I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of the characters.
Beginning
"There you are!" Sonic snapped. "Where the hell have you been? We need you to tell us everything you can about what we're up against. Who was the echidna? What do they want? Are they working for anyone?"
"Are they working for..." Shadow stared at him, eyes slowly widening. "Didn't...Blaze tell you?"
"Blaze?" Silver asked. "We haven't seen Blaze since you all disappeared from the city yesterday."
Shadow and Rouge stared at him, wide-eyed, before Shadow's eyes narrowed and he let out a snarl. "Zeta!"
"Who?" Sonic asked.
"The echidna," Shadow said. "Her name is Zeta and she can fire ionized energy like lightning out of her arms, as well as release it from her whole body for both offensive and defensive purposes. She serves Mephiles, who has absorbed Dark Gaia, the Time Eater, and the Phantom Ruby."
"We're fucked," Knuckles laughed humorlessly. "We can't beat that kind of power!"
"We don't have a choice," Silver said. "We'll need the emeralds."
"We'll need epitaphs," Knuckles corrected.
"We can do it," Sonic said, everyone turning to him. "Silver can use the Chaos emeralds to enter his Super form, and Shadow can to, maybe with a bit of help. Then me and Knuckles will enter our Hyper forms."
"Hyper forms?" Shadow asked.
"It's been a long time since I've done that," Knuckles said. "I don't know if I remember how."
"Hyper form is a step above Super form, using the Master Emerald to power up the Chaos Emeralds," Sonic said.
"Why don't you have Silver do that too?" Shadow asked.
"Because Hyper form is hard to control," Knuckles said. "The first time you use it, you're liable to use up the entire form's energy in one go unless you learn to control it. And even then, it's so exhausting that it'll leave you practically comatose for days afterward. Sonic and I haven't used it for forever. Haven't had a real reason to."
"I'd say you've got one now," Shadow said.
Knuckles nodded. "Alright, we'll all-"
A massive computer's screen behind him suddenly switched on to a static screen, the accompanying distorted sound all but screaming through the room, making everyone cover their ears. After a moment, the static faded and left Zeta's face with the city as a backdrop, vied from above, like the top of a skyscraper.
"Shadow, I trust that you can hear me, since I'm hacking every screen on the planet using a satellite, but incase you can't, I'll entrust on of Shadow's friends, I don't care which, to pass along the message," Zeta said. "I've been ordered to finish what we started. Phase three of my Master's plan has begun, and it's time for you to die. I'm waiting for you in Metropolis. Come and face me, alone. And I suggest you hurry." The camera swung around to Blaze, bound, beaten, and bloody, her clothing torn and tattered, and kneeling on the edge of the building. "I don't think that landing on her feet will save this kitty at this height."
Then, the screen switched off. Shadow turned to leave instantly, only for Sonic to catch his arm.
"You can't go alone!" Sonic said.
"I have to!" Shadow snapped, batting his hand away. "If I take anyone with me, Blaze dies! It's my fault she was captured by sending her on her own, and I won't watch her die again!"
"Again?" Sonic asked, only for Shadow to turn, Rouge stepping in front of him.
"You're not coming," Shadow growled.
"I know," Rouge said, cupping his face. "Be careful, please."
Shadow nodded and Rouge kissed him for a moment.
"Bring back our girl, okay?"
Shadow nodded and Rouge stepped out of his way, Shadow taking off instantly. He focused, recalling how it had felt in his dream, and tapped into his Chaos Energy. Except, instead of red, white-blue energy shone from his body. He lifted off the ground, streaking through the air faster than he could run, and smiled slightly. Maybe he could beat Zeta. He shot through the air rapidly, eyes scanning the Metropolis skyline as soon as it came into view. Finally, he spotted them, on top of the tallest building, a massive one with plenty of room for their fight. He focused, pushing his energy and sped up, flashing across the distance before finally flipping and landing on his feet and left hand between Blaze and Zeta.
"You made good time," Zeta said, eyeing the energy coursing over his body. "And you've gotten better at control."
"Are you okay Blaze?" Shadow asked, looking back at her.
"Shadow!" Blaze smiled, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You came!"
