Thank you all so much for reviewing and supporting the story folks! This is the next to last chapter of The Black Arms Arc, with one more remaining.

Enjoy!

Entry 77

The Last Story

''Go ahead and try to see through me. Do it if you dare (dare!)! One step forward two steps back, I'm here (One step forward, two steps back). Do it... do it... do it... DO IT! Can you see all of me? Walk into my mystery, step inside and hold on for dear life! Do you remember me? Capture you or set you free! I am all, I am all of me! I am, I am all of me! I am... I am, I'm all of me! I am... I am, I'm all of me! I am... I am, I'm all of me! (Here we go)!''

– I Am… All Of Me by Shadow The Hedgehog (NateWantsToBattle Cover)

xXxXxXx

''Wh-What happened here?!''

Loki was staring at the other side of the street, at the bodies lying below the underpass. While there were more of those purple and black masses covering the street and the buildings, there were no Black Arms, so he had no idea how those people ended up like that. He was about to run over to them to check on them, only for Lucas to suddenly grab his arm.

''Don't! It's too dangerous,'' he warned the wolf, who gave him a look of disbelief.

''What do you mean, 'it's dangerous'?'' he asked, only for confusion to vanish when he saw the grim look on Lucas' expression.

''Do you see that purple mist around that area?'' Lucas asked, pointing towards the underpass. Loki squinted, trying to make it out between the mass, only to notice fine wisps of some kind of purple mist-like substance floating around. ''If I remember correctly, this has to be the paralytic agent the Black Arms use to paralyze their victims. The only time I've seen it in use, it was on the Black Comet, but considering how they have transformed Neos City into something resembling the Black Comet, I'm not surprised that they would be able to use more of their weapons.''

''Then, what about them? Are they…?'' Loki didn't even want to finish his thought.

''They're only paralyzed. The Black Arms probably want to preserve them for later consumption,'' Lucas answered, shaking his head. ''We can't help them, not now. The only thing that we can do is to prevent the Death Leeches from eating them. They're the Black Arms larvae.'' Lucas was suddenly distracted by an incoming message, tapping on his AR Visor, reading it. His expression changed to that of determination as he closed the holographic screen. ''I need to leave now.'' His eyes started to glow in a neon blue as he called upon the residual Chaos Surge. ''All of this will be over soon.''

''I wish you guys good luck,'' Loki replied, with Lucas getting on his hoverboard, quickly leaving in a flash of blue.

xXx

Sonic's eyes widened in horror as he saw people lying on the ground in an alleyway, his instincts screaming to help them. He gritted his teeth, his quills bristling as he ran away, having already been well informed by Lucas about the paralytic agent that the Black Arms use to paralyze their victims. It was a horrible sight and he felt a sting of guilt for leaving them behind, but he had to continue. If he stayed behind, he would be also become paralyzed like them.

''I'm sorry that I can't help you, but once I find that Chaos Emerald, Neos City will be saved,'' Sonic muttered under his breath, speeding up as he followed the signal on his AR Visor. ''The Chaos Emerald should be close.''

Sonic realized that he was right in front of it, at least according to the signal as he entered an alleyway at a residential block close to Cosmo River. He furrowed a brow, looking up at the balconies and saw something green shimmering on one balcony. He took a few steps back, then quickly pinballed between the buildings, easily climbing up onto the balcony. He sighed in relief, glad to have found the green Chaos Emerald, picking it up and tossing it up and down in his hand, before taking a moment to observe it, the green gem reflecting his own emerald eyes.

He then placed it into his quills, followed by sending a quick message to Shadow and Lucas, telling them how he found the last Chaos Emerald and making sure his tracker was on so they could find them. Lucas wasn't too far away from what he saw if he used Chaos Surge, and Shadow was even closer, so Sonic chose to go to him first. Once they got all the Chaos Emeralds together, they could come up with a plan to finally defeat the Black Arms.

Sonic was about to get down from the balcony, when he suddenly felt a rumble. He held onto the balcony, staring at the dark red sky above. There was a sound of thundering that startled him, with cracks once more appearing on the sky when another vortex opened up. It was high above the city, but instead of being red with crackling energy, this one was dark, looking more like a black hole than anything else. Black and red fleshy vines spread outside it, covering the sky, with Sonic having a bad feeling about it. He had read the messages from Tails and Warren about there being another change in the environment, and assumed that this was what happened. He wasn't sure what this black vortex was, but he knew it was part of the AR Field.

