Chapter 8: The Real Sonic?
"A bit nostalgic, don't you think? Although it's uncomfortable. I mean, when Tails and I put chains on you, I admit we didn't think about how awkward the position was, since you were... a machine," Sonic confessed with a smug smile. Amid the profound darkness of the room they were in, there was only a single bright light illuminating him from above.
The shackles were positioned on his forearms and thighs, restricting his limbs in an awkward position that made him look like a puppet. His arms were slightly raised and bent at a right angle, his hands pointing down.
From the back of the room, a pair of reddish robotic eyes looked at him with determined concentration.
"Come on, Metal, don't tell me you're going to give me the silent treatment now? I admit we haven't always had the best relationship, but come on, I've never refused a good talk with you, even when you were trying to kill me," said Sonic, keeping his smile confident and secure despite his predicament.
"You were never really a threat to me," Metal Sonic replied, his voice cold and unyielding. "You always had your limitations. And now... now you've become something else. Something... less."
There was a moment of silence as Metal Sonic stepped closer, his metallic feet clanging against the cold floor of the room. The light from above cast eerie shadows on his blue chassis, making him seem even more menacing.
"Less than what? Less than you?" Sonic asked, his smile never wavering. "Strong words from the toaster who lost every fight with me, but hey, I'll admit that you used to give me a lot of trouble," Sonic replied with a chuckle, while shaking the chains on his right arm a little, to see if he could loosen them.
"I'll admit that this latest form of yours, Metallix, right? It's much tougher than Neo Metal Sonic's, this time you didn't need to turn into a monstrous giant dragon/robot to put me on the ropes" said Sonic looking at the two red dots that looked at him from the darkness.
"Well, the wings were a bit superfluous, don't you think?" Metal Sonic replied, the sound of his voice filling the room. "Besides, I've always had the advantage of having a better design, even if you don't want to admit it. And now, I have my own AI. I don't need to be controlled by Eggman or Breezie."
"So what? You're free now? That's great, Metal. Maybe now you can learn to make your own decisions, instead of just following Eggman's orders," Sonic said, still shaking the chains on his arms, which were already starting to loosen.
Metal Sonic scoffed, his red eyes glowing brighter in the darkness. "I was always more than just a tool for Eggman. I was created to surpass you, Sonic. To be the ultimate weapon. And now, I am my own weapon. I no longer need to prove myself to anyone."
Sonic chuckled, shaking his head. "You know, for all your bravado, you're still the same old Metal Sonic. Always talking about how you're better than me, but you can never back it up.
You've lost every fight we've had, and every time you come back, you're just a slightly improved version of the last model. You're not your own creation, Metal. You're just a reflection of the people who built you."
Sonic's words stung, but Metal Sonic didn't show it. He knew Sonic was trying to get under his skin, trying to make him lose control. But he wouldn't fall for it. He had learned from his mistakes, learned from his creators. He was more than just a weapon now. He was a force to be reckoned with.
"You're right about that... I am... a reflection of those who built me..." Metallix said, his visors never leaving his old rival's side for even a second, his biological self.
"That's why I hate that... concept of freedom of yours," Metallix said, a certain hatred evident in the synthetic voice.
"I still remember your words, when you had me the same way I have you now: Eggman is finished, you have your chance to live your own life now," Metallix laughed, remembering his old body, chained in exactly the same way the blue hedgehog was now.
"And what about those of us who know nothing but service?!" Metallix said, smashing into the ground and punching a hole in it.
"I hate you because you've always had freedom, and you think it's something innate, something everyone knows and understands just by existing, but you know something? I didn't know what freedom was!" Metallix said, his red visors distorting slightly, his electronic pupils suffering from a mild semi-interference, as if... crying.
"How can we understand those of us who were slaves if you never had chains? How do you pretend to tell us what freedom is when you've never known the other side?" Metallix said, his metallic hand picking up a piece of metal that had broken off when it hit the ground.
"That's why, even if I'm free now, I will continue to hunt you, hedgehog. Because that's what I am, and what I was made for, your hunter, you my prey," Metallix said, crushing the metal in his hands, reducing it to a small metallic ball.
Sonic tilted his head to the side and smiled, his eyes never leaving his metallic counterpart. "I wore chains too," he muttered under his breath, his gaze directed towards the metallic floor. "Although, now, I understand you..." Sonic said, smiling as he looked at him with his green eyes.
