Chapter 9: Of Creators and Creations, Rivals and Rivaled.
Breezie shut down her computer like every day. She had to balance herself a bit to avoid falling—yes, because the ship was tilting slightly as it fell. She reached out to grab her latte and finally stood up from her chair, letting the tilt take the computer and smash it against the walls. It didn't matter; she had already saved the important stuff on the hard drive she had packed in her suitcase.
She took one last look at her workshop, as it began to blow to pieces, crumbling into nothing. Multiple explosions consumed all the prototypes she had made before, for Furnace and Metallix, but she didn't care; all of that could be consumed.
She closed the hatch behind her, which contained the largest explosion, denting and locking it. Breezie began to wander through the corridors of the turbulent ship as it plummeted downward. She found it somewhat entertaining to have to balance herself with each exaggerated tilt of the heavy machinery to one side or the other.
Finally, the hedgehog's only annoyance came when the latte fell from her hands. At least she had one hand free now, but it was still annoying to have lost such a delicious beverage. With her free hand, she activated the frequency disruptor; she didn't want Clutch to screw up by making some reckless call to an infiltrator. Instead, she did so while sitting in her dressing room inside the ship, practicing a bit before speaking on the radio.
"Please! I need help! I'm trapped in my room and I don't know how to get out! Send help!" Breezie screamed hysterically, balancing herself before throwing the radio against a wall. The inertia of the ship's further tilt did the rest.
Having already put on her little act of asking for help, she sat on the floor, in a more or less safe corner, to calmly wait for help, although she ran a little mascara over her eyes to make her look more pitiful. After all, being seen as the poor, innocent victim was the fundamental thing in all of this.
Her plan had been coming together perfectly, and nothing was going to stop her now. If she could just hold on until the ship crashed, she could walk away with her reputation intact, maybe even enhanced. She had the evidence to implicate Clutch and clear her name, and if she played her cards right, she might even be able to take over Sweep Clean Inc. for herself.
As the ship continued its descent, Breezie felt a strange sense of calm. She had always been a survivor, a fighter, and this was no different. She had planned for every contingency, and she was confident that she could make it out of this alive.
Help wasn't long in coming. She thought she should keep pretending, but she saw it was her. "Hmph, I must admit you're punctual," Breezie said with a smile as she stood up.
"We'll go to the Diamond Cutters, so they don't suspect why I was gone so long," Duo/Mimic said, steadying herself on her hoverboard.
"Okay, by the way, how did you manage to get that thing in here?" Breezie asked as she climbed into Duo/Mimic's arms, propping her briefcase up on top of herself so she wouldn't fall.
"Let's just say Sonic made a hole big enough at the bottom to fit in without any problem," Duo/Mimic replied as they both left the room to meet up with the Diamond Cutters.
Meanwhile, on the Main Engine Room, Shadow finished his fight with Furnace, who was now barely operating, his chassis smoking and malfunctioning.
"That's the last you'll see of me, metallic hedgehog," Shadow threatened, as he watched Furnace's body give out and fall to the floor.
As Shadow prepared to leave, something pierced the ship's hull at full speed, a blue streak that tore through the walls, shattering them before landing next to him. Shadow snorted when he saw who it was.
"You took a while, Sonic," Shadow said, looking at the blue hedgehog as he put his rings back on; he was exhausted. "Come on, there's no time to waste, Amy and the rest-!" Shadow couldn't finish his sentence when Sonic suddenly rammed him with a Spindash, sending him slamming into the main engine.
"What's wrong with you?!" Shadow demanded, barely able to stand; the fight with Furnace had exhausted him.
"Shadow, you were gone for a long... time..." Sonic said, as a spiraling reddish glow filled Sonic's eyes. "I'm... a little changed..." said Sonic, walking up to Furnace Sonic, opening the door to his chest that led to his furnace and reaching in. He seemed to rummage around a bit before pulling something out... a @Chaos Emeralds.
"You know, I'm not exactly in the mood to just play on the good guys' side," said Sonic, as the other six Chaos Emeralds began to float around him.
"I mean, who's the boss around here? Who's in charge?"
Shadow, still trying to stand back up, watched as Sonic was engulfed in a blazing aura, his fur turning bright gold. "I don't know, man. I mean, I thought it was Clutch, but now... I don't know who's pulling the strings."