Sonic then quickly leapt down from the balcony, running towards where Team Dark was.

xXx

Warren and Tails were startled by the sudden thundering noise, while Eggman grinned as he looked up at the dark vortex opening right above them.

''It has started,'' he said, turning to the teenager and the twin-tailed fox hovering beside him. ''The Black Comet will appear right above us, and so will the ARK. Hold on.''

Eggman pressed a button on the EggMobile, forcing another AR Field to open up right around them, with Tails and Warren looking around in sudden silence as a light blue barrier surrounded them. Much to their shock, their bodies suddenly started to dissipate into data particles, with both turning to Eggman. ''What- What is this?!''

''Calm down, it is just a way to transport us to the ARK,'' Eggman replied in a dismissive tone. His body and the EggMobile also broke into data particles. Warren and Tails exchanged glances, unsure if they should believe him, only for their vision to go dark.

Moments later, they were all gone.

xXx

Silver formed a barrier around himself as flames rose, Iblis attempting to engulf him in the fire. Silver gritted his teeth, pushing away the barrier from himself and towards Iblis, turning into into a cyan crescent blade that he swung like a scythe to slice through Iblis. The lava abomination rose its hand to block his attack, flames spewing out of the cut in its palm. Unfortunately, the wound quickly healed, with Iblis sending another wave of flames at Silver. The grey hedgehog managed to fly around them, only to get almost hit by a molten fireball.

Silver put his hands together, creating a barrier, his eyes widening in horror as he saw the cracks appearing on it, realizing that his cyan shield could only barely withstand such an attack. Fortunately, it did, with Silver flying once again back towards Iblis, lifting up a couple of cars and throwing it towards the lava monster. While Iblis managed to swipe one, the other vehicle hit it, followed by the cheers of those who watched this battle. Iblis stumbled back, but it was clearly not enough.

Mephiles sneered as he observed the battle, watching Silver trying to dodge another of Iblis' attacks. ''This time, the Iblis I had summoned is much stronger than the one I had summoned during my battle with Shadow.''

Truth to be told, his ability to summon Iblis, literally his other half, was something Mephiles had never expected to be capable of. According to the lore and his own backstory, he and Iblis were simply two halves of Solaris, and his task was to find Iblis to merge with it once again and spread chaos across the world or just destroy it outright. This situation was still new to both him and Toshiro, and while they both made some progress in regards to learning more about Mephiles' new ability, they were currently stuck as it was impossible for Mephiles and Iblis to merge in their current state.

Instead, they worked on perfecting Mephiles' ability to summon Iblis, since their attempt during their battle against Team Dark resulted in both Mephiles and Toshiro getting drained of almost all of their energy. However, after some practice, they had figured out how to summon it without getting worn-out by their efforts, meaning that Silver wasn't only fighting Iblis at it's full power, but Mephiles and Toshiro could also intervene if necessary.

But, that depends on if that intervention would be necessary. Mephiles thought, observing Silver as the latter lifted a street lamp that had been ripped out during the battle with his psychokinesis and used it as javelin, piercing through Iblis' chest. Unfortunately for the grey hedgehog, the street lamp started to melt as lava started to flow out of the wound, with Iblis ripping it out and the wound closing.

Silver gritted his teeth, realizing that this battle was going to be far more difficult for him than expected. He had already been given all of Makoto's BioEnergy via Chaos Surge in hopes to overpower Iblis and he wasn't going to let his partner down. Silver started to charge up energy once more, this time unleashing a barrage of cyan crescent blades towards Iblis, cutting through its body. Iblis emitted a shrill piercing roar when one of the blades struck the green eye on its forehead. Iblis swung its arm, almost hitting Silver who managed to dodge it just in time, only to get struck by the other and being sent flying into a building.

''Silver!'' Makoto cried out, but at this point, he couldn't do anything. While the Chaos Surge was still active, he couldn't use it as he and Silver would be completely drained. They were both tired from the constant battles against the Black Arms, having little to no break in-between the clashes, and neither of them expected Iblis out of all people to appear and fight them. Makoto could only hope that his own reserves of BioEnergy would be enough, forcing just a little bit more to fuel Silver's power.

