“So, Shadow? *pant* Is this your idea *pant* of fun?”
“Usually. *pant* There tends to be more bloodshed, though.”
This was the scene in Nizhoni, as Shadow the Hedgehog and Amy Rose destroyed the last of Dr. Robotnik’s troops. Although they made it look easy, the truth was that it only looked that way. Amy was half drained from the skirmish, and even Shadow was beginning to show very subtle signs of exhaustion.
Deep down, both hedgehogs loved the action, especially Amy, who always got a rush from being in battle alongside or against Shadow. Feeling triumphant, she looked up at Eggman and shouted, “Well? Is that the best you’ve got?” The doctor coolly answered, “Oh, no, my dear. Far from it. In fact, I’m about to create my most powerful minion yet.” The young couple rolled their eyes at that statement, as it was nothing they hadn’t heard before. “You know what, Shadow, why don’t I end this now?” Amy asked. Shadow shrugged. “Very well, but try not to enjoy yourself too much.”
“No promises, babe,” she replied and immediately flew towards the Egg Mobile. Eggman screamed once Amy reached his craft. “Ahh! Hold on, let’s talk about this, Amy! Be reasonable! Permit me a chance to give you a fair fight!” Amy scoffed at him. “Give me one good reason why I should, Eggman.” He chuckled and said, “Thank you, Amy.” Then, the girl felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around fast and there, decloaking from right within her personal space, was Metal Sonic, greeting her with a loud, scream-like beep.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
“Usually. *pant* There tends to be more bloodshed, though.”
This was the scene in Nizhoni, as Shadow the Hedgehog and Amy Rose destroyed the last of Dr. Robotnik’s troops. Although they made it look easy, the truth was that it only looked that way. Amy was half drained from the skirmish, and even Shadow was beginning to show very subtle signs of exhaustion.
Deep down, both hedgehogs loved the action, especially Amy, who always got a rush from being in battle alongside or against Shadow. Feeling triumphant, she looked up at Eggman and shouted, “Well? Is that the best you’ve got?” The doctor coolly answered, “Oh, no, my dear. Far from it. In fact, I’m about to create my most powerful minion yet.” The young couple rolled their eyes at that statement, as it was nothing they hadn’t heard before. “You know what, Shadow, why don’t I end this now?” Amy asked. Shadow shrugged. “Very well, but try not to enjoy yourself too much.”
“No promises, babe,” she replied and immediately flew towards the Egg Mobile. Eggman screamed once Amy reached his craft. “Ahh! Hold on, let’s talk about this, Amy! Be reasonable! Permit me a chance to give you a fair fight!” Amy scoffed at him. “Give me one good reason why I should, Eggman.” He chuckled and said, “Thank you, Amy.” Then, the girl felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned around fast and there, decloaking from right within her personal space, was Metal Sonic, greeting her with a loud, scream-like beep.
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!”
Amy was instantly in panic mode. She uprooted enough trees to make up a small forestation and swung then at Metal, one by one, shouting at him to keep his distance. She kept this going for a few minutes when Metal Sonic suddenly split into at least twenty copies of himself. One would assume they were hologram projections, but Amy was too terrified to care.
Shadow saw her fear, but before he could invoke Chaos Control, he was grabbed by three Shadow Androids, with more headed towards him. He tried to shake them off with Chaos Burst, but their copious shocks of electricity kept his concentration at bay. Eggman noticed this and, with a dark grin, turned to Cubot and said, “It’s time. Deliver the device, and activate it.” Said robot nodded and picked up an unusual metal object of unsettling design. It was clearly meant to remain on the head once worn, but before Cubot could do anything with it, Orbot took it from him.
“With all due respect, Cubot,” said the crimson-plated senior of the two, “I think I should be the one to do it.” Both Cubot and Eggman said in deadpan unison, “What.” Uneasily, Orbot explained, “Well, you’ve been given a great deal of responsibilities over the past month or so, Cubot, and to be honest, I feel rather, well, left out.” The yellow minion replied, “My good sir, if I may remind you, there has hardly been a single errand or assignment you have ever done willingly. Why are you choosing now to get into the team spirit?”
