Chapter 17
A Fox's Fury
It had taken them mere seconds to blow through the perimeter defenses, it had taken only minutes to break through the main entrance. Metal Sonic after Metal Sonic annihilated without a second thought or a moments hesitation. Along the way, they'd received reinforcements in the form of the Chaotix (at, surprisingly, the suggestion of Vector) with the team of detectives using their disorganized attack patterns and joint attacks to disorient as well as destroy the enemy machines. Rouge had even decided to join in, her reasoning (unsurprisingly) being revenge on Meta Sonic for destroying "her jewel". each had their reasons for being here, and each had a drive that was allowing them to push through the Meta Army so easily. For the bat it was the aforementioned reason, for the Chaotix, Vector said it was because Cream had been forbidden from taking part in the battle and so he'd suggested they fight on her behalf (Espio mumbling something about impressing Vanilla under his breath and receiving a glare from the croc in response), for Sonic, Amy and Knuckles it was because the world if not the universe was in danger and one of their friends had been taken.
For Tails, he was driven by protective instinct for the one he loves as well as sheer vengeful rage at the metal demon that had dared take her from him.
And so they fought, each dodging all manner of projectiles and laser guarded defenses, each smashing and blasting the metal troops to pieces. As they progressed further and further into the base, Sonic began to notice how much further Tails was than the rest of them. Quickly becoming worried for his brother for the second time that day, Sonic made his way over to catch up, jumping and vaulting off the remaining robots that had yet to be destroyed.
"Tails! Slow down!" he called, the irony of what he was saying not lost on him but ignored nonetheless.
Tails completely ignored him and continued making his way down the corridor in search of wherever Cosmo was being held.
"Tails! Tails! TAILS!"
Turning sharply, Tails responded
"WHAT!?"
Sonic flinched momentarily at the fox's glare and anger filled scream.
"Listen, your going too fast! Everyone else is falling behind!"
"We don't have time to slow down Sonic! Cosmo is in here somewhere alone, afraid and-and I need to get to her as fast a s possible!"
He was starting to crack, his fear and worry getting the better of him.
"Tails we'll get to her, we'll save her! But you can't go in alone!"
"You guys can catch up! I just need to go ahead a bit and-"
"Tails you're not going to able to help her if you don't calm down!"
"Calm down!? Meta Sonic, one of the deadliest enemies we've ever faced and who can beat you now, has her. And who knows what he's doing to her right now!? and you want me to calm down!?"
"He wants you to panic Tails! He wants you afraid so you'll be reckless! You know that!"
"I WON'T LOSE HER AGAIN SONIC! NEVER AGAIN!" Tails screamed
As Sonic looked into his brothers eyes, he felt a sense of deja vu overcome him. Unfortunately, this particular deja vu called back to when he had seen Tails at his absolute worst. He'd seen Tails' heart and soul shatter that horrible day on the deck of the blue typhoon when he'd handed him that seed, and he'd seen Tails overcome by greif and depression in the months following. But that night, just before Cosmo returned, he'd seen Tails fallen into complete despair and hopelessness as Tails had apparently come to the conclusion at that moment that Cosmo was never coming back. Sonic dared not imagine how things would have gone had she not returned at that very moment.
And now the scene was playing out again, only this time Cosmo was alive and Tails' lack of composure and rationality stemmed from the fear of having to go through the worst kind of loss anyone can a second time. A second time! Most being only have to experience the death of the one they love once, but Tails had to experience Cosmo's death by his own hand and now, thanks to their once thought gone enemy, he may have to experience losing her again.
And in that moment, Sonic knew what to do.
Wrapping his brother in a tight hug, Sonic spoke softly to the fear stricken fox.
"I'm sorry Tails, I'm sorry I didn't understand. But we're all here to help you. We'll get her back safely bro. I promise. Just keep a level head and stay relatively close to the rest of us and we'll have Cosmo out of here in to time."
He felt Tails shudder, knew he must be fighting to control himself. After a few moments, Tails pulled back, a light smile on his face.
"Thanks big bro" Sonic grinned at being called that, Tails not having called him that since he was younger "I'm calm now, and I think I know where we need to go" he said while holding up his "Miles Electric" which displayed a detailed map of the base.
At that moment, everyone made their way up to the brothers, having destroyed the remaining robots.
Giving a "follow me" gesture, Tails said "This way, it should take us right to them."
