Hey guys! My multi chap Sonic the Hedgehog fanfic has arrived! The idea for this story just popped into my head one day, and I knew I had to write it. It will feature sonic, tails, knuckles, amy rose, cream, shadow, rouge, omega, the chaotix, silver, blaze, and dr. eggman. I'm so excited to share this story with you, but first, I've got a few rules! Yeah, I'm just that type of person. I accept and welcome constructive criticism, but please no flames or naughty vulgar comments in the chat. This story will not be perfect, but it's my baby so be kind for the sake of my tender sensitive feelings! Jk, I'm not sensitive, but still, be kind :D
There will be lotsa angst and graphic violence, hence the T rating. If you don't wanna read your fav Sonic characters dying bloody deaths, then I suggest you find a different story.
I'm also gonna make history, because I have never dedicated a story before, but I'm gonna do it now. This story is dedicated to my younger self. When I was little, I was absolutely obsessed with sonic, especially tails. I used to roleplay, scribble down script lines from video games, and even prayed and asked God if Sonic characters were in Heaven. My love crumbled away as I grew older, until I stumbled upon a journal filled with sonic fanfics that I wrote when I was nine. My love was awakened, and writing this story makes me feel young again. I hope you all enjoy this story, but even if this story doesn't receive any recognition, I know my younger self would be proud. Yeah yeah, dry your tears, ya wimps!
In case there was ever any doubt, I obviously do not own Sonic the Hedgehog, even though I would very much like to. All rights belong to SEGA. I just borrow the characters, beat them up, and return them.
Everyone could probably remember a time in their life where a simple idea or thought left you questioning your sanity or intelligence. Perhaps the idea was far-fetched and illogical, or a stroke of genius that left you wondering how the universe could contain your sheer brilliance.
For Dr. Eggman, this was not one of those times.
He would often be dumbstruck at his pure genius after the construction of a new robot, or a new security system, or a supercharged weapon. But instead of repairing Metal Sonic from his latest tussle with that blue rodent that had left the bot totaled, Eggman had done something he had never done in his life.
"Finally!" He sat back in his cushioned seat with a heavy sigh, wringing out his hands as he flicked the pencil across the desk's surface. "Next time, I'll make sure I type them out." A sinister grin crawled across his lips as he caught himself. "Thankfully for me, there won't be a next time."
He leafed through the slips of paper, counting them to make sure he didn't miss anyone. Thirteen invitations, the perfect number. Some would consider it an unlucky number, but he was too brilliant to fall into the trap of being superstitious. There was no such thing as luck, and science had an answer for everything.
Flexing his cramped fingers, he clapped his gloved hands a complicated combination, pausing at random intervals. The series of chopped claps was a gesture he had memorized, and he had barely lowered his hands before the control room was swarming with surveillance robots. They hovered over the dimly-lit screens, whizzed around the powered-down laser cannons, and some even had the audacity to land on his shoulders, as if they were pet parrots and he was their loving owner.
Both of them couldn't be farther from the truth, and he shifted his shoulders, knocking a few free. "Quit climbing on me and deliver these invitations!" He sectioned out the invitations, shoving and locking them inside glass capsules for their travel.
On cue, the robots whirled around him in a flurry of humming engines, their claw-like limbs latching around the cylinders. One by one, they began filing down the control room and spilling into the hallway beyond, where they would find tiny crevices that would grant them freedom to the darkening skies that loomed above them.
Eggman curled a calculating finger under his chin as his fingers drummed against the desk. He was always someone who played it safe, but now...now he was taking a risk. This whole operation could blow up in his face...quite literally.
He should have just allowed the invitations to deliver their own set of poison. This was absolute madness, even for him.
Swallowing thickly, he dipped his gaze towards the two glittering emeralds that laid tantalizingly on a circular platform. Both of them were a sky-blue hue, but the comparison stopped there. One twinkled with whispered power and one burned with deception. One would grant the user power, and the other was a ticking time bomb.
The true chaos emerald was vulnerable, without any protection or defense. The fake one, however, was surrounded by a force-field shield. Nothing too foolproof, since he wanted that blue rodent to steal the fake. And Eggman had laid the foundations perfectly so Sonic could practically waltz into the place and steal it.
Eggman had made sure that the bug had been planted in that blue rodent's mechanical sidekick, that freakish fox. That naive child had, no doubt, warned Sonic that Eggman was creating a fake emerald. Little did that freak realize that he was playing right into his hands!
Eggman had also made sure that he reused the security code for the force-field shield. That fox wasn't a fool, although he wasn't a hacker either. But from his sources and the alarms that he had received on his security monitors, he had a spy lurking in his vent system. He could take one good guess, but he would use her as a tool. He had purposefully left the screen open for a few seconds, allowing that batty snoop to peek at the password to deactivate the shield in case the fox couldn't hack it.
Eggman eased his eyelids closed, replaying the scenario over in his mind. There was a seed of doubt in his mind, that this plan was far too simple and it would backfire on him.
