Tloj: Aaand here's the chapter Draven22 has been waiting for! Here you go, buddy! ^^
Enerjak studies his frozen prisoner lazily. "You don't look so tough to me." He huffs.
Looks can be deceiving.
Enerjak blinks. "You can talk through the Chaos Force?"
I can do lots of things. Key among them is break free of this stupid prison.
"Fat chance, you forget who I am. None here may do anything lest I will it."
Pssh, you're one weak god then.
Enerjak snarls, "Insults will not aid you here, and only fools even think them in my presence."
You're the fool for thinking this is holding me. I wait because my father wants me to. What does it say if that Hero boy can best you, and I'm stronger than him?
"He bested my daughter, not I," Enerjak corrects. "The very one who bested you."
Ah, but he only showed a sliver of his power. The device he wears grants him any power. Including yours.
His voice became taunting. How does it feel to know your champion can at any moment vanquish you with no second thoughts?
Enerjak scoffs, "Impossible."
How is it impossible? Did he not say himself that he could copy any power? That's includes yours.
Enerjak considers this. He has a point... So the Mighty Enerjak the Proud allowed one to waltz into his sanctuary, and steal his power? Unforgivable...
Right under your nose, and you even offered your daughter's hand in marriage to him. What a disgraceful person, hm?
"...You are right." Enerjak glares towards the south, "And I must reclaim what is mine!"
...
*Hero's POV*
Pretty much all Sarah's clothes are in the wash right now, thanks a lot mom, so Sarah is helping mom make breakfast in an apron. She must be serious about this grandkid thing.
I walk over, rubbing Sarah's behind as I ask, "Do you two need help?"
She looks up, and shakes her head, "Nope, we're good."
"Okay then." I give her a hug before walking back into the living room. "I wonder where Anti is; I didn't see him come back last night."
"Millie texted, and said they were spending the night out," Sarah calls over her shoulder. "I think they rented a motel room."
"Knowing Antonio, he got a five star hotel just because he can."
Sarah smirks at my mom, and bursts into giggles.
"What? It's true." Mom shrugs.
Sarah shakes her head, "I don't think we told you yet, but Antonio got dumped last night."
She almost dropped her knife. "Oh. What a shame..."
Sarah continues, "Millie was right though. Yeah he should have told her what he was doing, but the fact that she did that to him means she just doesn't trust him."
"Millie is your sister, right?" Mom asks to be sure.
Sarah nods, "Uh-huh! I mean, yes ma'am."
"Antonio and Millie... Sounds nice."
Sarah nods, and holds up the bowl of shredded potatoes, "Ready for the Hash-Browns!"
Mom nods and takes the bowl, placing a spoonful of potato onto the pan.
Sarah passes her the butter before turning to me, "Can I get you anything? Maybe some coffee?"
"Yeah, coffee would be good." I sit at the table.
She nods, and goes to the cupboards. She opens then, and takes out a mug...
*CRASH!*
I look over to see the mug in shards on the floor, and her doubled over with a hand on the countertop.
What-
I dash over, grabbing her. "What's wrong?!"
"I..." She gags, and claps a hand over her mouth as she dashes for the downstairs bathroom.
I'm right there next to her. I throw open the bathroom door and get out of the way.
She goes right to the toilet, and hurls. It lasts for several minutes while I help keep the hair out of her face.
"Uh... you know, other than the throwing up... are you feeling okay?" I blink.
She grimaces, "My stomach..."
She hurls again.
I frown. "Antonio!"
...
*Antonio's POV*
"Antonio!"
I jolt awake, hearing Hero.
Millie sighs next to me, "What is it? Please tell me I get to punch someone."
"If only. Broshow called me. You've got five seconds to get your clothes on." As soon as I finished saying that, I'm already dressed and ready to go.
She slips on her underwear, and pants, grabbing her shirts, "Let's go."
I grab her and zip out of the hotel, reappearing at my front door in a second.
...
*Hero's POV*
I hear the front door open, and Antonio calls, "What?"
"In the bathroom!" I call.
