-Chapter 107-

Pure Chaos


Robotropolis

Three months had passed since the start of Robotnik's latest project, and it was finally nearing completion. Robotnik gathered his men in the war room as the last of the tech was being installed, and all of the necessary robots and technical support were being loaded on. From the room, everyone stood at the ready before four of the doctor's latest robots, watching as they targeted several practice robots shaped like Sonic, blowing them up with precise shots.

"Excellent," Robotnik gloated. "The E-Series is off to a good start."

"Time for roll call," said Grimer. "E-101 Beta. E-102 Gamma. E-103 Delta. E-104 Epsilon."

Robotnik chuckled. "As far as the names go, it's all Greek to me."

Eggatha laughed at his joke, smiling. "Good one, Uncle Ivo."

"I have my moments," Robotnik shrugged. "Now, anything new to report on this... Chaos creature?"

"It seems to have several ties to Echidna history," Grimer replied. "Unfortunately, I was lucky to find this tablet intact, so I fear that my knowledge is limited."

"Then tell me what you do know," Robotnik ordered.

"Only that Chaos is an embodiment of Chaos energy itself, and resides within 'the greatest source of Chaos Energy', serving as its 'heart'."

"Greatest source of Chaos energy…" Eggatha perked. "The Master Emerald! Chaos is inside it!"

"So we need to get to Angel Island and shatter the Master Emerald," Snively mused. "Easier said than done, especially given how the last two ventures to that island went."

"Says the sniveling weasel who remained behind both times," Robotnik shot back, getting a scowl. "Now, the plan is simple. We wait until nightfall and break the emerald. By the time the echidna realizes it was us, it'll be too late."


Station Square

At the middle school's baseball field, Chris, Keith, and Hope waited at the dugout as Kat came out, her arm now out of the cast.

"Hey, guys," she greeted.

"Good game today," Keith told her.

"Came pretty close in the end," Chris noted.

"Well, they were missing their star hitter," Hope said.

"Hey, docs said to take it easy for another week or so," Kat said. "And I don't need my arm broken thrice."

The group headed out at that, only for a familiar figure to block their path. They sighed at the sight of Mark Carradine.

"Well, what do we have here?" he said mockingly.

"Carradine, take a hike, will ya?" Hope snapped. "I'm in no mood to put up with you. Don't you have something better to do with your time? Like play in traffic?"

"What are you even doing here, Robotnik?" Carradine shot back. "You're an eyesore, having one of you Roboticizers representing our school like this.t makes me sick."

"Piss off," Keith spat.

Carradine growled. "What'd you say, Kent?"

"He told you to piss off," a new voice cut in. "What, are you deaf and butt-ugly?"

They turned to see a boy around their age, if not a year older, leaning against the wall. He had somewhat messy black hair and green eyes, and was donned in a black T-shirt under a black jacket with white trim with blue jeans and matching sneakers.

"Who the hell are you supposed to be?" Carradine demanded.

"Someone sick of watching you embarrass yourself like the buttmunch you are," the boy retorted. "Now get lost before I make you."

"Up yours!"

Carradine charged at him, swinging at the boy, who casually dodged before grabbing him by the wrist and wrenching his arm behind his back, his thumb between his shoulder blades. With a mighty heave, he stuffed Carradine head-first into a nearby trash can, dusting his hands off before turning to Hope and the others.

"Thanks for that," Hope said gratefully.

"No problem," the boy gave a two-fingered salute. "Name's Sam. Sam Baker."

"The top dog of the school's karate club?" Keith questioned.

Sam nodded. "That's me."

"Dude, that was awesome," Kat grinned. "I've been wanting to do that for weeks."

"You and everyone else," Sam quipped.

"Thanks for the defense, seriously," Hope told him.

"We were gonna go out and get some ice cream," Chris said. "Wanna join us?"

Sam shrugged. "Eh, why not?"


At Robbin's Basket, the five sit down, eating sundaes.

"So you're an army brat?" Chris asked.

"Yep," Sam nodded. "My dad's the captain of GUN's Spider Troop."

"Whoa, seriously?" Hope exclaimed. "Spider Troop are the best of the best!"

"So my dad likes to claim," Sam mused.

"What's his name?" Keith questioned. "Maybe we've met him."

"James Baker," Sam replied.

Chris thought, before shaking his head. "No, I don't think we've met him."

"Knowing us, we will eventually." said Kat.

"Again, thanks for helping me," Hope said to Sam. "It's about time someone put Carradine in his place."

"Don't worry about it," Sam waved a hand in dismissal. "I've seen him tormenting you for weeks, and I'm sick of it. Nothing I hate worse than a stinking bully."

