Chapter 10: Big Arms

"Why, why did you have to do something so foolish, Naminé!" Terios shouted, his voice echoing off the walls of her room.

The hedgehog stood before the blonde-haired girl, his expression a mixture of anger and concern. A dark aura radiated from him, yet there was an underlying sense of frustration that hinted at deeper emotions.

Naminé flinched under his glare but stood her ground.

"You don't understand, Terios. I have to do what is right..." she declared.

Terios' anger hit the breaking point. His entire body trembled as he turned and slammed his fist into the white wall nearest to him, leaving a massive hole and a web of cracks radiating from the impact. Darkness swirled around him, intensifying with his rage. His red eye burned with a mix of anguish and fury, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

Naminé's breath caught in her throat, tears welling up in her eyes. She felt the weight of his words like a physical blow, the pain in his voice echoing her own hidden fears. Guilt gnawed at her insides, a deep, aching sorrow she could barely contain.

"Terios, I..." she tried to say, her voice broken and wavy.

Seeing what his anger was doing to Naminé, Terios took a deep, shuddering breath, trying to regain his composure.

"Just stay put, alright!" Terios muttered, slowly calming down. "I have to investigate something."

Naminé nodded again, watching as he opened a corridor of darkness.

"Be careful, Terios," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

He gave her one last look, a mix of annoyance, fear, and protectiveness, before stepping into a dark portal and vanishing.

Left alone in her room, Naminé sank into her chair, feeling more deflated than ever. She stared at the spot where Terios had stood, his anguished words echoing in her mind.

"I'm sorry, Terios," she whispered to herself, trying to hold back her emotions. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she blinked them away, her resolve hardening. "But you deserve the truth also."

She clasped her hands together, her thoughts racing. The guilt weighed heavily on her, the secrets she held pressing down like a crushing burden. Terios' pain was palpable, and she wished she could ease it, but the stakes were too high, and the danger too great.

"I have to find a way," she murmured, her voice filled with quiet determination. "A way to protect them all and reveal the truth."


Meanwhile...

Classic Sonic emerged from the portal he entered in White Space, landing gracefully on a round metal platform in the heart of Launch Base Zone. This was familiar territory for Sonic, a place etched in his memory from a previous battle against Dr. Robotnik. The area was dominated by four towering gray pillars supporting an upper structure. Around him, the sky was dark and foreboding, filled with swirling clouds that hinted at an imminent storm. The air was thick with the hum of machinery and the occasional screech of metal on metal.

Launch Base Zone was the stronghold of Robotnik's Death Egg. Sonic had previously fought his way through this zone to prevent Robotnik from launching his massive space fortress. It had been a fierce battle, but he had managed to thwart Robotnik's plans and bring the Death Egg crashing down. Now, it seemed history was repeating itself.

Sonic took in his surroundings, his expression determined. The memory of that intense battle was fresh in his mind, but he had overcome it then and he would overcome whatever lay ahead now. As he scanned the area, a familiar sound caught his attention. The menacing hum of thrusters filled the air, and from the shadows, the formidable Big Arms descended, its giant mechanical limbs flexing menacingly.

Big Arms was a heavily armored Egg Mobile, significantly modified compared to the regular Egg Mobile. It possessed two giant mechanical arms on the sides, gray with red shoulders, wrists, and finger joints. The vehicle also had a windshield and a red canopy with gray spikes on top of it, and two small red thrusters on its back. Though Robotnik was hidden inside, his voice echoed menacingly from the machine.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the little blue pincushion," Robotnik's voice taunted. "Did you really think you could escape me, Sonic?"

Classic Sonic's eyes narrowed, his body tensing. He recognised the machine immediately and his confident grin faded into a look of wary determination. His mind flashed back to previous encounter with Big Arms, but something was different this time. A dark aura surrounded the machine, pulsating ominously.

"Do you like the new improvements, Sonic?" Robotnik sneered. "I've infused Big Arms with the power of darkness! You're not getting away this time!"

