Chapter 13: Showdown-Part 1

Knothole

Tails swung the backpack strap over his shoulder, running out into the open field, and weaving through the tight crowd. The whole camp was in a scramble, preparing equipment and spare vehicles. Sally conducted, to the best of her ability, the swarm of fighters, making sure everyone was ready to move out once they were given the word. The fox made it to the end of the horde, stumbling into Sonic and Knuckles, who were waiting on the edge of Knothole's borders. "Sorry I'm late!" Tails made sure the straps on his pack were fastened. Knuckles took a closer look at the backpack, noting how bulky and enormous it was compared to the little fox.

"I thought we were traveling light?" Knuckles asked. "We only need the essentials."

"These are the essentials," Tails said, as he quickly unbuckled the pack, opening it up for the two to peer in as the fox dug through the mess compacted inside. Most of it was technical junk, and for what purpose they had, Sonic and Knuckles did not know. "I made sure everything here was a necessity." Tails closed the bag and put it back on his shoulders.

"If you say so," Sonic shrugged. The hedgehog's ears perked up as he saw Sally push through the crowd to them. "Everything all set?" He asked as he waited for Sally to catch her breath.

"Just about. Are you sure you three want to go alone? Give me a little more time, and I will get another squad to join you."

"No need," Sonic responded, full of confidence. "It's best we get a move on. Don't want Robotnik beating us to the punch, do we?" Sally gave Sonic a stern look, one with an underlying concern. "Don't worry, it's just a simple search and retrieval."

"Nothing we do ever ends simple." Sally sighed. "Just…give us a call if you need a response team, and try not to get injured again." Sally walked back into the mob of fighters, leaving the three to their own devices. Knuckles cracked his neck and he started to tread down the woodland trail. Sonic and Tails soon caught up as their pace increased. The fox reached into the side of the backpack, pulling out a compressed version of the Chaos Radar. A blip appeared on the screen, allowing Tails to point out to the other two which direction to go. The three suddenly ran at blazing speeds, leaving Knothole behind.

However, someone was watching their trail closely, as Rouge carefully followed their path from above. She smiled brightly and sharply, activating her transmitter as she established contact with her employer. "It's me again. I have a lead."

Robotropolis: War Room

The lights were out as the scarlet hue of the Phantom Ruby emanated brightly through a glass capsule. Robotnik had his goggles on, increasing the output through a few knobs on the control panel, generating a surge of energy from the Phantom Ruby. The abrupt shift of energy brought out a violent response from the gem, as tools, chairs, and even Snively lost all sense of gravity. "Sir!" Snively whimpered as he flailed his arms in the air. "That's too much! You'll fry the equipment!"

"Nonsense!" Robotnik snapped back as he held on to the control panel, unphased by the change in gravity as his legs drifted into the air. He kept pushing the limits of the ruby, increasing the gauge on the panel to provoke another reaction out of it. All of a sudden, the bright glow of the ruby died, allowing gravity to return as Snively fell on his butt on the hard metal floor. Everything went dark until the lights sparked back to life. Robotnik moved his goggles back on his forehead, both pleased and disappointed by the results.

"What happened?" Snively cautiously approached the capsule. "Did you overload it?"

"No…" Robotnik spoke in a low voice. "I made it submit." The round man removed the capsule from the socket connecting it to the control panel, placing the gemstone in a reinforced storage compartment. "I need test subjects. The only way to proceed now is to experiment with the ruby's capabilities via a host."

"I can bring up a few spare Swatbots."

"Don't bother. I need something…more."

"Are you suggesting we test on organic matter? I don't think we have enough to work with."

Robotnik glared at Snively, causing him to whimper in fear as the imposing figure stood before him. He grabbed Snively by the collar, lifting him to his rotten mouth. "Then find some." Robotnik tossed the stunted human to the end of the room, where the blast door opened, revealing Shadow. The ebony hedgehog watched as Snively scurried past him. He almost felt bad for him…almost. "You took your time getting here."

"I didn't come to hear you waste my time. Get down to business."

"Very well," Robotnik returned to the center of the room, sitting on his throne as he looked down upon Shadow. "I've received word from my informant. Apparently, those pesky freedom fighters have constructed a means of locating the Chaos Emeralds."

"Sounds like bad news." Shadow mildly teased Robotnik, trying to infuriate him.

