Hello again, it's been a while since I did one of these. Sorry if these recent chapters have been inconsistent in their release. I'm starting classes soon, and I might lose some time working on these, but I will try to keep the flow of these chapters to at least two a month, and hopefully 3-4 at most. With that said, I wanted to announce that this is the story's halfway point, and I have so much more to work with in these later chapters. I also wanted to thank those who favorited and followed, as your support is what keeps my esteem up and helps me continue on with this story. With that out of the way, I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Chapter 9: The Chaos Lance

Westopolis

Shadow couldn't recall the last time he blinked. His thoughts stalled as his mind denied reality. He so desperately wanted this to be a dream and to wake back to the way things were before. He wanted to scream out of sadness, anger, guilt, or perhaps all three of those at once. How could he have allowed this to happen again? How could he be so powerless to save the ones he cared for? He tried to look away from her body, but his neck locked his head in a fixed gaze, as his frozen eyes shook at the sight of her mangled face. His breathing accelerated and the chill air fogged his breath, creating a large puff of vapor. The shock was still there, but his senses started to return. However, he couldn't bring himself to stand and remained kneeling next to her.

The Crusader relished in the sight of despair. It basked in the intensity of woe like a solar panel under a clear sky. Its bruised armor and battered sword started reverting to their full capacity as it inherited that pesky ability The Tormentor had: Siphoning life to rejuvenate itself. Everything Team Dark and Silver achieved today was for nothing. The Crusader turned its head and looked into the air at Infinite with an ambiguous look. With the helmet on, Infinite couldn't tell what his master was thinking, but the jackal suspected he was in trouble for interfering. Almost immediately, Infinite descended and dipped his head low. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have disobeyed your commands." He atoned.

"Infinite…" The Crusader's hushed voice whistled through the thick wind.

"I only thought you needed assistance. I swear it won't happen-"

"Thank you." The Crusader said, cutting off Infinite's train of thought as he perked his head up in confusion and tribute. "I underestimated the tenacity of my opponents. If it weren't for you, I might have died today. Remember, no matter what form I take, I will always be your herald, and you will always be my apprentice." The Crusader motioned Infinite to rise, which the jackal did with great magnitude. The Crusader returned its attention to Shadow, who was still beside Rouge, seemingly petrified. "In another lifetime, Infinite, the gifts I gave you were meant for him." The Crusader eyed Shadow. "But he was content with staying weak, despite his pride being 'The Ultimate Lifeform'. Now look at him." The Crusader tried to contain its laughter, but little chirps of amusement creeped out from the helmet. "All that potential he held, wasted on the insignificant. Even then, he still can't save them."

The cruel perspective of entertainment was too much for the Crusader to hold. It burst out in an uproar of laughter, echoing throughout the street. Soon enough, Infinite joined his master in laughing, making a chorus of vile clamor. It was loud enough for Silver to investigate, as he was knocked out behind a mound of rubble. He crawled back onto his feet and poked his head over the top of the mound. His mouth drops and his face turns to despair, seeing his friend's lifeless body being mocked. He couldn't believe his eyes. He was in denial of his own actuality. But before he could process the shock, Omega dashes out of nowhere and unloads a barrage of missiles at the Crusader's feet. The ground shakes and explodes below the Crusader and Infinite, but they simply move out of the way as Omega descends next to Shadow.

The bot crammed what little munitions he had left. But what was left mattered little, as his fury overrode his preservation protocols. Usually, with how much damage he had sustained, his programming would command him to retreat for repairs unless ordered by Commander Tower or Shadow. But like his old Eggman programming, he shedded the instructions due to his rogue will and rage. He now answered to no one and was powered by his own guidance.

"So, you want to be next?" The Crusader asked Omega. "If I remember, it only took two strikes from my blade to finish your friend. I wonder how many you can take."

"Come forward and find out. I'll rip your heart from your hollow body before you can even try." Omega tested the Crusader.