Sonic would slip in through the hallway, destroying his robots just like he did every time. He would exchange some banter and abandon the real emerald, thinking it was the fake since it wasn't guarded. Either Tails would deactivate the shield or Rouge would spill her guts about the password, and Sonic would snatch the fake emerald and escape. And then, when that time bomb locked inside the fake detonated...well, then it was curtains for that filthy blue blur.
He was roused from his thoughts when a wailing alarm split the air, crimson lights flashing and security monitors winking to life to reveal an azure-blue hedgehog sprinted towards the entrance to his base, a carefree grin lighting up his face. He always treated this like it was some harmless game. But this time, he would learn that playing dangerous games always had a price.
In the midst of howling sirens, Eggman tipped his head back, lips curled up into a demented grin. And laughed.
Rouge laid on her back, her nose inches away from brushing the steel, low-cut ceiling of the vent. She was not dressed accordingly for the chilly air that blasted through the vent, and she wrapped her arms around herself as goosebumps sprang to her bare skin.
It was always the same mission over and over, and it always revolved around the emeralds. Not that she was complaining, of course. But why did she always get stuck doing the dirty work? It would be different if she was working alone, but a certain ebony hedgehog with attitude issues always had to show up at the worst times and claim the emerald as his own.
I should fly down there and steal those babies. Teamwork was never my specialty, Rouge thought greedily, her eyes narrowing as the emeralds shimmered up at her.
She still didn't know which one was the fake and which one was the real one, but it hardly mattered. No one said that she couldn't steal both of them. And even if they did, who listened to rules anyway?
Rouge rolled to her knees, ducking her head to avoid scraping her delicate ears against the shredded ceiling as she crept down the vent, swiveling her ears to pinpoint Eggman's words. When she had first entered his base, which had been a few hours ago, she had noticed that he had left the password to the shield exposed on the screen.
This seemed easy. Much too easy.
A regular, even, ticking sound radiated from the floor beneath her, making her frown. It sounded almost like...a bomb? That idea was absurd, since Eggman wouldn't place a bomb in his own control room. They were fickle, unstable weapons, and even the slightest disturbance could trigger an eruption.
She rose to her tiptoes, flexing her velvety wings. A smile sprang to her lips when she thought about how furious Shadow would be. She wondered how he actually trusted her, since she had never done anything to earn his trust.
She wasn't even sure if he actually trusted her. She could always see him watching her out of the corner of his eye. He rarely allowed her to operate outside his vision, unless she was cramming herself into a vent. That always did the trick to rescue her from his corrupting glare.
She wasn't even sure of her relationship with Shadow. Sometimes, they worked together as casual companions, although that normally ended in disaster. Sometimes, they eyed each other with a mixture of disgust and distaste. And sometimes, they treated each other like complete strangers. She shouldn't be surprised, however. Shadow was difficult to understand, and she had stopped trying a long time ago.
She was rocked back and forth as blaring sirens echoed around her, pounding in her ears and forcing her to crush her ears with her palms to stifle the assault on her hearing. How had she been discovered? She had been so careful!
She flicked her gaze towards a monitor, the footage static and distorted, but she could see the familiar blur of blue, that reckless, wild smirk, and the elegant footwork and graceful spin-dashes that sent robots pitching to the ground in smoking heaps.
There was something about Sonic that made her grin. His free spirit, his carefree nature, his determination and ambition. They shared many of the same personality traits, except that he was focused on others. If the circumstances were different and she was living a different life, she could see herself in him.
But she had chosen her path, and her only concern was for herself. Sonic was coming for her emeralds!
A slow, flirtatious smirk crawled easily across her face as she batted her wings, about to launch herself down towards the guarded emerald. She would have to find some way to distract Eggman so she could deactivate the shield before Sonic arrived.
The ground trembled beneath her feet, shaking the whole vent and causing her to clutch her knees for support before she toppled over. She flicked her furrowed gaze over to the monitors, trying to keep tabs on what Sonic was up to. He was currently running up walls, mowing down Egg-Pawns as if they were a sea of dominoes.
"Rouge!" A deep voice growled through her walkie-talkie. "What's going on in there?"
"Oh hiya, Sunshine!" Rouge grinned sheepishly, removing the dangling walkie talkie from her hips. "I really missed the lilt of your voice."
"Quit playing games with me," Shadow hissed back, the walkie-talkie crackling with static. "Sonic's making a run for the chaos emerald."
Rouge laughed dryly. "I've noticed." For the purpose of provoking Shadow further, Rouge dropped her voice, adding, "I'd like to file some complaints. First of all, my back and butt ache from being cramped in this musty vent for hours. So unless you'd like to be a gentleman and give me a massage, then I suggest you—"
"Quiet," Shadow ordered, the static doing nothing to hide the irritation that laced his tone. "Did you locate the chaos emerald?"
"Of course I did." Rouge took full-advantage of the fact that Shadow couldn't see her and rolled her eyes. "I located it the minute I wormed my way through this disgusting vent. There are two emeralds, but one's a phony. Once I figure out how to distract Eggy, I'll deactivate the shield."
Rather than replying to the information she had supplied him with, Shadow's voice dropped an octave. "What's that sound?"
