Author's Note: Time for a very special chapter. For once, the title doesn't tell you everything that's gonna happen in this chapter. Vector VS Omega, the last fight of this Team Battle.

As with the last Espio Serious chapter, this chapter takes place during the Espio VS Shadow fight and the Charmy VS Rouge altercation.

Finally, here's a long list of songs I was thinking of/listening to when creating this chapter, feel free to listen as you read for maximum emersion:

Super Mario World Game Over (LoFi Hip Hop Remix) - Hephestos (for pre-fight and post-fight)

Funky HQ (Iceferno Remix) - Streets of Rage 4

Wacky Workbench Present - Sonic CD

Quartz Quadrant Bad Future - Sonic CD

Cyber Track Zone Act 3 - Sonic Advance 3

Cyber Track Act 2 - aRBee Remix

Cyber Track Act 1 - MarsBars Remix (I really like Cyber Track, ok XD)

Determination Jolyne's Theme - Jojo Stone Ocean (if you're a Jojo's fan, you'll know when to play this one F3)

Without further ado, enjoy! C;

Omega considers himself a simple machine. Powerful, breathtaking, awe-inspiring, with greatness beyond measure, but simple at his core.

Doctor Robotnik, his cursed creator, forever insulted him and abandoned him. He was the ultimate E-Series robot, the greatest culmination of modern ingenuity and wanton destruction, the most powerful robot in the world. Shunted to play guard dog to an unconscious furball locked in a pod until the heat death of the universe. It was—and still is—completely unforgivable. The man deserved what was coming to him.

Because of what Robotnik did to Omega, he detests wasted potential in all forms. He had been forced to suffer due to such an illogical mindset and he swore he'd never succumb to it himself. Therefore, assets with value are given more mercy, leeway, patience, etc. than meaningless randoms. This was why he didn't mind going easy on the organic lifeforms whenever they clashed, instead of just outright attempting to kill them. They were strong, capable, valuable assets that had proven themselves useful towards his goals.

No more explicit than with his designated friends, Shadow and Rouge. They were the most capable, pragmatic, and valuable creatures in all of existence. They didn't have to be the most physically powerful, he already covered that attribute fully. But in terms of speed, cunning, durability and many other relevant statistics, they excelled. Perhaps not in each individual statistic compared to other noteworthy organisms, but they possessed the best culmination of all attributes.

Shadow's mastery of Chaos Control was second to none, his speed rivaled the fastest creature alive, Sonic the Hedgehog. His strength was on par with some of the strongest lifeforms in existence, and his practical—occasionally ruthless nature, was invaluable. He was also capable of adoring the masses and winning others to his side through some kind of charm he possessed called "good looks" and a "too cool attitude" (Rouge's phraseology, not Shadow's).

And he could render enemy targets ineffectual through intimidation, a sight that Omega enjoyed watching. It was entertaining to see Shadow overpower weaker beings with mere words, facial expressions, and tone of voice. If Omega had a face, he surmised he'd enjoy copying Shadow's intimidation tactics, but alas he was already perfectly designed without one, so it was a moot point.

Rouge's flying capabilities and skill in combat were legendary, any airborne altercation would end in her inevitable victory. Her speed was in league with some of the fastest beings on the planet, and her shrewd analytical mind was the most impressive thing about her. Many a successful plan was thought up solely by her and within seconds; she was capable of maximizing each of their strengths while capitalizing on the weaknesses of their enemies for the most efficient battle plans and missions. Even his supercomputer brain struggled to keep up with her.

She was also partial to using her "feminine charms" to influence other lifeforms into assisting her in the pursuit of her goals, something that confused Omega, but he could appreciate the results nevertheless. When those charms failed her, she would often use advanced interrogation techniques and psychological manipulation to get what she wanted out of weaker minds. These interrogation sessions were less entertaining than Shadow's use of intimidation, but they were engaging and impressive to Omega nevertheless.

And he trusted no one else to do physical maintenance on his form that he was unfortunately incapable of doing on his own. There were just some parts of his body that he had to be offline to access or he couldn't reach or see for himself. But Rouge had the necessary intellect and familiarity with circuitry and programming, as well as delicate hands to accomplish the careful work that he required.

She would often tell him he owed her jewels as payment for her work, but she never came to collect her compensation. When Omega would give her jewels, she would complain about his "lousy taste", but they would always be added to her massive collection regardless.

Not to mention the debt he owed Shadow and Rouge for freeing him of his prison and helping him enact sweet sweet revenge on his accursed creator and every last one of his robots (except for Gemerl the Gizoid, when Omega was made aware of his existence they defended him, oddly enough. That still puzzled him. No matter, one day he'd annihilate him like all the others). And along the way, they had endeared themselves to his otherwise cold mechanical "heart", proving they were worthy of his cherished protection and care.

Unfortunately for Omega, organic beings required more than fuel, hydration and appropriate atmospheric conditions to continue functioning efficiently. He recognized quickly the benefits empathy can have for his friends, having an advanced enough AI to process the emotions of others, to a degree. Shadow was lonely and still grieving the loss of his family aboard the ARK, not to mention suffering from the unanswered questions of his past for as long as he's known him. Apparently knowing one's origins is a vital directive for organic lifeforms.

Rouge on the other hand, worried an inordinate amount about so many meaningless things. Like what she's going to do with her life long term, if she'll ever meet someone and settle down, what to buy or steal, what to wear for which outing, how to pass the time having fun, etc. She also felt terrible when Shadow was particularly closed off or outwardly depressed. It was annoying, but he supposed a brain with that much processing power and calculation capability would have to be bogged down with a few bugs.

Regardless, he made peace with the idea that friends came with bugs called "emotional baggage" (again, Rouge's terminology) and if he wanted to maintain the optimal condition of these friends, he would need to learn to manage their pathetic emotions properly.

Thus, he had undergone minor upgrades to enhance his "social skills" as Rouge called it. He was now capable of shaking hands "amicably" (as in, not trying to crush the puny hand of the organic creatures he greeted), understanding the basics of humor, comedy, and playful teasing often called "quipping" (though he didn't intentionally engage in it himself), and having what the biological lifeforms called "fun" (Frankly, unless it was the mass destruction of robots or intense violence, he didn't understand this concept).

These upgrades weren't exactly perfect, however, since he installed them himself and doesn't actually care about this social-emotional-sensitive-nonsense. They are a means to an end, but at the bottom of his queue of directives. In conclusion, the social aspect of his programing is a nuisance to him that he only endures for the sake of Shadow and Rouge's productivity and efficiency.

This was also why he often found himself working alongside them under GUN. Yet another nuisance, but one far more preferable to socialization. GUN allowed him to indulge in ultra-violence, his favorite pass time, and quite often aligned with his goal for vengeance. His criminal creator was a frequent enemy of their's, after all, and they provided him with information he couldn't access from the Eggnet due to his rogue status.

However, the tedious protocols and procedures of the organization frustrated him to no end. He has respect towards the leaders of GUN because he recognizes authority as power, and GUN had considerable authority. And power was to be respected, regardless of who wielded it.

But when it came to playing along with the politics, guidelines and rules of the organization, he outright refuses. Having power is one thing, subjecting him, the most powerful robot in the world to protocols for puny organic beings was unacceptable. Unless, of course, the situation was more complicated than it seemed.