"If you insist." The Crusader shrugged and stepped forward, gesturing to Infinite to stay back this time. Without the pest in the sky, the Crusader was looking forward to resume the fun. However, before Omega could dive in to attack, Shadow put his hand on Omega's arm and tugged him back.

"Don't…" He muttered. Shadow rose to his feet, his eyes closed and his head looking at the ground. "You can't beat them." Omega's eyes blinked rapidly, confused as to why Shadow would stop him. "Leave them to me." Omega was even more confused now. They were a mess taking on this monster together, what was he going to do differently to handle them by himself?

"Instructions inconclusive. What are you thinking?"

"I'm letting go." Shadow's hands ball into a fist and veins start to pop around his head. Omega saw the rage hiding in Shadow, and he saw that it was ready to burst. Maybe it was best to stay out of his way. "And you better be somewhere else when I do." Omega backed off immediately. He could tell that Shadow was barely holding it together. He wasn't sure if Shadow could handle both the Crusader and Infinite at once, but if he was giving them time to escape the city, it was best to abide by his word.

Omega carefully picked up Rouge's body and flew away, keeping her close to the bot's chest and hiding her within his bulky arm. Omega lands next to Silver, who was still distraught. "What is he doing? He can't take both of them on."

"Trust him. He's doing this for a reason." Omega told Silver, but the hedgehog wasn't buying it.

"So what do we do? Run? We can't leave, not when there are still people in the city. They'll be trapped in the middle of a warzone."

"And if we stay, we'll be in the crossfire." Omega tried convincing Silver to leave with him. Although doing that was like telling a brick wall to move. There was no way Silver was leaving when civilians were still cowering for shelter.

"I can't leave. If I did, I would tarnish what Rouge did for us." Silver's expression turned to sorrow, because despite the pain inflicted upon her, Rouge endured through it and fought for her desire to save her friends. "She came back for us. She came back so we could still fight. So even if you believe it isn't wise to stay. I don't care. As long as there is someone who needs our help in this city, I'm not leaving. If you have a problem with that, you'll have to drag me out." The bot understood Silver's devotion and thought it best to go along with the hedgehog.

Meanwhile, more and more anger flooded Shadow's body. An aura of chaos energy manifested around him and flowed in all directions like a soft cloud. It radiated a deep translucent crimson and turned to vapor as it rose further into the air, sizzling into fumes with a rich whiff of metal and heat. Yet for some reason, it faded away. All of it dissipated as Shadow closed off his energy and calmed down uncharacteristically. He raised his head and looked at the Crusader with placid eyes. "You said I wasted my potential, that I was content with being weak. But you're about to see what happens when a broken man rids the restraints he spent years making… But… I'm giving you one chance to kill me now. I won't resist, I won't move. Because I think you and your 'gifts' are full of it."

"Oh really?" The Crusader was pleasantly surprised. It thought it had broken its favorite toy's spirit, but it still had some nerve left. "You're letting me have a free shot? Did killing your friend make you lose your senses?" the Crusader laughed to itself, finding the whole ordeal precarious. "Fine, Shadow, I'll play your little game. Just don't get too upset when this inevitably kills you." The Crusader raised its sword and started a ritual within it. Darkened purple energy coated the blade and trails of the energy fork across the city. These trails target and connect to dead bodies throughout the street, absorbing their fleeting life essence into the sword. Hundreds of bodies rapidly decay and wither, filling the blade with unholy power.

It was ready. The Crusader was finished powering its sword. It chuckled as it lowered the blade to its side, using the same motion it used for its decaying slash. The wind dies down and Shadow closes his eyes. Memories flood his mind of lost ones haunting his consciousness. The Crusader was right. His pride made him content. He allowed that to control his life. All these deaths at the hands of the Crusader, he believed they were on him. He had to fix his mistakes. As the Crusader was about to strike, Shadow gripped his fingers around his inhibitor rings and unlocked the link holding them in place.

The Crusader swung its sword across, unleashing an orb of dark force. The front of the orb shows a skull wailing a foul cry as it hurls toward Shadow. As it collides with the hedgehog, a detonation of black energy amplifies and shrouds around three hundred feet with a devastating explosion. Shadow was nowhere to be seen within the blast, and after the blinding darkness subsided, a thick smog and a massive crater remained.