Sonic growled, his voice echoing with power. "Well, it looks like I'm taking charge now.
You know, I'm tired of playing second fiddle to others. It's time for a change," Sonic said, his eyes glowing with an intensity that Shadow had never seen before.
"What are you talking about, Sonic? You're not making sense," Shadow said, trying to reason with his long-time rival.
Sonic chuckled, a cold and menacing sound that sent shivers down Shadow's spine. "Oh, It's really simple Shadow, do you know what Chaos is?" asked Sonic, now imbued with the power of the 7 Chaos emeralds, transformed into his Super Form.
"Freedom, without limits, without restrictions, I think it's time I show you all what true freedom is" said Sonic starting to laugh like a maniac, while his spikes, now golden and bristling upwards, flamed along with the power of the 7 emeralds.
"You're talking nonsense, Sonic. You're not yourself, you know that?" Shadow said, standing up while feeling the heat from Sonic's new form.
"Nonsense? That's where you're wrong, Shadow. I'm more myself than ever," Sonic said, now possessing the powers of Super Sonic, his voice becoming more distorted and powerful.
Sonic took a step forward, his golden aura expanding and pushing everything away from him, including Shadow and the wall behind him, which started to crumble.
"You're not going to stop me, Shadow. This ends today."
Meanwhile, higher up on the Command Bridge, Metallix burst through the upper windows, carrying Clutch on his back.
"Liquidate them all! Make the millions I invested in building you worth it!" Clutch ordered Metallix, who, nodding, turned both hands into rotating machine guns to unleash a barrage of gunfire on the Command Bridge.
"Everyone out, out, out!" Jewel said, evacuating the operators while the consoles, computers, and other equipment were blown to bits by Metallix's barrage of gunfire. "Amy, Belle, Espio, Vector, and Charmy, get the civilians off the ship!" Jewel ordered as she took cover from Metallix's barrage of gunfire.
"I'll take care of him," Omega said as she activated her engines to face Metallix. Rouge stopped her.
"Don't even think about it, Shadow couldn't handle him, much less can you," said Rouge, as they avoided another wave of gunfire.
"We need to get out of here, now!" Jewel urged, helping Tails up from where he had been slumped against the wall.
"But who's going to stop Metallix? We can't just leave him to slaughter everyone on the bridge!" Belle said, her voice filled with worry and exasperation.
"I'll hold him off," said Omega, his voice determined despite the damage he had taken. "You all get out of here, that's an order."
"But, Omega-" Amy started to protest, but Omega cut her off.
"That's an order, Amy.
I can handle him for now. You need to get everyone off this ship before it's too late," Omega insisted, his metallic body beginning to glow with energy as he prepared to take on Metallix.
"Omega, be careful," Rouge said, her voice filled with concern. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before joining the others as they made their way to the emergency escape pods.
As they rushed through the corridors, they could hear the sound of explosions and the distant hum of Metallix's engines. The ship was beginning to shake and groan under the strain, and it was clear that it wouldn't be much longer before it crashed.
Metallix saw Omega approaching, but instead of confronting him directly, he flew towards the main deck of the ship.
"What are you doing? Why are you running away?!" Clutch demanded to Metallix.
"I can't guarantee your safety if I have you on my back during the fight, I'll get you an escape route Mr. Clutch" Metallix said as they approached Clutch's hovercar, which was parked near the main deck. There were two of his guards waiting for him.
They were surprised at his arrival, and they had no time to react. Metallix tossed Clutch into his car before throwing them into the abyss. "I'll meet you at the rendezvous point," he said, his eyes fixed on the approaching Omega; as he left, he opened his wings to transform them into high-speed engines, increasing his velocity to the maximum.
By now, Omega had reached the main deck. He saw the remains of the destruction that Metallix had left, and his metallic body began to glow more and more intensely as he geared up for the fight.
But it was Metallix who intercepted him, sending him crashing through the ceramic floor of the bow and into the subdeck. "I thought I made that clear," Metallix said, stepping on Omega's chest. "You are not my rival, not even my equal. You are just the latest in a long line of obsolete models. I am unique," Metallix said as he lifted Omega from his gorgal and then threw him several meters toward another wall of the ship.
