Chapter 76

Scrap Brain Zone

South Island expanded into view. At first Cream saw the great mountains rising like rocky spears. Then she saw the winding channel which flowed down from their summits into a great gulf which flowed out into the sea. On either side of the river there were large swaths of green fields. The right side was dominated with lush verdant hills. There wasn't much sign of inhabitants other than the occasional totem pole which marked certain sections of the area. On the left side of the river the land flattened into a long flat plain which wrapped around the far side of the island.

Emerl and Cream soared over the river, following it towards the mountains. Cream flew a little higher so she could get a better view. A great plateau erected over the green hills and she could just see the vague outline of a marble garden. "This island seems ancient." Cream observed as she returned to Emerl.

"There are many ruins and mysteries here. You may not feel it, but an energy dwells beneath this island. It shares a connection to the Chaos Emeralds."

"Is that what brought Eggman here in the first place?"

Emerl nodded. "It is, and he has come back a number of times, though he was always thwarted by Sonic."

"But he still has a base here? Wouldn't Sonic have destroyed it by now?"

"Sonic only knew about the top layer of the Scrap Brain. He didn't know about the tunnels underneath."

Cream shivered. An image of Tails caught in a dark prison under the earth flashed inside her mind. I will save him. She looked at Emerl and tried to find her courage. The Gizoid had the Chaos Emeralds and had already proven to be more powerful than the Heavies. However, she could not shake the dreadful feeling that they were flying right into a trap.

The river narrowed and soon both banks were dominated by thick jungle. Beneath the swaying boughs, the dim light of dusk was cut off and all became dark. Emerl's eyes lit up to illuminate their path. From within the trees, Cream could hear the rustling of movement and the cries of wolves and jungle cats.

Once through the jungle, the river opened into a wide lake. Ancient structures emerged from the surface of the water. Cream landed at the top of one and looked through one of its windows. To her astonishment, she saw that the building continued underwater in a series of strange colored hallways. "What is this?"

"The labyrinth," Emerl explained. "These structures run deep into the water and all throughout the core of the island. Whatever mystery this island holds, it will be found at the center of that maze."

"Has anyone ever made it through?"

Emerl shrugged. "Robotnik never did. Perhaps Sonic has, I do not know. Come, we are getting close." The lake rested at the foot of the great mountains. They took flight again and soared around the base of the peeks. As they went, Cream caught her first glimpse of the scars left over by Robotnik's invasion. Large chunks of the mountain were blasted apart and the burns of the machinery still remained. Soon she saw discarded chunks of scrap metal, half eroded rods of iron and steel, and every other kind of litter imaginable.

Cream frowned with disgust. The clean smell that was coming from the ocean was now mixed with the foul odor of decay. When they reached the epicenter of Eggman's base, Cream felt she could almost cry. A city made of cruel steel, suffocating smog, and burning oil lay half eroded against the slope of the mountain. Its expanse was matched only by the sheer volume of its ruin. Even without anything powered on the air still smelled like sulfur. A black mist hung over the machinery.

"It's horrible…" Cream whispered. Cheese crawled out of her pocket and clung to her.

"Chao…"

"This is how my maker would make the world. One great industrial furnace with everything feeding the fire." Emerl shook his head. He pointed towards the center of the factory. "The Heavies will be down there." Emerl descended with Cream at his back.

They landed on a cold metal floor. Huge machines loomed over them at every turn. Cream shuddered as she crept cautiously forward. Emerl stopped suddenly and crouched down. He pressed his hand against a flat plain of steel and pressed. The ground opened with a hiss. Emerl gazed down at the dark entrance and motioned for Cream to stand beside him. She approached and when she looked down she yelped and jumped back.

The tunnel led into what appeared to be absolute darkness. Cream checked again and could not see the bottom. "Where does it go?"

"To the trash heap. Even Robotnik runs out of room to store his spoiled components. This tunnel leads to a foundry, which in the days of its service would burn the used parts and spill out the excess directly into the sea. Once Sonic shut the base down, Eggman returned here in secret and repurposed the base. Instead of burning, Eggman simply piled his spent machines down there, to be forever forgotten. There is no light down there, no wind, the only sound is the moving of the water beyond the walls."

"Does that bother machines?" Emerl hesitated, and Cream realized at once that her question was probably extremely offensive. "I didn't-"

"No, it is okay. You would think that machines would be unbothered. Yet the darkness and quiet drove many to early rampancy. It is a strange thing to watch a machine slowly go insane." Emerl paused and looked back down the tunnel. "I do not wish to return there."