Fortunately, it worked, as Silver recovered, covering Iblis' arm in cyan energy and then twisting it backwards as if he was trying to snap it like a twig. Iblis let out a roar, unleashing a burst of flames, but the grey hedgehog was already gone, suddenly rushing towards the lava monster, both of his hands glowing cyan as orbs of energy formed inside them. He then appeared right in front of Iblis, firing both orbs of energy, which swirled and hit Iblis directly in the green eye on its forehead.

The grey hedgehog was forced to cover his ears as an ear-shattering roar of anguish and pain pierced the air, with Iblis flailing as it attempted to hit Silver. The grey hedgehog flew away as far as possible, getting out of the lava monster's reach, only to be forced to suddenly dodge flaming meteors. He formed another barrier, but this one was much weaker, with the meteors breaking the barrier and passing right past Silver and towards Makoto and the Babylon Rogues.

''Watch out!'' Silver screamed.

Chase grabbed the weakened Makoto, with the Babylon Rogues quickly scattering on their hoverboards, using the nearby buildings as shields and dodging the falling debris. Silver stared at them in dismay, aware that he needed to end this battle as soon as possible, but in his current condition, it would be difficult, if not nearly impossible. He had managed to discover Iblis' weakness, his green eye on his forehead, but it wasn't much of use to him if he couldn't get a good hit on it, especially if Iblis' response to getting injured was to retaliate with an attack that would endanger everyone in the area, not just Silver.

Silver clenched his fist and charged once more towards Iblis, sending another vehicle flying towards the lava monster and hitting it in the chest. It stumbled, with Silver deciding to use this moment of distraction, only for Iblis to suddenly recover and close its hands around Silver.

''Silver!'' Makoto cried out in despair, being held back by Chase as he attempted to break free and get his partner. He stopped when he heard a cold laughter, spotting Mephiles emerging from a black hole next to Iblis.

''Did you really believe that we would fall for the same trick?'' Mephiles taunted, staring at Iblis' clasped hands, certain that victory was his. ''I expected more from the so-called savior from the future.''

Then, beams of cyan lights suddenly started to flow through the cracks between Iblis' hands, stunning both Mephiles and Iblis. The lava monster attempted to keep its hands closed, only for a burst of psychic energy pushing them apart with Silver emerging out of the cyan light. His eyes were glowing as he glared at Mephiles and Iblis, sending a wave of psychic energy towards them with one swipe of his hand. This time, it was Mephiles who countered, firing back with a wave of fire, both of which collided in a massive explosion. Before the smoke could even settle, Silver went down flying, his eyes closed. He would've hit the ground if it weren't for Jet flying up, managing to grab him and get away from Mephiles and Iblis.

''Do you think you can do that again?'' Jet asked, having taken note of Silver's chest heaving with difficulty. It was obvious that the grey hedgehog was close to his limit and that one more burst of energy like this would be the end of him. ''Yeah, that's not going to work.''

''I can't… rest now…'' Silver's breath was shallow as he feebly held onto Jet's waist, standing behind him on the hoverboard. Jet turned the hoverboard around, with Silver's eyes narrowing as he glared at Mephiles and Iblis. ''If I could just hit his eye once more…''

''If you're gonna do it, make it count,'' Jet replied, only to avoid almost getting torched by a stream of fire Iblis fired. The green hawk shot a glare towards the lava monster, fist clenched as he shouted furiously, ''Hey, what's the big idea?!'' That response was returned with another stream of fire, forcing Jet to keep on flying around, smirking as he easily avoided the attacks. ''Ha, you're too slow for The Legendary Wind Master!''

He waved at his teammates, with Storm waving back, while Wave just facepalmed. Their human partners were more concerned with Jet's antics, even more when Iblis launched another attack, this one knocking both of them off the hoverboard.

''Great job, Legendary Wind Master,'' Silver snarked, shooting Jet an irritated look. Before the hawk could even respond, both were alerted by Iblis suddenly moving towards them, clearly going for the final strike.

''This isn't over yet!''

Nobody could process the sheer absurdity of what happened next, seeing only a massive blue, heavily-armed mechanical dragon slamming straight into Iblis and knocking it down. The mechanical dragon then flew up, presenting himself in his glory. He had two red eyes with black sclera lined up vertically on his head, razor sharp teeth, as well as several long spikes on his upper body and many smaller ones running down his back and his long, curved tail. He has a flamethrower as his right hand, and his left hand had four fingers with claws, but he had no legs. On his lower body were also a pair of mechanical wings, with several cables hanging from the bottom of his body.

''Let me show you just what I'm made of!''