"Of course I did," Shadow smiled, turning and untying her. "You're not the only one who cares."
Blaze threw her arms around him, sobbing into his chest, and he held her, gently stroking the back of her head comfortingly, watching Zeta carefully, making sure she didn't attack while Shadow was clearly not prepared. After a moment, Blaze pulled back and reached up, kissing him. Shadow smiled, kissing her back for a few moments before pulling away.
"Can you get yourself down?" Shadow asked.
Blaze nodded, standing. "Can you win?"
"We're about to find out," Shadow said. "Head back to the others. Rouge should be there with them. Tell Sonic to get started on his plan. He'll fill you in."
Blaze nodded and turned, leaping off of the building and launching fire out of her hands and feet, flying away in a blur. Zeta made no move to stop her, and Shadow turned to the echidna, readying himself.
"This fight will be different than our last," Shadow warned her, his Chaos Energy turning red as his anger replaced his desire to see Blaze safe. "You hurt someone I care about, this time. I won't let you walk away."
"Good," Zeta said. "Then maybe you'll provide me with a challenge this time."
Shadow shot forward, jumping and throwing a spin kick at her, only for Zeta to duck under it, then flip backward, slamming her foot into the underside of his chin, flipping him backward. He landed on his feet and deflected several of her punches before using his right shoe to launch his knee into her gut, lifting her before his left shoe sent a roundhouse kick exploding into her side. She shot away from him, spinning out into the open air. He narrowed his eyes, waiting. There was no way she was finished that easy. Sure enough, she rose a moment later with ionized energy shooting out of the bottoms of her feet like small blue flames, allowing her to hover. Shadow narrowed his eyes and exploded off the ground using his shoes' thrusters, meeting her in the air and drilling a right-handed punch at her, only for her to sweep it to the side before looping her arm around it, trapping it to her side before drilling three quick punches into his exposed right side before he roared in effort spinning and using his right arm to hurl her, slipping it out of her grasp as he did. She flipped, stopping herself just in time for Shadow to crash into her gut as a ball, sending her rocketing downward. She shot after her, focusing his Chaos Energy into an aura around himself, only for Zeta to flip out of the way, Shadow shooting past her. He flipped, stopping himself and turned in time for her foot to crash into his jaw, throwing him to the side. He flipped, channeling his Chaos Energy into his fists and exploded forward, Zeta moving to meet him, both hands compressing into blades. She crossed her arms in front of herself, then slashing at him across her body, but Shadow flipped over it, drilling a fist into her back, sending her exploding down into the ground.
He smirked, shooting down after her, only for a massive bolt of lightning to flash out of the dust, exploding into his chest and launching him skyward. He fell, crashing down hard, and rolled to a stop before Zeta shot toward him. However, as she neared him, he smirked, letting off a Chaos Blast and sending her hurtling backward again, though not doing much actual damage. He flipped to his feet and shot forward, Zeta moving to meet him. He flipped, sending a blast out of his shoes' front thrusters to flip him into a double axe kick, only for Zeta to spin around it, her right fist pulled back for an upper cut. Then, a short, yet powerful, blast of ionized energy exploded out of her elbow and her fist exploded into his side, launching him into a building and cratering it. He fell tot he ground with several pieces of debris and she charged. He grabbed a chunk of stone and hurled it at her, making sure to block her view, then shot to the side just as she punched the stone, sending it exploding back into the ground where he'd been a moment before. He shot toward her from the side but she jumped, ionized energy exploding out of her heel this time and sending her foot exploding into his head, sending him flipping and spinning away. He crashed down hard and rolled to his feet just as she reached him, her fist drilling into his jaw, once again boosted by ionized energy. Except this time, when he crashed into a building, she was there instantly, her punches continuing.
She rained punches on him continuously, staying back from him just far enough to give him room to bounce between her fists and the building. Shadow struggled to focus enough to control his Chaos Energy enough to shield himself, but it didn't matter. Even with the energy, she was breaking his bones every punch. Finally, she flipped, slamming a kick into him from above, sending him exploding through the ground into the sewer. He shoved himself off instantly, fleeing through the sewer tunnels, only for her to catch him a moment later. He flipped over a punch, kicking her before launching himself after her in a ball. She rolled out of the way of his strike and flipping, slamming a kick into his gut and sending him bouncing along the tunnel. Then, just as he flipped into the air, she crashed into his gut, curled into a ball herself and with ionized energy screaming across her skin, sending him exploding back up to the surface. He flipped, crashing down hard, Chaos Energy fading, and she crashed down on top of him, one hand closing around his throat as the other compressed into a blade, which she pulled back, only to stop, staring at him.
