Chapter Nine: Final Frontier

"Wow, you really scared us there, Shadow." Sonic patted his friend on the shoulder, quickly recoiling as the ebony hedgehog swore in pain. He was still too weak to get up and was lay in a hospital bed, his chest looking like a mummy's. Sonic was sat next to him and Tails was in the next room, talking to the other doctors, he came in looking fairly worried.

"Shadow you need to heal soon." Tails looked over his shoulder, and leaned in closer, "You're raising to many questions, you're healing much faster than expected so that's weird, plus the heartbeat thing." As Shadow had been brought in, all of the doctors had been deeply confused as they had been unable to find a heartbeat. Shadow lost his temper and grabbed Tails by the collar.

"It's not like it's my fault you little-" He was cut off as he went into a coughing fit, this lasted for a minute or two, until Shadow fell back into the soft pillow, groaning.

"I'll go get you a hot chocolate or something." Sonic stood up and headed for the door, Shadow nodded weakly.

"Erm, Tails?" The fox turned around to see Cream at the door, he waved a dismissive hand at Shadow as a 'be right back' sign and went to talk to her.

"Hey, good to see you." He went to kiss her on the cheek, but she avoided it.

"What is this thing with Shadow?"

"Hm?"

"I mean there's always something mysterious surrounding you three, I didn't mind it before, but it's started to leak into everything else. And there's that thing with the heartbeat. And the attackers. Does this involve you?"

Tails paused, unsure of what to say, "...By association."

"Which means I'm involved by association. I don't like that. Look." She hung her head. "I don't think we can do this." Tails nodded, he hated it, but she was right, being with him would get her killed.

Sonic walked into the cafeteria, it was empty apart from the woman at the counter, he tossed some change on the counter and asked for coffee. The woman, who he knew fairly well - apart from her name, usually seemed nice and friendly, but she leaned towards him, looked side to side and grinned, "Do you wanna see my tits little doggy?" She hissed.

Sonic, as you can imagine was fairly confused by this, until she leaned further forward, bearing her long, pointed canines.

The hedgehog leaped back, the sound that came from his mouth could only be described as "BWAH!" he was ready to run for it, when a cold, yet seemingly friendly voice came from behind him.

"Sonic!" he turned to see Black Ruin, sat at a table with a cup of coffee in his hand.

"Ohnononono..." Sonic muttered as he began to run for the exit.

"Wait-wait wait!" Ruin held out his hand, "I've not come for Shadow. I mean we'll get 'im, but there's no hurry. I've come to see you."

Sonic raised his eyebrow and began to walk towards the table, Ruin began to speak as he did so.

"How do you think this ends?"

"I dunno." Sonic came to the chair on the opposite side of the table from Ruin and leaned on it, grinning slightly, "We kiss?"

Ruin's face hardened, "You can't stop this, this is, Darwinism, evolution." Sonic stared coldly as Ruin began to get up, until they were almost nose to nose, the table between them, his grin replaced Sonic's. "A vampire, a werewolf and their friend, decide to live like normal people, they get a house, jobs, and a TV license. Unfortunately the only part of humanity they successfully adopt, is the ability to deceive and destroy. Well, I'd say your little plan has been something of a failure." he walked around the table and was side to side with Sonic, who didn't budge. "I will chase you all to the edge of the earth, and pick the meat off your bones myself." He then came to whisper in Sonic's ear, "You shouldn't have come for Shadow. It got my... attention."

Sonic did not turn around for a few seconds, he heard footsteps get closer to the door, then turned around, "Maybe I'm just too tired to be intimidated. But you seem awfully confident for someone who just let a lyco and a human walk off with his best friend."

"Mm." Ruin turned around swiftly and began to walk towards Sonic, who stood his ground, "I have to admit, that was bloody impressive. You clearly are a man not to be messed with. For example, it would take a complete lunatic to do something like - this!" he shoved Sonic, "Oh, and what if I were to do it even - harder!" He almost pushed Sonic over, then laughed. "C'mon! Where's my action hero!?"