The Crusader looked on, satisfied with its show of power. It was the least Shadow deserved for a death. An explosion showcasing the extent of their powers. However, there was a crack in the air, coming from deep inside the smog. It sounded like electricity sparking, combined with a whirring of high-intensity power. What could've been left after such an explosion? The answer soon revealed itself as the smog slowly cleared. The Crusader and Infinite stepped back in absolute fear as they saw the Ultimate Lifeform, fully intact, charging an attack of his own. "Chaos…" Infinite was not sticking around to find out what Shadow had planned and flew out of the way. However, the Crusader didn't have the maneuverability to dodge and instead used its sword to brace itself. "BLAST!" Shadow throws his hands forward, concentrating all that energy into a beam of light. The beam was twice as big as the Crusader's ultimate attack, and from its perspective, it covered all escape routes. It looked on with horror as the blast was mere feet away.

"Oh shit!" Words that slipped out of pure dread, as the Crusader helplessly watched this blinding light encompass them. Its armor instantly started to degrade, with each passing second chipping away more and more of the plating until a coarse surface remained. As the beam passed completely, the Crusader fell to its knees, smoldering and weakened. It could barely move its arm enough to use the sword as support to keep itself from falling entirely. The melted armor cooled down and fused the flexible plating that kept its joints moving freely, so now the Crusader was hindered by its own defenses. It was paralyzed and vulnerable.

The chaos blast didn't end at just the Crusader, but it kept going forward, even after it passed through the knight. Skyscrapers and other buildings were caught in the blast and were vaporized instantly. Silver, who witnessed everything, was baffled by how careless Shadow was becoming. "Is he out of his mind!? What if there were people in there?" He exclaimed.

"If that attack were any weaker, that monster would've absorbed the blast and kept wreaking havoc." Omega told Silver. "I'm afraid this battle is beyond the preservation of this city, and more of an extermination of evil."

"How can you say that? People are dying and you're proposing we add more fuel to this hellfire?"

"No. Not taking the necessary actions will leave this hellfire to spread. It is the sacrifice made so that this world can live. The fact that you are here in the past means that our future is already doomed. But time and time again, you have proven that a bad future can be prevented through the elimination of its cause. If you aren't willing to put everything you have into eliminating that cause, then you're nothing but a messenger." Silver stayed silent, believing that his honorable stance had been beaten. It had been more than once today that Silver was told about his lack of initiative. From Infinite to Omega, Silver had been chastised for holding back. He couldn't understand why he was so hesitant to make these choices to save the future when the opportunities were right there in front of him. It was like the moral implication was discussed with him in another lifetime. He didn't comprehend any of it.

Shadow didn't rush in immediately after the attack. He wanted to make sure that this monster was experiencing all of that pain as long as possible. He walked slowly through the middle of the road, purposefully making his footsteps as loud and as intimidating as possible, instilling fear with every pace. It couldn't move, it couldn't fight. It had vastly underestimated how much power Shadow held back within those inhibitor rings, and that mistake might cost its life if it couldn't find a way to regenerate. All diminishing life essences it could've used to do so were already siphoned to power its decaying slash, and if it tried to drain life from anything that was still alive, the build-up to execute that move would only enable Shadow to close in and finish what was left.

It shamefully only had one option: to attempt to run. The Crusader lifted itself back on its feet and turned away from Shadow, shuffling with one foot forward while dragging the other through the ridged street. It used its sword as a cane to keep itself standing, as its failing joints twisted and cracked from the strain of intense movement.

Suddenly, a pulse of distortion interrupts Shadow's pursuit as Infinite returns to stop him in his tracks. "That's far enough." Infinite rubbed his hands together, creating a web of translucent wires with razor-sharp barbs. However, whatever attack he was drafting, Shadow was already ten steps ahead. For a moment he stood still, radiating with an unstable aura, which abruptly dissipated back into his body, as he channeled all of it to a single point. With only one finger, Shadow funneled all of his energy there. He lifted his finger in front of his head and awaited Infinite's move.