"Oh, that rumbling sound?" Rouge yawned. "That's my tummy. That's the price you gotta pay when you're fresh outta snacks and stuffed in a vent for hours."
"Drop it, Rouge."
"You, on the other hand, have it easy." Rouge paused as the trembling beneath her feet doubled in velocity, making her knees cave in. Gripping the side of the vent and unfolding her wings in case she did happen to lose her grip and fall to the control room floor, she muttered dryly under her breath, "And that trembling was my tummy too."
Beneath her feet, the steel ground of the main control room twisted and writhed, as if something was melting the metal and mauling it. A giant chasm was ripped open, red eyes that glowed like twin pools of blood locking onto her. A metallic snout followed, razor-sharp teeth jutting out and flashing wickedly in the artificial lighting.
"Shadow!" Rouge hollered, her voice cracking from fright. "It's Eggman's robot dog!"
A flash of titanium fangs was the last thing Rouge saw before something crunched around her waist, ripping the vent grate free and hauling her out into the open. Screaming in agony, Rouge allowed the walkie-talkie to slip from her hands, the massive paw that smashed it to smithereens choking Shadow's response to her cry.
"Ah, Rouge, what an unwelcome surprise." Eggman craned his neck up to observe her vulnerable state, not looking at all surprised that she had been spying on him. "I believe you've already met Egg-Cerberus."
"Oh yes, it was quite an honor." Rouge choked back a cry as the canine tightened his maw, squeezing her waist until her lungs were on the verge of collapsing and oxygen fled her airways. "But Sha—Shadow beat your pet before, and he'll do it a—again," she wheezed.
"Hey, don't count me out either!" An enthusiastic voice from behind them called out cheerfully, the grim situation brightening as a male cobalt hedgehog leaned against the smoldering doorway, the hallway beyond him littered with scraps from defeated robots.
"Sonic!" Eggman clapped his hands together as if celebrating his enemy's arrival. "That was quite the entrance!"
"Yeah, I've been working on them. I certainly hope your insurance covers that." Sonic grinned, waving over his shoulder towards the sparking doorway. "You look good. Did you take the advice that I left last time?"
"About ditching the soda?" Eggman raised an eyebrow quizzically.
"Nah, that was the time before that." Sonic shook his head. "The one about eating salad without the dressing. That dressing has hidden calories in it, y'know."
"Oh yes, I really took that advice to heart," Eggman replied evenly, that sickly grin never leaving his face. "So I'm guessing you stormed my facility simply because you missed me and wanted to offer another golden nugget of advice?"
"Dream on, Eggman." Sonic thumbed his nose, gesturing towards her. "First, I want you to leash your pet. Then, I'm gonna take the emerald off your hands...err, emeralds?" Sonic's eyes narrowed as he surveyed the peculiar scene. "Ha, nice try. Tails already warned me about a fake."
"No matter how hard I try, that freakish fox is always one step ahead of me." Eggman chuckled lowly, obviously trying to belittle himself to bait Sonic. "Did your foxy friend happen to hack my shield as well?"
"No need to." Sonic shrugged nonchalantly. "Because it's probably a password a toddler could guess." Sonic paused, musing aloud. "Is it password123? That's a classic."
Rouge flared her nostrils, deciding to take matters into her own hands since Sonic was locked into one of his banter sessions. It could be useful, since he was also distracting Eggman. It wasn't like she was a damsel in distress or anything.
She tried to wiggle her torso free, but the Egg-Cerberus clamped it's jaws down tighter, until it's fangs sank into tender skin, and stinging pain exploded across her abdomen. This time, Rouge couldn't fight the gurgling shriek that was ripped from her parched throat.
Her insides writhed when she saw the carmine that speckled the robot dog's muzzle and the twisted mass of rusted metal teeth that anchored her in place. She was going to need a tetanus shot after this!
Although her waist was immobilized in a bone-crushing grip, her legs dangled freely and she took the advantage that it had offered her. Although she wasn't airborne and couldn't use her drilling attack since most of her body was immobilized, she reared one leg back as far as she could. When she was sure that her leg was about to snap from how far she had pulled it back, she launched it forwards, aiming a heel straight at one of the canine's eyes.
Her heel bounced off the armor plating that protected it's head, and although it looked slightly dazed and winded, a faint growl rose from the back of it's throat before it began to squeeze tighter, and tighter, and tighter. Rouge swore she could smell it's rancid breath as black spots began floating in her vision. This beast was suffocating her!
She struggled, clawed, kicked, and screamed, but nothing was effective against it as it continued to crush the oxygen from her lungs mercilessly. She lungs were burning, as if she was sucking in molten lava. Her ribs were getting crushed, and for once in her life, Rouge didn't care if she didn't get the chaos emeralds.
She didn't want to die. Not like this!
She didn't realize that the conversation between Sonic and Eggman had quieted, reduced to an awkward hush. Confused as to why Sonic wasn't moving or making an effort to rescue her, Rouge peered through her blurred vision at a hazy silhouette that loomed against the stark background of the hallway, tendrils of black smoke curling around his intimidating figure.