Sonic yelled and advanced on Ruin, pinning him down by the throat against a table, the woman at the counter immediatley ran with a knife to his assistance. "Wait!" Ruin stopped her, "No matter what happens, you do nothing." the woman walked away hesitantly as Ruin laughed, hardly feeling the fingers that Sonic had wrapped around his neck, "It's like top trumps! Werewolf versus vampire, it's so exciting!"

Sonic only growled, and jumped back, glaring at Ruin.

"Come on, you could finish me now. You could end this whole thing!" Sonic ignored him and left.

By the next day, Shadow was home, and by the day after, fit enough to walk around well. "I'm surprised the doctors let you go without testing." Tails brought it up as he was making a cup of tea, the others were in front of the TV, "Pfft." Shadow smirked, "I think they were glad to see the back of me, to be honest." He stood up to get his coat on, "I'll be back later." The other two nodded, knowing it was best not to try and stop him from wherever he was going. "Watch yourself." They said in unison.

--

It was a dull morning, and Shadow found Ruin hanging around outside of the hospital.

"Ruin!" The creature grinned as he saw Shadow, "I want to end this!"

"Ah, not right now mate, I've just pressed this shirt."

"You and me, ten o'clock tonight, I'll get back to you with the place."

Ruin raised his eyebrow and laughed, "I'll hand your arse back on a plate, you know I will."

"So think of the message that sends."

Ruin thought to himself for a moment, then agreed.

"There are conditions," Shadow went on as Ruin indicated to. "you let Sonic and Tails go."

"Ha! What is this hold those two have over you!?"

"You wouldn't understand."

"Ok, after we fight, they have twenty four hours to get hidden. If they're seen after that, they're fair game."

Shadow nodded.

Ruin tutted cockily, "Like I told you before, I would have given you South America."

--

"What!?" Tails yelled at the top of his voice as Shadow told him and Sonic the news, Sonic seemed to be in deep thought.

"If I do this, you can survive."

"But you'll be killed! Sonic!" The vulpine turned desperately to the blue hedgehog, who's eyes remained on the table the three were sat at as he spoke.

"I think we should let him do it." This made Tails yell in pure anger, he ran out, almost breaking the kitchen door as it slammed.

"Where is it?" Sonic looked to Shadow.

"The roof of the hospital, tonight."

"But I transform tonight!"

"That's the point."

Sonic sighed, "Let me tell Ruin."

"But-"

"He won't touch me. He knows that if he does that the deal will be off."

Shadow nodded, "Well hurry up, it's already five."

--

"Haven't you guys ever hears of a phone?" Ruin laughed as Sonic sat down in the undertakers.

"I've come about the place you're going to meet. But first," Sonic pleaded with Ruin, "why not just let him go, you'll never see us again! No one will ever know."

"I'll know! I'll know, that I let mercy and nostalgia deter me. If I don't do this I don't deserve this planet, none of us do."

Sonic groaned, then accepted it, "Anyway, about the place you'll be meeting. Got a pen?"

--

Ten o'clock came, Shadow was at the roof of the hospital, waiting for his final frontier. He saw Ruin swagger into the hospital from over the side.

Ruin got into the hospital, making his way to the lift, he pressed the button that would take him to the one thing threatening his soon to be rule of the earth.

Tails was in the hospital cafeteria, they were out of coffee at home, and it was cheap here. He leaped back as he saw the woman that Sonic had described to him as the vampire, "You!?"

She recognised him and grinned, "Ruin has blessed me," she announced proudly, "now I have the blood o' the ancestors. Thousands of years of majesty and glory!"

"Well." Tails was sick of this shit, and now not fearful of her at all, "Congratulations on getting the whole speaking like a twat thing down."

"If Shadow had any sense he'd lock himself in that dungeon where they're fighting." she pointed downwards.