Infinite unleashed a storm of wires, all directed to sever Shadow's head. However, upon contact with his finger, the wires split and cause a chain reaction that disintegrates the rest of the line. Shocked and utterly powerless, Infinite tried to formulate another attack quickly, but Shadow's patience with him had run thin. A chaos spear darts through the air and pierces through Infinite's mask, shattering it to pieces like a dropped vase. He covers his exposed face with his hands, ashamed to look at Shadow. It was then that Shadow was no longer in front of him, but now behind thanks to chaos control.

"You're in my way." Shadow coldly said. Before Infinite could react in time, Shadow swung his arm across his head and launched him into the side of a building, breaking a hole through the wall. With the jackal dazed, his hands were no longer concealing his face, giving Shadow a good reminder of who he used to be when they first met. A weak and pouty runt driven by desperation and vanity. The little man wanted to pretend to play god. "I thought I told you to never show your pathetic face to me again." Shadow rubbed more salt in the open wounds of Infinite's mind. Nothing had changed since then. Nothing he did tipped his destiny. Infinite wondered what the point of these gifts given to him was if he wasn't worthy to wield them. He wanted to be the clay molded and manipulated into a prominent statue. But what if he was just bad material? Material masked by mock quality and false potential.

The Crusader hadn't gotten very far since Infinite's obstruction. If Shadow had to guess, it was searching for life essence to feed on and recover. But he was never going to allow that to happen on his watch. A bright flash surrounds him and he disappears from sight, reappearing in front of the fleeing Crusader soon after. Shadow's anger couldn't be held anymore, and it seeped through his bloodshot eyes. He wanted to return the torment this monster had rooted tenfold. For everyone in the village, for the GUN soldiers, and for Rouge. He would drown this thing in the blood it spilled today. Shadow swiftly kicks the Crusader on the side of its head, knocking it back down to the ground. Its head smacks hard against the grimy cement, staining the helmet in a coat of oozing sludge. The Crusader tried to lift itself back up, but Shadow shoves it back down into the puddle of sludge before it could.

"You're not allowed to stand." Shadow said with his hand pressing the knight's head even deeper in. "This is where you belong. And I have no intention of letting you leave. You vile filth."

"I'm filth? What about you?" The Crusader hissed with fiery venom. "You're made from polluted alien blood. You have no obligation to this world. You could've surpassed all of them if you realized your potential. Instead, your allegiance is to these wretched mortals. You rejected your godhood, and for what?" The wrath inside the Crusader started to leak into a toxic aura around its armor. The fumes of its anger built an impulsive drive, one that would allow the Crusader one last shot at a fight. It screamed, sending forth a shockwave that knocked Shadow back, giving the Crusader a chance to stand and retaliate.

It lunged forward with its hand and seized Shadow by the face, where it tossed him several feet in the air. The Crusader followed it up by leaping into the sky and aligning its blade with Shadow, even when it was more than a hundred feet away. With one swift strike, a decaying slash rips through a plethora of buildings, cleanly splitting each one in half. Thankfully for Shadow, he was quick to activate chaos control and phase away before the slash reached him and decapitated his head.

Using the advantage of the phase, Shadow appears behind the Crusader and roundhouse kicks it into the window of a nearby building, where it bounces through the floor and walls of an office complex. But Shadow wasn't done yet, as he phases by the Crusader again and volleys its body further through the room with a series of kicks and punches, launching the monster through the other side of the room and back outside.

Shadow hops outside too and clasps his hands together to perform a double axe handle punch that sends the Crusader plummeting into the ground and causing a dust cloud to form, obscuring his sight from his opponent. Shadow kept his distance in the air, utilizing his jet shoes to keep him suspended while he waited for the dust to settle. But he would have no time to wait, as the Crusader's sword was suddenly thrown from the dust and nearly clipped Shadow's arm before he dodged out of the way.