Orbot gasped as if insulted. “Excuse me? I have been around a bit longer than you, ‘my good sir’, and in that time, I have done plenty of willing assignments! I’ve just, er, gotten lazy, that’s all!” Cubot rolled his eyes. “And as bitter as the rust on Metal Knuckles’ backside.” Orbot cried, “You take that back!!” Eggman facepalmed. “Are you two REALLY going to do this here?!?”
Metal Sonic – the real one – shook his shiny head at the scene and chose to take matters into his own hands. He and his holograms started spinning around Amy, increasing their beeping. Amy was becoming even more scared and erratic, not knowing what or where to attack. What’s more, she could swear she could hear laughing. “Stop it!” she shouted and threw yet another tree. When it failed to make contact with anything, she was struck from within the circle.
“The only reason the boss has shown you favor is because of that toffee-crusted aural nonsense you call a voice!” Orbot accused, causing Cubot to rebuke, “Excuse me? I’ll have you know that this voice was programmed by the good Doctor himself, and implanted into both of us! You just haven’t activated yours!” Eggman was getting irritated by the embarrassing exchange and had half a mind to terminate them both, but then he noticed the actions of his (arguably) greatest creation.
Metal Sonic was using his holograms to his advantage, striking at Amy from all directions. The maiden was unable to counterattack; partly from fear, mostly from being overwhelmed. Unfortunately, her boyfriend had neglected to prepare her for opponents possessing such capabilities, and now she was paying for his oversight. Shadow knew this in the back of his mind as the androids that held him captive made him watch the ordeal, and he was getting angrier by the moment.
Eggman shook his own head. The situation was getting out of hand and needed to be resolved. So, he decided to cut to the chase. Snatching the device away from his bickering henchbots, he tossed it towards Metal Sonic’s location. Once he saw it in his optics, Metal quickly grabbed it. Amy, who was barely keeping herself airborne, noticed that the attacks had ceased, and whipped her head towards Metal.
She attempted to prepare an attack, but, at that moment, she received her most vivid vision to date. Her aura went wild as she saw into the future, of all the upcoming events, all the possible outcomes. It took only a moment, but she knew what she had to do. Thus, when it ceased, she brought up her guard, but only partly, giving Metal Sonic the opening her needed to zoom in front of her and force the device on her head.
The pain was immediate, sharp, and excruciating, attacking all her senses. As she screamed in agony, Shadow snapped. With a frightening shout, he performed his Chaos Blast attack, destroying the Shadow Androids around him. When he tried to warp to Amy’s assistance, however, Metal Sonic slammed him into the ground. The cobalt-chromed copy then put him in a headlock, making him watch as Amy’s cries of pain continued. “Damn you!” the black hedgehog yelled, “Let me go!”
Amy’s nerves were on fire. She couldn’t think, couldn’t feel, couldn’t move. All she could do is scream, until at last, she went blank. When she stopped struggling, an immense wave of psychic energy was released, quickly spreading through the area. Dr. Robotnik shielded himself and his minions. Metal Sonic did the same, whilst keeping Shadow bound.
The energy wave continued to grow and grow, trapping everything and everyone caught in it. The radius reached 100 miles before ceasing, and immediately shrinking back to its source, dragging everything with it. While Eggman, Shadow and the others were protected from the energy, their barriers did little against the cornucopia of objects that hurtled towards them. Cruelly, Metal Sonic tossed Shadow from his barrier, just as a tree came hurtling to him. He did his best to brace for the impact, but it wasn’t enough. His last thought before losing consciousness was wondering if he was wrong in holding back so much… If teaching Amy the bare minimum was truly wise in the long run.
Then, nothing.
