- Chapter 11 -

Showdown

Scrap Brain Zone

Sonic and Longclaw stood on a cliff overlooking the Scrap Brain Zone. The old industrial city stood ominously before them, thick clouds of smoke hanging overhead from the various smokestacks.

"Rock and steel where nothing grows…" Sonic pondered, "gross, smelly pollution and smoke… How can anyone live like that?"

"Until Robotnik came here, no one did," Longclaw replied. "I suppose the madman is at home among these monstrosities."

"And he's got Uncle Chuck," Sonic sighed. "I hope we're not too late."

They hurried towards the ominous building in the distance. Every step of the way, they were accosted by a mess of booby traps; saws, flamethrowers, trapdoors, etc. Each trap, Sonic either smashed through or jumped over. The ones Sonic missed, Longclaw slashed to pieces with her claws. It was tough slaying, but they eventually made it to the building in question, a massive laboratory emblazoned with a stylized red-and-black image of Robotnik's face.

"Yeah… I'll bet a hundred Mobiums this is where he's keeping Uncle Chuck," Sonic mused.

"Tread carefully," Longclaw warned. "If our way here is any indication, Robotnik is clearly expecting us."

"I know…" Sonic assured, his expression steeling.

They entered, and almost as soon as they did, numerous lights flicked on. As they covered their eyes, they looked up to see Robotnik standing on an upper level with a toothy grin.

"Sonic!" he greeted casually. "So glad you could make it. Though I must say, I expected you about fifteen minutes earlier. Trouble in Star Light, my friend?"

"I'm not playing your sick head games, Robotnik," Sonic spat. "Where is Uncle Chuck?!"

"Uncle Chuck…" Robotnik stroked his mustache in thought. "Uncle Chuck… oh! You must mean my guest!"

He pulled on a rope, pulling back a curtain to reveal Uncle Chuck. He was chained to a table inside a glass capsule that Sonic could only assume was the Roboticizer.

"Sonic…" he managed.

Sonic looked at him in shock and anger.

"Yes…" Robotnik went on. "What you see before you is the perfected Roboticizer. Beautiful, isn't it? And the best part? I never could have finished it without Charles!"

Sonic took a step back at that, while Longclaw just looked resigned, knowing the truth was about to come out.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sonic demanded. "Uncle Chuck would never make something like that!"

"Well, then it seems you don't know your old uncle as well as you thought you did." Robotnik turned to Uncle Chuck with a sadistic smile. "So, old friend, would you like to tell him, or should I?"

"Sonic…" Uncle Chuck looked away in shame. "What he says is true. The Roboticizer… it was my creation."

Sonic went wide-eyed at that reveal. He took another step back, reeling in shock. "What…? No, that… why would you-?"

"It was never supposed to be used like this," Uncle Chuck insisted. "I wanted to use it as a medical tool, a way of replacing badly damaged tissue with compatible machines. However, I scrapped the project once I realized exactly what the process would entail." He sighed. "Your father and Longclaw helped me with that. It may preserve their lives, but it would rob those who underwent it of their senses and humanity. What made them... living creatures."

Sonic turned to Longclaw, who winced at the look of betrayal from her former ward. "You… you knew?" he demanded.

"Yes…" Longclaw admitted. "Your uncle never wanted this, and I didn't want you thinking less of him for the actions of this broken man. But Charles destroyed the prototype and blueprints. I have no idea how Robotnik was able to recreate it."

"It's quite simple, really," Robotnik cut in. "My former self and Charles were partners on the project. But Julian was held back by his conscience. He was too afraid of ethics and morality to object to Charles' decision to scrap it. I have no such limitation. And now… your uncle gets a first-hand taste of the process."

"No!" Sonic screamed. "I'm begging you, don't do it!"

Ignoring his pleas, Robotnik went over to the Roboticizer, placing a hand on the switch.

"You should be honored to see your work come to fruition," he gloated. "With the Roboticizer, soon everything will be perfected. No more illness. No more hunger. No more dying. And best of all, no more free will!"