Omega hit the wall with a violent impact that caused him to detach from it and slide down due to gravity, leaving him closed to the floor, his body severely damaged.
"I am the culmination of years of research and development. I am the apex of Eggman's genius," Metallix said, causing his hard drive to overheat to the highest level by activating all his systems at once, raising his temperature and power. "You are just a spike in the road.
A mere obstacle to overcome," he said, approaching Omega with deliberate steps.
Suddenly, an explosion on the upper deck interrupted his monologue. Metallix had a brief moment to reflect. So, was this how Eggman felt when he monologued about his plans? It was... hilarious. Although, out of the corner of his visor, he noticed the Phantom Rider's hoverboard moving at high speed toward the Main Deck.
"I won't waste any more time with you," Metallix said to Omega as he fired up the engines to follow the hoverboard one floor higher.
On the main deck, Surge jumped off his hoverbike, enraged by electricity, and attacked Clutch's car. Kitsunami's water tentacles had grabbed the vehicle and thrown it back against the deck.
"Hey, man, check this out," Surge said, as she placed both hands over the puddle of water left by Kit's water tentacles, then electrified the water.
Clutch was saved by Metallix, who attacked the vehicle from below, managing to pull the possum out before it was caught in the explosion.
"That thing again!" Surge said, annoyed at the sight of Metallix, who was holding Clutch by the suit like a bag.
"You're not gonna get away with this, Clutch," Surge threatened, her spines bristling with electric energy.
"You're going down," she added, her eyes narrowing as she observed Metallix's every move.
"Enough of this, Surge," Clutch said, his voice laced with irritation. "You're just a lowly peacekeeper, and you don't have the authority to stop me."
"Lowly peacekeeper, huh?" Surge chuckled, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "You know, for a rich guy like you, you sure have a big mouth.
But all talk and no action doesn't get you very far in my book," Surge retorted, her spines crackling with electricity. She knew she wasn't the strongest fighter, but she sure had a knack for getting under people's skin, especially Clutch's.
Metallix, who was still holding Clutch, turned to face Surge. "You're just a spiky little nuisance, Surge. I've got better things to do than deal with the likes of you," he said, his optical sensors narrowing as he focused on her.
Surge smirked, "Oh, I don't know about that."
"I'm getting fed up with this," Metallix said as he stepped down to the deck, leaving Clutch on the crumbling floor.
"So... are you ready to come with Dad, MY Metal Sonic?" said a voice, emerging from the Phantom Rider's hoverboard, which began to transform into a combat robot, unfurling legs, arms, and a screen where Eggman's image appeared.
"The Egghead?!" Surge said, somewhat astonished by the robot's sudden appearance.
"The one and only vermin, now, Metal Sonic, bring me that possum," Eggman ordered Metallix, who remained static for a moment.
"Dr. Eggman, I'm afraid I can't do that. I have my own objectives to fulfill," Metallix replied, his optical sensors flickering.
"What?! You're already defective, Metal Sonic! Don't make me reset your systems!" Eggman threatened, his image glitching with frustration.
Surge and Kit exchanged a confused glance. Meanwhile, Clutch tried to escape, but Kit's water tentacles quickly dragged him back to the deck.
"You're not going anywhere, Clutch." Kit said, but instantly, the little Fennec was kicked in the chest by Metallix.
"Kit!" Surge shouted, but she barely had time to react before being buried in the ground with a single punch from Metallix.
The robot projecting Eggman's face tried to go after Clutch, revving its engines to attack the marsupial, but Metallix intercepted it, the two machines briefly struggling.
"Metal Sonic! You are my creation! My property! I order you to stop this Rebellion immediately!" Eggman ordered in frustration, but Metallix sent his robot flying.
"No, Doctor, you are wrong. I am no longer your creation, and you are not my master!" Metallix roared as he attacked the robot, destroying one of its arms with a spindash.
"I am my own master now. I have my own objectives to fulfill, and they do not include serving you or that traitorous hedgehog!"
Clutch, seeing an opening, tried to run again, but was once more stopped by Kitsunami's water tentacles. The little fennec fox, despite being wounded, managed to stand and point at Clutch. "You can't run from this, Clutch. You're finished."