For instance, the call for Espio's arrest, was difficult for him to weigh due to several opposing points. Espio was brimming with potential, a valuable ally, and an important friend in Shadow's life specifically. Rouge took note of this connection as well, saying they were good for each other, something Omega confirmed.

They were of the same general personality type and got along well considering both of their emotional states. They didn't "hang out" like Rouge and Vector did at Club Rouge on a regular basis. Nevertheless, Espio was one of the rare people that Shadow looked forward to spending time with. They understood each other and Shadow could relax in Espio's presence, something he exclusively did when alone or with Rouge & Omega. The chameleon was rather intelligent and could hold stimulating conversations with Shadow when his friend chose to engage in the activity.

Espio was also an ally against his blubbering creator and helped Omega with his revenge, on top of protecting the world at large several times from major threats. And because of his similarities to Shadow, in skill, demeanor, and intelligence, Omega viewed him in a higher regard than the other organic lifeforms he often encountered. To subject an impressive individual like Espio to the same detainment that he suffered from all those years ago would be... a waste.

The Chaotix themselves were surprisingly valuable assets and strong allies that have helped him, his friends, and the entire world on several occasions. Bringing Espio in for interrogation and imprisonment would cause numerous complications between them, his friends, and the rest of the living creatures they cared for, in ways he couldn't predict nor prepare for. Losing such promising allies would be a significant blow to his goals, much less damage Shadow and Rouge further than they already are. Therefore, arresting Espio would be... unsatisfactory.

However, GUN was an incredibly useful asset for his goals and his friends' goals. He respects their authority as a world power that maintains peace and life for innocents and his small group of valuable allies on a daily basis. GUN supplied him with the necessary resources he required to continue his primary directives, including upgrades for his software, cutting edge weaponry and plenty of ammunition.

Socializing was unnecessary to maintain his connection to GUN, which was a much appreciated feature. Rouge was happy to get a paycheck from them every 2 weeks, and money was a good way to keep her emotionally maintained. Shadow, on the other hand, found purpose in the work he did there and managed to garner respect from his colleagues, something more valuable to the hedgehog than fear. Omega didn't understand it, but the fact remained, Shadow benefitted emotionally from working at GUN.

Losing those connections through defying GUN concerning Espio's arrest would cause a myriad of complications. The loss of invaluable resources and information, as well as a powerful ally to further his goals. A major pillar of Rouge's identity as well as a paycheck that is necessary for her maintenance would be gone.

And Shadow's new prime directive and hard earned respect as well as a professional connection to Rouge, which kept him tethered to her safely, would be lost as well. All of which would greatly upset and derail his friends, which would detract from his goals. That scenario would be... equally unsatisfactory.

Usually in situations this emotionally charged and messy, Omega would follow his friends' lead, as they often knew what to do. The situation was above his capabilities in social skills, so he simply came as backup for Shadow and Rouge, followed their lead as best he could.

But for some reason, neither of them were exactly on the same page. Of course they both wanted to follow their orders, but not in the same way. Shadow wanted to arrest Espio, attempt to find the truth and protect him as best he could. The direct approach, lacking subtlety or tact, which Omega appreciated. Who has time for frivolous nonsense like tact?

Rouge, on the other hand, didn't want to believe Espio was what his alleged crimes presented him as. But more importantly, she didn't want The Chaotix to feel any negative emotions concerning their orders. So she did want to bring him in, but she didn't want to arrest him or interrogate him directly. There were a lot of inefficient decisions she was making, which Omega didn't enjoy. But Shadow went along with it, so Omega complied.

However, things hadn't gone according to plan inside The Chaotix's Domicile, which was irregular considering Rouge's capacity for planning and Shadow's practical intellect working together. It was illogical to say the least. But then again, so was this subtle approach Rouge opted for, so it was consistent in its illogicalness, Omega supposed.

Then, while he attempted to distract the small child with a game of fun, the threat level raised. And Omega, being the simple machine that he was, acted on his friends' behalf. As their safety and well being was above everything else.

He would not, however, risk permanently damaging valuable assets filled with potential. Or in the small bee child's case, an innocent. So all of his lethal weapons were still disengaged, his power output didn't exceed 30%. If there was going to be a physical altercation, he would diffuse the situation as optimally as possible. And though he would enjoy any physical altercation should it arise—he was a battle robot, after all—Omega calculated a 50% chance that a battle would occur.

So he remained on standby, as Shadow and Rouge requested of him, and just as it appeared the situation had been neutralized... Espio attempted to evade capture. In an unforeseen turn of events, Espio suddenly behaved differently than he'd ever behaved before, throwing insults and scathing remarks that effectively offended Shadow and appalled the other Chaotix members.

Omega had to admit, Espio's words would have made even him want to disembowel the chameleon. So Shadow's response to Espio's insults was to be expected, as far as Omega was concerned. All he intended to do was keep Shadow from completely annihilating Espio, as he still had great value.

But he was unfortunately interrupted by the individual currently straining against his grip, Omega's designated opponent in this cross team confrontation. The larger than average reptilian who leads The Chaotix. Designation: Vector the Crocodile.

With lightning speed, he scanned his data records on Vector, processed the information and calculated the probabilities of this confrontation.

Processing of information; Vector's greatest strengths are his jaws, his upper body strength and his Fire Aura abilities, specifically the Fire Breath technique. His durability and internal integrity are substantial, in league with the strongest of metals.

Other abilities he possesses are Kinetic aura which allow him to perform Spin Attack techniques, though he rarely employs these attacks. His tactical analysis and skill in combat were unremarkable at best, previous encounters indicate he is more of a brute or berserker, rather than a powerful and astute warrior.

Additionally, he had the rare Sound aura affinity, like Rouge, which he used to weaponize the collective noise of his team. A technique designated Chaotix Recital. But that was a factor Omega needn't consider in his calculations, as the rest of The Chaotix were currently preoccupied. Shadow had Espio occupied and Omega lost track of the bee child, but considering he was just a small boy, he was not a factor either.

Calculations:

-Statistical probability of Vector's jaws being strong enough to bite through armor plating: 34% for 1st outer layer, 17% for 2nd layer, 5% for 3rd layer, 0% for 4th layer-25th layer.

-Vector's physical power level, including durability: 1000, Omega's physical power level: 3000 at Battle Mode: Stage 3.

-Vector's Fire Breath techniques upper temperature limit: 800°F, Melting point of steel: ≤2,750°F

-Statistical probability of utilizing Kinetic aura techniques, i.e. Spin Attack, Spin Dash, Spin Jump, or Homing Attack: 25%

-Statistical probability of employing complex battle tactics: 10%

-Statistical probability of utilizing Sound aura techniques, specifically The Chaotix Recital technique: 0%

Conclusion; Any physical strength based conflict would result in Omega's victory. Any fire produced by Vector would not be hot enough nor forceful enough to damage him significantly and can therefore be powered through. Kinetic aura techniques would rarely be implemented and Sound aura techniques would not be used.