"Although something changed in you too, right?" Metallix asked, arms crossed.
"Let's just say I saw the truth," Sonic said, looking at the ground. "During the Metal Virus, everyone... blamed me for not finishing off Eggman when I could have, for giving you and Eggman another chance to reform..." Sonic said as he looked at the chains holding his arms.
"Now I know... I preached freedom above all else, and I limited myself, tying chains on myself so I wouldn't hurt others... Being a hero is the heaviest chain anyone can wear," Sonic said, looking at his mechanical counterpart, a smile on his lips.
"I finally understood what you went through, Metal. The weight of expectations, the burden of living up to others' ideals. I let that weight crush me, and I ended up doing exactly what I was trying to avoid."
Metallix paused, his red eyes blinking as he processed Sonic's words. He had never thought of it that way before. "You mean... you understands me?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.
Sonic nodded. "Yeah, I do. So much time protecting so many ingrates, I think I've had enough too," Sonic said with a grin.
Metallix dropped his mechanical arms to his sides, his processors processing Sonic's words, before an alert reached the lower levels of the ship.
"I'd like to stay and talk, hedgehog. But I have... family matters to attend to..." Metallix said as he walked to the exit of the room.
"You have a family now?" Sonic chuckled. "Let me guess, the vacuum cleaner is your grandfather?"
"Close, let's just say we both know my sister very well, after all, she was made from the best part of the Doctor," Metallix said, opening the hatch to leave.
"I'll escape, and you know it," Sonic said with a smile.
"I know, and I'll just ask that you don't take too long doing it," Metallix said, leaving the room and closing the hatch behind him.
In the lower levels of the ship, Furnace Sonic was trying to incinerate Amy inside the furnace in his chest, but as he was about to do so, Belle jumped on him. The wood that made up Belle's body was almost burned by the flames, and even part of her gloves were blackened by the soot that coated Furnace Sonic's metal. But she still managed to grab the hedgehog. metallic blow from the two ears on his head, pulling them back, made the robot spin in the air, giving Amy time to pick up her hammer with one hand and send Furnace flying with a blow of the hammer.
"Amy!" Tails called her. "We have to get out of here before we're all incinerated!"
Amy nodded, but her eyes lingered on Furnace for a moment. She took a deep breath and turned to Tails and Belle. "Let's go. We need to get to the bridge and stop Clutch before he can do any more damage."
As they hurried through the corridors of the ship, Amy couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She had fought Furnace before, and while he was always a formidable opponent, he had never seemed as relentless or as intent on killing as he had been today.
Furnace, for his part, was holding his head, his metallic fingers touching the enormous dent the hammer had left in his skull.
At that moment, he felt someone handing him a huge wooden log. "Did they escape?" Metallix said in a metallic voice to his companion, as he opened his core's cockpit and inserted the enormous wooden log. The flames consumed and burned the log almost instantly, repowering Furnace.
"Yeah, are you joining, Blue?" Furnace asked Metallix.
"We have more problems," Metallix said, projecting a three-dimensional hologram of the entire ship from his visor. "Team Dark has also infiltrated the ship."
"Has anyone spoken?" Furnace asked, somewhat annoyed.
"Maybe, maybe just a leak. Rouge is a good thief and spy. It wouldn't be surprising if she managed to uncover all our employers' dirty laundry," Metallix said as they watched the tokens symbolizing Shadow, Rouge, and Omega moving around the ship.
"How do we proceed?" Furnace asked.
"Catch them all, guide them to the Main Engine Room, and from there. Leave the rest to me. Do you need more wood, or is that enough?" Metallix asked as he ejected another large wooden stump from his arm.
Furnace nodded as his head rotated, catching it and inserting it into his core, the flames licking at the wood, quickly consuming it to replenish his energy.
"Got it. Let's round them up, and I'll meet you in the Main Engine Room," Furnace said, his engines revving up before he took off at high speed through the corridors.
As they raced towards their targets, Metallix couldn't help but feel a rush of adrenaline. After all these years of being a pawn, he finally had the chance to make his own decisions. And he was going to enjoy every minute of it.
Meanwhile, in the boarding area, Shadow knocked out a pair of Sweep Clean Inc. guards. His speed, combined with his strength and skill, allowed him to quickly dispatch the guards, who were now sprawled on the floor.
"Not too difficult," Shadow said, adjusting the rings on his wrists.