Metal Overlord roared, his voice shaking the ground and striking a sudden sense of fear into everyone who saw and heard him. Makoto, Silver and the Babylon Rogues were in complete shock when they slowly realized who had joined the battle, while Mephiles felt a sense of rage slowly growing inside him as he realized that this battle would have another player.

''What are you doing?!''

''We're taking over now!'' The group stared at the mechanical dragon's head as a human climbed on top of his shoulder, that person being none other than Ferra. ''Metal was itching to join this battle and showcase his new form!''

''Don't tell me that we'll have to fight Metal Overlord now!'' Arven shouted in disbelief.

''I don't think they're here to fight us. They're going after Iblis,'' Makoto responded, allowing himself a sense of relief. Despite having a bunch of questions in regards to Neo Metal Sonic skipping his Metal Madness stage and going straight into Metal Overlord (Master Overlord clearly not being viable due to the lack of Master Emerald), it wasn't an unwelcome sight. Metal Overlord was incredibly powerful, and he hoped that he would be enough to defeat Iblis.

Meanwhile, Metal Overlord faced Iblis, with Ferra quickly getting off his shoulder via her hoverboard to not get caught in the crossfire and flew towards the group, observing their stunned looks with a smug smile. ''Metal wanted to keep this form a secret and show it to Sonic when their next confrontation happened, but after we saw Iblis appear, we realized we'd have to bring it out now.''

''You know, I'm glad that you're on our side,'' Makoto admitted.

''Wrong – I'm not on your side and neither is Metal,'' Ferra replied. ''Dr. Eggman just wants to stop anyone who is trying to destroy Neos City, and we believe that Iblis is enough of a concern that needs to be dealt with.''

''Iblis can be destroyed,'' Silver said, him and Jet walking up to the group. ''However, I need to get as close to it as possible.''

''Do you think that you'd still have enough power to end Iblis for good?'' Ferra asked, with Makoto and Silver exchanging glances.

Then, they both gave a firm nod, with Silver responding, ''We have to do it for the safety of our future.''

''Fine. Metal Overlord and I will clear the way for you,'' Ferra replied, turning her gaze to the current Kaiju battle.

Iblis fired a stream of fire towards Metal Overlord, who, despite his size, was surprisingly nimble. He flew up, out of Iblis' reach, suddenly firing a rapid barrage of crystal pillars towards Iblis. The lava monster melted some of them, but Metal Overlord manipulated the pillars to encircle it, restricting Iblis' movements, then swiped down at Iblis with his electrified tail, managing to knock it back, but not before Iblis send fireballs after him. Metal Overlord managed to block the attack, any damage to his body being barely noticable.

''So much for the Flames of Disaster!'' Metal Overlord taunted, just when he got a message from Ferra. He processed it, now determined to follow the command she gave – restrain Iblis and clear the path for her and Silver. He fired another crystal spear, piercing Iblis' chest and burrowing it into the ground, with Iblis being stuck being bowed backwards, only for its insides to slowly melt the crystal spear away. Spotting Ferra on her hoverboard, with Silver standing behind her, Metal Overlord launched the spikes on his back as homing missiles to distract Iblis, who was no flailing wildly like a caged animal. This appeared to do the trick, because Iblis seemed to have become disoriented by the missiles, launching fireballs at the crystal pillars surrounding it.

''It's now or never,'' Ferra told Silver, who nodded, his eyes once again glowing cyan as he gathered all of his energy. They flew up right above Iblis, with Metal Overlord shielding them from any of its attacks. Silver then leapt up, holding his hand above his head as a giant spear made out of cyan energy appeared.

''It's no use!'' he told Iblis, the spear growing even bigger as he charged up. ''Be it past, present or future, I will destroy you!''

Silver then launched the spear directly into Iblis head, piercing through its green eye. Iblis let out an unholy screech as it flailed in desperation, but Silver pushed the spear further, the lava monster's head bursting into flames, followed by the rest of its body. Wisps of embers floated in the air, getting extinguished until nothing more but data particles remained, and even those eventually vanished… save for one.

Silver could only make out a small flame floating down before darkness enveloped him. The last thing he remembered was someone crying out for him and falling into the abyss, completely drained.