Shadow saw her fear, but before he could invoke Chaos Control, he was grabbed by three Shadow Androids, with more headed towards him. He tried to shake them off with Chaos Burst, but their copious shocks of electricity kept his concentration at bay. Eggman noticed this and, with a dark grin, turned to Cubot and said, “It’s time. Deliver the device, and activate it.” Said robot nodded and picked up an unusual metal object of unsettling design. It was clearly meant to remain on the head once worn, but before Cubot could do anything with it, Orbot took it from him.
“With all due respect, Cubot,” said the crimson-plated senior of the two, “I think I should be the one to do it.” Both Cubot and Eggman said in deadpan unison, “What.” Uneasily, Orbot explained, “Well, you’ve been given a great deal of responsibilities over the past month or so, Cubot, and to be honest, I feel rather, well, left out.” The yellow minion replied, “My good sir, if I may remind you, there has hardly been a single errand or assignment you have ever done willingly. Why are you choosing now to get into the team spirit?”
Orbot gasped as if insulted. “Excuse me? I have been around a bit longer than you, ‘my good sir’, and in that time, I have done plenty of willing assignments! I’ve just, er, gotten lazy, that’s all!” Cubot rolled his eyes. “And as bitter as the rust on Metal Knuckles’ backside.” Orbot cried, “You take that back!!” Eggman facepalmed. “Are you two REALLY going to do this here?!?”
Metal Sonic – the real one – shook his shiny head at the scene and chose to take matters into his own hands. He and his holograms started spinning around Amy, increasing their beeping. Amy was becoming even more scared and erratic, not knowing what or where to attack. What’s more, she could swear she could hear laughing. “Stop it!” she shouted and threw yet another tree. When it failed to make contact with anything, she was struck from within the circle.
“The only reason the boss has shown you favor is because of that toffee-crusted aural nonsense you call a voice!” Orbot accused, causing Cubot to rebuke, “Excuse me? I’ll have you know that this voice was programmed by the good Doctor himself, and implanted into both of us! You just haven’t activated yours!” Eggman was getting irritated by the embarrassing exchange and had half a mind to terminate them both, but then he noticed the actions of his (arguably) greatest creation.
Metal Sonic was using his holograms to his advantage, striking at Amy from all directions. The maiden was unable to counterattack; partly from fear, mostly from being overwhelmed. Unfortunately, her boyfriend had neglected to prepare her for opponents possessing such capabilities, and now she was paying for his oversight. Shadow knew this in the back of his mind as the androids that held him captive made him watch the ordeal, and he was getting angrier by the moment.
Eggman shook his own head. The situation was getting out of hand and needed to be resolved. So, he decided to cut to the chase. Snatching the device away from his bickering henchbots, he tossed it towards Metal Sonic’s location. Once he saw it in his optics, Metal quickly grabbed it. Amy, who was barely keeping herself airborne, noticed that the attacks had ceased, and whipped her head towards Metal.
She attempted to prepare an attack, but, at that moment, she received her most vivid vision to date. Her aura went wild as she saw into the future, of all the upcoming events, all the possible outcomes. It took only a moment, but she knew what she had to do. Thus, when it ceased, she brought up her guard, but only partly, giving Metal Sonic the opening her needed to zoom in front of her and force the device on her head.
The pain was immediate, sharp, and excruciating, attacking all her senses. As she screamed in agony, Shadow snapped. With a frightening shout, he performed his Chaos Blast attack, destroying the Shadow Androids around him. When he tried to warp to Amy’s assistance, however, Metal Sonic slammed him into the ground. The cobalt-chromed copy then put him in a headlock, making him watch as Amy’s cries of pain continued. “Damn you!” the black hedgehog yelled, “Let me go!”
Amy’s nerves were on fire. She couldn’t think, couldn’t feel, couldn’t move. All she could do is scream, until at last, she went blank. When she stopped struggling, an immense wave of psychic energy was released, quickly spreading through the area. Dr. Robotnik shielded himself and his minions. Metal Sonic did the same, whilst keeping Shadow bound.
