GeneX - Tails the Fox
Chapter 38 - The Showdown Resumes
Stage 19-20 - Metal Heights & Egg Maze
Boss 27 - Sonic Vs Shadow

Note: Sonic the Hedgehog and related characters are (c) SEGA and 
Sonic Team. You knew that, right?

"That's it!" Sargent Gunner declared. "Sonic and Shadow go down now! They'll pay for destroying the Diablotron!" Spy shook his head. "If the Diablotron couldn't beat them, I think we should just give up..." Gunner smacked Spy over the head for that remark. "Quantity over quality! Enough of our best mechs will be far better than a single Diablotron anyway! Come on, you twit! Let's call for further backup!" Spy handed Gunner his phone, the only bit of useful equipment they had left. Gunner dialed a number. "Hello, Commander? We have a situation here..."


Meanwhile, Sonic and Shadow began their contest to see which of them would get to challenge Dr. Eggman. As Sonic came out of Chaos Control, he couldn't see Shadow. So, he knew Shadow was behind him, and turned quickly to defend against Shadow's attack, which turned out to be a kick. Sonic grabbed his leg and threw him aside, but before he hit the floor, Shadow sent a Chaos Spear soaring in Sonic's direction. Sonic jumped out of the way hurriedly, landing on his back. Sonic and Shadow both quickly scrambled to their feet. "Still relying on your Chaos tricks, eh, Shadow?" Sonic snickered. Shadow scoffed at him. "If I have such power, why shouldn't I use it if I want to? Besides, you used Chaos Control first!"

The two of them, silently agreeing to abstain from using Chaos Control, dashed at each other, like horseless jousters. They rammed each other with seemingly equal force, both being knocked backward by the impact. However, neither of them seemed fazed by it, and both jumped at each other using their homing attacks. They bounced off each other, landed, and tried again, with the same result. It seemed neither of them could easily gain the upper hand. So, Sonic tried instead to run around and attack Shadow from behind. Shadow, realizing what Sonic was trying to do, fought back using Chaos Spear. After all, they had only agreed upon not using Chaos Control, not the other chaos attacks. Although Sonic found it easy to dodge the attack from a distance, it made it impossible for him to get close to Shadow. It seemed apparent that this battle was going nowhere fast. There had to be a way for one of the two hedgehogs to land a decisive blow, but how?


A few rooms away, there was a library, filled with all sorts of books Eggman had used for inspiration for his nefarious schemes.The racket from Sonic and Shadow's fight was annoying a certain someone who had come to the library, Illusi the shrew. "Blast those thick headed hedgehogs! I can't concentrate on my search with them blasting away at each other! Something on the bookshelves here must be useful for something!" the shrew grumbled, pulling books off the shelves and tossing aside everything that appeared useless. While Illusi was busy, Lospecter flew into the room behind him. "Well, well, whatever are YOU doing here, illusion boy?" Lospecer said, in a knowing tone. "None of your business, slime bucket!" Illusi replied angrily. "Try that shelf." Lospecter said, pointing. Illusi responded by sending a wrongo dashing through Lospecter, an act the spirit simply laughed at. "Seriously, what you're looking for, is on that shelf. Take it and use it!" Lospecter started towards an exit. "My losols' morale has been lower since getting bested by that red echidna. I must ensure it never happens again. At least, not that way."

Illusi ignored Lospecter as he left the room. But after another minute of not finding what he was looking for, Illusi decided to try where Lospecter had said to look. In a few moments, he found a paper with odd symbols written all over it. "What do you know? Lospecter was telling the truth. He must really have wanted me to use this after all. But how did he know what I was searching for? Clever demon. I have lingered here too long already. I better find Dark One so that I can finish what I started. Then I'll take this paper where it belongs!" Illusi heard a loud crash from where Sonic and Shadow where fighting. "I wish I wasn't in a hurry, because I'm REALLY wanting to give those hedgehogs a piece of my mind! But I sense that my interference is not necessary. It's about to get noisier in there. So I'd better get going, before my headache turns into a migrane!"


Sonic and Shadow had been fighting for some time, and they finally had enough. "Rrrrrgh! This is getting us nowhere!" Shadow growled. "Got that right..." Sonic agreed. "Well then, now what?" Shadow wondered.

As if in response, a large group charged into the room from the third entrance. The group consisted of Gunner, Spy, and about 6 really tough looking mechs. "Now I've got you both!" Gunner shouted letting out a heinous laugh. Shadow shook his head in annoyance. "You again? You're crazy." "No, you're crazy!" Spy said tauntingly. Gunner stepped behind his mechs. "You freaks are outnumbered and outmatched! These are our most elite combat mechs! You'll never win!" Indeed, it did look like it was going to be a tough fight.