Millie runs in after Sarah pukes again. Was it something she ate?
Antonio walks in and studies her. "Wow Hero. Only two weeks, and you already knocked her up."
Cue glass shatter.
"...W-What?" I stutter.
Sarah looks up, "I..." That's all she can get out before she says hello to the toilet again.
Millie puts a hand over her mouth in shock.
Antonio disappears and reappears with a cup of some kind of liquid. He hands it to Sarah and states, "Plug your nose and drink this once you have an opening."
She does as she's bidden, and Millie looks stunned.
"There. That should calm the potty mouth for a while. Take one every morning, and when you're done emergency unloading." Antonio explains.
"Lemme guess, anti-puke medicine?" I ask.
"And symptom suppressant." Antonio nods.
Millie grabs me by the shirt, and lifts me off the ground. "I'm gonna give you the benefit of the doubt here, and assume you're gonna take responsibility for this."
"Of course. I take full blame for this." I gulp.
"Set him down, Millie." Antonio says.
Millie drops me on my feet, "I didn't mean blame, if anything I think you'd make a great dad. I just needed o make sure you wouldn't chicken out."
"No! I just... wanted to wait a few years." I say slowly, still attempting to process this.
"I..."
I look behind me to see Sarah sitting on the edge of the tub, staring at the floor.
I slowly sit next to her, feeling very sluggish all of a sudden.
She looks up, and slowly smiles, "I'm going to be a mom!"
I gently wrap my arms around her and place my head on her shoulders. "And... I'm going to be a father." I say slowly.
She hugs me, and purrs.
"And I've only taken you on one official date. We need to change that!" I slowly smile.
She smiles, "Same outfit?"
Millie crosses her arms, "Speaking of, why are you in nothing but an apron?"
"All of her clothes are in the wash." I mutter, "Thanks Mom." I smile, "I'd prefer modern dating wear. Nothing fancy, I need to save money now."
Sarah giggles, "The only thing not in the wash is my outfit from our last date."
"Antonio?" I look at him.
Antonio zips away, and comes back. "I laid out all of your clothes on bed, fully washed and dried."
Sarah nods, "Thank Antonio, for everything."
"Absolutely! And yet I'm amazed I haven't received any pharmaceutical training or anything. Maybe I should go to school finally."
"You'd definitely ace everything." I agree.
"Yeah! And then I can just support us all." He smirks and walks away.
Millie smirks, "I can get down with that, especially since Tails Doll has a new partner."
"Wow Antonio, one day and already a girlfriend? And yet you tell me to go slow." I grin.
"When did I say that?" Millie smirks, "Now I'm gonna go check out my costume."
"Okay. Let's go see it." Antonio says, walking away.
"Neither of them said it. But both of them thought it." I murmur to Sarah with a smile.
She snickers, and stands to go get changed.
...
*Antonio's POV*
Heh, never thought Hero would ever get the balls to call out my girlfriend. Sure, Millie isn't yet, but scientifically speaking, she's mine if I want her to be. I just have to use the right words. Yes, women are unpredictable... but then again, so am I.
We walk into the garage and I input the password, opening the wall where the poles are. I hop on one and do a bit of pole ballet as we slide down.
She smiles, "So what's it look like? Going for the Batwoman theme?"
"It's your choice. I based my costume off the CreepyPasta Tails Doll. I even replicated the crystal, the bleeding, and the voice." He opens a closet, where a whole bunch of different colored materials sat.
She looks around, and walks up to a faceless mannequin.
"...Something I can hide under my clothes, and can still blend into the night so definitely black. A leotard maybe? I'll need a belt too to hold extra clips for my gauntlets. Some boots, a mask... and for color let's throw in just a little yellow to match my bracelets."
"So... Black Widow then." I smile.
She smirks, "Pretty much yeah... Well, actually a mix of Wonder Woman with Batwoman."
"So you want showing boobies. I think I can do that." I smirk and fade out, getting to work in subtime.
She sits in a corner with a magazine.
I finish quickly. "Here you go!" I hold it out to her.