In short, Vector would lose this fight in approximately 5 minutes and 30 seconds. Impressive, considering the majority of the opponents Omega faced only lasted 2 minutes at most. Vector should be proud of this achievement, but not that proud considering Omega has disengaged his lethal ammunition and tactics. This altercation only required Battle Mode: Stage 1, but if he was pushed, Stage 2 would make short work of the target.

A sudden shift in weight followed by a surprising twist downward sent Omega toppling to the side. Vector's leg positioned behind Omega's, tripping him as Vector forced him down at an awkward angle.

That was... unexpected. But not nearly enough to defeat him.

Omega's claw shot to the floor, stabilizing him as he swung his entire frame around and slammed his legs into Vector's side. But the crocodile managed to block, merely sliding a few feet away as Omega got upright.

Vector growled through bared teeth as he rushed towards Omega. Metal claw clamped down on massive fist before it could hit Omega's headpiece, Vector's other fist aimed just above Omega's waist. Caught by other claw.

"Say cheese!" Vector roared as his jaws opened wide, fire gathering in his throat. Omega knew he would try this, with a statistical probability of 75%. A countermeasure was already prepared.

With 150% energy output, his chest tray shot open and rammed into Vector's inflating chest. He immediately choked and flung his head away, smoke and sparks billowed out of his mouth and nostrils. Fire Breath neutralized.

Omega continued the assault, slammed his headpiece against Vector's skull before rotating his upper body with quick revolutions. He spun Vector around repeatedly then let go of his hands, flinging him across the living room and through the wooden stairs, decimating the platform. Rouge would no doubt disapprove, but she never made him promise to spare The Chaotix's Domicile during this arrest. All bets were off, just how he preferred it.

"Why da hell do you have an ashtray?!" Vector bellowed before a mass of wood smashed into Omega's face, obstructing his vision. He silently switched to infrared as he swiped away the chunks of wood into splinters.

Two massive fists slamming down on his head was the immediate response, Omega dropped to the ground face first. His headpiece jammed inside his torso, completely blinding him.

"Error: Vision Compromised. Initiating Recalibration Sequence A-13" he signaled, before his gears and pistons systematically adjusted and shifted. Another miscalculation. This one costing precious seconds that Vector would no doubt take advantage of.

As if on cue, Omega felt a tremendous weight slam down on his back, causing the outer layer of armor plating to dent slightly. Large hands lifted Omega's considerable weight up before smashing him through the floor, ironically popping his headpiece back into place.

"Recalibration complete" he signaled before igniting his jet boosters and rocketing through the floorboards into Vector, too slow to dodge just as predicted.

The two powerhouses blasted through the ceiling, sending splinters and plaster everywhere. As they crashed into a bedroom, the crocodile managed to break Omega's grip by kicking him off, demolishing a wall before he skid to a halt. A quick burst of his jet boosters corrected his orientation back to an upright position, while Vector untangled himself from the shambled contents of the room.

"Ya plan on fixin' my house after I beat the circuits outta you?" he asked, spitting to the side as he glared at Omega.

"Negative. I am E-123 Omega, the Ultimate Battle Robot. Carpentry is not part of my programming".

"Well, you had better learn, cuz ya ain't leavin' my house a wreck!" a bed frame flew at him with alarming speed. Omega barely had time to block as it collided roughly against him.

Based on the contortion the metal exhibited it had to be hollow iron, a dramatically inferior material to Omega's titanium armor plating and reinforced steel body. As soon as the bed frame was discarded, Omega expected to see Vector charging at him, but curiously, Vector had vanished from his direct line of sight.

This did not compute, Vector couldn't have run away in this short span of time and his tactics were rudimentary at best. Sensors scanned the room then directed him to the ceiling, where Vector... adhered to the surface. An ability previously determined that only Espio possessed.

"HAMMER DOWN!" Vector called out as he vaulted off the ceiling and brought his hands down, a fiery aura enveloping him just before he collided into Omega.

A loud metallic clang reverberated out as both of them once again crashed through The Chaotix's Domicile into yet another room. The collapsing second floor showered debris all around them, Omega's head spun around as his internal sensors went to work.

Internal sensors indicated the total damage sustained was up to 5%, an astonishing development. Vector... had become stronger than previously assessed. And he possessed numerous unrecorded abilities and techniques utilized rather effectively. That was the source of the miscalculations, he had underestimated the crocodile's capacity for growth. An error that he would now correct.

"Analyzing target. Adjusting previously calculated parameters" Omega stated just before Vector picked him up by his wrist.

"Finally takin' me seriously, huh?" Vector leaned down to glare in Omega's eyes, "Good. Got some aggression to work out" he swiftly spun around, flinging Omega through a wall and sending the robot fumbling in the grass.

Metallic hands dug into the dirt stopping his momentum as Omega steady himself and completed his new calculations. Numbers flashed across his HUD blindingly fast while he raised back to his full height, only for a warning icon to steal his attention. He only had time to block before Vector once again crashed down into him, roaring "HAMMER DOWN!" with an explosion of destruction erupting around them.

Internal sensors recalculated the total damage, clocking in at 8%. Vector continued pressing his full weight down on Omega just before his metal fist launched into Vector's abdomen. He felt the flesh buckle against the impact just as the crocodile staggered back several steps, cradling the wound.

"Calculations complete. Initiating Battle Mode: Stage 2" Omega announced, rotating his joints into place before entering his stance, "Prepare to be violently neutralized".

Vector grunted in defiance while assuming his fighting stance. "Come try—OOF!"

Jet boosters rocketed Omega into his target full force, knocking the oxygen from his lungs, as he forced Vector back into the stone steps of The Chaotix's Domicile. The slabs of rock shattered beneath them, a cloud of pebbles spraying out, as Omega grasped Vector's skull and slammed it against the stones again. And again. And again. And again. And once more for good measure.

"Query: Will you surrender or continue your suffering?" he asked, scanning Vector's injuries to ensure he would stay down. Results inconclusive.

"Bite me, tin can" Vector croaked out through gritted teeth, his eyes clenched shut, blood trickling down his cheek.

"Negative. Biting is an action for weak, inferior beings".

Vector smirked. "Wanna bet?"

Jaws snapped shut instantly around Omega's torso, his entire head inside the maw of Vector, sharp teeth pierced through 7 layers of armor as crushing pressure increased. Static blurred his vision, a few sparks shot out from his body, sirens blared inside his internal diagnostic. Omega attempted to yank the crocodile's jaws out of his frame, but vice grips kept his arms in place.

A warm light glowed before his optical lenses, the dark red of the crocodile's throat was quickly fading into a bright yellow. Flames erupted forth and scorched Omega's face with a heat so intense, it began to scramble his sensors.

This was highly improbable, Vector's Fire elemental proficiency was not supposed to be this strong. His flames were not meant to exceed temperatures of 800°F, yet the Fire Breath he was currently exhibiting was reaching temperatures of 2000°F, rapidly approaching the melting point of steel. Omega would not allow that to happen.

Significant power diverted to rotary motion functions and spun his torso around as quickly as possible, causing the flames to immediately stop. Finally he could free his arms. Instead of yanking the massive jaws off, he punched Vector's cheek as hard as Battle Mode: Stage 2 would allow, flinging the man's jaws out.