The energy wave continued to grow and grow, trapping everything and everyone caught in it. The radius reached 100 miles before ceasing, and immediately shrinking back to its source, dragging everything with it. While Eggman, Shadow and the others were protected from the energy, their barriers did little against the cornucopia of objects that hurtled towards them. Cruelly, Metal Sonic tossed Shadow from his barrier, just as a tree came hurtling to him. He did his best to brace for the impact, but it wasn’t enough. His last thought before losing consciousness was wondering if he was wrong in holding back so much… If teaching Amy the bare minimum was truly wise in the long run.
Then, nothing.
~One Week After Checking on Tails~
Usually when he went for a jog, he knew where he was going, to an extent. At the very least, he had enough focus to pick a destination and have as much fun getting there as possible. But, every so often, when he was at his lowest, he just ran. He didn’t think, he didn’t pick, he barely watched the path ahead.
He.
Just.
Ran.
The first time this happened, he had discovered the identity of his father…and that he was dead. This time, he got a really good look at just how much Eggman’s treachery had affected his little brother. Tails had lost his will to fight, to fly, to be his usual awesome self. And, as Knuckles said, it was his entire fault. So, he dropped Tails off at the Mystic Ruins on request and just ran, letting his legs take him wherever.
Sonic must have boarded a plane or two along the way, he figured, because there was no way he would have gotten all the way to his birthplace on foot.
Christmas Island. One of the few natural landmasses that remained of millennia gone by. These days, it tended to have a rather small population. People who were there either wanted to get away or had lived there all their lives. Sonic sighed (out of nostalgia or resignation, he didn’t know which) and walked down the dock to the nearest city, taking in the sights before him. Lush trees, plenty of wildlife, and an overall peaceful climate filled the air around him. “This place hasn’t changed a bit,” said Sonic wistfully, a sad smile adorning face.
The sun had long since set, and as he made his way down the beaten path, he spotted several houses, many of which he remembered from his childhood. Some were well taken care of, while others clearly showed their age. One such house to his left had been abandoned for what seemed to be a decade. It was a three story Victorian-style house with what looked to be a destroyed laboratory closely beside it.
Sonic took one extremely brief glance at the residence and took off, refusing to give it another thought. He would not indulge in the bad memories it brought. Not now, not ever.
Once again, he found himself running, not caring where he went. He didn’t look at the people he passed, didn’t stop to greet the familiar faces he passed. He just kept going and going, until there was one place that made him freeze in his tracks.
A large building, atop a hill overlooking the sea. It was three stories, and housed multiple rooms. It was quite old, but one could tell that great care had been taken in its upkeep. As he approached the building, he passed by a sign that read, “Saint Nicholas Bromley Orphanage, EST. 1940”. Sonic couldn’t help but smirk at it. It was obvious that it had been repainted recently. Despite that, though, he could still see a little carving made beneath the N: SONIC RULEZ BITCHES
His train of thought was derailed when a rubber ball bounced off his knee. As he bent down to pick it up, he noticed a stout Mobian child – a bat in a hoodie and shorts - running towards him. Sonic held the ball in his hands as he waited for the child to approach (after three seconds, he got impatient) and noticed that the kid had the stature of a fighter, despite his rotund shape.
Eventually, the child made it to where the hedgehog stood and, after catching his breath, said, in a raspy voice, “Hey, fre-, uh, mister! Would you mind giving back my ball? Me an’ my friends were playing with it.” Sonic noticed the near insult, but let it go; his mood was bad enough as it is. “Sure, kid,” he answered, “But first, how about telling what you’re doing out here? Unless I’m mistaken, you and your friends are supposed to be inside for dinner.”
“That’s none of your bizness, mister!” the kid shouted before regaining his composure. “Just give me the ball…please.”