"It was," Instead, Robotnik couldn't help but grin. "Until my informant gave word of a search party heading to one of the emeralds as we speak. She has their trail, and will be ready to intercept them as soon as they find the emerald for us." Robotnik's gaze randomly moves past Shadow, filled with delight as he spots someone else. "Ah, Omega, how good it is for you to join us." Shadow was caught off guard as he just now noticed the behemoth of metal standing behind him.

"You summoned me?" The murder bot spoke.

"Yes, I have a task for the both of you." Both Shadow and Omega exchanged glances, narrowly eyeing each other with distrust. "I'd like for you two to meet up with my informant, establish contact, and ensure that the Chaos Emerald makes it back here."

"You're sending us?" Shadow questioned. "Seems a little overkill."

"I'd normally agree, but a certain blue hedgehog will be there, and this time, I expect more promising results from you."

Shadow and Omega were soon dismissed, leaving the both of them wandering through the corridors as they were headed to their transport. Shadow looked out the murky windows, spotting the kingdom's old laboratory once again. Once more, he was reminded of that night of betrayal, the fateful turn that cemented Robotnik's unyielding hold over the world. It all happened right there: a place that brought together many friends–many faces lost to the hedgehog. And after his most recent conversation with Maria, Shadow's realization of his misdeeds left him in a state of dispute. "You seem to know the lady very well," Omega commented out of nowhere.

Shadow was in no mood to humor the bot's observation, simply stating, "What's it to you?" He said while making eye contact, but Omega was all too invested to let this conversation slide.

"I was assigned to look over her and prevent any trouble from coming her way, and I was told by Robotnik that it would be you." Omega's monotone voice seemingly started to spike with curiosity. "Yet the other night, she was relaxed around you, at ease. What did you say? How did you fool her into trusting you?"

Shadow scoffed, "Maria's not one to be fooled."

"Then you conspire," Omega said. "Do you believe her to be trapped? Do you believe in the delusion that she does, that she believes to be locked in a cage? She has never been safer under Robotnik's supervision."

"Why do you care what she feels?" Shadow darted his eyes into Omega's. "You're just a machine. You have no semblance of free will. This urge you have to protect her, it's just a program. It's not real." Shadow continued forward as Omega briefly stood in place. Through its hollow visage, a hint of doubt sparked within the bot. Omega lifted his hand, staring into his sharp claws, meant for eviscerating his targets. He then looked back at Shadow, recalling how Maria stood by him without an ounce of fear. The bot tried to compute why she felt safe around him, knowing of the destruction the hedgehog could cause. Omega resumed his path, catching up to Shadow as the two were bound to leave the city.

Sand Hill

The dunes enveloped the vast outskirts beyond the lush landscape of the forest. Time measured by pillars of sand sifting through old ruins. A barren society, lost in the past, but now discovered once more. Sonic and Knuckles slid down one of the mounds, stumbling into the collection of rundown relics. The blue blur trotted along, wiping his hand against the columns made from sandstone. "You know, if I were a betting man, I'd say an all-powerful treasure is buried under here."

Knuckles ignored Sonic, setting his eyes across the architecture of the ruins. Something about them irked his mind. However, something else was even more pressing to him. "Hey, where's the kid?"

"I'm coming!" Sonic and Knuckles turned to the mound they came from, watching Tails slowly topple over the peak, and scurry to the bottom. His fur was drenched in his own sweat, and his breath was dry. "I'm here, I'm here!" He gasped as he reached into his bag, tossing out a plethora of gadgets that hit the sand. The fox haphazardly grabbed a canteen and slammed it down his throat. "What's up?"

"Do you have the radar?" Knuckles asked. "Are we close to the signature?" Tails brushed off the radar, which was one of the devices that sank briefly in the sand. Luckily, no damage was apparent, as Tails booted the screen to life. He took a quick gander at their location and that of the nearest Chaos signal.

"We got a few more klicks to the south." The fox assured.

"You heard him, let's go." Sonic readied to leave, same with Knuckles, but Tails was less thrilled to go on the move so soon.

"We're going now?" He asked anxiously.

"Is that ok?" Sonic asked back. "We can take a break if you want." Tails, instead, got right back on his feet, washing away any visible concern on his face.