She smiles, and changes into it. A leotard with boots, and her gauntlets. She secures the utility belt, and puts on the mask with a smirk while she lets her hair down.
"Well?"
I study it. "Hm, I think you're wrong. Showing boobies isn't that good for crimefighting."
I had put no fabric on her chest, leaving it exposed. And damn sexy, I must add.
She rolls her eyes, "I didn't mean I'd fight bare-chested. A leotard is one of those things women wear for gymnastics."
"Well yeah... but Wonder Woman plus Catwoman equals no chest coverage!" I smirk. I go into subtime again, adding fabric to the area easily (And squeezing dat chest too). I stop in regular time. "How about now?"
"I said BATwoman, not Catwoman." She says, looking herself in the mirror again.
"B, C, I'm not great with the alphabet." I shrug.
She smiles, and takes the mask off, putting on her normal clothes over the costume. "Think we could keep a spare down here?"
"I always keep spares." I nod. I place a few more suits in my suit closet for her, and close it.
"Now, what about equipment? Batwoman always has equipment!"
"Well, rounds for my guns... maybe a net launcher? Smoke pellets?"
"You're thinking too basic. I can make literally anything, except for magical items. I can get very similar to magic items. but not exact. Well, usually." I say.
"Well I'm not all that complicated," she retorts. "How about you set me up?"
"Sure. Gimme your gauntlets." I hold out my hand.
She turns them into bracelets, and clips them off.
I walk to a workbench and grab some of my tools.
While she looks a touch worried I'm damaging them, she patiently waits for me to finish.
"There." I stand and hand them back to her.
She takes them, and puts them one, transforming them, "What did you do?"
"I expanded the types of ammo it can use, as well as gave them a few alt modes just in case." I hand her a few different colored pellets. "That's tear gas, that's smokescreen, that's a hydrogen bomb, that's Spiderman webbing, and that's a deafening charge."
"And sleeping gas?"
"Here." I hand her some. "Try one of each pellet for now, so that you get used to their differing recoil."
She nods, and squares off on a practice dummy.
I press a button, and the side of the hideout with all of the gadgets and important things is sealed off with see through material, allowing Millie to go crazy if she so desires.
She punches pellets, and ammo at it one at a time, giving herself time to adjust with each blast.
I nod and walk to an invincible computer I made, and activate hologram fighting mode. "Now they dummy should react to how the pellets are supposed to work." I say.
She nods, and loads three of each pellet into her gauntlets. "Thanks for the finger controls by the way, they let me change ammo by touching the meat of my palm."
"You're welcome! If you touch the gauntlets together, they'll change into the other forms." I say.
She frowns, and taps them together.
They change into dual cannons about the size of her body, but they're the same weight as before.
"Suh-weet! Do they have other forms?" She knocks them together again, and this time they become a pair of energy swords like from Halo.
"Of course. Those swords are for more like sleeping and poison gasses. They cover the blades like poison." I say. "There's also anklet launchers, just in case you want to switch into kicking, and a whole bunch of other settings that are only limited to your imagination."
She smiles, and eyes the swords, "Bet I could block bullets with these things... You know, you're the best boyfriend ever."
"Glad you think so. Seriously though, you need a better name than Suckerpunch."
She groans, "Like what?"
"I dunno. But Suckerpunch sounds like some lame seventies villain, no offense."
She groans, and turns her weapons back into bracelets. "Can't call myself Knuckles... Iron Fist is taken... so is The Punisher..."
"How about Falcon Punch?" I snicker.
"Up yours... How about True Fist?"
"Lady Fist."
"Deal," she smirks, and puts her mask in a pocket.
"Great. I wonder if breakfast is done now." I walk up the stairs.
She follows, "I like it, like Lady Fist from the legends of Asgard. She was THE lady warrior. Lady Fist..."
"Really? I didn't know that." Huh, the things you learn.
Milie smiles, and pecks me on the cheek. "Thank you so much."
"For what?" I tilt my head.
"For letting me be a part of your life like this."
"That? I'm pretty sure it's just fate that brought us together." I smile.