The “please” was extremely strained, Sonic could tell. The urchin was obviously not used to acting cordially at all. “It kind of is, kid. I know for a fact that the woman in charge would never let anyone outside at sunset, even to get a lost ball.” The kid started to get huffy and spat, “Y-Yeah, well, things have changed, mister! Now, I’m gonna ask you again. Give me back my ball or no one gets hurt.”
The Blue Blur frowned. The kid clearly had an opinion of himself as inflated as the rest of him. “You know, I was going to, but then you had to be rude. So, I’m just gonna go and-”
“CHESTER! CHESTER!!”
Sonic and the boy noticed a little human girl running towards them. She wore a hoodie as well, with a skort and sandals. She was in much better shape than “Chester”, as she made it to them in a short amount of time. “There you are, Chester! Give me back my ball!” Sonic shot Chester a glare; he figured the boy was a bully from the start. “Excuse me? ‘Her’ ball? I thought it was yours, dude.” Chester humphed and crossed his arms in a display of superiority. “It is! I won it fair and square and she knows it! So why don’t you scram, Andrea!”
“You did not!” she yelled back, “You cheated in our game!” Chester growled, “Cheat?! Whatever! It’s not my fault you suck at Virtua Fighter!” Andrea was indignant at that, shouting, “It is so! All you did was use the same dang move over and over again and make fun of me!” Chester just smirked. “Look, I do what’s required to win. If you wanna win, get good. Period!”
Sonic shook his head at the banter between the two kids and threw the ball through the open door of the orphanage. To their credit, the kids immediately noticed and ran after it. “Geez,” Sonic muttered to himself, “the discipline factor has become pretty damn lax over the years. I never got away with that kind of crap when I was little.”
“I agree, dear. You tried to get away with much worse.” Sonic’s spines stiffened from the mature, sensuous and playfully dark voice behind him, as he recognized it immediately. Slowly turning, he couldn’t help but get nervous under the gaze of the woman he saw.
Usually when he went for a jog, he knew where he was going, to an extent. At the very least, he had enough focus to pick a destination and have as much fun getting there as possible. But, every so often, when he was at his lowest, he just ran. He didn’t think, he didn’t pick, he barely watched the path ahead.
He.
Just.
Ran.
The first time this happened, he had discovered the identity of his father…and that he was dead. This time, he got a really good look at just how much Eggman’s treachery had affected his little brother. Tails had lost his will to fight, to fly, to be his usual awesome self. And, as Knuckles said, it was his entire fault. So, he dropped Tails off at the Mystic Ruins on request and just ran, letting his legs take him wherever.
Sonic must have boarded a plane or two along the way, he figured, because there was no way he would have gotten all the way to his birthplace on foot.
Christmas Island. One of the few natural landmasses that remained of millennia gone by. These days, it tended to have a rather small population. People who were there either wanted to get away or had lived there all their lives. Sonic sighed (out of nostalgia or resignation, he didn’t know which) and walked down the dock to the nearest city, taking in the sights before him. Lush trees, plenty of wildlife, and an overall peaceful climate filled the air around him. “This place hasn’t changed a bit,” said Sonic wistfully, a sad smile adorning face.
The sun had long since set, and as he made his way down the beaten path, he spotted several houses, many of which he remembered from his childhood. Some were well taken care of, while others clearly showed their age. One such house to his left had been abandoned for what seemed to be a decade. It was a three story Victorian-style house with what looked to be a destroyed laboratory closely beside it.
Sonic took one extremely brief glance at the residence and took off, refusing to give it another thought. He would not indulge in the bad memories it brought. Not now, not ever.
Once again, he found himself running, not caring where he went. He didn’t look at the people he passed, didn’t stop to greet the familiar faces he passed. He just kept going and going, until there was one place that made him freeze in his tracks.