"No, you're right. No time to waste." The fox was the first to get moving, rotating his tails to propel him forward as the other soon caught up. Sonic quickly glanced at Tails without the fox noticing. He saw a strained look beneath his enthusiastic demeanor. If it wasn't already clear to him before, he knew now that Tails was winded. Perhaps it was the ginormous backpack he was carrying, or perhaps it was the long-distance travel. Either way, Tails had been putting a huge toll on his body.

Their travels were accompanied by more relics of the past. An ever-increasing sign of a large civilization came to their minds. A culture, possibly forever lost. The three came across a large temple, where Tails indicated to the others that they were now in range of the signal. Knuckles started to concentrate, numbing his other senses to focus on one. The echidna then opened his eyes, blistering with determination. "I sense something." He said. "It's beyond this passage." Sonic approached the large stone gateway, placing his hands against it as he attempted to push it open, but nothing budged.

"Let me handle this." Tails scavenged through his gear again, plopping more into the grainy sand as he was in a frantic search for the right tool. "Give me a second, I know it's in here." Knuckles, on the other hand, decided to do things his way. He walked up to the towering door, placing his palm on the center. He took a deep breath, then rapidly pushed forward with all his strength. The gateway started to move, breaking free from the granulated crust that formed in its seams. Eventually, the way inside was just ahead.

"Door's open." Knuckles stepped inside, followed by Sonic, as Tails was left stunned at the entrance. The fox looked around himself, staring at his eccentric gizmos lying in the soft sand. He hadn't used one of them since they started their voyage, and every time he thought he had an opportunity to use them, his friends proved his efforts fruitless due to their innate powers. Tails suddenly felt that there wasn't much of a point to what he brought, other than to guide the stronger members of their team to their destination. He left his backpack slanted against the temple's wall, leaving it as he ventured inside, finding no purpose to it now.

As they explored the ruined temple, Knuckles was intrigued by the framework. Something about it was familiar. He eyed one of the walls, illuminated by a single torch, where he spotted a mural in an oddly absorbed way. The style of its illustration, and its crystal-like design, brought forth a deep sense of nostalgia within the echidna. "This place…" Knuckles palmed the mural. "It reminds me of my home. But this shouldn't be possible. We only ever settled upon our island. Were there more tribes guarding the emeralds?"

Tails also investigated the structuring of the temple, seeing multiple eroded patches with moldy-like residue, which allowed him to discern a rather particular discovery. "This is water damage. Almost looks like the whole place was flooded." Tails then recalled the rest of the ruins and relics. "I saw something like this outside too. But how did so much water get carried through here?"

Just then, something caught Knuckles' attention. His eyes narrowed as he split from the group, approaching the end of the chamber. "Maybe they were attacked," Sonic speculated.

"But it looks like this whole town got swept up. What could've done all this?" Tails said.

"The fathomless serpent." Knuckles blurted as Sonic and Tails looked at him. They trailed his gaze to another mural. Inscribed was a large snake-like creature, one with the raging water that ravaged the lands. Knuckles began to recite an old tale that he remembered one of his elders spoke of. "A herald of cruel nature, unbound, and unaligned. It takes all indiscriminate in its jaws of dark waves. The end of all life, and the beginning of Chaos."

"Woah," Sonic was in awe of the mural, recalling seeing a similar beast visualized in the shrine underground. "Is that what happened here?"

"Chaos is just a legend. Its havoc incarnate, meant to signify the imbalance of our world. It doesn't exist."

"You sure?" Sonic asked, skeptical of the echidna's claims. "Then what do make of all this wreck?"

"If Chaos manifested, then we would not be around to see it." Knuckles' words weighed heavily as he moved away from the mural, stepping down a flight of stairs as the three got back on track.

Nearby, outside the temple's grounds, Shadow and Omega have arrived. They peered over the dunes, awaiting contact from Robotnik's informant. Yet, despite being at the right coordinates, no one was to be seen. Shadow mumbled, "Where are they?"

"Could we be early?" Omega asked.

"No, if anything, we're late." Shadow grew increasingly suspicious as he started to inspect the surrounding area. He saw in the sands an ever-repeating pattern as the wind blew through–undisturbed and uninterrupted. In a way, it reminded him of the ARK. The view was unchanging, the stars in stasis along the black canvas of space. If there ever was a change in the scenery, Shadow would know it, no question, which was why he became wary as he spotted an irregular shift in the sand as the gusts made their descent.

