Chapter 48: Endgame
"What did Sonic mean back there about me being Shadow's host?" Shawn asked Rouge the Bat on their way to Hang Castle, which was a menacing structure with brimstone and pillars that was lit by an unusually bright orange moon overhead as the afternoon sky suddenly darkened.
"Well, um," Rouge hesitated.
"If you know something about it, say so!" Shawn snapped. "I know you've been keeping secrets from me this whole time since we've been traveling together."
"Really?" Rouge stopped and pointed at Shawn's wrists with the gold rings on them. "Then why haven't you told us about those silly bracelets?"
"They're not bracelets," Shawn said, covering the rings up with his jacket sleeves. "My adopted grandfather, Gerard, called them Inhibitor Rings. They keep my body from wearing out every time I use my powers."
"Oh, and why is that?"
"Maybe I'll tell you if you explain why Sonic and his friends thought I was Shadow."
"Rouge! Shadow! My internal receiver is picking up signals from inside the castle," Omega said interrupting the two.
"Then it must be from Eggman," Shawn said and ran forward. "He'd better have the answers I seek once we catch him."
###
"Are you sure we're going the right way?" Knuckles asked as he and the others approached Hang Castle.
"If Rouge's group went in there, then we're heading in the right direction," Sonic said confidently.
"This place gives me the creeps," Tails said shivering slightly. "Maybe we should turn back."
"No way, Tails," Sonic responded. "If this is what we have to go through in order to intercept the Egg Fleet, then we can't turn back."
Tails sighed in irritation as the three of them ran through the entryway.
###
"I think we're lost, Amy," Big said, looking around the premises of Hang Castle.
"But we can't be," Cream said, trying to hold back Cheese from flying into the entryway. "Cheese insists Chocola and Froggy are this way."
"Well, Cheese's ability to sense other Chao hasn't been wrong so far, so let's go!" Amy said, and charged forward.
###
"Whoa, did you see that?" Charmy said. "Amy's group just went into that scary-looking castle over there."
"That must be the Hang Castle our client was talking about," Espio said, catching up to Charmy. "If that's where the Chao's leading them, then we're on the right track."
"Hold on a second, guys," Vector said, doubling over as he wheezed. "I got to catch my breath."
"You just did that a few yards back," Charmy said buzzing around Vector's head. "What's the matter? Getting tired?"
"No Charmy, I just don't have as much energy as you do," Vector answered. "And you're not even running."
"Hey, flying can be just as exhausting," Charmy responded.
"Will you two stop bickering?" Espio said irritably. "As soon as Vector catches his breath, we'll go into Hang Castle."
###
"I can't believe we had to fight Eggman again only for him to get away," Sonic whined as Hang Castle vanished behind him and his friends while the sky grew brighter.
"But at least we escaped the castle," Knuckles said shaking his head. "Fighting robots and ghosts was a bad combination."
"And there's the Egg Fleet!" Tails exclaimed pointing toward the big ships that were flying overhead. "I'll fly you guys up there."
"Are you sure you can handle that, Tails?" Sonic asked. "I could give you an extra boost if you want with my speed."
"How?" Tails asked.
"I'll show you as soon as you start flying," Sonic said as he started walking back a few steps. "Knuckles, you might want to hold onto Tails."
"Uh, okay," Knuckles said, and grabbed Tails' feet as Tails hovered in the air.
As soon as Sonic was far enough, he rapidly spun himself into a ball and rolled straight towards Knuckles at such a high speed that Knuckles literally went flying into the air along with Tails. Once the momentum died down, Tails flew upward while Sonic grabbed onto Knuckles' feet.
"Sorry about your pants, Knuckles," Sonic said noticing the burn-marks on Knuckles' rear end.
"Apology accepted," Knuckles grumbled.
###
"Good thing we were all safely able to warp here," Rouge said standing on the edge of one of Eggman's ships in the Egg fleet along with Shawn and Omega.
"Your help is much appreciated, Shawn," Omega said turning his head towards Shawn.
"Don't thank me yet," Shawn said dismissively. "We've still got to find Dr. Eggman."
With Shawn in the lead, the three of them hopped from ship to ship until they came to the main battleship, which was the Egg Carrier, where they were confronted by Eggman inside a large mech he dubbed the Egg Emperor.
"Well if you're an emperor that means you've got treasure worth stealing, right?" Rouge said sarcastically.
"Nothing I have is yours to take, Rouge!" Eggman snapped. "Not even Shadow."
"Don't mistaken me for Shadow, Eggman!" Shawn responded. "I'm Shawn! Now release my cousin and tell me how I ended up in that pod."
"Not in your life, boy," Eggman said. "Or your next life for that matter!"
###
Amy's group had just reached one of Eggman's ships after Cream flew them all the way up when an explosion in the distance got their attention.
"I hope that wasn't Sonic's group," Cream said as she landed and her arms fell weakly at her sides.
"Let's hope not," Amy said as she stretched her feet where Big had grabbed them earlier.
"Could Froggy and Chocola be somewhere around here?" Big wondered.
"There's only one way to find out," Amy said, and ran for one of the warehouses on their ship which was guarded by robots.
###
"Now that's interesting," Vector said examining the walkie-talkie while he, Charmy, and Espio were temporarily resting after reaching another of Eggman's ships.
"What is?" Espio asked as he limped over on his swelled feet.
"The signal on this walkie-talkie is stronger here, which means our client must be nearby," Vector answered.
"How could our client be up here unless…he's a prisoner of Eggman," Charmy said as he got up.
As soon as he spoke, two explosions occurred one after the other on a large ship in the distance.
"What's happening over there?" Charmy asked.
"I don't know, but we'd better rescue our client before this whole fleet sinks," Espio said.
To be continued…