead, but she did wish for him to stop destroying everyone and everything in the world...Ummm...Maybe you could go...and knock him into a coma or someth-?" Kathy replied calmly yet awkwardly with an alarmed look on her face before looking sheepish as she rubbed the back of her head.
"Not happening," Shadow interrupted curtly with a deep frown and with a cold glare as he quickly looked back at Kathy.
"I figured..." Kathy muttered quietly in concern with a sheepish frown and with upward eyebrows as she slumped her shoulders again while sweating a bit. Knuckles looked at Kathy with a solemn frown and gently patted her right shoulder in comfort while being silent.
You tried, Kathy. You tried...Knuckles thought sympathetically with a solemn frown on his face as he patted Kathy's shoulder for a bit before gently massaging it.
"Anyways, I better report back to HQ and tell them about the attack in Apotos. If only I had more leads on Battra's movements, I might try to stop him from creating more disasters like this one," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a determined look on his face as he looked away while crossing his arms again.
"Umm...I'm not sure if it will help you or not...but...Battra usually attacks during midday. He never attacks during the mornings since he likes to sleep in like I do. He might attack during noon or at night but mostly during the afternoon. Again, this is what my mother had told me when she used to fight Battra. She knows his M.O. like the back of her hand," Kathy replied calmly yet tentatively with a little frown and with twinkling eyes as she straightened up a bit while putting her fingers under her chin.
"Hmm...Interesting. It seems that your mother knows more about Battra than you do. Perhaps you should introduce me to her so that I could gain more knowledge about my target," Shadow replied calmly yet solemnly with a deep frown and with closed eyes as he dipped his head down.
"Oh...Uhhh...A-About that...I...I don't think that I can do that because...because..." Kathy muttered quietly yet awkwardly with a sad frown and with downcast eyes as she looked down to the ground while clasping her hands together again and putting them down to her lap.
"'Because' what?" Shadow asked impatiently with a solemn frown and with cold glare as he looked back up at Kathy and Knuckles.
"..." Kathy was silent while looking sad again as she refused to make eye contact with Shadow. Knuckles saw this and grimaced as he knows how much of a touchy subject it is for Kathy to be talking about her mom in this manner. Poor girl...I wonder if she will ever tell me about her mother's death in detail someday...Perhaps not today but...someday...I'm sure...Eventually, I'll understand but...not right now. Until then, I must wait...Knuckles brooded calmly yet sympathetically with a grimace and with downcast eyes as he stared at Kathy while squeezing hard onto her right shoulder in a comforting way.
"...It's because...her mother is gone, Shadow...Permanently," Knuckles solemnly answered for Kathy while staring at Shadow with a grave look on his face.
"..." Shadow was speechless after hearing that answer. He stared at Kathy and Knuckles for a couple of seconds with a solemn look on his face before looking downwards and closing his eyes in understanding.
"I see...You have my deepest condolences..." Shadow replied quietly yet soberly in understanding with a solemn frown and with closed eyes.
"Th-Thank you...Shadow..." Kathy thanked softly with a sad look on her face as she closed her eyes while trying not to cry. Knuckles frowned deeply while staring at Shadow for a moment before staring at Kathy again and closing his eyes as well.
There, there, Kathy. I'm here for you...I'm here...Knuckles thought sympathetically with a deep frown on his solemn face as he gently squeezed Kathy's right shoulder again before wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her in for a side-hug. Kathy hugged Knuckles back by wrapping her arms around his waist. She even leant her head onto his left shoulder for comfort. Shadow opened his eyes again and quickly turned around after seeing what Kathy and Knuckles were doing. He figured that now is the best time to leave.
"Well...Anyways...I better head back to HQ to report the attack...as well as update them on Battra's movements. With the information in hand, I'm sure that the government will lift the airport flight restrictions just a bit so that only morning flights are available to the public. Hmm...Perhaps now things will be slightly less hectic around here thanks to that tip you just gave...Kathy," Shadow replied calmly in a monotone voice with a solemn frown and with crossed arms as he stared at the rubble before glancing back at Kathy in the end.
