AN: Well, here we are again. I've decided to focus largely on the Dark side of the story since I can't concentrate on both of the stories while looking at the relationships I want to build up. Don't worry, you'll still hear about Sonic, Tails and Knuckles. But it'll be brief - think Tails' role in the last chapter' brief. =) Sorry to the fans of those characters! Also, I'll only be using bits and pieces of the respective levels, because otherwise it'd be a bit long.
Title: Sonic Adventure 2 Battle: Retold
Summary: Ever wondered how a single sentence can cause an entire chain of events to change? When Amy hugs Shadow on Prison Island, such a thing could occur…by altering a few words.
Disclaimer: Let's see…Sonic soft toy, SA2B soundtrack…nope, still no legal papers saying that I own any of the characters.
Chapter Three: Shut up Faker!
Shadow trailed casually though the jungle. He had already set the timers and had plenty of time to make his escape, hence his laidback pace. Not thinking of anything, his lips formed a small smile as he walked. Until the radio crackled into life. His expression immediately changed.
"This is Rouge. I've got a small problem…" Shadow raised an eyebrow. A 'small problem' didn't warrant use of the line. "I can't believe that I'm trapped inside this locked safe with a Chaos Emerald! I guess I won't be able to call myself a treasure hunter anymore." Rouge ended with quiet dejection, knowing full well that no rescue mission would be arranged for her. That was plain even over the poor quality electronics.
Suddenly, a memory flashed into Shadow's mind. The fragile girl was turning to him, a pleading look in her blue eyes. Shadow stopped short, his look instantly darkening with a thoughtful frown. Shadow bared his teeth slightly, unable to prevent the flow of memories and imagination as he turned his head sharply, as if paying attention to each in turn. Maria slowly closing her eyes blissfully, Rouge sitting mournfully within G.U.N.'s locked safe, Maria, Rouge - Shadow gasped, unable to help the connections made within his mind. Clenching his fists, he growled.
"Troublemaker!" Turning back, he began to hurry towards the base, quickly meeting the security he had graciously avoided when planting the bombs.
Leaping easily though a waterfall and smoothly skating on the flora ensnared path, he couldn't help but notice how women seemed to get to him. His objective was all for Maria, that was a given. His life was a gift from her and he had to repay her by completing her final wish. But through this, two other girls had touched this soft spot. His gaze darkened as he narrowed in on some pathetic machines, turning them into heaps of scrap iron and broken wiring. He didn't like the idea that he was easy to manipulate. Not because it was the fairer sex, not at all. Simply because being manipulated was a weakness that could be used against him. Swiftly spinning through a loop-de-loop, Shadows thoughts wondered over to the girls who had this effect on him.
Foremost there was Rouge. If the bat hadn't gotten herself locked up he wouldn't be pulling off the fastest U-turn in history, during this downpour, on an island that was due to explode. He scowled. He could lie and say it was for the Chaos Emerald but within himself he knew it wasn't the only reason. Despite having his reservations about the jewel hunter, something in his stomach wouldn't settle if he left her to her fate. He cursed his hidden nature as he wrapped an arm around a taut liana, snapping the twigs keeping it in place so that he was thrown sharply upwards, eyeing an inactive guard.
Destroying it and slipping under the poor blockade, he thought back to the beginning of this mission. The female that had hugged him…Amy, the doctor had called her. They had obviously met before but that didn't concern him. Her touch had caused a reaction in him, one that had previously only been triggered by his creator and Maria. He frowned and not just to block out the haze of rain. How could she ignite that familiar, familial warmth within him, when he had never seen her before? He replayed the scene, careful to remain focused primarily on his surroundings.
Seizing a vine and throwing himself over the murky, foreboding waters, the dark hedgehog quickly realised that her hug had matched Maria's almost perfectly. Even the friendly love the hold contained was present. Approaching a line of rings, he closed his eyes to recapture those moments but found that they overlapped. Screwing his eyes at the mental confusion, he reopened him and jetted along the path of currency. Wind rushing past him, he didn't regret his decision to take her with them to the ARK. A girl like her would be good for keeping his mind trained on his purpose while also allowing him to not over exert himself. Both creator and deceased best friend has warned him against such tendencies.
As the path cleared, he performed several somersaults before landing easily on a thick branch. Catching his breath, he heard something that made him twist his head sharply to the source.
"Hey, that's -" The owner of the voice seemed to be musing the acrobatic appearance of the artificially created life. Shadow narrowed his eyes, turning his body to face the hero whose reputation he had unknowingly ruined. He muttered darkly and largely to himself.
"That blue hedgehog again of all places…" The aforementioned blue hedgehog spoke up again, an accusing look in his eyes as he stepped forward forcefully in Shadow's direction.
"I found you! Faker!" he shouted, stabbing a finger towards the 'Faker' for emphasis. This was enough to convert the red-striped hedgehog's confused musings to amused anger.
"Faker? I think you're the fake hedgehog around here. You're comparing yourself to me? Ha!" He laughed with elegant mockery. "You're not even good enough to be my fake!" As he spoke these words, Sonic's expression hit a disbelieving note, still riddled with prideful fury.
