Chapter 20: Battle for Snow Mountain (Part III)
Bowser's Castle: Hallway
Knuckles and Amy were busy looking for Cream, all the while avoiding Koopa Troopa's sent to find them.
"Where could she be?" Amy muttered under her breath, as she continued walking.
"She could be anywhere." Knuckles said, still fuming at Eggman. "But we have to find her fast! Who knows what Eggman is doing to her."
"I don't want to think about that." Amy shuddered.
"Me neither. But the faster we find her the better."
In the Laboratory
There was a large machine in the middle of the room, with Cream and Cheese tied up to it.
"Well, it looks like Sonic has fallen right into our trap in Snow Mountain." Eggman mused, looking at a radar on the wall. "Well, serves him right for refusing to surrender to me."
"What do you want Doctor?" Cream asked, frightened almost to death. "Why are you doing this? And what is this machine?"
Eggman turned to her. "Well, since you're about to on it, I'll tell you what it will do." He walked toward her. "This machine will fire a laser into your brain, which will penetrate the side of the brain that stores your memory. Your memories will then be seen on this screen." He pointed to a small computer. "I'll use your memories to create copies that look exactly like you, same memories and all! That way, Sonic will think that the copy is you. As soon as he tells us his plans the copy will report back to me. That way I'll be able to destroy Sonic once and for all!"
"But…but you can't do this!" Cream said, horrified. "Sonic won't let you get away with this!"
"Oh yes I will." Eggman chuckled. "Sonic and his pathetic friends are currently under attack by Shadow and his team. Assuming they fail, I'll be able to use this." He pushed a button on the machine, which began to make a humming noise. "Now, this will be rather painful for you. And since I prefer not to be affected by the radiation, I'll be leaving now. Have fun!" He laughed as he walked out of the room, closing and locking the door behind him.
"I don't like this." Cream said, looking around her. "Cheese, we have to get out of here!"
"Chao!" The blue chao agreed.
Just then a voice spoke that froze Cream in fear. "Laser beam power at 100%." It said. "Initiating firing sequence."
Just then the door was knocked out of its hinges, and Knuckles and Amy stood at the entrance.
"There you are!" Knuckles exclaimed. "About time we found you!"
"Please shut the machine off!" Cream pleaded, motioning with her eyes to the control panel, which Knuckles looked at in confusion.
"How do you even operate this thing!?" He asked.
"Knuckles!" Amy rolled her eyes. "Just punch it for crying out loud!"
Knuckles grinned as he quickly punched through the machine, allowing Cream and Cheese to escape right before it exploded. "Let's get out of here!" He shouted, grabbing Cream and Amy and punching through the wall, landing in the courtyard.
"Thank you Mr. Knuckles and Ms. Amy for rescuing me!" Cream thanked them. "We have to hurry! Mr. Sonic is in danger!"
"Where are they?" Knuckles asked.
"I heard something about them being in Snow Mountain." Cream recalled.
"Then let's go!" Amy said, running toward the mountain. "We have to save my Sonic!"
Snow Mountain: By a cliff
Sonic's team and Mario's team had regrouped, and had driven the villains back to the cliff.
"Give it up Shadow!" Sonic said, trip-kicking the black hedgehog.
"You can't win Dimentio!" Mario said, jumping on Dimentio's head, knocking the magician down.
"Like you can stop us!" Dimentio said, getting up.
"Chaos Blast!" Shadow said, blasting the heroes back, as well as forcing the villains to jump to better ground as the cliff fell.
"Alright, that hurts!" Charmy complained, rubbing his back.
"I'll say." Espio agreed, looking at his arm, which he broke in his fall.
"We must keep fighting!" Tails said, using his arm cannon to knock Bowser Jr. back. "If we don't Eggman and Bowser will get the Chaos Emerald!"
Luigi nodded, but it seemed hopeless until a familiar voice came from behind.
"Hey! Leave them alone!" A red echidna suddenly punched Shadow from behind, knocking the hedgehog face first into the snow.
"Who dares to help the enemy!?" Dimentio demanded. He got his answer soon enough, for an instant later a huge hammer hit him on the head, knocking him down.
"I do!" Amy said, swinging her hammer around.
"Stop this at once!" Metal Sonic ordered, as he sped at Amy.
"Try to make us!" Cream said, throwing Cheese at the robot, making him slip on a patch of ice and fall.
Bowser Jr. looked around and saw that he was the only one standing. "Uh oh, I'm in for it."
"Yep." Mario nodded, as he kicked the Koopling in the stomach, knocking him down. "You lose."
"Dang it!" Bowser Jr. shouted angrily. "You will pay for this!"
"This won't be the last time you see us." Dimentio said, rubbing his head.
"Next time we meet, you will see our ultimate power!" Metal Sonic swore.
"Chaos Control!" Shadow said, teleporting his team away from the heroes.
"SONIC!" Amy shouted, running to the blue hedgehog and hugging him, making the two of them fall into the snow. "I thought I would never see you again!"
"Whoa!" Sonic exclaimed, slipping. "Cut it out Ames!"
"Cream!" Tails ran to Cream and hugged her. "I'm glad you're OK! But how'd you escape?"
"Mr. Knuckles and Ms. Amy helped me." Cream said. "They shut off the machine that Dr. Eggman put me on."
"Wait, what machine?" Tails asked.
Knuckles and Cream explained the whole thing.
"That does sound like Egghead." Sonic mused.
"Hey! Here's the Chaos Emerald!" Tails exclaimed, grabbing it.
"How'd we get it?" Sonic asked. "We didn't find one when Shadow attacked."
"Shadow dropped it when he attacked us." Tails explained.
"Well, then let's head back to the castle to find the others." Sonic said. "Chaos Control!"
Bowser's Castle: Throne room
Bowser and Eggman angrily discussed the failure of their team.
"I can't believe they all escaped again!" Eggman shouted, slamming his fists on the table.
"Yeah." Bowser nodded. "But at least we're now ready for our final attack."
"Yes!" Eggman smiled. "And then Sonic will not be able to stop us!"
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To be continued...