Shadow took a step closer, looking down at what could clearly be seen as a lump in the sand. He drove his hand through and snagged something, pulling it out instantly. "Huh?" A woman's voice arose as the grains of sand fell off a person's body. Shadow scowled as he was holding onto Rouge. The bat was shocked to have been found out. "Oh, you guys finally arrived."

"You must be the informant." Shadow plopped Rouge back on her feet. "What were you doing under there?"

"Trying not to draw attention from our targets. I've been following them for a while and I would rather not blow my cover yet. But here you are, so I guess there's no more point in hiding" Rouge then poked Shadow's chest. "You must be Shadow, the Ultimate Lifeform. I've heard a lot about you."

"Good for you." Shadow crossed his arms. "Have they found the emerald yet?"

"Cutting to the chase, I see. Very well," Rouge smirked as she overviewed the temple from above. "I suspect it'll be soon. They've been in there a little under an hour."

"Then let's set up the ambush," Shadow walked past Rouge, sliding down the dunes as Omega followed closely. Rouge, intrigued by the mystery that was Shadow, flew near his shoulder.

"So, is it true you lived in space?"

"I expect you already know the answer." Shadow shut down the question immediately, which only motivated Rouge to pry further.

"Well, c'mon, humor me. It's not every day you meet an antique such as yourself." Rouge causally flipped upside down, holding her arms behind her head as she continued to fly. "What's it like being amongst the stars?"

"There aren't as many distractions," Shadow boosted down the mound, leaving her in the dust as he reached the flat end of the desert.

"You're no fun," She teased. Rouge caught up to him as she landed on his left. "And here I thought we would make excellent conversation." Just then, Omega reached their position, joining in on their banter.

"I too can converse." He said. "This desert is interesting. Would you like to know how many grains of sand are here?" Omega's eyes flashed as his systems tried to calculate the incalculable number. "Error. I am sorry, but my automatic processors have failed to compute the exact number. Starting manual count. One…Two…Three…"

"Can we focus?" Shadow sharply spoke.

"Relax, will you?" Rouge responded. "All we have to do is wait until they bring us the emerald." Shadow dismissed the notion, as he was more keen on getting immediate results than chatting. He stomped closer to the emerald, which was when Rouge started to have enough. She swiftly stepped behind him, grabbing his arm to stop him. "You really don't listen, do you?"

"I'm not leaving this up to chance. I'll get the emerald myself if I have to."

"You don't know what's down there. I'll admit, it sounds fun to do a little spelunking, but there's no point in risking our lives right now." Rouge continued to jab at Shadow's impatience. "I looked over the report of your last mission," Rouge lightly chuckled. "A ninety percent fatality rate. Perhaps it's better if I call the shots today."

"Why should I listen to a forked-tongued servant of Robotnik like you?"

"'Servant.' Ha! Maybe you do have a sense of humor." Shadow tilted his head, confused at what she meant. "What's the saying? 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'? Well, I say keep your enemies close and your options open." Shadow was still puzzled, leading Rouge to sigh as she put it more bluntly. "I'll play with whoever has the winning hand, and right now, it's not so clear yet."

"You know where Knothole is, don't you?" Shadow deduced.

"Why of course," She replied.

"Then why haven't you told Robotnik? That would give him the winning hand."

"I know that, but I need more insurance, especially when dealing with Robotnik." Rouge checked her fingernails as she spoke. "I bet you've heard many tales already, about how people get roboticized once they lose their purpose to him. I'm trying not to fall into that category."

"So you have no loyalty? Doesn't that seem a little spineless?"

Rouge snapped her fingers as she pointed at Shadow. "Sure beats being on a leash, I'll tell you that." Rouge brushed past Shadow as she continued toward the temple. Shadow grunted ambiguously, as he knew she wasn't wrong.

"Manual count complete." Omega abruptly alerted Shadow. "This desert comprises roughly around eight by ten to the twenty-seventh power of sand, which translates to eight followed by zero…zero…zero…" Shadow groaned as he began to follow Rouge. As he did, the bat turned to them mentioning one more thing.

"If you don't already know, Robotnik wants the fox alive. As for the others? Do what you want with them."

