Violet Dreams

Part II

Chapter 25: Annihilation, Pt 1

"To believe in the heroic makes heroes."

Location: Empire City – 12:01 am

The monitors lining the stage fizzled in and out of static, the Doctor's message having ended only a minute ago. Everyone watched in silence, pondering the old mans words. The President stood quietly on the stage, completely in shock from the video which had played. What did the Doctor mean by all of this? Suddenly a spotlight flashed on against the building to the left of the stage, as alarms began to sound.

Heart pounding, Shadow snapped his sights over to the spot the light illuminated. There he found a large figure jumping away from the balcony, towards the President. Squeezing the trigger multiple times through swift reloads, Shadow fired off a precise line of shots towards the large figure. However, much to Shadow's dismay, the shells simply bounced off the exterior of the figure once tearing through their cloak. The dark hedgehog grit his teeth and dropped the rifle, teleporting from the rooftop and down to the stage.

A flash of light wrapped around the President a split second before the gigantic attacker collided with him. Two crushing punches cracked into the figure's face and chest, throwing him across the ground. The wood bent from the figure's weight, as he slid across the stage and into the pavement below.

"Quick, Mr President," Shadow barked. "You're not safe here!"

By now the crowd had begun to scream in panic, fleeting the area like wildfire. A heavy grunt from the figure on the ground, and he was back on his feet. After hurriedly moving the President off the stage, Shadow turned back towards the figure charging towards him once more. He grunted in pain as a rock solid fist collided with him – it was almost the size of his own head!

Shadow bounced across the stage, and into the park, colliding with a wooden bench, shattering it. The dark hedgehog groaned, noticing the figure disappear through a purple portal. Using the debris around him, Shadow kicked up a sharp, splintered board towards the reappearing figure, buying him time to jump back to his feet just a moment before the larger male threw another heavy punch at him. Through grit teeth, Shadow grunted, taking the blow and slid backwards, only to warp away and behind the figure. A fizzling mass of light exploded from the Ultimate Life forms hand, erupting into a sharp arrow which pierced the figure ahead of him through the arm.

"You're making me mad!" the figure howled, twirling around and smashing both his fists down upon Shadow.

Columns of rock jutted upwards from the collision, creating a small crater below the hedgehog. Smirking with victory, the figure moved away from the defeated hedgehog, and began to barrel towards the retreating presidential fleet. SUV's slid between crowds, creating a path for the Presidential car. However, flashes of purple filled any exit to the city center, releasing swarms of unusual looking creatures, and another cloaked figure.

People screamed, suddenly retreating from the exits and back towards the grassy center of the festival area. The vehicles of the Presidential fleet suddenly slid to a stop, the creatures who had charged towards them flipping over the head SUV with their great numbers. Cracks darted outwards from the impact of one of the creatures against the car of which the President was in. His terrified eyes scanned over the twitching creature, just as a loud gunshot sounded, creating a hole in the beasts head.

Suddenly it exploded into a storm of glistening orbs of light, and the President quickly ducked down as a troop of several of the beasts surrounded the vehicle. More gunshots sounded, a thicker veil of the small specs of light appearing from each creature as they disappeared.

"Quick," one man shouted. "Protect the President at all costs!"

Rock spires suddenly exploded upwards beneath the President's car, knocking it up into the air, along with a few of the body guards. The car tumbled through the sky, knocking the President around within like a rag-doll. The vehicle smashed back against the ground, flattening the roof slightly from the impact. The large figure who had assaulted Shadow before smashed through the rock pillars, creating a storm of particles of which gathered around his body. A thick shell of rock coated his entire body, guarding him from the glass that exploded from his body colliding with the vehicle.

Yelping, the President tumbled out of the car, rolling amidst the chaotic outside. His terrified eyes turned back to his car, watching it become ripped into two pieces from the pursuing figure running straight through it with the help of several jagged sword-like rock columns. Glass spewed across the streets, as smoke and flame shot away from the wreckage. The President cringed in fear, clenching his eyes shut, waiting for a swift death.

"Shit!"

Two heavy thuds, and the figure's dash was redirected backwards. The bumbling figure stumbled backwards, the dark hedgehog swiftly delivering Chaos infused punches into the larger male's torso. Flickers of light from the release of energy fluttered away from each hit, until finally Shadow reeled his arm back, creating a Chaos Lance. The bolt of light launched from his palm, and collided with the larger being with such force it sent him bouncing across the pavement, and into the clock tower bordering the park.

Quickly ducking down to avoid a deathly punch from the much smaller figure coming up behind him, Shadow noticed the white cloak flapping around her being. She grunted, throwing several more punches, only one of which striking Shadow. However, the power from the blow knocked him upwards into the sky, allowing the tiny attacker the chance to jump up and kick Shadow away into a building.