"It's good to be back in action, don't you think, Shadow?" Rouge said, flying over the area, her bat-like wings flapping slightly. "Besides, we didn't have to use Omega. It would have been pretty hard to cover our tracks if we had."
"Don't worry, I'm not interested in destroying anything but Eggman's robots," Omega said, walking through the area and knocking out the few who were still conscious but too battered to continue fighting.
"I never thought they'd rebuild one of Eggman's ships. I've been out for a while," Shadow commented, looking at the structure. "Not much, but a lot of things happen in a short amount of time," Rouge said.
"Yeah, you were only gone for six months and 12 days..." Omega commented in a robotic voice.
"It's true. You missed the grand reopening of the Diamond Cutters and the arrival of Breezie's teams," Rouge said, circling above them, her eyes scanning the area.
"Yes, and it seems they've taken a more... corporate approach," Shadow stated, his eyes narrowing as he looked up at the security drones flying overhead.
"It's like Eggman never left," Omega added, his optics scanning the room, taking in every detail.
Rouge landed next to Shadow and scanned the room as well. "We need to find out what's really going on here, Shadow.
According to the data I sto-" Rouge stopped, receiving a tilted eyebrow from the dark hedgehog. "I mean, I borrowed it from the Chaotix offices, this is where that enhanced Metal Sonic that attacked us came from," Rouge said, showing a small mirror that was actually a handheld computer.
"Good, we should move then, you lead, Rouge," Shadow said as he followed the bat.
"Well thanks, it's good to be a team again," Rouge said as she took flight and began flying at high speed, being followed by Shadow and Omega, the latter using his engines to keep track of his fellow animaloids.
Ahead, they found Tails, Amy, and Belle, who were running as fast as they could through the corridors, trying to stay ahead of the security drones that were pursuing them.
"We'll handle these," Shadow said as he charged into a group of drones, using his speed and strength to destroy them quickly and efficiently.
"I'll take care of these," Rouge said as she flew off to intercept another group of drones, using her swift flight and combat skills to take them out.
Omega, meanwhile, charged into a group of security drones, using his powerful lasers to disintegrate them in an instant.
Belle watched in awe as the trio worked together seamlessly, their skills complementing each other perfectly.
"That's impressive," she said, her voice filled with admiration.
"Yeah, Shadow and his team are usually that impressive," Tails said, as they watched Team Dark back in action.
"It's been a while, fox," Rouge said, flying right next to him and knocking down a drone with a roundhouse kick while Omega knocked down the others.
"Shadow, you're back!" Amy said excitedly, as it had been a while since she and the dark hedgehog had seen each other.
"Hey, Amy," Shadow said crisply, standing on a drone before firing the rockets on his boots at full power and melting the drone's shell.
"It's good to see you again."
"It's good to see you too, Shadow. It's been way too long," Amy replied, giving him a genuine smile.
"Amy, I think we need to focus on getting out of here first," Tails interjected, his voice laced with concern. He was keeping an eye on the remaining drones, which were now circling like vultures.
Shadow nodded in agreement. "He's right. Let's finish this and then we can catch up. Omega, let's make quick work of these drones."
Omega nodded, his optics focusing on the remaining drones.
"Affirmative. Preparing for maximum output," he said, his hands transforming into powerful cannons.
Rouge smirked, her wings stretching out as she prepared to take down the last of the drones with a series of swift, precise strikes. "Let's clear this mess up and get out of here," she said, her voice filled with determination.
As Team Dark moved to take out the last of the drones, Tails turned to Belle and Amy. "We need to find a way to the bridge.
Clutch is there, and he's behind all this," Tails said urgently.
"I've got an idea," Belle said, her gears and cogs whirring with excitement. "There's a direct path through the Main Engine Room. It's a little difficult to navigate, but it should allow us to get closer while avoiding the robots and other security forces Clutch might have," Belle said as she led Amy Rose and Tails there.
"He's right," Rouge said, kicking the last robot in her path. "The ship's Main Engine Room connects directly to the bridge, and it's worth it to avoid having to fight our way through," Rouge said, supporting the wooden robot's idea.
"Alert, strong thermal signatures detected, approaching," Omega said, as she prepared her cannons.
"Must be Furnace," Amy said worriedly, taking her hammer with both hands.
"Who?!" Rouge asked, but before Furnace's hand could catch her, Shadow managed to slam a spindash into the metallic Sonic clone, which rolled on the ground before recovering its posture.