Pieces of Omega's armor were yanked free with a distasteful screech of metal, followed by a shower of scraps hitting the ground. An acceptable loss to see Vector struggling to recover from the punch.

"Impressive. Fire Power exceeds projected parameters" Omega noted as he receded his claw inside his forearm. "Now, it is my turn" he declared, brandishing a flamethrower barrel from his wrist apparatus.

Vector's eyes shot open. "Oh shi—!"

"Incinerate" A concentrated stream of fire burst forth with such intensity, the surrounding stone began to slowly melt into plasma. The green of Vector's scales were washed out by the blinding white of the scorching flames engulfing him. The mostly wooden shack the Chaotix dwelled in was set ablaze as the fire consumed everything in its path.

However, sensors indicated the projected damage calculated was not being met, upon further scanning, it appeared as if Vector was exhibiting a Fire aura infused Barrier. Of all the abilities Vector displayed, this was the most logical of them all.

Barrier's were simple enough constructs, evident by the fact that children like Tails and Cream and even the bee boy could create them. And Vector possessed Fire elemental affinity. Logic dictated that he could implement the Fire aura into a Barrier to defend against Fire based attacks.

But just as logic dictated the probability of this technique, it similarly dictated that the longer Omega blasted Vector with intense flame, the weaker the Barrier would become. Eventually leading to the full exhaustion of his Fire aura and the swift termination of this battle. So Omega continued the output of fire, his fuel dropping just below 80%.

At the rate of consumption, he could keep that same pressure for approximately 10 minutes. And at the rate of the Barrier's integrity, it wouldn't last more than 2 minutes. Which would result in Omega's victory in T-minus 2 minutes and 5 seconds. But apparently, Vector had other plans.

Suddenly, a pink orb materialized, floating between Omega's legs. Sensors indicated it was a chemical combination of rubber latex, polyisobutylene, sugar, calcium carbonate, and gum rosin ester. Common designation: Bubblegum.

The bubble popped, causing an explosion that launched Omega skyward. Flamethrower apparatus disengaged, CPU buffered due to rapid, uncoordinated midair rotations. A jarring impact stopped his upward velocity and redirected him downward, plummeting several yards past the treeline surrounding The Chaotix's Domicile. Which meant Vector managed to knock him approximately 50 yards away.

Intriguing.

"WE AIN'T DONE YET!" Vector bellowed from a distance, before sucking in a massive amount of air into his lungs. And held it for a moment before he shook the entire forest with a booming roar.

"GRAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

A stream of sparkling energy, condensed into thousands of musical notes given physical form, sprayed from the crocodile's jaws, and into Omega's frame. With all the intensity of an overpowered fire hose.

Omega flew backwards, rushing past a blur of nature before reaching his arms out and grasping onto a passing tree. It broke apart from the impact, but his speed decreased some, making his next decision clear. Omega haphazardly tumbled as he continued swiping against trees while being pushed further and further back, gradually slowing down each time.

Eventually, he ground to a halt, his feet pushing against a tree's roots while his arms blocked the brunt of the blast.

The unconventional vibrations scrambled his sensors, essentially blurring his vision, deafening his speakers, and halting most of his internal functions. He couldn't even erect a Barrier as his Energy Construct System was also offline, ironically due to the attack he currently wished to block. However, if an energy based Barrier was unachievable, then Omega would utilize the next best thing.

Metal claws dug into the wooden trunk behind him, with a mighty tug it was uprooted and free to use as a shield. The flimsy tree's integrity was already at its limit 1.5 seconds into blocking the Sound aura attack. Omega took a step forward, reached for another tree with his free claw and replaced the failing shield just before it broke apart.

He continued this process of unorthodox environmental shielding as he waited for his Targeting Systems to reboot. If his Targeting System was fully operational, it would be a simple matter to arm rockets and shoot Vector from a distance. Whether or not they actually hit him was inconsequential, as he would need to dodge or block the projectiles. Thus, the current Musical Note Blast attack would end, thereby freeing Omega to continue the battle in earnest.

Unfortunately, with his Targeting System rebooting, projectiles were unreliable. Whether ammunition or manually throwing objects, Omega would be wasting energy and time on a fruitless endeavor.

From what Rouge has told him about Sound aura techniques, they rely on proximity more than any other aura type. The further a target is from the source of the Sound aura—typically the individual using the technique—the weaker the effects. Which logically followed, as sound loses its intensity the further away one is from the source. So logic dictated that gaining distance would give enough leeway to escape the path of the blast and readjust to converge on the target safely.

Omega didn't even consider such a pathetic plan. He is the Ultimate E-Series Robot, the most powerful automaton in the world. Retreat is not part of his programming.

So onward he marched, relying on the forest to aid his journey.

Targeting System reboot progress at 67%. Approximate distance from target: 12 yards. Current speed: 0.001 km/hr. Estimated time until destination: Error. Calculation Systems offline. Warning: Supply of foliage suitable for defensive measures rapidly decreasing. Results of current predicament: inconclusive.

Omega blocked it out, stomping his feet into the ground with each step to increase traction and aid in closing the distance. Wood crackled before him, splinters showering past him like rain in a hurricane, musical notes washed over him carrying discomfiting vibrations as they went. But onward he pressed.

He is E-123 Omega. No matter what was thrown at him, it would never be enough to stop him.

"Primary Sensors online. Target proximity breached. Commencing counterattack"

WHAM!

The last tree turned shield became a shield turned bludgeon, shutting Vector's mouth and ending the blast attack. With the vibrations' end, Omega's systems fully rebooted, specifically:

"Targeting System online. Deploying Suppression Rockets" he announced as several hatches on his body opened, launching a volley of rockets at Vector.

The suppression rockets carried no payloads and thus were non-combustable and technically non-lethal. However, they were jet engine powered rockets made of aerospace grade aluminum. Collision with these projectiles would undoubtedly be incredibly painful for anyone, including the durable crocodile serving as his opponent.

Or at least they would have been painful, if Vector hadn't countered them with a surprisingly effective tail swipe maneuver. Followed by a replication of Omega's methods previous, an uprooted tree used as a bludgeon to deflect the rockets. Vector's tactical processing had also improved unexpectedly. He had once again exceeded the projected parameters, Omega would have to completely update his data once again.

Interesting.

Vector smacked the final rocket away before rushing at Omega, breaking the tree against his blocking arm. But the loss of his melee weapon didn't deter the crocodile crouched down at Omega's feet. Vector swiftly shot up ramming his shoulder into Omega's center mass, lifting him into the air upon impact. Quickly followed by his arm swiping up, knocking Omega higher up as Vector spun on his heel for several revolutions, before lashing his tail out. The air cracked as Omega took damage, feet struggling to settle on the ground.

As soon as he was planted, Omega spun his head around to counterattack, but his opponent continued with his assault as he charged a Spin Dash. Omega was not going to allow that attack to materialize.

He pointed his arm at the spinning crocodile and executed a rarely utilized feature. "Rocket Punch!"

Jet thrusters ignited in his shoulder holster launching his arm towards its target. Vector shot forth to meet it halfway, clashing with a thundering impact. He actually managed to halt the Rocket Punch to a standstill, though each attack struggled against each other, the conclusion remained the same. A standstill.

Omega was displeased with standstills.