He threw the switch, and the machine slowly powered on. Resigned to his fate, Uncle Chuck turned to Sonic, giving a gentle smile.

"I'm proud of you, sonny boy," he told his nephew. "Never forget that. And always remember: when life gets tough, keep on running."

With that, the old hedgehog calmly closed his eyes and waited. Sonic and Longclaw could only watch in horror as Uncle Chuck was bathed in blue energy which swept from his feet to his head, converting his flesh and bone into circuitry and programming code. When it was done, Uncle Chuck laid limply on the table, a robotic shell of his former self.

"CHARLES!" Longclaw shrieked.

Sonic was just frozen in place, staring in horror. Silent tears fell down his face as he dropped to his knees. The Roboticizer opened and the restraints released Uncle Chuck, dropping him to the floor with a metallic clank before he got up and stood at attention.

"Welcome to the Robotnik Empire, Charles," Robotnik told him. Chuck said nothing, showed no emotion, and didn't even move. Satisfied, Robotnik turned back to them. "Now do you see what happens to those who oppose me? Mobius will bow before my power! First, South Island. And then... THE WORLD!"

As he bellowed out his loudest maniacal cackle yet, Longclaw turned to her ward. Sonic was on his knees, eyes dripping with tears as he seemed to be struggling to breathe.

"Sonic?" Longclaw let out, moving to try and comfort the hedgehog.

Sonic's pockets began glowing, the Emeralds inside reacting to something. Even more terrifying, dark power seemed to be radiating off of him. Sonic's tears slowly faded, and he stood up, limp and lurching as if he were a marionette that just had its strings cut before standing tall. His head snapped up, and both Robotnik and Longclaw recoiled at the sight of the pure, unbridled, animalistic rage on his face. Robotnik tried to hide his fear behind confidence and arrogance.

"Well... I wasn't expecting that reaction," he let out before shrugging. "But I was expecting to not expect something, so it doesn't count."

"You…" Sonic took a slow step forward. "You…!" His pupils and irises shrank away to nothing, turning his eyes completely white. "YOU!"

He shot forward at speeds even he hadn't reached before, landing a powerful punch that sent Robotnik flying across the room and shattered his pince-nez sunglasses. The scientist sat up, now legitimately scared as Sonic panted heavily. Darkness radiated off the hedgehog, obscuring his form. His eyes are blood red and smoking, and he seemed to be sucking the light out of the room, making the atmosphere cold and oppressive. Robotnik scooted away as Sonic slowly began to advance.

"N-now now, Sonic," he stammered, "Can't we sit down and talk this out?"

"You think this is a game, Robotnik?!" Sonic demanded, his voice distorted and near-demonic. "It's not! You took my uncle from me, and now you're gonna PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE!"

That was all Robotnik needed to get to his feet and run with all his might, slamming his fist on a button and emitting an alarm. Within minutes, every Badnik in the vicinity was swarming on Sonic.

Sonic wasted no words. He tore through each and every robot like it was made of tin foil, the ever encompassing darkness growing even more so with each passing minute. He was little more than a wild animal at this point, a being of rage and pain. When he finally finished with the badniks, he let out a roar that shook the building.

"ROBOTNIK! There's nowhere on Mobius you can hide from me, you fat bastard! Do you hear me?! I'M COMING FOR YOU!"

He took off down the hallway where Robotnik fled, while Longclaw could only watch in shock and horror at the sight.

"Oh, Sonic…" she let out mournfully. "What have those Emeralds done to you?"

-X-

Robotnik ran as fast as he could, security doors slamming shut behind him. He could hear Sonic tearing through them at a frighteningly fast pace.

"I don't understand! He should have been quivering at my feet, begging for mercy! And the aura he's giving off… how is it even possible?!" Robotnik racked his brain for answers, and then it hit him. "The Chaos Emeralds in his pocket! Of course! The legend goes they turn our thoughts and emotions into power. And learning Charles created the Roboticizer and watching him be roboticized…" he winced. "That was the worst possible move I could have made!"