She giggles, and takes my hand, "Whatever you call it, I'm happy with it."
"I can live with that." I nuzzle her cheek.
She snickers, "So when do we go on patrol?"
"At night. I never go out during the daytime, or my costume isn't as effective." I say. "Besides, I normally have jobs during the day."
"Oh, can I come?"
"You'll be hanging around and just looking sexy... but sure." I smile. We walk into the kitchen, where Mom is doing dishes.
She looks at us. "Oh, hi you two. Sorry about your loss, Antonio."
"What loss?"
She blinks. "The loss of your- Never mind."
I sit at the table and load food on my plate.
"Where's Hero and Sarah?"
"Oh, they went out on a date." She smiles.
Milie steals a cookie, "I'm just glad she got knocked up by her perfect guy."
"Methinks this is the reason why he wanted to wait for marriage." I smirk.
"Well he better marry her before she starts getting fat," Milie says around a mouthful of cookie.
...
*Hero's POV*
Man, I can't believe I'm a father before I'm married! This is exactly why I wanted to wait...
We walk into the central park, holding hands.
Sarah doesn't look like she could be happier now that she's out of the oval office. She hums happily to herself as she swings our joined hands.
"So... Sarah." I start.
"Mm-hm?"
"When do you want to get married? It's gonna get hectic again in a few days, but we can wait until all this is over, and invite everyone we want to be there properly. Or, we can try to get married now. Everyone we know might not be able to come, but we'll be married." I say.
She looks up at me, "Well... we could marry now, and wait till later to have a ceremony."
I smile. "That sounds great."
"Yo! Boyo!"
I blink and turn to see Seis running at us.
He skids to a halt and smirks. "Didn't think I'd see ya here."
"Well I live here." I shrug.
"How are you doin', Mrs. Slogluiganoff?" He greets Sarah.
"Other than having a last name I can't pronounce? I'm fine."
"Heh, you need to change your last name, boyo." He chuckles.
"To what? Hero the Hedgehog? Then Sarah's last name would be Hedgehog, which would be awkward because she's a mongoose." I smirk.
He snickers. "Just a thought. Anyways, I doubt I'd be able to make it to a wedding or a ceremony, so now would be a good time to give you a wedding gift."
Sarah tilts her head, "Oh that's so thoughtful, but you didn't have to."
"Nonsense! Best give it to you now before you can't have it anymore. Here!" He reaches into his hair and pulls out a bottle of alcohol labeled, "Juggernaut Wine" and hands it to Sarah.
She reads it, "Oh... but I can't drink this right yet."
"I know. But it'll help Hero a bit." He winks at me.
"Uh... thanks? I scratch my head.
Suddenly Sarah screams as a hand made of energy grabs her. I look up, and see a certain Echidna lord in gold armor.
"You think yourself clever," Enerjak growls. "Now relinquish that device on your wrist!"
I blink. "Enerjak? What are you doing here?! Let Sarah go!"
"Not until I see that accursed device in shambles," he snarls. "You think you can steal my power out from under my nose? Well I will not have it!"
"I don't have your power! And even if I did, I'd never use it out of fear of becoming just like you!" I growl.
"LIES! Now relinquish it so I may destroy it, or I will crush her!"
"You'll crush her either way, scoundrel!" Sies growls, unsheathing his sword.
"I give my word, surrender the device, and I will release her." Enerjak glares down at me.
I frown, and bring my hand to the device.
Seis growls and waves his fingers, using the distraction to create two columns of rock and crushing Enerjak. He slashes the energy binding Sarah, and takes her to a safe distance.
I smile slowly. Thanks, Seis.
I turn into Tails Dolls Hero. This is the strongest form I have, but if he thinks I have his powers in my possession, then hopefully, he'll back off or something.
"I don't need your power to stop you!" I growl, getting into a fighting stance.
The rocks explode around Enerjak, "No matter, I will take it by force!"
He fires lightning at me from the sky, and his hands.