He knew his bases forces would be insufficient. He'd planned it that way. Perhaps he had too much of his creators influence in him still. But regardless, he wasn't concerned. Everything had gone perfectly…save for the minor setback he'd faced only a short time ago. But their was still the unnerving issue of the metarex A.I. within him. It still nagged him, still attempted to usurp control. And yet, he even though it pestered him constantly, he had no intention of getting rid of it. No, now that he had the bio data of the last seedrian there would be no stopping him. He'd unlocked its full potential, he'd be a fool to give it up due to some irritating A.I. from a defeated army.
Meta Sonic laughed to himself. How ironic. Technology made to aid in wiping out all non plant life in the universe, especially animal life, would now aid in the godly ascension of a machine made in the image of an animal, and not just any animal but the hero who'd been considered the greatest threat to them: Sonic the Hedgehog! And yet..it had been a fox and the last of the female seedrians, a petali, who'd ultimately ended the metarex. Sure, Sonic and Shadow had been the ones blasted at Dark Oak, but they'd been the ammo, little more.
At the thought of the fox and the flower, his metarex A.I. flared, concerning him further. Did it know what had transpired? Did it become enraged when he thought of either of them because it knew and blamed them for its masters death?
It didn't matter.
He was its master now, he was in control.
He heard them in the corridor just outside the room, heard the explosions. It was time, just as he planned.
BOOM
An explosion tore the door apart, no doubt Miles had used one of his own troops as the explosive and by the lack of any real pieces of the door left, it was clear he'd done so to prevent the door being sent flying and endangering his love. Perfect.
Tails saw her as soon as they entered.
"Cosmo!"
"Tails!"
Rushing over, Tails quickly began to hack into the security console to her cell, though making sure to glance at her quickly every few seconds to make sure she was unharmed.
"Tails wait! Don't worry about me right now, its a trap!" Cosmo cried.
"I know" was his simple reply.
"Very good Miles"
Everyone turned to look up and most wondered how they had missed him, standing high above them on a balcony was their hated enemy, his own hateful gaze being returned by everyone and matched by Tails.
"You needn't waste time hacking to free her Miles, allow me"
With a mere wave of his metallic hand, Meta activated some mechanism in Cosmo's cell which promptly opened, allowing the frightened seedrian to escape into Tails' arms.
"You see I already have what I need from Cosmo, so she's all yours…for the time you have left of course."
Tails stood there holding his terrified but unharmed love in his arms and glaring defiantly and quite angrily at his metal enemy.
"If you think were going to just leave now that we have Cosmo back you're sorely mistaken. I'm not leaving here until you and this entire twisted base are reduced to a DAMN SCAP PILE!"
The other, Cosmo included, looked in shock to the once soft heated yet brave fox, who was now filled with a terrible rage.
Meta Sonic was unafraid.
"Such rage Miles, temper temper. While I enjoy seeing this new bloodlust in you, surely you don't think you can win here? You bested me before because you had the home advantage and I was, admittedly, overconfident. But this is MY FORTESS! MY STRONGHOLD! DID YOU TRULY BELIEVE YOU COULD DEFEAT ME HERE!?
"Sorry to interrupt, but honestly? Yeah, we can. You have the master emerald…or rather it's energy. We'll just take that and smash you like any other badnik" Sonic jumped in, not liking how enraged his double was getting nor how enraged he was making Tails.
At this, Meta gave a full blown laugh that reverberated power mad insanity off the walls.
"Oh Sonic my inferior template. Yes, you COULD have done that if I had not already used it!"
"What!?" came the unified reply.
Stomping forward angrily, Knuckles shook is fist at the robot.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH THE MASTER EMERALD!?"
"It's right here, and here, and here." Meta Said as he dropped multiple black shards down at the feet of the shocked guardian.
"And as for its energy, all me to show you"
And suddenly the room began to quake, the wall behind Meta crumbling to show a titanic machine that splayed out in multiple directions, the ends tipped with some manner of container, though the glass was too dark to see inside. In the center was the multicolored energy of the master emerald, though it appeared to be diminished greatly. And just above it was a sphere that Sonic, Tails and Amy recognized all too well.
"I-is that?" Amy began.
"The little planet…" Tails finished in a whisper, his eyes dilating at what Meta having it meant.
"Wait. That's the little planet!? how could he have it in a machine like that if it's supposed to be the size of a small world!?" Vector asked.