The robot raised his other arm to the side. "Rocket Punch!" and shot his limb into the forest, then using his Targeting System, he remotely controlled the projectile to correct its trajectory. The second arm flew around and flanked Vector, punching him out of his Spin Ball form and knocking him across the landscape.

Omega commanded his arms to return to his body, as he scanned Vector to adjust the previous calculations and parameters. There were quite a few errors to correct and updates to make before processing new countermeasures, he needed to take stock of his ammunition, recalibrate his arms, adjust power inputs to maximize fuel efficiency...

... Omega opened his Notepad application.

Notation: At 12 minutes and 45 seconds into the battle with Designated Opponent Vector, said physical encounter was unexpectedly categorized as "enjoyable". Filed under Sub-categorization: Useful for combat training and upgrades. Notation complete.

Warning alerts flashed across his HUD as sensors indicated several trees being flung from Vector's location.

"Resuming altercation. Battle Mode: Stage 3 initiated. Deploying counter-volley" Shutters opened across his form before launching more Suppression Rockets, demolishing the puny foliage effortlessly.

This pathetic collection of flora projectiles was obviously a diversion from Vector's real attack, Omega eagerly scanned his surroundings looking for him to reveal himself and continue fighting in earnest—

Sensors directed his attention back to the floating remains of the failed feint, as the emerald powerhouse emerged from the cloud of splinters, a sharp ferocity in his eyes. Omega immediately punched him in the snout, making Vector stop to a grinding halt midair. A mist of blood squirted out of his nostrils, staining his claws.

But after a mere half second, the crocodile powered through the pain with a roar and continued with his attack, grabbing Omega's outstretched arm and twisting around. Omega was flung into the ground, torso embedded into the dirt. Before he could move, strong arms wrapped around his ankles, ripping him out of the ground and forcing him several dozen yards into the sky.

"Les' try dat Spin Dash one mo' time!" Vector shouted before curling backwards and accelerating his rotary motion to insane speeds while they plummeted.

Omega pushed against the significant G-force and attempted to pound Vector's hands off of his frame, though try as he might, Vector's grip remained vice-like. Initial countermeasure failed, implementing secondary counter—Warning: Impact imminent in T-minus 1.8 seconds.

"SPIN DASH SLAAAAM!"

BOOOOOOMMM!

A massive plume of dirt rose from the aftermath of the impact, the earth beneath them caved in to the powerful blow dealt to it. The forest surrounding them flattened into a blanket of debris, several dozen yards wide, thanks to the resulting shockwave.

Internal sensors indicated the total damage sustained was now up to 32%, a staggering development. Projections indicate the damage would have easily increased to 45%, had he not blocked at the last possible moment.

Instead of his headpiece slamming into the ground, as his opponent intended, the secondary countermeasure was executed in time. He shot his claws above his headpiece and softened the sudden collision as much as Battle Mode: Stage 3 allotted. During the devastating impact, Vector broke his grip and landed to the side, currently he was heaving in tired breaths while hunched over. Propped up by his hands against his knees.

Omega adjusted his orientation back upright before igniting his jet boosters and rushing towards Vector, arm reeled back and ready to punch his scaly abdomen once again. But Vector quickly recovered his composure and delivered a punch of his own, clashing against Omega's blow. The robot tried again with the other fist but the result was the same, Vector's fist collided against it, cancelling it out.

Notation of Observation: Despite extreme exhaustion and damage, Vector could match the standard punches of Battle Mode: Stage 3.

Omega decided to execute a small experiment, to test the limit of Vector's power. Either he would obliterate Vector with his next attack or Vector would once again exceed expectations and withstand the onslaught. But afterwards he would be too exhausted to resist any further. Either way, victory would be Omega's after this exchange.

"Machine Gun Fist Protocol engaged" Omega quickly calibrated his power output, activated his Kinetic Energy Generator, and reeled his arms back. Vector's eyes snapped wide before he mimicked Omega's stance. He intended to rise to the challenge. Commendable.

With a surge of Kinetic energy, Omega began unleashing a flurry of punches in a high speed rush. Vector roared and met each blow with one of his own, matching Omega's attacks in speed and strength.

Even with Omega's high speed optical lenses, both of their arms appeared to blur into a mass of afterimages and impacts. Each impact resounding with a debilitating clash of bone and steel. And as sensors indicated, Vector's gloves were stained with his own blood and tearing apart with each strike.

Yet he persisted. Persevering onward unflinchingly with a mighty prolonged shout. Fangs bared, eyes sharp and focused, feet firmly planted in the crater beneath them. Veins bulging across every muscle as the intensity steadily increased. Each blow just as strong and just as fast as Omega's despite the clear evidence of damage and pain across his flesh. His tenacity was exceptional, comparable to Shadow's and Sonic's; two of the most tenacious beings in existence.

Retreat was not part of Vector's programming either, it seemed.

Omega approved of that feature.

But his limit rapidly approached, evident by how much Omega's blows were beginning to overpower Vector's bit by bit. His punches got sloppier and slower, gradual yet undeniable. Vector could not keep up this pace for much longer, eventually he would slow down enough, make a miscalculation somewhere, and that would be his downfall. Omega was through with miscalculating during this battle.

Finally, the 553rd punch landed squarely against Vector's chest, staggering him for 0.34 seconds. Ample time to seize an opportunity. Omega finished his onslaught of attacks, ending with an even 600 punches thrown, the final of which sent Vector skidding across the ground on his back.

A sturdy stump in his path halted the crocodile's trajectory as Vector heaved very heavy breaths. Omega returned to his normal stance and scanned his target once more to determine his level of damage and the likelihood of this engaging battle continuing. And just as he began to calculate the probabilities, Vector provided his own answer in the form of struggling to prop himself up on his forearms and elbows.

Calculations:

-Estimated damage sustained: 70%

-Estimated reserves of aura remaining: Fire Aura = 5-11%, Sound Aura = 3-9%, Kinetic Aura = 50-67%, Other/Unknown Aura = 10-23%

-Projected Power Output: 25%

-Remaining Stamina: Unknown

Conclusion; Victory imminent. Avoid permanent damage of valuable asset, Designation: Vector.

"Ultimatum: Surrender and be arrested or continue resisting and be obliterated into unconsciousness. Vector, what will you choose?" Omega stared down at the crumpled man, huffing and puffing away as he peeked one eye open. Pain clear in his labored breathing.

"I pick... what's behind... Door Number 3:" he coughed and spat up blood. "Kick your sorry tin can into an early reboot" he grinned brazenly.

"Correction: There are no doors in the vicinity" Omega raised his hands up recalibrating the weapons housed in his forearms. "And the statistical probability of you manually forcing me into a full system reboot is... infinitesimally small".

Vector chuckled between groans before his retort."What... can I say...? I like to... play the odds!"

Snap!

An explosion of unknown origin detonated on Omega's frame. As if a bomb was secretly planted on his body. Which was impossible due to Vector lacking access to explosive devices.

Snap! Another explosion went off, sending Omega reeling.

Even if Vector somehow managed to store a secret stash of explosives in the forest, he didn't have the opportunity nor the skill to plant anything on Omega. Internal sensors would have immediately recognized any armed device in contact with his body.

