Chapter 6 - Speed of Sound
The Tornado soared high above the endless blue ocean, South Island glimmering in the distance. Sonic lounged across the wing, arms behind his head, while Tails piloted with steady focus, and Amy hummed happily to herself in the back seat.
"Can't believe we're finally heading back to South Island," Tails said with a grin. "It feels like ages since we've had some downtime."
Amy smiled. "Yeah! I still remember taking down Chaos in Station Square!"
"Oh yeah, good times," Sonic chuckled, staring at the horizon. "But I'd rather not think about Eggman's bad ideas for once."
Just then, a thunderous boom echoed from the island ahead. A column of black smoke rose from Green Hill.
Amy gasped, pointing. "Do you guys see that? It looks like a bunch of explosions coming from Green Hill!"
Sonic groaned, rubbing his forehead. "You've got to be kidding me. Eggman just can't get enough, can he?"
With a resigned sigh, he stood up and glanced back at his friends. "I'll go ahead. You guys can catch up later!" And with that, Sonic leaped from the Tornado, spiraling down through the air before landing on solid ground with a skid.
He didn't waste a second, dashing full speed toward the explosions in Green Hill. As he arrived, Sonic skidded to a halt, fists clenched. In front of him was none other than Dr. Eggman, piloting the massive Egg Dragoon, its drill arms revving up as it turned to face him.
"Well, well, if it isn't Sonic," Eggman sneered through the cockpit glass. "Glad you could make it. I was just about to bring Green Hill to a nice, fiery end!"
Sonic crossed his arms with a smirk. "You never learn, do you, Eggman? Wrecking South Island is just gonna get you wrecked."
Eggman laughed, his voice booming through the cockpit speakers. "Oh, I've learned plenty. But this time, I've got a little extra power on my side." He pulled a lever, revealing a small, glowing chip embedded into the Egg Dragoon's control panel. As he activated it, dark energy surged through the machine's limbs, amplifying its size and power.
The Egg Dragoon's drill arms glowed with dark energy, and its once-smooth movements became erratic and volatile.
Sonic stood a few feet away, arms crossed and smirking. "Dark power, huh? You sure you didn't just paint it a different color? Gotta admit, it's still an eyesore."
Eggman growled, slamming a button on his control panel. "Laugh while you can, you blue pest! This time, you're going down!"
The Egg Dragoon lunged forward, its massive drill arm slamming into the ground as Sonic dashed out of the way. The impact sent chunks of earth flying, but Sonic zipped through the debris effortlessly.
"Missed me!" Sonic taunted. He launched himself toward the Egg Dragoon, delivering a high-speed spin attack to its leg. Sparks flew, and the machine staggered.
"Stop scratching the paint job!" Eggman yelled, swiping at Sonic with the Dragoon's clawed arm.
Sonic dodged effortlessly, running circles around the massive mech. "You really need to upgrade your aim, Egghead. Or maybe just your reflexes?"
Eggman's mustache bristled with frustration as he pressed another button, activating a barrage of homing missiles. "Let's see you dodge this, you meddlesome rodent!"
The missiles locked onto Sonic, but he grinned. "Now we're talking!" With a burst of speed, Sonic weaved through the onslaught, the missiles exploding harmlessly behind him. He leaped into the air, spinning into a Homing Attack that struck the Egg Dragoon's cockpit directly.
Eggman flinched as sparks erupted around him. "Why you little—!" He flipped a lever, and dark energy coursed through the Egg Dragoon. The machine roared as its drill glowed with corrupt power, and it smashed into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent Sonic tumbling.
Eggman cackled as he cornered Sonic. "You're finished, Sonic! And this time, I won't leave anything of you or this island behind!"
Sonic panted, visibly tired from dodging the relentless barrage of attacks. But then, something strange happened. The dark power from the chip began to pulse uncontrollably, and suddenly a portal of swirling energy opened directly beneath Sonic's feet.
"Wha—?!" Sonic cried out as the portal pulled him in, the last thing he saw being Eggman's wide-eyed shock and fury.
"Blasted machine!" Eggman yelled in fury. "If my machine weren't so weak, I'd have that blasted hedgehog burning with his island!"
Sonic awoke on hot, shifting sand, the sky above dark and vast. Nearby, the roar of engines thundered as two sleek vehicles raced past him at breakneck speed, kicking up clouds of sand.
He blinked, getting his bearings, and finally recognized the two drivers: Captain Falcon in his iconic Blue Falcon and Samurai Goroh in his Fire Stingray.
A grin spread across Sonic's face. "Well, if I'm here, I might as well make it interesting!"
In a flash, he was off, running alongside the speeding vehicles. Captain Falcon glanced to the side, doing a double take as he spotted Sonic effortlessly keeping up with them.
"Is that… Sonic?!" he muttered in shock.
The three of them raced through the course, Sonic matching the machines' pace with ease. When the race finally ended, Captain Falcon parked his vehicle and stepped out, a grin of recognition on his face.
"Sonic! You're the last person I expected to see here," he said, laughing as he offered a handshake.
Sonic shook his hand, grinning. "I got sucked through some kind of portal. So, where are we anyway?"
"This is Red Canyon," Captain Falcon explained, his tone growing serious. "I'm guessing since the multiverse started mixing during the Smash Tournament, there's been… some chaos?"
Just then, a news alert flashed on a nearby screen, showing footage of the city of Lightning under attack.
Captain Falcon's face darkened. "Black Shadow. He's terrorizing the Lightning area."