"Hmph." He crossed his arms, and Rouge could detect the distaste and displeasure that dripped from his voice. "It looks like a phony emerald isn't the only thing that's fake around here."
"Shadow! Gotta love the frenemy." Sonic chuckled, as if this was some play date that he had arranged. "And I've missed you too, and yes, I'm doing well, thanks for asking! How are you?"
"Out of my way, Faker." Shadow sidestepped Sonic, and Rouge exhaled in relief when Shadow met her gaze for a fleeting second, before raising a fist towards Eggman. "Either you call off your watch dog or I'll put him down."
"Ha, and here I am thinking you have no sense of humor." Sonic bent over, slapping his knee. "Because it's a dog and you're gonna put it down. Heh, I'm gonna use that line the next time I encounter it."
"Yes, very humorous," Eggman agreed, his mustache twitching. "Now that you mention it, Shadow, life hasn't been treating my Egg-Cerberus very well, now has it? Perhaps it would be a mercy to put it down."
Rouge hadn't noticed it before, but Eggman wasn't lying when he admitted that life hadn't treated his pet very well. If anything, this hunk of metal was only a dead skeleton to the hulking beast that it once was. It's black paint-coat had been chipped, parts of it were rusted and rotted, and a tangle of exposed wires were showing on the joints where it's paw started and it's leg ended.
Rouge realized with a sickening dread that this monster hadn't been finished. Only the necessary parts had been repaired, but even so, why wouldn't Eggman complete the final touches before releasing it? Sonic and Shadow could defeat it without any difficulty, considering that they had both defeated it while it was in it's prime.
Why would Eggman waste his resources and time to unleash the Egg-Cerberus when it was obvious he hadn't fully repaired it? Did Eggman run out of time, or was his attention directed towards another project and the Egg-Cerberus was just to distract them from the real threat?
Not only that, but since the Egg-Cerberus had snatched her like she was it's new chew toy, it hadn't moved a single inch. The Egg-Cerberus was quick and brutal with flying leaps with enough velocity to create shockwaves when it landed. Why would it just stay still?
Of course, via the antenna that was mounted to it's skull, it was receiving commands from Eggman. It would make sense since Eggman wouldn't want that hulking beast charging around in his control room. The Egg-Cerberus wasn't effective in tight places, where it's hulking frame couldn't maneuver well and it didn't gain enough momentum to perform it's signature attacks. And looking at the way the paw joints continued to sizzle, Rouge wasn't sure if it could move it's legs if it wanted to.
Shadow must have shared the same thoughts that Rouge had, because by the time she had concluded that the Egg-Cerberus was a sitting duck, Shadow had already powered up into a spin-dash, launching himself straight at the front, right paw of the robot dog.
The shower of sparks that spewed from the shredded paw joint and the pained, mechanical yelp that followed told Rouge that Shadow had hit the soft spot. The Egg-Cerberus was stubborn however, and despite it's pain, it wouldn't release it's grip on her. A few more brutal attacks to it's paws, and the canine whimpered, it's pain almost making Rouge sympathetic towards it.
Almost.
Shadow performed another spin-dash that arced him high into the air, straight towards the clenched jaws of the dog. The Egg-Cerberus bared it's teeth into a feral snarl, but Shadow returned the venom tenfold, landing a swift punch against it's snout.
The snout was always a sensitive spot for a dog, and the Egg-Cerberus wasn't any different. It's head snapped backwards, it's maw unhinging. Rouge sucked in a lungful of air hungrily as she plummeted towards the ground. She tried to control her flailing limbs, but her body was too broken and she was certain one of her wings had been ripped.
"Gotcha!" A bundle of blue fur whizzed upwards, peach arms wrapping around her, surprisingly gentle considering the velocity that he was traveling at. But gravity eventually slowed him down, and Sonic fell back to the ground, landing gracefully on his feet.
"Thanks, Big Blue." Rouge sucked in another lungful of air, her lungs rattling and wheezing. She was going to make a lighthearted comment about how she just lost her appetite due to the bad breath of the Egg-Cerberus, but the dizziness that swept over her stopped her.
"Don't mention it. Just doing my job." Sonic flashed a cheeky grin before it faded, replaced with a frown that looked foreign to his face. "You're pretty banged up. If I had realized it was holding you that tightly, then I would have stopped it."
Rouge dabbed at a deep cut on her wing, her satin gloves dotted with crimson. "Don't worry about it. It's just a few scratches." She shrugged, motioning towards Shadow, who was still waging war against a defeated Egg-Cerberus. "After Prince Charming is finished beating that pup to a pulp, I'm sure he'll bandage me up and kiss my boo-boos. Maybe he'll even throw in a massage."
Sonic tipped his head back, laughter bubbling up. "Don't press your luck."
Despite the misery that she was currently feeling, Rouge smiled. There was always something about Sonic that made her heart feel lighter, and the world seemed a little brighter. That world dimmed a little when Shadow spun around, his eyes narrowing at the laughing duo.
Sonic must have sensed his rival's irritation, because he quickly piped up, "Need any help, Shads?"