Meanwhile, back inside the temple, Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles explored even further beneath the surface. The more they passed through, the more Knuckles was certain that whoever built this place was an echidna. It still perplexed him that other tribes were elsewhere around the world and that they too knew of the legend of Chaos. Doubt ran through his mind as he wondered if it wasn't just legend, but his instincts told him that it shouldn't be possible.

The echidna acted as their guide as his senses led them down the right turns and halls. His connection to the emerald was growing, but something else, similar to it, grew in the back of his head. It was pure Chaos energy, volatile and unstable. He felt a violent intention expel from it, but couldn't locate its precise location. He was feeling more unsure as they turned another corner, where a purple gleam bounced around the sandstone walls.

The three approached cautiously as they came across a pedestal, where they found a violet Chaos Emerald. They stood in awe, drawn in by its radiant glow. Like moths to light, their pupils expanded as they simultaneously approached. Sonic, for a moment, was skeptical of how everything was presented to them. "So…how do we know that this isn't a trap?" Tails examined the pedestal the emerald was propped on, carefully looking for anything on the surface that would indicate a pressure plate or a tripwire.

"It doesn't look like it." The fox stood up. "Regardless, we should assume that it is." Tails looked to Sonic. "I don't think that should matter if you're the one to grab it. You can take us out of the place just like that," Tails snapped his fingers.

"Now you're speaking my language." Sonic eased his hand closer to the emerald, ready to grab both it and his friends as soon as possible. The hedgehog looked back, watching as the other two nodded, prompting him to get a move on. However, as soon as Sonic touched the emerald, a bright red flash encased the altar, including them as they were swallowed into a white void. Sonic grunted as he closed his eyes, shielding himself from the blinding light. But as he reopened his eyes, he was still surrounded in a blank plane of existence. He looked down, seeing the rest of his body intact, along with Tails and Knuckles standing close by.

"What happened?" Knuckles asked, holding his fists up. Out of the corner of Sonic's eye, sunshine pierced his vision. He held his hand to block the incoming rays, and as he turned, he noticed something odd: a large stone altar, enveloped in grass and flowers. The three carefully stepped forward, walking over a brick bridge that scaled above a ring of water around the altar. As they reached the stairs leading to the altar, something soft and rubbery tugged at Tails' ankle. The fox yelped as he jumped, looking down to the ground. His feelings about what he saw were met with confliction, as a small creature approached curiously. Its blue body was gelatinous, and its head was shaped like a water drop. Its stubby legs waddled closer as it smiled gleefully at him.

It wasn't alone, as many more emerged from all corners of the altar, scurrying around them. "This is…odd." Knuckles said.

"Any idea what these are?" Sonic tried backing away but soon realized that they were surrounded by the creatures. "Because I sure hope they stay friendly."

Tails, who was more inclined to trust these little beings, kneeled down to one, extending his hand as he mimicked their smile. They started to back away at first, expressing a sense of fear. "It's ok," Tails calmly spoke. "I won't hurt you." Eventually, one of them moved past the other scared creatures, crawling on Tails' hand. The fox stood back up and securely held the creature in both hands. "Aren't you a brave one?" Then, in a turn of events none of them expected, the creature's color changed, matching that of Tails' fur. It sprouted three hairs on its forehead and two pointy ears.

Tails chuckled, almost nervously as he was sorta freaked out by their adaptation. He did admire how courageous it was, placing its trust in him even though he was more than twice its size. Tails' joyful expression started to dwindle away the more he looked at the imperfect reflection of himself. "You ok?" Sonic asked, noticing the look on Tails.

"Yeah," He softly replied. "I'm fine." Suddenly, a subtle hum resonated from atop the altar. The small creatures were locked in a trance, prancing up the stairs, following the lovely tune. The one in Tails' hands leaped from his grasp, bouncing harmlessly against the ground as it continued on without care. The three, all interested in what had their attention, walked up the stairs too. As they reached the top, Knuckles widened his eyes. There was a woman, an echidna, sitting gracefully in the center of all the little creatures. Her fur was peach-orange, and she wore a white tank top, along with a tribal skirt with a diamond pattern etched across.