Sonic clenched his fists. "Black Shadow sounds like some cheesy villain. Why not go give him a little beatdown?"
Before they could head out, however, a figure materialized in front of Black Shadow. It was Ganondorf, his eyes glowing with a malevolent power.
Captain Falcon narrowed his eyes as he watched the broadcast. "That guy… I saw him spectating our fight in the tournament."
Ganondorf extended his hand toward Black Shadow, channeling dark energy into him. Black Shadow roared as the power coursed through him, his muscles bulging with newfound strength.
Ganondorf's cold voice echoed from the broadcast. "Dispose of Captain Falcon for me, and this power is yours to wield as you see fit."
Black Shadow's laughter echoed through the screen, and he nodded in agreement as the broadcast cut out.
Captain Falcon gritted his teeth, turning to Sonic. "We have to get there fast. He's after more than just Lightning this time."
Together, they sped off, arriving in Lightning's industrial complex just in time to be greeted by another F-Zero pilot: John Tanaka.
"Captain Falcon!" John called out, running up to him with worry in his eyes. "Jody is trapped inside the power station. It's about to explode!"
Falcon glanced at Sonic before coming up with a plan. "Sonic, use your speed to get Jody out of the power station. I'll track down Black Shadow. Capisce?"
Sonic gave a confident smirk. "Piece of cake!" And with that, he zipped into the power station, weaving through the maze of machinery and jumping over barriers as doors began to shut behind him.
Inside, Jody Summers looked up in shock as Sonic appeared. "Who... who are you?"
"No time for introductions!" Sonic shouted, scooping her up and racing back through the plant as alarms blared and the structure began to collapse.
Just as the final door slammed shut, Sonic dashed through, emerging from the complex mere moments before it exploded. He set Jody down, who thanked him breathlessly. "That was… incredible. Thank you, whoever you are."
Sonic nodded and turned, his eyes scanning for Captain Falcon.
Meanwhile, Captain Falcon had tracked down Black Shadow, who was waiting with a smug grin.
"Falcon! You've come to die. I didn't have to waste time looking for you then," Black Shadow taunted, flexing his newly dark-powered muscles. "This time, I'm not here for a race. I want a fight."
Captain Falcon cracked his knuckles. "Fine by me. I've taken you down before, and I'll do it again."
With a burst of speed, Falcon charged forward and delivered a flying kick aimed straight for Black Shadow's chest. Black Shadow blocked with a single arm, his dark energy absorbing the impact. He countered with a devastating punch that sent Falcon skidding across the wet pavement.
Falcon rolled to his feet just in time to dodge as he retaliated with a Falcon Kick, the fiery trail lighting up the stormy night. The attack connected, forcing Black Shadow back a few steps.
"Is that all you've got, Falcon?!" Black Shadow lunged forward, landing a crushing blow to Falcon's chest.
Captain Falcon staggered, his breath labored as he tried to shake off the hit. Black Shadow didn't let up, pressing the advantage with a relentless series of strikes. "You're finished, Falcon," Black Shadow declared, dark energy coiling around his fists as he prepared the final blow.
Just as he raised his fist to strike, Sonic came racing in, delivering a high-speed kick that sent Black Shadow reeling.
"Need a hand, Captain?" Sonic quipped.
Falcon coughed, pushing himself to his feet, "You sure know how to make an entrance, Sonic."
"Yeah, well, I couldn't let this guy have all the fun." Sonic winked before turning his attention to Black Shadow.
"Fine by me," Black Shadow laughed, "This just means I'll go all out now!"
Black Shadow roared, sending tendrils of dark energy spiraling toward the duo. Sonic dashed between the attacks, drawing Black Shadow's attention, while Falcon seized the opening.
With a synchronized effort, Sonic launched into a Spin Dash, striking Black Shadow's legs, while Falcon followed up with a fiery Falcon Punch that sent Black Shadow crashing into the ground.
But before they could catch their breath, a familiar, sinister laugh echoed through the air. Ganondorf emerged from the shadows, glaring at them with intrigue.
"Impressive," Ganondorf said with a dark chuckle, "but futile."
Before Sonic or Falcon could react, Ganondorf struck. With a single, brutal backhand, he sent Sonic flying across the battlefield, the hedgehog hitting the ground unconscious.
Falcon rushed forward, his fists ignited with determination, but Ganondorf blocked effortlessly. Black Shadow recovered from the coordinated attack and laughed. The two villains turned their attention to Falcon, launching a coordinated assault.
Falcon fought valiantly, dodging and countering where he could, but the combined strength of Ganondorf and Black Shadow overwhelmed him.
Each blow from Ganondorf was like a hammer, and Black Shadow's dark energy attacks chipped away at Falcon's defenses. Soon, Falcon was on his knees, bloodied and battered, his breathing ragged.
"You're mine, Falcon!" Black Shadow sneered, his hand crackling with dark energy as he prepared the finishing blow.
Before he could strike, Ganondorf raised his hand, summoning a swirling portal beneath Falcon and Sonic's unconscious body.
"What are you doing?!" Black Shadow shouted.
Ganondorf smirked. "Falcon is out of our way now. Do as you please, Black Shadow. I have bigger plans."
With that, Ganondorf disappeared into the shadows, leaving Black Shadow standing amidst the wreckage. A wicked grin spread across his face as he turned to the burning city.
"Fine. Let them run. The world will soon bow to me!" Black Shadow bellowed, his laughter echoing through the storm.