The Egg-Cerberus was half-sitting, half-lying down, it's head bowing as if accepting defeat. Wires sparked and smoke was trailing from giant chasms that had been ripped into it's skeleton. With a final attack to the antenna, the Egg-Cerberus completely collapsed, whimpering as it laid at the Ultimate Lifeform's feet, it's legs splayed out in awkward angles that didn't look natural.
"Show-off!" Sonic teased Shadow, who didn't take his watchful attention away from the downed dog. "Hey, I think I finally realized your true calling in life, Shads. You should be a dog trainer since you taught that dog how to play dead."
Rouge facepalmed, her eyes threatening to roll up into the back of her skull as Sonic continued his banter, dismayed that he was still cradling her in his arms, as if she was made of glass. The act was gentlemanly, and Rouge was thankful that chivalry wasn't dead, but she needed to access the shield's security system to deactivate it and swipe the emerald.
"I have to say I'm not sorry to see that puppy pummeled. I mean, it's not the dog's fault, but there were some issues with it, beginning with it's name." Sonic wagged a scolding finger towards Eggman, who was cowering behind his chair after witnessing his pet getting beaten to a pulp.
"If you did any research, Egghead, then you would know that the Cerberus mentioned in mythology has three heads. I think Tails needs to lecture you on the importance of design." Sonic clicked his tongue in mockery. "Sometimes, I think Tails would make a better evil genius than you."
Rouge yawned, her eyelids threatening to slip closed. The adrenaline that coursed through her body was fading, replaced with vertigo and fatigue that crashed into her tired frame like a tidal wave.
"Missed out on your nap?" Sonic joked, emerald-green orbs turning back towards her.
Rouge exhaled, exhaustion making her shoulders droop. Nonetheless, she allowed a dazzling smile to cross her lips. "Oh, you know what they say. There ain't no rest for the wicked."
That stupid robot pup had packed quite the punch, despite the fact that it hadn't moved a single inch. Infuriated at her inability to escape it, she plotted her next escape, this time from the hero's arms that enveloped her. Since she already held his attention, she decided to take advantage of it.
"Say, mind letting a girl have her space?" Rouge batted her lashes flirtatiously, cranking up the charm in hopes of swaying Sonic to release her.
"Nah, I can't do that. You're clearly injured, and Shads is a bit occupied right now." Sonic motioned towards a furious-looking Shadow, who was spin-dashing into the shield, only to be thrown back from the force-field. Realizing that spin-dashing wouldn't help the situation, Shadow began pacing back and forth around the circular pad that held the chaos emerald, like a calculating shark circling it's prey.
Rouge gnawed her plump lower lip in frustration, racking her brain for another idea. If charm didn't manipulate the hedgehog, then what would? She received her answer when a wave of nausea washed over her, and she purposefully tipped her head closer to Sonic, gagging and dry-retching.
"Ack!" Despite his disgust, he lowered her gently to the ground, taking a few steps back and holding his hands out as if trying to protect himself. "Take it easy and don't resist it. Just let it come up."
Rouge squeezed her eyes shut, discarding Sonic's words and stubbornly swallowing the tide of vomit that crawled up her throat. It threatened to erupt from her lips, but she sealed them tightly, shaking her head furiously as her shoulders shook. She had enough dignity to push the vomit away. She wasn't about to splatter her rich dinner across the control room floor.
Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Shadow flick a glance towards her, but she couldn't tell if he was concerned for her safety or annoyed at her incapability to tolerate the repercussions of being a chew toy for a giant robotic mutt.
Gritting her teeth, she struggled to feel the ground beneath her feet, her ragged breaths crashing through her cracked lips. She stumbled forward a few steps before sliding to her knees, panting and eyeing the mini computer screen where the password bar waited for the password to be typed.
One hand reaching out, she crawled forwards on all-fours, her torn wings sending painful jolts down the rest of her body. Her lungs were filling with liquid-fire, the deep gashes delivered from the razor-fangs of the Egg-Cerberus stinging as dust particles collected in the open wounds, no doubt causing an infection if not treated in time.
"Rouge, stop," Sonic called from behind her. "You're hurting yourself."
Rouge gasped, tears rimming her eyes as a strong arm latched around her wrist, halting her movements. She immediately tried shaking him away, but Shadow's grip was unrelenting, his gaze clouded with an eerie emotion she didn't recognize. Was he...concerned?
"He's right." Shadow nodded subtly in Sonic's direction. "I'll handle the rest."
Rouge nodded dazedly, the fight completely drained from her. She thought today would be the day where she could finally claim an emerald as her own. Without any help or assistance, she wouldn't feel guilty snatching an emerald and taking off. Even with help or assistance, she still wouldn't feel guilty stealing it. But she had blown that rare opportunity, and now Shadow was here to demand it for himself.
"The password for the shield..." Rouge sucked in a shallow breath of air, lowering her voice so Sonic couldn't hear. "password123, but with the letter I as a substitution for the number 1."
Shadow eyed her with a mixture of distrust and curiosity, but he didn't question her word as his grip fell away from her wrist, his back facing her as he strode towards the micro-screen that was glued to the side of the circular platform that held an emerald hostage.