The dark hedgehog slid downwards onto the balcony, and though he would've liked to rest, he was forced to jump from his foothold as gigantic boulders shot towards him. Flipping over the railings just in time to avoid the destruction of the balcony, Shadow warped away and in front of the larger figure from before, finding that he had recovered.

Winding up for a brutal punch, Shadow growled and threw his fist forward. His knuckles smashed against the bears jaw, causing a sickening crunch to echo throughout the chaos. The bear tumbled backwards, sliding into the burning wreckage of the car the President had been in. Using his supernatural reflexes, Shadow spun around to duck under a powerful punch from the smaller female attacker. Her fist collided with a rising spire of rock from her recovering partner, shattering it into dust.

With movements like lightning, Shadow snatched the girls fist mid punch, and snapped his arm out to grapple the larger attacker by the throat. The swarming beasts that had come with the two figures suddenly ceased, watching their leaders become immobilized.

Crimson energy flickered upwards from Shadow's body, collecting in both of his hands. "Who are you two?" he snarled. "Or I'll kill you both!"

Groaning in pain, the female attempted to move her arm. However, Shadow quickly twisted it backwards, throwing her to her knees.

"And don't think I won't do it."

Clawing and sputtering, the larger figure's hood finally fell, revealing him to be a bear with green fur. The fur on his head was messy, and covered his eyes perfectly. "We only want the Chaos Emerald that's in the town hall!"

"Shut up, Gaia!" the younger, more ferocious figure barked through grit teeth. "He told us not to give away our goal! Shut your fucking mouth!"

Averting his eyes towards the more harsh attacker, Shadow unleashed a harmless shockwave from his hand, knocking the bear away into the nearby clock tower. He then spun the girl's arm around, pinning her up against a fragile column of rock still standing from the bear he had immobilized. His piercing crimson gaze dug into her eyes, a calm expression remaining on his face.

"Who are you two," he quietly asked. "And who are you working for?"

Scoffing, the girl spat from within the darkness of her hood. The wad of saliva landing on the hedgehog's chest. Eying the gooey liquid, Shadow moved his forearm from the girls collar, up into her throat. Her feet lifted from the ground, as she coughed, struggling to breathe.

"Knowing...who..we are, won't change anything!" She struggled amidst coughs.

"Who are you, and what do you want with the Chaos Emeralds?"

Suddenly two slabs of rock launched up beside Shadow, causing him to move away from the girl in surprise. The rock suddenly spread outwards into a box like formation, closing tightly around his body. The dark hedgehog grunted, and attempted to blow the formation to bits, only to have his attack fizzle out. His vicious gaze shot back over to the nervous looking bear.

"Athana, he said we shouldn't kill anyone," Gaia murmured. "Won't he get mad if he finds out we disobeyed him?"

"It's just one soldier!" Athana barked back, rubbing her throat. "Besides, he has plans to get rid of the military, anyway."

Walking up beside his partner, Gaia shot a weary glance towards their captive, watching as ribbons of violet energy rippled from his quills. Slowly diamond began to creep upwards from the cement, layering the rock formation. Athana quickly jumped through a portal, leading to the section of Townhall where the emerald was kept.

"I'm really sorry, sir," Gaia stammered. "We never meant any harm!"

With increasingly larger waves of energy beginning to emerge from Shadow, the dark hedgehog unleashed a powerful burst of energy. The blast vaporized the rock and gem surrounding his body, and shot Gaia across the park. The large bear tumbled through trees before finally stopping with a bone rattling smash against the Town Hall. The marble pillars lining the entry way crumbled, bringing the large piece of the roof overhanging the steps down on the bear. Shadow rotated his arm, stretching himself, and turned his attention to the spiraling vortex like warp hole.

Leaping through, Shadow found his eye sight spin quickly, as his surroundings spun away, and replaced themselves with that of the Town Hall. Shaking his head to dismiss the disorientation, Shadow glanced forwards, finding the girl from before run around the corner. With the powerful jets of his shoes activated, Shadow dashed through the hallways at high speed, tailing the thief closely. He slid around the corner, finding her leap up on the information kiosk, and towards the second level. However, Shadow quickly generated a condensed Chaos Spear, teleporting the destructive attack from his fist and directly in front of the criminal.

A helix of energy shot outwards from the point of impact, as the girl grunted in surprise and pain. A streak of white shot downwards behind the girl, as she bounced across the marble flooring, and through the bulletin boards. Rock and cement chipped away and fell to the ground from the attack, creating a hole in the thick stair case.

"I've dealt with more obnoxious criminals than the likes of you," Shadow remarked, bearing his teeth. He stomped over to the young girl, as she struggled to stand. He quickly snatched her up, holding her in the air by the throat. "You're merely a pest at this point!"

"You're really fucking stubborn," she sneered.

"Likewise," Shadow remarked. "Now what do you want with the Emerald?"

"We..were ordered to retrieve the Emeralds, and the Master Emerald," she finally admitted. "We weren't told why, though. Something about a plan of holy recreation, I don't know what the hell they were talking about!"