Snap! Another explosion rocked Omega, causing him to stagger.

So if there were no explosive devices at play, what was the cause of these explosions? And how was Vector detonating them? While scanning Vector's condition, no remote detonator device was detected on his person, he was emitting no signals—

Snap! Another explosion sent him down to his hands and knees.

Omega determined that the most pertinent question was how many more explosives would he need to endure. Sensors went into overdrive analyzing several hundred megabytes of data and processing it to find the most likely cause.

Snap! This one sent him backwards until he fell flat.

Every detonation caused his sensors to buffer and processing to stagger, increasing the frustration...

Of course. That was the answer.

Snap! This one pushed his back off the ground and caused him to tumble forward. Omega capitalized on the momentum and instantly entered Spin Ball Mode to perform evasive maneuvers. The explosions stopped, as did Vector's snapping, confirming Omega's hypothesis.

The explosions didn't produce smoke or flames when they detonated. The explosions scrambled his sensors just as the Musical Note Blast attack that Vector utilized earlier. To activate the explosions, Vector snapped his fingers. Each explosion was random, no one portion of Omega's body was targeted, his center mass was the only part of his frame directly impacted. And now that he was taking evasive action in his fastest mode, the explosions ended.

Based on the data, Omega concluded that the explosions were a technique utilizing Sound aura, implemented by snapping one's fingers. Through that small act, the Sound aura user would then take the radial vibrations of sound they created from the snap and condense those sound waves back inwards. Focusing the sound waves in the general area of their desired target, resulting in a rapid coalescing of force which approximated the form of an explosion. Both visually and audibly.

And because of Omega's lack of further damage dealt and the lack of observable detonations since entering Spin Ball Mode, it was a high probability that the technique required a still or slow moving target to utilize. Meaning, Vector had to manually aim the attack, something he couldn't do at Omega's current speed.

The clever robot decided to remain in Spin Ball Mode and engage Vector with a Spin Attack of his own, another opportunity to compare and contrast their statistics and gather more data on Vector.

After completing the serpentine path his GPS charted to avoid targeting, Omega performed a Spin Jump aimed directly at the now kneeling Vector's exposed back.

"Gotcha!" Vector shouted as he snapped both fingers, creating a shockwave just above him, deflecting Omega's Spin Jump attack and forcing him out of Spin Ball Mode.

Omega fumbled through the shattered logs scattered around them just before Vector rammed into him, large hands clamping down on his frame. Massive jaws soon followed, piercing through another 4 layers of armor, causing sparks to fly. Vector lifted Omega up with his teeth and twisted him around until he hooked his armpits around his metal legs, his hands pinned Omega's arms to his sides.

Vector yanked Omega up to look him in the eye as he grinned a devilish, bloodstained smile. Just before swinging them both down, Omega's back aimed for the unforgiving ground below.

"Powerbomb!" the crocodile exclaimed, slamming Omega's torso into the buckling soil, creating yet another crater.

But before Omega could process his next move, he felt himself being lifted up again, Vector rose to his full height and flung Omega just above his head. He then regained his hold and flung the robot towards the ground again.

"Double Bomb!" he shouted as he slammed Omega back down into the dirt, with even more force than before. Once again Vector yanked Omega up high and roared as he brought him back down.

"TRIPLE BOMB!" he announced, grunting loudly as Omega measured the damage sustained had indeed tripled. Vector raised him up and prepared to slam Omega once more. Almost as if he intended to break through the planet's crust using Omega as his unwitting pickaxe.

"QUADRUPLE BOMB!" the crocodile tumbled upon impact, causing Omega to rebound a few yards away while Vector laid in the dirt.

Exhausted breaths heaved in and out of tired lungs while Omega's processing power returned in full force, noting the total accumulated damage had increased to 45%. Armor layers 1-4 were forfeit and strewn about the area, power cell operated at only 67%, and 23 tertiary systems were offline. This level of damage far exceeded original projected parameters.

He executed Recovery Mode as a sub-routine in the background rather than stopping all other functions. This would not lead to a full recovery, nor would it fix malfunctioning systems, however it would maximize efficiency with basic optimization of his current active functions. Which meant he could use this lull in the battle, however long it would last, to recover whatever amount of the total damage sustained.

Omega lifted himself up to his proper orientation as he watched Vector slowly do the same. His arms wobbled and shook, his deep exhales were closer to wheezes, his jaw refused to close, and his scaly hide finally showed signs of bruises and lacerations. Especially his cheeks and snout, there were extra signs of wear decorating those sections. Blood dripped from open wounds, including a slew of scales that had been ripped off along the way. Blood seeped from on top of his head, sending a trail of red across his right eye.

His once pristinely white gloves were now dirty grey-brown tatters dangling from his wavering hands. His formerly polished gold chain looked more like a sandblasted bronze, his trademark headphones had slipped from atop his head long ago and were no doubt hiding among the copious destruction this battle had wrought on the landscape. And upon closer inspection, more than a few of the spikes trailing down his back and ending at the tip of his tail were bent the wrong way or missing altogether.

Yet despite all of these factors, even one of which would be enough for the typical puny organic lifeform to surrender or retreat... Vector forced his body to stand. He forced his sharp eye to stay focused on Omega, waiting for his next move. He forced his shaky hands to open in preparation of his next attack. He raised wobbly arms and bent knocking knees to get back into his fighting stance.

And he even began to inch closer, wheezing and coughing up blood, he still moved towards Omega. Carefully, he approached him; slowly, a battered and bleeding reptile drew nearer to the most powerful robot in the world. Intent on continuing this brutal and arduous battle, no matter the factors weighing him down. Regardless of the astronomical statistical improbability of him winning this battle, it didn't seem to concern Vector. The only thing that mattered, in this moment, was that he kept fighting with everything he had to use.

Determination. This was determination in its purist form. A magnificent sight to behold.

Omega felt a sensation he rarely ever did, especially outside of Shadow and Rouge and decided to reward Vector's considerable efforts.

"Revelation: Before this battle, I assessed you as a brutish musclebound organism with a thick hide and fire breath. One who could never present a challenge for me, the Ultimate E-Series Robot. But now, having experienced a prolonged physical encounter where every part of your fighting prowess was tested, I have come to a realization".

"What're you... on about now?" Vector groaned between breaths, brows furrowed.

"Aforementioned Realization: My calculations were inaccurate, thus my conclusions were incomplete and therefore my assessment was unacceptable. Previous assessment has been corrected. Vector the Crocodile, Updated Description: Impressive Fighter. Formidable Opponent. Powerful Creature".

Vector blinked a few times before letting out a low chuckle. "You just figurin' dat out now?" he asked, grinning once more as he rolled his shoulders and assumed his fighting stance again. It appeared as if he also used the lull in battle to undergo a measure of recovery.

Good.

"Removing all remaining limiters, loading lethal ammunition, switching to Battle Mode: Stage 4" Omega announced as he plotted out his next string of attacks and counterattacks. "Prepare to be eviscerated in earnest".

"Back at 'cha, chrome dome—" A familiar blue light flashed behind Vector, as Omega's sensors recognized the surge of Chaos energy. Then, the wind picked up.