After a few electronic clicks from Shadow punching in the code on the keyboard, the shield crackled, ripples appearing in the wavy surface before it spat and cracked open like an eggshell, revealing the imprisoned emerald. Shadow's hand snapped forwards, but the motion was stopped when a blue blur streaked past her, catching Shadow's wrist.
"No touchie." Sonic grinned cheekily at his rival, his grasp crumbling as Shadow yanked his wrist free. "But I'll be happy to take that emerald off your hands."
"Over my dead body," Shadow growled, shifting into battle stance.
"C'mon, Shadow, must you always resort to violence?" Sonic facepalmed. "You know I don't want to fight you. Look, I'll strike a deal with you. You hand over that emerald and I'll let you take that one, free of charge." Sonic gestured over to the unprotected emerald that everyone had overlooked. "Sure, it's a fake, but it's better than nothing."
The suggestion had barely left Sonic's mouth before a swift uppercut to the jaw met him, the impact sending him skidding backwards on his heels. When Sonic barely managed to slow his momentum down before he crashed into the far wall, he straightened his spine, rising to his tiptoes, and raising his fists. "I tried to be reasonable."
The two hedgehogs rushed at one another, blurs of blue and peach and black and red, traveling at such high speeds that it made Rouge dizzy just from watching them. She could barely even observe the fast-paced battle, only catching occasional punches and kicks that sent both opponents reeling backwards.
The sky-blue emerald winked at Rouge mockingly, as if challenging her to come and steal it. It would be easy, since Shadow and Sonic were too distracted in their brawl to notice her. Still, there was the issue that her one wing was unusable, and the rest of her body wasn't that much better.
Nonetheless, Rouge grit her teeth, digging her knees and pressing her gloved palms into the harsh ground. This was her chance, and she wasn't going to let some setback with a robot dog steal this opportunity from her!
She began painfully inching her way towards the glowing emerald, the emerald's clean-cut edges catching the silver moonlight that leaked through the hallway windows. It was cheering her on, whispering to her of the riches that she could experience. She could fashion it into a ring, she could...she could...
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts on the things she could do with the chaos emerald, that she hadn't realized that she had actually reached out for the emerald until she grasped it, her eyes open wide with surprise. She had shocked herself at her ability to block out her pain with the promise of riches.
But as she cradled the emerald against her chest, she immediately regretted the action because two sets of eyes snapped over to her, green irises swimming with amusement at her stubborn ambitiousness, and crimson orbs burning with a furious irritation at her betrayal, although he didn't look the least bit surprised.
The brawl between Sonic and Shadow screeched to a halt, both of them surveying the costly emerald she pinned against her chest. Sonic was the first to act, angling a roundhouse kick to shove Shadow away. As Shadow went stumbling backwards, Sonic rocketed forwards, straight towards her.
"Eeny, meeny, miny," Sonic began, his finger bouncing between the unguarded emerald and the one Rouge had snatched. "Moe!" Sonic's finger landed on her emerald, and Rouge's eyes widened as the speedster swiped the emerald from her grasp, his speed almost sending her toppling over.
"Well played." Rouge flared her nostrils in irritation, watching in dismay. In a flash of blue, Sonic was gone, nothing but a brilliant blue streak that streamed past the crumbled doors and straight into the freedom that lurked beyond. "And to think that my chances of getting the emerald were foiled by a child's game!"
She paused her rant, her ears swiveling and her eyes scrunched up as she tried to pinpoint the ticking sound that she had heard before she had been attacked by the Egg-Cerberus. She had originally thought that the sound was coming from the robot, but Shadow had destroyed it. The ticking had grown fainter the further Sonic fled, until the sound was blotted out completely.
Straining, Rouge reached her hand over to the umprotected emerald, hovering the emerald in front of her eyes so she could inspect it. She was a jewel expert, and although it was nearly impossible to tell apart the fake emeralds from the genuine ones, a nagging feeling at the back of her mind told her that something was wrong.
Had Eggman outsmarted them? Was the real emerald the one she was holding? And if it was, then why would he go to all that trouble to make sure Sonic grabbed the fake one? Unless...no, it couldn't be!
Rouge rotated her head sluggishly towards Shadow, who was pacing back and forth angrily, his walkie-talkie hissing with static as he tried to communicate with the last member of their team.
"Don't waste your precious breath and time," Rouge advised icily. "I'm pretty sure Sonic got the fake emerald. Wouldn't want to waste your time when you could be brooding instead, hm?"
"What makes you so sure he got the fake?" Shadow narrowed his eyes, critically scrutinizing the emerald she possessed.
"Just an assumption," Rouge replied vaguely, shrugging nonchalantly and immediately regretting the action when pain flared through her shoulder. "Although I think Eggy might have the answer."
She stole a glance at Eggman, and he grinned sadistically back at her from behind his chair, confirming her suspicions. She certainly didn't owe the blue speedster any favors, especially after he stole her emerald, but the mere thought of him getting blown sky-high made her insides twist with nausea.