Her eyes opened, piercing through theirs despite being so gentle. "I wondered when you'd come." She murmured eloquently. "The Chao and I have been expecting you for a while. The world's balance has been tipping. Have you felt it?" The three remained silent, unsure how to answer such a question. "I am Tikal, a member of the Echidna Tribe from long ago. Like you, Knuckles, I swore to protect." Tikal caressed one of the Chao.

"Tikal…" Knuckles pondered the name. "I've heard about you in legend, but your tale was over three thousand years ago. How are you here?"

Tikal shifted her head toward the center of the altar, eyeing a large slot where a gemstone used to reside. "Here, is not what you believe it to be. Here, is where the spirit rests." Her face swiftly turned to sorrow, as she maintained eye contact with the altar's slot. "But an old soul, clouded by vengeance, has left us. His presence in the world will rekindle a harrowing fate for all the living. He must be stopped before it is too late." Tikal finally stood up, holding out her hand to the three. The Chaos Emerald, the one they recently discovered, manifested in her hand. "You're on the right track. The emeralds hold the key to your salvation." Tikal placed the emerald in Sonic's hand. "But you've yet to learn their potential. Without it, you won't stand a chance at what's to come. There is another who understands their true power; best him and you'll be well on your way." Tikal closed her eyes, then reopened them, where they were shrouded in a white slate.

A sudden force, similar to the one that brought them here, started to encompass them. They were leaving this plane. "Wait!" Knuckles yelled. "I have to know!"

"Farewell…Until we meet again." Tikal swiped her hand, fully covering them in a bright light as they were transported back to the temple. Sonic was in the same position as when they left, holding the emerald in the air. The hedgehog turned to the others. He watched as Knuckles stormed out of the chamber. Sonic then began to wonder what Knuckles meant when he said, 'I have to know.' But as he stared at the emerald in hand, he knew that they shouldn't waste any more time.

Their journey through the temple was over, as the three began to ascend the staircase to the surface. By the time they arrived, the sun had already set, letting the full moon hang directly above the sky, parting the clouds. Sonic stretched his legs. It was a long way back, and they've already killed enough time. However, Tails was puzzled about something. He searched all over the temple walls, looking for his backpack. He swore he left it by the entrance. He shortly spotted it lying in the middle of the flat desert, about fifty feet away from where he put it. He felt a gust of wind blow by him, and he assumed that that was what carried away his supplies. "You almost ready, Tails?" The fox heard Sonic call from the temple.

"Yeah, give me a second." Tails leaned down and grabbed the pack, placing it on his shoulders. But something else was off. The sand below him, unlike what was near the temple, felt spongy underneath his feet. He shifted his weight up and down, and could clearly notice the sand bouncing with him. Before he could make out why that was, the ground caved in, and Tails fell into the center where a metallic hand snagged his leg. A massive robot emerged from the sand, holding the fox upside down. "Sonic!"

The hedgehog turned, watching in horror as Tails was in trouble. "Hold on!" As Sonic ran forward, a crimson streak blitzed him down. Sonic's neck was pressed against the ground, held tightly by the arm of a familiar hedgehog. "You again?" He strained, recognizing Shadow's figure under the moonlight. Shadow ignored Sonic as he heard Knuckles running toward him.

"You're up," He said. Just then, the echidna's legs were caught in the sand, as something pulled half of his body under. Soon, another figure surfaced from below. It was Rouge, disguised in a black unitard and mask to keep her identity unknown. Her wings were also tucked inside her outfit, just to be safe.

"Well hello, boys." She spoke, walking closer to Sonic and Shadow, while Knuckles tried to free himself from the ground. "We'll take this, thank you." Rouge reached down to Sonic, plucking the Chaos Emerald from his possession. "I know you worked hard to get this, but I assure you that it isn't personal." Rouge looked to the killer bot. "Omega, prep for evac. We got what we wanted." The bot blinked twice, indicating compliance. At the same time, Tails' backpack flap opened, pouring some of the contents onto the ground. Tails spotted one of his screwdrivers, which gave him an idea. Without Omega noticing, Tails tried reaching for the tool. Sonic saw what the fox was doing, and planned to keep their aggressors busy until then.

"I don't know about you two, but really, Shadow? You're gonna take us off guard like this?" Sonic glared at the ebony hedgehog, which fixated his attention. Sonic took this opportunity to prepare his attack, as he held onto a handful of sand. "Why? Scared for a rematch."