A large building, atop a hill overlooking the sea. It was three stories, and housed multiple rooms. It was quite old, but one could tell that great care had been taken in its upkeep. As he approached the building, he passed by a sign that read, “Saint Nicholas Bromley Orphanage, EST. 1940”. Sonic couldn’t help but smirk at it. It was obvious that it had been repainted recently. Despite that, though, he could still see a little carving made beneath the N: SONIC RULEZ BITCHES
His train of thought was derailed when a rubber ball bounced off his knee. As he bent down to pick it up, he noticed a stout Mobian child – a bat in a hoodie and shorts - running towards him. Sonic held the ball in his hands as he waited for the child to approach (after three seconds, he got impatient) and noticed that the kid had the stature of a fighter, despite his rotund shape.
Eventually, the child made it to where the hedgehog stood and, after catching his breath, said, in a raspy voice, “Hey, fre-, uh, mister! Would you mind giving back my ball? Me an’ my friends were playing with it.” Sonic noticed the near insult, but let it go; his mood was bad enough as it is. “Sure, kid,” he answered, “But first, how about telling what you’re doing out here? Unless I’m mistaken, you and your friends are supposed to be inside for dinner.”
“That’s none of your bizness, mister!” the kid shouted before regaining his composure. “Just give me the ball…please.”
The “please” was extremely strained, Sonic could tell. The urchin was obviously not used to acting cordially at all. “It kind of is, kid. I know for a fact that the woman in charge would never let anyone outside at sunset, even to get a lost ball.” The kid started to get huffy and spat, “Y-Yeah, well, things have changed, mister! Now, I’m gonna ask you again. Give me back my ball or no one gets hurt.”
The Blue Blur frowned. The kid clearly had an opinion of himself as inflated as the rest of him. “You know, I was going to, but then you had to be rude. So, I’m just gonna go and-”
“CHESTER! CHESTER!!”
Sonic and the boy noticed a little human girl running towards them. She wore a hoodie as well, with a skort and sandals. She was in much better shape than “Chester”, as she made it to them in a short amount of time. “There you are, Chester! Give me back my ball!” Sonic shot Chester a glare; he figured the boy was a bully from the start. “Excuse me? ‘Her’ ball? I thought it was yours, dude.” Chester humphed and crossed his arms in a display of superiority. “It is! I won it fair and square and she knows it! So why don’t you scram, Andrea!”
“You did not!” she yelled back, “You cheated in our game!” Chester growled, “Cheat?! Whatever! It’s not my fault you suck at Virtua Fighter!” Andrea was indignant at that, shouting, “It is so! All you did was use the same dang move over and over again and make fun of me!” Chester just smirked. “Look, I do what’s required to win. If you wanna win, get good. Period!”
Sonic shook his head at the banter between the two kids and threw the ball through the open door of the orphanage. To their credit, the kids immediately noticed and ran after it. “Geez,” Sonic muttered to himself, “the discipline factor has become pretty damn lax over the years. I never got away with that kind of crap when I was little.”
“I agree, dear. You tried to get away with much worse.” Sonic’s spines stiffened from the mature, sensuous and playfully dark voice behind him, as he recognized it immediately. Slowly turning, he couldn’t help but get nervous under the gaze of the woman he saw.
She was a rather tall one, wearing a simple, yet quite well made dress befitting her lanky figure (perhaps a bit too well). She wore a mysterious brooch on her partially revealed chest, and wore a distinguishing pair of black glasses. Her hair was waist length and braided into cornrows, though, it almost seemed…alive, if one looked closely.
To Sonic, this woman’s appearance was not the least bit surprising, as he was more than used to it. With a caretaker like her, how could he not?
“Good evening, ‘Sonic’,” Cereza greeted kindly, “It’s been a long time.” With a sheepish grin, he adjusted his jacket and replied, “Yeah, it has. Hey there…Mom.”
To Sonic, this woman’s appearance was not the least bit surprising, as he was more than used to it. With a caretaker like her, how could he not?
“Good evening, ‘Sonic’,” Cereza greeted kindly, “It’s been a long time.” With a sheepish grin, he adjusted his jacket and replied, “Yeah, it has. Hey there…Mom.”
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