"These ears of mine aren't just for show." Rouge narrowed her eyes at Eggman, wishing that looks could kill. "What did you put in the emerald that Sonic's holding? It better not be what I think it is."
"Hohoho!" Eggman bellowed, clutching his bulging stomach. "It's far too late to save him now. Sonic has just become his own worst enemy. He will be the very thing that will bring destruction to the world he tried so hard to protect!" Eggman's sickening smile grew. "Oh, the irony!"
Rouge exhaled shakily, prying her fingers away from the emerald despite her brain telling her to run off with it and let fate deal with Sonic. Hating the motion but having no other option, she weakly tossed it underhand towards Shadow before she could snatch it back. He effortlessly caught it with one hand, obviously surprised that the bat had willingly handed it over.
She knew they were rivals, and although Shadow had tried to kill Sonic numerous times, she didn't think Shadow would actually stand from the sidelines when it came to this scenario. If Shadow truly wanted to get rid of Sonic, he would have done so by now.
"Shadow," Rouge began, her rare, serious tone of voice causing Shadow's frown to deepen. "We've got a problem."
The wind against his face, ruffling his azure fur. The way his feet pounded rhythmically against the grassy terrain, kicking up leaves. The fresh air that he inhaled sharply, smelling like pine and mint.
This was one of the reasons why he loved running. The feeling of being free, unbound...wild. It was the greatest experience he could witness.
The only down side was the fact that he was exhausted from his tussle with Shadow. His muscles ached and his jaw stung from the powerful punches that he hadn't evaded. He had allowed his mind to become distracted, and that had cost him.
His head pounded with every step he took, and his heart drummed, making him think that it was about to rip a gaping hole in his chest. Louder, louder, and louder, until he couldn't hear anything else, until he couldn't form any thoughts.
It wasn't a thumping sound, like the way his sneakers pounded against the terrain. It wasn't a crashing sound, like the sound of Egg-pawns marching through the forest. It was quieter than that, but it sounded ominous and lethal.
Deep into the night, the sound of a machine gun fired, snapping him from his thoughts. It drowned out the ominous, lethal sound that he was puzzling over, and Sonic zigzagged back and forth skillfully, certain that Eggman's missiles were locked onto him.
"PLEASE SURRENDER. I WOULD HATE TO CLEAN UP YOUR REMAINS," a robotic voice instructed from behind him, making Sonic crack a grin. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a bulky frame zipping between the gaps of the trees, struggling to keep up with the constant change in directions.
"Nice of you to join the party, Omega." Sonic leaped, the soles of his sneakers pressing against the rough bark of a tree trunk before he surged upwards, straight into the foliage that the tree offered him. In the open areas, the robot could give him a run for his money, but Sonic knew that he could use his agility to lose the robot.
"CLIMBING TREES WILL NOT SAVE YOU."
As if to prove his point, Omega fired a flurry of missiles, mowing down trees and forcing Sonic to leap to the next tree, balancing precariously on a slim branch.
"DO NOT RESIST. THINK OF THE TREES." Omega stomped out into the clearing, hazy smoke curling from his machine guns.
Sonic perched on his tip-toes, peering down at the robot teasingly. "I appreciate the advice, but I'm gonna pass on that."
With a wild whoop, Sonic shot forwards, bounding across the branches and springing smoothly from tree to tree. He knew the forest like the back of his hand, and he had memorized which trees were strong enough to hold his weight and which ones were rotted and dead.
He could hear the whirling of Omega's jet pack, but with every step he took, it faded until the sounds of the forest swallowed it whole. Grinning cheekily, Sonic fished the emerald out from his quills, brushing it off with the back of his hand.
This was the third emerald that he had collected, and he couldn't wait to bring it back to the workshop and show Tails and Amy. It had been a rough couple of days, and he hoped the emerald would cheer them up.
It felt strange performing this mission on his own, without the Tornado hovering over him and without Amy smashing through Egg-pawns with her hammer as if they were flimsy tin-cans. The solitude was peaceful, yet eerie. It reminded him of why he was alone tonight, and he briefly allowed his grin to crumble.
Amy was probably worrying over him right now, and Tails.. well, he didn't want to think about what Tails would be doing right now. When he got back to the workshop, he would have a chat with Tails and get to the bottom of the fox's strange behavior. It was beginning to drive Amy insane, and Sonic was beginning to grow restless, wondering if there was something Tails wasn't telling him.
Sure, Sonic respected his sidekick's wishes, and he didn't poke or prod unless Tails willingly shared something with him. He was growing after all, and he was still maturing. But he was just a kid, and kids didn't wake up from nightmares screaming and muttering unintelligible words. To put it bluntly, Tails was losing his mind.
But Sonic would remedy that. He hadn't really spent much time with Tails lately, since he was hunting around for the chaos emeralds. But he would make sure to give Tails plenty of attention and apologize for not involving him, because the last thing Tails liked was being ignored or abandoned.
He was jerked from his planning when the sky lit up with yellow, lightning-like bolts of energy, spitting and sizzling through the night air. Eyes snapping open, he ducked and twisted, but one chaos spear grazed his ear, knocking him from the branch.
