Chapter 50: "Turning the Tides"
The heroes stood helplessly as Robotnik, hovering above them in the Egg Dreadnaught, sealed the Power Star into a containment unit beside the Master Emerald. His laughter rang out, cold and triumphant, echoing across the battlefield like a chilling promise of doom. With the Power Star in his grasp, Robotnik's gaze shifted toward the heroes, his smile widening with smug satisfaction.
"Bring Peach back," Samus demanded, her voice unwavering as she leveled her blaster at him. "Or I'll send you to a place far worse than where you sent her."
She launched a volley of missiles at Robotnik, but he effortlessly maneuvered his Egg-O-Matic, deploying drones that intercepted and destroyed the missiles before they could reach him.
Robotnik chuckled, a wicked gleam in his eye. "Oh, I can't do that right now," he replied smoothly. "She's with an associate of mine and currently… unavailable. Maybe try your threats again later." He laughed, his mockery echoing over the battlefield.
Then, from within his Egg-O-Matic, Robotnik extended a gloved finger toward them, his voice dripping with scorn as he addressed them one by one. "But enough of that. You've gathered five Chaos Emeralds for me—how thoughtful. Now, be good little heroes and hand them over so I can complete my search for the last two."
The heroes exchanged grim looks, a tense silence filling the air. Then, Donkey Kong stepped forward, fists clenched as he glared up at Robotnik. "If you want them, then come down here and fight for them! Or are you just too much of a coward to come out from behind that machine?"
Robotnik's smirk widened, his voice dripping with scorn as he addressed them one by one. "You honestly think you can stand against me? Sonic, always too fast to think things through. Link, clinging to a sword and shield as though this were a fairy tale. And Luigi—well, you've always been the shadow, haven't you?"
He glanced at Sora, his eyes narrowing. "And you. Did you really think you'd save your world? Your little Keyblade can't stop me. You failed, Sora. So your world will be the first to fall."
Sora tightened his grip on the Keyblade, his teeth gritted as Robotnik's words sank in. Yet the doctor's mocking gaze was already moving on, his scorn landing on Pit. He tilted his head, barely sparing him a second glance. "And who are you supposed to be? A no-name, barely worth the effort of an insult."
Pit's expression hardened, his hands clenching into fists as Robotnik's taunts continued to cut through the group. Samus's shoulders tensed, fury simmering beneath her stoic mask as she kept her blaster trained on him, tightening her grip with each insult. Sonic glanced over at Roll, exchanging a determined nod, while Link's gaze met Zelda's, the Master Sword glowing faintly in his grip.
Robotnik chuckled, his eyes gleaming with malicious glee. "All of you, defiant to the last… well, let's see if you're as tough as you pretend to be." With a flick of his wrist, he fired a concentrated energy beam directly at Donkey Kong, intending to make an example of him.
In an instant, Daisy leaped forward, positioning herself between Donkey Kong and the deadly blast. She raised her hand, deflecting the beam away with a forceful push, her body surrounded by a shimmering aura. As she hovered a few feet above the ground, an ethereal light enveloped her, and the realization dawned on everyone: Daisy had taken on Rosalina's powers. She gave a confident smile, a hint of mischief in her eyes, a silent reassurance to her friends that the battle had just shifted.
The heroes exchanged looks of awe and surprise, momentarily stunned by Daisy's newfound power. Sonic's eyes widened, while Link tightened his grip on the Master Sword, drawing renewed resolve from her courage.
Daisy's voice was steady, yet defiant, as she looked up at Robotnik. "This is over, Robotnik. Stand down now."
Robotnik's smirk twisted into a sneer. "Over? Oh, I think not." He activated a machine connected to the Power Star, its mechanical limbs latching onto it with clanking finality. "You may have Rosalina's powers, but with the Power Star under my control, you can't touch me."
Daisy didn't flinch, watching him carefully as he aimed his focus on the scattered ruins of Peach's castle. A second beam shot from his machine, sweeping through the rubble, tugging at the fragments of the Chaos Emeralds, drawing them slowly toward him. Just as they began to move, Daisy extended her hand, flicking her wrist with an air of confidence. The Chaos Emeralds shimmered and vanished from sight, sent far out of his reach.
She met Robotnik's furious glare with a cool smile. "If I can't have the Power Star and Master Emerald, you won't be getting the Chaos Emeralds."
Robotnik's eyes blazed with rage. "You think you can stop me? You don't have the strength to keep me from my rightful place in the universe!"
Daisy's expression turned calm, a hint of cockiness in her tone. "That's why I brought a few more friends to the fight."
At that moment, a powerful, familiar sound filled the air as a team of Arwings streaked through the sky, trailing energy as they split into formation and fired a barrage of laser blasts at Robotnik. The bright, colorful blasts cut through the smoke, and the Arwings, silhouetted against the sky, closed in with deadly precision.
"Fox! It's Fox and his team!" Zelda gasped, hope lighting her eyes.
Blazing forward in perfect formation, the Star Fox team maneuvered skillfully, their shots cutting a path through Robotnik's defenses and forcing him to retreat momentarily. Daisy's confident smile widened as her allies arrived, adding to the heroes' strength on the ground.
While Robotnik sneered, dodging the incoming fire, he activated yet another device. With a rumbling sound, he tore open multiple rifts in the air, summoning swarms of drones and enhanced Robot Masters that poured through the portals.
Donkey Kong turned to Daisy, desperation in his voice. "Can you do something about those rifts?"
Daisy nodded, concentrating as she tapped into her newfound powers. She closed her eyes, drawing on the force within her, feeling the energy build as she extended her hands. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she strained to control the immense power. Slowly, steadily, she created an invisible wall, pushing the drones, Robot Masters, and even the Egg Dreadnaught itself back into the rifts. With one final, powerful motion, she sealed each portal, cutting off the reinforcements and leaving the battlefield eerily still.
As Robotnik growled in frustration, he fled back into the safety of the Egg Dreadnaught, slamming his fist onto a control panel. His voice echoed as he escaped. "You can delay me, but you can't stop me! This universe will be mine!"
The heroes took in the silence that followed, and for a brief, fragile moment, a sense of peace settled over them. They shared weary but hopeful looks, knowing they'd won a critical battle even if the war was far from over.