Sonic's eyes widened in confusion and concern. He had faced many of Robotnik's creations, but the addition of this dark energy was new. He took a step back, preparing himself for the imminent fight.


BIG ARMS

Battle Music: Big Arms - Sonic Generations

Big Arms lunged forward, its mechanical hand reaching out to grab Sonic. With a quick roll, Sonic dodged the attack, his movements swift and precise. The ground trembled as Big Arms' fist slammed into the platform, leaving a dent.

"Impressive dodge, Sonic. But how long can you keep that up?" Robotnik gloated, his voice dripping with arrogance. "This is the end for you!"

Sonic's eyes narrowed further, his determination solidifying. He glanced around, assessing his environment and formulating a plan. The four pillars might offer some strategic advantage, but he had to be quick and precise.

As Big Arms approached again, Sonic dashed forward, his feet moving in a blur. He leaped onto one of the pillars, using it to propel himself higher into the air. With a swift mid-air spin, he aimed at Big Arms. The impact was solid, but the dark aura seemed to absorb some of the force, lessening the damage.

"You'll have to do better than that, Sonic!" Robotnik taunted. "This darkness enhances my creation beyond your wildest nightmares!"

Sonic landed back on the platform, his eyes never leaving Big Arms. He couldn't let Robotnik's taunts get to him. He needed to focus, to find a weakness in this enhanced machine.

Big Arms' thrusters roared to life, lifting it into the air. It hovered menacingly before launching a barrage of punches. Sonic dodged each one with acrobatic precision, his movements a blur of blue. The platform shook under the onslaught, but Sonic remained undeterred.

Taking advantage of a brief pause in the attack, Sonic dashed forward again, this time targeting one of Big Arms' thrusters. With a powerful spin attack, he managed to damage the thruster, causing the machine to wobble slightly in the air.

Robotnik's voice growled with irritation, "You'll pay for that, Sonic!" he shouted.

Big Arms retaliated with a sweeping motion of its mechanical arm, aiming to knock Sonic off the platform. Sonic ducked just in time, the wind from the swing ruffling his quills. He glanced up, his eyes locking onto the damaged thruster. That was his target.

With a burst of speed, Sonic darted between the pillars, using them as cover. He waited for the right moment, then launched himself at the weakened thruster with a powerful spin attack. The impact caused a small explosion, sending sparks flying and Big Arms jerking violently in the air.

"You little pest! I'll crush you!" Robotnik shouted from the cockpit, his voice filled with rage.

Big Arms' movements became more erratic, the dark aura flickering. Sonic's eyes gleamed with determination. He could see a glimmer of hope. If he could take out the other thruster, he might just stand a chance.

As Big Arms descended for another attack, Sonic ran forward, zigzagging to avoid the machine's grasp. He leaped onto another pillar, using it to launch himself at the remaining thruster. The impact was forceful, causing another explosion to the floating mech.

The dark aura around Big Arms dissipated slightly, and Robotnik's voice was a mix of fury and desperation.

"Curse you, Sonic!" Robotnik spat in anger.

Big Arms, now flickering with unstable energy, attempted one final move. It charged up a dark energy blast, the aura around it intensifying. The blast shot towards Sonic, who had mere moments to react. With lightning-fast reflexes, Sonic leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the destructive beam.

Sonic saw his chance. As Big Arms recovered from the blast, Sonic sprinted forward and launched himself into a powerful Spin Attack, striking the remaining thruster. The explosion sent Big Arms into a frenzy.

"No! This can't be happening!" Robotnik's voice roared with despair.

Sonic landed gracefully, his eyes fixed on the now vulnerable machine. He knew this was his chance to end it. With a final burst of speed, he launched himself at Big Arms, delivering a series of rapid spin attacks. The machine sparked and groaned under the assault, its defenses crumbling.

With a final, powerful strike, Sonic sent Big Arms crashing down onto the metal platform. The dark aura vanished completely, and the machine lay in a smoking heap. Robotnik's voice raised from the broken mech.

"Ah!" Robotnik cried from inside the now broken machine. "You insufferable hedgehog! Look what you've done!"