"I guess that's what you mean," Shadow said as he landed on one knee on the metallic floor.
"Another Metal Sonic?" Rouge said, somewhat surprised.
"I thought there was only one," Amy said, curious.
"Negative, there was another one. He attacked us in Lost Valley, though it's not the same one as the one now," Omega replied, pointing at Furnace Sonic.
"More powerful, I mean, it was already difficult to defeat the previous ones, but this one is even tougher. It's another version, created by Breezie, based on my design, but with an enhanced version of my AI," Omega explained.
"Looks like we have our work cut out for us," Shadow said, stepping into a fighting stance as Furnace charged at him.
Furnace swung at Shadow with a powerful punch, but Shadow ducked and countered with a quick uppercut, sending Furnace crashing into a nearby wall.
The metallic robot stumbled, but quickly regained its footing, its eyes glowing with heat.
"You're right, this one isn't as strong as the one I fought in Lost Valley," Shadow said, remembering his fight against Metallix, who had given him and his team a good beating in Lost Valley. "This grayish one is much weaker," Shadow said, something that seemed to make the robot with a furnace core laugh.
"Yes, I admit I'm not as strong as my brother in blue, but you shouldn't underestimate me because of that... Shadow," Furnace said as he curled into a ball, overheating and creating a sphere of burning fire around him. "Maximum Overdrive," Furnace Sonic roared in a robotic voice before blindly throwing himself at Shadow, who avoided colliding with the attack, which left a trail of melting and destruction in its wake. "We better head to that place you mentioned, Belle, and fast, before that thing manages to turn around and continue attacking us," said Rouge, as she watched Furnace Sonic disappear as he left the ship.
"You're right," replied Belle, "It's that way, follow me."
They all moved quickly, with Belle leading the way, as Tails helped Amy, who was struggling to keep up.
"We need to get you to a healer, Amy, you can't keep fighting in this state," Tails said, concerned.
"I'm fine, Tails, we need to stop Clutch first," Amy insisted, grimacing as she held her hammer tightly.
Meanwhile, Clutch was standing on the bridge, looking at the ship's control console.
His eyes were fixed on a holographic display that showed the current status of the ship and its various systems. He had a smug smile on his face, and his tail was twitching nervously, as if he was anticipating something.
"Everything is going according to plan," he said to himself, his voice barely above a whisper.
Suddenly, his vision focused on the cameras near the Main Engine Room, seeing Amy, Tails, Belle, Shadow, Rouge, and Omega heading there. Annoyed, his tail whipped the bridge floor before pressing a button to contact Breezie.
"Breezie, dear, a band of infiltrators is heading for the Main Engine Room. Could you send one of your toys to take care of it?" Clutch asked over the intercom.
"Don't worry, Clutch, Metallix is already waiting for them there. Even in a 9-on-1, they won't stand a chance against him," Breezie assured from the ship's assembly room, while inspecting the construction of more security robots.
"By the way, I've also checked the surveillance feed, and it looks like Team Dark has infiltrated the ship. It's only a matter of time before they join forces with our little hedgehog and the others," she added, her voice neutral despite the gravity of the situation.
"Hmm, very well then. I leave it in your capable hands, my dear. I have another errand to attend to," Clutch said, his voice more elevated now.
Meanwhile, Amy, Belle, Tails, Shadow, Rouge, and Omega finally arrived at the Main Engine Room, which was sealed off by a huge round hatch.
"Welcome everyone to the Engine Level," Belle said when the six of them reached the most remote levels of the ship.
"Ugh, I hate this place," Amy Rose commented, due to the darkness, combined with the fact that the only light came from the wire-fence floor, which allowed the reaction that kept the ship's engines running to filter through. This gave the place a dark, gloomy reddish hue that gave the whole place a gloomy, mechanical look.
"That door leads to the Main Engine Room, right?" Amy asked, eyeing the huge vault door.
"No doubt about it," Belle replied.
"It looks very suspicious and locked," Tails mentioned. "I'm not detecting any signs of the Metallic Gray Hedgehog," Omega said, scanning the surroundings. "Although, the constant thermal activity down here is disrupting my sensors, so I'm not entirely sure."
"Anyway, either he's coming or Metallix is," Shadow said, crossing his arms and looking to bring up the rear, looking for any sign of Furnace or Metallix.
"Give me a second, I've got him," Belle said, heading for the door.