''Silver…''

Unknown to the grey hedgehog, he had been caught by Metal Overlord before he could hit the ground. The mechanical dragon then suddenly turned his head when he saw Toshiro flying towards the remaining flame, grabbing it and disappearing as quickly as possible. He growled, well aware that Toshiro and Mephiles were probably planning something, but at this point, it would be futile to pursue either of them. He turned to Ferra, who gave him a thumbs up, and they then turned to the rest of the group. Chase was supporting Makoto, who was clearly close to fainting, the Chaos Surge having been deactivated. The teenager was struggling to stay awake, worried about his partner. Metal Overlord placed Silver on the ground close to them, with Chase helping Makoto to his partner.

''Hey, hey, Silver, wake up…'' Makoto was on his knees, breathing heavily as he placed Silver's head into his lap.

''He should be fine after a long rest, but I don't recommend you going after the Black Arms in this state,'' Ferra said, trying to sound nonchalant, but she did feel a little concerned about their condition.

To everyone's relief, it took a bit, but Silver eventually stirred, managing to open his eyes and smile. ''I… did it… Iblis is… gone.''

''Yeah, you're right,'' Makoto said, smiling in relief.

''I hate to be the messenger of bad news, but I don't think that it's time to celebrate yet,'' Ferra suddenly said, drawing everyone's attention. ''If Mephiles had access to Iblis this whole time, why didn't they merge yet into Solaris?''

''Maybe they couldn't? Only because they exist in the real world doesn't have to mean that they'd follow game logic,'' Rika pointed out.

''I don't know. The current situation follows a lot of the game logic,'' Ferra replied, pointing at the dark vortex that had opened during the battle. No one payed attention to it due to being too busy fighting against one half of a fire and time deity.

Makoto and Silver's smiles faded, replaced by a grim look as they stared at the crimson sky.

xXx

''Shadow!''

Sonic waved at Team Dark, the green Chaos Emerald glimmering in his hand. He came to a halt in front of them, holding up the Chaos Emerald confidently. ''One Chaos Emerald, as promised.''

''I have managed to secure the other one, meaning that we have all of the Chaos Emeralds,'' Shadow said, extending his hand and trying to ignore Rouge as she fawned over the Chaos Emerald, her eyes wide and sparking in excitement. He rolled his eyes. ''Rouge, we're on a mission.''

''Could I at least hold it for a moment?'' Rouge asked, reaching for the Chaos Emerald in Sonic's hand, only for Sonic to pull it back.

''Sorry, Rouge, but Shadow needs this more,'' Sonic told her, grabbing Shadow's hand and pressing the Chaos Emerald into his palm. Rouge sighed, placing her hands on her hips.

''I know, I know… Stopping the alien invasion is much more important,'' she said. ''But, what's the plan?''

Shadow gazed down at the green Chaos Emerald, which started to glow and float just above his cupped hands. He could sense its power, and combined with the other Chaos Emerald, he could use this very power to finally eradicate all of the Black Arms for good. He was so close to saving Touka, the feeling of elation almost overwhelming his mind at the thought of it.

Then, everything became dark and his senses went numb.

''Shadow… You have succeeded…''

''Black Doom…'' Shadow whispered, realizing the voice was in his head.

''The promised time is nigh upon us, Shadow. You may defy me still, but you will bring me the Chaos Emeralds. Annihilation for this planet is near; it is time to embrace the dawn of your demise and despair.''

The Chaos Emerald fell out of Shadow's hands as he clutched his head, the darkness and coldness vanishing as suddenly as it appeared. Shadow could hear someone call for him, the voice sounding more like an echo. Someone was shaking him, and it took Shadow a moment to come back to his senses, realizing that Sonic was holding his shoulders firmly, trying to wake him up from this nightmare.

''Shadow, are you okay?'' Sonic asked, relief washing over him when he saw Shadow reacting to his voice. The dark hedgehog's eyes were wide in shock, as if he had experienced something incredibly spine-chilling and unearthly, and Sonic had a good idea what it might've been.

''Black Doom knows that I have all seven Chaos Emeralds,'' Shadow said, his words sending a sudden chill down everyone's spines. He then looked up at the dark vortex above, the fleshy vines pulsing as if they were some kind of living being. ''He wants me to bring them to the Black Comet.'' He lowered his head, then gave Sonic a determined gaze. ''I have no choice, but to follow his order, at least until I find Touka. However, I will do everything in my power to make sure he never gets his hands on them, but if he does… If he takes control over me, you need to take them and go Super in order to destroy the Black Comet.''

