Ch 9 : The First Clash
Amy stood beside Sonic, her grip tight on her hammer. The determination in her eyes mirrored the chaos erupting around them. Before she could jump into the fray, Sonic spoke, his voice firm and commanding.
"Amy, help the citizens evacuate. I'll handle this."
Hearing the seriousness in his tone, Amy hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Be careful," she said, her voice soft but filled with concern. She turned and dashed off to assist the panicked citizens, her hammer swinging to clear debris and fend off stray robots as she guided people to safety.
Now fully focused on the figure before him, Sonic narrowed his eyes. Standing amidst the smoke and rubble, Neo Nemesis locked his gaze onto Sonic.
"Now, it's just you and me," Sonic muttered, cracking his knuckles.
The tension was palpable as the two adversaries stared each other down. Without warning, both launched themselves into the air, their fists colliding mid-flight. The sheer pressure of their clash sent shockwaves rippling through the area, knocking both combatants back.
Sonic landed on his feet, skidding to a halt with a smirk. "I've seen your strength. Now, let's see how fast you are."
In an instant, Sonic dashed forward, his fist aimed directly at Neo. But Neo effortlessly dodged, weaving out of harm's way and countering with a swift punch of his own. Sonic caught the punch mid-strike, grinning. "Not so fast, Tin Head."
Neo's eyes glowed with a flicker of rage. Without a word, he unleashed a powerful blast of energy, forcing Sonic to leap high into the air to avoid the impact. However, Neo was one step ahead. To Sonic's surprise, Neo appeared behind him in the blink of an eye.
Before Sonic could react, Neo landed a devastating kick. Sonic managed to shield himself, but the force of the blow sent him crashing into a nearby shop. The sound of shattering glass and crumbling walls echoed through the streets.
As Sonic staggered to his feet, brushing debris off his quills, Neo hovered menacingly above him.
Sonic wiped the dust from his face and smirked again. "Not bad. That was a good warm-up. Now, let's take this up a notch."
Neo tilted his head slightly, his expression unchanging.
The next moment, both fighters vanished in a flash of blue and silver blurs, their speed making them nearly invisible as they clashed at breakneck pace. Shockwaves from their strikes tore through the air, scattering rubble and debris across the battlefield.
Sonic and Neo's battle raged across the city, the sheer intensity of their clash leaving destruction in their wake. Both fighters were evenly matched, their strikes creating shockwaves that rippled through the streets. Despite Neo's slight edge in strength, he was still struggling against Sonic's speed and unpredictability.
Neo threw a powerful punch, but Sonic ducked, countering with a sharp uppercut before kicking Neo into a nearby building. Smirking confidently, Sonic taunted, "Is this all you've got?"
Neo leapt from the rubble, his crimson eyes glowing with fury. Grabbing Sonic by the face, he hissed, "Watch your mouth, hedgehog." With a burst of power, Neo slammed Sonic through a building, sending debris flying in every direction. He tossed Sonic aside like a ragdoll, but Sonic quickly sprang back to his feet, brushing himself off.
"So, you can talk, huh? Too bad it doesn't make you stronger than me," Sonic quipped.
Neo narrowed his eyes as Sonic charged at him in a spin dash. Anticipating the move, Neo caught Sonic mid-spin and delivered a punishing kick that sent him skidding across the pavement. Sonic, now visibly irritated, picked up speed. Neo followed suit, their movements blurring together as they clashed in a rapid exchange of blows.
Each strike was met with an equal force, creating shockwaves that shattered windows and sent bystanders running for cover. Neo unleashed an energy blast, but Sonic dodged it with ease. Neo appeared behind him, attempting to catch him off guard, but Sonic turned with a sly grin.
"Same trick isn't going to work twice, Tin Head!" Sonic quipped, spinning at blinding speed to deliver a powerful kick that sent Neo crashing into a building. Sonic didn't waste time, spin-dashing into Neo before he could recover.