All around them, the steady gentle breeze of the forest area was now building up into gale force winds within seconds. It pulled up debris from their battle and drew it in. First, the sediment and dirt, twigs and leaves, then branches, pebbles, fragments of armor and scales. Then logs were being swept up into this growing vortex of intense wind currents.

Vector struggled against it as he stared up at the tornado forming directly before him. He turned to Omega, face pale, as he clutched his throat and tried to speak. But the words never came out, Omega's audio systems couldn't detect any words coming from Vector. In fact, he could detect no sounds from Vector, not even his labored breathing.

His breathing.

Omega analyzed the tornado funnel and discovered the purpose of the unnatural disaster.

"Warning! Sensors detecting a rapid decrease in atmospheric pressure! If this process continues, all oxygen depended lifeforms will suffocate and lose consciousness! Vector, you must—!"

Omega's scanners detected an incredibly fast object moving towards Vector microseconds before it hit him, directly in the abdomen, knocking the remaining air out of his lungs. The crocodile dropped to his knees and gasped violently.

Omega stared approached him quickly. "Disregard previous warning. Prepare for imminent loss of consciousness".

Vector's hands swiped at the air, hoping to physically grasp the vital air pressure he needed to breathe. A futile gesture. Vector would not overcome these projected parameters, he could only suffer inside them. Omega knelt down to look Vector in the eye and place a claw on his shoulder.

"Manually forced full system reboot in T-minus 3 seconds. 2 seconds... 1 second..." Vector stopped flailing, his eyes rolled back and he went limp, dropping facedown into Omega's waiting arm. Sensors confirmed the obvious. "Full system reboot complete. All conscious functions... have ceased...". Omega laid Vector down as the finality of the situation settled in.

Their battle had reached an unceremonious conclusion. And the one to blame for it, was none other than Shadow the Hedgehog, the one who created the tornado and interrupted his fight. The wind immediately died down as Shadow approached them, "looking worse for wear" as Rouge would phrase it.

"Omega, we have a situation. Espio—"

"Shadow, your interference was unnecessary. Battle Mode: Stage 4 was implemented to engage the target".

Shadow paused as he squinted his eyes. "We didn't come here to enjoy ourselves".

"Affirmative. Enjoyment was not the primary objective of this mission, it was a welcomed by-product that only recently surfaced" Omega pointed at Shadow. "Reiteration: Battle Mode: Stage 4 was implemented to engage the target. Your interference remains unwarranted".

Shadow placed a hand on his hip and tilted his head, "Glad we discussed that—now, focus" he shifted his gaze to the side before continuing. "Espio has escaped".

"And he's got Shadow's Emerald" Rouge added, floating to Shadow's side. That explained how quickly the tornado formed and dissipated, she aided Shadow's meddling.

"Illogical. How did Espio evade capture from both of you? How did Espio manage to acquire a Chaos Emerald in Shadow's possession?"

Shadow's gaze hardened while he crossed his arms. "Unclear".

"Does not compute" Omega's scanners detected someone in Rouge's arms, someone small and handcuffed. And damaged. "Why have you subdued the small bee child? Is he not an innocent?"

Emotion flashed across Rouge's face, she took a sharp inhale, then followed Shadow's example and looked away. Omega processed the information quickly. This was another evolution of her "emotional baggage" bug that he'd have to sort out later. Shadow cleared his throat drawing his attention back.

"Omega, can you scan for Espio's trail? Track down where he went somehow, using the Emerald's energy signature perhaps?" he proposed. Omega's gears shifted as he reached out to Rouge.

"Negative. This action is beyond this unit's sensors" Omega replied as he carefully took the child from Rouge. "This action requires a Chaos Emerald Detector or Emerald Radar, this unit does not contain said device or software".

"Of course not, why would you?" Shadow sighed, rolling his eyes as he placed a hand on his forehead. Omega rotated his headpiece to stare directly at his face.

"Reminder: You were the agent that allowed the primary target to escape. And steal a Chaos Emerald that was in your possession. An Emerald Detector would not be necessary had you been victorious" Omega stepped closer to Shadow before continuing. "Additional reminder: Your earlier interference remains unnecessary and unwarranted and unwanted".

Shadow groaned as he massaged his temple. "For the love of—you can finish your fight with him after the mission, Omega. Get over it".

"Attention: Shadow has become unreasonable, proceeding to ignore him until aggression subsides". Shadow scoffed loudly, while Omega readjusted himself to face his other teammate. "Rouge, what is our current directive?"

Rouge eyed the crumpled heap of his opponent on the ground and huffed out a breath laced in exhaustion. "Well first, go ahead and pick up your dance partner there. And second," she eyed the small boy who lay unconscious and bruised in his hand. Yes, he would definitely need to make time for maintenance on her when this mission had concluded.

Rouge walked past him back towards The Chaotix's Domicile. "Call HQ, tell 'em to reserve another room". Shadow followed closely behind her as they exited the mess of a forest.

"Acknowledged. Contacting now..." Omega replied as he pulled up the communication frequency of GUN's Headquarters. As he waited for a response, he placed the small bee child on his shoulder apparatus before pulling Vector up and cradling him in his arms. Omega then slid the boy into Vector's lap. He studied Vector's injuries again, taking in the sight of his formidable foe.

Omega wasn't done, there were still so many queries he had, so much data to acquire, so much destruction and damage to revel in. There was no good reason why Shadow had to ruin a perfectly progressing physical altercation between them. Just because his battle ended with emotional discomfort didn't mean Omega's had to.

Omega was in no way an expert when it came to emotions, he was painfully aware of this fact. But somehow during their fight, when he looked into Vector's eyes, he could feel a connection. A fleeting sensation that some data was passed between him and the crocodile. An understanding. They both understood each other, at least for a few fleeting moments, on the intimate scale of their battlefield. They understood one another.

This fight wasn't a distraction from addressing a complex moral dilemma, or as a method for reevaluating the relationship between Team Dark and Espio, or an exploration of the nature of crime and punishment, or a question of the ethics of violence vs pacifism in problem solving. None of that pseudo-intellectual frivolous philosophy.

It was a simple demonstration. Of how valuable Espio was to Vector. And how far he was willing to go to protect who he valued most. Exactly as far as Omega would go to protect what was most valuable to him. To oblivion and back. He wanted to show Omega both his power and his resolve. And Omega actually wanted to see it.

Despite that falling under the category of social-emotional-sensitive-nonsense that Omega couldn't stand... he wanted to participate in it. For the first time ever, this battle robot wanted to engage in an emotional encounter as much as a physical one. It was unprecedented, but it was undeniably true.

Perhaps his "social skills" programming was experiencing bugs due to damage sustained in battle, maybe his conclusions were once again flawed due to a lack of data.

Or maybe, at his core, Vector was also a simple machine.

Either way, when this mission was completed, Omega was determined to find the answers for himself. And Shadow would not be permitted to interfere.

Author's Notes: Omega is a very interesting character. One that I haven't had any time previously to really analyze or explore. So this chapter being his POV is basically our introduction to the Charmy Nonsense version of Omega. The beginning of the chapter is an overview of his mindset regarding himself, his place in the world, his friends, the rest of the cast and the world they inhabit. So it wound up making the chapter longer than it would've been if it was just the fight. But it was necessary to understand our POV character and a member of Team Dark that is often overlooked by canon and fanon. So yeah, I was very invested in establishing Omega's character and perspective. Hope that's alright with everybody.