"Ow!" Sonic pitched towards the ground, a dark blur whizzing through the night and nailing him in the side. Breath knocked from his lungs, Sonic tumbled to the ground, the grass doing little to cushion his fall. Rather than spring his palms out to break his fall, he clutched the emerald tighter, allowing his body to take the damage.
A leg crashed against his chest, locking him in place as a strong hand gripped his wrists, pinning them above his head. The motion was quick and forceful, and Sonic hissed, certain that he had dislocated a shoulder. Despite the pain that clouded his vision, he forced his eyes open, blinking as they clashed against the blood-red orbs that glared down at him.
"Long time, no see." He attempted to jerk his hands away, but Shadow's iron grip was unrelenting. With one hand holding down his hands, Shadow used his unoccupied hand to try to wrestle the emerald away from Sonic's grip.
"Stop resisting!" Shadow growled through clenched teeth. "Let go of it before you do something you'll regret!"
"What happened? Found out Rouge had the fake and decided to chase me down and steal the real one?" Sonic drove a knee into Shadow's midsection, earning a strained grunt, although Shadow's grip on his wrists didn't falter. "A fake emerald is better than no emerald."
"Shut up and listen to me!" Shadow leaned closer until their noses were inches apart. "Rouge had the real emerald and I used it to teleport here to stop you from making a huge mistake. The doctor put a time bomb inside the fake emerald and if you don't dispose of it, you'll get blown halfway across the universe."
"Why didn't you just say so?" Sonic sighed. "You need to work on your communication skills."
"It's not that simple," Shadow argued, tugging on the emerald that was still clasped tightly in Sonic's hand. "Stop being so stupidly stubborn and hand it over."
"How do I know you're telling the truth? If you're telling the truth, then I'll just get Tails to defuse the bomb." Sonic grinned, the image of the twin-tailed genius flashing through his mind. That kid could fix anything, and his intelligence even rivaled Eggman's. If anyone could defuse a bomb, it was Tails. "But nice of you to drop by, Shads."
Sonic swiped his feet out, slamming his knees upwards until they connected with Shadow's chest. Shadow sucked in a breath of air, his grip loosening. Sonic wiggled free, rearing his arm back and slashing it against Shadow's face. Shadow's head snapped backwards, and Sonic climbed to his feet, fueled on by his mission.
"Thanks for beating me up and warning me." Sonic grinned cheekily. "I'm really touched by your concern for my well-being."
Shadow sneered, some blood oozing down his muzzle from Sonic's elbow strike. "You never listen, do you?"
"Nope. Not one of my strengths, and I'll admit it." Sonic shrugged, dancing on his tiptoes to stretch out his calf muscles. Before he allowed Shadow enough time to collect himself, Sonic sprinted forwards, following the route that he always took towards Tails' workshop.
He kept flicking his gaze over his shoulder, making sure that he wasn't caught off-guard in case Shadow was following him. A part of him wondered if bringing the emerald to Tails' workshop was a good idea. If Shadow wasn't lying about the bomb, then it wouldn't be a good idea to take it towards the workshop. But what other option did he have?
The ominous sound had returned since Sonic had left Omega in the dust, and it was deafening now, but this time, it was a distinctive ticking sound. The emerald pulsed in his palm dangerously, and Sonic slowed, indecisive as he ran over the options. He couldn't bring this towards his friends. Every moment that passed, he was beginning to believe Shadow's claim.
Sighing, he ran back in the direction he had just come from. If this was a bomb, then he would leave it at Dr. Eggman's doorstep. Just to give him a little taste of his own medicine.
He didn't make it far before something inside the emerald shattered, the emerald exploding in a violent flash of white light. Sonic stopped dead in his tracks, panic blurring his vision. He could smell singed fur, and he looked down at his crimson-stained gloves.
He tried to hurl the emerald away from him, but it was like it was glued to him, like a parasite. He lost all sense of direction, his mind a knot of jumbled thoughts as he felt the wet grass beneath his legs. He tried to cry for help, but his mouth was glued shut from raw terror.
And then the ticking stopped, and everything erupted. He couldn't see, couldn't move, couldn't feel. The carmine-speckled grass was the last thing he saw before the world dimmed before his eyes, and then his vision dissolved into white...
So what do we think? Already stuff's exploding, and sonic and shadow and rouge...pretty much everyone is having a rough day, except for eggman. I hope all of the characters are staying in character, but please lemme know if they start acting out of character, bc that's a pet peeve of mine. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know I opened a can of worms by introducing the egg cerberus considering that it appeared in Sonic 06 and the timeline got reset and the events got erased. I googled it and I guess sonic and shads do remember pieces of the events in sonic 06, but I took some liberties with allowing rouge to remember the egg cerberus. But imma just gonna pretend that rouge remembered it and continue on my merry way. This story shouldn't interfere with any more sonic 06 stuff, since I find it confusing. But the egg cerberus is my favorite robot, so the temptation to introduce it was too great. If you're wondering what's the deal with the invitations, you'll have to wait for the next chappie, where we'll meet the rest of the gang. Please fav/follow and drop a review! I'll see you in the next chapter!