"Honestly, I'm just trying to ignore him," Hope admitted. "If I don't react, he'll get bored."

"I could always beat him up, scare him off," Kat offered.

"No, you'd kill him," Hope insisted.

"No, I-!" Kat cut herself off, having come off harsher than she intended. "I- I wouldn't kill him. Please don't say that again."

Hope winced at that, upon which Sam decided to change the subject.

"So, you guys are friends with Sonic, right?" he asked. "Nobody's heard from him in three months."

"After our latest mission, he decided to take some time to himself and go globetrotting," Keith told him.

"Honestly, he needed it," Chris admitted. "Some time to himself, some fresh air. I imagine when he comes back, he'll be better than he's been in months."


Peace Valley

In a large field filled with some of the most beautiful flowers on Mobius, Sonic was laying out peacefully. He was smiling, just splayed in the grass as he idly chewed on a blade.

"I see why they call this place Peace Valley," he mused aloud. "Probably the best place I've been to so far."

He closed his eyes, just basking in the sunlight.


Angel Island

That night on Angel Island, Knuckles and Kat were on guard duty before the Master Emerald shrine. Kat was telling Knuckles of their meeting with Sam.

"I think Hope's smitten with him," she said.

Knuckles raised an eyebrow. "She just met the guy."

"So?" Kat retorted. "He saved her, was super nice, and isn't that bad to look at. Plus, she was so blushing."

"You're jumping to conclusions,"

"It's called women's intuition,"

"You're twelve."

"Thirteen! My birthday was last month, remember?"

"Oh, right…" Knuckles scratched the back of his head.

Before they could say anything else, they heard a loud crash from the top of the altar. Both of them were on their feet in seconds, turning around to see what had happened. To their utter horror, the Master Emerald was completely shattered, a strange creature slowly rising up from the remains of its tip.

The creature looked like it was made of water, with a humanoid body with disproportionately long arms and legs compared to its torso. It had thick forearms with three large fingers on each hand, a short stump for a tail, and long feet with two large toes each. It also had two fin-like protrusions on the back of its head, sharp flaps on each side of its head, and a tall bulge on top of its head. It also possessed no facial features, except for two pupil-less lime green eyes. Lastly, it had a round pink brain inside its transparent head, with a brain stem on the bottom. Its eyes glowed as it looked over the two, letting out a gurgled roar.

"What the hell is that?!" Kat demanded.

"The Master Emerald!" Knuckles glared at the creature. "Are you the one who destroyed it?!"

The creature didn't answer, which infuriated the two Guardians.

"Talk, you oversized drip!" Kat ordered.

With a growl, Knuckles jumped at the beast and punched him in the face. It reeled back before headbutting Knuckles, sending him down the stairs. Kat ran over to his side, helping him up as they heard approaching footsteps.

"What in Aurora's name is all this racket?" Locke's voice came.

The older Echidna stopped short at the sight of the shattered Master Emerald, his face going pale as he saw the water creature.

"No…" he whispered. "It can't be…"

After a minute, the creature started to dissolve into a puddle, oozing away.

"Locke, what is that thing?" Kat asked.

Before he got the chance to answer, the entire island began to shake as the island began to fall. Knuckles grabbed his friend, punching his fist through the stonework so he would have a solid hold. Locke grabbed onto one of the support columns of the shrine, bracing himself as the island plunged towards the ocean below.

"Damn it!" Knuckles roared. "The island's falling again!"

"Everyone! Brace yourselves!" Locke ordered.

With a mighty crash, Angel Island splashed down into the waves, right next to the Mystic Ruins.


Peace Valley

Sonic suddenly bolted upright, a feeling of dread washing over him. Something was wrong. He wasn't sure what, but he knew that he needed to return. Spitting out the grass blade he had been chewing on, Sonic got up, dusted himself off, and straightened his jacket before grabbing his bag.

"Looks like my summer vacation is over," he mused.


Mystic Ruins

Deep within the jungles of the Mystic Ruins sat an old wooden shack near a lake. Protruding from that shack was a ramshackle dock, a large and burly Mobian cat was sleeping. He had purple fur with dark violet stripes and yellow eyes. White fur covered his chest, torso, muzzle, and inner ears, and he was donned in a pair of blue overalls under a yellow belt with a gold bucket, a red flannel shirt with a pocket on the chest, yellow gloves, and sandals. Curled up on his chest was a green Mobini frog with orange stripes. Its eyes opened, and it let out a ribbit as it sensed something nearby. The cat let out a low groan, awoken by his companion.

"Froggy?" he asked. "What is it?"

