I do not own Sonic the Hedgehog or any of the characters.
Rematch
Shadow shoved Eclipse out of the way, walking past him into the massive open chamber where he'd fought Shadow Doom's giant robot. The center of the room had a massive circular platform that functioned as a lift for the robot, and off to one side lay a pair of skeletons, one a bat, one a cat, and both with their ribs broken in at the back and out the front where they'd been impaled, both of their spines also broken. Rouge and Blaze stared at the skeletons in silence for a moment before averting their eyes.
"That's a little off-putting," Rouge said.
"Feels like a little bit of foreshadowing," Blaze said.
"I won't let it happen again," Shadow said flatly, glaring at Mephiles, who was lying on the ground before them, his body cracked and the green Chaos Emerald lying beside him.
Just as Sonic stepped forward to go get it, Shadow holding his hand out to the side to stop him, Mephiles's eyes flew open, purple and black flames erupting from below him before thick purple sludge flooded outward from filling the floor of the room by a couple inches before Mephiles took the Chaos Emerald and sank into the goo. Most of the others tak a step back, preparing themselves, but Shadow walked forward calmly.
"Prepare yourself, Shadow the Hedgehog!" Mephiles' voice shouted from all around them. "It is time for you to die!"
The world flashed red and Shadow Doom's robot appeared above them, its tentacles all stabbing down at Shadow. However, Shadow wasn't in the mood to play with illusions. As the tentacles neared him, he shot forward, slipping between them, then shot up one to the robot, slamming a fist into its torso, an explosion of red Chaos Energy blasting the illusion into pieces, proving its inferiority to the real thing. Shadow floated to the ground slowly using his shoes and huffed.
"I'm tired of your games, Mephiles," Shadow growled. "Your body is cracked and broken, which means that Doom already proved how pathetic your rip-off powers are. I'm not in the mood for it. If you think keeping that Chaos Emerald with you will protect you, you're wrong."
An energy blast erupted from the goo behind Shadow, but he launched himself to the side, the blast exploding against the wall instead.
"And another thing," Shadow said. "I'm not Shadow the Hedgehog. I never was. I am Shadow the Android. The last hope for this world, and the ultimate weapon created by Tails and Dr. Robotnik."
"Hedgehog or Android, it makes no difference!" Mephiles snarled, growing from the goo. "Either way, you will die!"
"It does make a difference," Shadow said, all the Chaos Emeralds int he room suddenly shining, Shadow suddenly radiating Chaos Energy. "I don't have to bein possession of a Chaos Emerald to draw from its power. Only near it. And also, there's my core. My power source." Shadow's black fur turned gold, his spines angling upward behind him as he lifted into the air, gold Chaos Energy flooding off of him. "It's this dimension's Master Emerald."
"What!?" Knuckles gaped, just as Shadow's Chaos Energy suddenly shone, beginning to flash rapidly between the colors of the seven emeralds. "Holy shit! That's Hyper Form!"
"This is going to be a walk in the park," Shadow said. "It feels no different than having my rings off."
Mephiles roared in rage, rocketing toward Shadow, only for Shadow to wave his hand, a wall of Chaos Spears exploding into Mephiles in a trail of explosions reaching all the way to the wall before stopping, leaving a massive section of the wall filled with dozens of craters, and Mephiles in one shaped like his body. He fell out of it and crashed down in the purple goo, then sank into it.
"I take that back," Shadow said, staring at his hand. "This feels way different. I like it." He grinned darkly, imagining how the fight with Shadow Doom would go if he had this kind of power.
"Focus on Mephiles now," Sonic said, stepping up beside him. "Plan out your revenge later."
"Oh, I'm way past planning it," Shadow said, holding out his hand, the green Chaos Emerald bursting out of the goo into his palm. "You'll be needing this."
The others all gave him a confused look just before the goo began to ripple, rapidly growing more and more violent. Pitch black Chaos Energy began to rise from the goo like smoke. Sonic, Silver, and Knuckles all instantly entered their enhanced forms, Sonic and Knuckles both choosing Hyper Form, and everyone tensed, readying themselves. Then, just after nearly a minute of the power growing, Mephiles finally reemerged. Now, he had most of his body a solid black with his snout a barely-lighter brown, white crystal in a mantle-like armor over his shoulders, back and chest with a small point on the bottom in the center, then two curved points to either side, both slightly higher, white crystal vambraces and shin guards with small curved spikes on the outside of his forearms and the front of his shins, white crystal where his upper middle spine had been now sticking up in a pair of straight crystal spikes like a forked horn, a pair of crystal spikes reaching backward from the sides of his head, the same red eyes with green irises, and a long tail ending in a jagged crystal tip. Purple flames now raged from the back of his head below his crystal horn, and darkness clung to him like a shroud, but with what looked like black gears growing out of it then shrinking back in.