"O-Oh? Really? It...It will?" Kathy asked curiously yet softly with a little, gaped mouth and with twinkling, hopeful eyes as she slightly lifted her head up from Knuckles' left shoulder to stare at Shadow.
"I said 'perhaps'...Meaning that if what you said is true, then yes...it will," Shadow replied calmly yet bluntly with a solemn frown and with lowered eyelids as he looked slightly annoyed.
"I...I see...Well then...I'm relieved..." Kathy muttered softly in relief with a little smile and with lowered eyelids as she felt a burden being lifted from her chest.
"Good. Now then...it's time for me to go...and while I'm gone...keep an eye out for Battra for me..." Shadow replied calmly yet soberly with a curt nod and with a determined look on his face as he turned his head around while he pulled out his green Chaos Emerald. Then without saying "Goodbye" or a "Later", he muttered "Chaos Control" to himself before warping himself away from Apotos and back to Neo G.U.N. HQ.
PING!
Kathy and Knuckles closed their eyes after seeing the bright green light while Shadow was warping, but soon enough, they opened their eyes again once the light had disappeared. After blinking for a bit, they slowly looked at each other with little frowns on their faces.
"...Well...He's gone now," Knuckles commented calmly with a little frown and with raised eyebrows as he stared at Kathy.
"Yeah...He is..." Kathy replied calmly yet slowly with a little frown and with a nod as she stared at Knuckles before looking around the district again. She could see all the crumbled and charred buildings around her thanks to the destruction that Shadow and Battra had created through their battle. It does make it look like the apocalypse since the damage was so bad.
"Boy...This place looks dreary now thanks to that battle..." Kathy commented calmly yet soberly with a sad frown and with lowered eyelids as she stared at the debris.
"It certainly does..." Knuckles agreed calmly yet soberly with a solemn frown and with determined eyes while nodding a little as he stared at the debris too. Kathy and Knuckles kept staring at the debris for a few more moments before they looked back at each other again.
"..." Kathy was silent as she stared at Knuckles' solemn expression with a little frown and with twinkling eyes.
"..." Knuckles was also silent as he stared at Kathy's curious expression with a solemn frown and with determined eyes.
He then smiled a little as he wrapped his other arm around Kathy to hold her while suggesting calmly yet gently, "...Let's get out of here. Our little adventure together doesn't have to end on a grim and sour note, does it?".
"Oh! Yeah! You're right! It doesn't! We have about an hour left until nighttime arrives! So, we still have some time!" Kathy exclaimed brightly in surprise with a cheerful smile and with a nod as she looked shocked at first before jovial again.
"Heh. Yeah, that's right. So, in that case, I think that it's best if we head back to Adabat to get something to eat, and after that..." Knuckles replied calmly yet gently with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes as he stared into Kathy's twinkling eyes before coyly moving her chin towards the sunset while finishing softly, "...we'll watch the gorgeous sunset together...Just you and me...and no one else...".
"Awwww, Knuckles...That's so sweet...and beautiful...You..." Kathy cooed calmly yet fondly with a warm smile and with twinkling eyes while she briefly stared at the sunset before at Knuckles as she finished softly with a pink blush, "...You really do care about our friendship, don't you?".
"O-Oh! Uhh...H-Heh...Errr...What...Whatever gave you that impression?" Knuckles muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish grin and with upward eyebrows as he stared at Kathy while blushing bright red in embarrassment.
"Well...Just by how you're willing to spend quality time with me in every place we go to is very telling...Even by how you want each moment to be special is very adorable and sweet...It just shows how much you care about us and our relationship together as friends...You really are such a sentimental soul, Knuckles. It's really precious..." Kathy replied calmly yet softly with a fond smile and with half-lidded, sparkling eyes as she stared at Knuckles while blushing a bit. Knuckles blushed very deeply at that response and looked even more sheepish as he stared down at the ground in shyness.