Sonic watched the smoking heap of metal, his eyes gleaming with victory. He struck his classic pose, wagging his finger with a confident smirk. Robotnik's curses and threats were nothing new to him.

"Better luck next time, Robotnik," Sonic thought, his expression conveying the message. He stood tall, radiating confidence and determination as he continued to taunt his fallen enemy.

Robotnik's voice sputtered from the damaged cockpit.

"This isn't over, Sonic! You'll pay for this!"

RANK: S


Big Arms lay in a ruined heap, its thrusters sputtering their last breaths. From within the wreckage, Robotnik's voice could be heard, filled with pain and frustration.

"Arrrgh! Cough! Cough!" Robotnik gasped, still unseen inside the broken mech.

Sonic watched the scene silently, his eyes narrow and cautious. Suddenly, a dark corridor appeared beside the shattered remains of Big Arms, its presence chilling the air around it.

Classic Sonic's eyes widened in surprise.

"?!" he thought, his body tensing as he prepared for the unexpected.

From the swirling darkness, Terios emerged, his form shadowy and menacing. He looked at Sonic, a mix of surprise and recognition in his eyes.

"Well, well, what do we have here? A different Sonic. How intriguing..."

Classic Sonic's expression shifted to one of determination, though confusion lingered in his eyes.

"You better watch your back, hedgehog. You and your variant will both be destroyed," Terios warned. "Stay out of our way. I will protect the Organization's plans, and no one will take Naminé away from me!"

Sonic's face showed confusion, his mind racing to piece together Terios's cryptic words.

Terios's red eye glinted with dark power as he extended his hand toward the broken mech. Shadows began to ooze from his fingertips, like dark, viscous liquid. The darkness flowed down his arm, snaking around his wrist and cascading over his hand. It dripped onto the broken Big Arms, crawling over the metal surface like a living thing. The dark substance seeped into the crevices of the mech, traveling down its sides and spreading across the metal platform.

Sonic watched in horrified fascination as the darkness swirled and pulsed, spreading beneath the remains of Big Arms. The black ooze expanded, forming a large, ominous puddle that seemed to suck the light out of the surrounding area. The shadows pulled at the metal and machinery, drawing them into its inky depths.

"What?! No! No!" Robotnik shouted, his tone shifting from anger to desperation. "Sonic! Save me! Whaaugh!"

Sonic's disbelief turned to alarm as he watched the dark puddle engulf the broken Big Arms, dragging Robotnik into the abyss. The desperate cries of his nemesis echoed through the zone, filled with a terror Sonic had never heard before. The darkness swallowed him whole, leaving nothing behind.

Terios turned his gaze back to Sonic, his expression cold and unyielding.

"Stay out of my way," he warned, his voice carrying an ominous finality. "This is your last warning."

Sonic's eyes widened with concern, the weight of Terios's words sinking in. This was no ordinary threat; the stakes had just been raised to an unprecedented level.

With a final, menacing glare, Terios stepped into the dark puddle. The shadows enveloped him, and he vanished into the abyss, leaving Sonic alone on the platform. The dark corridor closed behind him, the chilling presence dissipating.

Sonic stood there, stunned and bewildered. What had just happened? The cryptic threats, the ominous power of darkness—it was all too much to comprehend in that moment.

The air around him began to shimmer, and everything turned to white, enveloping Sonic and the entire location. The familiar sensation of being pulled through time and space washed over him, sending him back to White Space.


WHITE SPACE

Back at White Space, Modern Sonic emerged from the Sky Sanctuary Hub. As he returned, he saw Tails and the mysterious man with red bandages around his face. Sonic gave them a wave, his usual confident grin on his face. Tails's face lit up with joy, while The Man nodded in approval.

"Sonic!" Tails exclaimed, running over to his friend.

Sonic chuckled, "It's great to see you, little buddy." He then turned to Amy and Knuckles, who were nearby. "And you two! I'm glad to see you're okay!"

Amy's face brightened with a mischievous smile.