However, it was the Crusader's plan all along for Shadow to dodge, as once the sword plunges into the building behind Shadow, its decaying properties wither away the structural support of the walls and allow it to crumble into falling debris. Shadow failed to realize the rubble in time, and a stray rock struck the back of his head.

As he tried to regain his control in the air, the dust below had dissipated, and that the Crusader was nowhere in sight. Shadow frantically turns his head in several directions trying to spot it, but he hadn't accounted for it to be harboring inside the crumbling building behind him, as it burst through the wall and had its claw set for his neck. But Shadow wasn't going to fall for such a cheap trick, as he imbued his hand with chaos energy and fired a chaos spear that punctured through the Crusader's armor and pinned it against the building's wall, where it further collapsed, burying the Crusader under a mound of debris.

"It's time to end this!" Shadow spread his arms and focused all of his energy into them. A blend of golden crimson light forms around the palms of his hand, and soon they start to take shape into a blade of hardened light. He waited for the Crusader to crawl itself out from the rubble before attacking. Once it did, Shadow threw forward his right hand, casting a lance made from chaos energy that pierced from the top of its shoulder through the bottom of its torso, with the blade sticking into the ground to snare the Crusader's movement. Shadow then releases a barrage of chaos lances that enter and exit through different parts of the Crusader's body, pinning it to the ground even further.

It was a grave of a hundred blades. Each one radiated that unstable chaos energy that purged the Crusader's life force. "You're right. I am made from filth." Shadow calmly stated as he walked towards the Crusader. "I have no reason to care for this world. I was never even born on it. I was made to be exactly what you are: A remorseless demon. I want to say I moved on from who I used to be. But right now, I want nothing more than to watch you suffer." Shadow closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, withdrawing his focus on the Crusader. "Rouge…" He whispered. "I'm…" He stopped as he struggled to say the rest. His anger at the mere thought of her caused his hands to ball into fists. He couldn't get his mind away from the monster that ached his mind. A parasite of hate, it was. He opened his eyes, which were even more filled with indignation. He stepped forward, conjuring a blade made from chaos energy in his hand. He had to end it now before it could escape again. Nothing else mattered to him.

Eggman's Base

The lone doctor was heavy at work, trying to recalibrate the Time Stone to open the gateway into the void again. He had slaved for an hour to get it back under control, but nothing he did worked. He didn't even pay attention to the capsule containing the Time Eater on the desk next to him, that's how determined he was to get Sage back. Eggman abhorred the thought of her being alone in there and tirelessly went through endless solutions and fixes to get her back, but nothing was working.

He grunted and threw a small fit as he threw his arms across the desk, knocking everything on it to the ground. He laid back on the rusted walls and slid down to the ground, defeated and sunken. His mind went into a spiral, plagued with regret and blame. He wanted someone to blame for this. He refused to believe that Sage's disappearance was his doing, as he couldn't imagine that he would be responsible for the compromise of her safety. "That blasted hedgehog, I should've never listened to his request!" He thought that Silver was to blame for his simple inquiry about the Time Stones, leading to the events that were now. But it didn't end there, as Eggman thought that if only he had a suitable base and not this run-down dumpster of a lab, he would've had the resources to initiate proper safety protocols for both himself and Sage. For that he blamed Infinite, the one forcing him to stay low in the first place.

In his moments of lament, his sanity dwindled from the isolation and lunacy. He started hearing whispers calling to him. "Take us…" It came from the pile of stuff he knocked off the desk, and upon closer look, Eggman honed in on the source of the voice. "Use us…" It came from the Time Eater's capsule. Eggman saw as two pearly white eyes narrowly followed him from inside the container. "Westopolis… show our power there." Suddenly, Eggman's focus shifted away from the Time Stone and his daughter, to the implementation of the Time Eater. He was quickly persuaded by the voice to continue his effort of restoring his once-failed creation.

"That's right." Eggman talked to himself. "I have to show the world. I have to take control." Eggman grabbed the capsule and formed a mischievous grin. "With this, Eggmanland is only a day away."

To be continued…

Up next: A Different Angle!