The security feed she'd watched him through flashed through her mind, the security feed that she'd watched for close to an hour before he'd left the city, at which point she'd switched to a satellite. There had been no real reason for her to watch him for as long as she did, and yet, she hadn't been able to make herself stop. Just as now, she had no reason not to drive her blade through his brain, and yet, she couldn't. She tried to force herself to, and instead her arm shook and remained immobile, raised in position to kill him, and yet not descending an inch. Finally, she shouted in frustration, spinning and hurling him away from herself.
"Dammit, what's wrong with me!?" Zeta shouted, switching her hand back to a blade.
"Maybe you...recognize...right and wrong...after all," Shadow said, slowly pushing himself to his feet, holding his stomach and watching her warily. "We don't...have to be enemies...Zeta. You can...still join us."
"I will never join you!" Zeta shrieked, yanking her left hand off. "I hate you!"
A bolt of lightning exploded into his torso and he shot backward, crashing into a building, grunting and coughing up blood before dropping to the ground and coughing up more. As he managed to get to his hands and feet, Zeta's foot crashed into the right side of his ribs, hurling him, only for her to speed past him and drill a punch down into that same side, cratering the ground with his body. Then, she flipped backward, watching him as he slowly pushed himself up, staggering toward her.
"Why won't you just die!?" Zeta shrieked. "Why can't you just let go!?"
She shot forward, slamming a punch into his throat, sending him staggering backward. Then, she followed it with an uppercut to his solar plexus, just below his ribs. He staggered backward, gasping and wheezing, his head spinning and spots flying in front of his eyes. He stepped forward and threw a punch and she brushed it aside, slamming a fist into his jaw, then the center of his sternum, over his heart. He staggered backward, gasping in another breath and blinking, getting a split second of clear vision and launching himself at her, throwing another punch, much faster this time, only for her to duck out of the way and slam a punch into his side, specifically his liver. As he turned, she delivered a left hook to his jaw, cracking it, then a right to his solar plexus again. His body shut down almost entirely, but she wasn't done. She slammed a hook into each side of his jaw, breaking the right side the rest of the way, before grabbing his head and yanking it down into a knee.
He flopped backward, crumpling to the ground finally, and she glared at him. However, after a moment of breath wheezing out of him, white-blue Chaos Energy radiated from him around his head, healing his jaw and waking him back up. He groaned, slowly pushing himself up, swaying dangerously as his brain threatened to switch off again. Then, he staggered forward.
Zeta again shrieked in rage and annoyance. "Just die already God dammit! What does it take to kill you!?" She began to beat him senseless once again, all technique gone as she slammed her strikes into his body and face over and over. "Why won't you just get out of my head!?"
Finally, she jumped and slammed a reverse spinning kick into his forehead, throwing him back, only for him to once again slowly drag himself to his feet, only barely staying there. Blood flowed out of his nose and mouth freely now, his right eye was swollen shut and filled with blood, and a slit in the eye itself allowed it to drain so that it didn't pop out, resulting in tears of blood running down the right side of his head, and his left arm broken in multiple places.
"If...you want...me dead...kill me," Shadow panted. "Don't...beat me...Just stab me."
Zeta's eyes widened for a moment before she launched herself forward with ionized energy from her feet, slamming another reverse spinning kick into his forehead and sending him crashing to the ground before dropping on top of him, grabbing him by the throat with her left hand and forming the other into a blade, as she had earlier. However, as with earlier, her arm began to shake as she tried to force the blade down into his brain, remaining where it was. Zeta grit her teeth, shrieking in frustration and slamming a punch into his jaw.
"Stop fighting it!" she shrieked.
"I'm...not," Shadow said weakly. "I thought...you wanted...to...kill me."