"O-Oh...Uhhhh...Ummm...Heheheheh...I was just...Ummm...You know...Being considerate and all...since...you're new here...I...Heheheh...All I did was just show you around...I wasn't really thinking about...Uhhh...Ummm..." Knuckles muttered calmly yet awkwardly with a sheepish smile and with upward eyebrows while blushing deeply in embarrassment as he chuckled nervously a bit.
"Ooooh, you totally were, you big softie! How come you keep blushing then if that wasn't the case?!" Kathy exclaimed brightly with a cheerful smile and with closed eyes as she gently poked Knuckles' left cheek with her finger while having a leg up.
"It's because you're embarrassing me! Heheheheheheheh! Just cut it out! Hahahahahahahaha! It's nothing! I swear! It's nothing! Heheheheheheh!" Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a huge smile and with closed eyes while blushing very darkly in embarrassment and in shyness as he laughed nervously.
"'Nothing'? Hehehehehe! It certainly can't be 'nothing' if you were enjoying yourself while spending time with me. Why would you be so happy spending time with me if all of this was for nothing? Hmm?" Kathy replied calmly yet gently with a warm smile and with a giggle as she moved her arms up to Knuckles' chest and gently squeezed it.
"It's because-! ...Heh..." Knuckles exclaimed back in amusement with a sheepish smile and with closed eyes before he cut himself off as he opened his eyes and smiled much more fondly while looking back at Kathy. He then turned fully towards her to hug her tightly as he continued calmly yet gently with a fond smile and with closed eyes, "...It's because you're different, Kathy. Like I had said before, you're special. My relationship with you is much...much different than with the others in the past. You're...You're really the first person that I wanted to be close with...and...I'm just happy that it is you because...because...".
Knuckles then opened his eyes halfway in a fond way as he finished softly with a warm smile, "...because that just makes our partnership even more endearing...".
"...! …...Awww, Knuckles..." Kathy gasped softly in surprise before cooed fondly with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as she hugged Knuckles just as tightly.
"Hmph..." Knuckles quietly grunted in contentment with a fond smile and with half-lidded eyes as he looked down at the ground while hugging Kathy in happiness. Bonding with your teammate/partner while they happen to be your "thing"...It's...It's just something that could only happen once in a lifetime...and...I must be really lucky to have that scenario happen to me...despite all the bad luck that I had gotten over the years...Because of that...I'm willing to take advantage of that good luck and milk it in for all its worth...Because you see...Knuckles pondered calmly yet fondly with a warm smile and with half-lidded eyes as he stared at the ground before pulling back a bit and stared at Kathy. He saw her beam happily at him in bliss, and he smiled much more fondly after seeing that as he finished his ponderings with this thought.
...that's what good teammates are for...
Oh? What's this? I've finally completed episode 7? It's a dream come true! At last! We've made it! Outside of the epilogue that I will make for this episode, this whole episode took 13 parts! Whew! That's a bit too long, wasn't it? But luckily (and hopefully), the other episodes won't be nearly as long as this one! Sorry that this part took too long to get out. Procrastination strikes again! I was busy working on my other big story, Sonic X: Shuffle Edition, to even start writing this part, and well, it's mostly because I had a writer's block when trying to write the fight between Shadow and Battra. Unsurprisingly, the writing during that part was a bit stiff, but once I got my mojo flowing, the rest of the battle wasn't nearly as bad. I certainly made it cool (or at least I hope I did), but who knows how many avenues it could've gone? Perhaps several. But this is what I had come up with on my first try. But hey, at least, we're past it, and we're back with the friendship/romance moments again just like how I had showed you in this part as well! The only thing left to do now is finish off the epilogue and then it's off to episode 8! Please R&R if you liked this chapter, and I'll see you next chapter where we end it all with a sweet, adorable epilogue! See you all next time!