"Whose they?"

"The higher ups," she coughed, struggling against his hold.

Suddenly the wall of the entrance blew inwards from a gigantic boulder, forcing Shadow to jump away. However this time he kept hold of his hostage. Landing on the second level railing, Shadow watched as the bear from before stomped in, his body covered in a gleaming emerald armor. Shadow quirked a brow at the armor, intrigued by it.

"Gaia!" the young girl howled. "Get the Emerald and retreat! I can take care of this bastard!"

A fist smashed against Shadow's jaw, causing him to release his hold of the girl and stumble backwards off of his foothold. He staggered backwards on the marble flooring, but quickly regaining composure and returned his attention to the young girl, who had spun around to face him with green glowing fists. Noticing the bear charge down the hallway, The black hedgehog shot the same attack he had used on the female attacker, taking out the arching rooftop Marble and cement crashed to the ground in front of Gaia, causing him to slide to a stop to avoid the avalanche of debris.

Shifting his gaze back to Athana, the dark hedgehog quickly unleashed a wave of Chaos energy, knocking the unsuspecting attacker into the air. Shadow quickly bounded upwards, and off of the railing. He launched through the air after his attacker, charging up a powerful Chaos Spear at the same time. The dark hedgehog quickly launched the attack through a rising rock column.

Shards of rock shot every which way, as Shadow darted through the debris and smashed the female attacker through the upper most window of the hall. Shadow quickly warped away from the cloaked female, as he reappeared in front of the armored bear, who had made his way through the blockade of rock, and retrieved the Emerald.

"Sorry," Gaia murmured with a nervous look, and bounded through a spiraling warp hole.

Location: Angel Island

Humming quietly, Knuckles, the guardian of the Master Emerald, swayed his toe. Crickets chirped gently from the forest, as the occasional frog croaked. His peaceful island was the only place he could feel calm. With the gentle glow of the moon and the godly gem, Knuckles shut his eyes, sighing in content. With Eggman out of the picture, it gave him the time to relax and focus on his duty like never before. No more distractions, and no more diabolical schemes to destroy the world with his Emerald.

Some would call him introverted, antisocial and even a hermit. But he didn't care. Just as long as he was carrying through with the duty left to him by his ancestors. Though he wondered what it'd be like to travel the world on a whim, like Sonic seemed to do so casually. Then again, he wasn't really the traveling type. More so, he'd like to explore new places, indulge in their culture and treasures. But that was all petty dreaming at this point.

Opening a single eye, the scarlet echidna glanced upwards at a mosquito as it landed on the glowing green Emerald. The guardian smiled, and closed his eyes again, swatting the critter, successfully killing it.

"What a peaceful night." Knuckles sighed.

"Agreed," a voice responded, much to the echidna's surprise.

Violet eyes shot towards a figure leaning against a lopsided tree. Though remote, Angel Island received the snow like the rest of the country, creating small drifts of the white crystal on the tree tops. Knuckles bounded to his feet, knocking his basket of fruit down the shrine steps. A stray orange from the bunch rolled over to the figure, and stopped against their shoe. The mysterious figure sighed gently, pulling the white hood from his head, and bending over to pick up the fruit.

The hood fell back, revealing a face framed by messy hair and two long locks of hair. He had brilliant yellow fur, along with black lightning shaped patterns moving along his neck like tattoos. He was of the lion family, Knuckles noticed. Staring at Knuckles with striking turquoise eyes, the lion pulled the peel off of the orange swiftly, pulling apart wedges of the fruit. The mysterious feline walked up the shrine stairs towards the offense ready echidna, eating the fruit casually.

"Though a bit cold for my liking," he sighed, and yawned afterwords. "Must get redundant; waking up day after day just to stare at the same surroundings."

"It's my job," Knuckles retorted casually.

"Must be," the figure replied, finishing the citrus fruit, and stopping on the step below Knuckles. "Must be irritably boring."

"I get by," the echidna responded, growing more suspicious.

Lazy, turquoise orbs stared upwards at the Guardian. His yellow tail swayed gently from under the white cloak he was wearing as he stretched his arms above his head. The lion let out a long yawn, and then licked his lips of the citrus juice left behind from his snack. Then, without warning the lion quickly delivered a swift, yet powerful, punch at Knuckles. The echidna's eyes seemed to bulge from the blow, as he shot upwards, and against the rock pillars surrounding the shrine. Dust and snow puffed outwards from the impact, as Knuckles slammed back against the ground, only for the lion to grab the Guardian, and throw him down the steps.

"As much as I enjoyed our talk," he sighed. "I have to leave, and since I came for this gem of yours, it has to come with me."

"A hero is defined as a mortal of distinguished courage or ability. One who is admired for his valiant deeds and noble qualities." ~ Shrike Errgon, GUN Commanding General, 2013

To Be Continued