Chapter 11: Father and Daughter

Having delivered his speech, Emerl returned to the others, Nicole in tow.

"How did it go?" Rouge asked.
"I kinda sorta told 'em that I'm not playing by their rules, I'm just going to save Sonic and Sally, no matter what they say." He replied.
"Oh, nice!" Fiona smirked. "They need a wakeup call like that."
"It's all well and good saying that, but how are you going to beat Iblis?" Shadow asked. "She outclasses our Super forms completely."
"Not the Ultimate mode."
"First off, we survived against that. Second off, have you lost your mind?! The Ultimate mode turns you into a psychopath!"
"Not anymore, it doesn't." Emerl replied. "I'm using it now, for one thing. Second, you survived because the program was unfocused, torn between killing the easy targets, and eliminating the actual threats. Now that I can control it, I can focus its power on Iblis. Besides, there's no reason why I'd have to do it alone."
"Very well... where's Tails?"

"Right here." The fox's voice echoed. The group turned to see him approaching, a crate of Emerald racks in his arms. Fiona rushed over to his side, and hugged him.
"You okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine." He nodded. "And I have a plan."
"Well, lay it on us, Sugah."
"This time, we're all going." He said. "Well, except Ant, Rotor, and Amy. Rotor's staying to finish dealing with the Emerl situation, and you two are too injured. Anyway, Emerl and I will take Iblis-Sally. Nicole, you're going to handle Finitevus. Everyone else, you're on backup duty. We can't be certain that Iblis won't summon minions to fight us if we bring more."
"Very well."
"I like it."
"Er... isn't Nicole limited to the city?" Amy asked.
"Actually..." Nicole smiled. "We've been working on something... Hold on."

The lynx vanished, her nanite form dispersing. A few moments later, she returned, but now her body was smoother and shinier. It looked to be made of liquid metal, the optics white with green light shining from them. Her hair was shorter, while her body was enclosed in what looked like a purple body glove with black sleeves and legs, with an open skirt around her waist, and she had purple gauntlets and boots. A glowing orb rested at the top of her sternum, shining the same colour as her eyes.

"You made yourself a body?" Antoine asked.
"Yes, I did." Nicole smiled. "I had help, but it was just a side project while we worked on the Deroboticizer."
"Wow... nice." Fiona nodded her approval.
"Yeah... nice..." Emerl repeated, staring at her. Nicole blushed, playfully punching the Gizoid's shoulder.
"So... shall we get going?"
"I think so." Fiona held up her Warp Ring, and opened it.
"I have a trace." Emerl announced. "Wow... her signal's off the charts... and there's three of her."
"Three?"
"More minions, no doubt." Antoine mused. "Good luck, mes amis."
"Thanks."

The team took a deep breath and stepped through the Warp Ring, vanishing from Mobotropolis.

***

Stepping out into the temple, they immediately came face-to-face with the colossal statue of Iblis, looming over their heads.

"Whoa... what the hell is that meant to be?" Nic asked.
"It's... it's Iblis." Fiona replied. "It has to be. Sally said she saw a three-eyed figure in her nightmares before Iblis took over her mind. It's her."
"Attractive, ain't she?"
"No, not really."
"Let's move on quickly." Shadow broke in. "We don't want to get caught in the corridors."

"Shadow, take some of these." Tails said, pulling a rack of Emeralds from the box. He nodded, taking them, while Tails stuck his hand into the glowing box, absorbing every remaining drop of energy. A green aura appeared around him, then faded, while Shadow curled up, his fur standing on end and turning a pale gold.

"Alright then." Super Shadow grinned. "Let's move!"
"Aren't you going to change?" Fiona asked, prodding Tails' shoulder.
"Only if I need it. I want to conserve this for as long as possible."
"Okay then."

"This way, guys." Emerl announced, pointing to a door on the right wall. Heading through it, it a passage unfolded ahead of them, an eerie glow flickering at the end. Quietly stepping stepping down it, the synthetic hedgehog at the lead, Emerl beside him.

Approximately halfway down, the low, rumbling laughter of the fire goddess echoed through the corridor.

"Welcome, my dear adversaries." She hissed. "We have been waiting for you. Your performance against the Gizoid was... admirable."