Rather than answer, Froggy hopped over to several rocks nearby. Suddenly, a puddle flowed out of them before shooting down Froggy's throat. The frog choked and gagged, and before the cat's eyes, a tail with a triangular tip sprouted from his backside.

"Hey, you got a tail, Froggy," the cat noted.

The frog turned robotically before bouncing off the cat's head and over to a small stand, where a yellow Chaos Emerald sat. Before the cat could react, Froggy swallowed it with a loud gulp.

"Hey, that was my lucky charm!" the cat objected.

Froggy hopped off at that, and the cat was on high alert.

"Something's not right…" he said. "I better go after him."

He hurried after his friend. "Froggy! Wait up!"


Angel Island

Angel Island was in chaos in the wake of the fall. Echidnas were pulling themselves from fallen buildings and rubble. As they did, Team Chaotix, including a recently paroled Julie-Su, entered the city.

"What's goin' on?" Vector asked. "What was that big crash?"

"The island fell from the sky," Espio said. "Is that normal?"

"No," Lara-Le approached them at that. "The Master Emerald keeps the island aloft at all times."

"So if the island fell, that means something happened to it, right?" Charmy asked.

They blinked at Charmy's accurate deduction. Vector leaned over to Ray and Mighty.

"He does have his moments," he whispered to the duo.

"This happened before with the Phantom Ruby," Kat explained.

"And when it went to the Hidden Palace," Knuckles added. "But this time…"

"Knuckles, what happened?" Ray asked.

"The Master Emerald," Knuckles began. "It... It shattered."

"Shattered?" Mighty exclaimed.

"Like cheap glass…" Kat added. "By a water monster."

"Water monster?" Julie-Su questioned. "What kind of creature could shatter the Master Emerald?"

Locke approached. "His name is Chaos."

That got their attention.

"Dad…" Knuckles began, "you know about that thing?"

"By legend alone," Locke clarified. "And it is a horrible legend at that. One dating back to the near extinction of our race."

He looked at Knuckles specifically. "Do you recall the old legend of the dragon that would bring about the end of the world?"

Knuckles perked. "Are you saying…?"

Locke nodded. "Chaos is that dragon."

"It didn't look like a dragon," Kat pointed out.

"Not yet," Locke said. "But once it gains its full power... It will be unstoppable."

"Let me guess," Vector offered. "Its full power comes from the Chaos Emeralds?"

"Master detective indeed," Locke noted. "Chaos' strength increases with every Emerald he absorbs. Should he consume a set of seven... we're all doomed."

"We can't let that happen!" Knuckles exclaimed.

"Our first step is finding the shards of the Master Emerald," Locke insisted. "Should the worst happen, it's our only hope."

"But... what're the shards gonna do?" Charmy questioned.

"The Chaos Emeralds and Master Emerald alike have been broken before in ancient history," Locke explained. "But they can be restored. All we need to do is bring the pieces back together."

"Then we need to find them now!" Kat insisted.

"Agreed," Knuckles sighed, rubbing his temples. "Sonic picked a lousy time to go on vacation…"

"We'll have to carry on without him for now," Espio decided.

"Please hurry," Locke pleaded.

"Don't worry, Locke," Julie-Su assured. "We've got this."

The Chaotix dispersed, Locke soon following. Unseen by anyone else, a glowing orb of red light emerged from the Master Emerald's shattered remains, looking around before flying off…


Station Square

Meanwhile, Sonic had raced to Station Square. He stopped short on a rooftop, looking at the now overcast sky, thunder booming in the distance.

"Someone or something here... it's making my quills stand on end," he said. "But what…"

He perked at the sound of sirens, and looked down to see four SSPD cars screaming down the streets.

"Mobiums to chili dogs I need to go that way," he mused.

He hopped across the rooftops, following the police.

-X-

By the time Sonic got there, the cops had formed a perimeter around City Hall. Two helicopters hovered overhead with their searchlights on as Chaos jumped down from the roof, looking them over. Tom Wachowski stepped out, calling into a megaphone.

"Whatever you are, we have you surrounded! There's no way out! Surrender, or we'll use lethal force!"

There was no response, save for the rattling of a manhole. Chaos took a menacing step forward, and Tom drew his own gun, as did the rest of his men.

"Alright, you asked for it! Drop him!"

They all fired on him en masse. Chaos jerked left and right as bullets impacted his watery body. He stood still, before the bullets were simply ejected out of his body, clinking onto the ground.

"Whoa…" Sonic let out. "What is that thing?"

"Shit!" Tom shouted. "It's not working! Everyone fall back!"

He fired a few more rounds to cover their escape as Chaos headed for them, letting out a gurgling roar as he smashed in the hoods of two patrol cars. Having seen enough, Sonic hopped down, bouncing off one car before getting his attention.