"No offense, Belle, but I think this will require a little more than just lockpicking," Tails said as he grabbed his tablet to try to hack the security panel.
"I worked here, remember?" Belle said, entering the administrator passwords she had when she was part of Eggman's Empire. Apparently, they had restored the ship, but they hadn't changed the passwords for this sublevel.
"Oh, right," Tails said, somewhat blushed.
"Never underestimate robots, Tails." Rouge commented mockingly as everyone entered the Main Engine Room.
The room was vast, with colossal machinery humming and throbbing all around. The air was thick with heat and the scent of oil. In the center of the room stood a massive engine, pulsating with energy. It was a roiling, churning mass of metal and fire, a testament to Dr. Eggman's twisted genius.
Suddenly, Tails heard a sound. He went ahead of the group, turned behind the enormous engine, and found the Chaotix, Vector, Espio, and Charmy, trapped in a huge cage. The three were sleeping peacefully inside.
"Vector! Charmy, Espio!" Tails shouted to the Crocodile, the Chameleon, and the Bee, who were asleep in the cell. They slowly opened their eyes.
"Tails! Buddy! You came! It's so nice to see you again!" said Vector, holding onto the bars.
"I see things haven't gone so well for you guys, have they?" Shadow commented as he approached the cage.
"So you finally decided to return from your self-imposed exile, Shadow?" Espio commented, arms crossed over his chest. "Tell me, how was your vacation while the rest of us were still helping out?" the chameleon commented ironically to the hedgehog. "Come on, kids, don't fight," said Rouge, who, along with Belle and Tails, began to fiddle with the locks to free Vector, Charmy, and Espio.
"But why are you here?" asked Espio.
"We came to find out what Sweep Clean Inc. is up to and expose them, although it hasn't gone very well for us," replied Amy Rose.
"You three are the only ones we found, and you're just as stuck as we are," said Amy.
"That's why we leave the investigation to the professionals, miss. Look at this," said Vector, taking out a USB drive. "Inside this baby are all the dirty things Sweep Clean Inc. has done, and believe me, they've done a lot. As soon as we publish it, they'll be history," said Vector with some pride.
"Oh wow!" said Amy, impressed.
"Not bad," said Shadow, locking eyes with Espio.
"But what happened to you guys?"
"We were on the case, just like you, trying to figure out what Clutch and his cronies were up to," Espio explained. "We managed to infiltrate their offices, but then we got caught and thrown in here."
"It's been a while since I've seen such a secure lock," Belle said, tinkering with the mechanism. "This is high-end tech, even for Eggman's standards."
"Yeah, and it's not cooperating," Tails added, working alongside Belle to try and bypass the lock.
"It's like they knew we were coming."
Rouge looked up from where she was helping Omega scan the area for any hidden cameras or traps. "Speaking of which, I think we should be looking out for more than just Clutch and his robots," she said. "If they've got the Chaotix locked up, who knows what else they've got in store."
"You need look no further," said a robotic voice, as the locks guarding the Chaotix's cell were shattered by two energy blasts.
Metallix slowly descended from the tubes leading to the ceiling, appearing as an ominous shadow. "Consider the release of your friends the only advantage I'll give you," Metallix said seriously as he landed.
"Damn, it's him," Shadow said, stepping in front of the others.
"Who are you?!" Amy Rose asked, holding the hammer in both hands.
"Amy, I guess you don't recognize me with this new body, but we've met before," Metallix said in that robotic yet threatening tone.
"Metal Sonic? Did Eggman enhance you again?" Amy asked.
"Enhanced? Yes, but it wasn't Eggman who gave me this new body, but I can't tell you who specifically," Metallix said as he prepared his engines. "Now, you understand that I can't let any of you leave here, right?" Metallix said.
"Yeah, we're not going to make this easy for you," Shadow said, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for a fight.
"I was hoping you'd say that," Metallix replied, his red optical sensors glowing with malice. "You see, I've been waiting for this moment. A chance to finally put an end to Sonic and his friends once and for all."
"Sonic's not here," Tails pointed out.
"No, but you are," Metallix said, his gaze sweeping over the group.
"I've already defeated Sonic, now all that's left is you," Metallix said, charging forward.
Shadow charged forward to collide with Metallix, but Metallix was even stronger than when they fought in Lost Valley, sending Shadow flying in the collision, sending him flying to the side and crashing into one of the walls.