"Oh, Sonic. It's good to see you are well. I was worried I wouldn't get to flirt with you again""

Sonic rolled his eyes but couldn't hide his smile.

"Same old Amy," he muttered.

Knuckles crossed his arms, his expression a mix of relief and his usual gruffness.

"Yeah, thanks for the save, I guess..." the echidna mumbled.

"And, the same old Knucklehead," Sonic teased, with a smirk.

"What took you so long to get back, Sonic?" Tails asked with concern, looking at the Blue Blur for answers.

Sonic sighed as his gaze shifted to the two-tailed fox, ready to recall the unexpected encounters he just faced.

"Seems that some of those Organization members decided they wanted to introduce themselves," Sonic explained, his tone becoming serious.

The Man with the red bandages looked intrigued.

"You met them?" he asked.

"Yeah, two of them," Sonic replied, nodding. "One was called Larxene, and the other one with red hair, his name was Axel."

"Why did they interfere?" The Man questioned, probing further for answers.

"You know, typical villain stuff really," Sonic explained further. "Larxene seemed to be the one who really wanted to fight. Axel was much more mellow it seemed."

"I've heard about these two members of the Organization," The Man replied. "The Organization is definitely a group with a mix of personalities and traits."

"Seems that way," Sonic affirmed. "But it's something they both mentioned."

"What did they say?" Knuckles asked.

"Well, Larxene mentioned Terios being a pain in their side, and if she defeats me, Terios can move along and let the Organization continue their plans without him interfering."

"So, there seem to be cracks in their foundations," The Man remarked. "What else was shared?

"After I stopped Larxene, she mentioned Terios a bit more," Sonic replied.

"And, what did she say?" Knuckles asked.

"Well, it was cryptic, but she said something about a false sense of identity," Sonic retorted, remembering back to Larxene's comments.

"A false sense of identity?" Tails repeated with confusion. "What could that mean?"

"Perhaps, he is just a puppet to the Organization's manipulation," The Man remarked. "As I said earlier, he is their enforcer."

"Could be," Sonic commented with a shrug. "I think you might be right though, but there could be more to it than meets the eye."

"More research and investigating is going to be needed," The Man replied with a firm voice.

"Right," Sonic affirmed with a nod, before he continued. "But before I could ask more questions, that Axel mentioned our memory issues."

"Wait, he knows about that?" Tails asked, his mind racing.

"I'm afraid he and the Organization do, Tails," Sonic exclaimed. "It seems the memory gaps we have are linked to three individuals named Sora, Donald, and Goofy."

"Say, come to think of it, those three names are coming clearly to me," Amy interjected, explaining what she could feel in her memories.

"Really?" Sonic asked, turning to the pink hedgehog.

"Yeah, I remember small pieces, but they were there when I was in Wonderland at that trial with Alice," Amy explained.

"I can remember helping those three with that three headed dog, Cerberus, at that tournament," Knuckles chimed in, his mind racing.

"Wow, it seems our memories are slowly coming back," Tails said, analysing the situation. "But I still don't know much about them."

The mysterious man looked over the Mobians with intrigue as he began to speak.

"It's clear the Organization's interference is causing these memory disruptions. If we can understand their motives, we might find a way to restore those memories fully and stop their plans."

"We need to piece together what we know," Sonic began, his expression serious. "The Organization is after the Keyblade, and they're messing with our memories. They're connected to this place and to this Sora somehow. And, it seems this all links to a girl called Naminé."

"Naminé?" Tails asked, his brow furrowed in confusion. "Who is that?"

Sonic sighed, frustration evident in his voice, turning his attention to Tails.

"Oh, just another mysterious person popping up in this crazy adventure," he explained. "But before I could find out more, she was dragged away into a dark portal."

The man with the red bandages nodded thoughtfully, his mind racing with hypotheses.

"Naminé? If she knows about the memory issues, she could be key to understanding what the Organization is planning."

"Sounds like we need to find her and get some answers!" Knuckles remarked.

"Exactly," Sonic agreed. "We need to figure out who Naminé is, why she's important, and how she's connected to all of this."