Tears of frustration began to leak down Zeta's cheeks. She lowered her arm, her blade shifting back into a hand, and Shadow watched her for a moment before lifting a hand and setting it on her shoulder. Zeta folded forward, pressing her face to his chest, ignoring the blood matting his fur, and began to sob out of frustration.
"Why can't I do it?" Zeta sobbed. "I w-was created to kill you, so w-why c-can't I?"
"You weren't," Shadow said, Zeta sitting up slightly and looking down at him in surprise, managing to regain some measure of control. "I don't...know who...created you...but...you weren't...created...to kill me. If...you were...you'd have...done it...last time. Mephiles...can't be...trusted."
"Then what should I do?" Zeta asked. "Fight him?"
"Not...alone," Shadow said. "Sonic...and the others...will look after...you."
"What about you?" Zeta asked.
"I'm going to...be busy," Shadow said, looking off to his right where there was another Shadow, this one formed out of crystal, it seemed, with pale blue where Shadow's fur was red, black hands tipped with white claws, dark purple flames rising off of the ground around his feet, and glowing eyes with red sclerae and yellow irises.
"Mephiles!?" Zeta gasped, staggering away, eyes wide with surprise and fear. "I...I can't do it, Master. I can't kill him. I don't know why."
"Yes, your programming is rather resistant to my control," Mephiles said.
"My...programming?" Zeta asked.
"That's right," Mephiles said. "As Shadow so astutely informed you, after being beaten to Death's door, you were never actually created or programmed to kill Shadow the Hedgehog. You were created to be the ultimate defender of Mobius. However, Before you could be completed, your dimension began to collapse after one of its more deranged inhabitants used the dimension's Chaos Emeralds to erase it. You sent through a portal created with a dozen false Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald of your dimension to this one, along with your core, an invention that made use of the DNA of the Sonic of your dimension and a fragment of the Master Emerald to generate infinite amounts of energy, granting you your powers and life. All I had to do when I found you, was put your battery in. Then, when you awoke, you began to attempt to kill me, sensing my evil intentions thanks to the Master Emerald fragment, so I used my power to take control of you, erasing your memories of our short battle. And you've been an invaluable aid since then, gathering me power and strengthening my control over you, each time with me erasing your memories of your missions."
"You...you've been...controlling me?" Zeta asked. "All this time? You were...I gathered your power?"
"That's right," Mephiles said. "You gathered me the power of Dark Gaia, the Time Eater, and the last remaining Phantom Ruby. And after each mission, I wiped your memory, killed anyone who saw you, and now, here we are. I must admit, I never expected you to actually serve me for this long. Of course, like I said, each time you brought me more power, my control over you grew stronger. Still, I suppose facing your own creator is a bit much to ask."
"My own..." Zeta's eyes widened.
"I'm...what?" Shadow asked, slowly pushing himself up to his knees.
"That's right," Mephiles smirked. "The one who created you in your dimension was none other than Shadow himself. Yours was more genius than fighter, so he created living weapons, androids, who were to help your dimension's Sonic defend Mobius."
"But that's...so then..." Zeta's eyes fell to Shadow, who tried to stand, only to collapse again. "Shadow...I'm...I'm so sorry!"
"It's fine," Shadow said, slowly pushing himself up again, this time managing to regain his feet. "Get going. Find Sonic and the others. I'll...keep him busy."
"Bullshit!" Zeta said. "You can barely stand! How will you fight him!?"
White-blue Chaos Energy shone from his body, healing him in seconds before Shadow inhaled slowly, lifting off the ground with the Chaos Energy.
"Anger allows my red energy, which is useful for attacks," Shadow said. "And fighting to defend someone allows my blue energy, which heals and shields me. It wasn't just because I was slow that I allowed you to continue beating me to a bloody mess this time."
"You needed to get used to controlling the different energies in battle!" Zeta realized.
"Exactly," Shadow said. "Now, go."
"No," Zeta said firmly, using her own powers to lift into the air beside him. "We'll fight him together. He can't beat us both."
"Don't be so sure," Shadow said. "But okay. Together it is."
Mephiles laughed, spreading his arms invitingly. "Come then. Let's see what two separate dimensions ultimate weapons can do together."
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