"What!?" Tails shrieked, "The hospital basement! But Sonic went to tell him about the..." Tails somehow kicked up dust on the crystal clean floor as he ran away.

Back on the roof, Shadow took a deep breath, he saw the door on the other side of the roof open, revealing... Tails?

"Tails! What are you doing! Ruin-"

"Isn't coming! Hurry!"

Ruin cockily came into the basement, it was dark and grey with bad lighting - just the way he liked it. He followed Sonic's directions into a small room, upon walking in, he realised it was empty. He heard a lock close behind him.

Sonic turned to him after ensuring the door was bolted, "We want it to be quiet."

"Ah yes, full moon tonight is it not? But you've forgotten one thing, I can rip you to shreds, you're not transforming."

As Ruin lunged towards him, Sonic pulled his shirt off, making Ruin jump back and yell, shielding his face with his hand. Around the hedgehog's neck, rested a small, golden crucifix. "I figured this would work." He matched Ruins glare, "You shouldn't have come for Shadow. It got my... attention."

The two just stood, eyeing each other down, both waiting for Sonic's transformation to kick off.

Sonic jumped, almost banging his head on the low ceiling as he heard two bangs on the metal door behind him, accompanied by the voices of Tails and Shadow, pleading for him to get out. Sonic ignored them, until Tails picked the lock, Sonic yelled for them to stop as they came next to him.

"Go! Please!"

"Let's get this started," Shadow approached Ruin.

"Please g-!" Sonic was cut off as a shock of pain coursed through his body, the transformation would begin soon.

"I suggest you listen to him Shadow, looks like your little suicide bomb is about to go off," He grinned and sung happily: "I see the bad moon risin'!"

Sonic put his hand on Shadow's shoulder, "Go. I owe you a favour." He said through whimpers. Shadow and Tails left as Sonic fell to his knees, letting out another horrific scream. Ruin towered over him, and began talking.

"You know as I came here tonight, I looked over their city and... I was humbled. I thought I was going to lead all of this, turns out I was just the key. A cog, if you will, in the ancient machine. You kill me and you cross a line. There's no going back." Ruin paused as Sonic screamed a few obscenities due to his crippling pain, then carried on, "I am the beginning. There will be others after me. This land is ours, and we have all the time in the world. You will lose your last strand of humanity tonight! If I'm going to hell, I'm taking you with me..."

"Haven't you...figured... it out yet?" Sonic laughed weakly, seconds from being fully wolf form. "Humanity... is about love... and... sacrifice..."

He screamed again and stood up, his eyes now slits, "This doesn't rob me... of my humanity..." his fingernails had grown and tore through his gloves, he made and open mouthed smile, bearing his sharpening teeth, "... it... proves it!"

Thirty seconds later, he was in his wolf form, growling at Ruin, who stared him in the eyes, "Do it!" he was shaking as the beast approached, "COME ON YOU FUCKING FREAK! DO IT!"

Shadow and Tails closed their eyes as they heard the sound of Ruin's horrific screaming along with the sound of guts flying everywhere. Soon silence. Ruin was dead.

--

A day later, around mid day, the three were sat around a square table, each holding a cup of tea.

"Are we safe, now?" Sonic looked at Shadow, grinning slightly.

"I don't know. Maybe Ruin was right, someone may replace him, or maybe... this is safety."

Sonic and Tails nodded in agreement, Tails then took a look at his cup, and to the others, "Why are we drinking tea?"

"I dunno, grab me a beer will ya?" Sonic asked as Tails headed for the fridge.

"Ditto." (Shadow)

"Erm, guys. There's only one left."

The three slowly looked at each other, blinking in unison. Until suddenly Shadow and Sonic tackled Tails' legs, all three shouted at the same time:

"MINE!"


Finally, done. Please review, this is the last chapter, plus the longest chapter I've ever put in a story guys, ! I want to know how many people are still reading. Ooh, and check out my other stories.