"That's not Sally's voice, borrowed, distorted or whatever. Either Iblis has got a new host... or she's got a body of her own." Tails mused.
"We're going to need those Emeralds."

The passage opened out into an opulent antechamber, lined with columns and statues of the deity, with a huge depiction of the sun painted above the throne. Within it, approximately half of the circle was crimson, and the other was inky black. The throne itself sat on a raised dais, torches at each corner burning brightly. Another torch rested in the hands of each statue, maintaining the light in the room.

Iblis herself was reclining on the throne, her lower arms gripping the arm rests, the upper pair tenting their fingers. Sally was in her lap, a coil around her middle, while Finitevus stood to one side, and Darkspine-Sonic to the other.

"Greetings, dears." She hissed, a welcoming smile on her lips.

"She possessed Sonic too." Shadow groaned. "Of course she did."
"You didn't see that coming?" Fiona asked. "I mean, she tried it when he discovered her."
"It would've been nice if you'd told me that..."
"I just assumed that you knew she'd do it already."

"Do you think a Super form will save you again, even after last time?" She chuckled. Snapping her fingers, the floor between them erupted in flames, creatures taking form between them. The first were quadrupeds, appearing to be hybrids of lizards and dogs. Behind them, a wave of fiery birds, and at the flanks, two rows of serpentine creatures poked out of the ground. At the very back, huge, magma golems stood, cracking their knuckles.

"Okay, new plan. Shadow, cover everyone else and keep those things off our backs. I've got Sonic. Fiona, can you take Sally? Your stronger attacks should be able to keep her down without killing her, and Bunnie's limbs will overheat under concentrated fire at melee range, while you'll be able to keep fighting as long as you keep dodging."
"I can."
"Emerl, Nicole, stay on your targets."
"Got it."

"Come on, then..." Iblis purred, sliding out of her seat, two burning axes forming in her upper hands. "I'll reduce you all to ashes."

The creatures surged forward, screeching towards them. Immediately, a stream of gunfire and energy blasts opened up on them, as Tails tensed himself. Energy flared up around his body, and his eyes glowed crimson, his feet leaving the ground.

"Alright, let's move!" He called, grabbing Fiona and warping past the army. Emerl and Nicole flew after them, landing in front of the goddess' cult.

"The direct approach... I like it..." She smirked, swinging one of the axes down onto them. Scattering, the group charged for their respective opponents.

Nicole lunged for Finitevus, energy forming around her hands. The echidna smirked, hurling a black Chaos Spear at her, then jumped into a Warp Ring. Jinking around it, she turned to see him reappear behind Emerl, another drive in his hand.

"Not this time..." She murmured. Her eyes and heartlight turning lilac, a beam of the same colour lancing out of her hand. It struck the echidna, knocking him away. She flickered, vanishing out of sight. Jumping back to his feet, flared up energy around his hands again, pre-emptively opening a ring. She flashed up beside him, unleashing another energy beam before he could react, then warped out of his view again. "Annoying when you're on the receiving end, isn't it, Doctor?"

"How amusing..." He smirked. "Attempting to use my own warping tactics against me... So foolish."

He opened a ring, leaping towards it, only to be wreathed in purple energy, stopping short. He began floating away from it, whirling to face Nicole, he glared at her. The same glow was burning around her hand.

"My powers are amplified in this body." She smiled, a shining orb appearing in her hand. "Both my psionic abilities and energy projectors are enough to completely shut your particular fighting style down."

She drew her hand back, then thrust forward, a beam lancing out and blasting Finitevus. He groaned, straining against the lynx's hold, sagging as the ray faded. Swinging her arm to the side, he was dragged through the air and slammed into a wall. Teleporting again, she hovered above him, watching him struggle to his feet. He glared at her, throwing out all of the rings on his arms, hurling spears into all of them. A veritable cage of golden hoops opened around the lynx, the echidna below cackling madly. Closing her eyes, Nicole raised her hands once again, the purple aura overtaking the rings, which all turned to face Finitevus, just as the Spears burst forth.

"What the-" He gasped, cut off by the impact of his own attacks, catapaulting him through the wall into the next room.
"You lose, Doctor." Nicole smiled, floating after him. Before she could reach the echidna-shaped hole in the structure, a flash of gold rocketed between them, crashing into the ground, scraping over it, leaving a trail of sparks behind it.