"What's going on!?" Sonic asked.
"His anger, fear, and desperation have multiplied his power, which all are powered by negative emotions," Shadow said. "Let's go."
He shot forward, a wall of Chaos Spears appearing around and in front of him, exploding forward, only to be sucked into the darkness around Mephiles, instantly redirecting themselves back at Shadow and the others, Shadow firing a second volley to block the first. Then, Mephiles shot out of the massive explosion, his fist exploding into Shadow's face and sending him exploding into the wall behind him. The other three appeared around him, moving to strike, only for him to roar, sounding like a monster, and blasts of energy like Dark Gaia wielded exploded off of him, blasting all three, as well as spreading explosions around the room, Shadow shielding the rest of the group with a barrier of Chaos Energy. The moment the blast ended, Shadow let the barrier fade and exploded forward, punching at Mephiles rapidly, Mephiles deflecting his strikes easily, his unblinking eyes staring at Shadow coldly. Sonic appeared opposite Shadow and both began to strike at Mephiles as fast as they could, their entire bodies blurs as their fists, feet, and Sonic's sword, which now had a shining gold lattice made of light around the blade, struck out at Mephiles over and over, only for Mephiles's hands to deflect Shadow's strikes and his tail to deflect Sonic's without him even looking.
Knuckles and Silver finally broke free of the craters in the walls they'd been stuck in and both growled angrily. They both exploded forward, joining Shadow and Sonic, but Mephiles turned slightly, fending off Shadow and Knuckles with one hand, and Silver and Sonic both with his tail. Shadow grit his teeth. Mephiles was toying with them. Which meant that they were about to be in a world of hurt. Sure enough, Mephiles suddenly grabbed his wrist and spun, smashing Shadow into all four of the others before releasing him, sending them all exploding into the wall in a perfect square. Shadow grit his teeth, pushing free of the wall and floated over the others, reaching out to his rings. He was going to have to do something really stupid. He pulled off all four and dropped them, Rouge catching them for him, then exploded forward. Mephiles spread his arms invitingly, and Shadow focused the massive tidal wave of energy ripping around and through him into his right fist, drilling his fist into Mephiles' cheek, only for it to suddenly be Knuckles, whose eyes were wide with shock, meanwhile Mephiles was suddenly in Knuckles' place. The explosion of Chaos Energy embedded Knuckles in the wall, Knuckles reverting to his normal form and going limp. Shadow swore harshly, turning on Mephiles again as Silver and Sonic flew up beside him.
"This is bad," Silver said. "What do we do?"
"We need to wear him down," Shadow said.
"Can we even do that?" Sonic asked.
"We don't have a choice," Silver said. "Let's go!"
They shot forward, Sonic racing ahead of the others and punching at Mephiles, only for Mephiles to avoid the strike then catch his ankle and swing him backward, batting Silver aside with Shadow's body. Then, he swung Shadow around again, this time using him as a shield to block Sonic's energy blast. Shadow shouted in annoyance, setting off a Chaos Blast, but the darkness around Mephiles suddenly condensed into a wall of black gears and cogs, the blast parting around it. However, it did force Mephiles to release him, allowing Shadow to flip and punch at Mephiles as the darkness was receding. Shadow's fist crashed into Mephiles' snout, launching him backward to where Silver flew up to him and punted him. As he streaked away from Silver, Sonic crashed into his side as a cannon ball. Then, Shadow exploded down into his face from above, likewise curled up. Mephiles exploded down on the goo like a solid floor and all three Hedgehogs began to rain Chaos Spears onto him for a moment before letting it end. As the dust and smoke cleared, Mephiles was gone. Then, Dark Gaia exploded up from the goo, smaller, though, fitting inside the room. Shadow and Sonic exploded forward instantly, only for a pair of tendrils of purple energy to extend from Dark Gaia's back, each with a purple flame on their ends the size of Sonic and Shadow. The tendrils slammed into Shadow and Sonic, sending both streaking into a cog portal, being ejected from the portals other ends in front of and behind Silver, exploding into him at the same time. Then, Dark Gaia roared, blasting all three of them, sending them exploding into the wall aligned vertically.
Shadow took off again first, flipping and spinning past Dark Gaia's tendrils, and both hands, before roaring and forming a barrier around himself and exploding into Dark Gaia's face. Dark Gaia rocked backward, shrieking in pain before Silver again exploding into its face. It roared in rage, but just as it leaned forward, Sonic exploded through its body from the spike over its right shoulder to the spike over its left. It shrieked in pain, shining purple before beginning to expand and reform, darkening until the same robot Shadow had destroyed twice now was towering over them. Shadow shot forward, streaking at its head, only for a dozen of its tentacles to braid together and smash into him, sending him exploding into the wall. Silver and Sonic began to fly around, peppering it with Chaos Spears, but as Shadow broke free of the wall for the millionth time that battle, the tentacles all flashed down at the others. He took off, knocking all of the tentacles off course before landing and forming a barrier, which deflected them, but shattered. Then, he exploded off the ground again, his Chaos Spears obliterating the tentacles as he flew before covering the entire robot in explosions. Then, he exploded into its head, demolishing the entirety of its head. The robot turned to sludge and crashed down instantly, Mephiles exploding back out, this time minus the darkness and purple flames. However, as a trade off, he was going on the offensive now, and no less powerful, it seemed.