''What are you talking about, Shadow?'' Sonic asked, giving Shadow a soft smile. He picked up the Chaos Emerald, placing it once again in Shadow's hands, cupping his own over his and holding them up. ''You yourself said that you wanted to bring an end to Black Doom and Black Arms with your own hands. Why are you doubting yourself now?'' Shadow didn't answer, his head lowering as he gazed down and his ears pinning back. He knew that Sonic was right, but there was still fear in his heart. Despite his conviction, it was something he still needed to overcome. To Shadow's surprise, Sonic suddenly leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on the top of his forehead. Shadow looked up at him, only to be met with a joyful grin. ''Heh, consider this a good luck charm against Black Doom's brainwashing. I told you already, you're too stubborn to fall for that.''

Shadow couldn't help but smile at Sonic's attempts at cheering him up, no matter how silly they tended to be. Unfortunately, their moment was interrupted by a loud gasp, leaving both hedgehogs startled.

''Ooooooh!'' Rouge placed both hands over her mouth, staring at the two in disbelief. ''Shadow, you didn't tell me that you two are together!''

''I didn't believe that was necessary,'' Shadow grumbled, feeling a little embarrassed, while Sonic just snickered, finding some amusement in this whole situation.

''It was obvious that they are mates,'' Omega said, drawing everyone's attention. ''Sonic and Shadow have engaged multiple times in courting rituals typical for hedgehogs, which includes constant circling and rhythmic snorting and puffing. My data base doesn't include it, but I assume they also incorporated fighting into their courting ritual as a more personalized sign of affection.''

Shadow lowered his head into his palm as he wondered if he could ask Black Doom to erase his memories of this moment. Sonic, on the other hand, was interrogated by Rouge.

''You and I need to talk, Blue. I want ALL of the juicy details of your relationship,'' she said, leaving Sonic a little flustered as he scratched his cheek, giving her a sheepish smile.

''Well, I don't…''

''He's not telling you anything, and neither am I,'' Shadow growled, glaring at Rouge as he stepped in front of Sonic protectively. Rouge just gave him a knowing smile, genuinely glad to see him a bit more aggressive, even if it was directed towards his own teammate. It was definitely an improvement from what he felt just moments earlier.

''We'll see. Who else knows about your relationship?'' she asked.

''Lucas and Touka, but I doubt they'll tell you anything,'' Sonic replied. Rouge just kept smiling, arms folded across her chest when she turned her head towards a flash of blue coming towards them.

''Speaking of which…'' she muttered, with Lucas halting right in front of them, the neon blue light in his eyes fading away as he got off his hoverboard.

''Are you guys okay?'' he asked.

''Yeah, we are! We got the Chaos Emeralds, and we're ready to kick some alien ass,'' Sonic said confidently. Lucas nodded, turning to Shadow.

''Would it be possible for you to teleport all of us to the Black Comet?'' he asked.

''Yes, but Black Doom might be alerted of your presence,'' Shadow replied.

''Wait, what about the rest of Team Neos?'' Rouge asked. Lucas shook his head.

''I asked them, but the only response I got was to go ahead without them while they still keep holding off the Black Arms. Warren and Tails are also working on a way to completely destroy the Black Comet,'' he explained. The group nodded, turning to Shadow.

He lifted up the green Chaos Emerald, with six more lights emerging and circling around him as he looked up at the dark vortex above, at the pulsing fleshy vines that covered the sky, knowing that it would lead him to the Black Comet – to Black Doom and Touka.

''Chaos Control!''

xXx

Eclipse walked through the Black Comet, trying to be as silent as possible. His heart was beating rapidly, and he feared that Black Doom might hear it. He had already blocked any mental communication with his father, meaning that Black Doom wouldn't be able to read his mind unless he forced through the mental barrier. The little alien hoped that his leader would be too busy with keeping an eye on Shadow and coordinate the invasion to even think about checking on him, but fate seemed to have a twisted sense of humour, because Eclipse ran right into Black Doom.

''F-Father!'' Eclipse was startled, realizing that the worst case scenario was about to happen. The leader of the Black Arms hummed in interest, giving Eclipse a curious look.

''Haven't I sent you to confront Shadow? Don't tell me that you failed again?'' Black Doom inquired, his red eyes glowing as he stared at Eclipse. Eclipse lowered his head, clenching his fists as he trembled under Black Doom's intense gaze. ''Why don't you let me in your mind? I'm curious to see what had happened.''