Jabbing an arm-fin into the floor, Emerl stopped himself, looking up at Nicole.

"Emerl, are you-?"
"I'm fine." He fired all of his engines at once, surging past her and back towards Iblis. The goddess' body had a few minor scratches around the shoulders, throat, face, and chest, but most of the damage seemed to be concentrated on her left elbow, the craggy armour on her forearm crumbling in places. "But she won't be!"

Grinning, Iblis lashed out with her axes again, the Gizoid weaving between them thanks to some creative application of his jets, drawing level with the titan's head. His chest opened, cannon sliding into place.

"Emerl, below!" His head snapped down in time to see Iblis' hand close around his midriff.
"Scrap!"

The serpent swung her arm downward, smashing her quarry into the floor, breaking it open and leaving him lying inside a crater. Snapping her fingers, the hole exploded into blue flames.

"No!" Nicole cried, firing twin bolts of energy at Iblis. The serpent merely chuckled, smacking the small lynx aside with her tail. The tip coiled around her torso, pinning her arms. Immediately, she tried to teleport, receiving another vicious swing through a column. 'Can't engage her mentally... she's a much stronger telepath than I am...'
"You aren't like the other Mobians, are you?" Iblis asked. "A mind as alive as any other, but a body of artificial metals... I don't think I can control you normally... maybe we should find out?"

Another of the green stones appeared in her palm, moving it towards the helpless lynx, when a golden beam lanced out of the burning crater, and stabbed into her third eye. Howling with pain, she dropped Nicole, clutching at her injured orb. Both turned to face the pit, spotting a Mobian-esque shape walking towards them within it. Emerl stepped out of the inferno, chest cannon smoking.

"Heatproofing, bitch. Let's try this again, shall we?"
"You have a death wish, so why don't I d you a favour, and grant it?"

***

Fiona rolled away from a jet of fire, spewing from Sally's hand, and leapt back to her feet, tackling the maddened squirrel. They fell to the floor, Fiona slamming her shoulders against the stony ground.

"Come on, sugar-queen, wake up!"
"I am awake!" Sally spat back, lifting her knee into Fiona's stomach with unnatural strength, knocking the wind from her. Forced to relax her grip, Fiona rocked back, only to feel Sally's hand close around her throat. "And if you do not want Almighty Iblis' gifts, then you can perish here!"

Wheezing, she kicked at the mindless squirrel's chest, staggering her, before being swung bodily into the floor. She grunted, her spine aching worryingly, as Sally continued to squeeze her neck, and began pumping repeated punches into her stomach. Strength fading, the vixen pulled a knife from her belt, slashing it up Sally's arm. She recoiled, stumbling away, clutching her injury.

Seizing her chance, Fiona leapt back to her feet, running forward and launching herself into a flying kick, aiming for Sally's head. The squirrel sidestepped, however, grabbing her leg and flinging her into a pillar. She rushed after her, flames igniting around her fists, jabbing at the vixen's head. Ducking, she slid to ground, planting her feet in Sally's gut and launching her away. Skidding over the ground, the squirrel dug her hands into the floor, ripping the stones up as she scraped to a halt.

"You are persistent." She hissed, a fiery aura exploding into visibility. "But you are barely capable of standing. Why don't you submit, and perhaps we will be merciful enough to let you spend your existence scrubbing the temple floors."
"If you think I'm going to let you or that four-armed freak turn me into another mindless fanatic, you've got another thing coming." Fiona groaned, forcing herself upright.
"Very well, you have exhausted your final warning. You will die now." Swinging her arms forward, Sally unleashed a torrent of blue fire, searing the masonry and engulfing Fiona. "Another aberrant vanquished in the name of almighty Iblis..."

When the smoke cleared, however, Fiona was still there, encased in a purple energy bubble. Nicole materialised between them, floating a few inches off the ground.

"Aren't you meant to be helping Emerl?"
"He sent me to save you."
"Thanks, she's a lot tougher than I thought." Fiona sighed. "Got a plan."
"We have to keep her busy until I can formulate a method to break Iblis' mind control."
"Easier said than done..."
"Don't worry, there are two of us now."
"Just... don't overheat yourself, okay?"
"I won't, don't worry."