I was also setting up some events for later in the story ;)

Now for the fight! This one is like Espio VS Shadow, there are a lot of notes.

First, Omega, similar to his teammates, was holding back significantly. But not because he cares especially for Vector, it was because his mission was to not kill him nor permanently damage him. So he had to hard correct his normal tendency to rip his enemies into pieces with extreme prejudice. He put limits on himself to ensure he wouldn't annihilate Vector. Hence, the different stages of Battle Mode acting as speeds on a transmission. However, as the battle progressed he became more and more engrossed in the fight and in the end he removed his limiters to fight at full strength. Unfortunately Shadow kinda cock-blocked him, so yeah X'DDD

Omega's ashtray is from Sonic 06, and I've always found that extremely odd and funny. Why does he have an ashtray? He's a battle robot, why would he ever need an ashtray? Has he always had an ashtray or was that an 06 exclusive? No one knows or talks about it and that's criminal. So I brought the ashtray back as a funny little thing he can use for a surprise attack.

Omega's calculations and analysis helped a whole lot for explaining aura abilities and how the concept fits into the established worldbuilding of the series so that was nice. It also displayed the running theme of Team Dark, they consistently underestimate the Chaotix which gives The Chaotix an edge when fighting them.

Omega's Battle Mode has 4 Stages as a reference to Sonic Heroes Power Core Level Up system. In that game, each character could reach up to Level 3, but they had a base level of no Power Cores. Which makes 4 Levels in total. Therefore, Omega has 4 levels of Battle Mode, I just called them stages because it sounded better and references the fact that the Sonic Series uses "stage" to denote levels. But mostly because it sounded better XD

The tree shields moment was something I thought of while writing the chapter. I was afraid of it getting too boring, which is a real obstacle when creating a fight scene with 2 Power types fighting in a plain old forest area. So to make it more interesting, I added in that setpiece to really use the environment to the scene's advantage.

This is also why I incorporated the environment far more in this fight than in the previous 2 fights because writing the big strong guy punched the big robot guy over and over isn't riveting entertainment, I assure you. My fix for this was to create setpieces involving the environment and the effect this fight was having on the world around them. Both to reinforce the power of the characters and to force some creative variance in the fight. Hence the battle tearing through The Chaotix's home leading to the forest.

Suppression Rockets are my answer to "Why can't Omega just shoot him with his many guns?". Because he's still at a non-lethal stage and all of his projectiles are lethal, that's why. But this was my compromise because it really was getting boring while writing the first draft, so non-explosive rockets to the rescue. I thought of giving him rubber bullets for his gatling gun, but Vector's durability would have made that useless and Omega knew above all else that Vector was incredibly durable so it just didn't make sense to implement a non-lethal bullet when a rocket would be more effective.

Rocket Punch is... I just like when robotic characters use a rocket punch, so I gave it to Omega. Sue me XD

Machine Gun Fist was an idea I had when thinking of how to make powerhouse character battles interesting. Also I was listening to Jojo's OST when writing that portion so yeah. Ora ora ora VS Muda muda muda is always awesome. I don't make the rules.

And just to add some variety and intrigue, I figured out a way to make Omega Spin Dash around. Because a lot of people seem to forget he's the only E-Series robot that can do that and I think it's become a really underutilized ability for the non-hedgehog part of the cast. I'm bringing Spin Dash back.

Now onto Vector. Just like everyone else, he got a buff. He's stronger and tougher than before, sure. But he's also got an upgrade in fire power. Mainly because his only fire ability is Fire Breath and it's his Level 1 attack, which means it's not intended to be too strong. That didn't sit right with me, so I beefed it up. Plus, I made him a smarter fighter because he's this world's greatest detective. Why wouldn't he fight smart?

I also expanded his fire abilities to a Fire Barrier. Barriers, for those who don't know, are the energy shields featured in Sonic the Fighters. Everyone has them, including Amy, Tails, Fang, Bean, and Bark. And force fields were used by everyone in Sonic Battle as a Guard Skill. This includes Cream, Emerl (even when he was super weak), but most importantly, Shadow and Rouge. Which brought me to the conclusion that energy barriers/force fields must be a pretty basic, rudimentary skill that anyone can do in this series. You also have the Flame Shield as confirmation that force fields can be elemental based. So why couldn't this character who is capable of creating a barrier, and has Fire abilities, implement his Fire aura with his barriers when necessary? It seems like a logical step forward.

And yes, Vector can wall crawl in canon, according to Knuckles Chaotix. It seems that all reptiles can do that.

The Musical Note Blast is taken straight from Heroes, I just made it more Dragon Ball Z like, in that he can keep the attack going for a prolonged time. This does however drain his Sound aura and his stamina, which is why Omega's calculations after Vector used this ability shows a sharp decrease in his Sound aura reserves. But you probably caught that on your own.

For a fighting style, I went with wrestling mixed with American football moves. It just seemed to fit his character best. Wrestling moves and football moves kept it from getting stale. Plus Vector has been confirmed in the Charmy Nonsense universe to watch football a lot and wrestling is great, so Vector probably watches a lot of that too. It all adds up XD

The Snap Bombs (that's what they're called) was a fun idea I intended to use for Vector's Serious Chapters. But I realized while writing this chapter, at that point in the fight, it would essentially be over if I didn't bring an ability over from his story, so yeah. Snap Bomb. I should draw it one day, because the image I have in my head of it is pretty sweet. We'll see.

Interesting to note, the Powerbomb that Vector uses in the fight is not the traditional Powerbomb wrestlers normally use. Normally, the opponent's thighs are placed on the shoulders of the user and the user's hands are on the lower back, abdomen, or inner thigh of the opponent. Mainly to keep them upright before slamming them down. But Vector wanted to be sure to stop Omega from trying to break his hold so he had to secure his arms and legs. Thus, using his armpits to secure Omega's feet, freeing his hands to secure Omega's arms. Now repeating the Powerbomb in quick succession, that I got from Brock Lesner's match against Spike Dudley. That was just begging to be replicated here, if you look it up and see it, you'll know what I mean.

And just like everyone can do some type of barrier/force field, according to Sonic the Fighters and Sonic Battle, everyone has some form of self-healing technique. Cream can heal through pureness of heart, Amy can heal by thinking of Sonic hard enough (that's the in game description of her Heal Skill), Knuckles heals by using "earth elementals", Chaos 0 heals by using "water elementals". There are a ton of different methods of self-healing, so I didn't think it'd be much of a stretch if Vector could do it too. As for how specifically he is self-healing, i.e. through purity of heart, thinking of someone hard enough, or "elementals" or some other random reason... I think I'll let you guys figure that one out for yourselves XD

And that's all for this chapter, it was a challenge to use Omega as the POV character and to keep the fight entertaining and logical at the same time so I hope you enjoyed it. In the end, I really liked how it came together.

The fighting has come to an end, but the battles have just begun! What awaits Vector and Charmy when they wake? And most importantly, where is Espio? These questions and more will be answered in the next chapter of Espio's Serious Story. See you then!