"Tell me you found something, Miles." Shadow spoke into a com link Tails gave him before getting Maria to the hospital a mere 30 minutes earlier. Maria was still unconscious, but as far as Shadow knew she was stable.
"Yeah, I know where Robotnik's base is. I'll pick you up, just hold tight for a minute." Tails responded. within a few minutes, Tails had made it to Shadow, telling him of the broadcast on Robotnik's base.
"Let's get moving." Shadow said in a hard determined voice. He stood on top of the X Tornado, wanting Robotnik to see his face upon approach.
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Getting back to his base, Robotnik was surprised to see it under attack. They timed it so perfectly while he was away, but they ran into the complication of automated defenses. The military were fighting as best they could, keeping the system on them while the stealth team was going off without a hitch. They were even taking out the "welcome wagon" inside, but just up ahead were more robots, and this time they would be trapped. Rouge fought as hard as she could, but was surrounded by gunners. Everything seemed lost until everyone heard a boom as the wall came crumbling down and Knuckles jumped out, dodging the bullets and smashing the gunners where they stood.
"Whoa, who are you and how'd you get here?" Topaz asked.
"Call me Knuckles." The red brawler answered. "As for how I got here, I hitched a ride on a missile. Hope you don't mind me crashing the party."
"Hmm." Topaz thought looking back at Rouge. But, for whatever reason, Rouge had her back turned. "Well, the more help we can get the better. LET'S ROLL!"
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As the stream went on, the news reporter caught a glimpse of a new plane entering the field.
"Hold on, what's that on the front?" She asked as the Camera zoomed and the audience gasped. "It looks like a black...hedgehog?" She asked, and indeed Shadow was kneeling on the front of the X Tornado, and his eyes were not one of a hero. Shadow was out for blood, and the people could tell.
Cream gasped as she saw Shadow on the news, recognizing that look and it scared her. Sure, Shadow always looked ticked, but this one was different. She'd only seen him wear that a few times, and none of them ended pretty.
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"Get us as close as you can Miles, I need to get inside!" Shadow ordered. Tails nodded, knowing not to respond but just do what Shadow said.
Robotnik looked on the screen, noticing Shadow on the X Tornado. "FIRE EVERYTHING ON THAT HEDGEHOG!" Robotnik ordered. He knew that wouldn't stop Shadow, but it would buy him time. Robotnik left with the Chaos Emerald he stole earlier and one he stole from Tails not long ago (Baseball episode).
As the rockets came up, Tails shot forward and showed his ace piloting skills, dodging and weaving through the rockets Robotnik shot while getting closer to the base. Tails fired a missile into the wall of the base.
"Shadow, now's your chance!" Tails yelled as Shadow jumped off, forming into his spin dash and blowing through the wall into the base, taking off into the hallways.
"Time to finish what we started." Shadow thought back to how this whole crazy ordeal that lead to earth came back to this same base. He threw a Chaos Flare and blew open a door, running inside before coming to a stop and seeing Robotnik in a giant black and grey humanoid mech, the Egg Mobile as the head.
"That's far enough Shadow..." Robotnik stated. "It was mere luck that brought you this far, but you stand no chance of beating me now, not in this suit. Give up."
Shadow gave a death stare at Robotnik, then closed his eyes. "You robbed me of my old life. You attacked Cream and Cheese, you made Miles an ORPHAN when he was born, and hurt Maria. All because I couldn't do what needed to be done back then." Shadow opened his eyes, filled with rage. "DOCTOR! YOU'RE GOING STRAIGHT TO HELL!" Shadow roared as he shot forward.
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"The demolition charges are all set ma'am!" An officer told Topaz. Topaz nodded, saying everyone needed to evacuate but Rouge had other ideas. The group argued back and forth over leaving, only noticing a security lock down after the doors sealed themselves shut. Rouge tried kicking the doors down, but to no avail. Knuckles punched them, but didn't even make a dent.
"No way..." Knuckles said, knowing the countdown couldn't be delayed. "Come on, we have to just hit it HARDER!" Knuckles yelled with Rouge, the two of them going to town on the door.