Cream reached out and took his hand. "You don't have to. Cheese and I can save Tails. You've already done more than enough for us."

Emerl studied her. It was always difficult to read Emerl's expression, but now Cream had the suspension that even Emerl was unsure how he felt. He flexed his fingers into a fist. "The Heavies took Tails to lure me here. It is my fault the fox is in danger." With that, Emerl hovered into the air and slowly descended into the tunnel.

Cream closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Before her courage could fail, she leapt into the hole. She fell freely for a moment before catching herself with her ears. Cream glided down as the light above slowly faded. All she could see was the faint glimmer of Emerl's gilded exterior.

After a minute or so of falling, Cream finally reached the bottom. Her feet crunched as she stepped onto piles of discarded metal. Emerl flashed his eye beams and revealed a long tunnel leading forward. Emerl turned off his lights. "They will be waiting for us. We must be as quiet as we can."

That was easy enough for Emerl who could glide a few inches off the floor. Cream, on the other hand, had to walk and her every step seemed to echo with the clamor of a sounding trumpet. On and on they went. The only change in the darkness was the slight difference in air pressure. They were getting closer to a wider opening.

Emerl stopped short and Cream nearly ran straight into him. "They are ahead," He whispered. "I will charge in to attack, you free Tails and escape. Do not wait for me." Cream's heart skipped into overdrive. Her hands shook as she readied to spring forward.

Emerl strode forward and everything went wrong. There was a colossal sound like the firing of a cannon. Blinding white light flashed at such a great intensity, Cream was knocked off her feet. A machine whirred to life like the awakening of some huge monster. Emerl screamed and there was a shout of laughter and triumph from the far side of the room.

Dazed, Cream rolled to her side and picked herself up. Emerl floated eerily between two spinning turbines. A pulsing energy emitted from the machines that encased him inside a bubble. "Emerl!" Before Cream could move, cold arms seized her and held her by the neck.

"Welcome back!" It was the ruthless voice of Heavy Magician.

"Lights!" The Heavy King shouted out of the darkness. Ceiling lights flashed to reveal the entire cavern. Cream was momentarily stunned. She stood in an enormous room with thirty foot high ceilings. Beneath her feet were piles and piles of scrap machinery. At the far end of the room, the Heavy King sat on a throne upon a mound of used parts nearly twenty feet tall. Between Heavy King and Emerl, the other Hard Boiled Heavies guarded a sealed glass tube. Inside, shackled by his wrists was Tails. He was gagged and heavily bruised.

Cream tried to pull herself free again, but Heavy Magician held her firm. She laughed gleefully. "All together again. If only my brother was still alive to see this."

The Heavy King rose from his throne. He descended the metal mound and walked slowly over to Emerl. "Did you really think you could just come in here and take us all on? Has all that power finally gone to your head? You fool. You were only of use to me while I could control you. Now you are nothing." The Heavy King raised a controller and pressed a button.

Emerl screamed in agony. White bolts of lighting sparked from the machines and zapped the Gizoid. One by one, all his Chaos Emeralds dropped to the floor. Heavy Gunner rushed forward to quickly scoop them all up. The Heavy King held his stomach and laughed. "Such a simple trick really, but you proved that you are the exact kind of fool who would fall for it."

"STOP IT!" Cream wailed. Tears were streaking down her face. Emerl's cries of pain were like needles being driven into her skin. "You're hurting him! Please stop!"

The Heavy King snorted. "I'll do much worse than hurt him. But if it will ease your heart." The Heavy King pressed the button again. The lighting ceased and Emerl's head dropped. His silence was even worse than the screams.

The Heavy King held out his hand and Gunner placed one of the emeralds in his palm. His red eyes burned with desire. "It is a shame. A shame that only you can access the power of these emeralds on their own. But make no mistake, eventually I will have them all. And when I do I will return here." The Heavy King held out his arms. "Here we have the makings of a grand army. The remnants, the revenants, the ghosts of the empire. With the Chaos Emeralds, I will awaken the discarded and we will take over this world. Once we are all mighty we will decide who is defective and who is not." The Heavy King walked back over to Emerl and stood as close to the barrier as he dared.

"You should have been with us. You are cut from the same cloth. Too bad."

Emerl slowly raised his head. "You're nothing but a monster. We could have been free. Instead, you chose to make everyone your slaves. You will never escape. The Chaos Emeralds will rule you forever."