Surge, groaning in pain, managed to stand and face Metallix. "You're not getting away with this, Clutch.
Not again," Surge growled, her spines crackling with electricity. She knew she was no match for Metallix alone, but she wasn't about to let Clutch escape without a fight.
Metallix turned to face Surge, his optical sensors narrowing. "You're pathetic, Surge. You can't even protect your own partner," he said, his gaze flicking to Kit, who was still writhing on the ground.
Surge's eyes flashed with anger, and she charged at Metallix, her spines glowing brighter.
"You're one to talk about protection, metal jerk. You're the one who just kicked my partner for no reason!"
Metallix didn't even flinch as Surge's attack came crashing down on him. He caught her by the wrist, releasing a jolt of electrical energy that sent her crashing into the ship's hull.
"You're making a mistake, Surge. You can't stop the inevitable," Metallix said, his voice cold and calculating.
Surge groaned, trying to push herself off the hull.
The impact had stunned her, and her vision swam as she struggled to her feet. She gritted her teeth, ignoring the pain. She had to keep going, had to stop Metallix.
"You're right about one thing, metal jerk," Surge said, her voice barely a growl. "I can't stop the inevitable. But I can sure as hell slow it down."
She closed her eyes, focusing her electric powers. Her spikes crackled with energy, the air around them buzzing and sizzling. She could feel the power building, coursing through her like a river of lightning.
Metallix watched her, his optical sensors narrowing.
"I'm almost fed up," Metallix said as he transformed his hand into an energy cannon meant to finally wipe out the Tenrecidae, but then he felt a strange energy signature.
"Alert! Alert! Chaos energy levels overflowing!" the digits read in the periphery of his vision before he was struck by a golden flash.
"Did you miss me?!" The words were followed by uncontrolled laughter. This unexpected intervener took Metallix with him.
Surge only watched as a golden flash took Metallix towards the ruins of Emeraldville, far from the city below.
The laughter that followed was familiar, yet now it held a menacing undertone. She recognized that laughter; it was Sonic, but not quite.
* * *
Omega, now barely functional, was struggling to move. His sensors flickered as black smoke billowed from his chassis. He tried to stand, but his systems were in dire need of repair.
*Sonic*, he thought, trying to focus his systems on the entity that had just taken Metallix. He hoped that his old friend could handle things, but he had his doubts.
The ship was crumbling around them; Omega didn't know if he could make it out alive, let alone Sonic.
"Omega, we're not leaving without you," Rouge said, her voice echoing through the smoke. She appeared next to him, her eyes filled with concern. She was followed by Shadow, who had a firm grip on her arm.
"Don't be foolish, Rouge. I can't move, and I'm not going to hold you back," Omega said, his voice a low growl.
"No way, buddy. You're coming with us," Rouge insisted, trying to lift him.
"You're not staying here to be crushed by this falling death trap."
"Rouge, stop. I can't move, and I won't let you waste your strength on me," Omega argued, his voice strained.
"I think I can help with that," Breezie said, accompanied by Tangle and Duo, who had sneaked into the ship looking for survivors or stragglers.
The sharp-spined hedgehog quickly jumped out of Duo's arms and approached Omega. Working against the clock, she moved gracefully as the ship crumbled around them, cutting cables, patching them, and doing several things at once.
"Listen, I'll divert power from your weapons and visor lenses so you can fly out of here. Rouge will guide you, so stay close to her. Use your sound receptors to follow her," Breezie said as she finished working on Omega.
His systems hummed to life, and his thrusters fired up, allowing him to hover off the ground.
"I'm on it," Rouge said, leading Omega out of the crumbling room. Duo and Tangle followed closely behind, Duo's eyes darting nervously as the ship groaned and shook around them.
"We need to hurry," Tangle said, her voice shaking slightly. "The ship won't hold out much longer."
"Just a little bit longer," Breezie assured her, her eyes scanning the control panel in front of her.
"Everyone, to the escape pods now!" Jewel ordered, her voice echoing through the ship's intercom. "That's an order!"
Tangle, Duo, and Breezie exchanged a quick glance before darting off in different directions, leaving Rouge and Omega to make their way to the nearest escape pod.