Finally, he made it to a hangar where his latest invention, an aerial assault vehicle resembling a fighter jet, sat. Having the same egg-shaped cockpit as the Egg Mobile, the machine had hover rings on both sides, a rocket engine in the back, as well as the signature telltale black and white color scheme with red highlights, as well as black/yellow striped caution stripes on the sides Within the cockpit were indents for the Chaos Emeralds, five of them filled in. Wasting no time, Robotnik scrambled into the jet.

"The Egg Mobile Mk. II…" Robotnik mused. " I was hoping to wait until I had all seven Emeralds."

He began running diagnostics, constantly flinching at every thud he heard in the distance.

"Engines are working, weapons systems are online-" He heard more tearing metal and another enraged howl from Sonic, then just gulped. "I say I just turn it on and hope for the best!"

He hit the power button, getting the Eggmobile up in the air, just as Sonic tore through the last of the security doors. At this point, the entire area was almost swallowed by darkness. The only light visible was from Robotnik's console, and the fierce red eyes emanating from Sonic's dark form. The scientist could just make out a mouth in the gloom, sharp teeth bared as Sonic was panting harder than before.

"Nowhere left for you to run, Robuttnik! You're not leaving Scrap Brain alive! I promise you that!"

Robotnik pressed several buttons, arming the missiles on the Egg Mobile. "Maybe so, Sonic, but if I go down, I'm taking you with me!"

"You damn fool…" Sonic shook his head. "You're really gonna try to fight me?"

"I have five Chaos Emeralds, and you have two! The numerical advantage is mine!"

"Not for long…"

Sonic roared, shaking the building again before launching himself at Robotnik. The doctor launched an array of seeker missiles at Sonic, who casually dodged them all before assaulting the Egg Mobile with a barrage of Spin Attacks from every direction. He tore through the vehicle, ripping out bits of the engine. Even worse, he targeted the Chaos emeralds with almost unerring accuracy. He ripped them out one by one, their light being swallowed by Sonic's darkness as he gained more and more power.

"No, no, NO!" Robotnik shrieked, legitimately starting to fear for his life.

Before he even realized it was happening, Sonic had six of the seven Emeralds, the only one left being the one in the cockpit with him. In desperation, Robotnik slammed his fist onto a red button before him. The front of the Egg Mobile opened up, revealing a laser cannon in the front. Sonic remained unphased.

"It's over, Robotnik! You can't win this!"

"Mobius is my world!" Robotnik declared defiantly. "Ruling it is MY DESTINY!"

The cannon fired a massive red laser at Sonic. Undaunted, the corrupted hedgehog charged into it headfirst, shooting through the beam effortlessly before bursting out and knocking the Egg Mobile out of the sky.

The Eggmobile crashed hard into the outskirts of Scrap Brain Zone, badly injuring its pilot. Robotnik was barely conscious as he pulled himself from the wreckage. He could see the Chaos Emerald on the ground right in front of him. He reached for it, only for Sonic's foot to stomp down hard on his hand. He cried out in pain as the dark hedgehog scooped up the emerald, the darkness swallowing it as well. With a deep breath, Sonic turned to Robotnik, red smoke billowing from his eyes and mouth. He dug his heel into the trapped hand.

"Any last words, monster?"

"This…" Robotnik wheezed, "this isn't how it was supposed to end… I was supposed to conquer Mobius, subjugate all under my glorious rule…"

He turned towards his soon-to-be executioner, glaring at Sonic defiantly.

"Well, what are you waiting for, hedgehog? Go on. Do it." Sonic hesitated for a brief moment. "DO IT!"

All hesitation disappeared. Sonic gathered dark power in the palm of his hand, coalescing into black fire. He raised his hand, preparing to strike him down.

"NO!"

Sonic was suddenly yanked off his feet and into the air. He looked up to see Longclaw, flapping her wings vigorously.

"Don't do this, Sonic!" she begged. "You're not a monster! Not like him!"

"You're stopping me from putting an end to this hump of garbage, after what he did to Uncle Chuck?!"

In answer, Longclaw flew up to a large metal robot that had yet to gather rust. She threw Sonic at it, forcing him to see his reflection in the metal.