Vector stood in front of everyone and, linking hands in a power struggle, managed to hold Metallix back for a bit.
"Leave, Shadow, Omega, and I will stop him!" Vector roared, trying with all his might to avoid losing the duel of strength.
"You're the strongest one present, and yet..." Metallix planted both feet on the ground and pushed Vector down, sending him to his knees. "So weak," Metallix said before picking him up and spinning him to kick him straight into the ceiling.
Omega charged from the side, intending to run over Metallix, but Metallix stopped him with one hand.
"Not today, robot," Metallix said, slamming Omega through the floor and into the engine room's cooling system, where he short-circuited.
Rouge took flight, trying to surprise Metallix with an aerial attack, but he saw her coming and blasted her with an energy beam, sending her crashing to the ground.
Belle quickly moved to help Rouge, but Metallix's next blast sent her flying into a wall, her wooden body splintering.
Espio used the distraction to try a stealth attack, but Metallix's advanced AI was able to track him using heat signatures and sound waves.
He turned just in time to catch Espio's strike and throw him against a nearby wall, leaving the chameleon dazed.
"You're all so weak. It's pathetic," Metallix said, his voice dripping with contempt. "Even though you gave me trouble when I was Neo Metal Sonic, you guys are nothing to me now," Metallix said, dodging a spindash from Shadow, grabbing the black hedgehog before kicking him to the opposite wall of the room.
Vector grabbed Metallix by the back and lifted him up to try and carry him out of the reach of the others, but Metallix spun in the air to send him flying.
Out of the corner of his visor, he saw Tails and Charmy trying to reach the hatch that led directly to the Command Bridge, but in a quick flight, he managed to catch the fox and the bee, one in each hand, and slammed them into the metal floor to prevent them from escaping.
"You're right, they're like ants," Metallix said, laughing as he watched them all fall one by one.
"You can't keep us all down forever," Amy said, her voice filled with determination. She was holding her hammer, ready to fight despite the pain she was in.
"Oh, count on it," Metallix replied, his voice cold and unyielding. "You'll never leave this room alive."
"You know, for someone who claims to be superior, you sure have a lot of weaknesses," Shadow commented, slowly getting back to his feet.
His body was bruised and battered, but his determination wasn't wavering.
Metallix scoffed, "Weaknesses? I'm a masterpiece of engineering, a pinnacle of Dr. Eggman's genius. I am unstoppable."
"You're certainly confident," Shadow replied, circling Metallix. "But confidence isn't everything. Sometimes, it's the little things that trip you up."
Metallix's optical sensors narrowed as he focused on Shadow. "You're stalling, hedgehog.
You know you can't beat me," Metallix said, his engines revving up.
"Maybe I am. But the longer we talk, the more time my friends have to recover," Shadow said, his eyes never leaving Metallix. "And you know what? I'm not the only one who can stall."
Suddenly, a figure dropped down from the ceiling, landing in between Shadow and Metallix. It was Furnace Sonic, his body glowing with heat.
"What are you doing here?" Metallix asked, his optical sensors focusing on the gray hedgehog.
"I hate to interrupt, but it seems we have company," Furnace Sonic said, his voice a low growl. His metallic body was glowing with heat, the flames licking at the air around him.
"What's going on now?" Metallix asked, sending Espio flying with a swipe, sending him slamming into the engine bay.
"Apparently, Jewel has mobilized a small militia of beastmen, and they're planning to regain control of the bridge, backed by the Diamond Cutters," Furnace said, the crackling of flames in his core accompanying his words.
Metallix clenched his fist in anger before soaring upward and flying straight through the hatch toward the bridge.
Furnace faced his opponents. "You guys, don't think you'll get past me," Furnace said, reactivating his Maximum Overdrive to immerse himself in a field of flames so intense they even affected the surrounding environment.
"Come on, there are too many of us for you to take us all down," Rouge said, taking flight and avoiding the blazing waves of heat that surrounded Furnace.
"You know, I think he's right," Shadow said, brushing himself off and standing up. "Let's focus on getting to the bridge. Omega?"
Omega, who had finally managed to free himself from the cooling system, limped over to Shadow. My systems are functional, but not at maximum capacity.
I will need to refuel soon," Omega said, his voice a low hum.