I raise my hands and brace myself, acting as a lightning rod and grounding the electricity with no damage. I counter with eye lasers aimed at his face.
He blocks them with a hand, "Having power, and knowing how to use it are two very different things, Whelp. I have eons of experience!"
"You could've fooled me!" I shoot at him, punching him in the face and launching him into the ground.
Enerjak growls, and raises boulders from the ground, telekinetically throwing them at me. As they near me they explode in a shower of rubble.
I throw my cloak over me, nullifying the damage, before taking a deep breath and shooting ice breath at him.
He bats it away with a backhand, "This is the extent you can use my power? Pathetic."
"I'm not using your powers. That's how confident I am!" I counter, shooting armor piercing daggers at him.
"So you admit to taking them," Enerjak snarls as the daggers turn to snow. It swirls around him before becoming ice, and firing back at me.
"You're the one saying I stole them, not me!" I use superspeed to dodge them, kicking the last few back.
He moves to the side, catching one, and changing it into a sword. "LIES!"
Eep.
I flick my wrists, and my rings turn into longswords.
Enerjak throws the sword at me, and I dodge to the side. With a hiss it becomes a snake, and leaps at me.
I reach into my hair and pull out my Uzi (I put my ammo backpack up there; it's why I didn't care about having a backpack), pulling the trigger and tearing the snake apart with bullets.
Enerjak blindside me with a punch that knocks me through a few buildings.
Thank goodness Anti's invincible when he expects it. I stand and brush myself off, shooting back into the park.
Enerjak makes mighty winds to hold me back.
I counter with winds of my own, creating a wind tunnel for me to fly through.
Enerjak raises his hands, "Winds of Fate, bring me my prize!"
I blink and charge at him, punching him across the face hard enough to shake the ground.
I hear a scream as Sarah flies towards us, obviously against her will. Enerjak bashes me away before raising a hand at her.
"HERO!"
That's the last thing she says before Enerjak blasts her in half.
*Glass shatter*
"SARAH!" I scream, running and catching her falling top half in my arms.
She shudders, and stares up at me as the light fades from her eyes.
A searing pain scorches along my arm, and my watch drops from my arm.
"Now let us be done with this," Enerjak growls as he rears back a hand filled with lightning.
I watch his hand fly at my face with an accepting frown, closing my eyes.
What does it matter? It's all darkness without her...
It doesn't matter... It's darkness without her...
Doesn't matter... Just darkness...
Matter... Dark...
Darkmatter.
I catch his fist easily.
"What?!" He looks at the screen of the C.E.A. device in confusion.
It cycles between the three abilities I have: Fire, Ice, and Tails Doll. It then glows brightly, selecting one.
A purple flame.
I open my eyes, now glowing yellow and without pupils. My skin starts leaking blackish-purple matter, covering my body in it. I slowly stand and flick his hand away.
"No! This is forbidden power! I demand you desist at once!"
"You tried to take my life..." I disappear, reappearing and kicking him from behind. "...You took my wife..." I grab his head and slam him into the ground. I grab his helmet with one hand and start squeezing. "...And you killed my unborn child. And yet you claim I have forbidden power? You, the pompous windbag of echidnaen mythology?" I hiss, my spines flickering around.
He grunts, and grabs at my hands, unable to pull them apart. "Please... stop..."
I throw him away. "You will run. You will hide. Because when I find you again, I will tear you apart like Spike did to those people, but in front of your entire clan. And then they will know that their god is nothing compared to the rage you instilled in me for once again making my life miserable. You will pay the price for killing my child, as your law dictates. And you will know what it feels like to have everything, and lose it all."
Enerjak looks at me, stunned. "...I already have."
Gold light envelopes his body, and a moment later there lies the husk of a man that used to be Enerjak, his body withered by time. He gasps out, "Your bride... would hate... to see you this way..."
"You made me this way." I hiss.
"I did... and I have lost everything in return... I am Enerjak no more... Please... spare Shade..."
I stare at him and state, "I will. But not because you desire so, but because I have no quarrel with her." I turn away and put my device back on, walking back to Sarah as I fade to normal. Some part of me feels victorious in successfully beating a god, and another feels that I overdid it, but most of me is too hurt by the loss of Sarah to care.