"Leave this to me, my blue friend," The Man said. "With my ability to move freely through the darkness, I should be able to gather more intelligence on this girl."

"Are you sure that's safe?" Amy asked, her concern evident.

"Of course it's dangerous," The Man replied, his voice filled with determination. "But I must find the answers we seek."

"You're right," Tails agreed. "You have the power to escape White Space with ease through those portals. If you look for those answers, we can stay behind, hold the fort, and take the fight to Terios to save more past adventures and our friends."

"Right, little buddy," Sonic added, looking at the man. "We have to trust our mysterious friend here."

"Thank you," The Man replied with a nod. "I will be in contact once I find out more about the Organization's plans, the girl, and Terios."

"Sounds like a plan," Sonic said, giving the man a thumbs up.

The Man turned on his heels smoothly, and a dark corridor appeared in front of him. He paused for a moment, looking back at Tails.

"Tails," he said, "please bring our blue friend here up to speed on what we have discovered so far."

Tails nodded, "You got it," he replied.

With a final nod, The Man stepped into the dark corridor, which closed behind him, leaving the group to digest the conversation and prepare for the next steps.

"Alright, Tails. Fill me in," Sonic asked, turning to his two-tailed friend. "What have you guys uncovered?"

Tails was about to speak, but his eyes caught something coming toward them. He smiled and pointed toward the distance of White Space.

"It's probably best if you turn around and find out," Tails said with a grin, being cryptic in his words.

Sonic looked confused, but he could hear faint footsteps approaching. The hedgehog turned, with Tails, Knuckles, and Amy also looking to see what was coming. Sonic's eyes widened at the unexpected sight.

"Wait, is that..." Sonic muttered, looking bewildered.

In his view, he saw a smaller and younger version of himself, rushing forward with another Tails flying by his side. Sonic was in awe at these developments, seeing these two variants appearing in front of him.

The younger Sonic skidded to a halt, giving a thumbs up with his usual confident grin.

"Hey there!" Classic Sonic seemed to say through his expression, though he remained silent as always.

Classic Tails landed gracefully beside him, waving enthusiastically.

"Hi, everyone! Sonic made it back safely!" Classic Tails affirmed.

Sonic was momentarily speechless, taking in the sight of his younger self and Classic Tails.

"This... this is wild," he finally managed to say. "It's like looking in a mirror. I can't believe there are two of us, Tails!"

"It's good to see you made it back in one piece, little Sonic," Knuckles remarked, looking at Classic Sonic with a nod.

Classic Sonic nodded and then turned his attention to his Modern counterpart, giving him a smile and a thumbs up.

"Don't be alarmed," Classic Tails said, looking at Modern Sonic. "We were dragged in from another time by Terios's manipulation."

"You can trust them, Sonic," Amy interjected, looking at Modern Sonic. "They were the ones who saved me."

"Is that true?" Modern Sonic asked, looking at Modern Tails for clarification.

"It is," Modern Tails affirmed. "They saved Amy and found a Chaos Emerald."

"You did?" Modern Sonic said in surprise, turning back to the variants.

Classic Tails nodded with a smile and reached behind him, pulling out the gleaming blue Chaos Emerald. It shone with a brilliant light, casting a warm glow over the group.

Modern Sonic's eyes widened in amazement.

"That's incredible! You two have really been busy," he remarked.

Classic Sonic gave a playful nod, his eyes sparkling with determination. He pointed to the Chaos Emerald, then to himself, indicating that they were ready to keep fighting.

"We want to help fix Terios's mess," Classic Tails explained. "When I found Sonic, he mentioned there was something urgent he needed to address to the group."

Classic Sonic's facial expression turned serious, nodding in agreement with Classic Tails. Modern Sonic looked at Modern Tails, Knuckles, and Amy; they all seemed to have a sense of unease at the smaller fox's words.

"What is it?" Modern Sonic asked, turning to the classic duo. "What did little me say?"

"There is a lot to go over," Classic Tails explained. "So, prepare yourselves."