"We'll find a way to replenish your fuel as soon as we can," Shadow assured him, he undid the rings on his wrists to unleash his full power. As soon as the rings detached themselves from the hedgehog's wrists, he charged with a boost, imbued with an orange aura, colliding with Furnace's flamethrower. The collision between the two living projectiles was brief, before a sudden explosion threw Furnace to the side, leaving a clear path for the rest.
"I'll stop him. Go to the bridge now!" Shadow ordered, getting up, aided by Vector and Omega, while Furnace removed the pieces of destroyed machinery from above himself.
"You heard him, everyone! Get to the bridge!" Amy commanded, her voice determined despite the pain she was in. She pushed herself up, hammer in hand, ready to fight her way through if needed.
Tails helped Belle up, and together they made their way towards the hatch leading to the bridge. Espio and Charmy, though bruised and battered, followed closely behind.
"You're going to have to do better than that, Furnace," Shadow taunted, trying to distract the metallic hedgehog long enough for the others to escape.
Furnace growled, his engines roaring as he prepared to retaliate.
"You think you can take me down so easily, hedgehog? I've faced stronger opponents than you."
Shadow smirked, his eyes narrowing as his quills bristled. "Yeah, well, you're not facing Eggman's toys now. You're facing me, and I'm not about to let you harm my friends."
Furnace charged at Shadow, his hands morphing into blazing metal blades. Shadow dodged the first strike, but the second caught him on the arm, leaving a burn mark. Shadow gritted his teeth, his eyes flashing with pain, but he didn't let it show.
Instead, he charged at Furnace, using his speed and agility to avoid the metallic hedgehog's blazing blades. He ducked under a strike, rolled to avoid another, and weaved between the flames that Furnace was leaving in his wake.
"You're fast, I'll give you that," Furnace growled, his voice a low rumble. "But you're not fast enough."
Shadow smirked, his eyes never leaving Furnace.
"You think so? Then why am I still standing?" He darted forward, his speed increasing as he focused his Chaos Control, allowing him to move faster than Furnace's eyes could track. He struck at Furnace's weak points, his blows leaving deep scores in the metallic hedgehog's chassis.
Furnace grunted as he tried to block Shadow's attacks, but the hedgehog was too fast. He stumbled back, his engines sputtering as Shadow's blows took their toll. "You cheat," Furnace growled, his voice strained.
"You're using your Chaos powers to fight me. That's not fair."
Shadow chuckled, "Fair? Who said anything about fair, Furnace? This is a fight, not a gentleman's duel. And besides, you're not exactly fighting clean yourself. Those blazing blades of yours leave a lot of damage."
Furnace snarled and charged at Shadow, his engines revving up to maximum output. He unleashed a barrage of attacks, each one more ferocious than the last. Shadow dodged and weaved, using his speed and agility to avoid the worst of the attacks.
Meanwhile, on the ship's bridge, Clutch sits in a chair watching Jewel enter through the central door, accompanied by two Restoration soldiers.
"You know, Clutch? I've had some time to think... and I think it's time to end our business agreement," Jewel said, hands on her hips, as more Restoration soldiers arrived to support her against Clutch's thugs.
Clutch, for his part, appeared calm, his tail gently whipping and waving from side to side with supreme patience.
"Well, that's a shame, Jewel, you know? I think we made a good team," Clutch said, playing with his staff in his hands, twirling it with one claw.
Jewel couldn't believe why he was so calm until she felt something descend behind her, intimidating the soldiers at her side.
"Metallix, please escort these rioters off MY ship," Clutch ordered, turning around as Metallix grabbed Jewel by the neck, lifting her up. The bird at his side tried to use its wispon weapon, but Metallix grabbed it by the head and threw it through the air like a doll. His companion, another anthropomorphic animal with yellow fur, tried to shoot, but Metallix kicked him, causing him to crash violently against the wall.
"Now, anyone here who wishes to disobey me can speak to my friend here," Clutch said to the rest of the bridge operators, pointing at Metallix, who sent Jewel to sleep by slamming her against the ground with such force that he broke one of her wings.
Clutch's thugs, seeing their leader's orders, kept their hands on their weapons, aside from three who decided to try to make a run for it with Metallix behind them, who began to hunt them down.
Clutch watched them go, his eyes smiling to himself, satisfied with the scene, and the way he was taking everything under control.
Breezie watched everything from the camera system, somewhat annoyed, but didn't think much of it. However, she decided to loosen the chains of the Blue Hedgehog trapped in the lower chambers.