"I'll make you eat those words!" he challenged, angrily, leaping forward onto a platform just below Shadows roosting spot. Not one to turn down such an offer, Shadow joined him quickly. There was a slight pause as the two 'fakers' stared each other down before they leapt into combat.
Both opened offensively, Sonic aiming a kick for Shadows stomach while Shadow directed his for Sonics face. The artificially created hog also extended an arm to grab the leg swinging towards him, stopping the attack short. Sonic wasn't as defensively nimble and took the blow hard, flying back. Landing lightly on his hands, he flipped himself so he landed on the truck of a tree, launching himself at the enemy with a fist pulled back. Flipping back to dodge the blue ones attack, Shadow didn't count on a large flower to provide footing for his foe. An uppercut kick connected sharply, sending the evasive hedgehog into the air.
With a catlike twist, the kicked one used his knees absorbed the force he was travelling at before he smacked into the tough bark of his earlier perch. Using the built up tension in his legs, Shadow fired himself at impressive speed. Curling up tightly, he narrowed his eyes as he took aim and span sharply, quills drawn. Sonic had stepped back a few paces before the black bullet had even touched the tree and crouched down, making his body taut and relatively small. Without waiting to see if the attack was successful, he charged a spin dash and released the pent up energy to zip forward powerfully. Needless to say, the two hedgehog collided at full speed.
-0-0-0-0-0-
The doctor was growing impatient. Slamming his fist on the side of his own machinery, he shouted at nobody.
"These incompetent fools! She was supposed to be the famous jewel thief and she can't even pull off a simple job! As for that 'Ultimate Lifeform'…bah! He's probably wasting his time sightseeing after a fifty year nap then following the plan! And he has me babysitting…" - the old rogue gave Amy a look of distain - "a meddling girl who can't keep herself out of my business!" The aforementioned girl felt her temper flare and her own volume rise to match his.
"Hey, I didn't ask to be here! And it's your fault that Sonic ended up here in the first place!"
"Me? Please, it was just a bonus! Besides, if Sonic hadn't interfered with my previous plans-"
"Don't even begin to act like you're the tragic victim here!"
The arguing would've continued, if Eggman hadn't decided to tighten the grip on her. Spluttering as the hold threatened to cut off her precious oxygen supply, Amy was quietened while the increasingly irate and impatient man radioed the created one.
-0-0-0-0-0-
The pair spun furiously at each other, trying to push the other back as their quills slashed harmlessly at the others matching weaponry. The blue blur began to summon up the element that seemed to embody nearly all Mobians, the wind, to add extra vigour to his blistering velocity. His dark twin countered this by beckoning forth pure Chaos energy, increasing his own strength as he tapped into the power hidden within the Chaos Emerald. The airstreams blasted around them, responding to Sonics call as time began to warp erratically thanks to Shadows skill. The hurricane was on the verge of destructive as the pair found that they would be moving in slow, fast or normal motion in rapid succession.
Sonic was a bit thrown by the time twist. It was lucky he had built up a tolerance against motion sickness or he'd probably be on all fours spewing up his chilli dogs. Seeing his chance, Sonic extended his leg and slammed Shadow into the ground with full force, adding his own muscle to the spinning intensity as he leapt into the sky on impact. Shadow growled and turned sharply, concentrating a pulse within his hand. With a strong swipe, a Chaos Spear shot at his rival and hit him hard as he spiralled stylishly, showing off prematurely. Both stood up quickly, trying to hide their pain. Neither bothered to mask their exhuastion and panted heavily, still glaring at each other. Before either could raise a fist, a crackling noise broke over the lazy background noise of the jungle.
"Shadow! What are you doing? Hurry and get back here right now, before the island blows up with you on it!" The doctor snapped. Shadow cast an eye over his radio, having forgot about it previously. Sonics eyes widened.
"Blows up?" He shouted, staring in shock at the receiver of the call for confirmation. Scanning Shadows face, it was clear he had also forgotten this little detail during their battle. Another voice sparked into life over the radio, this one reflecting the overall shock on their end of the line.
"What!? You're blowing up the island?" Sonic gasped, eyes like plates now focused on the transmitter. He recognised that squeal.
"Amy!" Shadows jaw tightened. This faker evidently knew the girl. As the foes gaze shifted to look him in the eye again, he took off, abandoning the hedgehog in the clearing.
AN: Oh holy damn it's done! I'm so sorry for the absence, college has been a bitch. A real bitch. But it's up and I'm pretty pleased with it. Ended up longer then I thought and includes my first real fight scene. Hopefully it's not too shabby! Oh, there's someone I must give credit to: Gamechamp3000 has a play list on Youtube of all the scenes in SA2B and it's incredibly useful. Means I don't have to boot up my game and try to find the right scene to remember what happened when. Kudos to him!
Review to rant, rave or moan at me for being gone so long. And thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! You all rock!
PS: I've also decided to change my name. So from now on, I shall be Dusk Fox Altars, or just Dusk :P