"Maybe he shrunk it?" Charmy asked.
"Don't be ridiculous Charmy" Espio admonished
"Actually the bee is right" Meta answered, shocking all present.
"OH YEAH! CHARMY'S RIGHT BABY!" the bee cried out triumphantly.
"Not something to cheer about!" Vector yelled.
"But how?" Cosmo asked "Tails told me the little planet only appears once a year and it's not time yet! How could you have it?"
"That's where the energy of the master emerald comes in, just as chaos control with the seven emeralds sent you to earth, so too have I been able to use chaos control with the master emerald's energy to transport the little planet here ahead of it's annual appearance"
"Okay..and how did you shrink it?" Rouge asked "The master emerald can't do something like that….I think"
Meta began making some gestures that indicated something for the machine, a command it seemed.
"It can't. Only one type of energy can control the little planet's properties in ways such as that"
"Chronos energy, the energy of time." Tails deduced.
"Correct"
And the various tips of the machines protrusions lit up to reveal the seven time stones, receiving a horrified gasp from all present.
"Where my useless creator failed I succeeded! I have the time stones! I have the master emeralds power!"
"But your plan involved siphoning energy from all the planets in the universe! Why go after the time stones!?" Cosmo cried.
"Simple my dear seedrian: an absolute god is not truly absolute if they cannot control both time AND space! I shall not only gain all the power in the universe, I shall also rewrite time to my liking! No more defeats! No more humiliation! And No. More. Heroes!"
At that moment the unspoken command the mad machine gave was carried out, the machine activating and draining the last of the master emerald power for fuel. The heroes watched helplessly as the time stones glowed and seven different wormholes opened in front of them, Meta somehow harnessing energy and merging them into one.
"This beautiful little pocket dimension encompasses all of time from the moment my pathetic template began fighting to protect this miserable planet. I shall rewrite these events first, then once you're all gone then my victory shall be at hand! I give you this one last chance to stop me! Come for me heroes! Come and face-"
Before he could finish the ceiling blew open, debris raining down though narrowly missing everyone. Above them, the occupants could see Eggman's new Egg Carrier as it not only bombarded Meta's base, but also engaged the various airships guarding it.
From the giant ship, a small round craft made it's way down, within it the rotund scientist himself.
"Ah, doctor, I was beginning to fear you'd lost your nerve"
Eggman snarled "I've come to end this farce once and for all! You've betrayed me for the last time you ungrateful scrap pile!"
"And yet I've done more than you ever could. I made it clear before doctor: you're obsolete"
"WHY YOU!"
Before anyone could make a move however, four other robots quickly landed beside Meta Sonic: The Meta Kings.
"Master, let us deal with them" Ruby Sonic spoke.
"No, you will deal with them when the time is right…each of you" Meta Replied.
Turning his attention back to the heroes (and Eggman) Meta spoke.
"I have a little game for you heroes. A trip down memory lane. Come after me, try to best my Meta Kings. If you survive, you may yet get to see the end of the universe. Now isn't that a tempting prize?"
Laughing, Meta dove into the wormhole followed by his Meta Kings. And before the heroes (and Eggman) could react, they too were pulled in as the wormhole began to suck them towards it. One by one everyone fell in, none knowing what to expect on the other side.
As Tails and Cosmo were pulled in, they clung tightly to each other.
"Tails..what's going to happen to us?" Cosmo asked
"I don't know, but I promise you: I'll protect you Cosmo. We won't be separated again"
"I love you Tails"
"I love you too Cosmo"
And thus the heroes were pulled through the wormhole, leaving a shattered base and a ravaged fleet fighting a ravaged airship. And as they left, the world around the wormhole and space itself began to warp, everything becoming faded as history began to shift. What it shifted to or whether it shifted back to the way it was before depended on those who'd entered. Though at the moment, the planet began to take on a cold, metallic appearance….
Okay so I admit, this chapter is somewhat short compared to the others, but this can be seen as the introduction chapter for the last few. Like an introduction for the final level in a game, this is merely to set the stage…and there I go being needlessly poetic again. In any case, Meta Sonic has the time stones, he's used them to shrink the little planet down so he can control it and by extension time itself, and he used the master emeralds remaining energy to get it and power his machine to activate the time stones and open wormholes. And for the record, though there are four Meta Kings, there will be more than four points in time that will be visited. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. See ya!