"I won't make it that easy for you, Clutch. After all, you're not the only one playing around here," Breezie said to herself as she disabled the security systems in that area. She also let Amy and her group into the bridge.
Charmy was the first to burst onto the bridge, flying quickly to approach the bridge's control panel, holding the USB drive.
"What?!" Clutch asked, surprised by the bee, which quickly flew between his legs. When he tried to follow her, Amy swung her hammer, forcing him to block the attack.
"Quick, put the USB drive in the transmission systems!" Amy told Charmy, while she and Rouge held Clutch back.
The bee quickly plugged the USB drive into the transmission system, and within seconds, the bridge's holographic displays began to flicker and change.
"What's happening?! What are you doing?!" Clutch demanded, trying to break free from Amy's grip, but Rouge kept him pinned with her wings and tail.
"Just watch, Clutch. Your little scheme is about to unravel," Amy said, her voice filled with satisfaction.
The bridge's displays began to show a recording of Clutch's dealings with various criminal organizations, along with evidence of his involvement in the illegal activities of Sweep Clean Inc.
The footage showed Clutch meeting with gang leaders, accepting bribes, and discussing plans to manipulate the restoration efforts for personal gain.
"How did you get this?" Clutch growled, struggling against Amy and Rouge. "This is all doctored! You can't prove anything!"
"Oh, I think we can," Belle said, stepping forward. She held up a small device, similar to a pocket recorder, and activated it. Clutch's voice filled the room, his words clear and damning.
"...and when the restoration's complete, we'll control every city on Mobius.
No one will be able to stop us," Clutch's voice echoed through the bridge.
Clutch's eyes widened in shock as he realized that the recording was real. He had been betrayed, and now his plans were about to be exposed to the world.
"You see, Clutch, we have evidence of your crimes, and it's all going to be broadcasted live across every communication channel in Mobius," Belle said, her voice filled with satisfaction.
There was little time to celebrate, though, as the lower parts of the ship exploded extremely violently.
"Multiple Failures!!! Alert!!!" the ship's alarms sounded as the operators' screens showed that the entire northwest section of the ship was being systematically destroyed at high speed.
From the racetrack, Tangle, Whisper, and Lanolin watched in shock as the enormous ship began its ominous descent toward the city, the enormous ship echoing with explosions that rippled through the entire lower hull almost simultaneously.
Surge, still a little battered from the recent fight with the evil Sonic earlier, recognized the dark blue trails that preceded each explosion higher up.
"It's him," she said to Kitsunami.
"And what will we do?" Kit asked.
"We'll let the Diamond Cutters take care of it for now, we..." Surge noticed that Duo wasn't with the Diamond Cutters; mysteriously, that cat had left as soon as they lost sight of him.
"We need to see someone. Come follow me," Surge said, starting her hoverbike.
Kit jumped onto the back, wrapping his arms tightly around Surge as she zoomed off, weaving through the traffic with expert precision.
"Where are we going?" Kit asked, holding on for dear life as Surge swerved and sped through the crowded streets.
"I have a feeling Duo might know something about this," Surge replied, her voice steady and determined.
Duo had hidden behind one of the aerial platforms. He watched out of the corner of his eye as his companions, the lemur, the wolf, and the sheep, went off to try to figure out what was happening on the ship.
"Damn, this wasn't supposed to go like this. I'd better make my exit now," Duo said, preparing to leave on his hoverboard when suddenly a water tentacle pulled him out of hiding, placing him in front of Surge and Kit.
"Okay, tentacles, speak up. You vanished as soon as Sonic revealed his identity. You knew something, right?" Surge accused, showing Duo that he had removed one of his gloves, revealing the suction-cup hands underneath, as well as his identity.
Duo looked surprised at first, but then angry as he removed his glove, and his eyes turned dark, almost pupil-less. "Yeah, I knew it. I just found out yesterday," Mimic admitted as he put his glove back on and his eyes returned to a greenish tint.
"So, what are you going to do? Are you going to side with the Diamond Cutters? With Clutch? Or with us?" Surge asked as Duo/Mimic prepared to leave.
"There are always other options," Duo/Mimic said as he revved up his hoverboard to follow his companions.
"I could knock him off his board. I'm curious if he can grow wings," Kitsunami said as a water tentacle tentatively emerged to go after Duo/Mimic.
"Easy, Kit, eyes on the prize," Surge said, leaning over his scooter, watching the craft fall. "Our target now is Clutch."