The Heavy King raised the controller and pressed it. There were more streaks of lighting. They surged through Emerl causing the gizoid to writhe in agony. "No!" Cream went limp and nearly managed to pull Heavy Magician to the floor. Emerl's pain was too great for him to even cry out. Cracks appeared in his armor. The machines were pulling him apart slowly.

"Don't cry," Magician whispered. "You'll be joining him soon enough!"

Cream swooned. Darkness gathered at the corner of her vision. She couldn't take this. She was just a child. While she felt she owed it to Emerl, she couldn't watch anymore. Cream shut her eyes and imagined her village. She thought of her mother and the elders and imagined she was back at home. Something squirmed out of her front pocket. Cream opened her eyes just in time to see a flash of blue.

"CHAO!" Cheese shot forward like a fired bullet. She smashed head first into the nearest turbine. There was a flash of sparks and a horrible crunch. The barrier around Emerl faded. He fell to his knees.

"CHEESE!" Everyone else seemed frozen by shock. Cream pulled with all her might and managed to slip Magican's grasp. Cream reached into the wreckage of the broken machine and pulled Cheese free. The Chao was covered in scratches and burn marks. Cream fell backward onto the floor cradling the Chao. Cheese stirred slightly.

"Chao…"

"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!" Heavy King pointed at Cream. Heavy Gunner raised his rocket launcher and directed it at them. "Kill her!"

BANG! A missile launched. Cream tucked Cheese down and braced for impact. BOOM! The heat of the explosion brushed her skin. Cream looked up. Emerl was standing in front of her. One of his arms fell limp at his side. It was completely destroyed, leaving its wires exposed and smoke coming out. "Your fight is with me now. Leave her out of this."

The Heavies formed up near their king. "You can't defeat us all. You're alone and you have no emeralds."

Emerl dashed forward. Heavy Rider and Gunner came forward to meet him. Cream drew back from the battle. The entire cavern shook from the force of the intense fighting. Once she was safe in the corner, Cream placed Cheese gently on the ground. A drop of blood pooled out of the Chao's mouth. Cream knelt beside Cheese and wept. She felt more hopeless and afraid than she had ever felt before.

The ground shook from the force of a great impact. Cream turned and saw that Magician had trapped Emerl and forced him to the ground. Rider and Gunner were closing in to finish him off. "Chao…" Cream looked back to see Cheese stirring feebly. Its little arms were reaching out towards Emerl.

Cream stiffened. She wiped away her tears and jumped to her feet. Cream flew into the air and soared to the far end of the room. "Don't let her get away!" Heavy King roared.

Gunner switched targets and went tearing after Cream. He fired his rockets at her, but she managed to avoid them. Cream landed near the Heavy King's throne and waited for Gunner to pursue. Once he had nearly reached the top of the mound, Cream jumped behind the throne and pushed. It slid atop the loose ground of broken pieces and then fell forward. As it came down, Gunner raised his gun and fired. The rocket destroyed the throne and covered everything in smoke. Cream used the smokescreen to attack. She lunged forward and caught Gunner by surprise. They both fell and rolled down the great mound of broken parts.

Cream was hardly aware of which way was up or down. Gunner seized one of her wrists and held it firm. When they reached the bottom of the mound, Gunner pressed himself down on top of her. Cream's free hand fumbled at her side and clung to a stray piece of sharp metal. Gunner raised his fist, just as Cream closed her eyes and stabbed. Her makeshift knight pierced Gunner straight through the eye. He cried out in pain and fell back. Cream pushed him away and sprinted towards the glass case holding Tails.

She reached down and picked up a heavy piece of metal and slammed it against the tube. The glass shattered and Tails fell forward. Cream caught him and helped steady him. She ripped the gag out of his mouth. "Cream! Help me get out of these!" He held up the handcuffs. Cream looked for another sharp end of metal and then used them to break the restraints. "Stay here!" As soon as he was free, Tails leapt into the fight.

Emerl was fighting with one arm and was barely managing to hang on. Once Tails entered the fight, the tide of the battle shifted. Cream was not content to watch from the sidelines. She scooped up some more spare parts and then flew into the air. From above, she threw metal parts onto the heavies.

Heavy Magician and Rider drew back to their king. It was an even three on three now. Despite his gruesome injuries, Emerl came forward ready to end the fight. Cream landed beside Tails and Emerl. "You think you've beaten us?" King mocked. "You've only delayed your own doom." The Heavy King did not fight. He was too busy cradling the Chaos Emeralds in his arms. "You two, self destruct. Send this whole place to oblivion!"