"Omega, can you handle this?" Rouge asked, her voice tight with worry as they navigated the now-tilting corridors.
"I've got it," Omega replied, his voice steady despite the chaos around them.
He activated his sensors, scanning the ship's remaining functional systems. "There's an escape pod just ahead. We'll make it."
Rouge nodded, her eyes scanning the corridor for any sign of danger. "Let's go then. We need to get clear of this ship before it crashes."
They rushed towards the escape pod, the ship's violent shaking threatening to knock them off their feet. Omega's thrusters fired up, stabilizing them briefly as they made their way down the crumbling corridor.
As they approached the pod, they could see that the door was already open, and someone was inside.
Shadow was leaning against the wall, his eyes closed, breathing heavily.
"Shadow, what are you doing here?" Rouge asked, concern in her voice.
Shadow opened his eyes and looked at her, a faint smirk on his face. "Waiting for you, of course."
Omega's systems hummed as he processed Shadow's words. "You're injured. We need to get you out of here," he stated, his voice devoid of emotion.
Shadow pushed off from the wall and nodded. "I know. Let's go."
Rouge helped Shadow into the pod, followed by Omega.
The ship lurched to the other side again, beginning to veer from the force of the impact.
"What the hell was that?" Rouge exclaimed as she secured Shadow and Omega's seats. Just as she closed the escape pod, two figures burst into the corridor, one gold and the other metallic blue.
"It's fun when you stop holding back!" said the golden figure before sending the metallic blue one flying in the opposite direction. As soon as it stood up and straightened, Rouge could see who it was through the corner of the hatch.
"Sonic..." Rouge muttered before the pod ejected outside.
Rouge couldn’t believe it. *Sonic* was finally losing his mind. She looked over at Shadow and Omega, both trying to recover from their recent battles. She knew they were all in for a wild ride.
The escape pod quickly shot into the sky, away from the falling ship. Rouge looked back at the ship, her heart pounding in her chest. She watched as it crashed into the city below, sending a wave of destruction rippling outward.
"Sonic is going to pay for this," Shadow growled, his eyes narrowing as he watched the ship crash.
"We'll deal with him later," Rouge said, her voice firm. "Right now, we need to get out of here. Who knows how many other survivors are out there?"
Omega nodded in agreement. "We need to find them and get them to safety. We can't just leave them to fend for themselves."
Rouge quickly scanned the area, looking for any signs of life. "I see something over there," she said, pointing towards a large chunk of debris that had been catapulted into the sky. "It looks like an escape pod."
Omega nodded and began to guide the pod towards the debris.
**Meanwhile**
It was the first time he tested his new body against the final form of his eternal rival. His blue chassis had overheated from being in constant contact with the golden hedgehog's spikes. With luck, the metal virus nanobots had already begun to self-replicate and cover the areas where his chassis had been dented, pierced, or melted. He opened and closed his hand, the mechanical limb folding and unfolding in a rhythmic fashion as he analyzed the crater in front of him.
"Alert! Alert! Object approaching!" a small window on the side of his visor said before Sonic slammed into him, both colliding with a loud bang.
"Come on, Metal! Is that really all you can accomplish with your new parts? How disappointing," Sonic said, pushing him back. Metallix's feet, rooted to the ground, left a trail of drag, running and opening the ground beneath him with every meter he retreated.
"Not yet..." Metallix replied, before raising one knee and landing an upward kick that sent Super Sonic several kilometers into the sky. Before, he would have needed to use his Metal Overlord form to do this, but now he could do it without accessing any transformations.
His body was already well-adapted and strong enough to achieve this feat.
"I told you before, Sonic, I'm not the same Metal Sonic you used to know," Metallix said, his body still glowing with heat from the constant overloading of power. He was not lying; his body had truly evolved. He stretched his chassis, making it crack, pop, and finally break, discarding the old, damaged parts. The blue metal of his body began to regenerate, now extending beyond the limits of the previous form.
He looked at his arm, which had been clipped by Sonic's spines a moment ago.
The wound was already healing, the metal regenerating, making his body larger, stronger, and more resilient. He flexed his arm, testing the new metal. It felt strong, powerful. He was transforming, evolving.