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Back with Shadow and Robotnik, the fight was going bad. Everything Shadow did was countered by Robotnik. None of his projectile Chaos Powers seemed to work either. As Shadow ran forward to take another shot at Robotnik's face, a leg was brought up and kicked Shadow back hard. Shadow flew towards the roof, hitting it before going down. But Robotnik wasn't done. He caught up before Shadow hit the floor and delivered another kick, sending Shadow into the wall before keeping him planted there with his hand.
"Give it up, Rodent. I've studied you ever since you "obtained" these abilities of yours. This mech was designed to beat you in every way." Robotnik bragged as Shadow pushed on the wall, but Robotnik pushed harder into the wall. "This machine is powered by two Chaos Emeralds, which is more than enough to over power you. Face it Shadow, we've reached your limit."
Shadow's eyes dialated at that. "Limit? LIMIT!? AAARRRGH!" Shadow strained against the wall as he started glowing red before his inhibitor rings popped off as he unleashed a massive Chaos Blast, incinerating the hand holding him in place. Robotnik saw in shock as Shadow was enveloped in a red flame, and he looked pissed. "I've got you're "LIMIT" RIGHT HERE!" Shadow roared as Robotnik threw the other hand in a punch, but Shadow spin dashed through the arm and coming out the shoulder, bouncing off the opposite wall and through the mech's back, grabbing the two Chaos Emerald within.
Robotnik ejected, heading up higher to escape Shadow's wrath. But Shadow wasn't done. He chased after Robotnik, blowing straight through doors he'd normally have a few problems with. Shadow threw Chaos Flare at Robotnik, the explosions when he missed were bigger and more violent than before. They were coming up into the main reactor room as Robotnik flew over the door that Knuckles and Rouge made a hole inside. Knuckles dived with Rouge out of the way as an enraged Shadow tore through the door as if it were paper.
"Shadow's lost his mind..." Knuckles commented as the group made a run for it.
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As Robotnik made it to the beach, Shadow emerged from the base as well, and a well aimed Chaos Needle smashed the Egg Mobile. As Robotnik landed on the Beach, he ran for an area before a bright red spear cut his left arm off, right in the middle of the bicep. Robotnik fell in pain as he saw his arm laying on the beach, soaking the sand in red as Shadow wobbled towards him, the flame subsiding.
"H-how's that f-for my...limit...?" Shadow asked before his eyes rolled back in his head, falling back and passing out just as Tails landed the X Tornado.
.
"Uh-ugh." Shadow muttered as he came to, sitting up and holding his head.
"You're finally awake." He heard, looking over to see Maria in a light blue T-shirt withwhite shorts on, her left leg in a cast.
"Maria..." Shadow hazily said. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes, looking around to see he was back in the Thorndyke Mansion.
"Shadow!" Tails exclaimed as he ran forward. "It's over! We won!"
"Eggman won't be a problem anymore!" Amy continued.
"And it's thanks to you." Cream finished cheerfully.
"Is Robotnik de-" Shadow cut himself off as he looked at Cream.
"We don't know. His body wasn't recovered. Well, at least not most of it...But without his arm, I don't think he'll be dangerous." Tails explained.
"That doesn't mean anything Miles." Shadow retorted. "The last time we underestimated Robotnik, he caused a lot of damage."
"Shadow, that's not how things are done here." Maria explained. Shadow looked at her, seeing her smiling despite the day, she was just glad her friends are all accounted for. Maybe it was better this way...without any blood on his hands.
If he had Robotnik's life in the balance and he took that life, was that a line he'd be able to come back from? He was willing to cross it today, but would he any other time? What worried him was he didn't know. It was a bridge he would cross later. But right now, the world was safe.
"Shadow, we're citizen's now. People know of us, we don't have to hide anymore." Amy said as she handed Shadow his passport.
"That means you can stop fighting Robotnik now, and live a life away from violence." Cream recommended as she walked away.
Shadow contemplated that. A life away from combat? He couldn't remember the last time he had that...He looked up and saw Maria giving him a smile, and Shadow couldn't help but smile back. Maybe, just maybe, he could finally move on with his life.