I fall to my knees next to her and cradle her head, ignoring the blood on my clothes as I let my tears flow. "Oh Sarah... I'm sorry..."
I begin to sob as I hear the dying breaths of the man behind me.
...
*Lien-Da's POV*
I jolt to my feet. Something terrible has happened...
Shade across the room has gone still. "No..."
I look at the Guardian. "Knuckles, did you feel that?!"
Shade trembles, "Father..."
Knuckles looks into the Master Emerald shard in his hand. "...Enerjak has been destroyed..."
"By who?" I ask.
"...Hero."
Shade shakes her head, "Not possible! Not Father!"
"We need to get down there." I say seriously.
"Right. Chaos, you've guarded the Master Emerald before. Can you do it again?"
"Groovy." Chaos gives a thumbs up.
Knuckles holds up his shard. "Gather around."
Shade nods, and walks up. I follow her lead along with Julie-Su.
Knuckles raises the shard up high and calls, "Chaos Control!"
...
*Antonio's POV*
Millie shivers, " Brr... feels like someone walking over my grave..."
I switch into my gi and state, "Hero just killed Enerjak for killing Sarah."
Millie stares at me, and her face darkens, "That's a sick joke Antonio."
"If only." I pick her up and reappear at the park.
Millie looks around... and the sight before us stops her dead. I have to catch her to stop her legs from collapsing under her.
I slowly walk us over and we drop to our knees next to Hero.
I gulp. "Hero... what happened?"
Millie slowly puts a hand to Sarah's forehead, and a sob catches my attention. Shade is clutching her father to her chest as her own tears pour.
"He made me do it." Hero sobs. "He killed Sarah and tried to kill me... but I unlocked some ability and outmatched him... I'm no better than he is!"
Milie sobs heartbrokenly as she presses her face into Sarah's torso.
"This doesn't have to happen."
Hero and I jolt and look around, spotting a hedgehog in the trees above us.
"...Warrior?" Hero blinks.
...
*Hero's POV*
"What do you mean?!" I demand. "How can this be undone?! Time can't be reversed!"
"It can." Dad states. "We have that power."
"I don't!" I growl. "If I did-"
"If you did, you would have made sure Sarah wouldn't have died? We'll see about that." He says, waving me off. "Let me continue. We have that power, but it is not something you unlock out of stress like most of your other abilities; this one is granted after performing three tests."
"What are they," I demand. "And what was that power that killed Enerjak?"
"That was Darkmatter. The strength of it is dependent of the amount of darkness in one's heart, good or bad."
"How can darkness have a side?" I growl.
"He killed your wife and child. Righteous darkness. Fear is evil. Bad darkness." He explains easily. "You will face three trials that are dependent on you. I don't know them; I can only tell you that once you complete them, you have twenty four hours of free time control. That's all."
"I don't care. A day is more than enough." I hiss. "How do I access these trials?"
"I will start them for you whenever you're ready." He says.
Millie looks up at me, begging with her eyes.
"Then let's go." I state.
"It's just you. This is your challenge, no one else's. All you have is yourself and your C.E.A. There is no in between these challenges; once you complete one, you'll move on to the next. If you fail, then you will wind up here, and you will not be given the chance again. Do you accept these terms?"
I hesitate and look at Mom.
She nods.
"...Okay. I accept."
He nods.
I look at Millie. "I'll change this. I promise."
"You better..." She's trying to sound threatening, but her voice is too shaky. Her small hopeful smile doesn't help either.
Dad pops the face up on his C.E.A. and swipes the face, alternating among a bunch of powers I've never seen before. He slams the face down and shoots a hand out, a portal appearing in front of me. "Best of luck, Son." He smiles.
I stand and brace myself, walking through the portal.
I don't know what I'll face... but this is for you, Sarah.
Nothing will keep us apart.
Tloj: Yep... please don't kill me people... *Hides* R&R, F&F if you haven't!