Heavy Magician and Rider turned back. "Self destruct?"

"Do as I say! I am your king! Once I have the emeralds I will make new Heavies, your legacy will live on-"

"Enough!" Emerl and Tails sprang forward. Emerl destroyed Rider with a ferocious punch while Tails ended Magician with a swipe of his tails.

The Heavy King was all that was left. He shrank back from the approaching Tails and Emerl. "How could you Emerl? We made you? We are the ones that saved you from this prison, the one's that gave your meaningless existence a purpose. Is this how you would repay me?"

Emerl strode forward silently. The Heavy King had reached the far wall. There was nowhere left to go. "Damn you all!" He flung the Chaos Emeralds into the air and reached for a weapon at his belt. The king's cape swirled as he drew a pistol, but he did not aim it at Emerl. The gun was directed at Cream. Bang! Cream recoiled as if she had been hit. But there was no pain. Emerl had leapt in front of her again.

"Emerl!"

He turned back slowly. One of his eyes had been shattered. Emerl raised his hand and without even looking back fired a blast at the Heavy King. The bolt made contact and Heavy King was broken into a hundred pieces. The only thing that distinguished his parts from all the rest of the scraps was the slight red hue.

Emerl staggered. Cream caught him and tried to hold him up but he was too heavy. Tails assisted and the two of them managed to set him on his feet. "The Chao?"

Cream pointed back towards the exit. Emerl pushed them aside and hurried over. Cheese was curled up on its side and not moving. Cream collapsed with a wail of grief. Emerl lifted Cheese up with his remaining hand. He turned to Cream and for a moment she felt she could almost see the smile on his face. "Thank you," He said. "For everything." Emerl's armor started to glow. A golden light flashed throughout the entire room. Cream covered her eyes until the light faded. When it was gone, Emerl stood frozen stiff. Cheese stirred and picked itself up.

Cream cried out in delight and clapped her hands. Her smile faded when she saw Emerl. His body had lost its golden sheen. He was now a dull bronze and there was no life in his remaining eye. "Emerl?" Cream touched his arm and it was as cold as ice. "Emerl?"

Cheese hovered in the air and started to sing. It was a slow mournful lament. Tails put his arm on Cream's shoulder. "He's gone."

Cream shook her head. She wrapped her arms around Emerl and tried to will him back to life."No! Please!"

Tails left her to her grief. He retrieved the Chaos Emeralds and came back. Cream was still holding Emerl and weeping. He touched her gently on the arm. "Come on, help me move him. He doesn't belong here."

Cream lifted at the base while Tails carried the head. Together they lifted Emerl and took him away. They flew back up the tunnel and high above the Scrap Brain. Clouds had gathered covering the night in still darkness. Cheese had resumed her position inside Cream's dress pocket. Within minutes, the Chao was snoring.

Cream wept until she had no more tears. By the time they reached Tails's workshop her throat was burning and her face was patched with dry tears. They carried Emerl into the house and laid him gently on the table. Cream sat beside Emerl. She placed her hand in his and held it.

"Tails?" It was physically painful for Cream to speak. "Can you help him? You have the Chaos Emeralds."

There were tears in the fox's eyes as well. "I can try…but…I don't know."

"Please try, please."

Cream helped Tails bring Emerl into the lab. For the next several hours, Tails worked on Emerl. He plugged him into several machines and tried restarting him using the power of the Chaos Emeralds. Dawn came and went. Exhaustion deeper than any she had ever known before weighed on Cream, but she would not sleep. She sat in the corner of the room waiting for the light to return to Emerl's eye for him to wake up.

Tails was equally exhausted. Bags hung beneath his eyes and he bore the scars and bruises of his imprisonment. When he had finally reached the ends of his abilities, Tails placed the Chaos Emeralds around Emerl and suggested that they go to sleep. "Either the emeralds can bring him back or he…he is gone."

Tails went to his room, but Cream remained behind. She put her chair beside Emerl and laid her head next to his. At some point she must have drifted off to sleep because the next thing she knew it was dark out. She stirred and jumped back when she saw that Emerl was gone. Her heart expanded so fast it made her chest hurt. Cream leapt to her feet and ran into the other room. All her adrenaline and hope died when she saw Emerl laying dead on the floor. Tails was leaning over him and tinkering with something.

Cream fell down and cradled herself. Somehow she found a second reserve of tears and started balling her eyes out. Tails stopped what he was doing and came to sit beside her. Rain started to fall outside. Emerl was gone, and would not return. Cream would never see those eyes again.