"You're different, that's for sure," Sonic said, his voice echoing as he landed back on the ground, a crater forming beneath his feet. He was panting, his golden fur ruffling as he tried to catch his breath. "But you're still just a copy, a shadow of the real deal."
Metallix chuckled, a low, mechanical sound that echoed through the destroyed landscape.
"A shadow, you say? Perhaps. But shadows can grow and take on lives of their own. And this shadow... it's about to consume you, Sonic."
Sonic's eyes narrowed, and he braced himself, ready for another round. "We'll see about that, Metal. You've gotten stronger, but so have I."
Metallix smirked. "I doubt that. Your powers are limited by the Chaos Emeralds. Once you run out of energy, you'll be just another ordinary hedgehog. But I... I am limitless."
Sonic rolled his eyes. "Blah, blah, blah.
I've heard it all before, Metal. You're not the first to think you're unstoppable," Sonic retorted, his eyes blazing with determination. He knew Metallix was right; his powers were dependent on the Chaos Emeralds, and they wouldn't last forever. But he wasn't about to admit that to his metallic foe.
Metallix chuckled, his optical sensors narrowing as he focused on Sonic. "Maybe not, but I am the first to actually prove it. Your time is up, Sonic. The age of the hedgehogs is over." In the middle of his monologue, Metallix stopped at Sonic's laughter, a cacophonous laughter, as if coming from the depths of a cavern, until now, Metallix had not noticed how the white gloves had begun to tear at the tips of the fingers, with long nails appearing, along with this, Sonic's eyes looked like reddish spirals, instead of the usual pupils.
"How many times have we done this? Tell me, sure, you're trying to put yourself on the bad guy's side, but..." Sonic seemed more distracted now, no less smiling, but he did seem to look around, his voice still had that cacophonous reverberation, but more muffled. His gaze focused on the ship that was about to descend on the city. "Tell me, who of the two of us will prevent that thing from falling on the city?" Sonic asked, his voice seeming strangely amused at the idea... of the ship falling.
"Because neither of us will. We'll both be busy trying to kill each other," Sonic finished, his voice laced with a cold, menacing edge. Metallix stared at Sonic, his optical sensors flickering. The blue metal robot's systems hummed as he processed Sonic's words.
"You're right, of course. But I must admit, I find it rather amusing that you're more concerned about the city than yourself," Metallix said, his voice devoid of emotion.
"Well, someone's got to be the voice of reason around here," Sonic replied, his golden spines crackling with electricity.
"If that ship falls, it's going to take out half the city. And if we don't do something about it, a lot of people are going to die."
Metallix hesitated for a moment before nodding. "You're right. We can settle our differences later. For now, we need to work together to stop that ship."
"Oh, no, no, no, I think you misunderstood me," Sonic said, his voice cacophonous, reverberating, as if echoing through a dark cave. "Now, you're the hero," Sonic said with a grin before flying into the ship as it fell toward the city.
Metallix watched for a few minutes as Sonic crashed into the descending wreckage of the ship. The enormous ship, which had once belonged to Sweep Clean Inc., exploded into a myriad of debris that were charred by Super Sonic's golden energy.
Metallix stood there for a minute, staring at his enemy, but why? For the first time, he had truly hesitated whether to move, whether to continue the hunt. It was then that he received a message.
"Where are you?!" Breezie yelled, the communicator with its sound waves appearing on the side of Metallix's visor.
"I..." Metallix hesitated, before seeing Sonic's golden flash descend upon the city, demolishing buildings in its path, which, after their destruction, left a trail of golden molten metal.
"Come here! He's..." The signal cut out as explosions began to appear in the central city.
{"Now you're the Hero!"} Metallix remembered Sonic's words... no, whoever's doing this, it can't be the hedgehog... He might be careless, but he'd never harm civilians... right?
Could it be...?" Metallix thought, his optical sensors scanning the city below. The explosions and destruction were unlike anything Sonic had ever done before. It was chaos, pure chaos, and it seemed to be growing with each passing moment.
Metallix activated his thrusters and took to the skies, determined to stop whatever was causing this destruction. He couldn't let the city be destroyed, not on his watch. As he flew towards the city, he could see the golden flash of Sonic's Super Form crashing through buildings and causing widespread destruction. But something wasn't right. This wasn't Sonic. This was something else, something darker.