"Is this what Charles would want for you?!" the owl demanded.

Sonic finally got a look at himself, shocked at the monster reflected before him. He stared at the reflection, reaching for it slowly. The darkness began to ebb away bit by bit. Then, one by one, the Chaos Emeralds dropped to the ground around him, including the two that had been in his pocket. As the last of the darkness left, Sonic was revealed, his clothes torn to shred, on his knees, crying. Longclaw went over, gently enveloping him in her wings.

"I know you're upset and angry. There's no excuse for what Robotnik did to Charles. But this kind of violence is not the answer."

Sonic just cried, the full force of what he had almost done hitting him hard.

-X-

Down below, Robotnik was nursing a now broken hand. He struggled to get away, wanting to put as much distance between himself and Sonic. He stumbled slightly, but was caught by none other than Uncle Chuck. The robotic hedgehog said nothing as he helped Robotnik out of the Scrap Brain Zone. As they went, Robotnik stole a glance back at Sonic, his expression souring.

"You won this round, Sonic... but this is far from over," he swore. "We'll meet again very soon."

And with that, he was gone…

-X-

Meanwhile, Sonic had managed to compose himself, pulling away from Longclaw. He glared in disdain and fear at the Emeralds, before kicking one of them away.

"All this hype about the Chaos Emeralds, how they can be used for good and evil…" he scoffed. "I think after what happened to me, we can throw the 'good' part under the bus."

"You're thinking about it the wrong way, Sonic," Longclaw said gently. "Chaos energy comes in both positive and negative sides. The Emeralds react to the wielder's thoughts and emotions."

"So that… thing, they made it out of my anger?" Sonic looked visibly ill.

"Your rage and sorrow over what happened to Charles, yes," Longclaw confirmed. "But you know what that makes you? Just like everyone else."

"I wanted to kill him, Longclaw," Sonic looked at his trembling hands. "I… I wanted him dead at my feet."

Longclaw just put a wing over him.

"That never came to pass," she assured. "And I promise you, it never will. I will not let you become that thing again."

Sonic looked over the Emeralds once more, Longclaw sighing.

"It's only a matter of time before they scatter again. Reclaiming them today is only a temporary victory."

"Robotnik got away too," Sonic said bitterly, "He'll most likely try to get the Emeralds again. Which means I'm gonna have to hunt them down all over again."

"If that does happen, remember this," Longclaw lifted Sonic's chin with one of her wings. "Anger is like fire. If you can control it, it can cook for you; it can heat your house. If you can't control it, it will burn everything around you and destroy you. If you can control your anger, it can serve you well and give you power and motivation, so long as you remember what you fight for."

Sonic thought it over. "So, even if I do get angry at Robotnik for all this, I gotta channel it productively. Focus on stopping him for justice, not vengeance, and I won't go all dark and crazy again."

Longclaw smiled. "There you go."

They embraced, then the Chaos Emeralds began to glow. They began rising off the ground, circling the pair for a moment before the light became blinding. The pair blinked spots from their vision once the light died, the Emeralds nowhere to be seen.

"Easy come, easy go," Sonic sighed before hopping off the trash pile. "And Longclaw? Thanks for stopping me."

"You're quite welcome," Longclaw assured him. "But our work isn't done yet. Robotnik still has prisoners here. People who haven't been roboticized or used as Badnik batteries yet. Shall we?"

Sonic smirked before gesturing for her to go ahead. "Age before beauty."

Longclaw chuckled. "Wise guy."

They shared a laugh before heading back into the laboratory to search for the prisoners. As they went in, Sonic stole a glance at the Roboticizer, clenching his fists.

"I don't know when. I don't know how," he muttered to himself, "but I promise, I'm gonna save you, Uncle Chuck. Just hang in there."

Author's Note:

And there we have it! The first arc of this fic is complete! Things got way intense and insane with the appearance of Dark Sonic, but it all works out.

Next chapter, after celebrating his victory, Sonic goes about assembling a team of Freedom Fighters to keep fighting Robotnik, all while the mad doctor schemes and plots his next move.

Please R&R. Until next time!