"There won't be a rematch." Shadow raised his hand, empowering it with pure chaos energy. Knuckles sensed it more clearly now. It's what he felt inside the temple before. They have been waiting for them to come out for a while. As Shadow held his hand in place, ready to deal the final blow, he hesitated.

"What are you waiting for?" Rouge pestered, but Shadow was reluctant to go through with it. He knew who this hedgehog was now. Who he was related to. Discord ran through him, as he argued with himself whether he had the guts to finish off the son of an old friend.

It was the moment of hesitation that allowed Tails to seize the screwdriver. The fox drove the tip into Omega's joints, causing its robust claws to short circuit, freeing Tails as he zipped across. Shadow instantly turned to redirect the chaos spear at the fox, but that was when Sonic struck. Sonic threw the sand in Shadow's eyes, making him miss the shot as the blue blur slipped away. Knuckles was also able to break free, rushing into battle at the same time Omega fixed his hand. Knuckles clashed against Omega, locking hands and trying to overpower the other. "I've scrapped plenty of your kind before, you're no different."

"Foolish whelp," Omega closed down on his grip. His sharp claws pierced through Knuckles' mitts as the bot began to push down on the echidna. "There are none like me." Omega slammed his head into Knuckles, causing him to fall back. But Omega wasn't through with him yet, as he grabbed hold of the echidna's arm and pulled him back, delivering a devastating punch into his gut.

Tails swooped in to help Sonic, pushing Shadow off of him as he was still blinded. Rouge tried to step in, but with Sonic back in the fight, he managed to sweep her legs and subdue her as she dropped the emerald. "Yoink!" Sonic took back the emerald, twirling it in his hand. "I assure you that that was personal." He smirked. As he took a closer look at Rouge's disguise, he recalled seeing her before. "You must've been the one that knocked me out at the shrine. Which means you're our spy." Sonic reached forward, planning to unveil Rouge right here and now. Rouge was discombobulated from hitting her head on the ground, which left her defenseless as she saw Sonic drawing for her mask. She felt it was all over until she heard a sizzle in the air, followed by the smell of brimstone.

Rouge looked back, seeing Shadow encased in a red aura. The black hedgehog's eyes shot forward, staring down Sonic and Tails with pure anger. Sparks flew across, nearly zapping them as Shadow continued to grow in power. The fox's fur stood up, and his tails were tucked beneath his legs. Sonic, seeing that his buddy had no way to defend himself, saw only one option. He placed the emerald in the fox's hands and pushed him away. "You have to get the emerald out of here."

"Wh-what about you?"

Sonic then saw a bolt of lightning pulse from Shadow's hand, directed right at them. "Run!" Sonic pushed Tails away, taking the brunt of the attack. The fox quickly made a break for it, heading into the thick of the ruins. Shadow tried to pursue, but Sonic was able to recover fast enough to tackle him back down. "Forgetting me?" Shadow paid no mind to the jest, as he ignited his rocket shoes, escaping Sonic's grasp. Shadow swung back and nailed Sonic in the thigh, then one more in the face, finally taking him down. The ebony hedgehog looked back, seeing that Tails had already propelled himself into the air.

"Omega!" The killer bot immediately realized the situation. He retracted his claws, where two miniguns soon emerged from the empty sockets. Omega fired into the air, using flak rounds to knock Tails out of the sky. He was now in freefall, heading toward the ruins as he disappeared from sight.

"Idiots!" Rouge yelled. "I told you we needed him alive."

"Calm down, I'll go retrieve him." Shadow boosted through the desert, entering the scourged city. He searched through every corner and every angle, unable to locate the injured fox. He could've sworn he landed nearby. Shadow then saw a trail in the sand, where it led to one of the worn buildings. Shadow followed it quietly, pivoting around the wall where it ended. And yet, nothing was there.

Fortunately, Tails had made his way through the ruins, as he climbed over the mounds where Shadow wouldn't find him. He peeked over, watching the frustrated hedgehog turn back and dash to the temple. Tails sighed in relief, but it was short-lived, as he now learned that he was all alone. His friends were captured, his gear was stolen, and all he had left was a busted leg from the fall and the Chaos Emerald. Now, the only thing he could rely on was himself.

To be continued…

Up Next: Showdown-Part 2