"Aha! Caught ya!" called a voice from the fourth entrance to the room. "Get him, Alpha!" It was Char, and running up behind him was Alpha. The robot buzzed loudly, apparently having still not recovered from its fights with Sonic and Rouge. "The bunnies! They're EVERYWHERE!!! I've seen them!" the robot shouted in a horrified voice. "Snap out of it!" Char shouted to the malfunctioning robot. Shadow stared at the robot, utterly perplexed, while Sonic couldn't keep from laughing. "Still broken, huh? I must've got him good!"

Sargent Gunner had one of his mechs shoot into the air to get everyone's attention. "Don't you DARE ignore me! GUN army, EXTERMINATE THEM!!!" Sonic and Shadow exchanged glances. "Looks like we're calling that fight a draw!" Sonic said. Shadow grinned and then turned to face the robots. Spy cowardly dashed behind the sargent. "I've got a baaaaaad feeling about this..." he muttered.

Char broke out laughing just then. "OK, Alpha! You get in there and help triple team em!" Alpha responded by stepping between Sonic and Shadow, pointing his weapons at Gunner. "Give up your cheese, or else I won't share my cookies!" he said in an odd voice. "You don't eat!" Char called out. Alpha turned to look at Char, then turned angrily at Gunner. "Mean old jerky jerk! Alpha break all your toys!" the robot declared, referring to itself in third person. (which isn't a good sign) "That's more like it!" Char cheered. "Yours too!" Alpha said. "Awww..." Char muttered.

Gunner was sick of this. "Enough foolishness! Why do you mechs just stand there!? ATTACK!!!!!"

The robots jumped into action, as did Sonic, Shadow, and Alpha. Using Chaos Spear, Sonic Wind, and various weapons from Alpha, the three of them obliterated GUN's mechs in a matter of seconds, leaving Gunner completely dumbfounded. "Wha... buh...huh...? Impossible!?" was all he could utter. Spy calmly stepped backward. "Well.... Now we know our robots stink... SEE YA!!" With that, Spy ran off as quickly as he could. "You spineless twit!" Gunner shouted to Spy. Char now flew over to the hateful man. "Hello, Mr. animal-hater man!" Alpha stepped toward Gunner as well. "Hiya, big nose!" the robot said. Gunner was still in shock from the defeat he'd just been handed. "Wh-what did you call me?" he said. Char looked at Alpha with a devilish smile. "Sic em, Alfie!" Alpha began growling like a dog, and Gunner finally realized what was going on. "Whoa! Wait a second!" he said, panicked. Sonic waved to the sargent. "Better run, Sarge!" Alpha chased Gunner down the hall, with Gunner shouting, "Freaks! Get back! Aaaaah!!" Before leaving, Char flew over to Sonic and Shadow. "Be good, hedgehogs! Bye bye!"

As Char flew after Alpha, they could hear the robot shouting. "Get the monkey! He took my banana! BA-NA-NA!!!" Sonic chuckled. "There goes a grade A nut job, and the robot and Chao, too. So, what now, Shadow?" Shadow thought for a moment. "Our fight was a draw... So let's split up and try to find Eggman." "Sure! Race ya!" Sonic replied. With that, the two hedgehogs dashed off in opposite directions, in search of a way to end Eggman's scheme once and for all.


A short distance away, Sonic ran into Amy. "Sonic!! You went and did something dangerous without me again, didn't you!" she said, slightly miffed. "Uhhh... It was nothing.... Just Shadow and the mean sargent and Eggman's robot...." Amy growled angrily and pulled out her hammer. "You left me behind AGAIN!! I'll knock some sense into you yet!" Sonic backed away slowly, trying to think of a way to talk her out of this. "Uhh... Hold it! I'm in the middle of a race!" he explained. "Do you think I'm dumb!?" Amy growled, not believing him. "I'll teach you!!!" She chased Sonic off, swinging her hammer, with Sonic shouting all the way.


While Shadow zoomed through the hall, he zoomed right past the Doomsayer. Curious, he skidded to a halt and rushed to confront the mysterious stranger. "Who are you?" he asked. "I am known as the Doomsayer, Shadow." "Really? How did you know my name?" Shadow demanded. The Doomsayer glared at Shadow through his hood. "I know a great deal about you. But that is not important right now. A great calamity is coming." Shadow was now even more curious. "What do you mean?" The Doomsayer spoke softy, yet menacingly. "I speak of the end of the world. Copter's appearence signifies its beginning." "Copter!? What do you know about him?" Shadow said with alarm. The Doomsayer's tone became graver than ever. "I know everything about him. More than even he knows." "Tell me everything!" Shadow demanded. The Doomsayer started to leave. "Come with me. You will learn all that you need to know." he beckoned. Shadow sensed that everything the Doomsayer said was true. "Very well. Let's go."

And so, Shadow left with the Doomsayer, always ready to walk the dark path that others dare not follow.

To be continued...