Behind them, another row of golems exploded into stony fragments, courtesy of Super Shadow. Below him, Bunnie and Omega stood back-to-back, cannonfire exploding at the surrounding creatures. Lightning cut several to ribbons, Nic blasting them from a distance. Rouge hovered nearby, slinging grenades and detonation packs into the horde.

"The big ones are pretty tough, leave those to me." He shouted.
"Got it, Shadow!"
"Tails, how are things with you?"

The glowing fox swerved, swinging past a wheel of white fire, firing a trio of Chaos Spears after it.

"Not good. He might not be as bright, or as resistant to damage as normal, but he's so much stronger and faster that those don't matter." He replied, watching the spears crash against the ground Darkspine-Sonic flying away, unhurt. "I can see his energy levels... he's packing everything into attack, and nothing into defence. A single strong enough hit will put him down, but I can't even land a hit- gah!" He finished, knocked off-balance by a sudden backhand.

"Try letting him hit you, and then retaliating!"

His tails lashed up, intercepting a blazing dash, but he was thrown aside, both appendages scorched.

"I've tried that, but he hits so hard and moves so fast that he's gone before I can recover!"

Super Tails stood, healing himself as best he could, but the burns refused to die down. Darkspine charged in again, white eyes gleaming, curling into another fiery spin as he jinked around a Chaos Lance. The wheel crashed into him, driving him into a wall. Uncurling, the hedgehog launched a flurry of explosive punches and kicks, driving him deeper into the stonework.

"Shadow! Little help!?"
"Be right there."

Appearing in a flash of crimson, Shadow grabbed Darkspine's shoulders, and hurled him away.

"We're going to need a new plan." Shadow groaned.
"Then I think I'll need to use the other Emeralds."
"Other Emeralds?"
"I brought forty-nine of them."
"Why would you bring forty-nine Emeralds?"
"Equivalent to a set of Super Emeralds."
"Ah..."
"Stand back."

Shadow flew back into the fight with Iblis' army, while Tails held his arms out, his aura exploding upwards. The the brilliant sheen on his fur brightened, wiping out the colour, waves of energy pulsing out of him.

Iblis stopped as the waves struck her, all three eyes widening.

"Something wrong, scaly?" Emerl grinned. The serpentine goddess ignored him, sliding closer to Tails, who smirked up at her.

"Do you any idea what you have just done?" She roared.
"Yes, I've given us a chance to beat you." He replied.
"No, you haven't... not with that energy form..." She glared at the Hyper form's crimson eyes. He faltered for a moment, then his eyes shrank to prinpricks. He flinched, stumbling backwards, dropping to the ground, digging his fingers into the torn-up floor. "You haven't given your friends a winning edge, you've doomed all of us..."

"Tails?" Fiona called, carefully approaching him, Sally watching carefully behind her.
"F-Fi..." He groaned. "Stay back!"
"Tails, what's wrong!?"
"Your boyfriend has absorbed far too much energy from an unstable source, and he can't control it." Iblis replied. "And the energy released from him... is all too familiar."

Tails lifted off the ground, curling into a fetal position, grasping at his own head, crimson energy cracking over his body. He let out an agonized scream, his claws sharpening, ripping out of his gauntlets and shoes. His back arched, head tipping back as his muscles slimmed, leaving his body lean, as he went limp, slowly turning over. His eyes opened, Fiona trying to make contact with him, as he stared at his hands. He closed his eyes again, and slowly righted himself, a wide, toothy grin spreading across his lips.

"Tails?"

"Heh... Heh heh... Ehehahahaha! I liiiiiive!" He crowed, spreading his arms wide. His voice was higher, sharper, icy-cold.
"What the hell happened to him!?"
"He's been taken over... just like I took over Sally..."

Tails' eyes opened, his irises and pupils slash-like, the former still burning crimson, the latter brilliant white.

"Who is he?"
"He's my father." Iblis replied. "Hyperion, the Tyrant Sun."

At the mention of his name, the albino fox looked down at her.

"Ah... Iblis, my dear daughter... It has been a while. I must thank you for releasing me, but now, it is time to bring all of Mobius to its knees." Hyperion hissed, turning to the other Mobians. "I have waited for so long... so long in this boy's head, feeding on his powers unnoticed, while he refused to employ them... waiting for him to finally release me...but at last, I am given form! Now, you pathetic mortals... Kneel.