"Hey, Drippy!" he shouted. "I see you've got a brain, so use it and scram before this gets ugly!"

The creature turned, eyes narrowing as it roared. It pulled back its fist before throwing a punch, its arm stretching a considerable distance. Sonic darted to the side before charging him, plowing through Chaos with a Spin Attack. He turned, seeing it beginning to reform.

"Okay, that didn't work."

He scanned Chaos up and down, his eyes falling on the beast's brain.

"If I had to wager a guess, that's your only weak spot," he grinned. "I wonder what happens if I hit it."

Chaos's fist enlarged before he swung down. Sonic jumped over it before coming down with both feet, connecting solidly with the water monster's brain. The beast let out a pained gurgle, recoiling.

"Alright!" Sonic cheered. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"

Enraged, Chaos extended his arms and began spinning like a top, forcing Sonic on the defensive.

"Alright, you're a tough puddle, I'll give you that. But between you and me, getting a chance to actually beat up water is something I have dreamed of!"

He hopped over the arms before landing a Homing Attack to Chaos' brain again. Chaos let out a roar before jumping atop a flagpole nearby. Sonic ran around his extending fists before heading for the pole, running around it at high speed.

"Come on, Drippy!" Sonic taunted. "Come get me!"

Chaos kept swinging, while Sonic began shaking the pole with his speed. Before long, the creature lost his footing and plummeted to the streets, splashing into a puddle. After a tense moment, it began flowing toward a nearby sewer grate, Sonic following.

"Where are you going?" Sonic shouted. "The fun's just started!"

The creature flowed into the grate, Sonic unable to follow. He looked it over as another thunderclap sounded and rain began to fall.

"Well, that happened," Sonic noted.

"Sonic!" Tom came running up. "Thank Aurora you showed up when you did."

"Hey, Donut Lord," Sonic greeted. "What's the word on Drippy?"

"He just showed up in town and started causing trouble."

"Ah," Sonic nodded. "Well, if that's the case, then a certain fat man with an ugly mustache can't be far behind. Come on out, Eggman!"

A familiar chuckle sounded, the Egg Mobile coming down.

"I do hope you forgive me for dropping in unannounced this way, but I simply couldn't miss out on the excitement."

"Goody-goody for you," Sonic scoffed. "Now what was that thing?"

"Fool…" Robotnik grinned. "You deal with a power far beyond your reckoning. You face Chaos! The God of Destruction!"

Sonic raised an eyebrow. "God of Destruction? That thing? The God of Puddles and Leaky Faucets is more like it."

"You have yet to witness his full power, Sonic," Robotnik gloated. "Once Chaos has reached his full potential, even you won't be able to stop him! The Robotnik Empire will finally rise! First, Station Square. And then... the WORLD!"

He laughed maniacally as he flew off, Sonic and Tom watching him go.

"Well... looks like I picked a pretty good time to end my vacation." Sonic mused.

"I guess so," Tom agreed. "You better go meet up with your friends and let them know what's going on. We've got clean up here."

Sonic nodded. "Thanks, Donut Lord."

He gave a two-fingered salute before speeding off down the street.

-X-

Down in the sewers, Grimer and Snively were on the lookout for any signs of activity. In Grimer's hands was a cylinder-shaped grey metallic device.

"Any sign of him?" Grimer asked.

"Not yet," Snively replied. "And even if we do find him, what then, Grimer? You yourself said you didn't know if this Anti-Chaos Nullifier of yours would actually work."

"I did what I could on such short notice," Grimer defended.

Before the argument could continue, they heard sloshing sounds and looked to see a nearby puddle moving before forming into Chaos.

"And now for the moment of truth." the green man declared.

Chaos reeled back, preparing to attack them, but Grimer pressed a button on the side of the Nullifier and the creature stopped in his tracks.

"Ha!" Snively exclaimed. "It works! It actually works!"

"So it did," Grimer agreed. "Now let's hurry before the effects wear off."

He pressed another button before he and Snively began walking. Chaos followed them step by step.


Author's Note:

And there you have it. So begins Sonic Adventure.

The character of Sam Baker is my OC Zephyr from my Kingdom Hearts and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fic, recently adapted here.

As for the Anti-Chaos Nullifier, it's taken from Sonic the Comic. Of course, while there it never worked to begin with, here it does work at first. My explanation for why Chaos ever worked with Robotnik or obeyed him in the first place.

Voice cast for this chapter:

* Sam - Sam Riegel (Yajiro Kojima from Grenadier, Donatello from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2003, Jude Mathis from Tales of Xillia)

Please R&R. Until next time!