Neo, caught off guard, took the full brunt of Sonic's attack. Standing over him, Sonic crossed his arms, a cocky smile on his face. "This is the guy Eggman's been hyping up? Pathetic."
Neo rose slowly, brushing off the rubble. A low laugh escaped him. "Don't get cocky, hedgehog. You haven't seen anything yet."
Sonic smirked, stepping back into a fighting stance. "Then show me what you've got!"
With that, the two opponents vanished in a blur of speed, leaving behind shocked spectators who could barely process the battle unfolding before their eyes.
Meanwhile, Amy was hard at work, smashing through Eggman's robots to create a safe path for citizens and police. Sweat dripped down her brow as she noticed another wave of robots approaching. Her heart sank—there were too many of them.
"I can't handle this alone. I need to get these people out of here fast," Amy thought, tightening her grip on her hammer.
Just as the robots closed in, a car came hurtling through the air, smashing into the mechanical army. Amy turned, startled, as Vector's booming voice echoed across the street.
"No need to worry, citizens! The Chaotix are here!" Vector declared, striking a heroic pose.
Amy sighed in relief, but her moment of respite was cut short when she felt a shadow loom over her. A massive robot raised its arm to crush her. Amy closed her eyes, bracing for impact, but it never came. Slowly opening her eyes, she saw Vector holding the robot's arm, straining against its immense weight.
"Espio, now!" Vector commanded.
With precision and speed, Espio struck the robot at its critical points, dismantling it in moments.
Vector turned to Amy. "Where's Sonic?" he asked.
Before Amy could answer, a deafening crash interrupted them. Neo came hurtling through the air, landing hard on the ground in front of them.
Neo staggered to his feet, muttering curses under his breath. He spotted Sonic standing in the distance and, with a growl of rage, leapt towards him. Grabbing Sonic by the neck, Neo dragged him through several buildings, their impact sending tremors through the city. Finally, Neo hurled Sonic into the ground, creating a crater upon impact.
The Chaotix stared in stunned silence, struggling to process the sheer brutality of the battle. Amy quickly snapped them out of it, shouting, "We need to evacuate the citizens now! Go!"
Nodding, the Chaotix sprang into action, helping guide the terrified citizens to safety as the battle between Sonic and Neo continued to escalate.
In the crater, Sonic lay battered but determined. Neo pinned him to the ground with his foot, his metallic gaze sharp and mocking.
"What happened, hedgehog?" Neo sneered. "Can't keep up with me?"
Sonic coughed but smirked defiantly. "That was just a lucky shot, Tin Head."
Neo's hand began to glow, a deadly charge building as he aimed it directly at Sonic's face.
"Let's see if your luck holds, then," Neo said coldly.
Just as the blast was about to fire, a powerful kick struck Neo, sending him hurtling into the rubble. Sonic blinked in surprise as Shadow stepped into view, his crimson eyes sharp and unwavering.
"You're late," Sonic said, grinning as he accepted Shadow's outstretched hand to get back on his feet.
"Looks like you've gotten sloppy, Sonic," Shadow retorted coolly, scanning the damage around them.
"Sloppy?" Sonic scoffed, brushing dust off himself. "I had him right where I wanted him!"
"Yeah, sure," Shadow replied with a sarcastic smirk. "I could see how well you were 'handling' it from a mile away."
Before Sonic could retort, Neo emerged from the rubble, brushing off debris like it was nothing. A low, mechanical chuckle escaped him as his gaze locked onto the two hedgehogs.
"So this is how it is now? You need backup to take me on?" Neo said, his voice dripping with mockery. "How pathetic."
Shadow stepped forward, his tone calm but dangerous. "You talk too much for someone who's about to lose."
Neo laughed darkly, his aura intensifying. "Let's see if two of you together can make a difference."
The air grew heavy with tension as Neo stood alone, his confidence unwavering against the Hero of Mobius and the Ultimate Lifeform. The battle was far from over.