''I-I have failed to defeat Shadow. I am ashamed to show you how that happened. There is nothing more to it,'' Eclipse replied, hoping that this would be enough to convince Black Doom not to invade his mind.

''I see…'' Black Doom floated past Eclipse, taking note of the little alien sighing in relief and turned to his so-called son, extending his hand. Immediately, Eclipse cried out in pain, doubling over as he was met by a sudden headache. He pressed his hands against his head, feeling as if something was tearing through every fibre of his mind, breaking down the barrier he had placed. His memories were now open to Black Doom to sift through, with Eclipse suddenly feeling a sense of rage coursing through his body. He was shaking as he turned to Black Doom, aware that his father was furious once he learned Eclipse lost the red Chaos Emerald to Shadow.

Then, Eclipse screamed. His senses were overwhelmed with agony, as if he was being stabbed my thousands of red-hot knives, tearing through him deeper and deeper, slicing his nerves and burning his body. It was as if his whole being was shredded apart, even if there was no damage on his physical body.

''Please, please- I-'' Eclipse fell on his knees, crying and writhing in despair.

''Not only have you failed me again, but you also attempted to hide from me that you had lost a Chaos Emerald,'' Black Doom said, his voice laced with anger. ''Perhaps, I should remove your individuality so you might actually follow my orders properly.''

''I- I'm sorry…'' Eclipse panted, the searing pain lessening. ''I-I'll do anything-''

''Then, you'll be the one to welcome Shadow on the Black Comet. He has already gathered all of the Chaos Emeralds and is on his way here,'' Black Doom said. Eclipse stared at his father, too stunned and too weak to even speak. It wasn't necessary, as Black Doom was well aware of his thoughts. ''You shouldn't have doubted the determination and competence of my masterpiece. Shadow is a creation of mine greater than you will ever be.''

The alien warlord laughed darkly, leaving to prepare for the final confrontation. Eclipse felt cold, the pain having vanished. However, he didn't care anymore about it as something far more concerning was left etched in his mind.

Black Doom made it clear to him that he wouldn't care if Shadow destroyed him then and there.

Eclipse gritted his teeth, getting up and wiping the trail of tears from his cheek, running towards where he was instructed to go – the very chamber Touka was at.

''Eclipse?''

Eclipse was startled by Touka suddenly calling out for him and he felt disgusted by the look of pity she gave him.

''Stop looking at me like that!'' Eclipse shouted at her furiously. Touka, however, was undaunted. Truth to be told, Eclipse didn't remember her ever showing any fear of the Black Arms in general, only defiance.

''He hurt you, didn't he?'' Touka responded, her tone calm and gentle. Eclipse's tail flicked as he showed her an uncertain look. He hated how easily she read him. It was as if she too was part of the hive mind and knew exactly what was going through his head. He ignored it.

''Shadow is coming for you. He'll be here soon,'' Eclipse told her, anger rising inside him again when he saw the look of surprise and relief on Touka's expression. Her smile vanished when he added, ''I won't let him leave with you. You won't let you take my brother away.''

''So, you're going to fight him,'' Touka stated, her expression grim. Eclipse nodded.

''Black Doom's orders. He-'' He stopped himself, shaking his head. ''We won't let Shadow abandon the Black Arms.'' He looked at Touka, his eyes narrowed. He knew that he wasn't strong enough to defeat Shadow and that he blew his chance with the Chaos Emerald, but he was also aware that there was one more power source he could take advantage of. When Black Doom read his memories, Eclipse caught flashes of Black Doom's and he now knew what the alien warlord's plans were for Touka. He walked up towards Touka, holding up his hand as high as possible and pressing it against her chest, sensing her BioEnergy. ''If Black Doom already wants me to fight Shadow once more, then I'll do it with all the power I have, even if it includes absorbing your BioEnergy.''

Touka gasped in shock as she felt her own BioEnergy rapidly draining, whimpering as she struggled against her restraints in a feeble attempt to free herself. However, it didn't take long for her to slump over, unconscious, while Eclipse stepped back, taking a look at his own clawed hand. All of his injuries were healed and he felt a surge of power spreading through his body. The sensation was incredible, similar to the power of the Chaos Emerald, but at the same time, it felt more natural.

Eclipse clenched his fist, his eyes narrowing as his attention was suddenly drawn by the bright flash of orange light in the room and the dark figure standing across him. He grinned.

''Welcome home, brother.''