Chapter 12: The Blue Blur falls

Using a smuggling route Knuckles knew, he, Sonic and Flavor were able to bring the Earthquake from the Little Planet into the snow drenched Central City.

"It's time to see how weak he's gotten" said Sonic, "Knuckles, you'll hide on the rooftops and wait for my signal. Flavor, use the Earthquake to distract the soldiers. I'm going to prove who's the fastest thing alive."

He then morphed into his werehog form and exited the Earthquake.

"Shadow" he bellowed, "This is between you and me! Let's see who's the fastest once and for all!"

Arriving right in front of Sonic, Shadow reasoned "We don't have to do this."

"We all have a choice. But people like us never give up or surrender. So if we're gonna do this, I say let's do it to it."

Sonic then pulled out a sound gun from his backpack and fired it on Shadow. After seeing Shadow's ears bleed, Sonic fell to the ground as the gun was removed from his hands.

"Sonic" said Shadow, "Be reasonable. You know what my orders and what your options are."

"Don't get me started about your damn orders!" Using electro gloves, Sonic grabbed Shadow and began electrocuting him.

Back in the mansion, Tails was looking over the scrap-book he made when he and Sonic first met. In it were pictures of the two of them and the rest of their friends. Acting as if they were all a big family. He then finished packing the rest of their belongings with his team, and left the mansion. Intending not to return for years to come.

Back in Central City, Sonic continued with the electrocution.

"You say you answer to some sort of authority" he told Shadow, "A democracy with the best interests of the world at heart! But I've seen that authority crush the freedom of people who get in it's way! They only want people like us dead or enslaved because they see us as embarrassments! Because we can do what they can't on their own! Because in the end they don't like what they can't control! What kinda authority is that!? When will you realize Quell is no better than Eggman!?"

Breaking loose of Sonic's grip, Shadow unleashed a Chaos Blast that pulverized the electro gloves and punched Sonic straight into a truck.

"It doesn't matter. It's their world and they won't stand for you anymore. If it isn't me it will just be someone else!"

"Really? Who do they send after you? Rouge? Omega? They don't have the same bite as you do."

They battled from the abandoned buildings to a construction site. Sonic gained the advantage using a wrecking ball before losing to Shadow's Chaos Blast.

Hitting Shadow with bulldozer rolls, Sonic was about to throw the finishing punch before Shadow grabbed his face and screamed "Sonic this is idiotic! Even for you!" He then pushed the blue hedgehog into a street lamp.

"I just broke three of your ribs Sonic. Don't make me do this."

They battled for the next few moments. Sonic with his strength and gadgets. Shadow with his speed and Chaos energy. The latter unaware of a red, one armed echidna running on rooftops with a bow and arrow in his remaining hand.

"Now" demanded Sonic.

Knuckles than shoot the arrow at Shadow, who caught it before it released a black gas into his lungs. Weakening him.

"A little something Tails and Vector made incase the Black Arms came back" said Sonic.

"It wasn't easy to make Shadow. It took years and cost a fortune. Luckily they had both. You're feeling it aren't you? Your own mortality. Don't worry the Shadowidium was made to paralyze Black Arms not kill them."

As Flavor and Knuckles retreated underground, Sonic proceeded to beat Shadow.

Then holding his throat in his hands stated "I didn't have to go easy on you. We could've used it kill you but we didn't. I want you to remember that. I want you to remember the one hedgehog who beat you my old rival. My old friend."

"Heh. Well played Sonic well played" Shadow replied.

They smiled at each other, but the moment ended as Sonic felt his heart quench. Holding Sonic in his arms before he fell to the ground, Shadow tried to hear his heart beat, but couldn't. As he saw Sonic regress to his true form, Shadow realized that Sonic the Hedgehog was dead.

To be continued