He smashed a fist into Shadow's chest that sent him exploding into the wall yet again, then appeared in front of him, punches smashing into him like machinegun fire, the wall behind him shattering more and more with each impact. Then, he vanished, appearing in front of Sonic and grabbing his arm, spinning and hurling him sideways into Silver, then appeared in front of them and slammed a kick into Sonic's gut, the force launching both into the wall, Sonic hitting Silver for a second time. Silver groaned, slipping out of his Super State and going limp as Sonic and Shadow exploded out of the wall at Mephiles, and he roared, swiping his hands across his body, a pair of massive walls of Chaos Spears exploding out of his palms at them, both meeting his blasts with their own. Then, Mephiles vanished, appearing beside Sonic and kicking him in the face, sending him exploding into the ground by the others, Sonic slipping out of Hyper Form. Shadow shouted in effort, pushing his power as high as he could and exploded forward, his fists blurring as he struck at Mephiles, only for Mephiles to fend him off, also managing to rain blows into Shadow's entire body at the same time. Then, Zeta's fist exploded into Mephiles's head powered by a blast of ionized energy, Mephiles exploding into the wall. Shadow stared at Zeta as he began to heal his injuries. Her fur was shining gold and ionized energy was screaming off her body. She smiled at him, then turned back to Mephiles, Shadow smirking and doing the same, both adopting the same combat stance.
Mephiles exploded out of the wall and Shadow and Zeta exploded forward, together striking at Mephiles as fast as they could, and he began to fend them off as easily as he had been. However, after a few seconds, he made the mistake of catching Zeta's wrist and Ionized energy began to blast him. He shrieked in pain as Shadow began to rain blows into him, managing to do so for about three seconds before Mephiles managed to release Zeta, Shadow smashing a spinning kick into him and sending him exploding into the wall. Just as he exploded out of the crater, Zeta fired a bolt of lightning into his chest, sending him exploding back into it again. Then, as he exploded off of it again, Shadow exploded into his face as a cannon ball, then rained Chaos Spears on him as he uncurled. He inwardly sighed in relief. Mephiles was starting to run out of steam, it seemed. Otherwise, they'd never be able to hit him.
Mephiles roared in rage, exploding from the wall yet again, swiping a hand and redirecting Shadow's blasts into the wall off to the side before crashing into his gut. As Shadow streaked backward, Zeta's foot crashed into Mephiles' crossed arms, only for him to throw his arms outward, throwing her away, then exploding into her foot first, blasting her into the wall. He spun instantly, launching himself through the air and curling into a ball in time to meet Shadow's homing attack head-on. Then, as both uncurled, Sonic exploded into his side, once again in Hyper mode. Mephiles crashed into the wall and Shadow and Sonic began to rain Chaos Spears on him. Finally, he roared and their blasts all faded instantly, only for a lightning bolt to hit him just as he leapt off the wall, replanting him in it. His rage began to spike instantly. However, as he leapt forward again, a hand suddenly exploded from a cloud of darkness on the wall, catching his legs.
"What!?" Mephiles shouted, looking back at the darkness swarming off of the arm and hand, the black gears and cogs growing from the darkness then shrinking back into it. "No! How!? I have all of your power!"
"Just go quietly!" Shadow snarled, exploded forward and curling into a ball.
He crashed into Mephiles' face and Mephiles shouted in pain, then in dismay as he was dragged into the darkness and it faded, swallowing him. Shadow sighed, floating down in front of Rouge and taking his rings back, putting them on before collapsing onto the now goo-free floor. Zeta and Sonic landed to either side of him with Knuckles and Silver, both of whom were beginning to stir, and Shadow sighed.
"What happened?" Rouge asked.
"He was losing control," Shadow guessed. "So the Time Eater broke free and dragged him into the Time Eater's realm."
"So then he's officially sealed in a real that exists outside of time," Sonic said. "Good."
"Now all that's left is for you to get revenge," Rouge said.
"Oh, is that all," Shadow snorted, shaking his head, beginning to breathe harder by the second. "I'm just about tapped out."
"Same," Sonic nodded. "And Eclipse will be blocking our Chaos Powers." He slipped out of Hyper Mode and sighed. "So tired."
"Think we can take a quick break here to rest up?" Shadow asked, just as a door opened and Eclipse stepped through the door with Shadow Doom. "Guess not."
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